AT LEAST IT'S GETTING WARMER. VOLUME 122 NUMBER 71 ■ DAILYREPORTER.COM Part of the network FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2020 ■ $2.00 That’s how many bidding opportunities That’s how many new public notices and are on dailyreporter.com/jobtrac. PUBLICNOTICES calls for bids are inside today’s edition. 389 103 PAGE 15 BY THE NUMBERS TAKING FLIGHT -22.3% Decline in annual rate of home construction from February to March. The U.S. is now on track to see 1.2 million units built this year. See story on PAGE 2. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce À LA MOD An F-35 fighter jet arrives on Sept. 19 at the Vermont Air National Guard base in South Burlington, Vermont. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson announced Wednesday that the Wisconsin Air National Guard unit in Madison has been awarded a squadron of F-35 fighter jets. Planning has already been underway for $34 million worth of construction projects that would move forward if Madison were chosen. Air Force officials say they need a 19,000-square-foot building to house four F-35 flight simulators, which would be used to train pilots on the new aircraft. Also being sought are new shelters that would be used to house the 115th Fighter Wing’s four Boldt building modular health care units existing F-16s while the proposed F-35s were stationed in an existing shelter. (AP Photo/Wilson Ring, File) to help combat hospital shortage. PAGE 3 PERMANENT RECORD COVID COVERAGE ANOTHER OSHA guidelines clarify when contractors are required to report COVID-19 cases MONTH Nate Beck Construction to continue [email protected] What they’re amid extended shutdown Contractors won’t have to re- saying in that Go to dailyreporter.com to read even port to OSHA cases of COVID-19 Scott Bauer more about how the industry is coping unless it’s clear that an employee guidance is focus Associated Press amid the coronavirus outbreak. caught the virus on a job site, ac- on doing the things MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. cording to recently released guid- that keep your Tony Evers decided on Thursday ance from federal officials. to extend Wisconsin’s stay-at-home The Occupational Safety and jobsite safe. It’s too order until May 26, allowing most UPCOMING EVENT Health Administration issued tem- difficult for you to construction work to continue even APRIL 30 9:30AM porary guidance for construction determine whether as he directed many business to stay companies late last week about when an employee got closed until after the Memorial Day WHAT: The Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of they should consider coronavirus holiday weekend to slow the spread Commerce is holding a webinar titled "Grow- cases a recordable incident that has coronavirus at of the coronavirus. ing a Massive & Valuable Twitter Following." to be reported on OSHA Form 300, home, at Walmart Construction remains deemed an Randy Bryce, an ironworker and former con- a log of job-site injuries and illness- or the job site.” “essential business” in Evers’ latest gressional candidate, will talk about the "do's es. The rules seek to provide clarity stay-home order. That means a wide and don'ts" of establishing a Twitter presence. to contractors after industry groups —Dan Burazin, variety of construction work, and TO LEARN MORE: Go to bit.ly/3erq9mS had asked for guidance from the director of safety the work of tradespeople, can con- agency on how to handle possible at the Associated tinue even as other industries must cases of COVID-19. General Contractors of remain largely shut down in an effort Greater Milwaukee OSHA’s guidelines should come to prevent the spread of COVID-19. as a relief to contractors, many of Evers’ later order makes a num- /TheDailyReporter @DailyReporter which have been concerned they’d Burazin, director of safety at the ber of modifications to his previous need to report even cases of CO- Associated General Contractors one. In matters related to construc- VID-19 that might have been con- of Greater Milwaukee. Construc- tion, it lifts a ban on “aesthetic” tracted outside work, said Dan Please see OSHA, page 2 Please see SHUTDOWN, page 2 PAGE 2 THE DAILY REPORTER FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2020 US home construction collapsed 22.3% during March Josh Boak AP Economics Writer U.S. home building collapsed in March as the coronavirus spread and housing starts tumbled by 22.3% from a month ago. The Commerce Department said Thursday that ground breakings occurred last month at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.2 million units, down from a pace of 1.56 million in February. The construction of single-family houses fell 17.5%, and apartment and condo