The Wisconsin State Fair is hosting a vaccine clinic from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the fair (Aug. 5-15). Anyone who gets a vaccine also gets a voucher for a free cream puff.
The clinic has Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer doses.
“A lot of times we’re not giving out a lot of vaccines at these events, but we’re answering people’s questions,” nurse practitioner Emily Patzer told TMJ4. “They have a lot of questions, like will I need a booster dose? Will I get sick? We’re happy to try and clear up any misinformation.”
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Wisconsin DHS: COVID-19 Weekly Recap
The delta variant has caused a surge in COVID-19 case numbers, and guidelines such as face masks and social distancing are making a strong comeback.
From Aug. 1-5, there were 5,784 new cases of COVID-19 reported by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 628,007. The seven-day average of new cases as of Friday is 1,021 — the highest it has been since February.
Almost half of Wisconsinites are fully vaccinated — with 81.9 percent of people age 65 and older and 29.7 percent of children age 12-15 fully vaccinated.
Wisconsin has lost 7,448 total lives to the disease.
Milwaukee Invited To Consider Hosting 2024 DNC
The city of Milwaukee may get a second chance to host the Democratic National Convention in 2024. Milwaukee was the site of the 2020 convention, which was limited due to the pandemic.
DNC chair Jaime Harrison invited 20 cities in a letter last week, including Milwaukee, to submit their bids.
Justice Department Finishes School Safety Grant Program
The Wisconsin Department of Justice has finished handing out $100 million in grants to bolster school safety.
Former Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill in 2018 that established the Office of School Safety within the DOJ and provided the money for the grants.
DOJ officials said Thursday the money has gone to upgrading school security systems, training police and educators in understanding adolescent mental health, training school resource officers, and creating a confidential threat reporting tip line and a threat assessment study with the University of Wisconsin and 40 schools around the state.
85 Percent Of Marquette Students Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Marquette University is one of a handful of Wisconsin colleges requiring all members of the campus community to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The university announced this week that 85 percent of students have been vaccinated — a number believed to comfortably achieve herd immunity.
University Of Wisconsin-Madison Removes Rock Seen As Sign Of Racism
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is removing a 70-ton boulder from its campus at the request of minority students who view the rock as a symbol of racism.
Chamberlin Rock, on the top of Observatory Hill, is named after Thomas Crowder Chamberlin, a geologist and former university president.
Students of color on campus say the rock represents a history of discrimination. It was referred to as a derogatory name in a Wisconsin State Journal story in the 1920s, at a time when the Ku Klux Klan was active on campus.
The boulder was removed Friday.
Waukesha Executive Announces Run For State GOP Chair
Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow announced his bid for chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin on Thursday in an email to the committee.
“I write this to help you understand that I will be focused to help us succeed in the upcoming elections and position the party to continue to be strong for years to come. This is a challenge that I cannot do alone,” Farrow wrote.
WisPolitics.com obtained the email.
Lawmakers Push For More Prisoners To Be Granted Compassionate Release
The First Step Act gave incarcerated people in the United States a chance to go to court and argue for compassionate release during the coronavirus pandemic. Freedom was granted to more than 3,000 inmates through this act during the pandemic.
But there’s still a small group of people in federal prisons who this act has not worked for — people who were convicted of crimes before November 1987, reports NPR.
Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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