(Beaver Dam) With students across the region going back to the classrooms, law enforcement is focused on school safety. Beaver Dam Police Lieutenant Erik Smedema says officers will be patrolling around the schools in the morning and afternoon and with kids walking and biking to school it is important to stay alert. Smedema says drivers must slow down to 15 miles-per-hour in school zones anytime children are present.
(Juneau) Officials with the Dodge County Highway Safety Commission say distracted driving is of concern as kids head back to school. They say it is important for drivers not to be talking and texting on their phones. Officials add that turning off your cell phone is one of the smartest things you can do. Motorists are also reminded that their vehicles should stop no closer than 20-feet when approaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing or stop arm extended. Despite fewer in-person classes during the pandemic, there were still 342 school bus-related crashes in Wisconsin in 2020. In the past 10 years, 33 people have died in crashes involving school buses
(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Police Department is recognizing one of their officers for a selfless act. In a Facebook post, the department says Officer Brian Linzenmeyer encountered a family at Walmart while working over the weekend. They say the family was down on their luck and in need of a car seat they could not afford for their child. Linzenmeyer took matters into his own hands and paid for the car seat with money out of his pocket for the family. The department says they thank Linzenmeyer for representing the agency in such a positive manner.
(Wisconsin) There are almost four-thousand Afghan refugees at Wisconsin’s Fort McCoy. Almost a dozen more flights landed at Volk Field over the weekend. More refugees are expected to arrive in Wisconsin this week. Catholic Charities of La Crosse is accepting donations to help support refugees staying at the military base. Tuesday is President Biden’s self-imposed deadline for evacuating Americans and Afghan refugees. – WRN
(Dodge County) One COVID death was reported in Dodge County Monday. There are 203 deaths with 179 confirmed and 24 probable. It is the first death reported in the county since the beginning of August. The seven-day daily average of new cases per 100-thousand people is 35.5, which is 10 cases more than what Dodge County health officials classify as the “tipping point.” Accelerated spread of COVID is between 10 and 24 cases while community spread is between one and nine cases. Forty-four-point-three-percent (44.3-percent) of Dodge County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine while 41.5-percent have completed the vaccination series.
(Waupun) Agnesian HealthCare, a member of SSM Health, has been recognized as a top employer. Forbes recently listed the healthcare provider as one of the Best-In-State Employers of 2021. The award was presented by Forbes and Statista Inc. America’s Best-In-State Employers were identified in an independent survey based on a sample of approximately 80,000 Americans working for companies with more than 500 employees in the US.
(Madison) A Wisconsin hospital earns a national honor for its heart attack care. It is the tenth straight year for U-W Hospital in Madison to be recognized with the Platinum Performance Achievement Award for attaining the highest level in performance measurements. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says alm ost 70-thousand Americans have a heart attack every year. – WRN
(Wisconsin) The Red Cross continues to call for blood donations, even as it restarts public drives with the UW-System next week. Officials with Red Cross say last year was a challenge with COVID closing locations. You can find a local place to donate blood online at Red-Cross-Blood-dot-org and sign up for an appointment. – WRN
