1January 2021
Passionate about politics, Mrs. Wisconsin turned local realtor Joyce Leffler, right, hosted a procession of local, state and national political candidates at her Racine home while they were on the campaign trail in the Milwaukee-Racine area. In this photo she's receiving an award from President Ronald Reagan, center, for her efforts in support of his successful 1980 campaign. Pictured at left is Lee Sherman Dreyfus, Wisconsin's red-vested governor from 1979-83.
A professional commercial model early in her career, Joyce Leffler made appearances at local fashion shows sponsored by the Elmwood Plaza shopping center, and a variety of local retailers, including Downtown Racine women's clothier Eitel's.
Racine resident Joyce Leffler, pictured in 2018, is remembered for her zeal and zest for life, which folded in all she crossed paths with, with Leffler famously bringing strangers-turned-friends into the family home for meals and socializing. Leffler died Nov. 5 at age 85 from COVID-19, her family said.
RACINE — Much can be said about Joyce E. Leffler, fondly remembered in the community as a headlining former Mrs. Wisconsin, a realtor, community pillar, political fundraiser and friend to all with whom she crossed paths.
“Joyce had a charm, wit, and undying love to those who were her friends and family,” her children said in an email following her death on Nov. 5 at age 85 from COVID-19. “She was simply an amazing mom, filled with a zest and zeal for life, all bundled up into one marvelous package. She was the first to compliment a person and make them feel good. This included family and friends – and even total strangers. Seeing others smile provided her great joy. She loved giving gifts to her family, and even strangers. She was just that kind of person.”
Family ‘first and foremost’
A native of Milwaukee, Joyce Elaine Doro graduated from all-girls Catholic high school St. Mary’s Academy, then earned a bachelor of science degree from Marquette University in 1957 with majors in psychology and philosophy, later studying for her master’s in psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Married at 22 in 1957 to Racine resident Clark D. Leffler, a World War II U.S. Navy veteran and a native of Marquette, Mich., the Lefflers would be married for 32 years and have four children — Ray Leffler of Racine, Cathy Leffler-Cimoch of Franklin, Michael Leffler of Yorkville and Thomas Leffler of San Juan Capistrano, Calif. A veteran trucking executive with Express Freight Lines in Racine and later Expedited Freight Systems in Kenosha, Clark Leffler died at age 85 in April 2013.
For her four children, remembrances of Joyce center around her “selfless love” as “a dedicated mother first and foremost” who “was all about family” at “the core of who she was.”
“She was a wonderful, fun-loving mother who had a sparkling personality, infectious smile and an incredible heart,” recalled Michael, a personal injury attorney and co-founder of Action Law Offices, S.C. “She was always there to listen and console. She offered great wisdom and advice. She promoted a spirit of adventure. She was intelligent and well-read. Above all, she was unendingly generous and loving. Her charm, elegance, beauty and compassion endeared her to everyone. She was always smiling, always happy, always doing things for people. It was always her goal to make people happy, paying random compliments to people.”
Possessed of a “thirst for knowledge,” Joyce was remembered by her children as a voracious reader who “relished the opportunity to absorb … facts from books, newspapers, magazines and the Internet.”
“She did not like to go to bed at night without having learned something,” they recalled, noting Joyce “had a fierce allegiance to The Journal Times” as a “cover to cover” reader with a complete home archive of Journal Times back issues dating back to the 1960s for her reference.
Thomas, president of Irvine, Calif.-based specialty pharmacy and infusion therapy services provider River’s Edge Pharmacy, recalled his “caring and thoughtful” mother’s “scintillating personality” and “generous” nature.
“She was one in a million,” he said.
In his recollections, Ray, self-employed 38 years in Racine with Re/Max Newport Elite Realty, Newport Builders, Inc. and Newport Development Corp., said his mother was “always about family.”
And for Joyce, family extended beyond blood lineage. Humankind was her family.
“She extended the family,” Michael noted. “Random strangers. She’d meet people and invite them over for dinner.”
Recalled Ray, “We’d always have all kinds of new people at dinner because she would just befriend somebody and invite them over, It could have been anybody. I can think of a half-dozen people right now.”
Among the strangers turned family was a longtime Journal Times staff photographer, the late Art Haas, who was brought into the Leffler family fold when Joyce and Haas met by chance “out of the clear blue.”
“He took me under his wing and used to take me to different photo shoots for sporting events at the high schools,” Michael recalled of Haas, who passed away in 1982. “He gave me a camera and taught me how to take pictures.”
