JANESVILLE
âThis is part of the state test. You donât make this, you go home,â barked firefighting instructor Paul Yakowenko to a class of recruits from Blackhawk Technical College last week.
Yakowenko was teaching a basic technique: passing through a 16-inch gap between two studs in a burning house in full gear, including a mask and air tank.
The training at the Janesville Fire Departmentâs training center was part of a course called Firefighter 1.
The state requires 60 hours of instruction before a recruit can go on a call.
Many fire departments require additional training, driven by the fear of lawsuits from damage or injury resulting from wrong decisions by young volunteers, said Rob Balsamo, fire science coordinator at Blackhawk Tech.
$70 million in monthly aid jeopardized after court ruling ended governor’s pandemic emergency order. //end headline wrapper ?>Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee
Gov. Tony Evers steps away from the lectern after speaking to reporters about a COVID-19 vaccination clinic Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, at Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Gov.
Tony Evers said Tuesday that his administration had struck a deal with the federal government to allow Wisconsin to continue receiving more than $70 million per month in food assistance.
The funding which was set aside for states with statewide COVID-19 emergency declarations had been in limbo ever since the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Evers’ last statewide emergency order and mask mandate.
JANESVILLE
Betty Johns and Annie Kessler can be found Thursday afternoons in the gift shop at SSM Health St. Mary s Hospital-Janesville, where they argue about rival baseball teams or pore over cooking magazines when they re not helping customers.
The pair chat like lifelong friends, but they met just a couple of years ago while volunteering at the hospital.
Their responsibilities include the gift shop and baking cookies in the lobby during the highly anticipated monthly cookie days.
Their post at the gift shop involves more than just sales. They re there to provide a listening ear or word of advice for people who are visiting loved ones on some of their bestâor worstâdays.
They are:
David Feingold is a retired lawyer from Janesville who organized and took stands for justice in diverse communities and marched often with Martin Luther King Jr. After a 37-year career as a lawyer, he is now a shelter volunteer and social advocate.
Roger Feldman is an internationally recognized economics professor, emeritus, at the University of Minnesota. Rachel Halpern is a health care researcher with a major health care company. They suggested a unified plan to eliminate poverty for all people.
Professor Rongal Watson is co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Beloit. At Beloit College, he teaches courses about racism in government and politics, as well as inequality in health.