We’ve reached the Summer Solstice and you’ve reached today’s Key Reads.
Wisconsin’s former Porno Chancellor (TM pending) has been paid handsomely to sit at home as his fate as a faculty member was being adjudicated. Yesterday marked day one of a faculty hearing in which the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse made it’s case for removing Joe Gow from its faculty. Gow is arguing that he should be able to remain as a Porno Professor, because he has tenure and his starring in and disseminating of phonographic videos is protected speech.
The University is arguing that Gow’s antics have made them a national laughingstock. They are, in our opinion, under estimating the damage Gow has done to the University’s reputation. But his fate is now partially in the hands of the faculty, because of the ridiculous shared governance scheme under which Wisconsin’s public universities are governed.
The disciplinary hearing ran for several hours yesterday, with UW-L administration presenting it’s case and calling witnesses that Gow then cross examined. The hearing should conclude today, with Gow presenting his case.
‘We don’t want to be known as PornU,’ interim UW-La Crosse chancellor says at first day of Joe Gow hearing | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Joe Gow was removed as University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor for creating sex videos posted on porn websites. Should he also be fired from his faculty position?
That’s the question facing a group of Gow’s colleagues this week. Wednesday, they heard Gow and the university administration start to make their cases in the first of a two-day public hearing that closely resembles a trial — with witnesses, cross-examinations and closing statements. The second day of the hearing is Thursday.
For UW-La Crosse, the hearing is the first step in a two-part process to finally purge Gow from its payroll and move on from what many see as an embarrassing chapter that damaged the university’s reputation
…The prosecution’s star witness, interim UW-La Crosse Chancellor Betsy Morgan, believes Gow should be fired for a pattern of concerning behavior that she claims Gows fails to understand is harmful to the university’s reputation.
…The longtime chair of the communication studies department, where Gow would teach if he can return to the classroom, said she and other colleagues would hardly welcome him.
UW-La Crosse Professor Linda Dickmeyer said she and other professors periodically invited Gow to speak to their classes because of his academic background in communication studies.
…Because Gow hasn’t taught in about 20 years, Dickmeyer suggested he would teach introductory communications classes if he were to return. She cited concern about the “vulnerable audience” of mostly freshmen who enroll in these classes and the “notoriety” that would follow him into class, pointing to a recent media interview where he said he would invite questions from students about his lifestyle.
“I’m very concerned again with a captive audience,” she said. “That is not the place to talk about what he does with his hobby.”
…”In most employment settings, if someone were fired for being the CEO for engaging in this conduct, the employer relationship would come to an end,” [UW-L attorney Wade] Harrison said. “Outside of higher ed, there would not be a backup position to rescue Dr. Gow’s employment status. Dr. Gow should not be rescued.”
It’s County Fair season. With the bird flu hovering about, public health officials are hoping their words of caution, and not the flu itself, spreads throughout the state.
Wisconsin monitoring bird flu in animals ahead of summer fair season | The Center Square
Wisconsin’s public health managers don’t want the bird flu to ruin fair season this summer.
The state’s Department of Health Services and Department of Agriculture announced plans to monitor fairs across the state this year for the bird flu.
“Obviously it is a concern for us having had the avian flu going from mammals to people, and from poultry to mammals to people as well. Right now, the risk is still being said to be very low. We’ve only had three cases in the United States so far this year,” DHS epidemiologist Tom Haupt said.
None of those cases are in Wisconsin.
None of those cases are in Wisconsin.
“We want to assure the public that it’s not a panic situation as yet. The risk is very low at this particular point of mammals to human transmission,” he said.
State Veterinarian Daelrene Konkel said there have not yet been any cases of the bird flu in Wisconsin’s dairy cows, though there have been cases in Iowa and Minnesota.
Konkel said the DATCP has tested nearly 700 cows for SAR this year but has not tested any human beings for the bird flu.
Konkel says a lot more cows will be tested as the summer fair season kicks off.
“We have reached out to the Wisconsin Fairs Association and some of the earlier fairs coming up this season,” Konkel explained. “As many of you know, DATCP released news last week that we are requiring the testing of lactating dairy cattle moving within Wisconsin before attending a fair, or exhibition.”
Haupt said there are no plans to mass test anyone in Wisconsin as of yet and he said DHS is not suggesting people without flu symptoms get tested either.
Though Haput said DHS is asking doctors across the state to keep the bird flu in mind when seeing patients this summer.
“What we are really asking providers to do is ask for animal exposure. ‘Do they live on a farm? Have they been to a fair, where they have gone through the barns?’ We want the providers to ask questions about that,” Haput said.
As for fair visitors, both public health managers and the Department of Ag say the best thing visitors can do is to wash their hands.
