– Letter to the Editor –
Letter to the Editor:
April is MISSING PERSONS AWARENESS MONTH.
Once again, the City of Cornell is displaying the green rope lights along Bridge Street, between Second Street and Eighth Street, for the month of April. These lights represent missing children and were started when one of our local families was missing a child. Thankfully, this young person is safe.
We continue to use these lights to spread awareness of all missing persons.
Gov. Tony Evers issued a proclamation March 31, declaring April as “Statewide Missing Persons Awareness Month.” Information from the National Missing Persons and Unidentifi ed (NamUs) database, says that 600,000 individuals go missing in the United States, every year.
Approximately, 2,300 Americans are reported missing every day, not including Americans who go missing while in other countries.
Every missing person deserves to be found. There are currently 179 missing persons and 50 unidentified persons from Wisconsin.
Currently missing from our local area include, Sara Bushland, Spooner, missing since April 3, 1996; Tammy Jovaag, Holcombe, missing since June 30, 2015; and Shannah Boiteau, Chippewa Falls, missing since June 22, 2016. If anyone has any information about any case, please contact the authorities.
Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy, Inc., Green Bay, is having a Facebook public event April 10, called “Lights of Hope.” Lights of Hope is an event where anyone can participate in bringing hope to families of the missing.
Participants can make a luminary in honor of a missing person or with words of encouragement to the families. Participants can take a photo of their luminaries and post them on the Facebook page of Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy, Inc.
You can also watch for the Lamar digital billboards that will show the names of all of Wisconsin’s missing, during April.
Because of COVID-19, we are not holding a Missing Person Awareness Event in Cornell this year. Please watch for an event to return next April.
Thank you!
Kathy Swanson, Cornell
