Geraldine “Gerry” Mueller, who worked in the Fond du Lac area as a newspaper reporter and writer, died Friday, March 5. She was 82.
A Milwaukee native, Mueller graduated from the city’s Rufus King High School. During her career, she worked for The (Fond du Lac) Reporter and Kewaskum Statesman.
Andrew “Andy” Thompson, who worked nearly 40 years for The (Appleton) Post-Crescent, died Monday, March 8, at Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa. He was 63 and had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for longstanding health issues.
A Clintonville native, Thompson started his journalism career in high school, writing a weekly sports column for the Clintonville Tribune-Gazette. He earned a journalism degree from Marquette University in 1980 and went on to work for the Marinette Eagle-Star and Oshkosh Daily Northwestern before joining The Post-Crescent in 1981.
This year’s Openness in Government Awards recognize Wisconsin’s largest newspaper for its dogged records-based coverage of the pandemic and its commitment to the cause of transparency in government, as well as two newspaper reporters who used public records to expose wrongdoing.
The awards, presented annually by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, recognize outstanding efforts to protect the state’s long tradition of open government and highlight some of the threats to it. They are being announced in advance of the News Leaders Association’s national Sunshine Week.
For the 15th consecutive year, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is presenting its Openness in Government Awards, or Opees. Here are the winners.
A new poll question about whether the U.S. should make changes to daylight saving time is available to be used by WNA members. We are asking the question in light of a bill reintroduced March 9 by eight U.S. senators that would make daylight saving time permanent year-round.
Results from our previous poll question about legalizing marijuana use in Wisconsin are also now available.
Poll questions are available through a WNA partnership with Polco aimed at helping newspapers better engage readers and access enhanced data and insights.
Polco users and readers visiting WNA member websites from Feb. 18 to March 10 were asked whether marijuana should be legalized in Wisconsin. Here are the results.
We wear masks. We sanitize. We keep our distance. We avoid crowds. We voluntarily limited capacity in our business. Despite all those precautions we still caught COVID-19 in mid-November.
Republicans want to restrict drop boxes and absentee voting. Democrats aim to make it easier to vote. Both parties favor quicker vote counting.
As public usage of outdoor spaces in Wisconsin has been on the rise, state leaders may wish to consider the trend in making key budget decisions, including on the future of a state program to fund purchases of and improvements to public lands.
Expanding Medicaid benefits to include acupuncture therapy could aid Wisconsin’s fight against the opioid epidemic as well as treat mental health issues and addiction, advocates say.
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