News

Two contractors have been recognized for their work on road projects in Shawano and Menominee counties.

The Department of Transportation recently announced its Excellence in Construction awards for 2018 at the annual Contractor-Engineer Conference held in Middleton.

Top winners include a grading project in Menominee County and asphalt paving project in Shawano County.

Excellence in Grading honors went to Musson Brothers Inc. of Rhinelander for work on the state Highway 47 project from the Shawano County line to Duquaine Road in Menominee County.

“Good communication with WisDOT and nearby stakeholders helped set this project apart, as workers minimized disruptions and stayed on time despite discovering poorer than expected soils at the job site,” the DOT said.

Excellence in Asphalt Paving honors went to Northeast Asphalt Inc. of Green Bay for work on U.S. Highway 45 from Menzel Road to state Highway 29 in Shawano County.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Capt. Tom Tuma is retiring Friday after 30 years with the department, leaving a vacancy at the top echelon of departmental administration.

Sheriff Adam Bieber said he plans to interview eligible candidates to fill the post on Feb. 12. He has been accepting resumes from inside and outside the department, though the deadline for those resumes was also Friday.

Qualified candidates must have five years of law enforcement experience, including five years of supervisory experience, he said.

Tuma began his career with the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department in 1989. He was assigned as a school resource officer 10 years later and was promoted to lieutenant in 2007.

Later that year he was promoted to captain.

Shawano Police Department

Jan. 30

Police logged 22 incidents, including the following:

Disturbances — A charge of disorderly conduct/domestic violence was referred against a 39-year-old Shawano woman after a domestic disturbance in the 800 block of East Richmond Street. Police also responded to a disturbance in the 200 block of Mountain Bay Trail Drive.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident in the 1200 block of East Green Bay Street.

Fraud — Police investigated a telephone scam complaint in the 300 block of West Stevens Street.

Theft — A license plate was reported stolen in the 400 block of West Fourth Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Jan. 30

Deputies logged 45 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Authorities investigated an identity theft complaint on Porter Road in the town of Waukechon.

Shawano Police Department

Jan. 29

Police logged 25 incidents, including the following:

Warrant — A 26-year-old Shawano man was arrested on a Department of Corrections warrant in the 400 block of West Third Street.

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 1000 block of East Green Bay Street.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 1100 block of Waukechon Street.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint in the 1300 block of East Lieg Avenue.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Jan. 29

Deputies logged 51 incidents, including the following:

Fire — Authorities responded to a vehicle fire on state Highway 47 in the town of Lessor and a chimney fire on County Road J in the town of Fairbanks.

Auto Theft — A vehicle was reported stolen on North Shore Lane in the town of Wescott.

The sun was shining Wednesday, but that counted for nothing as Wisconsin was fighting temperatures well below zero and wind chills getting as low as minus 40 to minus 50 degrees in Shawano and Menominee counties.

Most communities shut down all but the most essential of services, like police and fire. The U.S. Postal Service suspended mail delivery for Wisconsin and other Midwest states due to the dangerous wind chills, and many businesses even posted signs and social media notifications saying they would not be open.

Local plumbers, heating services and the Shawano Department of Public Works have had their hands full this week dealing with the affects of extreme cold on homeowners’ pipes and furnaces, but not to the extent expected given the bitter cold snap.

“It’s kind of surprising,” said Scott Moede of Moede & Sons Plumbing in Shawano.

The business has been dealing with some frozen pipes here and there, but, Moede said, “but not as many as you would think.”

He said people must have prepared for it, knowing in advance the weather was coming.

The situation was a little different, however, outside the city.

Ed Zeitler of Zeitler Plumbing in Cecil said they have had quite a few calls about frozen pipes.

“Most of them are manufactured homes,” he said. “There’s a few that are not manufactured homes, but I would say 85-plus percent are manufactured homes.”

Most of the residents being affected live in rural areas.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is warning pet and livestock owners to protect their animals during extreme cold.

“The most important part is preserving the lives of your animals, but preparing now can also save you time and money on health-related costs,” said Dr. Yvonne Bellay, DATCP humane program veterinarian. “Animals can suffer from hypothermia, frostbite, and other cold weather injuries. Harsh conditions can also weaken their immune systems leaving them vulnerable to illness.”

Owners should focus on three key areas:

• Food: Outdoor animals will need more food than usual and at good quality to produce body heat. As a general rule, nutrition requirements increase about 1 percent for every degree the temperature falls below 20 F. For horses, nutritional needs increase at temperatures below 45 F.

Editor’s note: The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts,. This version of The Conversation is from Jennifer Francis, Rutgers University.

A record-breaking cold wave is sending literal shivers down the spines of millions of Americans. Temperatures across the upper Midwest are forecast to fall an astonishing 50 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) below normal this week — as low as 35 degrees below zero. Pile a gusty wind on top, and the air will feel like -60 F.

This cold is nothing to sneeze at. The National Weather Service is warning of brutal, life-threatening conditions. Frostbite will strike fast on any exposed skin. At the same time, the North Pole is facing a heat wave with temperatures approaching the freezing point — about 25 degrees Fahrenheit (14 C) above normal.

What is causing this topsy-turvy pattern? You guessed it: the polar vortex.

Gov. Tony Evers has declared a state of emergency in response to Wisconsin’s ongoing winter storm and potentially life-threatening temperatures. Evers has also directed state agencies to close state government offices for public business with limited exceptions.

“It’s critically important that we’re ensuring the people of Wisconsin and our public employees are safe in these dangerous weather conditions,” Evers said. “I am urging people to prepare for this severe weather and to exercise caution when traveling or going outdoors.”

Extreme wind chill values at 30 to 50 degrees below zero mixed with heavy snowfall present imminent threats and dangerous, life-threatening conditions, the declaration said.

Bishop David L. Ricken of the Green Bay Diocese brought some good news Tuesday to Sacred Heart Catholic School.

Catholic schools within the diocese have seen enrollment grow by at least 2 percent, and diocesan officials intend for enrollment to continue to swell as they enter the second year of a campaign to bolster parochial education. Ricken announced, in an assembly open to the public, that the growth has come after years of steady decline.

Sacred Heart saw a larger boost than most schools, according to school principal Aleta Young. She said the Shawano school went from 96 students last year to 111 today, but that number will jump to 113 in a few days.

“We have two new students starting next week,” Young said.

The local school currently has 13 to 15 students in a classroom, according to Young, but there are two classes that are combined grades. Young said an increase in enrollment could help to eventually have one grade per classroom.