County Capsules MEETING SCHEDULED ON JAIL: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) will present its preliminary findings regarding overcrowding at the Portage County Jail on Thursday, Feb. 26, from 9 a.m. to noon in conference rooms 1 and 2 of the County Courthouse Annex. Portage County has spent more than $1 million since January 2000 to house excess inmates in neighboring counties' jails so it asked the NIC to study the situation. The county received a Planning of New Institutions (PONI) grant to examine the local justice system and processes in order to help find a solution to the problem. * * * DISTRICT 2 HOLDS OPEN HOUSE: Stevens Point Alderman and Common Council President Hans Walther, District 2, will host his annual open house and listening session for District 2 residents on Thursday, Feb. 26, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Stevens Point Parks and Recreation Department, 2442 Sims Ave., Stevens Point. This is the ninth year Walther has hosted such an event, and there is no set agenda. "The listening session gives me a chance to find out what issues are important to my constituents," Walther said. The meeting is open to all District 2 residents. * * * BLOOD DRIVE SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, FEB. 28: A Red Cross blood drive will be held from 7:45 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 9000 Brilowski Road, Stevens Point. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE for an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome. The blood banking industry now requires blood donors nationwide to provide appropriate identification before donating, and the American Red Cross implemented this new positive ID policy on Jan. 30. The preferred identification is a government-issued picture identification, such as a driver's license or a Red Cross blood donor card. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. Donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds or more. * * * HIGHWAY 10 OPERATIONS DELAY COUNTY TRUNK B TRAFFIC: Wisconsin Department of Transportation construction crews working on the Highway 10 upgrade project near Amherst delayed motorists using County Trunk B between Amherst and Plover at the beginning of the week. Crews placed beams for the Highway 10/ County Trunk B bridges starting on Monday, requiring some traffic on B to be stopped for periods of 20 to 30 minutes each day, said Shannon Riley, DOT project manager. The beam placement was expected to last a week but work was completed Wednesday. The 10-B interchange construction is part of the $16 million reconstruction of Highway 10 between Lake Road and County Trunk A. The entire highway reconstruction is scheduled for completion in November. * * * MSTC BOARD RECOGNIZES LANDMARK EDUCATION RULING: The Mid-State Technical College (MSTC) Board of Directors approved a resolution Monday, Feb. 16, that recognized the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, a landmark for equity in public education. Alice Randlett, board chairperson, said the resolution renews MSTC's commitment to access and equity to higher education. In other business the board heard a report about the development of a statewide curriculum for the EMT-paramedic program to improve transfer between Wisconsin technical colleges. The next board meeting will be held on Monday, March 15 at the Wisconsin Rapids campus. Committee meetings are scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m., with the regular board meeting at 5:30 p.m. * * * LICENSED DRIVERS DECLINE IN WISCONSIN: While there may be more registered vehicles on the road, there are fewer licensed drivers to drive them. The Division of Motor Vehicles reported there were 3,933,924 licensed drivers registered in Wisconsin as of Dec. 31. That's down two-tenths of a percent from the 3,942,061 licensed drivers registered on that same date a year earlier. The DMV noted previously that there were 5.1 million registered vehicles as of Jan. 1, up 2.4 percent from the previous year. The 3.9 million licensed drivers in Wisconsin are about equally split between men and women: 1,978,870 males; 1,955,054 females. There are 28 men and 27 women age 100 or older who have kept their driver's licenses active, the oldest being a 105-year-old man. The number of people with motorcycle endorsements climbed about 3.4 percent, from 404,730 at the end of 2002 to 418,444 at the end of last year. The state's oldest licensed driver with a motorcycle endorsement is a 97-year-old man. * * * DREYFUS WILL SPEAK FEB. 29 AT HOLLY CENTER IN WAUPACA: Former Wisconsin governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus will speak on Sunday, Feb. 29, at 3 p.m. at the Holly History Center, 239 Main St., Waupaca. Dreyfus, a former University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point chancellor, will address the topic of "Former governors - and now, the rest of the story." On Saturday, March 6, the Waupaca County Republican party will hold its annual caucus and Lincoln Reagan Dinner at Baymont Inn and Suites, 10 Grand Seasons Drive, Waupaca. The party caucus will start at 3:30 p.m. The event will be chaired by Waupaca County District Attorney John Snider. At 5 p.m., the cash-bar social hours commences and the Lincoln Reagan Dinner will be seated at 6 p.m. and emceed by attorney Tom Johnson. Keynote speaker for the event is U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay. State Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Bellevue, will speak on a proposal designed by the Wisconsin Conservation Leadership Coalition to create a Taxpayers Bill of Rights. Tickets are available at $20 each until March 6 or $25 each at the door. For tickets contact Ron Reynolds at (715) 258-5530, Pat Maasch at (920) 867-2252 or Hyde Murray at (715) 256-5499. Reservations are required. * * * POINT RESIDENT WINS $10,000 IN HO-CHUNK GIVEAWAY: An unnamed individual from Stevens Point won $10,000 at Rainbow Casino & Bingo in Nekoosa recently as part of the Ho-Chunk Nation Gaming's Cold Cash Giveaway. The Cold Cash Giveaway began Saturday, Feb. 7, and will continue through Saturday, March 13. Ho-Chunk Nation Gaming selects one $10,000 winner every Saturday night at midnight to receive $10,000 at each of its three casinos: Ho-chunk Casino, Hotel and Convention Center in the Wisconsin Dells; Majestic Pines Casino & Hotel in Black River Falls; and Rainbow Casino & Bingo in Nekoosa. * * * PORTAGE COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS REQUESTS ASSISTANCE: Portage County Crime Stoppers is asking for help to solve a burglary at Dream Weavers Bridal Shop, 2824 Post Road, Whiting, on Tuesday, Dec. 23. On that date officers responded to the location and found a damaged rear door. Between 8 p.m. Dec. 22 and 9:55 a.m. Dec. 23, someone pried open the rear door, officers said, and entered the store, prying open two cash registers and entering the office area. The majority of the items taken were cash, approximately $1,150 in denominations of $100, $50, $20 and $10. The door and the two cash registers were damaged by use of a pry bar. Anyone with any information about this burglary or any other crime that has occurred in Portage County, can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward by calling Portage County Crime Stoppers at 1-888-346-6600. * * * STEVENS POINT BUILDING PERMITS: The city of Stevens Point issued two building permits in January. One was for a $90,000 commercial project for El Mezcal Restaurant, 5724 Windy Drive, and the second was for a $250,000 single-family home at 1808 Halstad Drive.