A recent cold spell has caused students on the University of Wisconsin campus to remain indoors and take extra measures to stay warm.
UW freshman Conner Bills said though the cold temperatures have not generally affected his daily activities, they have made it difficult to be social.
“If I have to do something outside I’ll suffer through it and try to dress as best I can,” Bills said. “As a freshman, COVID restrictions in the dorms have made it difficult to hang out with my friends because in the nicer weather we could usually do outdoor activities.”
UW freshman Tommy Kriewaldt also said he tries to stay mostly inside but layers up properly when venturing outside. Kriewaldt said he usually bundles up by wearing a shirt and sweatshirt underneath a heavy winter coat along with a winter hat.
The WHO expert team finished their four-week trip to China last week.At a press conference, they announced that any leak of the virus from a lab was unlikely, while the Wuhan wet market s role remains unclear
Madisonian’s who identify as Black, Indigenous or a Person of Color are less likely to seek mental health help, despite increased reports of anxiety and depression due to a higher number of COVID-19 cases.
According to the Madison Public Health website, the percentage of COVID-19 cases among Black residents is three times higher than those who are white and Hispanic cases are 2.3 times higher.
Black, Hispanic and Latino populations are 2.8 times more likely than their white counterparts to die from COVID-19 and American Indian or Alaska Native citizens are 2.6 times more likely to die, according to the CDC.
Behavioral Health Consultant at Access Community Health Centers in Madison Martha Saucedo said COVID-19 has exacerbated economic disparities, which causes stress.
In tonight’s meeting, the Student Services Finance Committee debated RecWell’s proposed 2022 budget, centering around RecWell’s request for an additional $1.20 in segregated student fees.
They also voted to approve the Wisconsin Union’s 2022 budget.
According to RecWell Director Aaron Hobson, the COVID-19 pandemic has been financially difficult for RecWell. In fiscal year 2021, RecWell had projected that they’d make $2.1 million dollars in Alternative Funding money from sources such as summer youth camps and community gym memberships Hobson said. Instead, they ended up spending $164,200 to refund such sources.
Hobson said although RecWell would use the proposed increase to keep their budget neutral, 40% of any segregated fee funding would go to RecWell student-worker salaries.
WEC Energy Group proposed plans to build a 310-megawatt solar and battery storage project in Kenosha County.
If approved, the Paris Solar-Battery Park would be the biggest of its kind in the state. This park is part of the company’s plan to invest $2 billion in renewable energy by 2025, according to the WEC press release.
La Follette School of Public Affairs professor Gregory Nemet said in an email to The Badger Herald that WEC Energy Group has not announced a price, but it’s in the order of $200 million.
The project would have 200-megawatts of solar generation. That would be enough to power 60,000 homes while also utilizing its 110-megawatt battery in order to continue to provide power when the sun goes down, according to WEC.