(Beaver Dam) A Beaver Dam man was convicted yesterday (Monday) of threatening and spitting at police. Nathaniel Hoffman pled no contest to felony Threats To Law Enforcement and Discharge Bodily Fluid and had three other felonies dismissed but read into the record. Hoffman made violent threats toward officers while they arrested him for a probation warrant out of Waupaca County in November. Hoffman spat at three officers while they were placing him into a squad car, forcing authorities to place a spit hood on his face. If convicted, Hoffman faces up to 22-and-a-half years in prison. A motion to reduce his $10-thosuand dollar cash bond was denied and Hoffman remains jailed while awaiting a April 3 sentencing hearing.
(Iron Ridge) A five-day jury trial beginning November 30 was added to the court calendar yesterday (Monday) for an Iron Ridge man accused of contributing to a fatal opioid overdose. Timothy Sedlmeier is facing Reckless Homicide charges in the October 2017 death of Samantha Mattila. The 28-year-old reportedly admitted that he bought the heroin that Mattila used but says she took it without his knowledge. Toxicology tests later confirmed that the 19-year-old died of the synthetic opioid Fentanyl. If convicted, Sedlmeier is facing a maximum prison sentence of 40 years.
(Ripon) A nearly 30-year veteran of the Ripon Police Department is being hailed for saving the life of a 21-year-old Ripon woman. Elizabeth Romo’s SUV went through a snowbank, down an incline and was found upside down in the freezing waters of Silver Creek Saturday morning. Officer Trevor Hanke (HANK-kee) was the only one who noticed the tracks and then found SUV. He and a bystander helped get her out of the water and she was taken to Ripon Medical Center for treatment. Ripon Police Chief Bill Wallner says everyone is grateful for the way things turned out.
(Fond du Lac) Drug Free Communities of Fond du Lac County is hosting a program tonight called “Hidden in Plain Sight” that will have a special focus on E-cigarettes and related drugs. The presentation is for adults 21-years-old or older and will provide an in-depth view of vaping devices and health concerns attributed to their use. The presentation is from 6pm to 7:30pm at the Goodrich Little Theater in Fond du Lac.
(Juneau) Dodge County EMS agencies met at the Juneau Fire Station last night to discuss a report of the region’s emergency medical services. Last week, Strategic Management and Consulting, LLC presented their completed study that analyzed the issues facing Dodge County EMS providers. It included several recommendations such as merging two or more agencies, establishing a more detailed succession plan or consider the creation of a County EMS District. Many agencies in attendance last night noted the lack of support from state legislators and a struggle to get funding to support local providers. Dan Williams with Strategic Management and Consulting says it could take something dramatic to finally see change or a (quote) “aha moment” for legislators that could cost someone’s life.
(Madison) Today is Data Privacy Day in Wisconsin, a day when you should take stock of your connected lifestyle and consider how you share and protect your information. Lara Sutherlin is the Administrator for the state’s Division of Trade and Consumer Protection. She recommends strengthening the security of your online devices and considering who might see the information you post. She also suggests never giving out personal information to an unsolicited email or text message, being wary of communications that ask to act immediately, and when possible switch to two-step authentication whenever offered online.
(Waukesha County) The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office recently pulled over the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile. According a sheriff’s office posting on Facebook, the driver of the giant hot dog on wheels was given a verbal warning, for failing to follow Wisconsin’s Move Over Law. That requires a motorist to move out of the lane closest to a vehicle on the side of the road with its emergency lights flashing, if possible, or to slow down and drive at a reduced speed until completely past the vehicle. The posting did not say where in the county, or when the Wienermobile was pulled over, but let’s be frank: failing to abide by the state’s Move Over Law is baloney.
