News & Announcements | Page 167 of 379 | Wisconsin Newspaper Association

Cross: Now we have to make people want local news

Jul. 9, 2021

Community newspapers can’t do much about a decline in the interest of local news, but there are some things they can do. It starts with understanding the problem, writes Al Cross, director of the University of Kentucky's Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which publishes The Rural Blog.

In the latest installment of his "Into the Issues" column, Cross offers suggestions on how to draw readers' interest back to the news they need.

Sales tax revenues surge as retail, other sectors see shifts

Jul. 7, 2021

Sales and use tax revenues in Wisconsin increased markedly in the first four months of 2021 when compared to the same period in 2019, another sign that economic activity is rebounding strongly from the COVID-19 crisis. Yet this revenue growth also shows notable shifts in key sectors that could have potential impacts on state and local finances.

polco, coronavirus, voter registration, presidential debates, covid-19

Poll: Should colby be the official state cheese of Wisconsin?

Jul. 7, 2021

A new poll question about whether colby should be named the official state cheese of Wisconsin is available to be used by WNA members. We are asking the question in light of a recently introduced bipartisan bill that would give the honor to the cheese, which was created in 1885 in the central Wisconsin city of Colby.

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 with Polco 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 for their own dashboard.

RELATED: Results available for large summer events poll

shenora staten-jordan, covid funeral aid

FEMA offers generous funeral aid to those grieving COVID-19 deaths. Getting it isn’t easy.

Jul. 7, 2021

Applicants complain of confusing bureaucracy and long waits as FEMA handles thousands of applications for COVID-related funeral relief aid.

Yes, they’re built like brick … outhouses

Jul. 7, 2021

I was driving down a country road the other day when I spotted two structures at the edge of a field — structures that made me stop for a double-take. Two brick outhouses.

Evers vetoes bill eliminating personal property tax

Jul. 6, 2021

Assembly Bill 191, which eliminates Wisconsin's personal property tax, has been approved by the state Legislature and now heads to Gov. Tony Evers for his signature.

The WNA is among the many business associations that opposed the tax, levied on businesses for furniture and other miscellaneous office fixtures, as part of the Coalition to Repeal Wisconsin's Personal Property Tax. Its repeal ends a strong signal of support from the state to the business community, the coalition said in a statement.

WNA members are strongly encouraged to consider publishing an editorial supporting the repeal and/or reaching out to Evers to request he sign the legislation.

Staffing vacancies up at youth, adult prisons

Jul. 6, 2021

Since mid-February, staff vacancy rates at the state’s juvenile correctional facilities have climbed twice as fast as those at Wisconsin’s adult institutions, according to records obtained by WisPolitics.com.

Your Right to Know: No private email accounts for public business

Jul. 6, 2021

In Wisconsin, it’s perfectly legal for government officials to use their personal emails to do government work — even though a government entity may not have the ability to access personal accounts that can be used to hide conversations from the public.

In the latest "Your Right to Know" column for the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, Tom Kamenick argues that to remove barriers to public accountability and improve the efficiency of government operations, the legislature should prohibit the use of personal email accounts for government business at the state and local level.

In Door County, luxury and tourism leave little room for affordable workforce housing

Jul. 6, 2021

In a community funded by tourism and affluence, much of Door County’s year-round and seasonal workforce is struggling to live comfortably.

Pierce County Journal adds Melissa Thorud to reporting staff

Jul. 3, 2021

Melissa Thorud is the Pierce County Journal's newest reporter, the Ellsworth newspaper announced Thursday.

A 2021 UW-River Falls graduate, Thorud earned her bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in political science. While in college, Thorud reported for the Student Voice and served as editor of the newspaper for two years.