8/21/23 Hometown Broadcasting News Monday
21 August 2023 News
FIFTH PERSON CONVICTED OF ELECTION FRAUD IN FDL COUNTY
A fifth person convicted of election fraud in Fond du Lac County was sentenced Thursday. Seventy-five-year-old Edward Malnar of Fond du Lac was sentenced to 15 days in jail and a $3,500 fine. Judge Laura Lavey credited Malnar’s military service in Vietnam but stated, “We are protecting the process that serves as the foundation of our entire system of government. Without that we wouldn’t have our freedoms and abilities and with that comes certain responsibilities.” District Attorney Eric Toney says, “We will continue to defend the foundation of our republic by ensuring every legal vote is counted equally.” Malnar voted in Michigan and Wisconsin in the November 2020 election. He was also convicted of obstructing an officer.
DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER UNDERWAY
The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over law enforcement effort got underway Friday and runs through Labor Day on Monday, September 4th. The State Patrol is being joined by law enforcement agencies throughout the state to remind drivers it’s not worth the risk to drive while impaired. There were 7,048 crashes involving alcohol or drug impairment in Wisconsin in 2022. Alcohol was involved in more than one-quarter of all traffic fatalities or 155 out of 595. Drug impaired driving is also an ongoing problem. In 2022, 1,821 crashes in Wisconsin involved drugs, including 64 fatalities. The State Patrol encourages drivers to plan ahead to ensure a safe end to the summer season. Identify a sober designated driver if you’re feeling impaired. Take the bus, call a taxi, or use a rideshare service. The Safe Ride program is also available through participating taverns. Take the keys away from a friend who is about to drink and drive. If you suspect a driver is impaired gather as much info as you can about the vehicle, driver, and location. Then call 911.
FIRST HUMAN CASE OF WEST NILE VIRUS IN HUMAN THIS YEAR
The state’s Department of Health Services and Public Health Madison and Dane County have confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in a Wisconsin resident this year. The individual is a resident of Dane County. Cases of West Nile virus have also been reported in three horses in Wisconsin and several mosquito pools. The horse cases were located in Dunn and Clark counties, and the positive mosquitos from Milwaukee and Lafayette counties. Since West Nile virus was first detected in Wisconsin in 2002, infections in humans have been reported from June through October. Each year an average of 17 cases of West Nile virus are reported among Wisconsin residents. The risk of West Nile virus infection continues until the first hard frost.
HOUSING VOTE MAY CAUSE RESENTMENT
Fond du Lac County Executive Sam Kaufman says there was more at stake than a single resolution proposing helping the Village of Campbellsport with three housing developments through county sales tax money. Last Tuesday night the resolution to appropriate $950,000 for the three projects needed two-thirds of the board or 17 members to approve it. Sixteen did, but there were 8 votes against and one abstention. Kaufman says if we are going to do something about the workforce housing shortage it is going to have to be done in rural areas where the land is available. He says Campbellsport put it all on the line with the exception of money for infrastructure. The three housing projects would have provided 94 new units, a mixture of apartment units and single family homes. Kaufman says he had hoped to propose an infrastructure grant program for municipalities. He’s not sure that will work now. He says there will be some resentment because all of the supervisors from Fond du Lac voted against the resolution, while supervisors from rural areas voted in favor of it.
TOWNLINE ROAD BRIDGE DECK REPLACEMENT PROJECT BEGINS
The state’s Department of Transportation reminds motorists construction starts today on the Townline Road bridge over I-41 in Fond du Lac County’s Town of Friendship. A full closure of Townline Road will take place during deck replacement. It is a 45 working day contract. Townline Road will be closed during construction from Melody Lane north of the bridge to County Road OO in the Town of Eldorado. There is a hard closure at the overpass. No vehicles will be allowed to cross the Townline Road overpass during deck replacement. No detour will be posted for the local road closure. Interstate 41 will always remain open but may be reduced to one lane in either direction at the overpass during various work operations.
FOURTH GENERATION OF WALSWORTH JOINS FAMILY COMPANY
A fourth generation of the Walsworth family will be joining the company. Walsworth President Don Walsworth recently announced his son, Tripp Walsworth, will be joining the company. Tripp Walsworth mostly recently worked as a Senior Accounts Manager with Lockton, the world’s largest independent insurance brokerage. Tripp officially starts with Walsworth today, joining the company with his father and his grandfather. After graduating from the University of Missouri in 2020 with a degree in finance, Tripp spent the past three years with Lockton. Earlier this year, Tripp started pondering the possibility of joining his family’s company but says he wanted the timing to be right. Tripp joining the printing company represents the fourth generation of Walsworths in company’s history, dating back more than 86 years. Among its locations Walsworth has a magazine and catalogue printing facility in Ripon.
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY TIPS
It’s almost that time when school buses will once again be picking up and dropping kids off from home and school. With that in mind Town of Ripon Police Captain Howard Stibb says drivers need to be vigilant when they are around school buses. He notes laws changed a couple years ago allowing the addition of amber lights on school buses which alert drivers that the bus is about to make a stop. When the bus driver is stopping the stop bar on the bus will come down and there will be flashing red lights on the bus. He says a few years ago there was a near miss involving students and a school bus near the Green Lake Conference Center. Stibb reminds drivers that they should never pass a school bus on the right and buses stop at railroad crossings. Motorists should also reduce their speed to 15 miles an hour when children are present in a school zone.
DICKENS PLANNING
Christmas may be just over four months away but planning for a Christmas-themed event in Ripon is a year-round task. Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mandy Kimes says Dickens of a Christmas brings joy to a lot of people so planning it right is a crucial process. She says they have a theme picked out for the popular Living Windows event and they are narrowing down which homes will be spotlighted during the Tour of Homes. Kimes emphasizes the Christmas season is a time of giving and they don’t lose sight of that fact for Dickens which allows many non-profit organizations and service organizations to raise funds for their needs. Dickens of a Christmas is on December 1st and 2nd in Ripon.
Share |