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This is your WGBW Daily News Roundup for the talk of Green Bay, 97.9 FM and 50.90 AM.
From the 97.9 WGBW Newsroom, I'm Lisa Hale with this local news update. Earlier this year, the Trump administration terminated about $400 million in funding for AmeriCorps.
The Green Bay Conservation Corps was one of the programs affected and nearly had to shut down. But in May, the Common Council approved $115,000 in ARPA funds to maintain operations.
Now the city has secured enough funding in federal AmeriCorps grants to support all 39 members working on Habitat Restoration, invasive species removal and trail maintenance in Green Bay through 2026.
A bat tested positive for rabies in Outagami County, prompting the Public Health Department to advise residents to take precautions. Amanda Hilderman, the communications specialist for Outagami County Public Health Division, said every year about 30 rabid bats are discovered in the state.
This is the first year though since 2022 that Outagami County has had a positive test result for rabies in a bat.
Noting for widespread panic, but this is just a great opportunity to remind people that it is so important to make sure that your pets especially are up to date on their rabies vaccination.
It's the law and it also is one of the reasons that we don't have the issues that other countries have with dogs contracting rabies.
It is a fatal but preventable viral disease that most often spreads to people and pets through a bite or scratch of an infected animal.
Bats also leave tiny little scratch marks or tiny little bite marks that you can't see.
So unless you know for sure that the bat, you know, you were not exposed to the bat, you need to make sure that you can safely capture it and then call public health so that we can do an interview and an investigation to find out if there is a need to send the bat in for testing.
While human rabies is rare in the United States, this serves as a reminder to protect both people and pets.
Hildoming gives a few tips.
Don't touch bats. Don't touch wild animals. Don't attract wild animals to your home.
You cover your garbage cans securely. Don't leave food outside.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection says that so far in 2025, there have been 19 reported positive rabies results in bats in Wisconsin.
The conclusion to a story that we've been following for over a year.
On Thursday, a fondle at county judge sentenced 32-year-old Juan Carlos Roctop-Mieja to 40 years in prison and 20 years of extended supervision for first degree sexual assault of a child.
And the girl's mother, 35-year-old Elia Antonio, was sentenced to 34 years in prison and 20 years of extended supervision for trafficking that child.
Court documents say Roctop-Mieja paid Antonio $250 for sexual access to her daughter.
The daughter fought off her attacker and ran away to a nearby home where 911 was called.
There's just one week of summer left. On Tuesday, September 2, students from Green Day Area Public Schools will be returning to the classroom.
And since it's back to school time, two Democrats in the state legislature want to create a sales tax holiday for back to school shopping.
Savannah Tome Olsen has the details.
Under the proposal, the tax holiday would last for three days, from the first Friday and August to the following Sunday.
These days, the average family is expected to spend almost $150 per student on school supplies alone, just the kind of things that they bring to the classroom and use for their homework.
That doesn't count, things like new shoes and clothes.
If passed, sales tax would be eliminated that first weekend in August on school supplies that cost $100 per item and clothes under $150 per item.
It would not apply to things like sports equipment, makeup, or jewelry.
The sales will be introduced by state representative Jenna Jacobson of Oregon and state Senator Brad Paff of Analaska.
17 states already have sales tax holidays for back to school, including Ruby Red Texas, our neighbors in Iowa, as well as Blue Massachusetts.
This can be done. It should be done in a bipartisan basis.
The biggest question, will they get any Republicans to sign on?
The bill has been the direction of lowering costs across this district and across our state.
They may talk a big game, but as we see when it comes to carrying about our bottom line, when time comes to act on these issues, they tend to roll over and focus just on their donors and the wealthiest among us.
The special interests who are holding their first strings.
The bill is circulating for co-sponsorship and is expected to be introduced just before Labor Day.
For Civic Media News, I'm Savannah Tomay Olsen.
It could be another big cranberry harvest for Wisconsin this season.
The Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association is predicting a harvest of 5 million barrels this year.
That's down from last year's total harvest of 6 million barrels, but would still make Wisconsin the largest berry producing state for the 31st year.
About two-thirds of the nation's cranberries come from Wisconsin.
