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Small business in Waukesha is celebrating Small Business Day [Video]
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Small Business Funding

Small business in Waukesha is celebrating Small Business Day [Video]

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE. TODAY AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOP LOCAL IN YOUR COMMUNITY. AND JOINING US LIVE IS VAN MCNEAL AND WAUKESHA WITH HOW YOU CAN FULLY SUPPORT TODAY. VAN LOOKING GOOD WITH THE BEAUTY ADAMS SO NOW WHAT DO WE HAVE? WELL, WERE TAKING CARE OF OUR SKIN. WERE TAKING CARE OF OUR BODIES. WERE AT JP BEAUTY SERVICES HERE ON SOUTH STREET IN WAUKESHA. JOSH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SPACE HERE. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF SERVICES. IM LOOKING HERE FROM BROWS TO FACIALS. WHAT WHAT WAS I SITTING IN THERE EARLIER. OH FUNNY. YOU ASK. ITS THE IRRIGATOR. IM OKAY. WE HAVE THE EAR DETOX FACIAL, WHICH IS GREAT FOR DEEP CLEANING THE EARS. I AM GREAT FOR THOSE THAT WEAR EARBUDS. THE WAX BUILD UP, THE SKIN CELLS BUILDING UP, BUILDING UP IN THE EARS. IT WILL ONLY WORK AT 98.6 DEGREES TEMP TEMPERATURE, SO IT JUST FEELS REALLY NICE AND LIKE A NICE LITTLE BUBBLE BATH FOR THE EARS. SO IF YOURE HAVING SOME EAR ISSUES, MAYBE YOU CANT HEAR CLEARLY. I MEAN, THIS IS ONE OF MANY SERVICES THAT YOU OFFER. WHAT ELSE DO YOU OFFER HERE? I AM FACIALS, IM ADVANCED SKIN SERVICES, CLINICAL HOLISTIC ESTHETICIAN. IM A 19 YEARS THE BRAND AND I RETAIL IS ALINA ORGANICS OUT OF MICHIGAN. OKAY IM ALL THE FORMULATIONS ARE SMALL BATCH I AND I MADE RIGHT IN MICHIGAN AND WITH ABOUT 4 TO 5 DAYS I GET THOSE THIS IS A COMMON THREAD. IM SURE THIS HAPPENS ACROSS MAIN STREETS IN OUR REGION HERE, BUT ITS ITS LOCAL SUPPORTING OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES. CORRECT? YES, YES, WERE ALL ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS, ALL ABOUT THE COLLABORATION AND THE COMMUNITY AND JUST BRINGING COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITIES. ALL RIGHT, LETS GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS. LETS TALK ABOUT THE FACIALS AND WHAT HAPPENS HERE IN THIS ROOM. COME ON IN. WERE IN THE TREATMENT ROOM. WE HAVE THE BUBBLES FOR YOUR TROUBLES FACIAL, WHICH IS THE OXYGEN INFUSED FACIAL THAT ALSO USES RADIOFREQUENCY AND ULTRASOUND THERAPY. LED THERAPY, WHICH IS GREAT FOR KILLING BACTERIA ON THE SKIN, ESPECIALLY AFTER ALL THAT HOLIDAY FOOD. YEAH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. JUST THAT SEBACEOUS ACTIVITY INCREASING, CAUSING MORE ACNE ENVIRONMENTS. MICRONEEDLING. AND AS WELL AS CHEMICAL PEELS. GREAT FOR GETTING THAT HOLIDAY GLOW BACK TO THE FACE. I DONT THINK PEOPLE REALIZE YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS OUR MONEYMAKER, RIGHT? OH, LOOK, WERE TAKING THE PICTURES WITH IT. THIS IS IMPORTANT. ITS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF. YES. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT. I USE LIKE, A POOR SUCKER AND, YOU KNOW, CLEAR OUT THE BLACKHEADS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT THIS IS ON A MAJOR LEAGUE LEVEL. YEAH, ITS ON A MAJOR LEAGUE LEVEL. THE BIG THING IS, YOU KNOW, JUST MAKING SURE TO GET THAT WATER INTAKE, YOU KNOW, AND BE INTUITIVE WITH YOUR MOVEMENTS, BE INTUITIVE WITH YOUR PRODUCTS. AND YOU KNOW, REALLY BE EXCITED TO BE DOING IT. LASTLY, WHAT DO YOU HAVE GOING ON HERE FOR SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY? SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY? I HAVE IM A SERVICE SPECIALIST. I ALSO DO LASH EXTENSIONS AS WELL. SO THERES A LASH EXTENSION SERVICE PACKAGE AND THEN A BUNCH OF JUST AMAZING SKIN AND GLOW PACKAGES AS WELL. AND GOING SEVEN YEARS STRONG HERE. YES. JOSH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JOSH JP BEAUTY SERVICES IM GOING TO GO GET A LITTLE BIT OF PAMPERING HERE. WHY NOT. AND ON A LOCAL LEVEL DUKE. OH VERY GOOD. BACK TO YOU. OH I NEED THE GOGGLES. JOSH? YES, YES, PLEASE GET THE GOGGLES AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE THOSE PORES ARE CLEAR. SO YOUR FACE IS GLOWING, SHINING BRIGHT. WHEN WE SEE YOU NEXT RELAXING. IT DOE

