97.5 W F H R and 105.5 W I R I, your Wisconsin Rapids Home or locally grown radio.
Here's your Daily News Roundup.
From the Wisconsin Rapids local newsroom, I'm Melissa K.
As the new year begins, some are taking a break from drinking.
It's called Dry January.
Maddie Schaefer reports.
During this month-long challenge, people refrain from alcohol entirely.
It started in the United Kingdom more than a decade ago, created by the charity Alcohol
Change UK, and has since grown into a global trend.
The number of people participating in Dry January is continuing to go up.
And in Wisconsin, we do see drinking slowly going down, but especially in our younger generation.
That's Marine Buzalaki. She is the director of the Division of Alcohol Policy Prevention and Research
in the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
She also runs the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project, which provides training, technical assistance,
and tools to reduce alcohol-related harm in Wisconsin.
Buzalaki says although drinking rates are going down, Wisconsin is still well above the national average of excessive alcohol use.
She says the benefits from refraining from alcohol for just a month can be significant.
There can be weight loss.
People can have more energy, and so then they might eat better.
They might get back into their exercise routine, you know, and be able to do some of the things
that they have just been feeling fatigued about, right?
And it's especially important in January for folks, because January is a tough month here in Wisconsin.
She adds that it can also improve sleep, increase energy, and reduce liver fat and your blood sugar,
which helps with long-term health.
It also can be a time to reflect on your relationship with alcohol.
You know, how much do you really want to drink?
I'm Maddie Schaefer.
Freezing rain and sleep accumulations can mean treacherous travel this time of year.
But how does it form?
Meteorologist Brittany Merlot breaks it down.
When a warm up in winter is headed into the state, it nudges in and it slides above the cold air mass already in place.
Now how thick that warm layer is, and where you're located while the process is underway,
determines if you'll get snow, sleet, freezing rain, or regular rain.
It gets tricky with freezing rain and sleet.
Both start off falling as a raindrop through the warm air above,
depending how thick the layer of cold air is at the surface, means the more time the raindrop has to freeze,
where you get sleet, a frozen raindrop.
But if the cold air is hugging only the ground, then the raindrop freezes on contact,
creating a coating of ice on whatever the raindrops touch, including cars, sidewalks, streets, and even trees.
Ice accumulates quickest on bridges, overpasses, and ramps,
as the cold air is able to rush underneath them, freezing them faster.
For civic media news, I'm Meteorologist Brittany Merlot.
A long-running study found that high levels of PFAS in the water supply are negatively affecting bald eagles across Wisconsin.
According to a WPR report, the Great Lakes Bald Eagle Health Project has been testing the birds for contaminants,
like heavy metals in their blood since 1990.
The organization began testing blood samples from eagles along Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands in 2023.
They found around 40 different types of PFAS.
Researchers also determined that the higher levels of PFAS leave the birds more susceptible to disease.
The researchers are now working to use the test results to determine exactly where the forever chemicals are coming from.
The Wood County Sheriff's Department is asking for help from the public after a home was shot multiple times on Wednesday.
It happened in the township of Rudolph around 10.30 p.m. on January 7, in the 5400 block of State Highway 13 and 34.
No one inside the residence was injured, including adults and an infant child.
Deputies and investigators identified the location of the shooting, and were able to confirm more than 10 rounds were shot at the home.
It was struck multiple times, as well as a vehicle in the yard close by.
If you have any information on the individual or individuals that committed this crime, officials ask that you please contact the Wood County Sheriff's Department at 715-421-8700.
January is National Radon Action Month.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is reminding people you should test your home for radon.
This natural radioactive gas can seep into homes through foundations. It is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
For people who smoke having exposure to high radon increases the risk of lung cancer by 10 times.
This Sunday children on the autism spectrum and their families are invited to enjoy a fun and relaxing morning of swimming at the Southwood County YMCA in Wisconsin Rapids.
This is hosted by the Autism Society of Central Wisconsin.
You don't need to be a member of the YMCA or Autism Society to participate.
It's on January 11th from 1015 AM to 1215 PM.
One adult is required to be in the pool with each family. Spaces limited, so they ask that you RSVP.
You can call the Wisconsin Rapids YMCA at 715-818-9622.
Local news at the top and bottom of every hour.
Throughout the day, we're on demand anytime at WFHR.com and WIRI.FM.
From the Wisconsin Rapids Local Newsroom, I'm Melissa K.
The Bucks Battle of the Lakers.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports NBA.
The Bucks in the Lakers tonight in Los Angeles. Milwaukee coming off a 120-113 loss to Golden State, Doc Rivers.
Yeah, just too many breakdowns. I just thought they made all the tough plays.
All the loose balls. All the big rebounds. Play through contact.
And I didn't think we did that.
The Badgers on the road against Michigan tomorrow at noon.
UW Parkside in Kenosha announces they'll have a women's flag football team next year.
Parkside, the first Wisconsin College to offer scholarships for women's flag football.
NFL, the Packers and Bears kick off tomorrow night at 7 o'clock at Soldier Field.
It's the third time in just over a month that two teams have played each other.
To play out of atmosphere, everybody's going to be a little more tippy.
You know, the edges going to be there. The most is going to be there.
And you know, it's winter going home.
So I definitely expected to be a good game.
But hopefully we want to do this harder than that.
That's Packers running back, Josh Jacobs with Sports on Mike Clemens.
Mostly sunny today are high right around 35 this afternoon with wind out of the Northwest at 5 to 15.
Tonight, mostly cloudy.
A little fog late tonight with a low of 21 tomorrow.
Some snow and inch or two of accumulation possible with a high right around 30.
I'm meteorologist Sean Cable.