News & Events

(Whitewater Unites Lives submission) Brittany Redden is a WUL Hometown Hero, “For volunteering tirelessly for the Summer Lunch Fixings for Kids program for the past three summers; for being dedicated, organized and thorough in everything she does to benefit many children in the Whitewater area; and for effectively communicating and coordinating with so many families.”

The nomination includes:  “It is my sincere belief that she deserves to be a recipient of the Hometown Hero award. Whitewater is lucky to have her as a volunteer.“

WUL (Whitewater Unites Lives) is a locally-focused civil and human rights group that works to connect the people in our community and to create opportunities for all people to learn and support each other in our common humanity.   

 Anyone who would like to nominate a local hero of any age should send their nomination, with a short description, to whitewaterunites@gmail.com 

The Common Council agenda for September 1 was amended on Monday afternoon to add “Discussion and possible direction regarding large gatherings of people on private property during City Declaration of Emergency.” City Manager Cameron Clapper indicated to the Banner that the item was added to the agenda in order to provide an opportunity for the council members to discuss concerns that have been raised about this matter, and to allow for public comment; however, if there is possible interest in taking action, this would not be considered until a future meeting.

Walworth County Public Health, Advocate Aurora Health, and Mercyhealth to Host Virtual COVID-19 Town Hall for Employers

The Walworth County Division of Public Health, in partnership with Aurora
Advocate Health and Mercyhealth, is hosting ‘Employer Best Practices During
COVID-19: Virtual Town Hall with Walworth County Public Health and
Healthcare’ on Monday, August 31 st at 9:00 a.m.
Employers play an important role in preventing COVID-19 and helping our
community stay safe and healthy. This event will provide perspectives from
Public Health and local healthcare partners, including an update on the status of
COVID-19 in Walworth County, information on current best practices for
businesses and employers, and an opportunity for questions.
Registration is required for this event. Please visit https://bit.ly/2Qk37DJ to learn
more and register.
For more information, please contact Walworth County Health and Human
Services Division of Public Health at (262) 741-3140, email
walcoph@co.walworth.wi.us, follow-us on Facebook, or visit us online at
co.walworth.wi.us.

Fort HealthCare Press Release – Fort HealthCare is challenging the greater Jefferson County area to “Rock the Walk,” and “Boost Your Immunity” while tracking your physical activity on a weekly basis in order to be more mindful about health and current level of physical activity, and for the chance at great prizes along the way. Rock the Walk 2020 kicks off on Tuesday, September 29^th and finishes on Tuesday, November 10th. Sign-up opens on Tuesday September 8th for all players. There is no cost to participate. Visit FortHealthCare.com/RockTheWalk for more details and instructions on how to begin.

Each year’s challenge focuses on a theme, and this year’s educational theme is “Boost Your Immunity.” With the current pandemic, and flu season approaching, it’s important for community members to be maintaining their health through various methods such as physical activity, eating a well-balanced diet and being conscientious of alcohol use, just to name a few. This educational information is presented weekly during the challenge through an online account which allows this challenge to be 100% digital and physically-distanced. This online “Wellness Portal” has many other tools for participants, that are free, such as food and meal plans, exercise trackers, various strength and cardio training examples, recipes, blogs and more that can be utilized at any time.

Upon sign-up, participants are asked to join one of the Rock the Walk teams organized by either their employer, or a local community coalition, to compete in the challenge and compare progress across teams. While the activity is organized by Fort HealthCare, other organizations are also participating. If not connected to an employer, players can assign themselves to one of the local Healthy Community Coalition teams. More about these Coalitions is available at FortHealthCare.com/Community-Coalitions.

Fort HealthCare shares a goal with area Healthy Community Coalitions to motivate all individuals to see how their health affects the overall population. Accomplishing long-term goals in improving the population’s health and wellness will help make Jefferson County the healthiest community in Wisconsin.

Experts recommend at least 150 minutes per week – that’s just over 20 minutes per day – of moderately intense physical activity. That’s the minimum amount of time that needs to be logged in the Rock the Walk online tool to stay in the challenge and compete for great prizes. The type of exercise does not matter, as long as it gets you moving and the heart pumping. No matter what one’s current fitness level is, anyone can participate doing something that is enjoyable to them – swimming, walking, paddling, biking, jogging, running, weight lifting, rowing, aerobics, gardening – the list goes on.

More information and instructions about how to participate in the challenge and how to sponsor as an organization can be found at www.FortHealthCare.com/RockTheWalk. If using social media to share progress and positivity, players are invited to use the hashtag #HealthiestHereWeCome in their posts and to tag @FortHealthCare, and/or their team coalition or organization.

“We’re still running! The Discover Whitewater Series (DWS): Half Marathon and 5K is still on for September 20, 2020. reserve your spot today at RunWhitewater.com/Register. Spots are limited each event has a 150-person cap and registration ends September 1st; don’t wait.”

