4/5/22 Hometown Broadcasting News Tuesday
5 April 2022 News
Spring Election
Voters should find plenty to vote on during today’s Spring Election. That includes a race for Court of Appeals Judge for District 2. In Fond du Lac County there are races for the Taycheedah Town Board. Village Board races in the Villages of Oakfield, Rosendale and St. Cloud. There are races for the Fond du Lac and Ripon City Councils. Ripon has a Mayor’s race although the incumbent Ted Grant’s challenger is a registered write-in candidate Andrew Dowling. There are contested County Board races for Districts 1, 3, 10, 18, 20, and 25. School boards in Fond du Lac, Markesan, New Holstein, North Fond du Lac, Rosendale-Brandon and Waupun have contested races. There are also school district referendums in Markesan, Oakfield, and Rosendale Brandon. Meanwhile in Winnebago County, Oshkosh has city council and school board races. Results will be posted on the Hometown Broadcasting.com website and will be carried during our Wednesday newscasts.
FDL Regional Job Fair Returns
The Fond du Lac Regional Job Fair will return to the Expo Center at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds, 1-4 pm on Wednesday, April 13th. The Fox Valley Job Centers, the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, are sponsoring this year’s recruitment event to take place at the Fond du Lac Expo Center. This year marks the return of the annual event, which was disrupted in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighty-two (82) employers representing Fond du Lac and 10 surrounding counties will be at the job fair with hundreds of available jobs representing a wide variety of industries at all skill levels. Job seekers should bring several copies of an updated resume to share on site.
Severe Weather Awareness Week
On average Wisconsin has 23 tornadoes a year, but last year had 41 tornadoes. Fond du Lac County Communications and Emergency Management Director Bobbi Hicken says if you do nothing else during the Severe Weather Awareness Week at least make sure you have a way of being notified this spring and summer when Severe Weather is more likely to occur. Wisconsin had 17 tornadoes during the night of July 28th and morning of July 29th of last year. Waushara County had an EF 0 tornado on the ground for about a half a mile on July 28th. That same night and the next morning straight-line winds caused significant damage in the Ripon area. Hicken says Severe Thunderstorms with strong winds can wreak quite a bit of havoc as well.
Tornado Sirens Will Be Sounded During Statewide Drill
Fond du Lac County will sound tornado sirens Thursday as part of a statewide drill for Severe Weather Awareness Week. County Communications and Emergency Management Director Bobbi Hicken says NOAA weather radios will be activated with a message similar to how the weekly tests are done explaining it is a tornado drill. However, there will not be any warnings issued through apps or the wireless emergency alerts. On a related note the City of Ripon will be doing maintenance on its outdoor sirens today so sirens may sound for 10 to 15 second blasts while they are being tested.
Sheltered Workplaces Update
Congressman Glenn Grothman says sheltered workplaces like Diverse Options in Ripon, Brooke Industries in Fond du Lac, and Green Valley Enterprises in Beaver Dam are hanging in there. He says that could change if the Build, Back, Better Bill gets back on track. The federal lawmaker from Glenbeulah says the Biden Administration does not think it is fair to pay people less than minimum wage, but the people of different abilities that work at those shelters are usually getting other benefits that supplement their pay. Grothman says he has visited a number of those sheltered workplaces and the thing he sees is people who are glad to work there and the self-esteem it builds.
Marty Farrell Time On The FDL County Board Coming To A Close
For 28 years District 1 on the Fond du Lac County Board has been represented by Marty Farrell, but that will change today with a new supervisor being picked by voters. The former Ripon College professor says he is leaving with a sense of satisfaction. One of his last pieces of business as Chair of the County Board was seeing a resolution passed that will provide funding for a Boys & Girls Club facility in Ripon. He also has been Acting County Executive following the passing of County Executive Allen Buechel on Saturday, March 26th. Farrell says Ripon has been well represented by its supervisors over the years. He says during his time as a county supervisor he has made the trip from Ripon to Fond du Lac and back for meetings over 6,700 times. Farrell says he and his wife are planning a cruise later this year, which has been cancelled twice because of the pandemic. Otherwise he keeps busy at area colleges as a guest lecturer.
Oshkosh Chamber President Retiring
Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce President and CEO John Casper is retiring after 35 years with the Chamber. Casper notified the Chamber’s Board of Directors on March 25th. He started with the Chamber in 1987 as director of commercial development. In 1990 he became president and CEO. During his time with the Oshkosh Chamber their membership has grown by 50 percent to 1,157 members. The Chamber has also been accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce since 1993. Casper says he’s had the privilege of working for an outstanding organization and has been able to lead one of the most talented staffs in the state.
Share |