Hometown Broadcasting News Friday 7/9/21
9 July 2021 News
State Budget Signing Reaction
State legislators weighed in after Governor Tony Evers Thursday signed the two-year State Budget into law. Assembly minority leader Gordon Hintz of Oshkosh says Governor Evers introduced a solid budget, but legislative Republicans played partisan politics with it instead of putting the best interests of the state as a priority. State Representative Alex Dallman of Green Lake says, “This historic tax-cutting, fiscally responsible budget created by the Republican legislature deserved to be signed into law, and I believe Governor Evers followed our footsteps.” State Senator Joan Ballweg of Markesan says she’s proud of the work her Republican colleagues did on the budget. She says, “Although the governor did use his veto pen, the legislature was able to reach two-thirds funding for our schools, re-authorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, create a new meat processing grant program and provide investments for nursing homes and long-term care workers, broadband expansion and more.”
State Supreme Court Decision A Victory For DNR And Conservationists
The Wisconsin Supreme Court says state regulators can impose operating conditions on factory farms and consider high-capacity wells’ cumulative environmental impacts when considering whether to grant permits. Thursday’s rulings mark a major win for conservationists and clarifies that the Department of Natural Resources has broad authority to protect Wisconsin’s waters. Environmental groups had sued the DNR seeking stricter regulation of waters pollution from high-capacity wells. Industry groups including the Dairy Business Association and Republican legislators had argued a 2011 state law limiting state agencies’ regulatory powers trumped the DNR’s broad authority to protect state waters.
In Person Visits Resumed At Wisconsin Prisons
Wisconsin’s Corrections Department this week resumed in-person visits at state prison facilities. Visitation was stopped during the pandemic. DOC officials say the change was made because COVID infections are now trending downward in Wisconsin. There are no active positive cases of the virus in any prison and 66-percent of the prison population has been fully vaccinated. Visitors are being urged to schedule their in-person visits at least two days in advance.
Levy Will Serve As Principal Of New Oshkosh School
The Oshkosh Area School District Board is expected next Wednesday to approve the appointment of Kristi Levy as the principal of the District’s new middle school, which is expected to open in the fall of 2023. Pending Board approval the appointment will be in place when students return for classes in the fall. She will serve as principal of Merrill Middle School for the upcoming school year and until the new middle school opens. Levy currently serves as principal of Washington Elementary School. She has experience at all three levels, having taught at Oshkosh North High School, South Park Middle School and Oshkosh West High School.
Heidel House Conference Center
New owners of the Heidel House Hotel and Conference Center in Green Lake hope to attract conventions and annual business gatherings from businesses and groups throughout the Midwest to their Conference Center. Don Klain President of Lighthouse Hospitality Group says they have ten breakout rooms and two ballrooms to accommodate those gatherings. The Midwest Region is their target area. “We are targeting the Midwest-type of businesses that are having their annual meetings. Something we are going to be targeting is trying to get the Wisconsin Hotel Lodging Association annual meeting we are going to try that one.” He says they will target gatherings that will bring 200 to 300 people to the area. Klain says they have a lot of business with construction companies for their annual meetings and two businesses in Ripon have already booked their conference center for annual meetings.
RMC Expands Behavioral Health Services
Agnesian HealthCare has expanded its behavioral health services at the Ripon Medical Center. Dr. Matt Doll is the Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health. He says sometimes things are more than we can handle and the pandemic and stay at home orders put us all to the test. He notes routines were interrupted and social interaction with others was restricted. He says research shows the pandemic doubled the number of people who needed mental health services. “About 20 percent of us need mental health services at any time and research from the post pandemic or hopefully soon what is post-pandemic that’s about 40 percent of us and so we really need to increase capacity for mental health services.” At the Ripon Medical Center they’ve added additional staff for behavioral health services including clinicians, substance abuse and domestic violence counselors.
Employee Attitudes Changing About Working From Home
There is no doubt the pandemic has changed the way we work and now some businesses have to decide whether that change was temporary or more permanent. Jeff Puhlmann-Becker of the Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force says some businesses set policies that allowed their employees to work from home throughout the summer, but now they have to make decision about the fall. He says on the other hand studies show that some of those employees felt more comfortable working from home and have seriously reconsidered their job. “There are several studies about employees in this last year and a half who are reconsidering their jobs and their job security and their happiness at work and really are starting to say I can do better than this. That will push those employers to be more flexible about filling those positions.” He notes there used to be residency requirements with some jobs, but that has also changed with people being able to work from home.
Burger Fest Returns To Seymour
Seymour puts its stamp on its claim that it is the birthplace of the hamburger by celebrating its 33rd year of Burger Fest August 14th. There will be plenty of activities associated with the creation of the All-American Food Favorite by Hamburger Charlie, also known as Ben Braun. That will include hot-air balloon rides, a car show, a motorcycle charity ride, the 5K Bun Run, bounce houses, and live music. But the real fun is connected with everything hamburger. Organizers say they will have a 200-pound hamburger, the World’s largest hamburger parade, a hamburger eating contest , and a ketchup slide think water slip and slide but with ketchup.
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