3/8/22 Hometown Broadcasting News Tuesday
8 March 2022 News
Ripon Man Charged With Car Theft
A 43-year-old Ripon man has been charged for allegedly stealing a vehicle from a parking lot in downtown Ripon last Thursday morning. Clinton Templeman made an initial appearance in Fond du Lac County court Monday on a charge of taking and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent. He was released on a $5,000 signature bond and has a preliminary hearing on May 6th. According to the criminal complaint Templeman left Red’s Bar that morning and took an SUV that was parked in a parking lot Red’s shares with Pastimes Pub and Grill. The owner of the vehicle is employed to clean Pastimes Pub. Police have had prior contact with Templeman and were able to recover the vehicle in the 600 block of East Jackson Street where Templeman has an apartment. He told police a friend had just bought the vehicle and had the title for it.
Tommy Thompson Visits UW Oshkosh
UW System President and former Governor Tommy Thompson stopped at the UW-Oshkosh Monday. He made stops at several universities in what is considered a farewell tour. The former four-term Wisconsin governor, who has served as the interim president for the UW System since July of 2020, will step down on March 18th. During his tenure with the system the UW-Oshkosh launched a comprehensive COVID-19 testing program at the Culver Center, and eventually a vaccination plan for students, employees, and the community. Yesterday, the UW-Oshkosh chancellor, mayor of Oshkosh, and two student leaders took time to say thank you in person for all Thompson has done. Thompson expressed his own thanks for the opportunity to be interim president for the UW System.
Ripon School District Waited Patiently For Home To Become Available
The recent closing on the purchase of a home on Sullivan Street will allow the Ripon Area School District to put in a practice field on the north side of the Middle School/High School. The district waited patiently for the home to become available and the owner accepted an offer of $155,000 with the closure on that sale recently occurring. The school board also approved a bid of just over $17,000 to demolish the home. District Superintendent Mary Whitrock says it will replace a practice field they once had on the south side of the school. She says when the district purchases something it is like the community purchasing something so they will try to repurpose what they can from the home before it is razed.
Ripon Common Council Preview
The Ripon Common Council tonight will consider a service agreement for a tree inventory and forestry management plan, and approval of bids for master planning for city facilities and parks tonight. A DNR Stewardship Grant will pay for 50 percent of the costs of the $24,245 it will cost for Bluestem Forestry Consulting to inventory trees in the right-of-way and city parks and do a Forest Management Plan. Meanwhile Short Elliot Hendrickson put in $25,000 in bids to do a Master Plan for the City Hall and Police Station and the DPW facilities. MSA Professional Services put in a $35,000 bid to prepare a Parks Master Plan. The Council will meet at 7 pm in the Council Chambers of the Ripon City Hall this evening.
Congressman Grothman On State Of The Union Goals
Congressman Glenn Grothman feels President Joe Biden set a few more goals during his State of the Union speech that he won’t be able to keep. Grothman feels being less dependent on foreign oil is a worthwhile goal but he says Biden has crippled our own efforts to produce oil at home and cutting back on the importing of Russian oil will continue to drive the price up at the pump. Biden also said his number one goal was to do something about inflation, but Congressman Grothman says farmers and manufacturers he’s spoken with feel inflation will get worse not better.
Wisconsin Dells TID Extended
Governor Tony Evers recently signed a bill into law authored by State Senator Joan Ballweg and State Representative Alex Dallman that extends a Tax Incremental District in the Ciy of Wisconsin Dells. The TID will provide incentives for eligible developments including upgrading road networks, extending electric and gas utilities and more. Ballweg says it is great news for Wisconsin Dells. The state lawmaker says, “This allows shovel-ready projects to move forward to keep the Dells a top tourist destination for years to come.” The overall Wisconsin Dells tourism economy contributes $35.7 million in state taxes and $8.9 million in local premier resort tax revenue each year.
Education Reform Bills
State Representative Alex Dallman recently voted with his colleagues to pass a number of education reform bills. The state lawmaker from Green Lake says one of the bills would break up the Milwaukee School District into smaller more manageable and accountable districts. The package also included the “Parental Bill of Rights”, which prohibits the state from infringing on the right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of their children. The package also establishes uniform standards for school accountability reports, a parental opt-out from mask mandates in school buildings, and a requirement for school boards to offer children a full-time, in-person learning option. The education reform bills are now in the State Senate.
Input Sought On State Highway 21 Improvement Project
The state’s Department of Transportation is seeking public input on proposed improvements to State Highway 21in Waushara County between State Highway 49 and the Winnebago County line. Construction is currently scheduled for 2026 but could occur as early as 2025. Proposed improvements include resurfacing, widening paved shoulders, replacing a culvert, replacing guardrail and more. The public is invited to review the project website and provide input through Friday, April 1st using the online comment form.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation WIS 21, WIS 49 to Winnebago County line (wisconsindot.gov)
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