The statewide COVID-19 website is a one stop shop that consolidates information from state agencies, and provides up-to-date information and guidance regarding COVID-19. DHS has also offered information on their website on How and Where to Get Tested.
If you're not busy, please make a call, send a card, or write a letter to someone you know who lives alone or may need assistance.
Bless each of you during this difficult time of uncertainty and suffering. Take good care!
Governor Evers has Declared a New Public Health Emergency and Face Covering Mandate
Today Governor Evers declared a public emergency in response to the growing number of cases following students' return to K-12 and University academic settings.
Wisconsin is seeing near-exponential growth of COVID-19 cases since mid-August. This period has been the highest rate of growth that we have seen yet as a state. On three days last week, the number of new reported cases topped 2,000, with the new state record being set on September 18th at 2,533 new cases. Significant growth has been within the 18-24 age group.
Governor Evers issued a new emergency order, extending the statewide mask mandate until November 21, 2020.
Judge William Conley combined several lawsuits seeking changes to the November election into one case. His ruling does the following:
Extends the deadline to register to vote by mail or online to October 21.
Allows voters who requested an absentee ballot, but did not receive one in the mail, to access a replacement ballot electronically between Oct. 22 and Oct. 29.
Makes it so that those serving as election officials on Nov. 3 need not be a resident of the county in which they would be serving.
Requires that absentee ballots be counted as long as they are postmarked on or before election day and received by November 9.
Judge Conley has stayed his own order for seven days, to provide the defendants an opportunity to seek an emergency appeal of the court order.
He explained that no one should consider these the final deadlines until his ruling is upheld on appeal.
For now, it is best for Wisconsin Voters to continue operating under the original deadlines.
The original deadline to register by mail or online is October 14th, and the original deadline to return your absentee ballot is that it must be received by the municipal clerk by 8pm on November 3rd. The USPS recommends providing for a 7 day delivery time, meaning that voters should get their ballots filled out and in the mail by October 27th, or make use of one of their municipal clerk's drop-off sites. You can now track your ballot through MyVote.wi.gov.
If you have any questions about voter registration, absentee voting, early voting, polling locations, or ballot drop-off locations, get in touch with your municipal clerk:
DATCP Increases Consumer Protection Service Access to the Milwaukee Region
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has reallocated staff positions to be based in Milwaukee in order to better serve the residents of South Eastern Wisconsin. This will be a benefit to the people of this region through greater access to consultation and information to keep consumers and businesses informed about the laws that exist to protect them!
Staff based in Milwaukee will:
Provide information and education on consumer protection laws
Participate in community events
Assist in outreach to area businesses to try and resolve consumer concerns
Undertake investigations and enforcement actions related to fraud and deceptive business practices
Assist consumer in finding identity theft resources
Provide free presentations to the public via webinars, workshops, conferences, and stand-alone events.
I have received several questions related to the Lost Wage Assistance Program (LWA). This is the recent program created through an executive order by President Trump. The program provides Unemployment Insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance recipients with an additional $300 per week, for up to 6 weeks, but certain conditions apply.
Wisconsin Public Radio dug into many of the most frequently asked questions, and provides good information in their article by Rachel Vasquez.
Last Friday, Governor Evers requested that Department of Workforce Development Secretary Caleb Frostman offer his resignation following months of a continuing backlog in unemployment claims.
“People across our state are struggling to make ends meet, and it is unacceptable that Wisconsinites continue to wait for the support they need during these challenging times,” said Gov. Evers. “It is clear that our unemployment system has faced historic levels of claims these past few months, hindered in part by antiquated technology we inherited, and processes designed by Republicans to make it harder for folks to get these benefits.”
Department of Corrections Deputy Secretary Amy Pechacek will lead the DWD during the transition until a new Secretary is selected.
GE Healthcare to Invest $50 million in West Milwaukee
GE Healthcare will be moving hundreds of jobs and operations to its historic West Milwaukee location in addition to a $50 million investment.
GE Healthcare will be relocating its computed tomography unit from Waukesha to West Milwaukee. The company says that it will create a "world class industry leading product development and manufacturing campus for medical imaging."
Pending negotiations with two unions representing over 600 workers at GE Healthcare, the project is anticipated to take two to three years.
Milwaukee Budget Proposal Includes $6.5 million for Accessible Housing
In order to address the homeownership gap that exists for Black and Latino residents of the City, Mayor Barrett is leveraging the remaining funds from a tax incremental financing district that has reached the end of its terms. State law allows tax incremental districts to be repurposed and the resources invested into housing.
$1.4 million will be for an income-based down payment grant program to help low income familis purchase homes
$1.5 million will create pilot housing cooperative and land trust programs
$1 million will be invested in the Housing Trust Fund to rehabilitate affordable housing
$700,000 will go to rehabilitate Sherman Park neighborhood homes that are vacant and tax-foreclosed
$1.3 million will go into the Strong Homes program to provide loans to homeowners to help with repairs
$500,000 will be placed into a program that allows the city to dispose of properties.
When asked about the program Mayor Barrett explained: "Particularly in this time of social unrest and a fight for racial justice and racial equity, we thought that this is the perfect time to really make a bold statement about our commitment to housing in Milwaukee."
State Efforts Battle Growing Falls Crisis in Wisconsin
For adults 65 and older, Wisconsin has the highest death rate in the nation due to falls. In 2019, over 40,000 seniors went to the emergency department after a fall.
Expanding access to the Stepping On program can help individuals decrease the incedence of falls by 31%.
Providers are ready and waiting to offer the program once Coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
Red Arrow Soldier Receives Headstone after 76 Years
After 76 ears, a Red Arrow Soldier who was killed in action during WWII finally received a headstone.
Staff Sgt. Walter Schaller of Milwaukee enlisted in the Wisconsin National Guard in 1941. On January 2, 1944, the Red Arrow was on its way to their objective at Saidor, New Guinea when Schaller was killed instantly by stepping on a landmine. The soldier was buried in the jungle with other fallen comrades.
His body was brought back to Milwaukee in 1949 and he was buried in an unmarked grave at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Local historian Tom Mueller volunteered with the Milwaukee War Memorial Center's project to find photos and information about fallen service members to preserve their memory on its Honor Roll. Mueller worked to piece together the information about Schaller.
A dedication and service was held on September 10th.