Gov. Evers Declares State of Emergency in Wisconsin

MADISON, Aug. 25 — Gov. Tony Evers today signed Executive Order #86 declaring a state of emergency following protests in communities across Wisconsin. Executive Order #86 proclaims a state of emergency in Wisconsin, directs state agencies to continue assisting the state response, and calls to state active duty additional elements of the Wisconsin National Guard to support first responders and protect critical infrastructure and cultural institutions. The state of emergency declaration comes as earlier today Gov. Evers released a statement regarding protests in Wisconsin last night. On Monday, at the request of local officials, the governor announced he authorized the Wisconsin National Guard to help protect critical infrastructure and assist in maintaining public safety and the ability of individuals to peacefully protest in Kenosha County. Following protests on Monday night, Gov. Evers today announced he is authorizing increased Wisconsin National Guard support for Kenosha County to 250 members and will continue to adjust to meet local needs. The National Guard may not be used to impede the ability of people to peacefully protest or impede the ability of the media to report on this situation. Pursuant to Section 321.39(1)(a) of the Wisconsin Statutes, the governor ordered into state active duty members of the Wisconsin National Guard deemed necessary to support to local law enforcement and first responders in Kenosha. Any Guard members called to active duty may only be used to provide support to local law enforcement and to protect critical infrastructure and cultural institutions necessary for the well-being of the community, and to provide support to first responders such as the Kenosha Fire Department. This is the statement that was released earlier on Tuesday: Gov. Evers Releases Statement on Last Night’s Protests   MADISON, Aug. 25 — Gov. Tony Evers today released the following statement regarding last night’s protests:  “The ability to exercise First Amendment rights is a critically important part of our democracy and the pursuit of justice. But there remains a line between peaceful assembly and what we saw last night that put individuals, families, and businesses in danger. “We cannot forget the reason why these protests began, and what we have seen play out over the last two nights and many nights this year is the pain, anguish, and exhaustion of being Black in our state and country. But as I said yesterday, and as I’ll reiterate today, everyone should be able to exercise their fundamental right—whether a protester or member of the press—peacefully and safely. We cannot allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue. We also cannot continue going down this path of damage and destruction. “We are assessing the damage to state property and will be increasing the presence of the Wisconsin National Guard to ensure individuals can exercise their right safely, protect state buildings and critical infrastructure, and support first responders and fire fighters. “Tonight, and in the days ahead, if you are going to protest, please do so peacefully and safely. Please do not allow the actions of a few distract us from the work we must do together to demand justice, equity, and accountability.”

MADISON, Wis., Aug. 18 – The Governor’s Task Force on Student Debt announced today the release of its final report on student debt prepared at the request of Gov. Tony Evers. The report outlines eight recommendations for how Wisconsin can provide relief, education, and protection to its student debtholders now and in the future. Read the final report on the task force website here.

“I want to thank the folks who served on this critically important task force to help us find solutions to address the growing crisis of student debt in Wisconsin,” Gov. Evers said. “I’m grateful for all their good work, and now that we have their final report and recommendations, we have to get to work considering how these recommendations could be implemented to help people across our state.”

After months of research, listening sessions, consultation with external experts and colleagues in other states, the Governor’s Task Force on Student Debt finalized its 120-page report during a WebEx meeting on August 12, 2020. The electronic report includes 37 proposed solutions and eight recommendations approved by the task force during previous meetings. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the task force convened and completed its work virtually. The task force was chaired by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld.

“While student loan debt is a large and complex issue, the task force aimed to address what can be done by the State of Wisconsin to assist borrowers with their student debt, provide clear and useful information, and suggest proactive measures to combat student debt,” DFI Secretary Blumenfeld said. “In forming the final eight recommendations, the task force considered solutions to help borrowers before they borrow, while they are enrolled in a postsecondary program, and after they graduate or leave their program. The final eight recommendations provide a multi-faceted and multi-generational approach to solving Wisconsin’s student debt problem. Now, we must collectively move forward on the hard work ahead, as outlined in this report.”

The task force submitted the following eight recommendations to Gov. Evers for consideration: 1) create a Borrower Bill of Rights and Student Loan Ombudsman; 2) enhance proprietary school regulations and reinstate the Educational Approval Board; 3) improve financial literacy education; 4) increase need-based, targeted aid for postsecondary education and create a statewide promise program; 5) strengthen student loan counseling; 6) consider targeted loan forgiveness programs; 7) promote refinancing opportunities with other states; and 8) create a state student debt relief tax credit. These recommendations are the result of expansive dialogue between experts from government, industry, academia, and student loan borrowers.

The Governor’s Task Force on Student Debt was created by Executive Order #67 to address the growing student debt crisis in Wisconsin. The 32-member task force included borrowers, industry leaders, legislators, financial aid experts, and lenders to share a broad spectrum of ideas and experiences to inform the work of the task force. To learn more and read the final report, visit the task force website.

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