On March 28, Gov. Evers attended the groundbreaking for the Ladysmith Community Center and Lindoo School Apartments, a project funded in part by a $3 million NIF grant. Ladysmith Elementary School was closed in 2018 and is now being repurposed into a housing and community center. Northpointe Development was selected as the developer, proposing a project that would convert the school into 40 workforce housing units while partnering with the city of Ladysmith to use a portion of the building as the community’s recreation center. The project will also include a skate park, an ADA-accessible playground, and other community park uses. Photos of the event are available here and here.

Sauk
On February 12, Gov. Evers, to continue highlighting the Year of the Worker, and DWD Deputy Secretary Pamela McGillivray visited Sauk Prairie High School to tour their Advanced Manufacturing Lab and Horticultural Learning Center. The Advanced Manufacturing Lab and Horticultural Learning Center received $2.4 million in WIG funding, and during the visit, the governor heard from students about the programming at Sauk Prairie High School that is geared towards preparing students to enter the workforce. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

On March 25, Gov. Evers signed SB 633, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 216, designating the “Ho-Chunk World War II Code Talkers Memorial Highway” at the Ho-Chunk House of Wellness in Baraboo. The governor was joined by Ho-Chunk Nation President John Greendeer, bill authors, local officials, citizens of the Ho-Chunk Nation, and members of the community at the bill signing ceremony in Baraboo. Photos of the ceremony are available here and here.

On July 18, Gov. Evers joined Craig and Lea Culver, Culver’s Franchising Team Members, and members of the community to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Culver’s fast-food franchise in Sauk City. The governor also proclaimed July 18, 2024, as “Culver’s Day” across Wisconsin. A copy of the governor’s “Culver’s Day” proclamation is available here. Photos of the event are available here and here.

On October 3, to conclude his Agricultural Tourism visits, Gov. Evers visited New Life Lavender Farm in Baraboo. The governor, joined by State Rep. Dave Considine (D-Baraboo) and members of the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce, were greeted by farm co-owners Laura and Aron McReynolds. The governor was then taken on a hayride through the lavender fields and had the opportunity to harvest a bouquet. To end his tour of the farm, the governor, as well as others on the visit, enjoyed a scoop of their lavender ice cream made on the farm. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

Sawyer
On October 31, Gov. Evers visited Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center in Hayward to highlight a $1.5 million grant through the new Non-State Grant Programto address the healthcare needs of a medically underserved rural community. The grant will be used to reimburse the clinic for the costs of their new primary care clinic in Cable, which will offer essential healthcare services, reducing the need for residents to travel long distances for medical care. The governor was joined by Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center CEO Luke Beirl, Marketing Specialist Heidi Cooper, hospital staff, and community members. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

Shawano
On October 10, Gov. Evers visited Shawano Recreation Center in Shawano to highlight grants awarded through the DOA’s FFP. Funding will assist with the expansion of a multi-purpose recreation center, which will benefit over 9,200 individuals, including those lacking modern infrastructure and high-quality broadband internet. The governor was joined by grant recipients, local leaders, and elected officials. Photos of the event are available here and here.

Sheboygan
On June 15, Gov. Evers attended the annual Sheboygan County Dairy Promotion Association’s Breakfast on the Farm at Vandoske Dairy Farms in Cleveland, where he was joined by DATCP Deputy Secretary Aileen Switzer. While there, the governor met with the Vandoske family and joined them, as well as Sheboygan County Dairy Promotion Association Director Terry Mentink, on a tour of the farm. The governor also got a sneak peek of the Vandoske’s new on-farm ice cream shop. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

On October 11, Gov. Evers highlighted Manufacturing Week with a visit and tour of Kohler Co. in Kohler. Kohler Co. is a global company with more than 30,000 associates worldwide and is committed to stewardship and sustainability efforts and focused on the public-private partnership in the state of Wisconsin. Last year, Kohler Co. celebrated 150 years of business, honoring all their creators who made their vast impact possible. A photo of the visit is available here.

On November 7, Gov. Evers visited Sheboygan North High School in Sheboygan. During his visit, the governor learned about how the students now have free access to Lakeland Concurrent Academic Progress Program courses, which simultaneously provide high school and college credits,and alsospoke with students about theirFab Lab.The governor was joined by Sheboygan Area School District Superintendent Jacob Konrath, Sheboygan North High School Principal John Matczak, and Representative-elect Joe Sheehan. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

St. Croix
On February 19, in celebration of signing new fair maps for Wisconsin, the governor hosted a press conference at Hop and Barrel Brewing in Hudson. Photos of the event are available here and here.