Cathy — relocated back to Wisconsin eight years ago after 25 years away pursuing a career in broadcast news in Alaska, Texas and California, and now working as director of marketing and new business development at Plastic Parts, Inc. — recalls how her mother balanced taking care of her family with her deep involvement in area educational, community, social, political, business and philanthropic pursuits over the years.
“I was just so in awe of her,” said Leffler-Cimoch, a mother of 21-year-old quadruplets and 15-year-old twins. “She had so many opportunities in her life. I just marvel at what she accomplished in the community.”
Thomas agreed.
“I was amazed how she could do all these things – family, community leader,” he noted. “She was pretty remarkable.”
Encouraged to “go fly” and spread her professional wings with Joyce’s “150% support,” Cathy welcomed the opportunity to return to Wisconsin to share her mother’s last years.
“I think it was part of God’s will for me to be here the last eight years,” said Cimoch. “The time was incredible for me. It was a gift.”
Pictured with husband Clark Leffler, Joyce Leffler's February 1964 crowning as Mrs. Milwaukee and her subsequent March 1964 crowning as Mrs. Wisconsin started her longtime journey in public speaking, community service and fundraising. The Lefflers, married in 1957, had four children.
Mrs. Wisconsin
Joyce was crowned Mrs. Milwaukee in February 1964, then Mrs. Wisconsin the following month. At that time a 28-year of mother of three — Raymond, then 5; Cathy, 3; and Michael, 8 months — in addition to being a professional commercial model and dance instructor, her coronation as Mrs. Wisconsin started her journey into the world of public speaking, community service and fundraising.
In her yearlong role as Mrs. Wisconsin, Joyce traveled extensively across Wisconsin, judging beauty pageants, giving commencement speeches and convocation addresses, and lecturing on “The Modern Woman.”
Joyce’s role as Mrs. Wisconsin also enabled her to share her keen eye for and love of fashion in the Racine-Milwaukee area, where she chaired numerous runway events, many of which served as fundraisers for area charitable organizations and high schools.
Joyce Leffler, a 1957 bachelor of science graduate of Marquette University with majors in psychology and philosophy, was crowned Mrs. Milwaukee in February 1964 and Mrs. Wisconsin at Green Bay in March 1964, competing in the 10-day April 1964 Mrs. America contest at St. Petersburg, Fla.
Active in politics
Equally passionate about politics, Joyce over the years hosted a who’s who procession of local, state and national political candidates at her home while they were on the campaign trail in the Milwaukee-Racine area. Additionally, she was active in planning campaign events in support of various mayoral, Senate and gubernatorial candidates, as well as party and campaign fundraising efforts that saw Joyce receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for her efforts in helping his 1980 campaign.
“There would be George (H.W.) Bush on the phone, Ronald Reagan, Bob Kasten, Senator Bob Dole,” Michael recalled. “She would be heading up the campaigns in Racine and taking them around when they would come into town. It was quite incredible to be in high school, answer the phone, and have all these people on the phone. I didn’t appreciate it much at the time, but as I get older it’s like, ‘Holy cow!’ She was quite active and involved.”
Joyce would be appointed by Governor Tommy Thompson to serve on the Wisconsin Parole Commission, which serves as the final authority for granting discretional paroles or early release from prison.
Sex Ed advocate
Active in educational circles when her children where school-aged, Joyce is most notably remembered for her pioneering role in writing and implementing a sex education curriculum for the Racine Unified School District and the State of Wisconsin, working closely in the early 1980s with RUSD Superintendent C. Richard Nelson and state Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Herbert Grover.
“She basically wrote the Sex Ed curriculum for Racine, which was really controversial at the time,” Michael recalled. “There were protests because people didn’t believe sex education belonged in the schools; you should teach it at home. She pushed hard to have sex education in the schools.”
Following the lead of RUSD and the DPI, Cathy noted that “many communities in the state then started adopting” the sex ed curriculum that Joyce developed.
After working as a commercial model and Arthur Murray Dance School instructor, Racine resident Joyce Leffler later became an award-winning realtor, working alongside son Ray Leffler at Re/Max Newport Elite Realty (originally ERA Newport Realty) for more than 25 years.
Award-winning Realtor
Closing out her working career, Joyce logged more than 25 years as an Realtor for her son Ray at Re/Max Newport Realty, formerly ERA Newport Realty, where her legendary generosity extended to her clients.
