DULUTH, Minn. – Essentia Health is expanding its COVID-19 testing criteria to now include all patients who have symptoms. The hospital announced on Friday that the change is effective immediately at all of its sites in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Essentia says anyone experiencing symptoms should first start an E-Visit at EssentiaHealth.org. During the visit, a provider can evaluate…
(courtesy: wisconsin.gov) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democrats in the Wisconsin state Senate chose Janet Bewley as their new leader Friday as they gear up to try to recapture control of the chamber in November. Bewley replaces Jennifer Shilling, who announced earlier this month that she won’t seek re-election this fall. Shilling said Tuesday she would step down as minority leader,…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior-Douglas County Area Chamber of Commerce has temporarily laid off most of its staff because of the financial strain from the pandemic. It’s a move the chamber hasn’t made before in its 137-year history. Chamber President/CEO Taylor Pedersen told FOX 21 the decision to furlough was tough but a responsible one so his team can be strong…
ASHLAND, Wis. – Kindergartners around the Northland are not in school right now because of the coronavirus shutdown, but that didn’t stop Ashland teachers from celebrating National Kindergarten Day with students and parents driving by Lake Superior Elementary School. A procession of cars was packed with families greeting their favorite kindergarten teachers in-person for the first time in more than…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Superior is one of many higher education institutions suffering from the impacts of Covid-19. Due to substantial revenue loss, the university is “strongly” considering furloughing all faculty and staff beginning in July. University administration is looking into a phased approach to this furlough proposal. If it goes into effect for the institution, furloughs would…
MADISON, Wis. – Nineteen people in Wisconsin have tested positive for the coronavirus after having voted in-person in the April 7 election or after having worked at the polls, the state Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday. Also, five Wisconsin National Guard members who helped staff polls on election day have reported symptoms of COVID-19 but the one…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – University of Wisconsin Superior officials say they will likely begin intermittent furloughs for all staff and faculty starting July 1 due to revenue loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made Tuesday during the first of four town hall meetings. “The magnitude of what we’re facing is truly unprecedented,” said chancellor Renée Wachter. “I…
KNIFE RIVER, Minn. – As of Friday the 17th, Governor Tim Walz expanded Minnesota’s essential services allowing some outdoor recreational activities to fall under that category. “The first thing we did was get careful and serious about social distancing in the workplace and then we were preparing to shut down,” Barkers Island General Manager, Eric Thomas says. In Wisconsin, marinas…
WISCONSIN — The Wisconsin Restaurant Association president and CEO said that she believes up to half of all Wisconsin restaurants in the state could close as the state’s “Safer At Home” order continues until May 26th. “This is an extinction level event for small businesses,” WRA president and CEO Kristine Hillmer said. “We’re estimating that without relief, we think that…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican leaders of the Wisconsin Legislature asked the Conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday to block an order from Gov. Tony Evers’ administration extending a stay-at-home order until May 26. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald asked the Supreme Court to take the case directly, a move that would skip lower courts…
MADISON, Wis. – On Tuesday, Gov. Tony Evers declared a statewide State of Emergency in Wisconsin in response to elevated wildfire conditions throughout the state. “Our first priority is protecting the people of Wisconsin and this executive order helps us control existing wildfires and use all available state assets to prevent new ones from starting,” Gov. Evers said. “With the…
(Angela Major/The Janesville Gazette via AP) MILWAUKEE (AP) — Officials have identified seven people who appear to have contracted the coronavirus through activities related to the April 7 election in Wisconsin, Milwaukee’s health commissioner said. Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik said six of the cases involve Milwaukee voters and one is a Milwaukee poll worker, the Journal Sentinel reported. Officials hope to have additional…
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file) MADISON, Wis. (FOX 9) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced his “Badger Bounce Back” plan Monday, which outlines the criteria for the state to be able to reopen its economy in phases amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a news release, the Badger Bounce Back plan is informed in part by the guidelines the White House released last week for states, cities,…
DULUTH, Minn. — FOX 21 is highlighting local front-line workers who are giving their all for the community during the coronavirus pandemic. Here are just a few of our Hometown Heroes from Sunday’s broadcast. If you’d like to nominate someone, just head over to FOX 21’s Facebook page to upload an image and a brief description about the person. We…
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday morning that the state has ramped up COVID-19 testing throughout the state. According to a press release from the governor’s office, in the last month, the state has gone from eight labs performing COVID-19 tests to 36 labs. More labs are expected to begin testing in the weeks ahead, but the…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Tavern League of Wisconsin is calling on Gov. Tony Evers to allow bars and restaurants to reopen on May 1, more than three weeks ahead of the end of the current stay-at-home order that has forced the closure of most nonessential businesses. The lobbying group argued in a statement late Sunday that bars, restaurants and…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Protesters gathered at the Wisconsin Capitol on Sunday to urge Gov. Tony Evers to lift his extended stay home order. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports about six dozen protesters rallied to call on Evers to change his mind. Last week Evers extended his stay-at-home order until after Memorial Day to help stem the spread of the…
DULUTH, Minn.- As more people stay at home across the world due to the Coronavirus, artists like dancers become stifled at home. Professional dancer Jesse Paul Smith noticed this, and started the Worldwide Dance Challenge. “I really believe this is the next phase of dance competitions,” he said. The Superior native saw how quarantine was effecting dancers, who had put…
