 |
---|
Wisconsin Development News (click here to read online)
|
 |
When the Earth Moves - Film
|
 "Our goal is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all
human beings and all other living creatures. Our goal is a decent
environment in its broadest and deepest sense."
Earth Day Founder, U.S. Senator, and Wisconsin Governor Gaylord NelsonOn the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, bipartisan climate action has never been more important.
At a time when we face political inaction and a looming climate crisis, the significance of Earth Day`s 50th anniversary is more relevant than ever.
Climate change affects every one of us.
This is why we need a national plan with bipartisan support: Climate change does not discriminate between red and blue states. It affects each of us in different ways. Gaylord Nelson realized this when he founded Earth Day in 1970.
Outrider believes that political and cultural division disrupts climate progress. That`s why we`re here to help unite parties and communities in taking responsible action. ...more Ken Notes: Please watch and share this video, working together we can make a difference for our grandchildren...
 |
Common Council vote means the $420 million Wisconsin Center expansion can proceed -- after economy improves
|
 The Milwaukee Common Council voted Tuesday to approve the Wisconsin Center expansion — clearing the way for the $420 million project to proceed after the economy improves.
The city is not funding the convention center expansion.
It would be financed by taxes on hotels, restaurants and car rentals levied in Milwaukee County by the Wisconsin Center District. That state-created agency operates the convention center.... ...more  |
EDITORIAL: Tony Evers got outplayed
|
 The governor’s halting strategy for the April election frustrated even some of his alliesRepublican leaders and conservative justices deserve about 95 percent of the blame for Wisconsin’s dangerous and embarrassing spring election mess. I took them to task in my last post.
But Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ performance during the whole process can be most charitably described as incoherent. If there was any kind of policy or political strategy to his moves over the last month or so, it’s not apparent to me or to many local officials or even some Democratic leaders.
Let’s review.
On March 12, Evers declared an official public health emergency...
...It’s to Evers’ credit, as a person, that he just might be
constitutionally unable to understand his opponents. To be their
opposite is the definition of a good human being. But what’s needed
right now is a smart, tough, energetic political strategist who can play
their game. Someone who can inspire a healthy bit of fear in his
opponents. We need a guy who knows how to throw a punch harder than the
one he just took. And that will never be Tony Evers. .. ...more Ken Notes: Dave Cieslewicz writes a brilliant article here, and while I am a fiscal conservative, I have to agree that Tony is being manhandled and manipulated by both the political right and the conservative press. In fact the usually more liberal media outlets have been none too kind as well.
Dave`s conclusion, which I included (bold) above, is spot on and I nominate Dave for the role of the "smart, tough, energetic political strategist" he calls for. In fact that would again give me an opportunity to discuss issues with Dave and even occasionally point out the error of his liberal to the core ways -- but with the respect both he and Tony deserve and then in the "Tommy tradition" which I embrace we would go out for dinner and a beer.
 |
Gov. Evers engages Army Corp of Engineers to develop COVID-19 care facility at State Fair Park
|
 Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday, April 9, announced the Army Corp of
Engineers has officially been engaged and started mobilizing at the
Exposition Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park to begin the development
of an alternative care facility (ACF) for coronavirus. “We are
extremely appreciative of FEMA and the Army Corp of Engineers for their
responsiveness as we continue to see an increase in the number of
individuals testing positive for COVID-19 in Wisconsin,” said Gov.
Evers. “This alternative care facility will be a critical addition to
the southeastern region of our state and will be essential to continuing
to ensure our healthcare systems are not overwhelmed.” See also: ...more  |
Wisconsin`s largest business group urges Gov. Evers to end Safer At Home by April 24
|
 |
What the Wisconsin COVID-19 bill does and doesn`t do
|
 Wisconsin’s Legislature this
week approved the state’s first relief package in response to the 2019
coronavirus. The bill was more than a month in the making and Gov. Tony
Evers signed it into law within hours of its passage in the Senate on
Wednesday. Politicians from
both parties praised the measure as a bipartisan success — one where
elected officials came to the table and compromised to develop a
substantive policy deal — an increasingly rare approach to governance in
a state where the Democrats control the executive branch and
Republicans control the Legislature... ...more  |
Rethinking Business Strategies for COVID-19
|
 COVID-19 is first and foremost a
human and public health tragedy. As the likelihood of prolonged
social-distancing measures increases in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and
around the world, the virus could have a significant impact on business
and on the economy.