On October 7, Gov. Evers visited the River Falls Public Library in River Falls to highlight grants awarded through the DOA’sFFP. Funding will assist with public library expansions and equipment upgrades, which will benefit approximately 46,500 individuals, including many with lower levels of income, lower levels of education, and a significant lack of reliable internet access. The governor was joined by grant recipients, local leaders, and elected officials. Photos of the event are available here and here.

On October 31, Gov. Evers visited Western Wisconsin Health in Baldwin, an independent rural critical access hospital, to highlight a$570,000 grantthrough the new Non-State Grant Program. The clinic recently expanded its birthing center and medical-surgical units by adding seven new rooms to increase capacity due to the closures of nearby centers in Western Wisconsin, and this grant will be used to partly reimburse the clinic for this $6.8 million dollar project. The governor was joined by Western Wisconsin Health CEOEilidh Pederson, Foundation Manager Rosa Magnus, hospital staff, and community members. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

Taylor
On November 12, Gov. Evers visited Medford Senior High School of the Medford Area School District. During the visit, the governor highlighted the $22.6 million referendum passed for the Medford Area School District, which will be used to make needed improvements to the school. Additionally, the governor, joined by Medford Area School District Administrator Laura Lundy and Medford Senior High School Principal Jill Lybert, went on a tour of the school and discussed the changes they are making to modernize the classrooms. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

Trempealeau
On April 3, Gov. Evers, joined by authors and co-sponsors of the bill, local officials, and community members, signed SB 222, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 265, in Trempealeau. The act requires Wisconsin Emergency Management, a division of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, to create and administer a pre-disaster flood resilience grant program to provide grants for projects aimed at identifying and improving flood vulnerabilities and resilience priorities in local communities. Photos of the bill signing are available here and here.

Vernon
On May 23, Gov. Evers attended the city of Viroqua’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Main Street Apartments project. The Main Street Apartments project is financed in part through a $6 million NIF grant and will feature 65 units of low-income housing, 3000 sq ft of retail space, and a 6000 sq ft daycare facility. Through a partnership with the Vernon County Veterans Services Office and Lutheran Social Services, eight units will be prioritized for veterans. The project seeks to address a number of important community issues by providing additional affordable housing, creating opportunities for licensed child care, and completing environmental remediation of blighted property. Photos of the event are available here and here.

On June 28, to conclude his 2024 June Dairy Month visits, Gov. Evers visited Nordic Creamery in Westby, which opened a new storefront in 2021 with the help of a grant from the governor’s Main Street Bounceback Grant Program. Additionally, in January, DATCP announced Nordic Creamery received a Dairy Processor Grant, which they have used to produce new A2 milk cheese varieties. While there, the governor also saw the petting zoo and small picnic area that Nordic Creamery is using to expand its business and focus on agritourism. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

On July 8, Gov. Evers visited Miles of Smiles Childcare Center in Westby. Earlier this year, Miles of Smiles announced they would be partnering with the Westby Area School District to open a second location at the Westby District office building in the local high school using one-time federal funds to help address the shortage of child care providers in the region. According to the district, the effort to open a child care center within the district’s facilities was motivated by the lack of child care options in the area. Notably, last year, Gov. Evers highlighted a child care center—and the only child care center in nearby Cashton—that closed its doors due to funding cuts. Miles of Smiles Childcare Center has received funding from the Child Care Counts Program since Fall 2020. Photos of the visit are available here and here. 

Vilas 
On April 25, Gov. Evers attended the annual Wisconsin Indian Education Association Conference (WIEA) in Lac du Flambeau. The conference offers an opportunity to bring together community members, educators, businesses, and organizations who are interested in Native American education. WIEA is the only state conference that specifically addresses Native American educational issues. WIEA is a non-profit organization that was established in 1985 by a group of concerned Native American educators to promote educational opportunities for indigenous people in Wisconsin. Photos of the event are available here and here.  

