Hometown Broadcasting News Monday 12/13/21
13 December 2021 News
Ripon Man Bound Over For Trial On Child Sexual Assault Charges
The 39-year-old Ripon man suspected of sexually assaulting two young girls has been bound over for trial. Brian Martinez was in Fond du Lac County court Friday for a preliminary hearing. He was also arraigned and pled not guilty to 1st and 2nd degree sexual assault of a child charges. He remains in the County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond. According to the criminal complaint the victims were 11 and 14 year old girls. The contact allegedly occurred at a residence in Ripon and the victims told investigators they didn’t encourage or want to participate in it. Martinez was convicted in Outagamie County in July of 2019 of a felony charge of issuing a worthless check so the charges he faces now are as a repeater.
FDL Arson Suspect Charged
A 40-year-old Fond du Lac man made his initial appearance in Fond du Lac County court Friday on arson and criminal damage to property charges. Nathaneal Hankerson is suspected of intentionally setting fire to the two-story home he was living in at 302 North Macy Street in Fond du Lac last Tuesday afternoon. Bond was set at $75,000 cash and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Friday. No one was injured during the blaze that caused extensive damage to the home. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
Eight Displaced By Fire In Waupaca
Eight people in Waupaca were displaced by a fire and explosion Saturday morning. Firefighters were dispatched to the Countryside Estates Apartments at 517 Wisconsin Street for a gas leak after a snowplow driver hit a gas meter. The apartment building is for the elderly and those with disabilities. The residents were able to get out of the building before the explosion, which was caused when natural gas got into utility room where the furnace and hot water heater are kept. Fire damaged the right side of the apartment building and fire department officials say the building will be uninhabitable for up to a week. An adult day care center allowed the apartment’s residents to stay there while other living arrangements were being made.
Johnson Opposes Mandates For COVID Vaccine And Testing
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson disagrees with the President’s mandate on COVID-19 vaccination or testing for large businesses. The Senate voted to overturn the mandate last Wednesday night. Johnson went through COVID himself and doesn’t feel the vaccines are all they are cracked up to be. He says there is no guarantee if you are fully vaccinated that you won’t get sick or die. Johnson feels the mandate will only force people into making difficult decisions they don’t want to make. The federal lawmaker from Oshkosh is opposed to the way the Biden Administration and Dr. Anthony Fauci are handling the health care crisis.
Flu Shots Recommended
The COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots are designed to keep you from getting the disease and prevent hospitalization. Ashley Kolberg is the Emergency Department Nurse Manager for Ripon Community Hospital. She says flu shots work on the same principle. The SSM Health employee says last year’s precautions for COVID actually helped people ward off the flu, but the same can’t be said this year because people aren’t practicing those precautions as much. She says they are starting to see flu cases in the area so she recommends being vaccinated for influenza. With a recent spike in COVID cases not as many hospital beds are available for those who are suffering from the worst that the flu has to offer.
Oshkosh Tax Reminders
City officials in Oshkosh mailed out real estate and personal property tax bills on Friday. The city is encouraging residents to mail in their tax payments, or use the secure drop box outside the main doors of the city hall due to the pandemic. Payments can also be made online at Oshkosh Bill Pay.com. Payments can be made in person at city hall if necessary or Community First Credit Union and Associated Bank. A reminder city hall will be closed on December 23rd and 24th and December 31st. To get credited with a 2021 tax payment, the payment must be received, paid in person at any location, or placed in the drop box by the main entrance of city hall by December 30th.
PSC Announces Grant Awards
Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission last Thursday announced the projects that will receive Wisconsin Refueling Readiness Grants. The Commission voted 3 to 0 to award nearly $278,000 for 15 projects to foster fueling infrastructure resilience and create Fueling Points of Distribution or Designated Disaster Fueling Facilities which will stay open in long-term power outages or declared emergencies. Waupaca County is receiving three grants totaling nearly $15,000 for generator projects at highway department facilities across the county. Country Visions Cooperative of Fond du Lac is among the other grant awardees receiving $16,875.
Full Circle
Things have come full circle for Angie Evans of the Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County area. Back in the day she was a member of the club and for the past six months she’s been the club’s marketing coordinator. She grew up in Berlin and went to All Saints. She says attending the club as a kid was a way to expand her social circle, develop self-esteem and grow as a person. Part of her role with the club this past week was to help put on their 2nd Annual Holiday Telethon. The club serves over 600 kids in the Green Lake and Berlin areas and about 125 of them on a daily basis.
Markesan Memorial Luminary Bags
As part of the city’s Christmas tree lighting event on December 23rd, the Markesan Police Department is offering Memorial Luminary bags to community members. The bags are $10 each and on the luminary bag the name of the person you wish to memorialize will be written. The bags will be placed around the Christmas tree and downtown area during the entire tree lighting event. Those who wish to purchase the Memorial Luminary bags should visit city hall or send the police department a message with the name of the person you want on the memorial bag. You can drop off your payment at city hall or send them to the Markesan Police Department, PO Box 352, Markesan WI 53946. All checks need to be made out to City of Markesan and in the memo put Memorial Luminary.
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