starts were off 32.1% from a month ago. All of this paints a bleak outlook for housing as the lockdown to contain COVID-19 has resulted in more than 20 million Americans losing their jobs in the past four weeks. There was a 6.1% decline in the completion of homes being constructed, which means many homes are being left half built. The drop was 15% for single-family houses, meaning that unless eco- nomic activity picks up soon there could be ghost towns of half-built housing developments, an oc- currence last seen following the 2008 recession. Construction activity will most likely continue to slow. There was also a 6.8% drop in permits to begin construction in March. Homebuilders have become anxious. A confi- dence index released Wednesday by The National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo plunged 42 points in April to a reading of 30, the largest single monthly change in the history of the Construction continues at a housing plan on March 18 in Zelienople, Pennsylvania. U.S. home building collapsed in March as the coronavi- index. Any reading below 50 signals a decline. rus spread and housing starts tumbled by 22.3% from a month ago. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) Business groups putting pressure on Evers to reopen state economy SHUTDOWN, from page 1 Evers issued the original order on ing our hospitals and requiring more dras- nearly 2,000 citizens and businesses project, such as lawn care or exterior March 25 but has said in recent days tic physical distancing measures again.” had signed a letter calling on Evers to work. The new order stipulates such that he has made clear that an exten- Evers also loosened restrictions on non- let businesses reopen on April 24. work can be done as long as it’s being sion was likely. essential businesses, allowing them to For most people, the new coronavirus performed by no more than one person “A few weeks ago, we had a pretty grim make deliveries and offer curbside pickup. causes mild or moderate symptoms, such on a job site at a time. outlook for what COVID-19 could mean That includes arts and crafts stores making as fever and cough that clear up in two The safer-at-home order separately for our state, but because of the efforts material available to produce face masks to three weeks. For some, especially older closes schools down for the rest of the of all of you, Safer at Home is working,” and other personal protective equipment. adults and people with existing health year. Golf courses will be allowed to re- Evers said in a statement. “That said, we Evers said people are strongly en- problems, it can cause more severe ill- open, but club houses and pro shops aren’t out of the woods just yet.” couraged to stay close to home, not ness, including pneumonia, and death will have to remain closed. Before the order can be lifted, there travel to cabins or second homes, and By Wednesday, there were 182 deaths News of the extension comes amid needs to be more testing and other not travel out of state. from COVID-19 in Wisconsin and more growing criticism from conservatives public health measures in place, said Even as Evers extended the order, than 3,700 confirmed cases, although who are pushing Evers and some other state Department of Health Services pressure was building to reopen closed health officials have said that is only a governors to loosen restrictions. Oppo- Secretary Andrea Palm. businesses. Wisconsin Manufacturers fraction of the people who are actually nents of the order planned a rally at the “These steps will help us reduce the risk and Commerce said that by Thursday infected. state Capitol on April 24, the end date of of a second wave of the virus,” she said. “If more than 50 other business associa- - Nate Beck of The Daily Reporter the original order. we open up too soon, we risk overwhelm- tions, local chambers of commerce and contributed to this article. OSHA doesn’t consider construction a high risk for spreading virus OSHA, from page 1 ers and Contractors — sent OSHA a OSHA as being particularly high risk chances would be strong that the ill- tion companies, however, still have a letter in late March asking for clarity for the spread of the virus. ness was contracted on the job and re- responsibility to maintain a safe work- on when companies need to report Even for industries that are con- porting would be required. place despite the pandemic, he said. illnesses. The groups warned that sidered high risk, the agency has no Although contractors won’t need “What they’re saying in that guid- requiring reporting for every case concrete standard specifically for coro- to report most cases of COVID-19, ance is focus on doing the things that could “skew” OSHA injury numbers navirus.