2/13/25 Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday
13 February 2025 News
TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO DRUG BUST
Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s officials were able to make a drug bust during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 41 in late December. The vehicle was pulled over for a moving violation. The 32-year-old Appleton man driving the vehicle told the deputy he was visiting family in the Milwaukee area and was headed home. During the conversation the deputy developed reasonable suspicion of drug activity and requested Sheriff’s K9 Ace at the scene. When deployed the dog indicated a positive alert for the presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle found 158 grams of cocaine, three cellular phones, and $622 in cash. The man is being held in the Fond du Lac County Jail on a $15,000 cash bond and parole violation. Because of the traffic stop he was arrested and charged with cocaine trafficking and violating his parole. His previous criminal history dates back to 2008. It involves armed robbery, battery, fleeing and eluding, and narcotics violations. He was on parole for cocaine trafficking at the time of the traffic stop. (Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office photo).
RIPON HOUSING MARKET ANALYSIS
The Ripon Common Council was presented with the results of a Housing Market Analysis by the community planning and engineering firm Vierbicher Tuesday night. Specifically the presentation was done by Mark Steward of Vierbicher. The study confirms the need for additional housing. The short term projection was 50 additional units by 2030 and 200 over the next 15 years. As for the 200 units, 130 would be multi-family units and 70 would be single units. There are currently 105 vacant residential lots in Ripon. The discussion also focused on growth and how adjacent the city is to an Interstate. City Administrator Adam Sonntag says there is a lot of interest by developers in Ripon. Mayor Ted Grant said the City’s largest employer is begging the city for more housing because 50 percent of their workers are commuting to town for work. There was also discussion about the City’s population. According to the study they used three sources to project future population, one showed continued growth while the two others showed declining numbers. The analysis included a number of recommendations including purchasing land from the Ripon School District north of the City on County Road E or Eureka Street and developing it into 45 single-family lots. The analysis is included in the Common Council’s agenda for February 11th.
02112025_CC_Agenda_and_Packet.pdf
RIPON AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RESIGNS
Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mandy Kimes has resigned. Her last day with the Chamber is Friday, February 28th. In a statement Kimes says serving as Executive Director has been an incredible privilege. She adds she is deeply grateful for the experiences she’s gained and for the opportunity to contribute to the community in such meaningful ways. She notes the relationships she’s built and things they’ve achieved have been incredible. Kimes says, “While I am looking forward to the next adventure, I remain deeply committed to Ripon’s success and the continued growth of the Chamber.” She concluded her statement by saying she is looking forward to supporting the community, Chamber, and the next Executive Director in any way she can. The Chamber has posted the opening for Executive Director. Those who are interested in the full-time, in-person position should send their resume and cover letter to info@ripon-wi.com. They shared the information on their Facebook page.
AMBER ALERT FOR MISSING BEAVER DAM GIRL EXTENDED TO MISSOURI
An Amber Alert for a missing 16-year-old Beaver Dam girl has been extended to Missouri. The alert for Sophia Franklin and the man she is traveling with, 40-year-old Gary Day is now active in Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Missouri. Sophia is three months pregnant and Day is known to be the father of her unborn child. The Missouri State Highway Patrol posted the alert on their Facebook page. They say in the alert that the two may be traveling through Missouri to get to an unknown location in Arkansas. It specifically lists Boone, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau, Morgan, Pettis, and Saline counties as notification regions. Dodge County, Wisconsin authorities issued a warrant for Day’s arrest last week on two counts of child enticement and two counts of child abduction. Franklin was last seen at her residence at 9 pm on February 2nd.
OAKS INSTALLED AT RIPON COLLEGE
Working in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation, Ripon College and the Fond du Lac County Health Department partnered to install five Overdose Aid Kits or OAKs across the College. They were installed last month. Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says the kits contain Narcan, along with other helpful materials such as educational information on how to prevent and respond to overdoses. Mueller says addiction is a very terrible thing and they want to provide as many tools and support as they can. OAKs can be found on the Ripon College campus at the Great Hall, the Rodman Arts Center, Lane Library, the Willmore Center, and Pickard Commons. The kits installed at Ripon College are in addition to the OAKs that have been installed previously at various businesses in Fond du Lac County.
WAUPUN REFERENDUM INFORMATION SESSIONS
The Waupun School Board is informing the public about the scheduling of information sessions for the upcoming referendum. The referendum will ask taxpayers to authorize the District to exceed the state-imposed revenue limit by $900,000 annually. The request is for three years beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and ending with the 2027-2028 school year. Drop-in sessions are scheduled today at the Waupun Community Center from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm and at Rock River Intermediate School from 3:15 to 7:45 pm. Another session is next Monday from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm at the Waupun Community Center. Two more are scheduled next month. Formal presentations are scheduled Friday, February 28th from 1:30 to 2:30 pm at the Waupun Community Center and two more are scheduled next month. The full list is available on the School District’s website.
2025 Operating Referendum | Waupun Area School District
EXECUTIVE DECISION
Fond du Lac County Executive Sam Kaufman will be running unopposed for a new term of office on April 1st. Kaufman says he decided about running for a new term just before Thanksgiving. Kaufman was a County Supervisor prior to the passing of previous County Executive Al Buechel. Kaufman says they had talked about Kaufman running for County Executive someday, but that day came sooner than they both thought when Buechel died. Kaufman won a special election to become County Executive. He says he would like to see the development of the Fond du Lac County Campus through; there are also decisions about a new county jail or justice center and other business to attend to. He says the County Executive’s Office demands a lot of your time, which can be difficult if you have a family and in addition to his own children he and his wife are a foster family.
SPINY WATER FLEAS A THREAT
For a fish as large as a lake sturgeon you wouldn’t think something small would pose a threat, but a DNR Conservation Warden says a tiny invasive species could pose some issues in the future. William Hankee says they found some spiny water fleas in the Lake Winnebago system this past year. He says it’s small but because of its spine can become lodged in the mouth of forage fish killing the forage fish which larger species feed on. He says they are hoping the spiny water fleas that they found were a fluke. However, he says anglers can do their part this summer by making sure to drain their live wells, clean, drain, and dry their boats before putting them into another lake or river.
POTATO BOARD NOMINATIONS SOUGHT
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is accepting nominations through March 28th, for three seats on the Wisconsin Potato Industry Board. Growers in Districts 1, 2, and At-Large are eligible to nominate board members or be nominated. Among the counties in District 2 are Waupaca and Waushara counties. Potato growers should receive a nomination form in the mail. Each nomination form must include signatures of at least five eligible potato growers, other than the nominee, from the district in which the nominee is running for office. A Declaration of Eligibility located on the nomination form must be completed. Completed forms must be postmarked on or before March 28th, and mailed to Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Market Order Program. P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI. 53708-8911.
DATCP Home DATCP Announces Call for Nominations for Wisconsin Potato Industry Board
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