Understanding and responding to the
business risks is rapidly becoming an imperative for businesses of all
sizes. And the timeline for companies to react is quickly shrinking.
Guidance and advice are popping up
everywhere through webinars, articles, interviews, checklists and more.
We’ve summarized a few that we have found beneficial, and we hope you
find them helpful, too.
Understand your risks
Global strategy giant PwC developed a dedicated tool to help businesses assess and manage risk. PwC’s COVID-19 Navigator tool
consists of a series of questions to help business leaders act
decisively by generating insights about where their company stands in
six key areas:...
Set priorities... Make good decisions... Create new opportunities... ...more Ken Notes: Read and save this one, it is good and the links are valuable....
 |
Wisconsin DWD could start sending extra $600 in unemployment compensation by end of April
|
 |
“I feel like it’s a failing:” Wisconsin’s unemployed left on hold for weeks
|
 Lorelei Staffeld has gotten used to hearing a busy signal over the past couple of weeks.
“Over a hundred in the last two weeks,” she said when asked how many times she’s dialed up the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
Staffeld lost her job at an Appleton plastic factory three weeks ago.
She also legally changed her name a year ago, and is now facing a legal complication because of it... ...more Ken Notes: Lets put this in the proper perspective, we have a system designed for the unemployment swing of the last decade we have an unemployment swing like we have NEVER seen before EVER. We are building hospitals in sports arenas, it may take a while to get a person on the phone, I applaud the fact that they are working as hard as they are. Lets breathe deep, take care of each other as best we can, and come out of this without winners and losers, but rather a new found respect for everyone who actually tried to help...
 |
Unemployment claims skyrocket, Wisconsinites await benefits
|
 Niko Vera now spends more time at the park and working side jobs to make ends meet. He got unlucky making a career move. "I quit my job, probably a week before the lockdown started, and had two interviews that day,” Vera said. He did get a job offer, but it was disrupted by the pandemic. "The start date got pushed back to an undefined time.”.. ...more  |
Wisconsin Development Partners
|
 |
Foxconn’s buildings in Wisconsin are still empty, one year later
|
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66641339/npatel_200410_foxconn_0002.0.jpg) LastLast April, The Verge reported that the Foxconn “innovation centers” scattered around Wisconsin were largely empty and that renovations were stalled. Several days after that article published, Foxconn held a press conference to announce that it had bought yet another building and told reporters that The Verge’s reporting was incorrect...
...In a statement, Missy Hughes, the CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation overseeing the deal, told The Verge that Foxconn’s report will be audited and reviewed and that negotiations over the contract are ongoing. “Our conversations with Foxconn about aligning the contract with the project continue — it is WEDC’s objective to do so in order to support the project,” Hughes said.
The factory is set to open in May. Foxconn has deemed construction “essential,” and work continues even under Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order. It is unclear exactly what the factory will produce when it becomes operational.
Foxconn did not respond to a request for comment...
...more Ken Notes: Again we are allowing the VERGE to tell OUR story. We need reporters in Wisconsin to aggressively seek the truth, Foxconn has suggested they have met the employee threshold for 2019 and there were 100 or so cars in the parking lot of the new campus -- how many of those were construction vs. Foxconn I couldn`t say. I have no idea exactly what they are doing other than desperately seeking a product that they can profitably market in both the US and abroad. I guess what we need to remember is the Verge and Foxconn both have an agenda, and Missy may have landed the toughest job in the state...
 |
Nearly 70% of Foxconn’s Wisconsin employees started in fourth quarter of 2019
|
 Nearly 70% of the 580 employees working in Wisconsin for Foxconn and
its subsidiaries at the end of 2019 started their current positions in
the fourth quarter of last year, according to a BizTimes review of data
the company submitted to state officials. Foxconn’s contract with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. requires the company to submit an annual report to the agency
on its hiring and investment activities. Documents submitted with the
report provide details on wages, start date, residency state, which
entity the employee works for and other information... ...more Ken Notes: Much better reporting here, alas Foxconn is still quiet. I have a question if this is a tax credit, I can not imagine the company made a profit in 2019, so do these tax credits carry forward??
 |
Wisconsin Development News Supporting Sponsors
|
Notes:
 |
Wisconsin, Alabama awarded F-35 fighter jets
|
 Air National Guard units based in Wisconsin and Alabama have been awarded squadrons of F-35 fighter jetsMADISON, Wis. -- Air National Guard units based in Wisconsin and Alabama have been awarded squadrons of F-35 fighter jets, the U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday, overcoming vocal opposition from people who live near the base in Wisconsin`s capital city.
