News Bulletin: May 10-22, 2019

WHAT HAPPENED

• At its May 13 meeting, the Baileys Harbor Town Board voted unanimously in favor of naming the Peninsula Pulse the official town newspaper. That move was allowed by a 2018 change in the state statute regarding newspapers and legal notices. Previously, free newspapers were not allowed to publish legal notices, but at the behest of the Pulse, Rep. Joel Kitchens found bipartisan support to change the statute. The board also approved a resolution in support of the Door County Fire Chiefs Association in opposition to privatizing the county ambulance service; only Supervisor Peter Jacobs voted against the resolution. The board approved Harbor Construction as the low bidder at $15,070 for repairs to Anclam Park, with work to be completed in mid-June. The board also approved a seven-year financing package with Nicolet Bank for the $154,000 purchase of the property at the corner of Highway 57 and Park Road – a purchase that was approved at the annual town meeting in April.

• On May 10, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency urged the D.C. Circuit to dismiss claims that it should have found larger areas in the Midwest and Southwest that do not meet national ozone standards, saying courts have given the EPA “extreme” deference to make such determinations. The state of Illinois, several municipalities and a host of environmental groups have alleged the agency improperly drew the boundaries of some nonattainment areas too small. The EPA said ozone attainment designation areas are based on the science of pollutant formation and the science of how pollutants move and disperse. The petitioners said seven of the EPA’s designations for the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standards violated the CAA by “offering no reasonable or rational connections between the facts it found and the choices it made.” The areas are El Paso County, Texas; Door County, Wisconsin; Kenosha County, Wisconsin; Lake County, Indiana; McHenry County, Illinois; Monroe County, Illinois; and Porter County, Indiana. They said the agency, under a court-ordered deadline, used an inappropriate legal standard and failed to base its decision on information in the administrative record.

Source: law360.com

COMING UP

• On May 20 at Lakeshore Technical College, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources staff and interested stakeholders will begin the process to shape the course of future fisheries management on Lake Michigan. At this meeting, department staff will present the latest Lake Michigan survey information, and stakeholders will contribute ideas and input on future fisheries-management initiatives.

“We have been working with stakeholders in earnest over the last five years and have responded to both the science and stakeholder preferences to continue this excellent fishery,” said Brad Eggold, Great Lakes District fisheries supervisor. “At this meeting, we will begin discussions on the most recent information, answer questions and gather input and comments that will ultimately culminate in a plan for 2020 and beyond.” The meeting is scheduled for 6 to 9 pm in the East Centennial Hall at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wisconsin. To learn more and read the handouts created for the meeting, go to dnr.wi.gov and search for “Lake Michigan Meetings.”

• Before the 2018-19 school year comes to an end, Extension Kewaunee County and the Kewaunee County Public Health Department will host the 23rd annual Rural Safety Day. The event, scheduled for May 22, 9 am – 2 pm, at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds in Luxemburg, has been educating approximately 270 third-grade students from Kewaunee County public and parochial schools each year since 1997.

“The lessons being taught at Rural Safety Day, like tractor safety, are easier for kids to grasp outside of the classroom as they stand next to a tractor,” said Aerica Bjurstrom, agriculture agent with Extension Kewaunee County. “The visual puts the danger into perspective.”

There are 15 learning stations in the barns at the fairgrounds, with guest speakers who are highlighting how to be cautious around farms, pets, Mother Nature’s creatures, poisonous plants, power lines and lawn mowers, as well as how to be safe when swimming, biking and more.

“One of our most impactful learning stations is the vehicle-rollover simulator, operated by the Wisconsin State Patrol, that teaches kids the importance of wearing a seat belt,” said Cindy Kinnard, director of the Kewaunee County Public Health Department. Students will also have the opportunity to meet Kewaunee County’s new DNR conservation warden, James Moore, who will share safety advice about riding ATVs.

Rural Safety Day is financially supported by the Kewaunee County Farm Bureau, Kewaunee County Dairy Promotion Committee and UW Center for Agricultural Safety and Health. It also includes the participation and attendance of local veterans, Kewaunee County Board supervisors and Kewaunee County staff.