News at the top and bottom of the hour all day and on demand any time at WGBW.FM.
I'm Lisa Hale for 97.9 WGBW News.
It's the Brewers and the Giants.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports, Baseball.
The Brewers opening a weekend series tonight in Milwaukee against the Giants.
The Brewers with a four-to-one win over the Cubs at Riggly to snap a three-game losing streak.
Bryce Tarang with a two-run homer to get things started.
We don't want to lose, but we know what this team is capable of doing.
There is no panic. What happened yesterday and the day before that doesn't matter.
Nobody really thought much of it. Obviously you don't want to lose games, but you move on and you go out there and compete the next day.
For the good squad, the team plays hard and then we want to win every game that we can.
NFL at the Packers training camp, a fight during joint practices with the C-Hawks.
Actually three fights, one after practice, it started with a C-Hawks player interfering with the Packers huddle.
It's already disrespectful that they're in our huddle and then somebody gets hit while we're in the huddle.
You know, got to have some pride.
As Packers offensive tackles Zach Tom with Sports on Mike Clemens.
On your entertainment beat, I'm Peach Schwabba.
Summer is winding down, but there are still lots of activities in Milwaukee you can take advantage of
before school starts and the weather changes.
Check out summer night movies in Veterans Park on Saturday nights.
The movies are free and the popcorn is only a buck.
If you're feeling a Latin vibe, check out Mexican Fiesta 2025 on Milwaukee's Lakefront this weekend.
The festival offers great food, music, and mariachi.
And if you just want to mosey around outside, check out the annual 38th Street Block Party.
The event starts at 12 p.m. Saturday, August 23rd, and offers free food, games, great music, and good Milwaukee summer vibes.
Finally, if you haven't been to a Brewer's game yet this summer, this would be a great weekend for fun at the old ballpark.
Friday night, August 22nd, is Stranger Things Night.
The crew will be giving away Stranger Things themed Brewer ballcaps.
And Sunday, August 24th, the Brewer's are holding a euker celebration of life in honor of the legendary Bob Euker.
Enjoy these last few summer weekends, folks.
Week 34 of the box office calendar is upon us and there are three films opening in wide release.
Honey Don't, pairs director Ethan Cohen with Margaret Qualie.
The two collaborated on driveway dolls and now team up to tell the story of a small town PI in this comedy crime drama.
The film also stars Aubrey Plaza in Chris Evans, but it's pulling a less than 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fantasy action movie NUZA opens this weekend and has rave reviews behind it.
The follow-up to the original from writer director Yu Yang is pulling an almost 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
If neither of those are your cup of tea, check out Relay, a mystery thriller starring Riz Ahmed and Lily James.
Reviews so far are really good as it is pulling an 85% fresh rating.
You could also have leftovers weekend and check out all the blockbusters, still in theaters.
Let's go to the movies.
You can never have enough comedy and if it's cringe comedy, that's even better.
Tim Robinson's friendship had a decent showing at the box office thanks to a limited theatrical release and will now be available to stream.
In the A24 studio film, Robinson's character is new in the hood and just wants to make a friend and it ends up almost destroying two lives.
And in other September 5th movie release news, Highest Alouist will also be available to stream at home on said date.
The thriller starring Denzel Washington and directed by Spike Lee is currently in theaters in pseudo wide release, but hard to find in Wisconsin.
Highest Alouist tells the story of a music producer who becomes the target of a ransom plot.
Still not sure why the film is not more available theatrically with such a big star and famous director, but you can check it out in just a couple weeks on Apple TV.
For more showbiz fun, tune in to Nightlight with me, Peach Waba, weeknights from 6 to 8 p.m. on the civic media radio network.
With your forecast, I'm Corey Hartman, partly sunny today, highs in the upper 70s to near 80 degrees, tonight a few showers and storms and a low around 60.
Sun shines 73 on Saturday, it will be a little bit breezy clearing out Saturday night, a low around 51, a few sprinkles Sunday, 68.
It's 64 at our studios.
That's your WGBW Daily News Roundup from Civic Media. Subscribe to this podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you find your podcasts.
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