On numerous occasions, Joyce would waive her commission because she found “the perfect house” for a couple who could not otherwise afford to purchase the home. On other occasions, she gave up most of her commission to buy a washer and dryer set for cash-strapped homebuyers, presenting the appliances as housewarming gifts.
“There’s countless stories where she helped people get into houses by giving up her commissions,” Ray recalled. “All the time she was doing stuff for her clients … way beyond what people would normally do.”
COVID strikes
Moved to a Muskego senior assisted living health-care facility 18 months ago, the March arrival of the pandemic in Wisconsin saw Joyce physically distanced from her family as the facility locked down to protect the health of residents, with Joyce’s visitations with her children, 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren pivoted to near daily phone calls, twice-weekly Zoom calls and more than 50 window visits for the last eight months of her life.
“It was very disheartening,” Ray said of the physical separation. “It was a tough way to do things.”
Cathy agreed.
“You think — eight months without having your family hug you and only strangers around you,” she said, noting Joyce never got to hold her great-grandchildren. “That had to be incredibly lonely. That’s what gets my heart — these were the prime years of her life to be with all of us. She was robbed of those times. That was hard.”
After Joyce contracted COVID as the virus struck 30 of the assisted living facility’s 32 residents, the family pushed for a full personal protective equipment (PPE) compassionate care visit, which was denied. A visit was finally approved 3 hours before Joyce passed away, on the 11th day of her battle with COVID as her condition significantly worsened. Joyce was only able to acknowledge her family’s presence at her bedside by moving her lips.
“It was really a tough situation,” Michael said. “You understand why they’re locking down, to keep the virus from getting inside these facilities, but you have so many of these health-care workers doing different things outside … and then going to work, where families are locked out. It’s really troubling. It’s frustrating.”
Thomas called the situation “traumatic.”
Ray said the family is “grappling” with Joyce’s tragic if peaceful passing, “moving forward” to carry on her legacy of caring, compassion and community service.
Said Michael: “She was a wonderful soul.”
Two families ripped apart
Tyler Martinez is kissed by his fiancée, Vanessa Gaona, with whom he has two daughters, moments after Martinez was sentenced to spend five years in prison for the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed Michael Fuchsgruber on Oct. 20, 2017 in Caledonia. Martinez and Gaona were quickly pulled apart by deputies in the courtroom.
Empty Walmart shelves
In the early days of the pandemic, there was a rush on household goods, leading to empty shelves of everything from toilet paper to milk and eggs to cleaning supplies, although disruptions to the supply chain were rarely as pronounced as many feared.
Restaurants closing & mask wearing
Rhonda Robinson of Chicago, right, joins family for breakfast on March 17 at Meli Cafe, 1158 Prairie Drive, Mount Pleasant. Robinson had a cough and, out of consideration to others, she wore a surgical mask. Effective at 5 p.m. that day, Gov. Tony Evers ordered all bars and restaurants in the state to close except for carry-out service.
Lonely churches
The Rev. Mike Matheson of Grace Church, 3626 Green Bay Road, Caledonia, prays as he leads church services livestreamed on Facebook Live on the morning of March 22. Many places of worship have returned to in-person but socially distanced gatherings, although livestreamed services have remained as a norm throughout the year.
Atypical elections
Rosalyn Smith, with the City of Racine Health Department, checks the temperature of a voter on as she enters City Hall on May 25. City health workers checked temperatures as a precaution to keep poll workers safe because of the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Cory Mason was one of those calling for all voting to be by mail this year, an effort that was unsuccessful.
America Strong
A sign posted alongside Highway 38, just south of Hood Creek Road near the roundabout in Caledonia, expresses solidarity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This photo was taken in March.
Mask making
Cousins Teresa McMorris, left, and Tiara Harrell gather at Harrell's house to sew filtered masks they donate to health care facilities and first responders in Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee counties. Community members made a significant difference in the early days of the pandemic as traditional manufacturers struggled to catch up with demand for personal protective equipment.
‘YOU ARE INCREDIBLY SAFE TO GO OUT'
During an extraordinary and nearly postponed April election, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, talks to a member of the media while working as a poll worker in Burlington. “You are incredibly safe to go out,” he told viewers while wearing required personal protective equipment in a video that was shared widely on social media throughout the day.
