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News Bulletin: Oct. 30 – Nov. 5

WHAT HAPPENED

  • Sevastopol is the fourth community in Door County to report ash tree damage due to the invasive Emerald Ash Borer. It joins Nasewaupee, Sturgeon Bay and Gibraltar, where the EAB was first identified in the county on June 11, 2014. Signs of EAB infestation were noted in Sevastopol on Oct. 15. Door County is one of 35 counties in the state under quarantine because of the presence of the Emerald Ash Borer. For more information on EAB and what to do if you find it among your ash trees, visit datcpservices.wisconsin.gov/eab/index.jsp.
  • Preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Education shows Wisconsin’s 2014 public school graduation rate (88.6 percent) is among the highest in the nation. Wisconsin ranked third nationwide, tied with New Jersey. Iowa was first with a graduation rate of 90.5 percent, followed by Nebraska at 89.7 percent. The preliminary data also show that 36 states, including Wisconsin, saw increases in their overall four-year graduation rates, while six states had declines and another eight states had no change since 2012-13. Wisconsin’s 2014 graduation rate was six-tenths of a point higher than the prior year.

COMING UP

  • Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday as we “fall back” and set clocks back one hour. This is also a great time to check the things that keep us safe and ready for emergencies such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. “This fall, we’ve already seen reports of people taken to hospitals after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Brian Satula, Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator. “In many cases, the source of the carbon monoxide is a malfunctioning home furnace.” According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, about 450 people each year in Wisconsin are taken to hospital emergency rooms for symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. “As we turn back the clocks, it’s important to also check home devices that protect our families from carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Karen McKeown, State Health Officer. “To prepare for winter weather, Wisconsin residents should ensure their source of heat and their carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order.”
  • All residents, parents, grandparents, retirees, staff, students and alumni of the Southern Door community are invited to a “Community Conversation” in the Southern Door School District. The district needs your voice to inform the strategic plan for the future of education in Southern Door Schools. Three years ago the Southern Door community came together to provide the district with their key interests and some goals. Come hear about the progress made. Bring your suggestions and new ideas. Help the district determine the next steps to ensure that all students are successful and prepared for their future. In order to plan for food and child care, please sign up by Monday, Nov. 2, on the district website or call the district office at 920.825.7311.
  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a rate snapshot of health insurance marketplace rates for plans offered in Wisconsin that shows there will be a 4.7 percent increase for second lowest cost silver plans offered in 2016. These increases do not take into account advance premium tax credits, which lower the monthly costs for the overwhelming majority of Marketplace consumers. About 8 in 10 individuals who selected a 2015 Marketplace plan qualified for financial assistance, and the average advance premium tax credits for those enrollees who qualified for financial assistance was $270 per month. Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace starts on Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 31, 2016. Consumers must sign up by Dec. 15 to have coverage that starts Jan. 1. Find help in navigating the Marketplace by calling 800.318.2596 (TTY: 855.889.4325) 24/7 or find in-person assistance by visiting localhelp.healthcare.gov.

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