Portage County Connects

Oh the places you can go (sustainably)…with isoprene.

Never heard of isoprene? Most of us haven’t and yet it’s an organic compound that plays a major role in our lives. Isoprene is a colorless, odorless gas found naturally in our breath and the environment — it is emitted… Read More »

From Soda Fountain to Airport Runways — UWSP Student-Led Research Project gets FRESH

Visit a dining hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point (UWSP) and your meal and beverage will be served in an environmentally friendly clear PLA bioplastic container derived from plant materials. You can thank the… Read More »

UW-Stevens Point economic impact on state, community is huge

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point pumps nearly $408 million into the state and local economy annually, according to a newly released economic impact study. That annual contribution to the economy creates and supports 5,690 jobs, $16.7 million in tax revenues… Read More »

Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology Releases Annual Report

Just over one year ago the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point officially launched WIST as a multidisciplinary center aiming to develop and commercialize new, sustainable technologies.

Now the institute has released its first annual report and it is available online –… Read More »

UW-Stevens Point & IPS Testing Forge Joint Venture

IPS Testing, the Appleton-based independent testing laboratory, has announced a formal joint venture with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology, a multi-disciplinary unit at the university. The recently signed agreement expands the long-standing relationship between the… Read More »

Gender Gap to Innovation

My daughter loves asparagus. No, she isn’t the healthiest eater in the world—she is a scientist. A few weeks back my son and daughter were playing with a chemistry set ‘Santa’ brought them for Christmas and they were conducting ‘experiments’.… Read More »

National Education Technology Plan

It’s national Education Week and the timely publishing of the National Education Technology Plan calls upon parents, teachers, students, mentors and business leaders to help make educational resources accessible outside the classroom. The model outlines enabling continuous, lifelong learning. Technology… Read More »

Rosholt High School Tech Upgrade – A Lesson in Distance Learning

Rosholt High School is now one of eight school districts in the entire state of Wisconsin to incorporate high definition distance learning as a resource to students. 34 students from Rosholt High School are currently taking one or more courses from… Read More »

SPASH Nationally Certified for Project Lead The Way Program

SPASH announced that it has received national certification for the Project Lead The Way program offered since 2009. Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education offers a rigorous curriculum that allows… Read More »

STEM Career Day

What do french fries, insects, and the internal combustion engine have in common?

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)!

UWSP will be hosting the 2nd annual STEM Career Day on Friday November, 5th. The event introduces students to a variety… Read More »

Stevens Point to Help Build Sustainable Garden and Food Center

What better way to build a sustainable garden and food center than to reuse and improve a set of existing structures? That’s exactly what is happening in Stevens Point. A recent article in Central Wisconsin Business reported that the Stevens… Read More »

The Arts Mean Business in Portage County

There are several $3M industries located in Portage County, Wisconsin. Although the arts and culture sector may not be the first that comes to your mind, the arts mean business. In 2009 the Arts Alliance of Portage County in partnership… Read More »

A Message from Chuck…

The following is an excerpt from Chuck Nason’s presentation on “The Pressures from Without” at the November 17 Power Breakfast (shared with his permission). Mr. Nason is Chairman of the Board for Worzalla Publishing Company.

This is not a… Read More »

Assistance Available for Communities Working on Comprehensive Community Plans

In 2000, the State of Wisconsin passed a law requiring every municipality (town, village, city and county) to have a long-range “comprehensive plan” in place. As part of the planning, communities review where they are, what housing, transportation, economic development,… Read More »

A New Way of Connecting with One Another in Portage County — Bike and Pedestrian Paths

It all began with occupants of the Portage County Business Park expressing interest in getting connected — literally — with bike and pedestrian paths. Notes Jeff Schuler, Portage County Planning and Zoning Director, “People came to us looking for better… Read More »

County Wide Farm Preservation Planning Benefits Business Development Planning

During the next 18 months, Portage County will be working on its county-wide farmland preservation plan. Basically, Wisconsin requires all counties to have a plan in place that discusses how agriculture works in their communities and to present means of… Read More »

Blenker Expands Business to Serve Larger Region

Since opening in 1974, Blenker Cos. has changed and grown to meet the demands of customers in the construction industry.

Originally a remodeling business, over time the family-owned and operated company added construction, manufacturing, contractiong and trucking.

But when a… Read More »

Marten Machining — Wisconsin Technical Public Education System Is Our Lifeline

Networking in 1984. Take yourself back to 1984. The Internet was in its infancy. Cell phones were bulky and for “the few.” From a 2011 perspective, it’s difficult to imagine how you could start a small business in Stevens Point,… Read More »

Portage County Executive Elected VP of WCEA

At a state meeting on September 27, Portage County Executive Patty Dreier was elected by her peers to become Vice President of the Wisconsin County Executives & Administrators Association (WCEA) for a two-year term. The WCEA is the statewide organization… Read More »

Fox Valley Developer to Build Townhouses, Apartment Complex on Lullabye Property in Stevens Point

According to the Stevens Point Journal, the City Council approved the next step in developing the former Lullabye Furniture Co. site, which would guarantee a $5.5 million return on taxpayer investment.

The council voted Monday to allow the Community Development… Read More »