Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Local-Regional News May 12


One person is dead after a wood cutting accident in Trempealeau County. According to the Trempealeau County Sheriffs Department, a 75yr old male was reported missing on Friday and had been last seen cutting wood at N23131 Hwy J. Deputies arrived at the location and found the person's truck and after a search of the property, the body of Galen Mueller of Arcadia was found. The initial investigation shows that injuries sustained from tree falling on Mueller and no foul play was suspected.


Two people were injured in a one vehicle accident in Ellsworth Township Saturday. According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 18yr old Julius Cadwallader of Hudson was traveling southbound on Hwy 65, when he lost control of his vehicle, entered the west ditch and struck a culvert. Cadwallader and passenger 18yr old Kaylie Schmidt of Hudson were both transported to River Falls Area Hospital with undetermined injuries.


The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include possible action on a resolution to provide turn lanes off of Hwy 37 onto traffic on Oak and North Washington Streets, discussion on the Buffalo County Humane Association cat services for the city, and action on awarding the Mirror Lake Pavilon Project Bids. Tonights meeting begins at 6:30 at Mondovi City Hall.


A second round of employee furloughs is coming to UW-Stout. Chancellor Katherine Frank said that 46 furlough notices were sent out along with 67 notices for temporary workload reduction. In April, 69 furlough notices were sent out. The chancellor is also developing a plan for additional furloughs that will begin in July. She also announced that she is taking a 15% salary reduction starting on July 1st, while the provost, vice-chancellors and academic deans will take a 10% cut and other cabinet members will have a 5% salary cut also starting on July 1st.


Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has approved a Wisconsin request for households in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to be allowed to buy food online.  Twelve states already have that option and 10 more are going to start soon.  Walmart and Amazon are the only retailers authorized by the federal SNAP program, but others will be added.  Perdue’s announcement didn’t include information about a start date in the Badger state.


Despite scattered rain showers over the past weekend, elevated fire conditions continue through at least Wednesday That's especially true in northern Wisconsin, where the fire danger is high to very high due to low relative humidity and slower progression of green-up. Fires under these circumstances can start easily and spread quickly. The DNR responded to 16 wildfires over the weekend and now anticipate a slightly longer than average fire season.


 Members of the D-N-C’s Rules and Bylaws Committee will debate a resolution giving the Milwaukee team overseeing next summer’s convention a lot of flexibility.  The locals could be given the authority to change the event’s format, size and dates.  The coronavirus pandemic is complicating an already challenging preparation.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested a one-day convention in Milwaukee “in a stadium,” though she didn’t mention Miller Park.  Presumed candidate Joe Biden has suggested a virtual convention may be necessary.


 Minnesota Senate Republicans got the support of four Democrats to passed a bill to override the governor's order and allow all businesses to re-open if they have COVID-19 "preparedness plans."  Mound Republican Dave Osmek said, "Our commerce rights are being impacted by one person's decision -- one person.  That is indisputable."   Shoreview Democrat Jason Isaacson says, "the reality is... the well-being of the people is first.  A part of that well-being is their health.  A second part about that obviously has to do with our economy."   Isaacson points out over 80 percent of Minnesotans approve of how the governor is handling the COVID crisis.  The bill has little chance in the DFL-controlled Minnesota House.


The Menomonie Market Food Co-Op has received a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. The Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grant will allow the Market to purchase equipment to increase capacity to process and purchase unsold produce and consigned crops grown by local producers and expand its offering of deli and frozen grocery items. The Department of Agriculture had 9 grants totaling $300,000 that were selected this year.


The percentage of positive COVID-19 tests in Wisconsin continues a downward trend. And, according to Monday's update from the Department of Health Services, it has reached the point at which it meets one of the criteria laid out by the Evers administration's Badger Bounce Back plan. The percentage of total tests that came back positive on Monday fell to six and a-half percent. That's down from eight percent on Sunday and the second lowest yet recorded. Monday's 199 positive tests mark the first time in at least two weeks the daily number of new cases fell below 200.


A little over two weeks away from the end of the Safer at Home order and Wisconsin’s governor is sharing some recommended practices while re-opening the state.  The list was compiled by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.  It applies to all re-opening Wisconsin businesses, from hair salons and gyms to offices and factories.  The complete list of suggested guidelines can be viewed online at W-E-D-C-dot-org.


 If you want to be tested for COVID-19, all you have to do is ask.  The state of Wisconsin will now test anyone.  Originally, the Department of Health Services reserved the tests for only those most at risk.  Last week, that was changed to anyone with symptoms.  Now, the D-H-S is opening two free testing sites in Milwaukee and doctors at all sites will test anyone who shows up.  Governor Tony Evers wants the state to ramp up its testing program to check 12 thousand people each day.


 For the second time in five weeks Wisconsin voters will be casting ballots Tuesday.  A special election to fill the vacant seat representing Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District is being held.  Election officials are hoping to avoid the major failures experienced in absentee balloting April 7th.  Some absentee ballots were requested but not received, other would-be voters got envelopes with no ballots inside, and, in some cases, multiple ballots were sent to the same person.  Twenty-six counties are including in the 7th Congressional District.


The Minnesota Department of Health reports child vaccinations are dropping during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Doctors say measles vaccines are off by 70 percent compared to last year.  A nationwide study from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a federal program that provides those vaccines for children has seen the number of orders for non-flu shots drop by two-and-a-half million.


 Nearly 60-percent of schools in Wisconsin want permission to end the school year early. The State's Department of Public Instruction said that 248 of the state's 421 school districts have asked for a waiver for classroom hours. The state is allowing schools to cut the year short because of the coronavirus. Wisconsin high schools are required by law to have more than 11-hundred hours of teaching time. That is proving tough for some school districts.


The state of Minnesota has received more than eight-million dollars in Department of Justice grants to respond to public safety challenges posed by COVID-19. In addition, more than three-point-five-million in funds have been allocated to local jurisdictions within Minnesota. Erica MacDonald, United States Attorney for Minnesota, says the money will "provide additional resources for our dedicated public safety officials as they continue to serve the public during the pandemic."


A decontamination system just going online in Wisconsin makes it where N-95 masks used by health care professionals will be able to be re-used up to 20 times. The Battelle Memorial Institute Critical Care Decontamination Systems will be given to hospitals, nursing homes, first responder agencies, doctor and dentist offices, and many other frontline health care provider organizations.



No comments:

Post a Comment