Portage County capsules HOSPITAL OPENS INTERMEDIATE CARE UNIT: St. Michael's Hospital opened a new intermediate care unit on Wednesday, Aug. 1. The unit is an unusual set-up for a community hospital such as St. Michael's because intermediate care units are typically reserved for use in larger, or tertiary care hospitals. The unit will utilize four beds in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), located on the second floor. Patients who are too sick for the medical and surgical floors, but who need less intense care than the ICU offers, will be placed in the intermediate care unit. "This kind of unit will increase the presence of care we offer in both the ICU and the in-patient floors," said Jackie Chartier, nurse director at St. Michael's. "We are fortunate, in a community our size, to be able to offer this type of specialized care to our patients." The unit will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by registered nurses, an LPN and hospital-based paramedics. Like the unit itself, it is unusual for a community hospital to utilize the advanced expertise of paramedics, in an in-patient setting. Beverly Willson, a registered nurse from the ICU, has been promoted to supervise this new unit. She brings 10 years of St. Michael's nursing experience to her new role. To learn more about St. Michael's Hospital, log onto its Web site at www.saintmichaelshospital.org. * * * AGRIFEST COMING AUG. 11: Agrifest is coming to CenterPoint MarketPlace from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11. There will also be displays of antique farm machinery. Agrifest connects farmers with consumers with direct-marketing of products. Among those participating will be S&D Farms, Piedmontese beef and pork; Maplewood Gardens, "Garlic Man" certified organic produce; Wilderness Emu Ranch, emu-oil products; Autumn Harvest, venison; Lowland Bison Ranch; Golden Dreams Ostrich Farm. Organizers are looking for local farmers interested in direct marketing of their products. Those interested should call Dave Sikorski at 345-0956. * * * TROUT UNLIMITED FUND-RAISER: The Frank Hornberg Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold a fundraiser at Shooter's in Plover Friday, Aug. 10, starting at 6 p.m. The public is invited. The event will include prizes and silent auctions. The Hornberg Chapter serves Portage and Wood counties. It has carried out habitat restoration projects on area trout streams and promotes conservation practices along these streams. * * * CAMP HOPE GOLF BENEFIT: Enjoy a great day of golf and help support Camp HOPE. Camp HOPE, a camp for children and teenagers from Wisconsin grieving the death of someone close to them, is holding its 3rd Annual Charity Golf Tournament at the Stevens Point Country Club on Friday, Sept. 7. The tournament includes 18 holes of golf, dinner and a silent auction, hole events, and entertainment by Comedy Sportz of Milwaukee. In addition to hole-in-one prizes such as a new car and a new riding lawnmower, there will be prizes awarded to the top golfers. The $99 entry fee includes green fees, cart rental, dinner and a memento. This event is open to the public. The cost is $35 for those interested in attending only the dinner and silent auction. The entry deadline is Sept. 1. For an entry form or more information about Camp HOPE, contact Becky or Marty Loy at 341-0076. Camp HOPE is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, so donations are tax deductible. * * * DOUBLE FATALITY: Two Dodge County residents died in a single-vehicle accident at 3:10 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, on Interstate 39, six-tenths of a mile north of Highway DB in the town of Dewey, a Wisconsin State Patrol report said. The driver, John J. Hose, 56, and his mother-in-law, Elizabeth J. Wagner, 88, both of Juneau, died of injuries at Wausau Hospital, the report said. Wagner was a passenger in the front seat. A backseat passenger, Carol M. Hose, daughter and wife of the deceased, was treated at Wausau Hospital for injuries that were not life threatening. Hose was driving south when his vehicle left the roadway onto the right shoulder, the report said. He overcorrected and his vehicle rolled several times, ejecting him. The Interstate 39 southbound lane was closed for 45 minutes and then restricted to one lane for 54 minutes following the accident, the report said. The northbound lane remained open. The Portage County Sheriff's Department, two Portage County Ambulance Service ambulances, two Mosinee Rescue ambulances and the Spirit of Marshfield helicopter assisted the State Patrol at the accident scene. The helicopter didn't transport any of the injured. * * * DRUG ARREST: Two 18-year-old Stevens Point men were arrested on drug charges Wednesday, July 25, following a traffic stop, a Stevens Point Police Department report said. The incident happened at about 7:45 p.m. on Division Street North, near the Interstate 39 interchange. The officer conducting the stop seized 335 grams of marijuana, $2,914 in cash, a digital scale and a loaded 9 mm handgun from the vehicle. One man was arrested on possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and carrying a concealed weapon charges. The second man was arrested on possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and probation violation charges. * * * AMBULANCE CONTRACT TERMINATION: The Portage County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to give the city of Stevens Point notice the county intends to terminate the ambulance service agreement between it and the city. The termination notice opens the agreement between the city and county for negotiation, county officials have said. The Stevens Point Fire Department operates the Portage County Ambulance Service. The proposed resolution calls for terminating the present agreement between the two parties effective Dec. 1, 2002, but says the county intends to immediately enter negotiations with the city to provide a successor agreement to the contract. * * * ROSHOLT FAIR PARADE SEEKS PARTICIPANTS: The Rosholt Fair Board is seeking participants for its parade on Saturday, Sept. 1, when it hosts the official Portage County Fair for the 75th year. Those interested should send a card to Norma J. Anderson, PO Box 236, Rosholt, WI 54473.