7/22/22 Hometown Broadcasting News Friday
22 July 2022 News
Ripon Man Facing New Charges
For the third month in a row a 26-year-old Ripon man is free on bond after posting thousands of dollars following a felony offense. Jesus Lozoya, Jr. posted a $5,000 cash bond during his initial hearing in Fond du Lac County court Tuesday on felony counts of strangulation and suffocation, false imprisonment, 2 counts of felony bail jumping and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. According to the criminal complaint Lozoya was involved in a domestic abuse incident last Friday in the City of Ripon while he was intoxicated. In May he posted a $5,000 cash bond after being charged for allegedly shooting off a gun in a residence and last month posted a $3,000 cash bond after an allegedly lewd and lascivious incident in a city parking lot. He was also believed to be intoxicated during those incidents. A preliminary hearing on the latest charges is scheduled for September 22nd.
Beaver Dam Woman Sentenced On Meth Possession Charge
A 39-year-old Beaver Dam woman was sentenced this week to a year and a half in prison and two years of extended supervision for possession of methamphetamine. Beaver Dam Police executed a search warrant on a trailer in October of 2021. Amanda Westover and another resident were taken into custody. Officers found marijuana, a variety of pills, meth and other drug paraphernalia. She admitted marijuana found in a bedroom was hers but not methamphetamine found right next to it. The sentencing Wednesday on the methamphetamine charge was the result of her failing to live up to a deferred prosecution agreement and Drug Court conditions. District Attorney Kurt Klomberg says many people have been helped through the County’s Drug Court, but some participants are just not ready to embrace recovery.
Ripon Plan Commission Approves Two Conditional Use Permits
Ripon’s Plan Commission Wednesday approved conditional use permits from SC Machining and Manufacturing LLC and Cameron Butler of Self-Stor Commercial Warehousing with both properties located in B-2 or business districts. A representative for SC Machining said they would be doing light manufacturing in the location at 503 East Fond du Lac Street making parts for other manufacturers. Meanwhile Butler would like to put up commercial warehousing on a 2.2 acre lot at 0 (zero) East Oshkosh Street. Public hearings were held on both requests. Neighbors living at the Wedgewood Condominiums at 550 North Douglas Street brought up several issues with the proposed warehouse site including noise, drainage from the lot, and lights from vehicle traffic in and out of the site. The developer does plan to put up fencing at the site to reduce the light issue.
Starting Prosecutor Pay An Issue
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney says if the state wants to see vacancies filled for prosecutors something is going to have to be done about the starting pay for those positions. Toney is the President of the Wisconsin District Attorney’s Association and a candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General. He says public defenders and the private sector pay more salary for someone starting out than what an assistant district attorney would get and it has become an issue. He says corporation counsel and city attorney positions also pay more. Toney says the state legislature has done a good job with pay progression for prosecutors but something is going to have to be done in the upcoming state budget to address this issue. He notes even with positions filled through American Rescue Plan Act funds only about a third of the prosecutor vacancies have been filled statewide.
Promoting Ripon
Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mandy Kimes is putting up audio and video posts on social media showing why people enjoy visiting the city and what some of the attractions are. She started in the position last month and has been actively posting on the Chamber’s Facebook and Instagram pages giving accounts of visitors, where they are from and highlighting some of the great food, shops and entertainment year-round residents might be missing out on. She’s also met with staff from other area chambers because she feels the whole area has something valuable to promote. If you would like to know more about the Ripon Chamber visit their website or give them a call at 920-748-6764.
AirVenture Volunteers Make It Happen
With EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh just days away thousands of volunteers are positioned for the work associated with staging the world’s largest fly-in and convention. Bob is from Central Texas. He has been volunteering at EAA for 25 years, the last 15 years in the Carpentry Shop. He says it takes over 5,600 volunteers to do the work leading up to and during EAA. While everyone has their particular thing they like about AirVenture Bob says his are the friendships that are built. Jerry is a volunteer from West Virginia and will be working on the Welcome Wagon for the Flight Line. He’s been attending AirVenture for 15 years. He says he likes the aircraft but has a soft spot for some of the home-built planes because he built his own. EAA AirVenture is next week at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.
Steve Hardgrove Retires
After 53 years with the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department, Steve Hardgrove finally retired Wednesday. Both Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt and County Executive Sam Kaufman were on hand to thank Steve, who is 75 years old, for his long service with the department. He was hired as a detective in 1978 and retired in 2000, but later that year returned as a maintenance custodian and in 2006 became the lead maintenance custodian for the Sheriff’s Office a position he held until this week. Steve’s parents also had ties with the department; his father was sheriff and his mother sheriff’s matron serving meals to inmates. Back in the 1940’s and 1950’s the sheriff and his family lived at the sheriff’s office and Steve spent a portion of his childhood living in the old sheriff’s office and jail building.
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