Air Quality Alert

Weekly Blast!: The F3 tornado that severely damaged the City of Menasha last week has been devastating to that community. Have you ever wondered what the Town of Grant would do in case of a similar disaster? Recently Portage County Emergency Managers Bob Weinert and Tanner Arnold, T. Grant First Responders Jim Yetter and Keith Kardash, and Clerk Stefanie Schlapa and I met to work on a Local Emergency Response Guide. All Portage County municipalities are required to have this document available, but it needs to be reviewed and updated every so often. Case in point…Menasha. So, what does this Response Guide entail? We must identify where could residents go if their structures were in danger or uninhabitable, and who we the Town could call on to supply three critical items: food, water, and power. Emergency contact names and their numbers are included in the Guide. Questions including if there are critical infrastructures that could be impacted, for example chemical, commercial, communications, emergency services, energy, transportation, etc. In the next few weeks, we’ll be reconvening to make updates to our Guide. Do you have large equipment or a skill set that might be helpful to us in case of a disaster? If so, let Clerk Stefanie Schlapa at 715-213-7370 or me at 715-213-1717 know so we can add your name to the list of contacts. It’s important that we work together if disaster strikes. Have a good weekend. Perhaps rain may fall, Sharon

Posted on July 15, 2026 by clerk

Wildfire smoke from fires in southern Ontario, Canada and northeast Minnesota has moved into Wisconsin, creating unhealthy air quality conditions.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued an Air Quality Advisory through noon on Thursday. Air quality is expected to reach the Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy level, with the potential to reach the Hazardous Air Quality Index level. The advisory will be re-evaluated Thursday morning and may be extended based on conditions.

According to the Department of Health Services, wildfire smoke can affect anyone, but people who may notice symptoms sooner include older adults, young children, people who are pregnant, outdoor workers, and individuals with heart or lung conditions such as asthma or COPD.