It’s harvest time in the country, with farmers busy in the fields at all hours of the day collecting the annual crops. The warm and dry fall has created ideal harvest conditions so far across much of Wisconsin.
The percentage of Wisconsin high school seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) plummeted during the pandemic, which likely signals a concerning trend for college enrollment.
The latest contaminants of concern in the creek draining Madison’s East Side: PFAS, hazardous chemicals being flagged across Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation is pleased to announce the distinguished industry leaders who will be inducted into the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame on Thursday, Nov. 18, at The Madison Club, 5 E. Wilson St., Madison.
The 2021 inductees are Harland & Helen Everson (posthumous), The Edgerton Reporter; William “Bill” Hale (posthumous), Grant County Herald Independent, Lancaster; Phil Haslanger, The Capital Times, Madison; Margaret “Meg” Jones (posthumous), Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; J. Anthony Josey (posthumous), Wisconsin Enterprise-Blade, Milwaukee; and Lucius W. Nieman (posthumous), The Milwaukee Journal.
A new poll question asking whether readers believe civics education should be required in Wisconsin schools is available to be used by WNA members. We are asking the question following the recent passage of Assembly Bill 563, which would create a mandatory civics curriculum to be taught in all Wisconsin schools.
Poll questions are available through a WNA partnership with Polco aimed at helping newspapers better engage readers and access enhanced data and insights. WNA members who have signed up for an account can access their local version of the new question, as well as local poll results, on their dashboards. Those who have not signed up can do so here.
Michael E. “Mike” Mathes, past president of the WNA and former longtime publisher of the (Kiel) Tri-County News, died Friday, Oct. 1, following a brief battle with brain cancer. He was 68.
Mathes started his career at the Kiel Record — now the Tri-County News — with his father, Earl, who was editor and publisher of the newspaper. Mike took over after Earl retired in 1986, running the paper alongside his brother, Joe. He served as publisher for more than 30 years until selling the newspaper in September 2019.
During his time as publisher, Mike was an active member of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. He served as WNA president in 1996 and was the longtime master of ceremonies of the annual WNA Trees Retreat in Eagle River.
Republicans in Wisconsin would still have an advantage under drafts of Assembly and Senate district lines created for Gov. Tony Evers’ People’s Maps Commission, according to a WisPolitics.com review of the proposals.
Over the past five decades, state support for special ed has dwindled, and staff shortages and turnover make it difficult to provide required services.
The Coalition to Repeal Wisconsin’s Personal Property Tax issued a letter Thursday to Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Legislature regarding a newly introduced bill, LRB 4737, that would repeal the state’s personal property tax.
The coalition, which advocated for the passage of the bill previously passed by the Legislature and vetoed by Evers, identified its concerns with LRB 4737, including the proposed funding plan to replace lost revenue, among other items. The group of trade and business associations — which includes the Wisconsin Newspaper Association — noted it believes the items are not relevant to the main issue and only bring unnecessary politics into an otherwise bipartisan tax cut.
The Leonard C. Goodman Institute for Investigative Reporting has announced that Monday, Oct. 11, is the deadline for investigative reporting grant applications.
The Goodman Institute offers story-specific grants for investigative features to be published by In These Times magazine. Those selected to receive grants will be awarded up to $10,000, along with compensation for travel and reporting expenses. Answers to frequently asked questions and more information on formatting requirements and acceptance benchmarks are available on the In These Times website.
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