Wisconsin

Wisconsin Xcel Energy crews among the many heading down to Georgia for hurricane relief

Published

1 year ago

October 2, 2024

Wisconsin Xcel Energy crews among the many heading down to Georgia for hurricane relief

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – It has been several days since Hurricane Helen ravaged The South.

“Looking at some of the stuff that they’re talking about, the sights, the sounds and the smells, it kind of does cross your mind a little,” said Terry Schloer.

He has worked for Xcel Energy for decades. He and others from Wisconsin are using their skills to help bring relief to those impacted by power outages in Augusta, Ga.

“Knowing they’re still looking for help a week after the storm is really kind of telling its tale that there’s significant damage,” said Brad Polacek.

He is one of three managers traveling with twelve linemen that make up six crews from the Wisconsin region.

Xcel Energy is sending over a hundred workers in total from various states, which include our neighbors to the west in Minnesota.

Four of the six Wisconsin groups met in Eau Claire on Wednesday to go over the game plan before hitting the road.

“You don’t realize how important that electricity is until that light switch don’t work anymore,” said Schloer.

Our sister state WAGT/WRDW reported that thousands of linemen from various companies that come from various state are in the Peach State to help out.

Our colleagues said the category 1 storm’s damage to the Georgie Power electric grid includes:

More than 8,000 power poles

More than a thousand miles of wiring

More than 1,500 transformers.

The station also reported that of the 184,000 Georgia Power customers without power, the majority of them are in Augusta.

“There’s plenty of guys that’ll be down there helping out. These guys are going to be putting in 16 hour days. Getting lights on and fixing polls and getting wires up,” said Schloer.

The linemen heading down have had their fair share of power restoration operations.

“In our area here we’ve seen big wind events, thunderstorms, tornadoes aren’t uncommon for this area either,” said Polacek.

The crews recognize the job ahead is easier said than done.

“We’ll gladly go do it and help out. We’ll get dirty and get tired. We’ll put in some long days. But, it’s just part of it,” said Schloer.

“What we can’t lose sight of is the safety part of that. We have to make sure we take the time necessary to do what we do safely. Make sure we have zero injuries on the way there, do our work and make it back home safely,” said Polacek.

The crews from Wisconsin plan to get to Georgia by Friday and expect to work for the next couple of weeks.

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Wisconsin

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Published

34 minutes ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Located in scenic Door County, Wisconsin, the town of Sister Bay is a waterfront town directly on Green Bay. Outdoor enthusiasts head to Sister Bay for its access to hiking trails, nature preserves, and water pursuits such as boating, fishing, and ice-skating during winter. The town hosts a number of seasonal festivals including a film fest, marina fest, outdoor concert series, and the Door County Festival of Fine Arts. The annual Roofing of the Goats Parade is a popular event tied to Al Johnson’s, a local restaurant known for goats that graze on its rooftop during summer months.

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Wisconsin

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

Published

13 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

With the action-packed Wisconsin high school boys basketball regular season completed and March Madness beginning, it’s time to take a look at some of the outstanding players and cast your vote for the best.

We began by looking at the most prolific individual scoring threats, talented 3-point shooters,strong rebounders, and top free-throw shooters so now it’s time to take a look at the high-caliber guards from throughout the state.

There are hundreds of high-caliber boys basketball players in Wisconsin, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive.

Voting remains open until March 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

(Players are listed in alphabetical order and all nominees are leaders from the 2025-26 season as compiled by Bound.com, and WIAA; the poll is below the list of athletes)

Castillo is averaging 25.4 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals for Greendale (18-6 overall record).

Collien is averaging 15 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists for Oakfield (21-3 overall record).

Edwards is averaging 14.1 points per game with 7.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists for D.C. Everest (21-3 overall record).

Gray Jr. was averaging 24.3 points per game with 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals prior for West Allis Central (22-2 overall record).

Hereford is averaging 36.4 points per game with 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 steals for Beloit Memorial (22-2 overall record).

Johnson is averaging 27.3 points per game with 8.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.6 steals for Milwaukee Juneau (22-1 overall record).

Jones is averaging 23.3 points per game with 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.6 steals for Germantown (15-9 overall record).

Kern is averaging 16 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists for New Berlin West (21-3 overall record).

Kilgore is averaging 14.6 points per game with 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 steals for Kewaunee (24-0 overall record).

Kohnen is averaging 16.3 points per game with 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals for Slinger (20-4 overall record).

Knueppel is averaging 17.4 points per game with 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals for Wisconsin Lutheran (24-0 overall record).

Loose is averaging 18.2 points per game with 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals for Port Washington (23-1 overall).

Manchester is averaging 35.8 points per game for Mount Horeb (19-5 overall record).

Platz is averaging 19.5 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals for Brookfield East (19-5 overall record).

Prochnow is averaging 21.3 points per game with 11.1 assists, 4.8 assists, and 3.2 steals for Reedsville (21-3 overall record).

Resch is averaging 21.3 points per game with 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals for Arrowhead (18-6 overall record).

Schultz is averaging 27.4 points per game with 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 steals for Plymouth (17-7 overall record).

Schwalbach is averaging 15 points per game with 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for Kaukauna (21-3 overall).

Sweeney is averaging 15.5 points per game for Appleton North (20-4 overall record).

Vandenberg is averaging 13 points per game with 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds for Freedom (23-1 overall).

About Our Player Poll Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

— Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com

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