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🌱 What Wisconsin Rapids residents demanded to know about the new data center

Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Patch AM: a 5 min read

What's up Wisconsin Rapids! Let's start this morning right by getting caught up on what's going on around town. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • What Wisconsin Rapids residents demanded to know about the new data center
  • See which Wisconsin Rapids students made top college honors this spring
  • Which nearby towns face the highest tick risk this summer?

Also on today's calendar: Lunch by the River and 1 more event.

Today's riddle: Why did the cookie go to the Doctor ? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Mostly sunny and warm, with a high of 86 and low of 56 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Friday: A t-storm around in the p.m., temps: high: 87, low: 60.
  • Saturday: Sunshine, warm and less humid, with a high of 85 and low of 62 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Wisconsin residents pack heated meeting on proposed data center, demand answers (thecooldown.com) — Hundreds of Wisconsin Rapids residents packed an August 1 forum at McMillan Memorial Library to grill developers of a proposed data center about water use, noise, heat, jobs, and utility impacts. PNK Group’s representative promised a closed-loop cooling system, no direct Wisconsin River withdrawals, and no local tax incentives, but admitted the company has never built a similar project and has no tenant yet. More community meetings are planned as questions about wells, emissions, and electric bills remain unresolved.
   

2. College News 08.05.2026 - Wisconsin Rapids City Times (wrcitytimes.com) — Several Wisconsin Rapids students have earned academic recognition for the spring 2026 term, including semester and highest honors from UW-Green Bay and Milwaukee School of Engineering. The roundup also spotlights high-achieving students from nearby Nekoosa, Port Edwards, Vesper, and Marshfield, showcasing local academic success across multiple colleges.
   

3. Highest and lowest tick risk in Wood County - Wisconsin Rapids City Times (wrcitytimes.com) — Wood County currently shows some of the state’s higher modeled tick risks, with Grand Rapids and Saratoga topping the list and Milladore at the low end. A new tool called TickZone uses public health and environmental data to score daily tick exposure, offering Wisconsin Rapids residents guidance on where Lyme-carrying ticks are most likely to be active nearby.
   

4. Central Wisconsin program helps parents turn everyday talk into early learning (wpr.org) — A central Wisconsin early-learning program called LENA Start is helping parents turn everyday conversations with babies and toddlers into powerful brain-building moments, and it has roots in Wisconsin Rapids through cofounder Terry Paul. Families receive free classes, meals, child care, and children’s books while using a “talk pedometer” to track back-and-forth interactions. New sessions begin in September across the region, offering Rapids-area parents a no-cost way to support school readiness.
   

📸 Around Wisconsin Rapids

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Wisconsin Rapids

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★ Featured events ★

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📣 Wisconsin Rapids Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Does anyone have an extra cane?
    I had my monthly ankle injury again and dont want to use my great grandpas cane because I almost lost it twice already and it is very sentimental to… (Nextdoor Wood County)
  • O'Reilly Auto Parts posted a job opening for Assistant Store Manager in Wisconsin Rapids. Apply here.
  • Sherwin-Williams posted a job opening for Bilingual Customer Service Specialist (Spanish) in Wisconsin Rapids. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Wisconsin Rapids here.

Ok Wisconsin Rapids! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Because he felt CRUMMY ! (Thank you Michelle S. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

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Stay in the loop with what's happening in Wisconsin Rapids

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.

Stay in the loop with what's happening in Wisconsin Rapids

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.