July 29, 2020 $ 50 Vol. 10, No. 31 1 Per Copy 75¢ Delivered 715-538-4765 • 36435 Main St., Whitehall • www.trempcountytimes.com In Your COVID-19 Times… cases slow, NEWS in county By Andrew Dannehy Times Editor After two straight weeks in which records were set for the number of new COV- ID-19 cases in Trempealeau County, the spread slowed a bit last week. After the Trempealeau County Health Department reported 100 new cases Page 2: Pandemic and in a two week span — 46 tornado greet new crisis the first week and 54 the director next — the county saw the Page 3: B-T district board number of new cases drop hears survey results for to 35 last week. That num- return to school ber is still the third most Lining Up for Fair Food the county has seen in a Page 4: Well-funded While the Trempealeau County Fair and all of single seven-day period Kind faces challengers the area carnivals have been cancelled in 2020, area and also came with the residents did have a chance to get some local favorites. Page 5: McKeeth upholds third-highest positive test The Trempealeau County Fair Fry Shack was open father’s legacy in the art rate at 11 percent. during the Whitehall Farmers Market — in the parking room “Our case rate is still the lot of Dollar General and Johnson Hardware. The fry COURT seventh highest in the state,” shack served popular favorites such as cheese curds Kaila Baer, TCHD public (inset), while the Whitehall FFA opened its milkshake Page 8: Sheriff’s Log information officer, said. “I stand. (Times photographs by Andrew Dannehy) Page 9: Criminal Court hope this decrease is a trend and continues over the next SPORTS weeks.” The county entered the G-E-T board hears back-to-school plan month of July with 118 cases, but has had 158 this Masks mandatory for students, staff month. County residents By Zac Bellman the afternoon will be a greater challenge than the morning, have received positive re- Times Staff as he anticipates a large number of students being dropped sults on 12.4 percent of the The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau school board heard back- off by alternate transport. Busses will be sanitized and tests this month and have an to-school proposals for the coming school year, including windows will be opened for as long as weather permits to overall positive rate of 5.5 specific plans for elementary, middle school and high school increase ventilation. Field trips will not be considered for percent since testing began buildings at a special meeting Monday night. at least the first semester. in March. District superintendent Michele Butler explained that the Entering and exiting school buildings will be staggered As of Monday of this district plan aligns with the Trempealeau County Health to prevent clustering of larger groups, and teachers will Page 10: WIAA board week, there were 71 active Department COVID-19 status compass, breaking down be asked to usher students toward classrooms to avoid votes to delay fall sports COVID-19 cases in Trem- requirements based on the compass levels of low, moder- congregating in the hallways. Doors to classrooms will start, allow flexibility for pealeau County. ate, high and severe. Whether the district will be informed be closed in many cases during classes, though one staff schools According to data pub- solely based on the Trempealeau County compass is still member will be permitted to open and close their room’s lished by the health depart- under consideration, as Butler conceded that G-E-T’s prox- door to minimize contact by students. Page 11: Wason’s edges ment last week Wednesday, Weiner’s for first place imity to La Crosse County has the district Attendance and grading will return to the most popular age group to considering a more regional approach to “Please know that student relatively normal for in-person instruction, in DFSL test positive for COVID-19 assessing their district’s risk. and staff safety is our focus.” with virtual opportunities also available that OBITUARIES are those between 20 and The plan itself was not acted upon by will focus on completion of assignments Pages 13 & 14 40 years old. Listed in two the board Monday night, as Butler said any — Michele Butler, district and communication with the instructor. separate age groups, those revisions over the next few weeks would superintendent According to a survey of 548 respondents, between the ages of 20 and require separate board approval. Butler said less than 10 percent of district 29 and 30 and 39 have ac- “We keep getting information, so let’s show the board parents felt uncomfortable sending their children back to counted for more than 100 what we have,” Butler said prior to the rollout Monday school under present risk levels. of the positive tests. The evening. “Please know that student and staff safety is our Students at the elementary, middle and high school levels only other age group to have focus.” will also not be attending their school building all five days of more than 25 positive tests is Highlights of the plan included a district-wide mandate the week. G-E-T is planning for a four-day in-person school people between 40 and 49 for masks to be worn in hallways and classrooms where week district-wide, with Friday being exclusively virtual years old. social distancing is not possible. Students and staff will instruction. Some exceptions will be made for students with The health department be provided two washable masks each, and staff will also different needs and of varying internet access, but the goal reported that nearly eight receive plastic face shields. Students and staff can also use according to Butler is to phase in virtual instruction in the percent of the first 164 cases their own masks. Plexiglass for use at teacher’s desks has event a closure forces that to be an exclusive option. had severe symptoms. Three also been ordered by the district and a self-screening list The high school will also be limiting in-person instruc- percent of those who tested of potential COVID-19 symptoms will be provided to all tion to two days per week Monday through Thursday, with positive were asymptomatic students and staff. seniors and sophomores attending two days and juniors and while 38.4 percent had mild For transportation, bus riders will be required to sit with freshmen the other two days. (continued on Page 4) members of their own household, and bus rider capacity will (continued on Page 3) be limited to 24. Transportation director Matt Wenthe said Land & Home Realty LLC Dan Reit: Broker/ Owner/ Land Specialist • 210 East Main, Arcadia MOBILE: 608-484-1900 | [email protected] Page 2 Trempealeau County Times Wednesday, July 29, 2020 Wednesday, July 29, 2020 Trempealeau County Times Page Pandemic and tornado greet new crisis director B-T board hears survey By Debbie Foss identify the tornado as an EF1. Stevens the city of Arcadia. site in the county, Tuesday in Blair and Taylor. Times Staff is one of two employees of the sheriff’s Weather, in fact, is probably the single Previous testing has attracted between 150 Nothing says emergency management department who is licensed most common “emergency” and 180 county residents, he said. results for return to school like being hired in the midst of a pandemic to fly drones. facing the management di- Besides weather events and viruses, By Bryce Dokkestul nurses within the county and a “good understanding of and then responding to reports of a tornado. “There were winds of 105 rector. He was working in Stevens is responsible for coordinating the Times Staff is constantly being updated. what residents are think- “When I come to work,” said Dustin miles an hour. I was on the dispatch when the floods county’s response to emergency with state Blair-Taylor School Dis- “They created it and we have ing and included accurate Stevens, Trempealeau County’s new direc- ground for about three and that would cause millions in and federal officials and working with a trict survey indicates many tweaked it for our needs.” representation of townships tor of emergency management, “I have no a half miles,” Stevens said. damage began to back up in county emergency response committee. He are in favor of school re-entry The county health depart- and staff members.” Respon- idea what I’ll be doing.” Residents of the damaged Arcadia. Floods, Stevens said, also responds to events such as recent diesel this fall. ment is expected to review dents were asked what advice Stevens did not come to his new post with property told Stevens “it are the weather event most fuel spills and equipment with fertilizer tip- The district school board the protocols and assess they would give the district. no experience in the unexpected. He was rained, it really rained and likely to cause trouble in the ping over in a swamp. discussed data from a dis- whether or not the plans are The board will take up the an emergency dispatcher for the county for then they heard trees start to county. At the moment, he is working 30 hours trict-wide survey designed to viable. referendum next month with 12 years before succeeding Dan Schreiner fall.” As a coordinator for the a week. The additional 10 hours Schreiner assess feelings surrounding “A big piece of it is pre- a resolution due by the end as the county’s new director of emergency Stevens said he tries not to county’s response to the virus, spent overseeing emergency dispatch has opening schools.