(Author’s note: This was originally written about homelessness in Duluth, Minnesota. The statistics may differ but the problems AND SOLUTIONS are similar in Wisconsin and across the country.)   "A lot of us are one paycheck away, and there's just a variety of folks that can experience homelessness. It's not just a certain group of people, and it's really important we stop characterizing people and just start helping them."  Shelly Bruecken, member of the Loaves and Fishes community and homeless advocate in Duluth.   Homelessness continues to be ...

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  As a healthcare worker, the Coronavirus Crisis has got me scared and thinking.   I am scared for my very dear friend. She made daily rounds in a NYC hospital, a city where one person was dying every 10 minutes from the virus at its peak. I don’t want to lose one of a very few friends who understands me!   My fellow nurses are dying from it without adequate protection. More than 2000 and counting. My wife and/or myself could be next!   My own residents in the nursing homes are suffering from lack of connection with family due to ...

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  Donations for the Warming Center can be dropped off at the former Warming Center location: 540 South 3 rd Avenue in Wausau.   The location for the Warming Center for this year is the First United Methodist Church in Wausau. It will provide space for up to 25 men and women to assure more space for social distancing during this winter season. Do not drop off donations at the Methodist Church.   Warm Items (They cannot accept items for warm weather or bedding.)   Gently used winter coats—Both Men’s and Women’s Winter ...

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  Veterans Days was originally a day to celebrate peace. The original holiday was Armistice Day which marked the end of the fighting in WWI on November 11, 1918. That day became  an international holiday to remember the war and work for peace. In 1926, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution creating Armistice Day to “commemorate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.” But in 1954 it was changed to Veterans Day.   WWI was the ”war to end all wars.” It was one of the most unnecessary wars in human history. The horror of ...

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  When we decided to write for Middle Wisconsin, our intention was to represent a demographic that is often underrepresented: people with disabilities. As a woman with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a man who has been visually impaired since birth, we have experienced things that many able-bodied people haven’t. We also have a lot in common with many able-bodied people. Like any person, we want to live fulfilling lives.   The two of us have been together for nearly fifteen years. We love one another and wanted to get married years ago, but marriage ...

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BARBED WIRE AND ACRES OF HOPE is a collection of essays reflecting on the gifts bestowed upon us by our American forebears, and how the Republican Party has been systematically attempting to take those gifts from us and our children. The brief vignettes remind us that we are not only the beneficiaries but also the stewards of those gifts. Please consider recommending the book to your personal network and asking them to do the same. Barbed Wire & Acres of Hope is now available in eBook form on Amazon and will be there in paperback form soon. Barbed Wire & ...

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HOW MANY LIVES WILL WE LOOSE IN THE WAR AGAINST COVID-19... ...because somebody wants to drink or eat, in a crowded bar or restaurant?   By mid-October, Marathon County had 3,531 confirmed cases of Covid 19 and officially registered 38 deaths to this virus!  By the time you read this, the number of cases, and the number of lives lost to this deadly virus will have increased.  To find the effect of Covid-19 on your friends, family and neighbors in your county, go to: dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/county.htm.    Like many of you, my family and I ...

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  Statistics: **U.S: 8,301,250 confirmed cases—up 52,638 since yesterday **223,250 deaths—up 428 since yesterday **Wisconsin: 183,177 confirmed cases an increase of 7,525 new cases. Deaths: 1,624 with an increase of 36 new deaths The total number of deaths from Covid-19 in the U.S. exceeds the deaths from Vietnam War, Iraqi War and Korean War combined. Statistics: A total of 100,215 Service Men and Women died in the line of duty in the three wars. **Vietnam War—1954-1975: 58,220 **Iraqi War—2003-2018: 4,550 service members and 3,793 ...

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  I am really excited to be writing about Mars. I grew up in the days when it was widely believed that Mars had canals which carried water to many places on the planet. There were creatures, maybe even people on the planet, which had a culture older than any on our Earth.   The Mars creatures in the public’s mind were vastly more intelligent than Earth dwellers. They used the canal water for agriculture, manufacturing and drinking.   In October 1938, Orson Welles and other radio actors presented a radio drama which pretended to cover, in a fake ...

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  Numerous polls show that government corruption is the top issue on the minds of voters.[1]  Over 90% of Americans think special interest money has too much influence in American political campaigns.[2]  It’s no surprise that Americans' job approval rating for Congress hovers near single digits.   The non-partisan citizen-action group, Wisconsin United To Amend, contacted all 200+ state Assembly and Senate candidates numerous times, via email, Facebook and phone calls, to determine their level of support for a U.S. Constitutional amendment ...

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