WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
VOL. 121 NO. 35 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: Powerlifters head to Nationals. PAGE 13
SCF artist sculpts comic book heroes BY LYNNE BERTALMIO ARTREACH ST. CROIX
COUNTYHEALTHRANKINGS.ORG
Overall rankings in health outcomes. Light shades indicate lower numbers, or better health outcomes according to data released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
Polk County middle of pack in state health snapshot CONTRIBUTED POLK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Polk County’s health outcomes ranked 34th out of Wisconsin’s 72 counties in a recent report. Ozaukee County ranked healthiest and Sawyer the least healthy county, according to the annual County Health Rankings released last week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). All rankings are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org. County Health Rankings are an easy-to-use snapshot that compares counties within states, the Rankings show that where you live influences how well and how long you live. Housing is part of the foundation for living long and well. High housing costs can force some families to live in unsafe or overcrowded housing or even into homelessness. This year’s Rankings State Reports show stark differences across and within counties in the opportunity to afford a home, especially for those with low incomes and people of color. This year’s analyses show that a lack of opportunity for a safe, secure, and affordable home is tied to poor health. The Rankings State Reports call attention to key drivers in health such as severe housing cost burden and its connection to other factors like children in poverty. Among Wisconsin’s children living in poverty, 49% were living in a household that spends more than half of its income on housing. High housing costs make it difficult for families to afford other essentials that contribute to good health, such as healthy food, medicine, or transportation to work or school. Looking at differences by place and race offers a more complete picture of a community’s health. “This focus on the key drivers on health also called the social determinates of health is something the SEE HEALTH, PAGE 10
NEWS 715-294-2314 editor@osceolasun.com
As part of the 2019 NEA Big Read in the St. Croix Valley programming around the themes of Station Eleven, ArtReach St. Croix will host Comic Books: Parallel Universes, from April 4 to May 11. James Shoop and his Shoop Sculptural Design will be one of the featured artists. In addition to examples of comic book characters, he promises a look at an original piece that he has never before revealed. For a world under threat and in transition, Shoop’s work will interpret popular comic book characters and versions of the hero. As at other points in history, a post-apocalyptic world needs superhero figures who can tip the scales in favor of humanity. James Shoop has been sculpting professionally since 1983. SEE SCULPTOR, PAGE 10
SUBMITTED
Shoop Sculptural Design in St. Croix Falls turns comic book heroes into three dimensional sculpture such as this resin Batman figurine.
As drug use increases, more children placed out of home BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Across Wisconsin, increasing rates of meth and opioid addiction are driving a secondary problem: finding outof-home placement for children.
The need for such placement has risen 39 percent in less than a decade, according to information from the Wisconsin Counties Human Services Association. From 2012 to the first quarter of 2018, the number of children in
out-of-home care statewide grew from 3,977 to 5,516. Some counties have seen more dramatic increases of 80 to 100 percent. Additionally, the average length of time in out-of-home care has more than doubled,
growing from 157 days in 2011 to 356 in 2016. Links to addiction The state’s Department of Children and Families estimates more than 80 percent SEE CHILDREN, PAGE 11
Trainings on childhood trauma make impact Over the past year and a half, more than 1,000 professionals and community members in Polk County have been (or will soon be) trained to understand adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the impact of childhood trauma. The trainings are part of the Mental Health Task Force of Polk County’s Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Initiative.
ADVERTISING 715-294-2314 ads@osceolasun.com
Trauma Informed Care is an approach to engaging people that involves understanding, recognizing and responding to the effects of all types of trauma. Trauma affects an individual, families and communities by disrupting healthy development, adversely affecting relationships, and contributing to mental health issues. Understanding the impact of trauma is an
PUBLIC NOTICES 715-294-2314 office@osceolasun.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS 715-294-2314 office@osceolasun.com
important first step in becoming a compassionate and supportive community. Individual trauma can be measured through Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ACEs are serious childhood traumas that result in toxic stress that can harm a child’s brain, impact a child’s ability to learn, interSEE TRAINING, PAGE 15
BREAKING NEWS, UPDATES Whenever, wherever you are! Scan me with your smartphone