Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday 4/2/20
2 April 2020 News
Federal Funding Going To Wisconsin Cities In COVID19 Battle
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin says over $37 million in new federal Community Development Block Grants are heading for Wisconsin communities to rapidly respond to COVID-19 and the economic and housing impacts caused by it. Funding was included in the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economy Security or CARES Act signed into law last week. Among the area cities getting the grants are Appleton which will receive $348,255, Fond du Lac will get $335,496, and Oshkosh will receive $494,757. The State of Wisconsin will also receive $16.1 million in CDBG funding to support local communities on the frontlines of the pandemic.
Isolation Centers Opening For Coronavirus Battle
Health officials are considering opening up voluntary isolation centers in Green Bay and Oshkosh. It’s an effort aimed at easing the strain on hospitals to make sure beds are going to those who need them while also trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19. New isolation centers opened in Madison and Milwaukee Wednesday. Oshkosh officials are taking a wait and see approach to see how things work with the centers in Madison and Milwaukee. Green Bay is providing an isolation facility, but only a few people were housed in it. Health officials will be able to refer people to the centers who have symptoms or have tested positive for the virus, but do not need to be hospitalized. Those people can self-quarantine for up to 14 days or 72 hours after their symptoms have gone.
Congressman Grothman On Stimulus Bill
Congressman Glenn Grothman says there was some pork in the recent $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump, but it will help individuals and small businesses coping with the pandemic. He says restaurants, manufacturers, small businesses, the airline and hospitality industry are all being hit hard by the stay at home and social distancing needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “So you can see there are a lot of businesses, who through no fault of their own and no fault of their employees, are in very, very dire straits right now which is the reason for the bill.” The federal lawmaker from Glenbeulah says he’s afraid when things start getting back to normal people will be used to not interacting and won’t give the economy the good boost it will need.
FDL County Board Rules Suspended During Outbreak
The Fond du Lac County Board Tuesday night voted unanimously to suspend its rules requiring the attendance of county supervisors at county board and committee meetings during the COVID-19 crisis. Members will be able to video conference or call-in if they feel it is safer to do that. County Board Chairperson Marty Farrell told those watching the meeting that the board and county would make every effort to accommodate open records law and public comments during the outbreak. Suspension of the rules will be in place until County Executive Al Buechel ends an emergency declaration for the county.
FDL County Program Helps Out Small Businesses Dealing With Outbreak
Fond du Lac County has two loan/grant options available for small businesses in the county or the City of Fond du Lac to help businesses dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. A grant of up to $5,000 is available, but limited to businesses in the City of Fond du Lac, who are low to moderate income and have five or less full-time equivalent employees. A loan program is limited to businesses in Fond du Lac County and Waupun. Loans are available up to $5,000 while funds are available. County Executive Al Buechel says 10 loans have been dispersed already. More details are available at the County’s website.
Oshkosh School Recognized For Beating The Odds
Jefferson Elementary School in Oshkosh has been recognized for its success in educating students as a Wisconsin Title 1 School of Recognition for the current school year. The state’s Department of Public Instruction is recognizing 107 schools across the state. It is the third straight year Jefferson Elementary has been recognized with the award. The school earned the “Beating the Odds” Award, which recognizes schools among the top 25 percent of high-poverty schools in the state that have above-average student achievement in reading and mathematics. A recognition ceremony is tentatively scheduled for next month at the state capitol.
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