Wildfire threats return, dry and blustery in North Carolina [Video]
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Small Business Funding

Wildfire threats return, dry and blustery in North Carolina [Video]

The WXII12 News First Warning Weather Team wants you to know about dry and windy weather conditions that will increase the risk of fires along the Blue Ridge Parkway, in the Foothills from North Wilkesboro to Mount Airy and toward the Piedmont Triad. Despite an approaching cold front bringing a slight chance for light snowfall to the western slopes of the Appalachian Mountains, there will not be enough moisture in the Foothills or Piedmont Triad to compensate for the dry air.The authorities from the North Carolina Forest Service in collaboration with the North Carolina State Climate Office have set the fire danger forecast to a level three of five, High Fire Danger, for the Foothills and Piedmont Triad on Sunday. Areas near the Blue Ridge Parkway have a Moderate Fire Danger level. The risk increases for the Foothills on Monday to a level four, Very High Fire Danger.2024 WILDFIRE TOTALS SO FAR Wildfires have impacted more than 13,894 acres of land in North Carolina in 2024 and more than 3,973 fires were reported according to data gathered by the North Carolina Forest Service personnel in the Wildfire/Emergency Response Situation Report. Some of the fires are prescribed burns while others were started on private land. While these reports do not include fires on federal land, the reports show more than 196 fires were sparked during November. AVOID BURNING THIS WEEKAvoiding outdoor burning and properly extinguishing all smoking materials will help prevent the brush fires that could lead to bigger wildfires. Brush fires occur frequently this time of year as wind transports drier air into the Carolinas. Once a wildfire begins, it may consume thousands of acres of land and endanger people and wildlife as it spreads rapidly. BURNING PERMIT REQUIREDIf you decide to burn yard debris the next few days, please make sure you have a permit and contact your local fire department before burning. It is important to monitor the fire continuously and have fire suppression equipment ready to help extinguish flames immediately. Sparks from backyard fire pits and campfires can be easily be captured in dried ground debris and tree limbs. There is also special information regarding Hurricane Helene debris guidelines.Up to a $25,000 Fine for Violating Burning RegulationsMany communities offer yard waste removal, but those that do not still require a burning permit to be filed prior to burning yard waste. Residents are allowed to burn outdoors for recreational purposes including: campfires, outdoor barbecues, and bonfires on certain coastal beaches. Homeowners can burn yard waste trimmings if it is allowed by their local government and no public removal of yard debris is available. Under North Carolina burning regulations, it is illegal to burn trash and other non-vegetative materials. Leaves, branches and other vegetation can be burned under certain weather and air quality conditions and depending on local ordinances. Violators can be fined up to $25,000 a day.Keep in mind, the North Carolina State Fire Prevention Code also requires that grills with open flames be kept at a minimum of 10 feet from the residence in a vertical/horizontal distance on the ground level. Also, using grills on an enclosed patio or porch is prohibited.Here’s a link to information about how to apply for a burning permit based on your county of residence:NCBurnPermitsThe images of the Grindstone Fire on Pilot Mountain in 2021 were riveting. The Grindstone fire burned more than one thousand acres on Pilot Mountain in North Carolina.It spread quickly from a campfire in a place where campers were not supposed to be building fires. The fire started on Nov. 27 and was finally contained eight days later on Dec. 4. While the NC Forest Service officials say the area recovered quickly with little to no loss of animal life, they credit the prescribed burns that had been performed months earlier for limiting the spread to even more acreage.Candy Griffin shared this incredible aerial view of Pilot Mountain with us on our uLocal North Carolina Facebook group November 30, 2021.WILDFIRE SEASON We typically begin to see a higher frequency of wildfires in North Carolina and Virginia from October through December. This is the time of year we have dry air arriving behind a succession of cold fronts and increased pressure gradients resulting in windy days. A rush of dry air and strong winds often accompany cold fronts. The rapid spread of fires also happens when plentiful dried leaves serve as fuel for wildfires. Gusty, dry winds can quickly carry sparks and create an out-of-control brush fire within minutes.Rain from Hurricane Helene helped delay the onset of worsening drought conditions, but two dry months in row means more favorable conditions for wildfires. Soil conditions are a component of the fire weather forecast as the distribution of rainfall over a given week or several weeks has a big impact. Branches that are near homes or on the forest floor provide additional fuel for wildfires. Exposed, dry wood will burn more easily.Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.DROUGHT EXPECTED TO CONTINUE Rainfall is forecast to be below normal for December. Drought conditions have held steady at abnormally dry conditions during the last two weeks. While our current forecast calls for measurable rainfall chances in about eight to 10 days, drought conditions may worsen before rain arrives. The Drought Monitor is updated weekly on Thursdays.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscasts What Homeowners Can Do to Protect Their Home from WildfiresAccording to the North Carolina Forest Service, North Carolina is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the number of acres of land where homes and communities mix with undeveloped wildland vegetation. This area is also known as the Wildland/Urban Interface, WUI. North Carolina is ranked No. 4 in the nation for the number of homes in the WUI.There are many ways to reduce the risk of wildfires from starting and ways to protect where you call home. Did you know there is even a way to landscape your yard that helps prevent structure damage?The North Carolina Forest Service firefighters share seven ways to minimize home damage with these tips listed below from their ResistWildfireNC.org website:Clear: Clear off pine needles, dead leaves, and anything else that can burn from your rooflines, gutters, decks, porches, patios, and along fence lines. Falling embers will have nothing to burn.Store Away: Store away furniture cushions, rattan mats, potted plants, and other decorations from doors, decks, porches, and patios. These items catch embers and help ignite your home if you leave them outside.Screen & Seal: Wind-blown embers can get into homes easily through vents and other openings and burn the home from the inside out. Walk around your house to see what openings you can screen or temporarily seal.Rake: Embers that land in mulch touching your house, deck, or fence are a big fire hazard. Rake out any landscaping mulch at least 5 feet away from your home.Trim: Trim back any shrubs or tree branches that come closer than 5 feet to your house. Trim any overhanging branches.Remove: Walk around your house and remove anything within 30 feet that could burn, such as woodpiles, spare lumber, vehicles, and boats anything that can act as a large source of fuel.Close: If ordered to evacuate, make sure all windows and doors are closed tightly and seal up any pet doors. Many homes are destroyed by embers entering these openings and burning the house from the inside out.For more information and other homeowner resources, visit ResistWildfireNC.orgResistWildfireNC.orgFor more on how to evacuate during wildfire conditions go here:https://www.usfa.fema.gov/wui/outreach/

