10/9/23 Hometown Broadcasting News Monday
9 October 2023 News
FDL COUNTY CRASH TURNS FATAL
Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s officials say a 28-year-old Waupun man has died from the injuries he suffered when his motorcycle struck a vehicle turning into a private driveway on State Highway 49 Thursday evening. Steven Perez was flown to ThedaCare Regional Medical Center in Neenah where he died. A Waupun couple 84-year-old Doris and 85-year-old Alvin Harmsen were taken to Waupun Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Doris Harmsen was turning left into a driveway on Highway 49 when Perez struck the rear passenger side door with his northbound motorcycle. Speed was a factor in the accident in the Town of Alto that happened about 6:40 Thursday night.
TWO HURT IN CRASH NEAR RIPON ONE CRITICAL
Two Fond du Lac men were injured, one critically, when their vehicle crashed on State Highway 23 at County Highway KK late Friday night after fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run accident. The hit-and-run occurred about 11:33 pm on Douglas Street at County Highway KK in the Town of Ripon. The victim wasn’t hurt and was able to provide a description of the striking vehicle. Later the suspect’s vehicle went off State Highway 23 when it failed to negotiate a curve at a high rate of speed and crashed. The 24-year-old driver was flown to ThedaCare Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. His 23-year-old passenger was taken to Ripon Community Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition. Deputies noted the 24-year-old driver was intoxicated. Alcohol consumption and speed were contributing factors in the crash. Both occupants were wearing their seatbelts. Ripon Police, Rosendale Fire Department and First Responders, Ripon Guardian Ambulance, and ThedaStar Helicopter assisted at the scene.
TWO INJURED IN DODGE COUNTY CRASH
A 51-year-old man and 48-year-old woman from Randolph were injured when their minivan went off State Highway 73 south of Dodge County Highway AC in the Town of Westford Friday night. The minivan was heading north on Highway 73 when it made an abrupt left steering maneuver, went into the ditch, struck a driveway, vaulted, and hit a tree. Both were taken to Marshfield Medical Center in Beaver Dam. The man, who was driving the minivan, was later flown to the UW-Hospital in Madison with serious injuries. The woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Assisting Dodge County Sheriff’s deputies at the scene were Fox Lake Police, Randolph Fire Department, Randolph EMS, Fox Lake EMS, and Med Flight.
GREEN LAKE MAN CHARGED WITH FOURTH OWI WITH CHILD IN THE VEHICLE
Ripon Police arrested a 32-year-old Green Lake man last Wednesday who allegedly drove to Ceresco Park while under the influence with his three-year-old child in the vehicle. Police received a report of an intoxicated person at the park and when an officer arrived the officer spotted Brandon McConnell walking with a large dog and small child. According to the criminal complaint McConnell admitted to drinking “two shooters” a couple of hours earlier. Field sobriety tests were administered, and a preliminary breath test put McConnell well above the legal limit for blood alcohol content. The child was turned over to a responsible person. McConnell advised that person he had smoked marijuana and consumed alcohol that night. McConnell was taken into custody and was transported to the hospital for a blood draw. He is charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence-4th offense, with a minor child in the vehicle.
FORT ATKINSON COUPLE PLEAD TO WIRE FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES
A husband and wife from Fort Atkinson recently pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom in Madison to wire fraud and money laundering charges. Fifty-two-year-old Tyler Hansen was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering and 43-year-old Jennifer Hansen of money laundering. Between October 2020 and September 2022, Tyler Hansen operated a home improvement business based in Dane County and Jefferson County that operated under multiple names. Tyler Hansen admitted he entered home improvement projects with no intention to do them. When contracts were signed he and his associates required that the customers pay half of the total contract price as a down payment. He used the down payment money to pay personal expenses. He and his wife also participated in a money laundering conspiracy. They attempted to conceal and disguise the down payment funds by using multiple business and personal bank accounts. Both will be sentenced in December. State and Federal agencies, and Sheriff’s Departments from Columbia and Walworth counties were involved in the investigation. It also involved the cooperation of district attorneys’ offices from 22 different counties including Columbia, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Jefferson and Winnebago counties.
NEW PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING FOR RIPON WILL BE A LARGE PROJECT
The City of Ripon is going into a construction project for a new public works facility well prepared. City Administrator Adam Sonntag says they have been holding bi-weekly meetings about the facility that will house both public works and their utilities departments. They purchased land adjacent to the current public works building some time ago. He says it will be a massive project, but the current building housing public works and their road equipment was built in 1957 and no longer house’s today’s larger road maintenance vehicles. Meanwhile the utilities department has worked out of what Sonntag says is more like an old house. He says the new building will essentially be a campus for both departments. They hope to break ground on it next year. He says they won’t have a handle on how much it will cost until they let bids but estimates the cost could fall between $9 and $12 million dollars.
NARCAN TRAINING IN FONDY TODAY
Marian University faculty, staff, and students will have the opportunity to get free Narcan Training today from Noon to 1 pm. It will be at the Stayer Center Auditorium on the school’s campus in Fond du Lac. Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says those taking the training will learn how to do three things and will receive a free Narcan kit when they complete the training. The three things they will learn are how to recognize an opioid overdose, how to respond to an opioid overdose, and how to administer Narcan. Mueller says whether you are an opioid user or are family or a friend of a user the 45 minutes it will take to learn how to administer Narcan could save your life or the life of someone you care about. Any community member interested in Narcan training should contact the Fond du Lac County Health Department at 920-929-3085.
WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK
During the past few weeks in addition to scheduled business State Senator Joan Ballweg has been dropping off copies of Wisconsin’s latest “Blue Book” to town and village clerks and others who requested them in the 14th State Senate District. She says not as many are printed these days but State Senators and Representatives get a certain number of copies to distribute in their districts. Senators get 600 and State Representatives 350 and they are also sent out to city clerks and libraries. The Blue Books are packed with information about federal and state legislators, Wisconsin’s different departments, interesting facts about the state, and usually have a special section on a particular topic. In this edition of the “Blue Book” the topic has to do with how the press has covered the state legislature over the years. Copies of the “Blue Book” can be ordered online.
TICKETS STILL AVAIABLE BUT LIMITED FOR THE DUEL
Officials with the Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County Area say tickets are still available but limited for the 7th Annual The Duel. The spooky soiree will be at Ripon College’s Great Hall on Saturday, October 28th. The event includes a cocktail hour, meal, silent and live auctions, an appeal and a musical duel between a pair of Baby Grand pianos. Kassidy Walters of the Club says there will be a variety of music, but some will be Halloween-themed. Tickets are $75 which includes the meal and the entertainment or $35 if you just want to attend the entertainment which is from 8 to 11 pm. The registration deadline is this Friday, October 13th. Tickets and registration are available through the Club’s website.
HARVARD PROFESSOR TO DISCUSS AI AND POLITICAL THEORY AT RIPON COLLEGE
Harvard University Professor Mathias Risse will talk about his new book “Political Theory of the Digital Age: Where Artificial Intelligence May Take Us,” on Thursday, October 26th at Ripon College. The Center for Politics and the People presentation will begin at 6:30 pm in Kresge Little Theatre, East Hall, on the campus. Admission is free and open to the public. Risse established a foundation for the philosophy of technology, allowing us to investigate how the digital century might alter our most basic political practices and ideas. The program is co-sponsored by the Computer and Data Sciences Program and the Department of Philosophy. You can read more about the event in our story at Hometown Broadcasting.com.
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