12/1/23 Hometown Broadcasting News Friday
1 December 2023 News
TWO WORKERS INJURED DURING FIRE AT WILD ROSE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL
Two employees of a subcontractor working on a construction project at the Wild Rose Middle and High School were injured during a fire Thursday afternoon. The Wild Rose Fire Department was dispatched for the roof-top fire at 2:12 pm. Neither students nor staff was injured in the incident. A ThedarStar helicopter flew one of the injured employees to a hospital and the other was treated locally. The project team is cooperating with authorities to investigate the damage. Students and staff will return to school today. After the fire was out, students were allowed back in the building to gather their belongings and head home.
ARREST IN DODGE COUNTY GRANDPARENTS SCAM
Dodge County Sheriff’s officials say a joint investigation between their detectives and the FBI into a “Grandparents” scam has led to the arrest of a Canadian national. It began last May when an elderly Dodge County resident called the Sheriff’s Office saying they had received a call that their grandson was in jail and needed money for bail. The victim gave bail money to a suspect who came to their residence and identified himself as a representative for their grandson’s attorney. A detective used a forensic sketch artist to work with the victim and create a sketch of the suspect. Through subsequent investigation a suspect was identified, and that information led to a joint investigation with the FBI. Last week the suspect was indicted by a federal grand jury on several charges including the fraud in Dodge County. The FBI credited parts of the Dodge County detective’s investigation as being responsible for identifying an additional 11 victims. The suspect is currently in federal custody.
K9 MAGIC MEMORIAL SERVICE
Oshkosh Police will honor the life and service of K9 Magic with a memorial service on Tuesday, December 12th that will be open to law enforcement and the public. The department’s therapy dog passed away on November 25th. The memorial service will be held at the Best Western Premier Hotel at 1 North Main Street in Oshkosh. Doors will open at 9:30 am and the service will start at 10 am. Public parking will be available in the hotel’s parking lot and also in the parking lot located to the west of the Leach Amphitheater. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Oshkosh Police Department’s K9 Program, Attention Sergeant Romanowicz, 420 Jackson Street, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901.
WAKE UP EBENEZER DICKENS IS HERE
Wake up Ebenezer, Ripon’s 33rd Annual Dickens of a Christmas celebration is happening this weekend. Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mandy Kimes says she has learned the event began as community celebration and drew from many residents and businesses to make it happen. She says it still takes a lot of sponsors and volunteers to put it on and make it happen and she is very grateful for that and the committee that organizes it. Kimes is also hoping people will contribute to the many organizations that benefit from the weekend- long event. Events today include the start of the Dress-a-Doll and Gingerbread House contests, Historical Society Open House, Enchanted Forest, Quilted Lantern Show, Holiday Parade of Lights, and Fox Valley Fire Arts Show. A complete list of Dickens activities can be found at the Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce website.
DICKENS OF A CHRISTMAS | Ripon Chamber of Commerce (ripon-wi.com)
DICKENS PARKING REMINDERS
With the Festive Dickens Holiday weekend upon us Ripon Police are reminding those attending the activities about some parking restrictions. Tonight brings the Holiday of Lights Christmas Parade in the downtown area at 6:30 pm traveling south on Watson Street to Watertown Street. No parking will be permitted on the parade route after 5 pm until the parade is over. No parking will be allowed on Seward Street between Watson Street and Ransom Street. No parking will be allowed on the 100, 200, 300 blocks and limited parking in the 400 block of Watson Street during Saturday night’s Living Windows event. Parking will be restricted after 4 pm to about 8 pm. Public parking lots located off Ransom Street, Seward Street, and Blackburn Street is available for parking. Police are also asking drivers in the downtown area this weekend to watch for pedestrian traffic which will be heavy at times.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FALL IN OCTOBER
Unemployment levels in October dipped to under or around 3 percent for most area counties. According to Federal labor statistics the jobless rate in Dodge County last month fell to 2.5 percent, it was at 2.6 percent for Fond du Lac County and 2.8 percent in Winnebago County. Waupaca and Waushara counties both had unemployment rates of 3 percent, and Green Lake County was at 3.2 percent. State officials say the jobless rate in the cities of Fond du Lac and Oshkosh was at 3 percent in October. Unemployment rates last month dropped in 71 of the state’s 72 counties and remained unchanged in one county.
BERLIN HIGH SCHOOL DIY CLASS
Berlin Schools Superintendent Emmett Durtschi says a new class at the high school gives students the opportunity for some real hands on learning. He says kids spend too much time on their favorite device and the Do It Yourself course allows them to be creative in a more practical way. He points out the class gives students a chance to learn about fixing and repairing things. Stations are set up for the class which allows students to work on electrical, plumbing, dry wall and other skills. Durtschi says the school board rotates its meetings and the next meeting will be at the High School on Wednesday, December 13th so the board will have a chance to see how the DIY program is working. The teachers for the DIY class are Chris Much and Bryan Evans.
EYE ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION EVENT A SUCCESS
One of the participants in a series of tabling events about eye, organ, and tissue donation held at SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac hospitals in Fond du Lac, Ripon, and Waupun this week is grateful to have had the opportunity. The health care provider partnered with the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin and UW Organ and Tissue. Anne Otter is a Development Specialist with the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin. She says it was great to share stories about donations, collect eyeglasses, and help people with advanced directives. Otter had corneal transplants for both of her eyes 33 years ago and has been working for the eye bank for the past 17 years. About 50,000 corneal transplants are performed in the US each year and the surgery has a 95 percent success rate. November was eye donation month.
WILD TURKEY HUNT APPLICATIONS
The state’s Department of Natural Resources reminds wild turkey hunters that applications for the 2024 spring season are due by the end of the day December 10th. Hunters can apply for harvest authorizations or purchase preference points toward future drawings through the Go Wild website or an authorized license agent. Turkey harvest authorizations are issued through a preference-based drawing system. Applicants may choose up to two time period or zone combinations that they would like to hunt. As a third choice, applicants may choose one zone in which they will accept a harvest authorization for any period. The spring harvest authorization drawing takes place in late January. (Wisconsin DNR photo).
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