Wisconsin
Evers says he’s lowering the lead poisoning threshold in Wisconsin
WISCONSIN — Gov. Tony Evers announced on Tuesday he’s lowering the lead poisoning threshold in the state.
The emergency rule would lower it from 5 micrograms per deciliter to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, according to the release.
It puts the state more in line with recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which states intervention in lead poisoning cases should be taken at 3.5 micrograms per deciliter.
By adjusting the threshold, it will also help more kids and families get access to services for lead poisoning.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, there were at least 3,272 kids between Nov. 2021 and Feb. 2024 who were affected by lead poisoning that didn’t receive intervention services. That’s because their exposure — between 3.5 and 4.9 micrograms per 100 milliliters of blood — did not meet the definitions of lead poisoning or exposure in the previous threshold.
Another 1,400 kids are expected to have this same level of lead in 2025, DHS estimates. Now, under the new rule, they’ll be able to get assistance.
Evers said he will also direct $6.2 million in his 2025-27 Executive Budget to support lead poisoning efforts through grants to local health departments.
Lead poisoning exposure can have long-term consequences for children, including on their ability to pay attention as well as their learning capacity, according to the CDC. A 2019 study revealed that even low levels of lead exposure during early childhood can affect reading and math scores, with additional schooling “not sufficient” enough to offset this damage.
“There is no safe level of lead exposure for kids,” Evers said in his State of the State address last week.
Evers also announced more funding to combat PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. He said he’ll direct another $5 million in federal funds to the expanded Well Compensation and Well Abandonment Grant Program, created in 2022 to support “replacement, reconstruction, treatment, or abandonment of contaminated private wells.”
The Department of Natural Resources has so far awarded over $9 million to 684 grantees. It has allowed the 393 contaminated wells to be replaced, another 106 to be treated, 182 unused and abandoned wells to be sealed and more.
Grant funding for the next $5 million will open up on Feb. 3, 2025. To find out if you’re eligible, you can take a questionnaire online, here. You can apply, here.
A study by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found that most Wisconsin residents have PFAS in their bodies. The substances can be found in fire-suppressing foam, nonstick pans and more.
“If we want our kids to bring their full and best selves to our classrooms, elected officials have to start acknowledging how policy decisions and investments—or lack thereof—here in this building affect kids, families, schools, and communities across Wisconsin every day. …” said Evers at his State of the State address.
Wisconsin
70-year-old man found dead after falling through ice on ATV in Wisconsin, police say
TWIN LAKES, Ill. (WLS) — A man has been found dead after falling through ice into water Thursday while on an ATV in southern Wisconsin, officials said.
Emergency crews later recovered the body of the 70-year-old man after the ATV dropped through thin ice Thursday on Lake Elizabeth in Wisconsin.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
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The warming temperatures Thursday led to dangerous conditions on area lakes.
By Thursday evening, the search had become a recovery operation, police said.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the missing man during this incredibly difficult time, and we continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers,” police wrote in a statement.
The man has not been identified.
Authorities said two other people who were also on the ATV made it out of the water safely and were not hurt.
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Wisconsin
Coleman honors 1960 grad, Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Famer Roger Pillath
COLEMAN (NBC 26) — A Cougar great was in attendance for an intense wrestling match between Luxemburg-Casco and Coleman.
Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Famer Roger Pillath, a 1960 Coleman graduate, is a two-time individual state heavyweight champion, winning titles in 1959 and 1960. He was also a member of Coleman’s first state championship team in 1960.
Pillath attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1960 to 1964, excelling in both football and wrestling.
He won Big Ten heavyweight wrestling titles in 1962 and 1964 and finished as the NCAA national runner-up in 1962 at Oklahoma State University.
In addition to his wrestling success, Pillath was the left tackle for Wisconsin’s Big Ten championship football team in 1962 and played in the 1963 Rose Bowl against USC.
After college, he was selected 39th overall in the third round of the 1964 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, where he played until 1965. He then spent the 1966 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers before injuries cut his professional career short.
Following his playing days, Pillath transitioned to coaching, becoming the head wrestling coach at Port Washington High School. He led the Pirates to a WIAA state runner-up finish in 1970 and guided them to a state championship in 1971.
In recognition of his achievements, Pillath was inducted into the Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1991.
Before Coleman’s match, the school honored Pillath by displaying his original high school football jersey.
“I’m proud to be part of the Coleman athletic scope,” Pillath said. “For a small school, athletics has always been really important. I was totally honored by this, and I’m just thankful that I was able to take part in it.”
Principal Douglas Polomis hopes hanging Pillath’s jersey in the hallways will inspire student-athletes.
“There have been so many great wrestlers who have gone through this program, and he kind of laid the foundation for it,” Polomis said. “Hopefully, it will inspire some of our kids to realize that, huh, a small-town kid can make it big. Have a dream, have a passion, and go for it. And looking around our hallway saying, wow, even a kid from our school can accomplish that.”
Before the match, Coleman also recognized a community member, Stephanie Meyer, who is battling stage 4 colon cancer. Meyer, who began chemotherapy immediately after her diagnosis, attended the match with her husband, three children, and extended family.
Community members wore “Team Steph” shirts to show their support and remind Meyer that she is not alone in her fight.
The match between Luxemburg-Casco and Coleman ended in a 35-35 tie.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin police recover 690 grams of marijuana, stolen handgun from vehicle
MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) – Police in Wisconsin are investigating after locating drugs in a vehicle that two individuals fled after crashing on Tuesday night.
According to the Madison Police Department, officers noticed a white sedan ignore a red light signal at the intersection of John Nolen Drive and Williamson Street around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Officers attempted to pull the suspect vehicle over, but the car fled.
As the suspect vehicle fled, it hit a curb and a parked car with nobody in it near the intersection of Williamson Street and South Paterson Street. Shortly after, officers were alerted to reports of a white sedan that crashed into another unoccupied vehicle. Witnesses reported that two people fled the suspect vehicle on foot.
The Madison Police Department and additional agencies utilizing K-9s and drones searched the area to no avail, locating no suspects; however, officers recovered evidence from the white sedan and area, including a stolen handgun, 690 grams of marijuana and items that relate to distribution.
No arrests have been made as the investigation continues. Anybody with information is asked to contact the Madison Police Department at (608) 255-2345
No more details were provided.
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