4/6/23 Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday
6 April 2023 News
OSHKOSH ARMED ROBBERY ARRESTS
Oshkosh Police say two men have been arrested in connection with the robbery of a business in the 700 block of Merritt Avenue on March 20th. One man entered the business insinuating he had a weapon and left with an undisclosed amount of cash. He then fled in a vehicle officials believed to be an SUV or Jeep. Calumet County Sheriff’s deputies took a 60-year-old Little Chute man into custody that police suspect was involved in the robbery. Oshkosh Detectives also took a 40-year-old Oshkosh man into custody after several lengthy surveillance operations. Both men face party to the crime of armed robbery charges and additional charges including drug possession.
METH A PROBLEM
Green Lake County Chief Deputy Matt Vande Kolk says they’ve been seeing a rise in methamphetamine use and activity in the county over the past three years. He says part of that reason is because of the low price of meth on the streets. That means it is availability is high and they are finding it quite often on traffic stops where they use K9s for searches. He says those traffic stops are usually just the beginning of a drug investigation which leads them to more. Vande Kolk says methamphetamine is pretty much anywhere. He urges residents who suspect criminal activity to call the Green Lake County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-438-8436. You can also text GETTHEM at 847411. Tips may be eligible for up to a $1,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of suspects. You can report your tips anonymously.
COVID 19 TESTING AT FDL COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS ENDING
Next Tuesday will be the final day for COVID-19 testing at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds. County Health Department officials say residents can still access a COVID-19 test by visiting a community testing location. Those locations include Walgreens in Fond du Lac and surrounding areas, Summit Clinical Labs in Oshkosh, purchasing self-tests through pharmacies, retail outlets, or online. Free self-tests can be ordered online through the Department of Health Services. You can also contact a health care provider or use health insurance, Medicaid or Medicare plans to cover the costs of purchasing additional test kits. Free tests are available at the City-County Government Center in Fond du Lac and county libraries while supplies last.
WAUTOMA SCHOOLS REFERENDUM FAILS
Voters in the Wautoma Area School District rejected a $41.3 million facilities referendum on Tuesday. The “unofficial” results are 1,789 no votes or 58 percent against to 1,281 yes votes. The funds would have been used to acquire new land and construct a new elementary school with up-to-date safety and security systems, energy efficient systems, increased surface parking and smoother traffic flow. District Administrator Tom Rheinheimer released a statement saying the Wautoma School Board and Administration are disappointed that they will not be moving forward with the construction of a new elementary school. He added they will carefully consider their next steps in continuing to improve the quality of education they provide without the referendum. He also said they are grateful to the community for their support and input.
RIPON VOTER TURNOUT
Just over 1,900 (1,915) registered voters in Ripon participated in Tuesday’s Spring Election. That worked out to 44 percent of the total number of registered voters living in the city. As for the voting, it reflected the way it went statewide with the majority of voters favoring winner Janet Protasiewicz in the State Supreme Court race and voting yes on all three statewide referendum questions. The voter turnout in Ripon was just under the 50 percent turnout that Fond du Lac County experienced as a whole.
DALLMAN INVITES PUBLIC TO SPEAK AT STATE BUDGET HEARING
State Representative Alex Dallman invites resident of the 41st State Assembly District to testify at the Joint Finance Committee’s upcoming public meeting on the Governor’s proposed two-year state budget. The public hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 12th from 10 am to 5 pm at the Wilderness Glacier Canyon Conference Center in the Sandstone Meeting Room in Wisconsin Dells. Participants will have the opportunity to testify in front of members of the Joint Committee on Finance and express their opinions, ideas, support and/or opposition for issues that they care about in the state budget. The state lawmaker from Green Lake says, “It is important that the Joint Committee on Finance hears directly from the people of Wisconsin, about what they believe should be included in this state budget.”
RIPON AREA UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN ENDS UP SHORT OF GOAL
The Ripon Area United Way wrapped up the past year’s fundraising campaign at the end of last month. The campaign raised 72 to 73 percent of the $80,000 goal or about $60,000. United Way Board President Jeff Puhlmann-Becker says they had some money in reserve funds so they will be able to allocate what they needed to the 15 non-profit organizations they help to fund. He says it is not surprising they came up short of their goal because there were some high profile worthwhile fundraising efforts in the community during the past year. He notes the capacity of the community isn’t really dampened by one campaign. Some of those efforts included the Ripon Education Foundation raising $117,000, the Ripon College Rally Day raised $1.4 million, the Boys & Girls Club capital campaign, the Library’s campaign and others. If you would like to give a donation to the Ripon Area United Way mail it to P.O. Box 71, Ripon, Wisconsin 54971 or go to their website Ripon Area United Way.org.
WEBSTER STANLEY FAREWELL TOURS
Oshkosh Area School District officials are inviting the public to take a walk down memory lane during a farewell tour of Webster Stanley Elementary and Middle School. Two tour dates will be available: Wednesday, May 3rd from 6 to 8 pm and Sunday, May 7th from 1 to 3 pm. Visitors are invited to take a self-guided tour of the schools that will close at the end of the 2022-23 school year. There is no need to register in advance and people are welcome to arrive anytime in the two-hour window. Attendees may enter through the main entrances of the elementary or middle school, located at 915 Hazel Street. The Webster Stanley school building will be demolished in June to allow construction to begin on the new Menominee Elementary School, made possible by the capital referendum passed by district voters in November of 2020.
NEW BOX OFFICE MANAGER AT THRASHER
Thrasher Opera House in Green Lake welcomes Kayla Reeves to the team as its new Box Office and Events manager. Reeves’ role includes several duties, including ticketing, front-of-the-house management, event setup, and volunteer management, and she will serve as the primary contact for the Missoula Children’s Theatre. Reeves has lived in the Green Lake area for her entire life. She worked previously at Cove Marine as an administrative assistant. She has also done work with local non-profits, including the AVASTRONG Charity, and currently serves on the Berlin Youth Baseball Softball board of directors. Reeves began working with Thrasher Opera House in March.
POP 101
If you’ve ever considered running for public office but weren’t sure how to get the ball rolling a two-day course offered by Envision Greater Fond du Lac in June can give you the basics. It is called Public Office Preparation or POP 101. Participants will explore basic competencies, including how to navigate the paperwork process, fundraising and spending, campaigning, and building a public persona. Joe Venhuizen is Envision’s Vice-President of Membership and Resource Development. He says it is a non-partisan effort. He says it is unfortunate many candidates run unopposed or sometimes no one is running for an office. POP 101 will be offered on Wednesday, June 21st and Wednesday, June 28th from 4 to 7 pm. Cost and registration information is on Envision’s website under their events page.
Events (envisiongreaterfdl.com)
Share |