1/26/24 Hometown Broadcasting News Friday
26 January 2024 News
PRELIMINARY HEARING FOR HIT AND RUN SUSPECT
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled in Fond du Lac County court for the 19-year-old West Bend man facing a hit-and-run causing great bodily harm charge in the wake of a deadly rollover accident on New Year’s Eve. Jatziel Encarnacion returns to court for the hearing next Thursday. Encarnacion allegedly hit and dragged the body of 19-year-old Taya Grimes of Hartford three miles from the scene of the original accident. The charge he faces is related to a second person he hit at that scene who was in the roadway and was struck in the head. Grimes was driving a vehicle that rolled over ejecting herself and three others. Investigators suspect she was dead before Encarnacion’s vehicle hit and dragged her. She and her passengers were coming from an underage drinking party. According to the criminal complaint Encarnacion was spotted drinking at that same party.
BODY FOUND AT MARINETTE COUNTY FIRE SCENE
Marinette County Sheriff’s officials say human remains were found at the scene of a trailer fire Tuesday. At 11:16 that morning Marinette County Dispatch was notified of a trailer fire on Camp 10 Road in the Town of Silver Cliff. Deputies and the Silver Cliff Fire Department responded to the scene. Human remains were found while the fire was being investigated. The Marinette County Medical Examiner is working to positively identify the remains. The Sheriff’s and Medical Examiner’s offices are investigating the fire. At this point foul play is not suspected.
DESIGN WORK FOR RIPON PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING 60 PERCENT COMPLETE
The Ripon Common Council this week got an update on the progress of the Department of Public Works Project. Project Manager Trevor Frank told them design work is 60 percent complete. Frank informed them they will be looking at a building just under 40,000 square feet in size. Bids will be let in May with construction starting in June. City Administrator Adam Sonntag says due to materials price volatility the cost has gone up since design work began. He says in the last six months the estimated cost has increased $100,000 to $200,000, but they are still hoping to keep the overall cost at $10 to $11 million. Sonntag says the build itself will take up to a year-and-a-half. They hope to move in by the beginning of winter next year. Once it is complete the building adjacent to the current public works building will house both the Public Works and Water Departments.
GROTHMAN AND GALLAGHER INTRODUCE BILL TO PROTECT STURGEON SPEARING IN WISCONSIN
Congressmen Glenn Grothman and Mike Gallagher have announced legislation to protect the annual sturgeon spearing on the Lake Winnebago system. The bill, would proactively exempt the state of Wisconsin from any listing of lake sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act. Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting a species status assessment of lake sturgeon and considering listing lake sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act. The potential listing would not only threaten the careful population management in place but would ignore the cultural importance and economic impact of lake sturgeon and sturgeon spearing to Northeast Wisconsin. Congressman Grothman says, “It is perplexing that some still label the sturgeon as endangered when the reality is that Wisconsin has a rapidly expanding population surpassing levels not seen the past four decades.” Congressman Gallagher says, “Sturgeon spearing in Wisconsin is a long-cherished tradition and crucial to the livelihoods of our communities near Lake Winnebago.”
DEER ON SHEBOYGAN COUNTY DEER FARM TESTS POSITIVE FOR CWD
Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection confirms that a Sheboygan County deer farm has tested positive for chronic wasting disease. The result was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. The positive result came from a 5-year-old buck. The premises is quarantined, where it will remain while DATCP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinarians and staff conduct the epidemiological investigation. CWD is a fatal, neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by an infectious protein called a prion that affects the animal’s brain.
FARMLAND PRESERVATION TAX CREDIT PROTECTION
The State Assembly Thursday passed legislation to help ensure Wisconsin’s farmland is being used for agricultural purposes. The legislation prevents someone from claiming Farmland Preservation Tax Credit if the farmland is being used for a large-scale solar project. State Representative Jon Plumer voted in favor of the bill. The state lawmaker from Lodi says, “In recent years, I’ve heard from countless constituents regarding their concern for massive solar energy projects being built in our region. He adds that the goal of the legislation is to make sure large-scale solar projects are not being subsidized with a tax credit when they take up precious farmland. Current law allows a landowner to claim 100 percent of the farmland preservation tax credit, even if only half of the land is being used for agricultural purposes and the other half contains a solar project. Under the bill, the landowner would be prevented from doing so. The Wisconsin Farm Bureau registered in support of the bill.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR DECEMBER
Unemployment levels slightly declined or increased in area counties last month. According to Federal Labor statistics jobless rates were down to 2.2 percent in Fond du Lac County, and were at 2.3 percent for Dodge and Winnebago counties in December. Rates in Calumet and Columbia counties held steady at 2.1 and 2.3 percent respectively. Green Lake, Waupaca, and Waushara counties saw slight increases. The unemployment rate in Waupaca County was at 2.8 percent, it was 3.2 percent in Waushara County, and increased to 3.3 percent in Green Lake County. The cities of Oshkosh and Fond du Lac saw slight decreases in their jobless rates to 2.4 and 2.6 percent. Unemployment rates decreased or stayed the same in 26 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties last month.
VACCINATION FOR RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES RECOMMENDED
RSV, Flu, and COVID cases are on the increase according to a Pediatrician with SSM Health’s Fond du Lac Regional Clinic. Dr. Andrea Aul sees patients at Ripon Community Hospital. She says locally they are seeing increased cases of the respiratory illnesses, but she says across the state the three illnesses have reached a moderate level. She says the good news is that there are vaccines available for all three. Aul recommends checking with your primary care physician or pharmacy about the availability of vaccine depending on which you or your child need to be vaccinated with. Dr. Aul says vaccine for RSV in particular for children is in shorter supplies.
REPUBLICAN TAX CUT PROPOSALS
Republican state legislators this week introduced four additional proposals to lower the tax burden on working Wisconsinites and seniors. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau anticipates the state’s surplus to be approximately $4 billion. After enactment of historic tax reforms and the recently announced deal with the Universities of Wisconsin, the state will have an estimated surplus of $1.6 billion remaining. Senator Joan Ballweg says among the proposals is a middle class tax cut for those making under $150,000 a year, something the Governor originally proposed. She says that would work out to an average tax cut of $450 per filer. The state lawmaker from Markesan says they are also proposing increasing the marriage tax credit from a maximum of $480 to $870. Among the other proposals is expanding the child care and dependent tax credit to address rising costs of childcare, and double the current maximum limits.
NEW FDL COUNTY CLERK OF COURTS
Fond du Lac County Circuit Court judges have appointed a new Clerk of Courts. Deputy Clerk of Courts Michelle “Shelly” Weber has been tabbed for that job. She succeeds Ramona Geib (GUYB) who retired on December 22nd. Weber in turn chose Cassandra Bonack as the Deputy Clerk of Courts. Weber has 23 years of experience in the Clerk of Courts office serving the past 11 years as the Deputy Clerk of Courts. Before that she served as the Jury Clerk. Weber will serve out the remainder of Geib’s four-year term which will expire in January of 2027. Weber is a lifelong resident of Fond du Lac.
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