JANESVILLE Janesville Fire Department Deputy Chief Jim Ponkauskas has been named interim chief of the fire department as the current chief, Ernie Rhodes, plans to leave next month. City Police and Fire Commission member Tim Lindau confirmed the commission moved Wednesday to name Ponkauskas interim chief after Rhodes announced his pending resignation after holding the departmentâs top post for two years. Rhodes wrote last week in a letter to Janesville City Manager Mark Freitag that Rhodes intends to resign effective Aug. 18. Rhodes is taking a new job as fire chief in Clayton, Missouri, a small city in suburban St. Louis.