Friday, October 4, 2024

News Briefs

Posted


October shipping data falls behind last year
GREEN BAY
– In the month of October, more than 180,000 tons of cargo moved through the Port of Green Bay on fifteen ships.

October’s tonnage brings the 2022 shipping season’s cargo total to nearly 1.5 million tons, which is 7% behind last year’s totals from the same time period.

“Cargo tonnages received seem to be slowing down, which means the agricultural, construction and manufacturing industries the Port serves are ordering fewer raw materials,” Port of Green Bay Director Dean Haen said. “Historically, the Port serves as a local economic indicator for Northeast Wisconsin. We are still hoping to see strong tonnage in November and December as well as early January to get us close to our annual goal of 2 million tons. Reaching that level is an indication our local economy will remain strong into the first quarter of 2023.”

Four family medicine physicians join Prevea
BROWN COUNTY
– Prevea Health has added several new physicians to its family medicine team, which offers a variety of primary care services for patients of all ages in the Green Bay region.

Dr. Pamela Falcon is now seeing patients at Prevea Washington Street.

Dr. Krista Hoffman is practicing at Prevea East Mason Health Center.

Dr. Crystal Lalonde is now taking appointments at Prevea Shawano Avenue Health Center.

Dr. Eric Rojo is seeing patients at Prevea East De Pere Health Center.

Bellin Hospital receives ‘A’ for safety
BROWN COUNTY
– Bellin Hospital has been awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization which has been assigning letter grades to hospitals throughout the United States for 10 years.

The Leapfrog Group’s grading system is based on more than 30 national performance measures related to a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients.

This recent grading cycle marks Bellin’s ninth consecutive Leapfrog Safety “A.”

“Patient safety is at the heart of what we do, and I can’t say enough about our extraordinary care teams and culture of improvement that help us protect our patients while delivering excellent care,” Bellin Health President and CEO Chris Woleske said. “At Bellin, we like to say ‘team is how we get things done’ — and our nine consecutive Leapfrog Safety ‘A’s reflect the importance of teamwork.”

GBPD continues elder fraud investigation
GREEN BAY
– The Green Bay Police Department (GBPD) has developed several leads in a fraud investigation that targeted elders between October 23-31.

GBPD received reports that a caller pretending to be a “grandchild” claimed they had been arrested and a second caller claiming to be a “lawyer” demanded cash to help get the alleged “grandchild” out of jail.

Anyone who may have received such a call is encouraged to reach out to GBPD as soon as possible.

“It is vitally important that anyone who may have received a call or even fell victim to this crime, call us as soon as possible. We’re here to help,” Detective Eric Jaeger, GBPD, said.

Nominations open for Packers FAN Hall of Fame
GREEN BAY
– The Packers FAN Hall of Fame has begun its annual search for the next honoree.
Now until Dec. 16, fans are able to nominate themselves, a relative or a friend to be the 25th member of the Packers FAN Hall of Fame.

Each nomination should consist of an essay of 500 words or less to describe the merits of the nominee and a photo.

10 finalists will be selected in December by the Packers FAN Hall of Fame selection committee.

Public voting will be open Jan. 1-31 for Packers fans to cast their vote for which finalist they think should win.

The winner will be announced in February and receive four club seats to a 2023 Packers home game, a $500 gift certificate for the Packers Pro Shop, a road trip for two to a 2023 Packers away game and a one-year subscription to PackersNews.com.

Check out-of-state trees for invasive pests
BROWN COUNTY
– The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection reminds consumers to check for invasive pests before purchasing live out-of-state Christmas trees and other decor.

A non-native, invasive pest known as the elongate hemlock scale (EHS) has been found in previous years on fir wreaths, Christmas trees, native hemlock and balsam fir forests.

To identify EHS, look for discolored needles and small brown, scale-like insects under oblong coverings on the underside of the needles.

Other invasive pests that have been found during the holidays include boxwood blight fungus and invasive bittersweet on wreaths, spongy moth egg masses on cut conifer trees and dead spotted lanternflies on tree nursery stock.

If you suspect EHS or other invasive pests on fir wreaths or Christmas trees, the DATCP asks that you take a photo and report it to DATCP’s pest hotline at 866-440-7523 or datcppesthotline@wi.gov.

“Since pests like EHS are not established in Wisconsin, the best way to prevent the establishment of these invasive pests is to make sure your tree or wreath was grown in a state without the pest,” DATCP Bureau of Plant Industry Director Brian Kuhn said. “It is important to check material carefully before bringing it home as a variety of pests and diseases can travel on plant material.”

Allouez and Humboldt win fall Voter Challenge
BROWN COUNTY
– The Town of Humboldt and the Village of Allouez have been announced as Brown County’s latest winners of Project VOTE’s Voter Challenge.

Humboldt had 83.1% of registered voters participate in the Nov. 8 election, earning them first place in the Green Division for municipalities in Brown County with a population less than 10,000.

Allouez had the highest percentage of voter turnout among Brown County’s Gold Division of larger municipalities, totaling 78%.

This is Humboldt’s first Voter Challenge victory and Allouez’s fifth.

“Congratulations to Allouez and Humboldt for their Voter Challenge wins,” Glen Tilot, Project VOTE chair, said. “It’s great to see the turnout for the fall election with a lot of interest in key races throughout Brown County and the state. We also want to thank everyone for their efforts to participate in the election process. It is vital for people to understand the important right and responsibility it is to vote in elections in our country.”

Local nonprofits receive Cellcom Green Gifts
BROWN COUNTY – Six local nonprofits have been selected to receive a share of Cellcom’s annual Green Gifts, which invest money from recycled cell phones into environmental projects.

“Cellcom is focused on reducing our negative impact on the environment and investing in projects in our communities that do the same. From preserving and enhancing natural areas to providing educational programming to spearheading sustainability and research efforts, this year’s Green Gift recipients are leading the way for environmental causes locally,” Mick O’Malley, director of sustainability at Cellcom, said. “We’re proud to support the many nonprofits throughout our service area that are not only performing critical work for our environment but also inspiring the community to become environmental stewards.”

The Lower Fox River Watershed Monitoring Program was awarded a $2,440 Green Gift to purchase testing materials for seasonal monitoring and wild rice restoration projects.

Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve will use its $1,202 Green Gift to purchase replacement nets for its pond study program.

Baird Creek Preservation Foundation received a $1,000 Green Gift to purchase dip nets to be used in Education in Nature programming.

New Leaf Foods will support its urban food forest initiative and provide low-cost fruit and nut trees and bushes in yards and community spaces thanks to a $1000 Green Gift.

Green Bay Sail and Paddle was also awarded a $1,000 Green Gift, which will allow the organization to train additional personnel in its STEM-based curriculum and provide environmental education to more students.

Green Bay Botanical Garden’s new Bell Children’s Garden received $750 to purchase tools for educational programming once the space opens to the public in the spring of 2023.

Academic and career planning with GBAPS
GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Area Public School District (GBAPS) will host an event for students in grades 8-11 and their families to explore the options available to high school students.

Topics of the evening will include choosing classes, developing a 4-year success plan, earning college credit in high school, work-based learning opportunities, the Academic and Career Planning process, Graduation Plus, pathways for learning and Xello: College and Career Readiness software.

The event will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at Preble High School.

Students from all GBAPS secondary schools are invited to attend.

Bellin, Cellcom, elder fraud, Green Bay Area Public School District, Invasive Species, Packers FAN Hall of Fame, Prevea, Shipping, voter challenge