Stories you might have missed from around Wisconsin.
Cudahy: Project Concern buys former school to create new help space.
As school district’s struggle for funding and in some cases are forced to close schools, what to do with the empty buildings becomes a pressing issue. Project Concern, a nonprofit ministry serving those in need, has purchased the former St. Frederick’s School in Cudahy to address its need for more space. Patrick Higgins, executive director of Project Concern told the Journal Sentinel that it was just over two years ago, when the ministry was first told by the church that Project Concern needed to start looking for a new home because the church would eventually need the space. Higgins said it’s “super surreal” Project Concern was able to close on the property on Feb. 20. The purchase price was $28,350. The school building, which was constructed in 1921, is falling apart and will be razed, Higgins said. Project Concern is planning to launch a capital campaign to raise money for a new facility on the site. Project Concern offers a food pantry and clothing assistance, as well as books, toys, and a medical equipment loan program where people can use equipment as needed for a few months. Full Story
Madison: Lawmakers propose ending Daylight Saving Time in Wisconsin.
If you’re still yawning and feeling groggy after the time change, there may be good news on the horizon. A Republican-authored proposal that would eliminate daylight saving time in Wisconsin has been introduced in the legislature. The latest effort to eliminate the practice of moving an hour forward in the spring and an hour back in the fall aligns with previous comments by the president, who in a December social media post described daylight saving time as “inconvenient and very costly.” The State Journal reported that the authors of the proposal wrote in a memo seeking sponsors for the measure that eliminating the practice of daylight saving time in the state would “promote public health, safety, and economic stability.” Under current law, daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November each year. The proposal would eliminate the practice in Wisconsin, effectively making standard time year-round. While federal law generally preempts states from deviating from standard time or eliminating daylight saving time, states that fall under one time zone, like Wisconsin, can do away with daylight saving time as long as the change applies to the entire state. At least 31 states have considered or are considering bills or resolutions related to daylight saving time this year. Full Story
Wausau: Total Lunar Eclipse visible across Wisconsin tonight.
If you’re an insomniac or a devoted star gazer, be sure to go outside tomorrow morning at 1:26 and feast your eyes on a planetary phenomenon. A total lunar eclipse, the first in nearly three years, will be visible across the U.S. the night of March 13 into early March 14. Americans haven’t had the opportunity to witness a total Lunar eclipse for nearly three years. They can only occur when the moon is full and aligning perfectly with the Earth and sun. When this happens, the moon is passing into Earth’s shadow in a color-shifting process that lends it the nickname, “blood moon.” reporting in the Journal Sentinel cites NASA sources to explain that the moon, which does not produce its own light, shines because its surface reflects the sun’s rays. Though the Earth blocks any direct sunlight from reaching the moon during a total solar eclipse, the sun still casts the Earth’s shadow on the lunar surface. Because the sunlight is blocked, the moon will be dimmer than usual. But the effect will also paint its surface with a striking reddish-orange hue for a few hours, creating a breathtaking sight in the night sky as it moves through the constellations Leo and Virgo. The eclipse will be noticeable starting around 11 pm with totality occurring at about 1:26 AM. Goodnight moon…literally. Full Story
