Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday 1/14/21
14 January 2021 News
Vaccine Should Not Go To Waste
Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force member Jeff Puhlmann-Becker says it makes sense to phase in the distribution of the COVID vaccines, but on the other hand he hates to see any of it go to waste. He says other states have had issues with not enough people showing up to get vaccine and supplies of the vaccine going to waste. “These people aren’t showing up fast enough or getting the vaccine fast enough or wanting the vaccine fast enough and so part of the reason we are not getting enough people vaccinated is we’ve narrowed the field so strictly that we are not vaccinating anyone else.” Currently health officials in Wisconsin are vaccinating health care workers and long-term care facility staff and residents. Next Monday another phase of the vaccine distribution opens up with more receiving it including firefighters and police.
COVID Hospitalizations Spiked In November And December For Local Hospitals
The President of Ripon Medical Center and Waupun Memorial Hospital says there was a time in the fall when they were concerned with the number of COVID-19 patients that they had to find rooms for. DeAnn Thurmer says November and December were a challenge for them. “We had a high surge of patients in November in fact we were really concerned about finding beds because we were so busy and then fortunately it kind of died down since December.” She says Tuesday of this week they had four COVID patients at the Ripon Medical Center, but none at Waupun Memorial. Thurmer notes that four patients at the Ripon Medical Center at one time can represent 40 to 50 percent of their bedding population.
Teachers Could Be Among Next Group To Get Vaccinated
Among the frontline non-essential workers that may receive the COVID-19 vaccine during Phase 1b, the next phase of the vaccine rollout is teachers and support members and child care workers. Ripon Schools Superintendent Mary Whitrock welcomes that news. She says they are taking the necessary precautions to avoid the coronavirus in their schools, but vaccination of teachers and support staff gets them closer to restoring full-time face-to-face instruction at the middle and high school. “And again it is really that ability of us to do the social distancing and have good practices with that. We want to make sure obviously that our teachers have access to the vaccinations and as well the students that are in high-risk categories.” She says making sure everyone is safe is their top priority.
Sturgeon Spearing Season Changes
For the upcoming sturgeon spearing season, the DNR is implementing a contactless registration process at registration stations. To ensure the safety for the public and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, all DNR registration stations are now drive-thru only and have been relocated to boat landings, city parks and government building parking lots for the 2021 season. To help with the new registration process, the DNR is asking spearers to place harvested sturgeon on tailgates or in an easily accessible location and remain in their vehicles throughout the registration process. The 2021 season will also be the first year where spear size and tine arrangement will be restricted. A new regulation limits the maximum spearhead width to 18 inches, and tines can only be arranged in a single plane. The season begins February 13th.
Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office Warns Of Scam
The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office took a number of calls Tuesday morning from people saying they had been called by someone posing as a deputy that told them they owed money for an open court case. The phone number that showed up on caller ID was 920-727-2888, which looks like a legitimate call from one of the Sheriff’s Department’s phone numbers. The caller identified himself as Lieutenant Rice, which is the name of someone that works for the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s officials say they would not make that type of call. They also commended the Oshkosh Community Credit Union who convinced a customer she was about to fall victim to a scam.
Virtual Meeting For Walleye Management Plan
The state’s Department of Natural Resources will be holding a virtual meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, January 26th at 6:30 pm to discuss updating the Wisconsin Walleye Management Plan for Calumet, Fond du Lac, Outagamie and Winnebago counties. The current walleye management plan serves as a guide for one of the most sought-after fish species in Wisconsin and outlines seven goals and strategies for walleye management. The DNR is seeking public feedback on stocking priorities, regulation acceptance and agency resource allocation. Those wishing to participate in the Zoom meeting should call 715-634-7429 to pre-register.
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