Two phones, no answer
A Downtown Racine resident uses two phones to repeatedly call the Department of Workforce Development's unemployment hotline in April. She said she's been doing this for weeks with varied frequency, as her unemployment claim remains on hold with the state. Wait times to have unemployment claims often stretched for weeks, with the state's overwhelmed system and inability to correct the problem made it difficult for thousands of Wisconsinites to make ends meet.
Recounting the 12th
2020 was a year rife with recounts. Racine didn't avoid that. Pictured here: City of Racine finance and clerk's office staff conduct a recount April 17 of the more than 1,400 ballots cast in the April 7 election in City Council District 12, where incumbent Alderman Henry Perez defeated challenger Stacy Sheppard by three votes, according to the initial count.
Racine Unified recount
2020 was a year rife with recounts. Racine didn't avoid that. Pictured here: Members of the Racine Unified Board of Canvass, standing to the right, look over Caledonia ballots in question on April 18, the first day of the Racine Unified referendum recount, which had not been successful in overturning the narrow passage of a $1 billion referendum.
Swinging on a closed swingset
A man and a girl swing at Echo Park in Burlington on May 2 during a ReOpen Burlington protest, even though all playgrounds in Wisconsin had been declared off limits at the time. Stay-at-home rules, and the enforcement of those rules, have varied between states and even within municipalities within states across the U.S.
ReOPEN WISCONSIN PROTESTS
ReOpen Burlington demonstrators hold “Don't Tread On Me” and “Trump” and “Reopen Wisconsin” flags and posters along Milwaukee Avenue in May amid statewide protests opposing the soon-to-be-overturned Safer At Home order.
NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN TESTING EFFORT
From the beginning of the year through Christmas Day, 2,792,718 COVID-19 tests were performed in Wisconsin; about one-third of all those tests were performed by the Wisconsin National Guard. In Racine County, 108,771 such tests have been performed, with more than 16,800 cases of the novel coronavirus confirmed and 246 deaths confirmed in the county. Pictured here, a man is tested for COVID-19 by a National Guard member, who uses a swab to gather material from inside both of the man's nostrils in the parking lot of Burlington High School, 400 McCanna Parkway, during the busy first day of community testing in Racine County. The man's face has been blurred by The Journal Times to protect his identity.
Thanking hospital workers: Ascension flyover
Hospital workers wait for the four F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft from the Wisconsin Air National Guard to flyover Ascension All Saints Hospital on a May evening as part of the nationwide “Operation American Resolve” campaign intended to “show appreciation for the thousands of heroes on the front lines, as well as the brave citizens and neighbors who have been battling and supporting the COVID-19 response. The flyover is considered part of a regular training and proficiency mission, which is a required training to be completed by pilots to remain up to date on qualifications.
BACK IN ACTION, WITH A MASK
Summer Davis wears a face shield while standing behind the bar at The Maple Table, 520 Main St. on May 26, the first day Racine restaurants could reopen following closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Waterford graduation 2020
A Waterford High School graduate replaces her mask after receiving her diploma in May. Waterford High was one of the only schools in Wisconsin (if not the only school) to host its graduation on its previously scheduled date, although there were social distancing guidelines and mask wearing rules being enforced.
Black Lives Matter on Monument Square
Kylie Gelmi, who was later charged with arson and burglary for allegedly setting fire to the Thelma Orr COP House, raises one fist while waving a flag that reads “Life over property / Truth over Power / Black lives MATTER” while backed by about 20 Black Lives Matter demonstrators raising both fists in the air at around 11:30 p.m. on May 31.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
Protesters yell at Racine Police officers when a march arrives at the Racine Police Department on Center Street in Downtown Racine in the early morning hours of June 1. At the police station, some in the crowd started throwing rocks and bricks at officers, leading to tear gas being used to disperse the crowd after a Black Lives Matter demonstration started hours earlier on Monument Square following the death of George Floyd the week prior.
IN THE STREETS
A group of protesters sit on Main Street on June 1 during an afternoon protest that brought hundreds chanting “SAY HIS NAME!” and “BLACK LIVES MATTER!” to the streets of Racine on a day of peaceful protesting that followed a tense night in which the Thelma Orr COP House was set on fire.
SAYING HIS NAME
Demonstrators on Washington Avenue in Uptown wave signs and cheer as cars driving past, and driving below on Memorial Drive, honk in support during a peaceful protest on June 1, less than a week after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis.
Marching for justice, peace
Protesters carried signs calling for peace, justice and recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement while marching down Highway 75 in Kansasville in June as international demonstrations reached rural America.