On September 30, Gov. Evers and Tourism Secretary Sayers visited Lake Nokomis Cranberries in Eagle River. While there, the governor and secretary met with owner Dave Zawitowski and his family and took a tour of their winery and gift shop. Dave highlighted how their business shifted to incorporate tourism aspects such as the cranberry bog bus tours and their annual Cranberry Fest on the farm. Afterward, they went on one of their famous cranberry bog bus tours and heard about the fall harvest season. Photos of the visit are available here and here. 

Walworth 
On September 18, Gov. Evers visited UW-Whitewater as a continuation of his back-to-school tour of UW campuses. Gov. Evers was greeted by UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey King and Provost John Chenoweth. On the tour, the governor visited Upham Hall, where he had the chance to see undergraduate students performing STEM research. Then, the tour continued at the University Center, where Gov. Evers saw the newly launched “One Stop.” One Stop is designed to provide comprehensive student support, offering consultations on financial aid, scholarships, academic advising, course registration, student life, and more. The governor concluded the tour by visiting students and their organizations at the Warhawk Connection Center. Photos of the visit are available here and here. 

Washburn 
On September 5, Gov. Evers visited Shell Lake Elementary School in the School District of Shell Lake. During the visit, the governor, together with Shell Lake School District Superintendent Todd Felhofer and Shell Lake Elementary School Principal Kyle Johnson, visited a third-grade classroom where he read students the story “Gust” by Wisconsin author Katie Meyer. Afterward, the governor served lunch, visited with kindergarteners and first graders at lunch, and joined kids outside for recess. Photos of the visit are available here, here, and here. 

Washington 
On April 22, in celebration of Earth Day, Gov. Evers visited WM, formerly Waste Management, in Germantown to tour the newly renovated and upgraded recycling facility, which is part of a billion-dollar national investment in WM’s recycling facilities to expand capabilities. The $39 million dollar renovation includes the utilization of AI and robotics to capture more types of plastics and provide an additional sorting measure to capture recyclable material that was missed the first time through, increasing the number of materials that can be captured on behalf of local communities and businesses for future potential reuse. According to WM, this has resulted in approximately 90 percent of materials being recycled. The WM Germantown recycling facility is capable of processing more than 230,000 tons of material a year. Photos from the visit are available here and here. 

On July 1, Gov. Evers visited Regner Park Beach House in West Bend and met with local officials to hear about the efforts being taken to address PFAS in the community. Following this, the governor visited Well #4 in West Bend to learn about the carbon pilot system that is being used to test the well offline and saw the construction site of the Granular Activated Carbon Treatment Plant, which received a $7.6 million loan from the DNR’s Safe Drinking Water Loan Program, with $3.5 million in principal loan forgiveness. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

On September 12, Gov. Evers continued his day with a visit to Addison Elementary School in Hartford, part of the Slinger School District. The governor, together with Slinger School District Superintendent James Curler and Addison Elementary School Principal Joel Dziedzic, started the tour by visiting students in the lunchroom and speaking with school cafeteria staff members. Gov. Evers then met with first and third-grade students to discuss their current learning objectives and sat in on music and art classes. Additionally, the governor met with fourth-grade students learning Wisconsin history and answered students’ questions. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

Waukesha 
On March 4, Gov. Evers, at La Casa de Esperanza in Waukesha, signed AB 1023, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 101, which expands the current child and dependent care tax credit from 50 percent to 100 percent of the federal credit, helping reduce the tax burden for families struggling to afford the high cost of child care and care for adult dependents. Act 101, similar to a proposal Gov. Evers recommended in his 2023-25 biennial budget proposal, provides tax relief to over 110,000 Wisconsin taxpayers at an average benefit of over $656 per filer, totaling nearly $73 million in annual tax relief. A photo of the ceremony is available here. 

On June 13, in celebration of Pride Month, Gov. Evers visited Batter & Mac Bakery, an LGBTQ-allied business in Menomonee Falls. During the visit, the governor was greeted by owners and sisters Brittany Wohlfeil and Kasey Gusho, who led the governor on a tour of the bakery, highlighting the front-of-house area and the kitchen/prep area. Photos of the visit are here and here.

To continue the day, Gov. Evers visited Legacy Gym MKE, an LGBTQ-owned functional fitness studio that received a $10,000 Main Street Bounce Back Grant. The governor met with owner Britt Holterman, who owns Legacy with her wife Jamie. Britt led the governor on a tour of the gym and highlighted how the grant dollars will be used. A photo of the visit is available here. 

