Opinion/Editorial
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The Document Divide: Why public record laws are failing average Americans, and what to do about it

Freedom of information should be freedom of information for all. It is not. As we approach the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and celebrate National Sunshine Week M...
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Opinion/Editorial

Lay county committee members bring value

Taylor County should keep lay members of committees. When it comes to making decisions that have long-lasting impact on people and communities, more voices at the table are better. For years, appointed lay members have served on standing committees of the Taylor County Board. These individuals are not politicians and do not strive for elected office, but they do have something to give to the...

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Opinion/Editorial

Thanks to those who braved the storm

ā€œWisconsinites, as always, are helpers by nature, so please take good care, look out for each other, and take care of one another,ā€ Governor Tony Evers in his statement declaring a state of emergency prior to last weekendā€™s severe winter storm. A deadly combination of snow and strong winds blew through Wisconsin over the past weekend. In its wake, communities in Central Wisconsin reported...

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Vox Pop

Build communities to combat epidemic of loneliness

Loneliness and social disconnection have reached epidemic levels. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General reported that 50% of American adults experience loneliness. This is a serious public health concern. Why does it matter? Chronic loneliness places prolonged stress on body and mind. Its health impact is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness raises cortisol levels, increasing the r...

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Opinion/Editorial

The Document Divide: Why public record laws are failing average Americans, and what to do about it

Freedom of information should be freedom of information for all. It is not. As we approach the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and celebrate National Sunshine Week March 15-21, we look back at the signing of the law by Lyndon B. Johnson on July 4, 1966: ā€œI signed this measure with a deep sense of pride that the United States is an open society in which the peop...

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Opinion/Editorial

Wis. legislators still give selves a ā€˜bizarreā€™ loophole in public records law

All public employees in Wisconsin must retain records, per the stateā€™s open records law. Except one group. The ones who wrote that law. State legislators have exempted themselves from the retention portion of the law. Some want to change that. ā€œThe public should not have to worry about legislators having secret conversations or deleting emails,ā€ said state Rep. Clinton Anderson (D-Belo...

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Opinion/Editorial

Raise road weight limit for maple sap haulers

From the moment the maple sap leaves the tree, the clock is ticking. Depending on air temperature and local conditions, maple syrup producers have as little as a few hours to get fresh sap from collection points to where it is processed. Unfortunately, for maple syrup producers, state road weight limit laws hobble them in their race against time and in the process put Wisconsin manufacturers...

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