OSHKOSH – Wisconsin Early Autism Project's new learning center at 2905 Universal St., Suite 100, is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The center opened in June to help young children with autism by providing applied behavior analysis therapy services and classrooms to help children get ready for school.

ABA therapy can be provided in homes if families choose, or through a hybrid option at home and at the center, said Kerry Hoops, WEAP's clinical director for the Green Bay region.

The center also will provide a social skills group for children 7 to 17 years old beginning in the new year, she said.

WEAP also provides diagnostic evaluations at its De Pere location. Hoops said they hope to bring that resource "as soon as we can" to Oshkosh, as well as counseling services for individuals with autism and their families.

WEAP has been serving the Oshkosh and Fox Valley areas for over 25 years by providing ABA treatment to children with autism through individualized programs and at-home therapy.

Board approves new downtown gas station

Neenah Minimart received approval from the City Board of Appeals for a light variance at 222 Jackson St., at the southeast corner of Jackson Street and High Avenue.

Plan documents call for renovating the existing building, which many years ago was a gas station, into a gas station and convenience store.

Shekhar Adhikari, who owns Neenah Minimart and the Jackson Street property, asked the Board of Appeals to approve a light variance at the site to exceed the 0.50 foot-candle allowance, which plan documents say is impossible to meet given the unique situation of the property on a diagonal as well as its small size, 0.35 acres. The areas that would exceed the light allowance are not adjacent to private property, a staff report to the board noted.

"Granting the variance will not result in any harm to the public interest, as the parcel is located on a principal arterial street within a commercial corridor," the report said.

With the board's approval, Adhikari is able to move forward with renovations that will include installing two new gas tanks, three new pumping stations, a 1,632-square-foot canopy cover and 3,270-square-foot concrete pad.

Adhikari said he doesn't have a specific timeline yet for construction but he hopes to have it completed by next summer.

Top 100 CPA firm acquires Nigl Accounting LLP

Honkamp Krueger & Co, a certified public accountant and business consulting firm based in Dubuque, Iowa, on Dec. 1 acquired Nigl Accounting LLP, a local CPA firm located at 2450 Witzel Ave.

Chuck Nigl, a former partner of Nigl Accounting, is now a partner with Honkamp Krueger. Nigl said in a news release the partnership will allow Nigl Accounting to "provide more breadth and depth to our clients, having over 40 different professional services and national resources to offer."

The news release also said the Nigl Accounting team is "looking forward to the future as part of the HK family."

Honkamp Krueger was named a top 100 CPA and business consulting firm by Accounting Today. It has locations in Madison and Platteville as well as Iowa and Illinois.

Contact Katy Macek at kmacek@thenorthwestern.com or 920-426-6658. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineMacek.

This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh Streetwise: Autism center opens, gas station approved and more