STEPHANIE JONES
LAKE GENEVA â With Wisconsinâs tourism secretary position opening, area senators and state representatives want someone with a strong tourism background to fill it.
Secretary-designee Sara Meaney recently announced she is leaving, with Tourism Deputy Secretary Anne Sayers serving as interim secretary for the tourism department.
On Dec. 1, state representatives â including Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) and Reps. Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva) and Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) â stated their vision for the ideal Wisconsin tourism secretary.
âAppointing a strong, experienced voice for our tourism industry will set Wisconsin on a path to take advantage of the return of restaurant patrons, waterslide enthusiasts, concert goers, and families that have grown to enjoy everything that Wisconsinâs tourism industry has had to offer,â the letter stated.
STEPHANIE JONES
Last week, Wisconsin officials announced over $33 million in COVID-19 grants for event venues and hotels throughout the state.
Nearly $1 million will go to Walworth County event venues such as Alpine Valley Music Theater, in East Troy; Tristan Crist Magic Theatre, in Lake Geneva; and Rosewood, in Delavan.
About $300,000 in grants will go to hotels in the areas of Lake Geneva and Delavan.
For some, the grants were a lifeline, but for others, it wasnât enough to prevent another round of furloughs this Christmas season.
Low numbersâEvery penny counts right now,â said Tammie Carstensen, general manager for Harbor Shores on Lake Geneva, 300 Wrigley Drive.