The Pepin County Government Center will remain closed until at least September 1st. During last nights county board meeting, members voted to move the re-opening of the building from August 1st to September 1st due to the spike in covid-19 cases in the county. When the building re-opens, the board also made mandatory the wearing of masks for all employees and those members of the public entering the building.
The upcoming school year will certainly look different than in past years. At last nights Durand-Arkansaw School Board meeting, members passed a preliminary plan to re-open school in the fall. The plan would include a hybrid of in person and virtual learning where the district would have buildings open for four days per week, Durand Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike told members what ever decision is made there will be changes. The District also approved an August Re-opening plan for the buildings, but that plan did not include any plan on fall sports.
Taking a step back, Pepin County is recommending gatherings be limited to 15 people or less indoors and 50 people or less outdoors. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says the latest spread of covid 19 is happening in confined areas. The new recommendations are a a decrease from the previous recommendation of 25 indoors and 100 outdoors.
Thirty people are displaced after an apartment fire in Chippewa Falls yesterday. According to the Chippewa Falls Fire Department, firefighters responded to a call of smoke filling a basement in an apartment building on East Park Avenue. Firefighters were able to locate the fire in the electrical distribution room and quickly put out the fire, but power to the building had to be cut due to extensive damage to the electrical system. Damage is estimated at $50,000 and no injuries were reported. The American Red Cross is assisting the residents while building repairs are being made.
Members of the Eau Claire City Council are discussing how voters can safely cast their ballots in elections this fall. The primary election is next month and the presidential election is in November. Council members met Tuesday night to decide on a plan for safe voting practices. They are considering options like drive-through voting and mail-in ballots.
Milwaukee’s police chief is warning about the reality of defunding his department. Chief Alfonso Morales says fewer officers will mean slower 9-1-1 response times and fewer extra services like game-day protection. Morales wrote an open letter to the Journal-Sentinel newspaper about what might happen. He says fewer officers will mean less help with traffic control, not as much help for disputes between neighbors, and less immediate help for those in need. Morales says the proposed 10-percent cut in the police budget would eliminate 375 police officers.
Mistakes made in late April by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development led to some people getting too much unemployment help – and others getting too little. The errors were discovered by the Legislative Audit Bureau. The state agency was processing additional federal aid for the recipients when the mistakes happened. The Audit Bureau has given the D-W-D until August 14th to determine how many Wisconsin residents were sent incorrect amounts and how much they got. Secretary Caleb Frostman says his department is implementing all of the recommendations.
A Republican Minnesota representative says he has sent letters to state and federal officials saying transportation funds to Minnesota should be held back if protesters keep blocking highways. Cal Bahr of East Bethel says two of the state’s primary interstates were blocked in the last few months and state and local officials did little to stop it. He says Washington should withhold highway money if those actions are allowed to continue. Bahr owns a trucking company and works as a commercial driver when the Legislature isn’t in session.
Scientists at U-W Health in Madison are taking part in COVID-19 clinical trials. More than 100 medical facilities are part of the research, testing treatment and preventative measures. At this time there is no known treatment for the virus which has killed more than 130 thousand Americans. The U-W School of Medicine and Public Health is also partnering with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on the clinical trials. The work started in April and has been focused on antibodies to this point. The Wisconsin scientists will eventually be participating in vaccine trials, too.
An executive order signed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz allows Minnesota landlords to evict tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect public safety. Housing providers can evict tenants for violating a lease by endangering the safety of others, engaging in certain illegal activities or significantly damaging property. The new order updates a previous order calling for a moratorium on evictions during COVID-19 and takes effect on August 4th. Landlords need to give residential tenants a seven-day notice of intent to file an eviction.
Add
Bayfield and Ashland Counties to the places you'll need to wear a
mask. Starting this Friday, anyone over the age of 5 who's inside a
public building or in a public setting will need to wear a mask.
County health officials say this includes businesses, standing in
lines, and on public transport. Businesses will be making reasonable
accommodations for people who can't wear masks like deliveries and
curbside pickup.
The Wisconsin Democratic Party reports it raised more money in April, May and June than it ever has in any three-month period. Party leaders say their bank account is healthy five months before the November presidential election. A spokesperson says the party raised 10 million dollars during the second quarter, leaving it with 12 million in cash for the remaining campaign. Wisconsin’s electoral votes were decided by fewer than 23 thousand votes in 2016 and it’s likely going to be tight again this fall.
A governor’s task force is being created to improve broadband access in Wisconsin. With so many school districts now depending on virtual learning during the coronavirus pandemic – and the possibility of starting the fall term online – access to high-speed internet is increasingly important to students. Governor Tony Evers says broadband access is also critical to Wisconsin’s economic recovery from the pandemic.
The Minnesota Department of Health is advising people and their pets to stay out of lakes with possible blue-green algae. Spokeswoman Stephanie Gretsch says algae can be harmful and there is no way to tell if a bloom is toxic or not or harmful to people or pets just by looking at it. She says if you see a bloom - stay away from it and don't swim in that water. The appearance and smell of blue-green algae typically keeps most people out of the water.
If you were planning a trip to New York state, you might want to re-think those plans. You will be required to quarantine for 14 days when you get there. Wisconsin was one of four states added to the list of people who will have to quarantine by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Minnesota, Ohio and New Mexico were also added to a list that now includes 22 states. Cuomo says no one in his state wants to go back to what was being experienced three months ago. Nearly 25 thousand patients have died of COVID-19 in New York.
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