Rail Labor Dispute Threatens the National Economy - Take Action

The nation is on the precipice of economic disaster as we move full speed ahead to a nationwide rail shutdown that could begin as early as next week. 

Why it matters: A stoppage of rail service for any duration would be extremely damaging to American families and our economy. 

•   Thousands of workers will face immediate furloughs in factories across the country without the materials they need to do their jobs.

•   A rail stoppage would immediately lead to supply shortages and higher prices. 

•   The cessation of Amtrak and commuter rail services would disrupt up to 7 million travelers a day. 

•   Many businesses would see their sales disrupted right in the middle of the critical holiday shopping season. 

•   The American agricultural community could see disruptions in transporting 6,300 carloads of food and farm products that are carried by rail daily.

Take Action: Tell Congress to act now and prevent a national rail strike. Congress must intervene before the end of the current “status quo” period on Friday, December 9, 2022 to protect our critical infrastructure and ensure continued rail service.

Tourism Marketing Manager: WE ARE HIRING! Unfortunately, Jessica Helman moved back to Minneapolis, and we are in the process of looking for the next great Beaver Dam Tourism Marketing Manager. If you know someone that may be interested, you can find a job description at this link. However, please have them apply directly to info@beaverdamchamber.com with a cover letter and resume.

Executive Assistant: Congratulations to Barb and Kevin Turner as they welcomed their son, Liam, into the world on November 17th. Mom and Liam are doing well. It is Barb's intention to return to work after maternity leave and in the interim we are grateful to Board member and Ambassador, Kraig Kasten, for working at the Chamber while we wait and work to fill these positions again.

Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce

Annual Christmas Party

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

5:30 – 8:00 pm

Chapel of the Arch Angels

Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce Members and guests are invited to join us for the Annual Christmas Party!

Bring an appetizer to share if you are able, but it is not required.

Some appetizers will be provided and free beer will be on tap thanks to our sponsors. Music will be provided by our member Tabula Rasa Acoustic Trio and so much fun is in store for YOU!

Please RSVP, so we may better plan a great night for YOU but walk-ins are always welcome!

Santa's Hometown Holiday Adventure

This Saturday! December 3, 2022

10 am - noon for most adventures

The Chamber in cooperation with a number of partners has a fun morning in store for you! Take your kiddos on an adventure around town for give-aways, crafts, character greets and holiday experiences. Click below for the list of fun!

Learn More

Cocoa Walk & Shop

This Saturday! December 3, 2022

10 am- 5 pm

For the LOVE OF CHOCOLATE! Bring your sweetheart or just your sweet tooth to enjoy delicious samples of hot cocoa and chocolate treats while shopping small for the holidays in Beaver Dam. Then stay in Beaver Dam for the Holiday Parade at 5:30 pm!

Enjoy shopping and sampling! Shopping doesn't get sweeter than this! List of Participating Locations

CESA 6 Webinar - Youth Apprenticeship

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

5:30 - 6 pm

Login to learn about the amazing and unique benefits that Youth Apprenticeship can offer students. More than 3,000 students across the region participate with local employer mentors on an annual basis. Current 10-12 Grades students can learn about participation timelines and opportunities. 

NOTE: This presentation is geared toward students.

Learn More and Register

All of Us Research Program

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Noon - 1:00 PM

Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce

(virtual access can be made available)

$17 Optional Lunch

Join us as Tammy Bieneck, a Community Engagement Specialist with the All of Us Research Program at Marshfield Clinic Health System shares an opportunity to be a part of the All of Us Research Program. The mission of All of Us is to accelerate health and medical breakthroughs, enabling individualized prevention, treatment and care. 

She would like to share the importance and benefits of their research program with you, your employees and staff, and our community. Feel free to view their website at www.Marshfield.JoinAllofUs.org or their national website at www.JoinAllofUs.org to learn more. 

