By Carlos Gamino

Wisconsin state health officials announced that they’ve administered nearly 2,000,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines during March with the number still climbing – even as some people refuse to get the shot and others are part of “Vaccine Hunters” groups that look for leftover vaccines to distribute to those who want them. (You can track COVID-19 vaccine data in Wisconsin here.)

What About Wasted Doses?

More than 1,800 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been wasted across Wisconsin, according to the Department of Health Services. That number does not include the 500 vaccines that were allegedly intentionally sabotaged by a pharmacist in December. Generally, the waste is accidental; because the vaccines need to be kept at extremely low temperatures, things can easily go wrong.

“St. Nicholas Hospital learned that 28 vials of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine were unintentionally left out unrefrigerated on the night of Feb. 8, 2021. Upon immediate review of the situation, the hospital concluded that these vials were set aside while sorting vaccine; and as a result of human error, the 28 vials were inadvertently left out rather than placed back in the refrigerator as is standard protocol,” a spokesperson from St. Nicholas Hospital said. “HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital firmly believes this situation was a result of human error and not intentional. The hospital has taken this incident very seriously and used it to improve processes and put additional measures in place to ensure it will not happen again.”

Vaccine Hunters on the Prowl

Facebook groups have popped up all over Wisconsin to enable people to find vaccines that would otherwise go to waste.

“We don’t advocate line skipping but we don’t want a dose to go to waste,” said Bob Orech, an organizer of one such group.

Pharmacists and medical professionals are doing their best not to waste vaccine doses. In fact, Dr. Hashim Zaibak of Hayat Pharmacy says they waste fewer doses by going on an as-needed basis. “It’s really difficult because if you mix 100 vaccines and only 50 people show up, then you’re left with 50 doses, then you have to find volunteers or find patients to get,” says Zaibak.

What Do You Think?

Will you get the COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available to you, or are you waiting – or not planning to get it at all? I’d love to hear what you think of the vaccine and your reasoning, so please share your thoughts on my Facebook page or my Twitter feed.

Attorney Carlos Gamino

By Attorney Carlos Gamino

Up for an adventure? There are plenty of things to see right here in Milwaukee, including the Bronze Fonz, St. Joan of Arc Chapel and the North Point Water Tower – but if you venture outside the city, that’s where the real adventures begin.

3 Amazing, People-Free Places to Go This Spring Near Milwaukee

Check out these great adventures within a short drive from Milwaukee – they’re all places you can go to escape from the city:

1. Nasbro Ghost Town
2. Fast Fiberglass Mold Graveyard
3. Holy Hill

Here’s a closer look at each.

#1. Nasbro Ghost Town

You won’t encounter a soul on a visit to Nasbro (see what we did there?). This ghost town was a milling hub from the 1920s to the 1970s, and while there are only a few traces of the dozen homes that once stood on the land, you’ll see five stone lime kilns. The ghost town is located 3 miles west of Lomira on the west side of County Road Y (north of Knowles). It’s definitely worth exploring – and you might find some artifacts along the old train tracks. Check it out here.

#2. Fast Fiberglass Mold Graveyard

Perhaps stranger than a ghost town, this eerie graveyard isn’t home to any people – it’s home to dozens of fiberglass molds designed to make larger-than-life animals, shapes and more. You’ll find massive dogs, oversized Santas and mice bigger than both. The owners let people stroll through the collection, which is located at 14177 County Highway Q in Sparta. Check it out here.

#3. Holy Hill

Whether or not you’re in need of redemption, Holy Hill is an amazing place to visit. Just 30 miles outside of Milwaukee, the hill was deemed a place of miracles after a partially paralyzed hermit named Francois Soubio spent the night there and woke up completely cured from his ailments. The site was home to a cross and altar set up in 1676 by a Canadian pioneer, and then the property sold for $50 in 1855. After changing hands a few more times, you can now find a side chapel and church house with crutches and canes left by those who claim to have been miraculously cured by the hill. And even if you’re not into the religious aspect of Holy Hill, you’ll love the spectacular views from the top – you can see the Milwaukee skyline and acres upon acres of forest. It’s located at 1525 Carmel Road in Hubertus. Check it out here.

What Do You Think?

I’d love to hear your favorite adventures in and around Milwaukee, so please feel free to share them on my Facebook page or on my Twitter feed.

Carlos Gamino

By Carlos Gamino

Millions of small businesses are at risk of closing down permanently due to the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic – and millions more will shutter their doors forever if the second wave is as bad as Dr. Anthony Fauci predicts.

So which businesses have closed their doors or filed for bankruptcy due to the virus? Here’s the most recent list:

1. JC Penney, which is the largest victim of the shutdown to date. The company filed for bankruptcy in mid-May.
2. Crew filed bankruptcy in early May.
3. Neiman Marcus was the first department store chain to declare bankruptcy in early May.

Forbes is maintaining a “Bankruptcy Watch List,” and as of today, that list includes:

• Capri Holdings (Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo)
• Dillard’s
• Kohl’s
• Levi Strauss
• Macy’s
• Nordstrom
• Signet (Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared and Piercing Pagoda)
• Tapestry (Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzmann)
• The Gap
• L Brands (Victoria’s Secret)
• GNC
• Olympia Sports
• Walgreens

The bottom line is that department stores aren’t cut out for long-term closures.

“Retail companies are not built to have their stores closed for extended periods of time, and unfortunately we need to really plan for the worst and hope for the best,” Manny Chirico, the CEO of PVH Corp., the owner of brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, told CNBC this week.