Kingdom Manna giveaway
Diane Christensen collects baby products for her grandchildren last Saturday afternoon during a giveaway from Kingdom Manna in the parking lot of Horlick Field, 1801 N. Memorial Drive. Giveaways like this one, some privately run and others public, have become more well-trafficked and relied upon as the rates of those who are out of work have skyrocketed amid the pandemic.
JUNETEENTH
NBA All-Star and Racine native Caron Butler takes the megaphone to address the crowd at a Juneteenth rally on June 19. Hundreds took to the streets in Racine and in Burlington, joining thousands nationwide, to protest racial injustices and celebrate progress on the holiday commemorating the freeing of the last American slaves in Texas more than 150 years ago.
Marching for justice, led by Carl Fields
Juneteenth marchers from the allied section of Racine's Juneteenth demonstration make their way down 14th Street on June 19, led by Carl Fields with the megaphone.
Say their names
George Floyd is just one of the names on the graves of the victims of police violence placed in Burlington during the city's first-ever Juneteenth rally.
Burlington's first Juneteenth rally
Audience members listen to speakers during the Juneteenth rally at Echo Lake Park in Burlington on June 19, 2020.
Burlington's first Juneteenth rally
Burlington Police Chief Mark Anderson, center, bows his head during a prayer that was part of Burlington's Juneteenth celebration on June 19, 2020, at Echo Lake Park.
Zoom meetings and community discussions
The above screenshot is from the first meeting of the Mayor's Task Force on Police Reform, which took place July 6. Not only was 2020 a year loaded with talks of police reform, but also a year when unprecedented amounts of social and professional and public interaction took place online — much of it via Zoom.
Park High School drive-up graduation
Jordan Mogren arrived to Park High School drive-up graduation ceremony on July 9 through the sun roof and received a kiss from his mother receiving his diploma.
Zoo beach erosion
Heavy rainfall on Aug. 2 knocked down most of the grassy bluff between the Zoo Beach trail and the lake. By Aug. 4, that bluff was almost gone, and the ground underneath the trail itself was exposed. The city officially closed the beach on Tuesday.
Racine Art Museum reopens, with masks
Annemarie Sawkins (left) and Diane Levesque (right) take in the art after the Racine Art Museum reopened on Aug. 5 as normalcy ever-so-slowly returns to the area while the pandemic rages on.
St. Catherine's Prom
While the typical Rotary Post Prom was held months later than the norm and was heavily changed from the norm, many St. Catherine's High School graduates and their dates gathered for a prom of their own at Roma Lodge on Spring Street on Aug. 8.
Empty streets
The sight of empty streets in Downtown Milwaukee was even more apparent on the afternoon of Aug. 17 than it has been throughout the pandemic. The Democratic National Convention was supposed to bring 50,000 people and $200 million of revenue to Milwaukee. Instead, the coronavirus has pushed the DNC online and left Milwaukee looking sleepy.
Fire during Kenosha protests
The Danish Brotherhood Lodge at 2206 63rd St. explodes while on fire, reportedly the result of rioters shortly before 11 p.m. on Aug. 24.
Unrest after Jacob Blake shooting, preceding Kyle Rittenhouse shootings
Demonstrators crowd around an armored vehicle at Civic Center Park on the night of Aug. 25 in Kenosha.
Kenosha protests
Demonstrators sit on Sheridan Road in front of a line of law enforcement after being forced to leave Civic Center Park on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
Kenosha unrest
A woman bleeding from the head after getting hit with a rubber bullet is looked over by medics on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING
Law enforcement blocks off access to a burning vehicle on 63rd Street on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
KYLE RITTENHOUSE
Kyle Rittenhouse walks along Sheridan Road in Kenosha on Aug. 25 with another armed civilian hours before before Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Illinois, shot three people, killing two of them during protests following the police shooting and paralyzation of Jacob Blake in Kenosha two days prior. Rittenhouse said he was in Kenosha to protect people. He is facing homicide and underage gun possession charges in a case that has become a cultural touchstone, with some calling him a cold-hearted killer and others painting him as a hero for using self-defense against a so-called “Black Lives Matter mob.” This Journal Times photo is one of only a few showing the teen prior to the shooting, and has been published dozens if not hundreds of times by outlets ranging from Yahoo! News to The New York Times to ABC News.
Black Lives Matter debate takes center stage in Burlington
Dozens of people turned out on the night of Sept. 14 at the Burlington High School gym for a School Board meeting during which a fourth-grade teacher's methods about teaching about racial issues were debated.
