News – June 18, 2022

(Portage) One person was killed, another seriously injured, in a rollover crash near Portage during the early morning hours yesterday (Friday). The Wisconsin State Patrol responded to the scene on Interstate 39 northbound near mile marker 91 just before 6am. The state patrol says a pickup rolled from the southbound traffic lanes into the northbound lanes. The driver and a passenger were pinned inside the vehicle. The operator, a 49-year-old woman from Ashland, Oregon, was killed in the crash. The passenger, a 55-year-old man from Oxford, sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported by EMS to UW Hospital. The northbound lane two was blocked due to the crash for roughly two hours. The accident is still under investigation. (Fox Lake) A Fox Lake man charged with carrying a weapon on school grounds during a Halloween event entered a not guilty plea during his arraignment hearing this week. Jesse Denruiter allegedly had a handgun with him while in the parking of lot of the school, which was redacted in the criminal complaint. Denruiter was attending a Trunk or Treat event at the school last October, where roughly 100 adults and children were present. When questioned, the 28-year-old reportedly said that it was an accident the gun was with him at the school and that he forget he was carrying it. If convicted, Denruiter faces three-and-a-half years in prison. (Hilbert) A 29-year-old Hilbert man is facing multiple charges after punching a Fond du Lac police officer early Thursday morning. He also had drugs in his vehicle. The incident happened around 3:45am after an officer spotted a pickup truck being driven without any license plates. A few minutes later the officer saw the truck again but this time the driver was out pushing it. When police tried to make contact with him he took off running. Two officers ran after him and caught up with him in a parking lot. The man punched one officer and resisted arrest. Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found in the truck. The man and an officer were taken to St. Agnes Hospital with minor injuries. Charges of Methamphetamine Trafficking, Drug Paraphernalia Possession, Battery to a Law Enforcement Officer, two counts of Bail Jumping, and Resisting an Officer were referred to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office. (Milwaukee) The Milwaukee County medical examiner blames this week’s heat for two deaths. A 39-year-old woman died in her Milwaukee home Tuesday. Investigators say the temperature in her home was more than 88 degrees. An 89-year-old man died in his backyard in Greenfield Wednesday. High temperatures were in the 90’s Tuesday and Wednesday, with the humidity making it feel like it was well over 100 degrees. – WRN (Fond du Lac) The Fond du Lac Police and Fire Commission has approved the appointment of interim Fire Chief Erick Gerritson as the city’s Fire Chief. Gerritson had served as interim fire chief while the PFC’s search was conducted. The committee interviewed Gerritson and invited fire chiefs from Oshkosh, West Bend, and Sheboygan to sit in, provide their expertise as well as experience. Nine candidates from throughout the U.S. and Canada had applied for the position. Gerritson was the lone finalist. Fire Chief Peter O’Leary retired in April after 13 years with the city and more than 40 years in the fire service. (Beaver Dam) Wayland Academy has announced their 2022 Mary Swan Scholarship recipient. Easton Keil (kyle) is a recent eighth-grade graduate from St. Stephen’s Lutheran School. The scholarship, an opportunity offered every year to rising ninth graders living in Beaver Dam, covers the full cost of tuition for all four years at Wayland Academy. Keil will be the first of his family to attend the school. With an agricultural background, he currently serves as president of his 4-H club and has led several community service projects. During the school year he held a seat on student council, participated in forensics, was in band, and played basketball. Keil says he wanted to attend Wayland because he believes it will challenge him. He adds that when he toured last fall, he liked the smaller class sizes and diversity of the student body. (Watertown) A Dodge County student was a recipient of a Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Scholarship. The scholarships are awarded through company and individual endowed funds. Luis Avila Vette of Watertown was awarded $1,500 through the Oscar G. and Mary W. Woelfel Memorial Scholarship. Kaylee Mess of Rosendale was also a recipient. Jamie Williams of Lodi received $2,000 from the T.L. Bewick Memorial Scholarship. The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation awards scholarships annually to outstanding Wisconsin students pursuing higher education. Scholarship recipients are selected based on demonstrated personal growth, development and leadership, academic performance and future educational goals. This year over $27-thousand-dollars in scholarships were awarded. (Dodge County) The Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program will again be providing eligible seniors with vouchers to use at area farmers markets and participating roadside stands. Vouchers will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. To qualify, you must be 60-years-of-age or older or a Native American 55-and-older and reside in Dodge County. Household income must be at or below 185-percent of federal poverty level. Those interested can call 920-386-4338 to complete an eligibility screening over the phone. Approved applicants will begin receiving $25 vouchers in the mail starting July 1st, with all vouchers needing to be used by October 31st, of this year. (Racine) In Racine yesterday (Friday), U.S. Senator and former candidate for president Bernie Sanders of Vermont rallied with union workers at CNH Industrial, who have been on strike for better pay and benefits for more than a month. UAW workers at CNH plants in Racine and Burlington, Iowa make construction and agriculture equipment. They say drastically higher health care costs and modest raises the company is offering do not sit well, especially when the company reported a $336-million-dollar first quarter profit. – WRN