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Free COVID Test Kits

Madison will be be stocking local libraries with free COVID tests throughout the summer. Read more here.

Getting Neighbors Involved

We hope to get the following message to every house in the Midvale Heights neighborhood before the end of June:

New Brochures Printed

Our station's trifold brochure has been updated, and printed copies are now available at the Sequoya Library, on a shelf to the left as you enter from the parking lot. Inside the brochures show the week's broadcast schedule, talk shows shown with a white background and music color coded as indicated at the top. Outside the brochures have an alphabetical list of talk shows with day and time. Colored letters indicate the source of each show, red for those from Madison, purple for those from elsewhere in Wisconsin, blue for those from other states, and green for those from other countries. WIDE-LP listeners are encouraged to pick up a brochure for your household and an additional copy for each neighbor you plan to talk to about our neighborhood radio station. Brochure printing cost has been covered by a grant from the City of Madison Neighborhood Grant Program.

Station Annual Meeting Nov. 9

The annual meeting of the board of Madison Mainstream Radio (the parent organization of WIDE-LP Radio) will be held in person and online at 3 pm on Wed. Nov. 9. The board currently has 5 members, two of whom live in Midvale Heights, the neighborhood from which we broadcast. We would like to add more board members who live in Midvale Heights. If you might be interested, please contact us. To see the meeting agenda when it is finalized and get instructions on how to join the meeting online, please email us at radio -at- widelp -dot- org.

Blood drive volunteers needed

The next American Red Cross Blood Drive held at the Sequoya Library (4340 Tokay Blvd) will be on Monday, October 17th from 12pm-5pm. Blood donor spots are full but volunteers are needed for the checkin and treat tables. Volunteers can sign up here.

Updated Booster Now Available

Updated COVID-19 boosters, reformulated to protect against Omicron subvariants are now available. The FDA used emergency authorization for two versions of the shots made by Pfizer for those 12 and older, and the Moderna booster for those 18 and older. Anyone in those age groups who received their last COVID shot more than two months ago is eligible for the booster. Appointments are available through local pharmacies, health centers, and Public Health Madison & Dane County clinics. The new boosters specifically target the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants which currently make up about 90% of cases nationally.

Get your updated boosters!
In partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, two recurring mobile clinics are available at Warner Park Community Recreation Center and the indoor park shelter at Elver Park. No insurance is needed to receive these free vaccines, just bring your CDC vaccination card, if possible. Walk-ins and appointments are available. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged to save you time. Pfizer's updated booster will be available to everyone who is eligible. Sign up for your appointment and pre-register at www.vaccinate.wi.gov/en-US.

On the 4th of July

If the rain holds off until the afternoon, the Westmorland and Orchard Ridge neighborhoods plan parades and bring-your-own picnics.

"COVID Risk Level" replaced with "COVID Community Level"

COVID reporting for Dane County has changed. Most recently, the CDC updated their COVID framework to capture what they call "COVID-19 Community Levels." These changes reflect the decreased risk of severe illness and death due to vaccines. This new CDC framework and its recommendations prioritizes reducing severe illness and the strain on healthcare systems. Click here for details. The new system does not address your risk of getting a mild case of COVID.

COVID risk level again "very high"

The COVID risk level in Dane County has risen through the "high" range and returned to a "very high" risk level.

COVID risk level remains "high"

After dropping from the Omicron peak in Dane County our COVID risk level has leveled off just above the "medium" risk level.

WNA Annual Meeting (Virtual)

The Westmorland Neighborhood Association annual meeting will be Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m. and will be a virtual Zoom meeting. Westmorland residents can register to attend here.

Mask mandate to end March 1

Effective at 12 am on March 1, 2022, Public Health Madison & Dane County will no longer require face coverings in public indoor spaces in light of steadily decreasing COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations. You can see their press release here.

COVID risk level "very high"

With the passage of the Omicron peak in Dane County our COVID risk level has dropped from "EXTREMELY HIGH" to "VERY HIGH" as of Feb. 10th. See https://covidactnow.org/us/wisconsin-wi/county/dane_county/?s=27851675 for details.

New COVID case rate falling

Over the past week, the number of new confirmed cases of COVID per day in Dane County has dropped to just above the peak we experienced in Nov. of 2020. The graph below was updated Feb. 4th. The COVID risk level in the county is still listed as "EXTREMELY HIGH."
See https://covidactnow.org/us/wisconsin-wi/county/dane_county/?s=27851675 for details.

New COVID case rate still increasing

Over the past week, Dane County has averaged 1,766 new confirmed cases of COVID per day.
See https://covidactnow.org/us/wisconsin-wi/county/dane_county/?s=27851675 for details.

