8/2/23 Hometown Broadcasting News Wednesday
2 August 2023 News
APPLETON MAN ARRAIGNED ON FDL COUNTY CAR CHASE CHARGES
A 22-year-old Appleton man suspected of stealing vehicles in multiple counties was arraigned in Fond du Lac County court Tuesday on charges stemming from a car chase on June 28th. Juan Antonio Garcia pled not guilty to charges of first degree recklessly endangering safety, felon in possession of a firearm, and vehicle operator fleeing or eluding an officer. During the 21 mile pursuit Garcia crashed on a dead end road bringing the pursuit to an end. That chase began when Winnebago County Sheriff’s officials put out information about a stolen vehicle heading south on Interstate 41 into Fond du Lac County. Garcia is also a suspect in vehicle thefts and entries in Dodge, Outagamie, and Winnebago counties. A status conference in the Fond du Lac County court case is scheduled for October 17th.
SEX OFFENER BEING RELEASED IN OSHKOSH
A 51-year-old sex offender is being released from a state secure mental health facility and will be living in Oshkosh. Dale Peshek has no residence lined up yet. He will be on lifetime GPS monitoring. Peshek was convicted in Kenosha County in 1998 of second-degree sexual assault of a child and child enticement. His victim was a male acquaintance who was sexually assaulted by Peshek when the victim was 14 years old and then again when the victim was 15 years old. Peshek is being released from a facility in Mauston, Wisconsin. In June of 2006 he was found to be a sexually violent person, but last month was ordered discharged. (Wisconsin Department of Corrections photo).
WAUPUN FIRE AND EMS STAFFING STUDY
The Waupun Common Council has initiated a study to examine staffing models for fire and emergency response service in the community. The Waupun Fire Department currently operates with two full-time and 28 paid-on-call firefighters, and a contracted ambulance service. An Emergency Medical Responder program was added in 2022 to support increasing call volumes and is staffed with volunteers. A public information page on the city’s website has been established where residents can find more information. Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director BJ DeMaa says their volunteers do an excellent job, but volunteerism is declining while demands for services increase. He says the city faces challenges ahead and city leaders need to plan for the future to ensure sustainability of the essential services. The city is conducting a public survey. A link to that survey can be found on the city’s website. The survey will remain open until August 23rd.
Waupun Fire Study Community Survey (surveymonkey.com)
EAA AIRVENTURE BY THE NUMBERS
EAA AirVenture 2023 set a new attendance record with 677,000 visitors besting last year’s record of 650,000. EAA CEO and Chairman Jack Pelton says, “We had record-setting totals of campers, exhibitors, volunteers, and more. It was also a challenging year at times with weather, logistics, and other factors, which makes me even more proud of the efforts by our volunteers and staff to organize an outstanding event.” Some other facts and figures 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, there were 3,365 show planes, more than 13,000 campsites in aircraft and drive-in, more than 5,500 volunteers contributed in excess of 250,000 hours, and there were 848 commercial exhibitors. EAA officials also estimate a $170 million plus economic impact for Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Brown counties. It is also estimated that more than 18.3 million people were reached by EAA’s social media sites.
CONGRESSMAN GROTHMAN INTRODUCES MIGRANT CHILD SAFETY ACT
Wisconsin Congressman Glenn Grothman and Texas Congressman Lance Gooden have introduced the Migrant Child Safety Act. The bill’s goal is to protect unaccompanied migrant children inside the United States by accurately identifying and screening sponsors. The Office of Refugee Resettlement is tasked with placing those migrant children with sponsors deemed capable of caring for the child’s well-being. However reports indicate that office has prioritized the speedy release of unaccompanied migrant children rather than their safety. As a result, thousands of migrant children have been placed with sponsors that have no relation to the child or may be in the country illegally. It’s estimated the office has lost contact with 85,000 children they have placed with sponsors. Congressman Grothman asks, “How in the world can the Biden Administration claim to care about families if they are admitting countless children into our country without making every effort reuniting these kids with their parents?”
WINNEBAGO COUNTY PURCHASES FORMER GROUP HOME
Winnebago County Supervisors last month approved the purchase of the Silvercrest group home in Neenah for $240,000. They approved a resolution for the purchase price and an additional $100,000 for renovation costs. It is the second such property the county has purchased in recent months. The first was a former at-risk youth shelter on Harrison Street in Oshkosh. County Supervisor Jacob Floam says the Silvercrest group home will be somewhat similar helping out high-school aged young men in the Neenah area. Floam says their County Human Services Director Dr. William Topel approached the board about taking over the Silvercrest hoping to avoid what happened with the Harrison Street property which was run by a separate organization that left the business behind. Floam says they would like to get the necessary renovations done as quickly as possible so they can open the former Silvercrest group home for use.
RIPON NOON KIWANIS WALK AND ROLL EVENT SATURDAY
The Ripon Noon Kiwanis will host a “Walk & Roll” event at Ripon’s Village Green this Saturday at 9 am. The event will raise funds for the all-inclusive playground that will be located at Riggs County Park. Participants in the “Walk & Roll” are invited to lace up their skates, put on their walking shoes, hop on their bike, grab their wheelchair or scooter, or push their stroller. Gary Scholten of the Club says it is a kickoff event to make people more aware of their effort to raise funds for the playground. There will be a short course suitable for participants of all abilities and ages. Door prizes may be available. A Rolling Skills Challenge Course will be set up under the pergola. There will also be a selfie station and an opportunity to learn about the all-inclusive playground. Scholten says the nearest all-inclusive playground is in Fond du Lac, which is a drive for some. They are asking for a free will offering or donation from those participating in Saturday’s event.
YPF CASINO NIGHT TICKETS AVAILABLE
Tickets go on sale today for the Young Professionals of Fond du Lac annual Casino Night. The event is Friday, September 22nd from 6 to 10:30 pm at Korneli’s on the Avenue in Fond du Lac. Caitlin Aussprung is an YPF member. She says the evening features food, drinks and gambling for a good cause. Proceeds will go toward the Fond du Lac Soccer Association. Professional dealers will run the games, but Aussprung says even if you are a novice at games of chance the evening is about having fun and the dealers will tell you how they work. At the end of the night you turn in your chips for raffle tickets for a chance to win great prizes. She encourages people to get their tickets this month when the cost is $30 for YPF members and $40 for the general public. Otherwise that price goes up to $40 and $50 next month. Tickets are available through the Envision Greater Fond du Lac website or the YPF Facebook page. Young Professionals of Fond du Lac is an Envision program.
WOMEN ON WATSON SATURDAY IN RIPON
The annual Women on Watson summer shopping event in downtown Ripon is this Saturday. It is a fun-filled day of shopping, dining, and education at participating businesses located throughout the historic district. Attendees will begin Saturday morning at 9:30 am with a lite continental breakfast sponsored by Diedrich Jewelers featuring coffee, tea, juice and pastries. Participants will receive a swag-bag and map during the registration process that highlights participating businesses. The swag-bags entitle participants to special promotions and free items as they shop throughout the day. Women on Watson is limited to 50 participants that purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are only available through Eventbrite.
Women on Watson (#WOWripon2023) Tickets, Sat, Aug 5, 2023 at 9:30 AM | Eventbrite
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