This is your WFHR Daily News Roundup for locally grown radio 97.5 FM and 13.20 AM and
WISC country 105.5 FM WIRI in Wisconsin Rapids.
Civic media news.
I'm Terry Bell.
Here's what Wisconsin needs to know.
The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee is three days away.
Wisconsin Party Chair Brian Schimmings as Republicans are united behind Donald Trump
and feeling confident.
Wisconsin, let's be honest, Wisconsin oftentimes is the most competitive of the swing state,
particularly the big seven swing states.
But right now we feel confident about where we're at.
Civic media news will be at the convention.
We're getting you coverage throughout the week over the air and online.
Ballot Dropboxes in Wisconsin are supposed to be well marked, well lit, accessible and
in safe places.
That's just some of the guidance to the Wisconsin Elections Commission is extending to local
election clerks around the state.
Commissioners agreed to the guidelines yesterday.
They're merely suggestions.
They're not mandatory.
Conservative State Supreme Court Justice Brad Schimmel raised close to $600,000 over the
last six months.
Liberal Susan Crawford raised a little more than $460,000 since she got into the race
last month.
The candidate shared those numbers with WISC politics.
A new study committee is taking a good long look at the universities of Wisconsin.
Committee member James Langdon suggests it may be time to undo the 1971 merger between
UW-Madison and Wisconsin's other state schools.
1971 was 53 years ago.
A lot of water has flowed over the dam since then and a condition change.
The 18-member panel will spend the next several months talking about declining enrollment,
funding levels and graduation rates.
Victrip is opening its first distribution center outside LaCrosse.
Company officials broke ground on a 280,000 square foot facility into forest just north of
Madison this week.
For now, Quick Trip supplies all its stores from one facility in LaCrosse.
400 people will eventually work into forest.
I'm Terry Bell, Civic Media News.
Here's what you need to know closer to home.
For WFHR and WIRI News, I'm Melissa Kaye.
The family who owns Nikusa Cafe announced the passing of Efron Patino.
His daughter is asking for prayers and privacy as they are trying to grieve.
She said her dad truly fulfilled his lifelong dream of owning his own little restaurant that
became a beautiful home to him.
There's a service planned for Efron on Tuesday, July 18th, from 9-11 with a viewing time
then mass at 11 at Sacred Heart Church in Nikusa.
After the church service, there will be a lunch at Olympic II in Wisconsin Rapids.
Dexterville County Park Beach is closed due to high E. coli counts.
The beach water sample collected on Wednesday prompted the closure that began yesterday.
High levels of E. coli can lead to acute gastrointestinal illness and swimmers.
Dexterville Beach will reopen when bacteria counts are down to a safe level.
Betts, the mail bobcat at Wildwood Zoo, passed away this week.
The city of Marshfield Parks and Recreation Department said Betts was 17 years old,
which is older than the expected lifespan for bobcats.
He was suffering from an extremely enlarged liver and they made the difficult decision
to euthanize him.
The personable bobcat was a favorite among visitors and staff alike.
Clark County ATV UTV Trails will reopen at 5 p.m. today.
The Clark County Forestry and Park staff have been working hard on repairing washouts,
facing culverts and grating.
Some partial closures will remain in place.
Barricades are up with instructions on alternate routes.
Willard Road to the north, including the Oak Ridge Loop and Parking Lot remain closed.
There's another closed trail on Rock Dam Loop between intersections 23 and 24.
The alternate route is Camp Glow Brode.
There has been a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in our area, but doctors are not unnecessarily
worried.
Dr. Stephen Phillipson is an MD with Aspirus.
The good news about that is community transmission may be higher, but it's not impacting hospitalization,
which means COVID is reverting to more of a disease like influenza, which can be deadly
for some people, but not as deadly as it was when the pandemic first started in 2020.
Dr. Phillipson said Aspirus is prepared and equipped to handle the increase and continues
to prioritize the safety and health of the community.
He said it's good to be aware and use protective measures when necessary.
People distancing, use masks to protect yourself if you're in a high-risk group such
as over 65 immunocompromised and considering getting vaccines.
This uptick in cases is not a dramatic public health concern, rather a reminder of the viruses
continued presence.
You may have heard Marshfield Clinic is partnering with another non-profit health system based
in South Dakota.
Sanford Health currently offers care in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa.
