Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday 5/6/21
6 May 2021 News
Ground Breaking Today For Waupun Wastwater Treatment Plant Upgrade
Ground will be broken today for a $36 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Waupun. Federal and state authorities are requiring waterfront communities like Waupun to place strict limits on the phosphorus that is released into local waterways, in this case the Rock River by 2025. The system will use algae to uptake phosphorus from the wastewater and then process the phosphorus-rich algae into a biomass that can be sold for profit. A $28 million USDA loan and an $8 million grant are funding the project. Work begins today and the upgraded facility should be fully operational in 2023.
Border Crisis
After recently returning from his third trip to the U.S. southern border with Mexico since 2020 Congressman Glenn Grothman is wondering why the Biden Administration isn’t making the illegal immigration along that border more of a priority. Vice President Kamala Harris during an interview with CBS said it is a huge problem, but Grothman says she has yet to visit the border to see for herself. “President Trump whatever you thought about him he did a great job on that border we really had things under control. President Biden undid the agreement we had with Mexico where Mexico was holding people on our southern border. He undid the agreements we had with Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.” The federal lawmaker says when he visited the border in January about 10,000 people were sneaking across the border, but my March that number had tripled. Grothman notes illegal crossings and encounters at our Southwest border have skyrocketed, reaching 172,331, a 15-year high for March.
Community Meal Program Resumes
Ripon Area Schools Superintendent Mary Whitrock says they will continue the community meals program again this summer. She notes the free breakfast and lunch program began last spring when Safer at Home restrictions came out and they were forced to go to virtual learning. “Over a year ago when the schools shut down we were launching into our spring break and we had a professional development day that first Monday we were back and on Tuesday not only did we flip the entire district to be virtual, but our food service was up and going that very first day to offer meals.” The free meals were available for anyone 18 years old or younger and were distributed through curbside pick up at the Ripon Middle School. During the early days of the distribution they were providing about 1,300 meals or two meals per child.
Ripon Senior Center Open For Business Again
Shut down more than a year because of the pandemic, the Ripon Senior Activity Center is open once again. Center Executive Director Noreen Johnson says they are open Mondays through Fridays from 10 am to 3 pm. She says people will still need to wear their masks. Most of their activities are still outside at parks. Tone and Stretch is at 9:15 Tuesdays and Thursdays mornings outside in Murray Park. Johnson says there aren’t a lot of activities just yet at the center, but people are welcome to come in. They are also still doing the Grab and Go lunches through Fond du Lac as well. The center will be closed on Monday, May 31st in honor of Memorial Day.
Columbia County Moderna Clinics
The Columbia County Public Health Department has made some changes to its COVID-19 vaccination schedule. Today they will be holding a second dose Moderna clinic only at the Columbia County Health & Human Services in Portage. Those eligible for the second dose have been pre-scheduled. Next Thursday they will again be holding a first dose Moderna vaccination clinic at the Columbia County Health & Human Services in Portage. Walk-ins are welcome or scheduling online will be available after 1 pm next Monday. Call (608) 742-9227 for scheduling assistance.
Drug Take Back Day Success
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul says 60,632 pounds of unused and unwanted prescription drugs were collected across the state on April 24th, Drug Take Back Day giving the state the second largest collection in the country this year. Statewide over 290 law enforcement agencies participated in Drug Take Back Day and disposed drugs were collected from drug disposal boxes at law enforcement agencies across the state. There are 489 permanent drug disposal boxes accessible year-round in Wisconsin at law enforcement agencies, hospitals, pharmacies and health clinics.
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