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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.
For WFHR and WIRI News, I'm Melissa K.
The Wood County Sheriff is warning of scammers pretending to be from medical facilities or the Medicare office.
The caller asks for your Medicare number. This is a scam. Government agencies will not contact you by phone and ask for your personal information.
If you have given a scam or your Medicare number or are concerned that you may have, immediately contact the Medicare Fraud Department at 1-800-633-4227.
Government agencies will not contact you by phone to demand money. Hang up and call the police.
There are several open positions on boards and commissions in the city of Wisconsin Rapids. Mayor Matt Zachary is recruiting for these appointments and inviting city residents to consider applying.
You can make an impact on your city in these important roles. You can learn more at wirapids.org.
If you use the parks and trails in Wood County, the Parks and Forestry Department wants to hear from you.
There's a community input survey on their website and Facebook page. The Wood County Parks and Forestry Department is updating their open space plan which will guide the city's recreational direction for the next five years.
The survey also includes questions about Sarah Park and you can help choose the name. You have until March 2 to complete the survey.
Snowmobile trails in Portage County will close on Monday, February 24 at 8 a.m. While they were only open for a short time, the Portage County Parks and Recreation Department would like to thank all the clubs who work so hard to get them open, also the landowners who allowed access for the trails.
Powers Bluff will be open this weekend. There are half day and full day sessions. You can purchase tickets at Powers Bluff in person this weekend.
The State Assembly passed six education bills this week. Savannah Tomay Olsen breaks them down for us.
One would require the Department of Public Instruction to change the standards used in testing here in Wisconsin. The Department of Public Instruction lowered standards for students after working with 100 Wisconsin teachers.
This bill would basically undo those changes.
Assembly Bill 6 would require school districts spend at least 70% of their money on direct classroom expenditures.
Opponents, including Democrats and Superintendent Jill Underlee, say this plan ignores some necessary costs like school safety.
Another bill would ban devices and classrooms during instructional time. It would be up to each district to figure out exactly how they would do that.
A survey from the DPI showed that 90% of school districts that responded already have cell phone restrictions in place.
Another one of these bills would give school districts two weeks to provide instructional materials to district residents who request it.
Advocates say families already have that access. State Superintendent Jill Underlee says this seems like a move to so distrust in school leadership.
One of the bills would require that Wisconsin students learn to read and write in cursive. Studies have shown no link between cursive and increased literacy.
The DPI is opposed to this bill as well. Underlee brings up the fact that they're still waiting on Republican lawmakers to release the $50 million already approved in the budget to reform how we teach kids to read.
Lastly, Assembly Bill 4 would require civics instruction for students in elementary and high schools. Underlee wasn't against this plan, but she said Wisconsin students already have some of these requirements.
All of these bills now head to the State Senate. For Civic Media News, I'm Savannah Tome Olson.
And I'm Melissa K for WFHR and WIRI News. You can find more news and sign up for our newsletter at WFHR.com.
The Vox beat the Clippers. Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with sports. The Bucks rallied in the fourth quarter went on to beat the L.A. Clippers 116 to 110 after the game players like Damien Lullard reacting to the news that Bobby Portis has been suspended 25 games for violating the league's anti drug policy.
Obviously, it's a hit to our team. We're all professionals and we know that we got to hold it down for them. Make sure that we stay on track for when he does come back.
You know, I think it'll make us a better team because we'll have to find a way without them. The Bucks faced the wizards in Washington tonight.
College basketball number 16 Frank Marquette on the road against Villanova had coach Shaka Smart on how guard Stevie Mitchell has improved in his time with the Golden Eagles.
He was defending. He was flying around. He was bringing an incredible spirit and energy. That was his freshman year when he really didn't know what he was doing yet.
Now he's a senior. He's more seasoned. He's way more confident and more secure. And we're absolutely going to need him to be at his best on the stretch.
That's Marquette coach Shaka Smart with sports on Mike Clemens.
On your entertainment beat, I'm Peach Wabba. Cynthia Arevo is on a roll. She's nominated for Best Actress for the film Wicked, which is also nominated for Best Picture.
Arevo got her start on Broadway and has now come full circle as it's just been announced she will host the 2025 Tony Awards.
The Tony celebrates the best of Broadway and will be held at Radio City Music Hall June 8th and air on CBS and Paramount Plus.
Speaking of people on a roll, let's add Jeremy Allen White to that list.
Star of the award-winning show The Bear White is also playing Bruce Springsteen in a new biopic about the Rock icon.
Let's add a new Netflix series to that as well called Enigma Variations.
Yahoo Entertainment reports the two-time Emmy-winning actor will also executive produce the limited series. White will play Paul, the main character who becomes romantically involved with men and women.
I assume there's more to the story, but that was the most attention getting headline.
There is no official release date yet, but the show will drop eventually on Netflix.
Here's one of Peach's picks for the entire family. Check out the film Flow, an animated movie about a cat trying to survive a flood.
Our lead feline needs to get over a solitary existence and work with other animals in similar predicaments as they all take shelter on a boat.
There are no words or dialogue, but the action is continuous and the animation is almost hypnotic.
Flow is a sweet, engaging film with a very nice ending, showing animals coming together to help each other.
The legendary Paul Simon is capitalizing on his SNL 50th anniversary show opening number with Sabrina Carpenter.
Simon has announced a new tour. It's been seven years since the 83-year-old has packed up his guitar and hit the road.
Simon will start in New Orleans in early April, and at this point has two dates scheduled for Milwaukee at the Riverside Theatre.
83-year-old touring Paul Simon might not go late into the evening, but it's still better than non-touring Paul Simon.
Beverly Hills cops were called into action recently when actress Nicole Kidman and her country music star husband Keith Urban had their Beverly Hills place broken into.
Hopefully they have ranchers insurance.
The Beverly Hills Police Department says the break-in was most likely part of a rash of burglaries from a South American gang that has been hitting Southern California.
Gang was recently nabbed by the BHPD, probably led by Axel Foley.
They are to anticipate how the Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Justin Baldoni, drama will unfold when all is said and done.
They are exchanging lawsuits over incidents stemming from the set of It Ends With Us.
Feeling smug and confident, Ryan Reynolds made a joke about the situation on Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary.
But it appears to have backfired. Apparently the cute power couple were given the snub at the after parties by many attendees for making light of a sensitive situation.
Not sure who did what to whom, but Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, kind of annoying.
For more showbiz Von Tune in to Nightlight with me, Peach Waba, weeknights from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Happy Friday to you, I'm meteorologist Brandon Bourmans, a nice wrap-up to the work week sunny skies today with a high near 23.
Tonight, no problems partly cloudy with a low near 7 above. A little warmer on Saturday, partly sunny and a high of 27.
All the way up to 37 on Sunday. Right now, zero degrees.
That's your WFHR and WIRI Daily News Roundup from Civic Media.
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