They have announced a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Marshfield Clinic Health
Systems to combine their complementary assets and create an integrated health system.
The combined system will bring together nearly 56,000 employees, 56 hospitals, and 3,400
providers.
The combination is expected to close by the end of the year, no immediate changes are expected
for employees or patients and the two organizations will remain separate until the closing.
The Riverfront Art Center and Stevens Point is calling for art.
Artists, ages 18 and older, may submit up to three works of art in any media that explore
the world of animals.
Submissions are due August 8th and 9th from 11 to 4.
And that's what you need to know.
I'm Alyssa K, WFHR and WIRI News.
The Brewers, Avoid a No-Hitter.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports.
The Brewers got out of a no-hitter, but they lost to the pirates yesterday who wanted
nothing in front of 26,000 fans at American Family Field.
Christian Yelich went 0 for 4 at the plate and talked about the pirates' 22-year-old
pitcher, Paul Schienes.
He retired 16 batters in a row.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy.
This Paul Schienes, who threw over 100 pitches could start for the National League team
next week at the All-Star Game.
College football last night at the SB Awards, Nick Sabin honored with the Icon Award for
his career as a head coach at LSU and Alabama.
You know, one thing that would help all of our spirit and all of our society is if we
were to change one thing.
Instead of coming up to somebody and saying, how are you today?
Why don't you say, who did you help today?
With Sports, I'm Mike Clemens.
On your entertainment beat, I'm Peach Waba.
Now that Will Smith has a big hit on his hands, he is asking forgiveness from the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and to have his membership reinstated.
Just two years ago, he had another big hit in his hand and it was Chris Rock's cheek.
Smith accosted Rock in front of millions of viewers when the comedian was the MC at the
Academy Awards in 2022.
Smith received a 10-year ban from the Academy.
The incident happened after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, J.D. Pinkett.
Rock has not forgiven Smith, despite Smith's almost too well-crafted apology.
Members of Smith say he should be forgiven for the assault because he put butts in the
seats in the theaters this summer, thanks to the fourth sequel in a decade's old franchise.
You know what, Will?
You might just have to settle for being a rich, famous guy who still makes movies but who
is not part of the Academy and can't assault future MCs who are half your size.
Okay folks, let's keep that summer movie momentum going.
Some really solid films open this weekend, although none of them hugely anticipated blockbusters
as we get a breather after the holiday weekend.
If you're looking for a good horror story, check out Long Legs this weekend.
The film is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and stars Nicholas Cage.
If romcoms are your thing, check out Fly Me to the Moon, starring Scarlett Johansson and
Channing Tatum.
Fly Me to the Moon is pulling a 65% on Rotten Tomatoes currently, while we actually hear
the classic song during the film, Fingers crossed.
The drama Sing Sing starring Coleman Domingo has audiences and critics excited and is
pulling very high ratings from both.
The film is set in the famous prison and sees Domingo's character find theater during
incarceration.
That should be enough to get you started, have a great weekend, and have fun at the movies.
Pats A. Jack took his fortune and left the wheel.
Van A White stayed on to assist new host Ryan C. Crest, but there are rumors they aren't
getting along.
Is it true?
Probably.
Because White and C. Crest are working overtime doing things like eating dumpling soup
in a restaurant together and posing for a canned photo for social media.
White is under contract through 2026, but sources say she wants out sooner because she
says, quote, it is just too difficult to do this without Pat.
Turn the letters?
There is not good news on the horizon for Kevin Costner.
His new chapter 2 project, Horizon and American Saga, did not perform well at the box office,
or necessarily with critics.
As a result, New Line Cinema and Territory Pictures have announced that chapter 2 will not
premiere in theaters as it was scheduled to do on August 16th.
Instead, studios say the film can be ordered on demand at July 16th and will drop on Macs
in the near future.
For more showbiz fun, tune in to Nightlight with me.
Hwaba, weeknize from 7 to 9 p.m. on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Mostly sunny today will get to 86 for a high this afternoon with wind out of the south
at around 5 to 10.
Tonight clear 63 tomorrow sunshine with late day and evening thunderstorms are high tomorrow
88.
It's going to be muggy too with a heat index in the low to mid 90s.
I meet a urologist Sean Cable, temperature now 73.
That's your WFHR and WIRI daily news roundup from Civic Media.
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