Capping off the globe
In this photo, the Foxconn Technology Group's 100-foot-tall High-Performance Computing Data Center is topped off, with the work being led by construction manager Mortenson. The data center is located along Highway H.
Dalquavis Ward convicted
Dalquavis Ward, pictured here on Sept. 25, has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for the killing of Racine Police Officer John Hetland on June 17, 2019 at Teezers Bar and Grill. Hetland, who was off-duty, was killed trying to stop a robbery of the restaurant, of which Ward was convicted.
Archbishop Jerome Listecki leads more than 100 faithful past scorched Car Source lot in Kenosha
Remembering Marcus Caldwell Jr.
Paying his respects, Alliaes Williams, 18, signs a basketball Sunday afternoon at a makeshift memorial erected in tribute to Racine man/former Horlick basketball standout Marcus D. Caldwell Jr., who was killed in a apparent shooting on the evening of Oct. 17 on Yout Street.
“Mayor Pete” stumping for Biden
Pete Buttigieg — the ex-mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and former presidential candidate who has endorsed Joe Biden — stopped at Caledonia’s River Bend Nature Center on the afternoon of Oct. 22 to speak with local Democrats and the press about the election, which Racine City Council President John Tate II (who helped introduce Buttigieg) called “the most consequential election of our lifetimes.” During a brief speech spoken while wearing a mask that read simply “VOTE,” Buttigieg took aim at President Donald Trump on several fronts, from his role in race relations to his handling of COVID-19 to the economy. He said, with less than two weeks left until the end of voting, Democrats should work to connect with two groups of people: those who have not decided who they want to vote for, and those who do not yet have a plan to vote. Before leaving Wisconsin — following earlier stumps in Green Bay and Milwaukee — Buttigieg said he plans to stop at “the Cheese Castle.”
Getting out the vote efforts
Dozens of vehicles rolled through Racine on Oct. 24, honking their horns and cheering, encouraging people in the city to “vote” as part of a series of “Pack the Polls” car parades held across Wisconsin that day. Among the drivers was Jean Brosseau, showing off her “VOTE” mask. High turnout in more urban areas, like Milwaukee and Milwaukee, has been credited with helping propel Joe Biden to the presidency.
Burlington schools
Amid a shouting match during a Burlington Area School Board meeting Nov. 9, Matt Allen points to his “All Lives Matter” sign while others chant “Black Lives Matter” during a meeting that was cut short as protesters “shut it down.” Nov. 9's meeting was one of many moments where Burlington made headlines as the predominantly Caucasian community faces continuous allegations of racism in its schools, and the School Board has been charged with addressing that.
Mask requirements (sort of) continue
Staff at Lakeview Pharmacy on Racine's Monument Square work while wearing face coverings, in accordance with health codes and the statewide mask mandate from Gov. Tony Evers' office that is likely to be extended into January by order of the governor. On Nov. 18, Evers said he will be making a new order to extend the mask mandate, which otherwise would have expired on Saturday, although the extension didn't really have legal teeth to extend the mandate. In this photo, from left to right, are Kaylen Hollis, Niki Monin and Tucker Stewart.
Santa masks up
Santa Claus, with his face covered by a mask, talks with a boy during the Union Grove Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the night of Dec. 3 in the Village Square. That event was one such attempt by local authorities to provide “normal” holiday celebrations while still implementing precautions that aimed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
SCHOOL PROTESTS
Renaissance Lutheran parents, students and teachers react as a driver honks in support of their march through Racine to protest the portion of the city's Safer Racine ordinance that orders all K-12 school buildings closed from Nov. 27 to Jan. 15. Schools have been one of many legal battlegrounds, along with elections and mask orders, of how much power governments have, even under extenuating circumstances like a 100-year pandemic.
MASK UP TO BALL
JR Lukenbill, a sophomore at Burlington High School sophomore guard, shoots over Wilmot's Anthony Corona, left, and Korik Klein during their teams' Southern Lakes Conference game earlier this month. As a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19, players have worn masks in high school athletics events, including in basketball and volleyball.
BEGINNING OF THE END
Dr. Stephanie Sam, a hospitalist with Ascension All Saints Hospital, was one of the first frontline workers at the hospital to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Administering the injection on Dec. 22 was Registered Nurse Cynthia Braun. This was part of the start of the country's largest vaccination undertaking since Dr. Jonas Salk discovered the polio vaccine in 1955.
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