In
response to the Covid-19 pandemic and current local state of
emergency, the Pepin County Government Center and Highway Facility
Buildings are limiting access until further notice, except to
individuals with an appointment. You may call the applicable department or 672-7242 to request an appointment if deemed absolutely
necessary. Any visitors will be screened to evaluate if its
reasonably safe to schedule the appointment and enter the building.
The county is encouraging all business to be done by telephone or any
documents that can be mailed, faxed or emailed.
Pierce
County Board Chairman Jeff Holst signed a state of emergency
proclamation due to the covid-19 pandemic yesterday. The
proclamation will enable the county to take necessary actions to
protect the health, safety, protection and welfare of persons and
property in Pierce County. There will be changes to the County
Board's rules to allow the board to allow board members to attend
board meetings remotely during the emergency. Ratification of this
proclamation is expected at the next county board meeting.
The
moratorium on large livestock facilities in Pepin County is set to
expire. The Land Conservation Committee declined to extend the
moratorium. Pepin County Board Chairman Steve Anderson says the
county's legal council recommended not to extend the moratorium for a
second time. The
moratorium is set to expire on March 31.
Eau
Claire County, Chippewa County and Dunn County has a confirmed case
of the coronavirus. All
three counties learned of the positive tests on Thursday. According
to the Dunn County Health Department, they believe the infected
person picked up the disease while traveling. That person is now in
quarantine. “We
are in contact with this individual to monitor their symptoms and
ensure they are receiving support to be able to isolate at home,”
said KT Gallagher, Dunn County Health Department director.
An
Eau Clare business says the 112 workers who are losing their jobs in
mid-May have already been informed. Hutchinson Technology
Incorporated has notified the Wisconsin Department of Workforce
Development about the reduction. It’s scheduled to occur on
May 16th.
H-T-I currently has 550 employees at its Eau Claire location.
Wisconsin
lawmakers say they plan to return to the Capitol to deal with the
coronavirus outbreak. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald
canceled next week’s floor session Wednesday. Fitzgerald says
senators were worried about exposure to the virus – but he also
says he and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos are talking about the
possibility of a special session to deal with the virus. The
two Republicans are reportedly working with Governor Tony Evers on a
coronavirus aid package, although no details have been offered while
they talk.
A
25-year-old volunteer at the Eau Claire Children’s Theater admits
he sent a mostly nude photo of a man to a teenage boy. The
mother says she found the picture of a naked man with an emoji
covering his private parts on her 13-year-old son’s phone.
Police say Jason Lecheler told them he “sometimes forgets about
people’s ages” and he doesn’t know why he sent the photo.
Although no formal charges have been announced, Lecheler has had his
teaching license pulled by the state Department of Public
Instruction. Another volunteer at the children’s theater
served jail time 12 years ago after admitting he had sexually
assaulted underage girls.
The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting this
year’s spring flood season won’t be as severe or prolonged as it
was in 2019. Minnesota may not escape some problems, though.
The government meteorologists are expecting major to moderate
flooding in 23 states, including Minnesota. They say the
potential for major flooding is greater along the Red River, the
James River and parts of the Upper Mississippi River. That’s
due, at least in part, to heavier-than-normal rainfall in those
watershed areas over the last three months.
A
convicted double-murderer has been given a life sentence in Olmsted
County. Glenn Johnson was found guilty of the charges earlier
this week. Johnson will have no chance at parole and will serve
the time in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud.
He was convicted two years to the day after stabbing 57-year-old
Philip Hicks and 45-year-old Eric Flemmings to death The attack
happened inside the Salvation Army Castleview Apartments where the
three men lived.
The
Wisconsin Elections Commission reports absentee ballot requests for
next month’s presidential primary are setting records for the
state. So far, more than 315 thousand requests have been
processed, shattering the previous record of 249 thousand set four
years ago. Local clerks confirm they are processing more
requests than at any point in Wisconsin state history for a spring
election. The deadline for registered voters to ask for an
absentee ballot for the April 7th primary
is April 2nd. All ballots have to be returned to the clerk’s
office by 8:00 p-m on Election Day.
There's
been a major spike in unemployment claims due to the coronavirus.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the state saw 29,400 new
claims this week. That figure is pulled from federal labor data. 14
thousand of those claims came on Wednesday alone. The claims come as
responses to COVID-19 have sent people home from work, and shuttered
the dine in sections of bars, restaurants and meeting spaces.
---
A
student in a northernmost Wisconsin county is testing positive for
the coronavirus. The Bayfield County Health Department says a high
school student was recently in an area where community spread is
occurring. The student has presented symptoms and is in
self-quarantine. The patient will be monitored daily by the health
department.
Harley
Davidson is closing its Milwaukee factory because of the coronavirus.
Harley temporarily suspending production Wednesday. A worker in
Menomonee Falls tested positive. Harley is asking headquarters
employees to work from home if they can. No one is saying when the
company will start making its iconic motorcycles again.
Door
County officials are asking us to stay away during the coronavirus
outbreak. Door County is one of the state’s most popular tourist
destinations. The locals say if the number of people traveling there
is reduced for the next 30 days, it could help slow the spread of the
virus. Currently, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in
Door County. Emergency management officials are asking resorts in
the county to cancel existing reservations and to not accept new
ones.
Wisconsin
State Parks and Trails will remain open to the public. The Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources continues to receive the most
up-to-date information and will adjust operations as conditions
change. The will continue to monitor on-the-ground circumstances each
day to determine if park closures become necessary.
Visit the Wisconsin DNR website for more information.
A
United States Postal Service spokesperson for Minnesota says the
C-D-C, the World Health Organization, and the Surgeon General have
all indicated that there is currently no evidence that coronavirus
can be spread through the mail. Nicol Hill says the Postal Service in
Minnesota is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and so far has
experienced only minor impacts on its deliveries. Hill says you may
see some delays in mail and packages destined to China as well as
from China, as well as to and from European countries subject to
restricted passenger airline travel. She says U-S-P-S taking all
reasonable measures to minimize the impact on customers.
A
Duluth distillery is one of several nationwide to use its alcohol to
make and then give away hand sanitizer. Vikre Distillery
starting giving the product away Monday to people who need it during
the coronavirus pandemic. Vikre is telling them to bring their
own bottles to be filled with a sprayable 70-percent alcohol solution
and it will be given to them free of charge.
The
demand is there so the Georgia Pacific paper plant in Green Bay is
working around the clock to make toilet paper. That product has
become one of the most sought-after items in the country. The
plant is working 24-7 to meet the demand. Since the coronavirus
outbreak first hit the news, customers across the U-S have been
emptying store shelves of all the toilet paper that is available.
A company spokesman points out the Green Bay plant usually operates
24-7.
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