COVID cases hit new peak in Dane County

Over the past week Dane County has averaged nearly 900 new COVID cases per day. The graph below was updated Jan. 14th.
See https://covidactnow.org/us/wisconsin-wi/county/dane_county/?s=27851675 for details.

Ice Skating 2022 Groove & Glide Schedule

Free Friday ice skating events under the lights with music and games start in Madison parks tonight. All ages and experience levels are welcome.
All Groove & Glide events are held from 6-8 pm, and no registration is needed. Restrooms are available onsite.

COVID risk level now SEVERE in Dane County

The COVID risk level has risen to SEVERE in Dane County, with a positive test rate of over 20%. As shown in the graph below, the rate of daily new cases has risen from "critical" to "extreme," approaching the peak rate in November of 2020.
See https://covidactnow.org/us/wisconsin-wi/county/dane_county/?s=27851675 for details.

Mask mandate extended to Feb. 1 in Dane County

Due to the steep increase in COVID infections in Dane County, Public Health Madison & Dane County has issued FACE COVERING EMERGENCY ORDER #6 extending our mask mandate until Feb. 1, 2022.

Donate to Madison Mainstream Radio, Inc. by Dec. 31

If you take the standard deduction on your federal tax return there is a good reason to make your donation to us before the end of 2021. Special COVID-19 tax rules allow taxpayers who take the standard deduction to claim a deduction of up to $300, and married couples taking the standard deduction to claim up to $600, for cash contributions made to qualifying charities in 2021. You can confirm that Madison Mainstream Radio (our station's parent organization) is a qualifying charity by entering our EIN Number, 571237943, in the 3rd box on the IRS web page here. Thanks to those who have donated already.

Last Letters - Two More Nights

WIDE-LP will continue to air George Vukelich's readings from Last Letters From Stalingrad for 2 more evenings, at 8 pm, tonight and tomorrow night (12/27 and 12/28). Tonight's program will be introduced once again by Jim Fleming. If you would like to hear more of these reading in December of 2022, email the station at radio@widelp.org. We hope to have located more of these recordings by then.

Last Letters From Stalingrad broadcast

The broadcast schedule is set. WIDE-LP will air George Vukelich reading 18 of the letters in the book Last Letters From Stalingrad over 3 evenings, starting the day after Christmas. The programs will each be half an hour long and will air at 8 pm on Sun. 12/26, Mon. 12/27 and Tue. 12/28. See the entry below for more. There will be no live streaming to the Internet or web posting for online listening, so you'll have to tune in to 99.1 on your FM dial at those times to hear the readings, combined with the music selected for the original broadcasts. If you haven't tuned in to our station before, better see if our low power signal reaches you. Car radios can pick us up several miles away but indoor reception is more limited. We broadcast from Orchard Drive on Madison's west side. If you can hear us on your car radio but not in your house we may be able to offer some reception advice in response to email to the station at radio@widelp.org.

Papa Hambone On the Air Once Again

Gone but not forgotten is George Vukelich, the man once described as Madison's "Michelangelo of the Airwaves." He was known to listeners as Papa Hambone, and among the most moving things he did on his radio show were his annual Christmas readings from Last Letters From Stalingrad. This book is a collection of letters from German 6th Army soldiers cut off and trapped around Stalingrad. A last plane out of Stalingrad in January 1943 carried 7 bags of their mail which were seized by the Nazi command. Authenticated copies of letters that had been retained in German army archives were rescued a few days before the fall of Berlin. They were later translated to English and published in the U.S. in 1962. George's son Vince has provided WIDE-LP with 3 recordings of his father reading selections of the letters on 2 local stations in the 1970s and offered to cover the cost of our fee paid to the book's copyright holder for our broadcasts. The broadcast dates, to be set soon, will be between Dec. 20 and Jan. 3.

Wisconsin's Featured LPFM Station

If you visit the national directory of LPFM radio stations here and select Wisconsin in the drop down box, you'll see that WIDE-LP is now our state's featured station! Congratulations can be emailed to radio@widelp.org, and if you are itching to contribute, please visit our Sponsor Page.

Mask Mandate Extended

Public Health Madison & Dane County has issued Face Covering Emergency Order #5 which extends mask requirements in Dane County until Jan. 3.

Covid virus in deer

As the deer gun seaons starts hunters should be aware that the virus that causes Covid-19 in humans has been found in white-tailed deer in the neighboring states of Iowa, Illinois and Michigan. Deer in Wisconsin have yet to be tested. For details go to the Wisconsin DNR web page here, scroll down and click on SARS-COV-2 in Wildlife, and scroll down to SARS-COV-2 and white-tailed deer. Here is a quote from one of the links: "SARS-CoV-2 was detected in one-third of sampled white-tailed deer in Iowa between September 2020 and January of 2021...."