“Basic common sense measures to, you know keep, yourself safe around animals would also extend to Avian Influenza,” Dr. Angie Maxted, with DHS, added. “[Things] such as making sure that hands are washed appropriately. That the small children are not able to lick surfaces that that other animals may have touched, or and making sure to keep strollers and pacifiers out of animal areas. Just basic common sense measures will go a long way against H5N1 or any other disease and animals may have.”
The national experts do not have high hopes for this year’s incarnation of the University of Wisconsin football team.
Wisconsin Badgers football team gets little love in preseason ranking | The Cap Times
Athlon doesn’t think much of the Badgers or their chances in the expanded Big Ten. They’re predicted for eighth behind Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Penn State, USC, Iowa and Nebraska.
Even though they don’t have a conference position group ranking higher than fifth (the UW offensive line), they are tabbed to face Kentucky in the Music City Bowl in Nashville.
In its preseason rankings, Athlon has Wisconsin at No. 34 in the nation, one spot behind Nebraska. It’s somewhat curious since the Badgers have won 10 straight against the Huskers….
…Athlon also wrote this in its Final Analysis: “If the Badgers struggle to score against the bottom half of the Big Ten again, there will be calls to pull the plug on the Air Raid experiment.’’
Sizing up the strength of the UW’s schedule — featuring not only Alabama but Penn State, Iowa, Oregon and USC — Athlon concluded, “It’s difficult to imagine a great season.’’
Meanwhile, the Packers are gearing up for a Super Bowl season.
The greatest franchise in professional sports does great things off the field, too.
Packers Foundation awards $1.75 million in impact grants to organizations serving Brown, Dane and Milwaukee counties | Packers.com
The Green Bay Packers Foundation announced this week it has awarded a total of $1.75 million in impact grants to ten nonprofit organizations serving Brown, Dane and Milwaukee counties.
A record total amount awarded at one time for the Impact Grant Program, which first began in 2013, the grants are aimed at directing significant funds toward organizations that serve their communities each day. The grants were celebrated at a luncheon Wednesday with representatives from each organization.
The grants of varying amounts were awarded to five organizations in Brown County, two in Dane County, two in Milwaukee County and one serving both Brown and Milwaukee counties. Some grants are matching grants, which require each recipient organization to raise the same amount to secure the donation.
“The Packers Foundation is pleased to award a record amount in impact grants to 10 organizations doing critically important work in their communities,” said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. “From education, mentoring and community building programs to providing care and support for our most vulnerable neighbors, the grant recipients will create direct and lasting impacts throughout the state of Wisconsin.”
In Brown County:
• Brown County United Way received a $125,000 matching grant to support the development, implementation and evaluation of programing offered to community members at the City East Center in Green Bay.
• Cornerstone Community Center Inc. received a $200,000 matching grant for updating and expanding their facility to enhance ice availability and youth development, increase seating to attract more events, and provide a state-of-the-art facility for St. Norbert College Men’s Hockey.
• Encompass Early Education and Care, Inc., received a $250,000 matching grant to expand childcare opportunities in Northeastern Wisconsin.
• Friends of Pals Youth & Families Inc. received a $250,000 matching grant to help expand and enhance their Family Center facility to provide a safe, home-like environment for court ordered supervised visits.
• The National Railroad Museum received a $200,000 matching grant for their Fox River Expansion Project, which is working to nearly double the size of the Museum’s Lenfestey Center.
In Milwaukee County:
• College Possible received a $125,000 matching grant to grow their college-readiness strategy program to be more accessible statewide by helping implement new staffing strategies, providing career exploration and expanding support to students transitioning from a two-year to four-year degree-granting institution.
• MENTOR Greater Milwaukee received a $75,000 matching grant to enhance mentorship through community building and increased awareness to the surrounding areas.
In Brown and Milwaukee counties:
• Marian University, Inc., received a $250,000 matching grant to contribute to their Dr. George E. Koonce Scholars Program to provide support to first-generation, low-income students in Green Bay, Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine.
Since the Impact Grant Program began in 2013, the Packers Foundation has disbursed $11.15 million through impact grants, awarding grants to organizations that focus on a wide variety of need areas, including education, homelessness, and the health and wellbeing of children, families and the elderly. The Foundation now has distributed more than $24 million for charitable purposes since it was established in 1986. The Green Bay Packers Foundation is part of Green Bay Packers Give Back, the Packers’ all-encompassing community outreach initiative. Packers Give Back includes appearances by players, alumni, coaches and staff, monetary and in-kind donations, community events, Make-A-Wish visits, football outreach and much more. These efforts contribute to a comprehensive Packers charity impact that was in excess of $11 million last year.
The Packers are a class organization and the young, talented team is poised for a long run of success. We’ll remain optimistic for the Badgers, as well. National experts be damned.
That’s all for today. Be sure to check out the main site for our latest feature articles and any pressing news that breaks between now and Friday.
