(Beaver Dam) When students and staff in the Beaver Dam School District return to class tomorrow, they will be wearing masks, unless there is a medical reason. Superintendent Mark DiStefano told us last week on WBEV’s Community Comment that students in the classroom will be a minimum of three feet apart, in accordance with American Pediatric Association recommendations. There will also be half of the seventh through 12th grade students in classrooms with that age group in school for two days with three days of virtual learning. The district’s Return To School Plan will see students in early Kindergarten through sixth grade in school five days a week with limited movement and the same teacher all day.
(Dodge County) Wisconsin health officials are reporting 537 positive coronavirus cases in Sunday’s daily update, which is 10.5-percent of the 4500 tests announced. There are 7,498 active cases in the state, a decrease of 90 people from Saturday. State health officials reported three deaths Sunday, for a total of 1,122. Dodge County has five deaths on record and 1,133 cases, an increase of 13 from Saturday. Dodge County Public Health continues to list the county in the middle of its three phase Safe Restart Plan. One of the metrics of the plan, case status, is in the red, while contact tracing is in the yellow and PPE, hospital and testing capacity are all in the green.
(Dekorra) A pedestrian was killed after being struck by a vehicle in the Town of Dekorra Friday afternoon. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office says a 70-year-old Poynette man was hit by the vehicle as it began to spin from overcorrecting after veering off the roadway. The 76-year-old Town of Dane man driving received minor injuries. The Poynette man died at the scene.
(Town of Empire) A nine-year-old girl was injured while riding on a hay wagon in Fond du Lac County. The incident occurred around 2:30pm yesterday (Sunday) on Grandview Road in the Town of Empire. The child sustained a significant injury when her leg entangled with the wheel. She was flown from the scene to ThedaCare Regional Medical Center in Neenah with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.
(Juneau) The Juneau Fire Department responded to a Town of Oak Grove residence Friday evening. Crews were dispatched just before midnight to Saint Ann Road following reports that the house had filled with smoke. The cause was determined to be a faulty battery backup for a sump pump. The home was ventilated, and the occupants were able to return.
(Columbus) Lead has been found in the drinking water of some homes in Columbus that is above EPA action limits. Columbus Water and Light officials say their source water, water mains, and finished drinking water do not contain lead. Instead, lead is being found in homes built before 1950, which are more likely to have lead pipes, and homes built prior to 1984 which could have lead solder (sodder). When water is in contact with plumbing containing lead for several hours, lead may ‘leach’ into the drinking water. The public is invited to call Columbus Water for help determining the type of water service is in their home.
(Wisconsin) Just under 90-percent of all households in Wisconsin has responded to the 2020 Census. Nearly 19-percent of that count has comes from door-to-door interactions which have been underway for about a month. The official count is expected to wrap up by the end of September.
(Madison) State lawmakers will be at the State Capitol today to gavel in a special session called by Governor Evers to take up bills addressing police accountability, but it’s not expected to be a productive day. The governor says the package of bills promotes police transparency and accountability, but the Republican-controlled Legislature has no plans to take up the bills today. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says lawmakers would ultimately consider the bills but gave no timeline on when that might be. The Juneau Republican says he’s inclined also to take up bills aimed at police oversight, which would also cut state aid to cities that reduce their police budget, and bills that would create more penalties for violence against officers.
(Madison) If you receive an absentee ballot request in the mail later this week, it’s most likely from the Wisconsin Elections Commission. This summer the commission approved having all registered voters in the state receive the form due to the expected increase in people who want to vote but also want to avoid polling places during the pandemic. The commission is mailing the request form to about 2-point-6 million people starting tomorrow (Tuesday). Those who want an absentee ballot will need to fill the form out and mail it back to their local clerk’s office. They will start mailing out ballots to those who have registered on September 17.
(Madison) Flags will fly at half-staff today to honor Dane County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Treadwell. He passed away earlier this month due to COVID-19, believed to be the first person in the state to die while in the line of duty. Treadwell served as a Dane County Sheriff’s deputy for over 25 years, most recently training new recruits.