Covid risk very high

The risk level for Covid in Dane County has risen to very high once again. See the tracking for our county at https://covidactnow.org/us/wisconsin-wi/county/dane_county/.

MMR board change

At our annual Madison Mainstream Radio board meeting on Nov. 10 Paula Pachciarz was elected to a 2 year term starting Jan. 1, 2022. She will take on the role of Secretary. Patty Stockdale will leave the board at that time.

Face Covering Emergency Order Extension

Public Health Madison & Dane County has issued Face Covering Emergency Order #4 which extends mask requirements in Dane County until Nov. 27.

Annual Meeting Nov. 10

The annual meeting of the board of Madison Mainstream Radio (the parent organization of WIDE-LP Radio) will be held online at 3 pm on Wed. Nov. 10. If you would like to see the meeting agenda when it is finalized, email us at radio -at- widelp -dot- org.

Third Pfizer Shot

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services recommends that you SHOULD receive a booster dose of Pfizer at least 6 months after receiving your second dose of Pfizer in order to further strengthen your immunity if you are 65 years and older, a resident in long-term care, etc. One option is the temporary vaccination clinic run by Public Health Madison & Dane County at the Arena at Alliant Energy Center starting on October 12, 2021. See https://publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/navigating-the-arena-at-alliant-energy-center for details.

Public Health Extends Face Covering Emergency Order

Public Health Madison & Dane County is issuing Face Covering Emergency Order #3. No changes were made to the face covering requirements in Order #3:
Face coverings are also required while driving or riding in any form of public transportation.
Face coverings are required among people ages two and older when in any enclosed space open to the public where other people, except for members of the person's own household or living unit, are present.
The order will be in effect until Friday, November 5, 2021

Make Music Madison Thanks

Special thanks to Ken Lonnquist for kicking off our live WIDE-LP Make Music Madison broadcast yesterday and to The Folk Circus for winding up the broadcast. You can see photos of all the performers here.

Emergency Order #16

As described at https://www.cityofmadison.com/news/new-dane-county-public-health-order-r..., Emergency Order #16 will be in effect in Dane County from May 5 to June 2. The order further relaxes gathering limits, provided six feet of physical distancing are maintained at all times except when in transit.

Glenway Golf Park Project Update Meeting

As announced at noon on WIDE-LP on 4/28 and 4/29, a virtual Public Information Meeting will be held Thursday, April 29, 2021 - 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, on the Glenway Golf Park project. Set to begin this summer, the project promises to "improve the golf course, park, environment, and community." For details and the Register to Attend link you will need, see the City of Madison web page at https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/projects/glenway-golf-park.

Vaccine Q&A

Answers to general questions about COVID vaccines can be found at https://getvaccineanswers.org/ in any of 7 languages. This is a project of The COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative led by the Ad Council and the COVID Collaborative, with the involvement of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to build confidence around the COVID-19 vaccines.

Emergency Order #15

Emergency Order #15 goes into effect on Wednesday 4/7/21. For a summary of the changes see https://mailchi.mp/e2f4e0d75aef/covid-19-newsletter-926321?e=0a67b64d9f

Emergency Order #14

On March 10 Emergency Order #14 went into effect for Dane County relaxing certain COVID-19 provisions. A summary is available at https://mailchi.mp/6a177bf70e7d/covid-19-newsletter-925682?e=0a67b64d9f

Larger gatherings allowed

On Feb. 10 Public Health Madison & Dane County Emergency Order #13 goes into effect. It allows Dane County residents to gather in larger groups. For details see https://mailchi.mp/03a65520ef9f/covid-19-newsletter-925258.

Vaccine for 65 and older adults

On Jan. 19 the Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services released the following: Wisconsin Announces 65 and older Adults Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine Beginning January 25 https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/news/releases/011921.htm. The article says "Wisconsinites who are 65 and older will be able to access the vaccine through their health care provider, pharmacy, or local or tribal public health agency. ... Those being vaccinated directly through their health care provider will typically be contacted to schedule an appointment by their health care provider."

New COVID-19 Order for Dane County

Outdoor gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed by Emergency Order #12 starting Jan. 13. See https://mailchi.mp/53723e81fe94/covid-19-newsletter-924746

Program changes for 2021

We start the new year with several program changes on Sundays. Making Contact moves to 1 pm and Insights or Squaring the Strange on alternate weeks moves to 2 pm. In addition, older Squaring the Strange shows not previously aired will air every Sunday at 4 pm until we are caught up to date. This Week in Virology at 6 pm is being discontinued and an expanding Musical Time Machine, http://madisonwi.us/WIDE-LP/MTM/index.htm, is returning at 7 pm.

Madison Mainstream Radio
Barbara Park Treasurer
5610 Hammersley Rd
Madison WI 53711

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