The All of Us Research Program is seeking to enroll underrepresented individuals in research (such as our rural populations, lower socioeceonomic and older populations); however, EVERYONE is welcome to join. Enrollment in the program is free, there is no charge to you or your insurance, and it is a very minimal time commitment. You will receive a gift card as a thank you for your time. Participants have the opportunity to receive information back such as researcher results, ancestry results and other genetic information. You do not need to be a Marshfield Clinic patient to participate. 

Many factors affect our health including genetics, lifestyle, environment and social, just to name a few. Our community is unique in many of these aspects and thus our health and healthcare can be impacted differently.  This is an important opportunity for our community members to have their health needs understood and to help improve the health of future generations.  

If interested, you may also contact her directly to discuss this information further.  bieneck.tammy@marshfieldresearch.org, office 715-389-3847, cell phone 715-305-0276.   

Breakfast Network

Our Guest: Cameron Clapper

Dodge County Administrator

Our Host: Green Valley Enterprises

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

7:45 - 9:00 am

Chamber members are invited to join us for a continental breakfast at Green Valley Enterprises in Beaver Dam. Our guest will be Cameron Clapper, the new Dodge County Administrator. Get to know Cameron, and learn about his initial impressions of the State of Dodge County, and get to know more about Green Valley Enterprises/Opportunity Inc with a tour of their facility.

Expand your network and your awareness at our bi-monthly Breakfast Networking events. Register, so we can plan better, but walk-ins are always welcome. $5 Suggested continental breakfast donation.

Business After Hours 

Momentum Gym

900 Green Valley Road

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

5:00 – 7:00 PM

Come and meet Keagen Stofflet and Braeden Bowman, young entrepreneurs who have their sites set on improving the health of Beaver Dam residents. These motivated young men have transformed their gym and their clients and invite you to see all the great things that are happening there.

Held in a relaxed environment, Business After Hours is a relationship-building experience that benefits you and your company through added contacts, information, and resources. Plus, they're fun!

Please RSVP for the host's planning purposes, but walk-ins are always welcome.

Is your Company leveraging all of its Data as an Asset?

On average, 60% to 73% of all data within an enterprise goes unused for analytics. And although real-time data is the foundation of "smart manufacturing", that statistic is even higher in the Manufacturing industry. Tomorrow at 10AM, Wipfli will illustrate in a WMC members-only webinar how organizations are leveraging data analytics technology to eliminate data silos, decrease manual reporting efforts, and increase decision-making velocity across the business.

Register for Webinar here

Longtime State Sen. Alberta Darling announces retirement, special election to be called by Gov. Evers

After serving 32 years in the state Legislature, Senator Alberta Darling announced she will be retiring on Dec. 1. Sen. Darling (R-River Hills) was first elected to the state Assembly in 1990, then moved on to serve in the Senate in 1992. The 78-year-old's retirement will trigger a special election that will be called by Gov. Tony Evers to fill her remaining four-year term. Evers could pick any day to hold the special election.

Click here to learn more

Vos reappoints Born as Assembly chair of Finance Committee

Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) reappointed Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) as the Assembly co-chair of the powerful Joint Finance Committee. Vos appointed Born chair of the committee in December 2020 to replace Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) who resigned from the Legislature shortly after winning reelection. Born will again team up with Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) to lead the budget committee.

Click here to learn more

Gas prices continue to drop

Gas prices are continuing to fall and could bring much-needed relief to households nationwide throughout the holiday season. According to GasBuddy, the average price for a gallon of gas nationally is now $3.52 after falling 12.4 cents over the last week. Last week, Wisconsin had the largest drop in prices; this week, they round out the top five by declining 19 cents. AAA reports the average price for a gallon of gas in Wisconsin is just over the $3 benchmark: $3.16.

Click here to learn more

Inflation fight could last until 2024, Fed official warns

A top Federal Reserve official anticipates that interest rates need to rise further and stay high for some time as the central bank remains committed to corralling stubbornly high consumer prices. In a speech on Monday, New York Fed President John Williams said that policymakers have more work to do in order to control inflation, which remains "far too high."

