I’m Jason Zaleski filling in for your regular host, Branden Bodendorfer, and you’re watching On Focus, where we recap the news that matters to you.
The first quarter of any year is often rough on local businesses, with holiday shopping over and tax returns still underway. This year, two local small businesses – Blue Heron Brewpub and The Sports Den – teamed up in an effort to encourage people to go shopping and out to eat this time of year. To get involved, people are encouraged to “like” and then “follow” both businesses and keep an eye out for giveaways.
Covering everything from unemployment statistics to population trends, the Sixth Edition of “Vital Signs” publication is now available. Produced through a partnership between Marshfield Area United Way and the Marshfield Area Community Foundation (MACF), the project represents the two organizations’ joint interest in and commitment to understanding the Marshfield community’s well-being across a series of civic, economic and social indicators. Find out how Marshfield fared in areas such as population, construction, housing value, foreclosures, unemployment, income, economic assistance, and food insecurity.
Marshfield Area Pet Shelter moved to the Holiday Inn for its popular 7th annual “Paws & Pancakes” breakfast fundraiser on Sunday, February 25th, which previously broke attendance records at the now-closed Knights of Columbus Hall. Despite icy weather, a total of 818 people enjoyed a delicious breakfast, fun raffles, and other great opportunities to help local animals, raising more than $10,000 for daily operations at the shelter.
Hearing that your child has cancer is every parent’s worst nightmare, one that Derek and Becky Dieringer know all too well after their son, Ryan, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. Ewing’s is a particularly rare form of bone and soft tissue cancer that typically affects children and young adults – only about 200 children are diagnosed with it each year in the U.S. The family discovered the 1 Million 4 Anna Foundation, and Derek nominated the 1 Million 4 Anna Foundation to receive Security Health Plan’s monthly $1,000 Employee-Driven Corporate Giving Award in February.
The funds will be used to help a Wisconsin recipient, depending on his or her needs: partial funding of a college scholarship, family monetary assistance for a Wisconsin teen battling cancer, or a donation of spirit-lifting packages for teens fighting cancer at one of the area children’s hospitals. Ryan has been cancer-free now for 21 months and we wish him and his family all the best!
And our number 1 story of the week. Marshfield’s McDonalds is getting some new technology. Branden Bodendorfer interviewed the Marshfield area restaurant manager, Tony Conner, who highlighted the restaurant’s new features. Conner says that while the kiosks aren’t fully functioning yet, he hopes to have the kiosks up and running by March 22nd.
Thank YOU for tuning in. Check back next week for more On Focus news.