The jets will be placed with the Wisconsin Air National Guard`s 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field in Madison and with the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field in Montgomery, Alabama. The first jets are expected to arrive in late 2023...
...more Ken Notes: Lets figure put how to make Lemonade here...
 |
Wisconsin has an Office of Rural Prosperity. It`s new and it now has its first director
|
 Wisconsin’s newly created Office of
Rural Prosperity has named its first director, a woman who grew up on a
La Crosse County farm and has worked for a member of Congress from
Maine. The office, created by Gov.
Tony Evers under the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., is meant to
help rural communities, farmers and others navigate state programs that
could be beneficial to them. It would be a
"one-stop shop" for rural communities seeking state assistance, WEDC
Executive Director Missy Hughes said in an earlier Journal Sentinel
interview... ...more Ken Notes:I applauded the effort when it was suggested and hope we see success after C-19. Welcome back to Wisconsin...
 |
Plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients tested as therapy at UW Health
|
 A COVID-19 patient at UW Hospital has received the first transfusion
of plasma from a local patient who donated it since recovering from the
disease.
The UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) and UW Health are part of a nationwide effort to study
whether plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 given to
patients who are seriously ill with the disease can help shorten the
duration or severity of their illness.
Plasma is the liquid portion of blood that contains, among other
components, the pathogen-fighting antibodies produced by the body in
response to an infection. The immune systems of those who recover, or
convalesce, from COVID-19 produce antibodies that may help detect and
fight the virus that causes it, SARS-CoV-2. Using convalescent plasma
involves taking these antibodies and giving them to sick patients still
fighting the virus... ...more  |
Tom Still: Epic’s digital health tools are helping fight COVID-19
|
 MADISON — Until a few months ago, some
health-care professionals were just as likely to view the use of
electronic health records as a burden as an asset. Today, with the
COVID-19 crisis nearing a disturbing crescendo in many U.S. states,
those attitudes may be changing. Experience
thus far in the coronavirus outbreak suggests that digital health
records and related online tools, such as telemedicine, are helping
hospitals and health systems cope with the surge in requests for virtual
diagnoses, analyzing trends in COVID-19 testing and managing cases
requiring critical care... ...more Ken Notes:EPIC could play a huge role in this...
 |
MadREP News
|
Stay up to date by reading our MadREP Report, a bi-monthly newsletter that features regional economic development news, events and opportunities.
...more  |
Outgoing Wausau Council approves four development projects a week before new members take seats
|
 WAUSAU - Four development projects
received a boost Tuesday evening as city officials approved various
funding for new proposals, in the final City Council meeting before five
new members take their seats Tuesday. The new developments include a riverfront event venue and a large new apartment complex on the west side. Mayor
Robert Mielke was not present for the final City Council meeting he
would have chaired before Mayor-elect Katie Rosenberg is sworn-in on
Tuesday. ...more  |
Economic Development Resources
|
 |
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation addresses coronavirus pandemic
|
 MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- We continue to get answers on our economy and how Wisconsin is being impacted by the coronavirus.
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Secretary and CEO Missy
Hughes sat down with us to talk about several topics that range from
helping small business owners to what are essential employees.
Hughes says the Safer at Home order is complex, but the more business
owners become familiar with it, the more they will understand the
situation.... ...more  |
Coronavirus pandemic response could bring more development of badly need affordable apartments in Wisconsin
|
 "We need to bring huge additional resources to
housing," said Sandel, an associate professor at Boston
University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. That
might happen in an upcoming round of additional federal economic
stimulus funding. And that could increase the construction of affordable
apartments in Wisconsin. An increase in federal
affordable housing tax credits, which are used to help finance
apartments for low- and moderate-income people, could be part of that
upcoming stimulus package.... ...more Ken Notes: With two trillion dollars coming out of the federal deficit, it wold be nice to do something positive with the money. I know I am dreaming again...
