It is going to be a Halloween like we've never seen before. Only small stabs at Trick or Treat. No big organized parties. No costume parades. Please try to stay home and be safe tonight even though -yes, it's sad. I am going to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show Live Stream tonight - last year I went out with friends to have a few drinks and some food, and to dress up a little. There's no denying, life is different and at the moment I don't see it getting better any time real soon.

We're interested in you, our readers. And we want to know more about what your interests are, and how we can serve the community better. Besides, I'm taking a class and am doing a research project as part of that. I'm asking that you consider taking a little time to help WisCommunity grow and improve. 

In some ways after yesterday's court order this poll is moot. But it is still interesting to see what our readers think. The small unscientific poll results show a very mixed set of ideas about re-opening the state:

Today we ask for your help. The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful for news organizations around the globe both in having an entirely new beat to cover, but more because it has so impacted our revenue.

Many businesses and organizations in the Chippewa Valley are suffering during the pandemic. Restaurants are short of customers and trying to make do with pickup service and selling gift cards for when life gets back to normal. Farmers are having a tough time of it and are working more on direct sales to consumers. Non-profits are struggling and looking for donors. 

We are starting a project to have community members add resources to the website so that people can find resources to help them through the current situation. This includes things like grocery stores and restaurants that are open, local farmers, government information sources, ways to keep entertained, and a lot more.

I know for a lot of us the days seem incredibly long at the moment. We're all a little worried, we're all a little stressed, and the landscape of life has become unfamiliar. As of today we have no restaurants and bars (other than carry-out). Many of the touchstones of our lives are closed or closing. Personally it's hard for me to accept that the libraries and schools are closed for the duration.

The So - That Happened Podcast is now available on more platforms. 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3YlmGNcH6GtqoFSFefbNgT

Breaker - https://www.breaker.audio/so-that-happened-4

We're starting a podcast. The first episode of So - That Happened just went live. It is not a regular podcast episode, but is more of an introduction. I talk a little about the background of WisCommunity, how we got where we are, and what you can expect in 2020 from the podcast and from the site. You can listen many different ways. There's a play widget on the front page of the site. You can go to our podcast page. At our podcast page you can also leave feedback or audio for us to use in our upcoming episodes. 

We are also being distributed to multiple different podcast services through our main platform, Anchor.fm. It is currently available on Spotify.  The first episode should roll out to the other sites very soon, though it looks like Apple Podcasts is being a little persnickety. 

I want to encourage you to think of this as your podcast in the community, so please send in ideas for what you'd like to hear and how it can improve.