Around Town

REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE TO MEET: The Village of Iola’s Revitalization & Park Committee will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 4:30 p.m. in the Iola Village Hall. The agenda includes these items: Compare and combine Village Outdoor Project lists for our Outdoor Recreation Plan, Fundraising Ideas, and other business. Revitalization Committee members are: Alan Bauer, chair; Jennifer Schustek, Heather Hoyord, Joe Opperman, and Greg Loescher. Parks Committee members are: Aaron Messier, chair, Pamela Parks, and Alan Bauer. Community representatives include Chris Nelson, Holly Neumann, Meagan Melum, and Tammie Jo Berg.

PEOPLE PONDERING: Seems like January is a month for reflection. Some comments on Facebook have people indicate that they’d like a hardware store and a small engine repair shop in the I-S area. Sliced Pizza is wondering what’s a pizza they haven’t made that people would like to see created with “weird toppings, creative crusts, deconstructed sandwiches or meals …” If you have the best suggestion, you could win a $50 gift card.

THINGS WE WISHED WE HAD IN OUR TRUCK BUT DIDN’T GIVEAWAY WINNER: Melum Masonry had a spur-of-the-moment giveaway, and the winner is Ashley Ridge. Congratulations! The humorous event was the result of getting stuck twice in a week.

Job Opportunities

THIRTY PERCH: This Iola business needs a part-time cook. Apply in person.

Around the County

MENTAL HEALTH COMMITMENT: Former Waupaca County Assistant District Attorney Ben Szilagyi was convicted of four counts related to threats made to a judge, but was then found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. He was committed on Wednesday, Jan. 14, to a state mental health facility for eight months, court records show. Read the WTAQ story here.

SAVE THE DATE: Casino Royale, a fundraiser by the Rotary Club of Waupaca, will be held on Friday, Feb. 20, at Indian Crossing Casino from 7-11 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person.

Around the State

WISCONSINEYE: The state’s version of C-Span went “dark” as of Dec. 15 due to financial constraints. Democrats want to restore or replace it. WisconsinEye provided live coverage of events at the state Capitol.

ELECTION-RELATED BILLS: State Democratic lawmakers introduced a package of 25 bills Thursday that they say are aimed at protecting voters and elections in Wisconsin. One bill in the package would shorten the residency requirement for a person to be able to vote at a certain address from at least 28 days before the election to 10 days, which is what state law required before 2011.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?: ICE officers have dubbed an oncoming presence in Milwaukee County as Operation Cheese Sweep.

NO TAX ON TIPS OR OT: The Wisconsin Assembly — seeking to align state policy with Trump administration initiatives — passed a bill Thursday, Jan. 15, to exempt overtime pay and tips from income tax. AB 38 (61-33 vote) would implement an income tax exemption for cash tips paid to an employee that would sunset in 2028.  The deduction would apply to tips whether paid by cash or credit. Read the Wisconsin Examiner story here.

STATE SURPLUS: The State of Wisconsin is expected to have a $2.3 billion surplus effective June 20, 2027, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. It’s the result of the nearly $1.4 billion in increased tax collections and $104 million in additional departmental non-tax revenues. Read the The Center Square story here.

Interesting Facts

In the daily surfing of the internet, some interesting facts arise that are worth sharing. These are a few recently seen.

PRESIDENT AND PREACHER: James A. Garfield held several varied roles: lawyer, canal worker, Civil War general, and preacher. To this day, he is the only U.S. President who was also an ordained minister. His affiliation was with the Disciples of Christ.

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ASTROPHYSICIST: What rock legend received a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Imperial College of London in 2008? Though he started his pursuit of an advanced degree in the early 1970s, two albums in 1973 and 1974 put that pursuit on hold. The guitarist and backing vocalist is Brian May of Queen. He now works with NASA and the European Space Agency.