 |
New Gas Processing Facility in Wisconsin Will Produce RNG
|
 U.S. Gain has completed a gas processing facility at Clover Hill Dairy in Campbellsport, Wis., that will enable the production of renewable natural gas (RNG) for transportation fuel and other uses. “Many of the large farms already have digesters, and we work with them to offtake and distribute the RNG produced,” says Bryan Nudelbacher, U.S. Gain’s director of RNG business development. “But the Clover Hill project goes one step beyond that. Now, we’re also actively leading development of gas processing facilities and coordinating transportation of pipeline-grade gas to injection sites, drawing on skillsets from industry experts, as appropriate.” U.S. Gain worked with Nacelle Solutions, a technology and service company specializing in gas conditioning and upgrading, along with the Bonlender family on the Clover Hill project... ...more  |
Subscribe to you Local paper!
|
Ken Notes: WDNews relies on the actual journalism provided by your local media outlets. Without these partners we can not bring you the unbiased news, leads and updates you need to thrive in Wisconsin. Support your local media...
 |
Land and Space / Tom Daykin
|
 Note: I changed the link here to Toms Twitter account. JS limits the number of articles I can read so I look at TD`s Twitter feed every week. I`ll Still include JS articles but after ten you need to subscribe.
I also updated the picture because, well Tom is getting old and development is taking it`s toll!!!
Milwaukee
- 1/1/2020 Journal Sentinel business reporter Tom Daykin talks about
commercial real estate and development, including stores, hotels,
offices, condos, apartments and industrial buildings... ...more Ken Notes: Tom Daykin is the source for ED news in MKE. This is a permanent link to articles in his blog which is updated daily...
 |
Sponsorship Opportunities for 2021
|
 WisconsinDevelopment.com WDNGreen.comWisconsin Development and WDNGreen newsletters are now emailed to over 12,000 professionals, planners, developers, news outlets, and elected officials each week. We see over 1,000 opens within the first hour every week for each publication. The websites, WisconsinDevelopment.com and WDNGreen.com are always online and available to view and search where we maintain several years worth of articles. All of our rates are now less than in previous years.
"Our goal is to present a positive view of economic development in the State of Wisconsin”, Ken Harwood, Editor and Publisher.
WisconsinDevelopment is a positive look at economic development and commercial projects across the state. In WDNGreen we highlight pro-environmental developments and issues that make economic sense.
We believe in the Wisconsin business community and believe that telling their stories will positively impact both growth and better legislation in the State. We are nonpartisan, pro business, pro positive environmental issues, and most importantly pro WISCONSIN...
Support WisconsinDevelopment.com or WDNGreen.com- Support WisconsinDevelopment.com or WDNGreen.com for $250 per year
- Unlimited Number of Companies
- Your Logo (120 x 120 px) and Links to your website will appear in every issue
Special Options for Partners and Primary Sponsors... You may also become a Partner in the Newsletter for $1,000- Limited to Four (4) Companies
- Larger (240 x 240 px) Logo and Link to your website will appear in every issue
- A 240 Character “Tag Line” or text message appear with logo
- We will run at least four featured stories about your company or projects
- You can forward press releases for inclusion in any issue
- You company will be added to our search algorithm
- You will be listed as a sponsor for all our seminars and events
- As a partner you may call Ken (608.334.2174) with story ideas, comments, or notes anytime
Or become a Primary Sponsor for $500- Limited to Nine Companies
A large (160 x 160 px) Logo and Link to your website will appear in every issue - A 60 Character “Tag Line” or text message below logo
- We will run at least two featured stories about your company or projects
- You company will be added to our search algorithm
Here are the sponsors in the New format from 5PNews
Examples - Please Note partner and Sponsor “logos” may be animated GIF files. We can animate a set of up to 5 images for you or you can send us the completed GIF file or a link to the file on your website.
- Partners Appear in a 2 by 2 grid at the top of every issue*
- Sponsors Appear in a 3 by 3 grid in the middle of every issue*
- Supporters Appear in 4 by 4 grid(s) in every issue*
*and on our websites
To sponsor call or text 608.334.2174 ...more  |
The Wisconsin Development Network
|
 |
WDN Notes...
|
Ken Notes: "Ken Notes" may be reprinted in context without permission. Attribution should be Ken Harwood, Editor Wisconsin Development News or Ken Harwood Advocate for Wisconsin.
 |
Contact WisconsinDevelopment
|
 Wisconsin Development News is Edited and Published by:
Ken Harwood Ken [at] KenHarwood.com 608.334.2174
Mailing Address:WisconsinDevelopment.com P.O. Box 930234 Verona, WI 53593-0234
Please feel free to send story ideas or Press Releases to:Ken [at] KenHarwood.com Call 608.334.2174 to confirm receipt.
...more  |