Hometown Broadcasting News Friday 1/29/21
29 January 2021 News
FDL County Chase Suspect Charged
Bond was set at $10,000 cash for a 16-year-old Fond du Lac boy who led Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s deputies and the State Patrol on a chase last Friday morning that started on I-41. Devin Schmitz (pictured) is charged with 8 felonies including driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent, two counts of second degree recklessly endangering safety, fleeing an officer, and four counts of bail jumping. The 3-mile chase culminated when Schmitz failed to negotiate a curve on Grove Street in Fond du Lac and hit several small trees and shrubs, struck a curb, and went through a front yard and terrace. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, February 5th.
ATF Executes Search Warrant In Ripon
Ripon Police Chief Bill Wallner says his department had a supporting role when the U.S. Bureau of Alochol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant in the 400 block of East Jackson Street Wednesday. He says they were aware of some illegal activity going on at one particular residence. “We had had a particular residence that we had been working on jointly with some information concerning some illegal activity occurring there and we were able to work with the ATF and they secured a Federal search warrant to conduct on that residence. We provided some support for them.” Chief Wallner says they didn’t have to evacuate any nearby residences during the search, but stayed in contact with officials at Alliance Laundry Systems which is in that area. He says no one was injured during the search and they are very satisfied with the outcome.
FDL Man Charged For Chase With Beaver Dam Police
A 49-year-old Fond du Lac man who ran from Beaver Dam Police was charged this week in Dodge County court with felony fleeing. Bond was set at $2,000 cash for Patrick Gipson and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 4th. Gipson was wanted by Fond du Lac County authorities on November 6th for a hit-and-run accident involving a child when Beaver Dam Police spotted him on Highway 151. They chased him toward Columbia County with speeds reaching nearly 90 miles an hour. A Columbia County Sheriff’s deputy deployed a tire deflation device that disabled Gipson’s vehicle.
Equipment Replacement Fund Established
The Ripon Common Council this week approved a resolution that establishes an equipment replacement fund for the Department of Public Works out of annual recycling fee revenues. Alderperson Al Schraeder, a member of the Public Works Committee, explained to the Council that $75,000 would be taken out of the fund each year to pay for capital equipment purchases of $10,000 or more. Purchases would have to be approved by the Public Works Committee and the Common Council. The Council unanimously approved the resolution to establish the fund. The city collects over $100,000 a year through the recycling fees.
Approval Sought To Sell Haas Brewery Stable
Ripon’s Historic Preservation Commission this week got the Common Council’s initial blessing to look into selling the Haas Brewery Stable that straddles Silver Creek. Alderperson John Splitt, who chairs the Historic Preservation Commission, told the Council they would like to sell it with the proviso that the stable remain on site straddling the creek. Splitt informed the Council it is the only barn or stable over a creek in Wisconsin. Essentially they will be looking for a buyer that will preserve it. Before it can be posted for sale on Facebook it will need to be approved by the Plan Commission then go back to the Common Council for their approval. The stable was left to the city.
Vote On Repeal Of Face Mask Mandate Put On Pause
A member of the Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force says repealing the Governor’s face mask mandate isn’t a good idea. Jeff Puhlmann-Becker says the masks are a health containment tool and shouldn’t be a political argument. He says until vaccine is widely available we still have to take precautions and face masks are one of the ways we can do it. He says when the original time frame for an executive order of 60 days was put in place we could not have anticipated what we have had to live with the past year. “Imagine the kinds of emergencies we would ever have thought of a year ago, two years ago. We wouldn’t have though a pandemic would have shut down the state for a year and this is political and it is not good.” The State Assembly abruptly cancelled a vote yesterday to repeal the Governor’s mask mandate after mounting criticism from the state’s health, school and business leaders and out of concern it would jeopardize more than $49 million a month in federal aid.
Getting Frosty Over Windshields
Town of Ripon Police Captain Howard Stibb says they get a little frosted about people who don’t clear their vehicle’s windshield and windows of ice, snow and frost during the winter. He urges drivers to budget a little extra time to scrape your windshield before you hit the road. He notes you will be able to see better and you won’t be breaking the law. “And the cars nowadays the newer ones will warm up in a hurry, but you still have that frosted window yet and according to the law you need the entire windshield totally clean.” He says some windshields he’s seen during winters have only had a very small portion cleared of ice, snow or frost.
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