ASHLAND COUNTY, Wis. – The Ashland County Sheriff’s Office says a 16-year-old male has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide in connection to a fatal crash in Ashland County Wednesday night. The Sheriff’s Department says the juvenile and the victim, Mahzhaquad Ford, had an alleged altercation during an attempted drug transaction. Authorities say during the altercation the Ford ‘became entangled…
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is reporting 4,045 positive cases of COVID-19 as of Friday afternoon. According to the Wisconsin DHS website coronavirus deaths in the state have reached 205. State health officials say there have been 42,365 negative test results to date and 1,153 hospitalizations. Douglas County is still reporting 7 positive COVID-19 cases and…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – The Douglas County Humane Society has seen a large increase in pet adoptions since the Covid-19 outbreak first began. Right now they are shut down to the public and only taking appointments for adoptions and calls for if someone finds a stray. Staff say, that the public acted fast to help the animals leaving the humane society…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – The Northwest Community Service Agency is doing their part helping supply members of the Northland community with food. Since mid-March the food shelf in Superior has been doing curbside pickup and pre-making the boxes of food with all of the essentials. Right now the food shelf is lacking in milk, juice and condiment items. “Our food pantry…
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wis. – Families and business across Wisconsin are being impacted by Gov. Tony Evers extending Wisconsin’s Safer at Home Order. Public and private schools will be closed for the rest of the academic year. Dr. Sara Croney, superintendent of the School District of Maple, tells us that’s no surprise to her. She’s happy her district now has a…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Today, several Midwest Governors announced they will work together to coordinate the reopening of the Midwest region economy. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers along with Governors Gretchen Whitmer (MI), Mike DeWine (OH), JB Pritzker (IL), Eric Holcomb (IN), and Andy Beshear (KY) said they will work closely to examine the best way to…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday extended Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order that was originally slated to expire next week for another month, keeping non-essential businesses closed until May 26 to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Schools will be closed the remainder of the academic year under the order. News of the extension comes amid growing criticism from…
TOWNSHIP OF SANBORN, Wis. – A 21-year-old male from Ashland County died Wednesday night when the car he was driving crashed in the woods. Authorities say the accident happened on Birch Hill Road in the Township of Sanborn around 7:00 p.m. Officers, Bad River First Responders, and Ashland Ambulance responded to the scene where the male was found deceased. The…
(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, WI (AP) — Wisconsin faces $2 billion in revenue losses due to skyrocketing unemployment and other hits to the economy caused by the coronavirus, Gov. Tony Evers told President Donald Trump in a letter sent this week along with the governors of Michigan and Pennsylvania. Evers and the governors from Michigan and…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- Sutherland CBD and Dr. Juice USA, both on Tower Avenue, are now offering handmade hand sanitizer. And hundreds of bottles of their product are going to first responders in need. “In these difficult times everybody’s got to do their part to stop the spread of this thing, to stay safe,” said Jacob Tout, CEO of Dr. Juice USA….
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wis. – Going to camp is a summer tradition for many families but, with so much uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, nobody knows if kids will have the chance to attend Northland camps this year. “What we provide is the opportunity to get outdoors and to learn in the outdoors and we really feel that families, kids are going to…
WASCOTT, Wis. – People are trying to get out of cities as much as possible during the pandemic. That means campgrounds in rural areas can be packed. While the owners appreciate the business, they tell us it’s up to campers to act responsibly and maintain social distance. Rick Maas, owner of Up North Resort in Wascott, tells us there are…
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The economic effects of the coronavirus appear to be pushing more Wisconsin farmers into bankruptcy. Court records show that 36 farmers have filed by Chapter 12 bankruptcy since the first of the year. In 2019, there were 57 similar filings for the entire year, the Journal Sentinel reported. Dairy farmers were already dealing with depressed milk prices…
Categories: News, News – Latest News, Political, Wisconsin
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The results are in from last week’s Superior City Council races. In District 1, Nicholas Ledin defeated Kalee Hermanson 383-342. Ledin will replace Dan Olson, who is leaving his seat. In District 3, incumbent Warren Bender defeated Kelly Schoen 344-205, while in District 5, incumbent Brent Fennessey defeated Amanda Foster 469-369. You can view a full list…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Joe Biden has defeated Bernie Sanders in Wisconsin’s presidential primary, which was held last week during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden’s victory became academic after Sanders dropped out last week, one day after Wisconsin held in-person voting despite widespread concern over the health risks. Republican legislative leaders refused to delay the election, and the party won a…
(Angela Major/The Janesville Gazette via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Municipal clerks across Wisconsin on Monday were set to start tallying votes from last week’s chaotic presidential primary, a count that was delayed for several days by the legal struggle over whether to postpone the election due to the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of voters congregated for hours in long lines on Tuesday,…
SUPERIOR, Wis,- Like the rest of the Northland, normally busy streets and storefonts in Superior are bare as local businesses cope with being partially or completely shut down. Two Superior City Councilors decided to raise money for them, by raffling gift cards on Facebook. Weeks later, the small boost they hoped to give businesses is turning into a big help….
