NEWS BRiEFS
by B.C. Kowalski
At least one consequence of ‘Open Wisconsin Now’ rally Aspirus doctor on leave for attending local protest of Gov. Evers’ Safer at Home extension; Mosinee police did nothing to disperse crowd Several hundred people gathered on Sunday, outside the IROW facility in Mosinee’s business park, to protest the extension to May 26 of Gov. Tony Evers’ Safer at Home order. And now an Aspirus doctor has been placed on leave for attending. The Open Wisconsin Now protest featured politically conservative speakers, and a makeshift arena created by semi-truck trailers. Dozens of participants were holding American flags, Donald Trump banners, and signs calling for Wisconsin to open, to shop local, and for Gov. Tony Evers’ removal. The protest came in reaction to Evers’ announcement Tuesday that the Safer at Home order, originally intended to run through April 24, would be extended to May 26, albeit with some slight easing on restrictions. Golf courses can now open, but not the club houses, for example. The rally led to one doctor being placed on leave. A photo from the rally seemed to show Aspirus cardiologist David Murdock attending the event. Dr. Murdock did acknowledge to the media he attended. According to a statement from Aspirus, Murdock was placed on leave as the organization investigates the incident, and he “will not be seeing patients for the foreseeable future.” Aspirus policy requires employees to follow the Safer at Home order, and company leaders “were deeply concerned when one of our physicians, Dr. Murdock, took part in a large gathering this past weekend and appeared to violate social distancing practices,” the statement reads. Mosinee Police Chief Kevin Muelling says the IROW property owner had contacted him prior to the rally, and that he advised organizers to maintain safe social distance practices. When asked if he considered enforcing the orders banning social gatherings of 10 or more people, Muelling says the department weighed the right of assembly against the governor’s orders in allowing the gathering. Mosinee police monitored traffic but otherwise did not step on to the property.
MyVote will show if your vote counted… soon, clerk says Voters who want to see if their absentee ballot vote actually was counted for the April 7 election can do so through myvote.wi.gov — but expect some delays, the county clerk says. Many on social media have been concerned that their ballots were not received in time because of the changing rules in the day preceding the vote. But Marathon County Clerk Kim Trueblood says that with the wealth of ballots in person and through absentee, workers haven’t had time to enter them all into the database that shows up on that website. Trueblood says that should happen within the next couple of weeks.
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April 23–30, 2020
▲ Hundreds attended a rally outside the IROW facilities in Mosinee Sunday.
Colby-Abbotsford police chief implores Evers to end Safer at Home
The chief of the Colby-Abbotsford Police Department publicly called on Gov. Tony Evers to not extend the Safer at Home order. Chief Jason Bauer in a letter to Evers, which he posted on Facebook last week, told the governor that he has been enforcing the order because it’s the law, but that the order is having a physical, mental and financial burden and has even led to an increase in abuse and domestic violence for their residents. Bauer is one of the few, if only, law enforcement leaders in central Wisconsin to openly challenge the lockdown designed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. So far Wausau Chief Ben Bliven and Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks have refrained from commenting publicly except to provide updates. Newly installed Mayor Katie Rosenberg says she has not had a conversation with Bliven about criticizing the lockdown. “I don’t anticipate doing so either. The police department under Chief Bliven is a good partner. They want to follow the law. The goal is not to create policy but to enforce it.”
Wausau PD releases new online crime tool
The Wausau Police Department announced a new tool to track crime in Wausau. The Public Information Portal is available online and can be accessed at wausaupd.policetocitizen.com. On the site, users can access a list of incidents for the previous day or look at a map of incidents. If someone was arrested, the bulletin contains a description of the suspect and some have booking photos. Names are not included. The portal also has an option to report an incident to police. The tool is meant to replace the daily log previously found on the Wausau PD’s website. The new website allows users to look at previous days as well.
Weston holds off on new municipal center during pandemic
The Weston Village Board is putting the brakes on its new municipal building out of concerns about the coronavirus. Weston leaders had planned on holding public meetings to educate the public about the village’s new building, planned at the corner of Ross Avenue and Camp Phillips Road. But members of the Weston Village Board said Monday night that since so many people are suffering right now because of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdowns, it would be insensitive to talk to taxpayers about spending money on a new building. Demolition on the existing building will still happen, as will various designs, but otherwise the project is on hold, board member Mark Maloney told City Pages.
Marathon Co. board member announces Assembly run
A recently re-elected Marathon County Board member has already announced he is running for state office. Jeff Johnson, who represents Dist. 6 (Wausau’s northeast side), announced his campaign to run for the 85th District Assembly as a Democrat. The seat is currently held by Republican Pat Snyder. The election takes place this November. In making his announcement on Monday, Johnson says he’s running because state governments needs to work toward making resident’s everyday lives better and that hasn’t happened under the current leadership, which he says has put party first. “We need to stop doing stupid things in Madison,” Johnson wrote in a statement about his candidacy. “The refusal to accept money from the federal government to expand Badgercare has been driven by ideology and not by the desire to make Wisconsinite’s lives better is one of the most foolish decisions I have ever seen.”