Waupaca 
On July 8, Gov. Evers visited My First Adventure Child Care and Preschool in Waupaca. My First Adventure Child Care and Preschool announced that after eight years in business, they are permanently closing their doors due to issues facing the industry, including low compensation, staffing shortages, and uncertainty surrounding the future of Child Care Counts funding. According to reporting from the Appleton Post-Crescent, much of Waupaca County is considered a child care desert, and My First Adventure Child Care and Preschool was, prior to its closure, one of six licensed group centers in the city. Photos of the visit are available here and here. 

Waushara
On July 2, Gov. Evers visited Little Sprouts Discovery Center in Redgranite to highlight the $15 million investment the governor approved in the 2023-25 biennial budget to create a child care fund appropriation at WEDC for child care providers. The $15 million would be directed to support the successful Child Care Counts Program in partnership with DCF. To date, the investment has yet to be released by the Republican-controlled JFC despite the governor’s request to do so in May. While there, the governor heard from staff about the importance of child care and the impact of the Child Care Counts Program, as Little Sprouts Discovery Center is the only child care center in Redgranite. Little Sprouts Discovery Center has received funding from the Child Care Counts Program since March 2020. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

Winnebago 
On March 4, Gov. Evers and former DCF Secretary Amundson visited Tender Loving Care Child Care Center in Oshkosh to highlight the signing of AB 1023, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 101, which expands the current child and dependent care tax credit from 50 percent to 100 percent of the federal credit, helping reduce the tax burden for families struggling to afford the high cost of child care and care for adult dependents. Tender Loving Care Child Care Center has been a recipient of the Child Care Counts Program since Fall 2020. A photo of the visit is available here.

On May 29, to highlight Mental Health Awareness Month, Gov. Evers visited BEAMING in Neenah, which provides equine-assisted services to individuals with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities, as well as individuals and their families who have survived trauma. BEAMING received a $76,337 Community-Based Organization Grant from DVA to assist in providing mental health and therapy services to veterans through equine-assisted programs. Additionally, the funds were used to help build bunkhouses for veterans and their families to stay while attending services offered. During the governor’s visit, one of the bunkhouses was delivered, and the governor had the opportunity to be one of the first to see it. Photos of the visit are available here and here.

On September 4, Gov. Evers celebrated the back-to-school season with a visit to Jefferson Elementary School in the Oshkosh Area School District (OASD). During the visit, the governor met with OASD Superintendent Bryan Davis, Jefferson Elementary School Principal Amy Ashton, State Rep. Lori Palmeri (D-Oshkosh), and other school officials and went on a tour of the school, where they visited several classrooms, including a music class and gym class, answered questions from students, and visited the cafeteria. Photos from the visit are available here and here. 

Wood 
On March 14, Gov. Evers toured the city of Marshfield’s temporary PFAS facility and filtration system to learn how the city is working to ensure clean water for the residents of Marshfield. The governor then participated in a discussion about clean water with local officials and community members at the Marshfield Utilities office. The governor was joined by Marshfield Utilities General Manager Nick Kumm, Marshfield Utilities Assistant Water Manager Erick Boon, Marshfield Mayor Lois TeStrake, and community members. Photos of the tour are available here and here. 

On April 5, at Pittsville Elementary School, Gov. Evers signed AB 917, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 271, which prohibits the sale of counterfeit and unsafe lighters to help combat the dangerous rise in knock-off lighters that fail American Society for Testing and Materials Standards. Gov. Evers signed the bill in Pittsville after receiving a letter from Pittsville Fire Department Chief Jerry Minor. Act 271 is the result of the steadfast advocacy of Chief Minor, students, and leaders in the Pittsville community, who have worked for over a decade to pass legislation in response to the tragic local death of an eight-year-old in 2008, who died in a home fire that may have been started by a lighter. Photos from the bill signing are available here and here.

On May 13, on the last stop of his Pothole Patrol tour, Gov. Evers repaired potholes on S. Cedar Ave. between 4th St. and 5th St. in Marshfield. He was joined by WisDOT Assistant Deputy Secretary Nilsestuen, Mayor Lois TeStrake, WisDOT regional staff, and other local officials. Photos from the event are here and here.