Click here to learn more

Protests against Covid controls erupt across China

Rare protests broke out across China over the weekend as groups of people vented their frustration over the zero-Covid policy. The unrest came as infections surged, prompting more local Covid controls, while a central government policy change earlier this month had raised hopes of a gradual easing. It was not immediately clear whether the protests reached a meaningful scale in a country of 1.4 billion people, or whether a wide demographic participated.

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US stock indexes fall as lockdown protests spread in China

A broad slide on Wall Street left stocks lower Monday as global financial markets reacted to protests in China calling for President Xi Jinping to step down amid growing anger over severe COVID-19 restrictions. The unrest stoked worries on Wall Street that if Xi cracks down even further on dissidents there or expands the lockdowns, it could slow the Chinese economy, which would hurt oil prices and global economic growth, said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA.

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Elon Musk claims Apple has threatened to remove the Twitter app

Twitter owner Elon Musk claimed on Monday in a series of tweets that Apple had threatened to remove the Twitter app from the App Store as part of its app review moderation process. “Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why,” Musk tweeted. Apple’s App Store is the only way to distribute software to iPhones. If the Twitter app were pulled, the social network would lose one of its main distribution platforms, although the service is available for the web.

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Patrick Flesch Promoted to CEO at Gordon Flesch Company

Patrick Flesch, President of Gordon Flesch Company (GFC) was unanimously elected at the recent Board of Directors meeting as the company’s new CEO. He will now carry the dual title of President and CEO. As a part of this change, former CEO Tom Flesch will retain the title of Chairman and will continue to be involved in the strategic direction of the company. “These changes are in the best interest of our family and our business,” says Tom Flesch, Chairman at GFC.

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Briggs & Stratton charges into electrification via battery-powered zero-turn mower

The Simplicity brand will launch the first in an anticipated series of new “electrification” products from Briggs & Stratton under its new owners — a battery-powered zero-turn mower. Briggs & Stratton announced in May forming an electrification organization within the Wauwatosa-based company’s power business unit solely focused on executing an electrification strategy. Briggs & Stratton unveiled the Simplicity BlueVolt CZ1 at the recent Equip Exposition trade show and will begin deliveries in spring 2023.

Click here to learn more

This Wisconsin cheese company paid the mortgages of 28 Milwaukee Habitat homeowners for a year.

“It definitely came in my time of need, like it was sent from God when I needed it the most,” Rishonda Smith said when describing how she felt when she was told Sargento Foods Inc. would pay her mortgage for a year. Smith, a Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity homeowner for about six years, was one of 28 homeowners to learn that through a donation from Sargento, their mortgages will be paid for a year. Sargento CEO Louie Gentine said the company wanted to do something special for Habitat homeowners, who show great pride in their homes and play critical roles in rebuilding their communities.

Click here to learn more

Milwaukee Bucks partner with Amazon to launch store using first-in-Wisconsin technology

New technology is helping Milwaukee Bucks fans return to the action faster when purchasing beverages at the Fiserv Forum. Last week, the arena opened The Market by Michelob ULTRA using Amazon's "Just Walk Out" shopping experience on the main concourse. The Bucks are the first in Wisconsin to use the technology, which allows fans to grab drinks and snacks without waiting in line to check out.

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UW Health nurses say they’ll appeal WERC decision

Nurses at UW Health say they will be appealing the decision by the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission that their employer isn’t required to recognize their union. In a statement Friday, registered nurses Mary Jorgensen, Colin Gillis and Sarah Langland say the WERC’s ruling “does not impact” ongoing negotiations with UW Health leadership or their efforts to form a union.

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Opioids and overdose risk: Study looks at on- vs. off-the-job injuries

For people who are prescribed opioids to treat injury-related pain, experiencing their injury on the job may have a “protective effect” against the risk of future drug overdose. Researchers found that patients with no known history of opioid use were 27% more likely to experience an illicit drug overdose after being prescribed opioids to treat injury-related pain than those who weren’t prescribed opioids or opioid agonist therapy. However, those who were injured at work were 38% less likely to experience an overdose than those who were injured away from work.

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