Top Two at Two - 8/26

1. The Wisconsin kayaker, who made news across the country for faking his own death and leaving the country, is due in court this afternoon for his plea and sentencing hearing. 45-year-old Ryan Borgwardt is charged with a misdemeanor for "obstructing an officer." Borgwardt was initially reported missing last August when he didn't return home from kayaking on Green Lake. Police searched for him for nearly two months. Investigators with the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office ended up tracking him down in Europe. Borgwardt eventually returned to the U.S. on his own, saying he came back for his family. He was married at the time and has kids. Borgwardt and his wife have since divorced. He's now living in the Appleton area. His plea and sentencing hearing is set for 3:30 this afternoon. The obstruction charge comes with a maximum penalty of nine months in jail and a fine of up to $10-thousand dollars if convicted.

2. More money for MPS. After releasing $16.6 million dollars in state aid to MPS last week, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will be releasing additional dollars, according to MPS Superintendent Dr Brenda Cassellius. The $16 million released is specifically for special education and programs for students who are also parents, and it was tied to the 2022-23 fiscal year. The district repeatedly missed deadlines for submitting required financial reports, including the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school year audits, as a result, roughly $42 million dollars in state aid were withheld. Under Cassellius, the state and MPS created a corrective action plan to overhaul the district's finance office.