By Jamie Perez
Apr 1, 2021 11:42 AM
MADISON, Wis. The hardships of the pandemic have forced people out of their homes, put businesses out of work and increased unemployment rates. The Beacon staff have been working under more stressful conditions to try to help as many people as possible get back on their feet.
“I don’t think people realize just how easy it is to become homeless,” said Beacon’s Community Partner Relations Specialist Nici Hawkins.
Hawkins said she’s seen people from all walks of life asking for help over the past year.
“A lot of businesses closed down, hours were cut,” she said. “So we do have quite a few people that were here for those reasons. Even people that were in transition to Madison for work and then they got here and the job was not available.”
By Brandon Arbuckle
Apr 1, 2021 4:02 PM
MADISON, Wis. At least four people in Dane County have experienced an overdose within the past 24 hours, according to public health officials.
Public Health Madison & Dane County and Madison police issued a public health alert Thursday due to the rise in drug-involved overdoses in the county. A similar public health alert was issued around the same time last year.
The alert is designed to raise community awareness and notify the public of the increased risk for overdose.
Officials said the cause of the recent spike is unknown, though it’s possible the mixture of illicit street drugs in the community could have changed.
By Jaymes Langrehr
Apr 1, 2021 10:14 AM
JANESVILLE, Wis. There’s a new website available to help people in Rock County find information and appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine.
RockCountyShot.com launched Thursday morning, giving people a place to find answers to their questions, a map of vaccinators in the area, and other needs. The hope is the site will give people an easy place to start when looking for information or appointments.
“Health care providers and public officials are working diligently to keep our community apprised of vaccination updates, yet the sheer volume of information coming from so many different sources can make it difficult for folks to know where to begin,” said United Way Blackhawk Region President & CEO Mary Fanning-Penny.
By Madalyn O Neill
Mar 31, 2021 9:40 PM
MADISON, Wis. – Many health experts agree we’re in a race between getting everyone vaccinated and the spread of coronavirus variants.
The more contagious and potentially dangerous B.1.1.7 variant originating in the UK is becoming the dominant strain in some parts of the country.
COVID-19 has rewritten our lives’ narratives, and if you read the fine print, the coronavirus tells a story of its own.
O’Connor’s lab on campus, along with three others including the State Laboratory of Hygiene, are doing genome testing on coronavirus sample strains.
“The process is kind of like reading a book that has 30,000 letters from each sample,” O’Connor explained.