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September is National Preparedness Month

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September is National Preparedness Month. Andrew Beckett with Wisconsin Emergency Management explains the goal:

“To get people to think about the ways that they can ‘prepare to protect.’ Prepare to protect themselves, the ones they love, their property. Basically all the steps they can take in order to make sure that they are protected in the event an emergency takes place.”

Beckett says you can find preparedness resources can be found online at Ready Wisconsin, and   through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “Ready.Gov” campaign.

This year’s theme for National Preparedness Month is “prepare to protect.”

More wells in La Crosse area test positive for PFAS contamination

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Wells downstream from the La Crosse airport are now showing PFAS contamination.

Those wells are on Paris Island, which sits downstream from La Crosse Regional.

All but one out of 100 wells tested showed some levels of contamination, while 40 wells have levels above DNR safety standards. One well was over 160 times higher.

The DNR is continuing to test to see how far the contamination has spread since it was first detected in 2016.

Evers activates Wisconsin National Guard for Kenosha duty

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The Wisconsin National Guard may once again be called on in Kenosha. The Guard was last deployed to the city following protests and looting after the August 23 shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, by a white Kenosha police officer, leaving Blake paralyzed.

Governor Tony Evers has authorized the Guard to support local law enforcement at the request of local officials there, to help ensure public safety. The request comes as the city awaits a charging decision in the case, which the Kenosha County D.A. is expected to announce sometime in the next two weeks.

Gov. Evers wants Wisconsin to get its fair share of COVID-19 vaccines

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Governor Tony Evers wants the state to get its fair share of shipments of COVID-19 vaccines.

Governor Evers says Wisconsin has only received around 35,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week, much less than the nearly 50,000 doses it was supposed to be getting.

Evers says Wisconsin needs those vaccines because the state is seeing so many cases of COVID. He also stresses that the vaccines need to make up for the lack of response he’s able to make because his office is hampered thanks to ongoing litigation.

Air National Guard pilot confirmed killed in U.P. crash

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A Wisconsin Air National Guard pilot has been confirmed killed in a crash this week.

The Madison-based 115th Fighter Wing has announced the death of the F-16 pilot who crashed Wednesday in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In accordance with Department of Defense policy, the pilot will not be identified until 24 hours after notifying next of kin.

The crash occurred within the Hiawatha National Forest during a training mission Tuesday night. A multi-state, interagency search for the pilot and aircraft immediately followed the crash, the cause of which is under investigation.

Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16 down in U.P.

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Emergency crews overnight were searching for the pilot of an F-16 fighter jet that crashed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula while on a military training mission.

The Wisconsin Air National Guard says an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to its 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field Air National Guard Base in Madison crashed about 8 p.m. Tuesday night.

The Wisconsin Air National Guard said in a statement released on its Facebook page: “Emergency responders are on scene. The cause of the crash, as well as the status of the pilot, are unknown at this time, and the incident is under investigation.”

The crash occurred north of the Garden Peninsula, near the border of Delta and Schoolcraft counties in the Hiawatha National Forest. The 115th Fighter Wing participated in a coordinated search effort with local emergency responders, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Forest Service and other government agencies overnight.

Record day for COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin, Dane County puts strict gathering ban in place

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It’s been another record day of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Wisconsin as a surge of infections continues to move through Wisconsin.

The Department of Health Services reports that 318 people were sent to the hospital and 92 people died of COVID-19 on Tuesday, a record for both of those numbers. Over 7,000 people tested positive, putting the total number of cases over 323 thousand.

The seven day average number of deaths is now at 49, and that’s up over 800 percent in only 2 months.

Public Health Madison – Dane County has put a ban on public indoor gatherings, and is restricting outdoor gatherings to just 10 people, even with social distancing. 

That includes sporting events, meetings, movies, conferences, and other activities. Indoor mass gatherings of any people who do not live together are prohibited. “This virus does not spread on its own. We spread it. Every gathering – no matter the size – is an opportunity for disease spread and prolongs the pandemic,” said Janel Heinrich, Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County. “We are hopeful that with the community’s cooperation, we can bring our numbers down and avoid more hospitalizations and deaths,” added Heinrich.

The new emergency order will be in effect starting on Wednesday and running through December 16th.

November is peak month for car-vehicle collisions

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November is the peak month for vehicle accidents involving deer. According to State Farm, Wisconsin drivers have a 1 in 57 chance of hitting an animal, mostly deer.

Those odds rank the state 7th most risky according to a press release from the insurance carrier.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation encourages drivers to eliminate distractions, use extra caution in deer zones, be aware of risky dusk-to-dawn times, don’t rely on unproven tools such as deer whistles.

If you see deer, slow down, don’t swerve or slam on the brakes and know more are nearby.

Odds of hitting a deer in the road are the highest in West Virginia and the risk is lowest in Hawaii.

Evers signs order urging people to stay home and break the chain of COVID-19

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Governor Tony Evers has signed a new executive order urging people to stay home and not to socially mingle.

Evers says people need to take the threat of COVID-19 seriously as we head into the winter months.

“And unfortunately with the holidays just around the corner, we recommend that you plan to celebrate just with your own household. You can still invite others to join virtually, but we advise you not to go to any gatherings with people who are not in your immediate home.”

Evers says people need to stay home and break the chain of the spread.

“Each day this virus goes unchecked is a setback for our economic recovery. Our bars, restaurants, small businesses, families and farmers will continue to suffer if we don’t take action right now.”

“We must get back to the basics of fighting this virus, just like we did last spring, and it starts at home. It’s not safe to go out. It’s not safe to have others over. It’s just not safe.”

The measure also calls on businesses to limit the amount of contact people are having with each other. The order does not carry any actual enforcement language, as those efforts have been largely stymied due to repeated lawsuits challenging the state’s health orders. 

 

UW-Health experts pleased to hear news of possible COVID-19 vaccine

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News of a viable vaccine for COVID-19 is just the first step, according to UW-Health’s Dr. Jeff Pothoff.

Pothoff says the vaccine will need to go through its final trials before it’s fully approved for use, but that it’s a fantastic result. 

“This is a tremendous feat for science. Over the course of less than a year develop, and then not only develop but do the trials that are necessary to begin proving that the vaccine is safe and effective.”

Reports from Pfizer say that the vaccine appears to be 90 percent effective at preventing COVID-19. Pothoff says the US will have to start ramping up production to ensure that it can make over 300 million doses for the nation.

“Scientists bring the expertise, governments bring the resources, and before you know it… Bam! There it is. That’s a pretty monumental moment for all of us.”

Pothoff expects that there will be a staggered rollout of the vaccine, once it’s ready. First doses will go to medical staff and those who are most vulnerable, and then roll out to the rest of the nation. 

“We’re still fighting a fierce battle against this virus and we need every single healthcare provider to stay healthy so that they can come to work and take care of the rest of us.”