MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans in more rural parts of the state are joining with business owners to push for a regional reopening plan to give the economy a boost as it struggles under the coronavirus pandemic. The state Department of Workforce Development on Thursday also sounded a warning that the state fund that pays unemployment claims could run out of money in five months. Meanwhile, Gov. Tony Evers says he worried that loosening restrictions designed to curb the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus in some parts of the state could lead to regional outbreaks.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross is ordering campuses to identify programs worthy of preservation and brace for layoffs as the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic deepens. Cross says he wants campuses to complete evaluations of their programs by January with an eye toward cost, whether they’re duplicated at another campus and student demand. System officials will decide which courses stay. Cross says campuses should be ready to move forward with scaled-down course catalogs by fall 2021. Cross also says he wants to consolidate functions such as information technology and human resource operations by January 2022.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — An Eau Claire transit driver is credited with saving a toddler from harm by plucking her from the middle of some traffic lanes. City officials say the driver saw the girl, not yet 2 years old, in the street Tuesday while driving his route, stopped the bus in the lane of traffic, got out and retrieved the young child. The driver, Mike Steinke, called dispatch to get help for the girl. Officials say the child’s mother realized something was wrong when she saw her front door open and a bus parked in the road. Transit administrators say the mother went to the bus and was shocked, but appreciative, to find her daughter safe.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers says he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of reopening some parts of the state less affected by the coronavirus sooner than others, even though he worries about that approach leading to an outbreak. Republican legislative leaders have been pushing for a regionalized reopening plan. Rural parts of Wisconsin have seen far fewer cases of COVID-19 than more urban areas. Regionalization was one idea Evers discussed with Republican leaders on Monday. Evers said on WTMJ radio Thursday that he’s concerned reopening rural areas will lead to more people visiting and possibly spreading the virus. But he says, “I never say never in this situation.”
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