ASHLAND COUNTY, Wis. – A second case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Ashland County, according to the county public health department. The individual who tested positive has a history of domestic travel and has been self-isolating since returning home. Ashland County Public Health tells us they are working with the individual to identify any people they were in close…
(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced on Friday that they are looking for volunteers to help the state’s healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Active and retired healthcare professionals and anyone that is interested in volunteering in non-clinical support positions as well is encouraged to sign up through the Wisconsin Emergency…
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is reporting 3,068 positive cases of COVID-19 as of Friday afternoon. According to the Wisconsin DHS website coronavirus deaths in the state have reached 128, up 17 from the day before. State health officials say there have been 33,225 negative test results to date and 904 hospitalizations. Douglas County is reporting…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – More than half of Wisconsin’s 133 hospitals reported on Friday that they have less than a one week supply of goggles and gowns that are worn when treating coronavirus patients. More than a third of hospitals are also reporting they have less than a week’s worth of face shields, N95 masks, and paper medical masks, according…
MILWAUKEE (AP) – U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson, in rare bipartisan unity, are calling on the U.S. Postal Service to investigate what happened to missing absentee ballots in Wisconsin. In a letter to the Inspector General, the senators cite numerous accounts from the state that the Postal Service failed to fulfill its critical mission of getting all those…
(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday ordered the closure of 40 Wisconsin’s state parks, forests and recreational areas primarily in southern and southeastern Wisconsin to help reduce overcrowding and vandalism and to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Evers’ warned that the order could be followed by more closures if…
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wis. – Restaurants and bars across Minnesota and Wisconsin are struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 shutdown. Businesses in small towns have been hard particularly hard by the pandemic, with at least half of some restaurants’ normal business gone. The owners are doing what they can to keep the establishments open, but it’s a struggle with…
SAWYER COUNTY, Wis. – Sawyer County, Wisconsin has its first confirmed COVID-19 case. We’re told one person there tested positive and is now at home in isolation. The Sawyer County Health Department is now working to contact anybody who the infected person may have been in contact with. Hayward Area Memorial Hospital has been preparing for coronavirus patients for months….
Many people stuck at home in both Minnesota and Wisconsin are heading to liquor stores. But when those stores become crowded, business owners have to choose between serving customers, an following the law of public health by maintaining social distance. One sign in front of Shanty Bottle Shop in Duluth’s Hillside neighborhood says it best: “Do not rush into the…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Wisconsin voters are taking their civic duty seriously even as Covid-19 poses a threat to public health This week, to protect the health of residents Governor Tony Evers attempted to have the Wisconsin presidential primary moved to June. That was shut down by a last-minute supreme court decision, which kept the elections from moving. This meant voters…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The City of Superior says it will be limiting access to its beaches in an effort to comply with Governor Evers’ Executive Order. According to a recent press release from the city, all public and private gatherings of people not part of a single household are prohibited. Outdoor activities including visiting public and state parks are still…
(Angela Major/The Janesville Gazette via AP) MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Elections Commission reported Tuesday morning that it had received no reports of polling places being unable to open as planned. There had already been plans to consolidate polling places, especially in larger cities, due to poll workers refusing to show up due to fears of the coronavirus. Milwaukee reduced…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin is asking hundreds of thousands of voters to ignore a stay-at-home order in the midst of a pandemic to participate in Tuesday’s presidential primary election, becoming a test case for dozens of states struggling to balance public health concerns with a core pillar of democracy. The National Guard is helping to run voting sites across the state…
SUPERIOR, The Mayor of Superior’s right-hand-woman, Rani Gill, is retiring after 30 years serving the city as the mayor’s Chief of Staff. Gill has served six different Superior mayors, and was actually the first official “Chief of Staff,” according to Mayor Jim Paine. “She’s an institution in this city,” Paine said, “she has served a number of mayors, a lot…