Chirico expects to see 20 to 25 percent of all U.S. stores to close within the next few years. And he may be right – department stores never quite bounced back from the 2008 recession, and shoppers’ habits have changed significantly since then. The pandemic has made online shopping even more popular, which could be the kiss of death… and we may be in for another retail apocalypse.

What Do You Think?

Do you think these companies should be bailed out, or that they should file for bankruptcy protection in order to stay open? I’d love to hear how you feel about these major retailers closing down, so please feel free to share them on my Facebook page or on my Twitter feed.

Attorney Carlos Gamino

By Carlos Gamino

An iceberg the size of Atlanta broke off a glacier in Antarctica in February, marking the middle of a month of soaring temperatures where the mercury hit 69 degrees for the first time in recorded history. The World Meteorological Association is running double-checks to verify it as a new record, and experts say things are going to become even warmer on the world’s chilliest continent.

The Pine Island Glacier breakage is the latest in a series of calving events, which are incidents in which large chunks of ice snap off a glacier and float into the ocean as icebergs. Since 2012, Pine Island Glacier has lost about 58 billion tons of ice per year. Warming temperatures are redefining all of Antarctica – including the way it’s shaped.

The temperatures are also threatening local animal life, including penguins. Penguin thrive on krill; it’s their primary food source. But krill depends on ice, so if things heat up too much, those penguins will starve and impact the rest of the Antarctic ecosystem, as well.

Just for reference, the mean annual temperature of the interior of the continent is –70.6 degrees F. Its coast is warmer – usually around 14 degrees F in the warmest parts – but a 55-degree difference is a really big deal, particularly in February.

As pieces continue to break away from the Pine Island Glacier and its cousin, the Thwaites Glacier, billions of tons of ice are at risk of falling into the ocean. NASA says that these two glaciers contain enough vulnerable ice between them to raise sea levels by 4 feet (sorry, Florida). Each year since 2016, Antarctica has gotten progressively warmer – as has the rest of the world – which means more ice is melting and breaking off massive glaciers. Methane trapped inside the ice then escapes, which can cause more harm and make the earth even warmer, scientists warn, so even despite our best efforts, it might be too late to turn things around.

What Do You Think?

I’d love to hear what you think about the temperatures in Antarctica and how massive icebergs are breaking off our fast-dwindling glaciers, so please feel free to share your own opinion on my Facebook page or on Twitter.

Carlos Gamino

By Carlos Gamino

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing for coronavirus to “become a community virus,” and it’s trying to prepare as best it can for widespread infection across the United States.

“Right now we’re in an aggressive containment mode,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield. “This virus is probably with us beyond this season, beyond this year, and I think eventually the virus will find a foothold and we will get community-based transmission.”

There have been 15 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. so far – including one in Wisconsin – but currently, there’s no cure.

Redfield says his agency is working on a containment strategy to buy more time to develop vaccines and antiviral drugs to help save people. Part of that strategy is quarantining people who have confirmed cases and restricting travel between affected areas.

However, the World Health Organization is arguing against travel restrictions.

“We reiterate our call to all countries not to impose restrictions that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade. Such restrictions can have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with little public health benefit,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Ahanom Ghebreyesus.

Redfield disagrees. “I would rather be criticized for over-protecting America than under-protecting America at this stage,” he said.

But the fact remains that people can transmit coronavirus even before they know they’re infected. In that way, it’s a lot like other viruses; it can be spread by someone who’s not yet experiencing any symptoms at all. In fact, Redfield says that the cases popping up in the U.S. only presented with a small sore throat – symptoms that could be mistaken for a whole host of other viruses, including the flu.

What Do You Think?

I’d love to hear what you think about coronavirus – and whether we’re doing enough to prevent its spread. Please feel free to share your own opinion on my Facebook page or on Twitter.

Carlos Gamino

By Attorney Carlos Gamino

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know we’re big fans of strange news stories. We did a little digging in the archives and found these gems from 2019 – they’re some of the weirdest pieces we’ve ever read (and this time, we didn’t get any from FloridaMan.com, which is packed with fabulous fodder).

Trial by Combat

A Kansas man in the middle of a raging custody battle wanted to settle a series of disputes with his ex-wife in true Game of Thrones fashion. David Ostrom, the aspiring fencer, put his rapier-like wit on display when he requested that an Iowa judge allow him to sword fight his ex-wife “on the field of battle, legally.” He also asked the judge for three months to find samurai swords that were up to the task.

The judge denied the request, which could end in death, by saying, “Such ramifications likely outweigh those of property tax and custody issues.”

Border Patrol is Getting Crappy Signals and These Vultures Are to Blame

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection radio tower in Texas is sending out mixed signals since a horde of vultures has taken up residence, fowling things up for on-the-go agents. Apparently, the birds have been there for the past 6 years – and a rep from CBP said, “They will often defecate and vomit from their roost onto buildings below that house employees and equipment.” The scavengers usually feed on carrion, which isn’t always easy on the digestive tract, and one of their primary defense mechanisms is vomit.

Walmart Dressing Rooms: Enter at Your Own Risk

Pennsylvania police are frantically searching for suspects after someone released bedbugs in an Erie County Walmart’s dressing room. A manager found a pill bottle teeming with live bugs in a boys’ jacket for sale, and a hygiene contractor called out to examine the scene found several crawling around the men’s dressing room the next day. Rumor has it that the prosecutor is also itching for a conviction in the case.

What Are Your Favorite Weird News Stories From 2019?

What weird news stories stuck with you from last year? I’d love to hear all about them, so drop a link on my Facebook page or on Twitter.

Attorney Carlos Gamino