‘AI Jesus’ avatar tests man’s faith in machines and the divine [Video]
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‘AI Jesus’ avatar tests man’s faith in machines and the divine [Video]

Would you trust an “AI Jesus” with your innermost thoughts and troubles?Researchers and religious leaders on Wednesday released findings from a two-month experiment through art in a Catholic chapel in Switzerland, where an avatar of “Jesus” on a computer screen tucked into a confessional took questions by visitors on faith, morality and modern-day woes, and offered responses based on Scripture.Related video above: How AI-generated news sites threaten election integrityThe idea, said the chapel’s theological assistant, was to recognize the growing importance of artificial intelligence in human lives, even when it comes to religion, and explore the limits of human trust in a machine.After the two-month run of the “Deus in Machina” exhibit at Peter’s Chapel starting in late August, some 900 conversations from visitors some came more than once were transcribed anonymously. Those behind the project said it was largely a success: Visitors often came out moved or deep in thought, and found it easy to use.A small sign invited visitors to enter a confessional chosen for its intimacy and below a lattice screen across which penitent believers would usually speak with a priest, a green light signaled the visitor’s turn to speak, and a red one came on when “AI Jesus” on a computer screen on the other side was responding.Often, a lag time was needed to wait for the response a testament to the technical complexities. After exiting, nearly 300 visitors filled out questionnaires that informed the report released Wednesday.Of love, war, suffering and solitudePhilipp Haslbauer, an IT specialist at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts who pulled together the technical side of the project, said the AI responsible for taking the role of “AI Jesus” and generating responses was GPT-4o by OpenAI, and an open-source version of the company’s Whisper was used for speech comprehension.An AI video generator from Heygen was used to produce voice and video from a real person, he said. Haslbauer said no specific safeguards were used “because we observed GPT-4o to respond fairly well to controversial topics.”Visitors broached many topics, including true love, the afterlife, feelings of solitude, war and suffering in the world, the existence of God, plus issues like sexual abuse cases in the Catholic Church or its position on homosexuality.Most visitors described themselves as Christians, though agnostics, atheists, Muslims, Buddhists and Taoists took part too, according to a recap of the project released by the Catholic parish of Lucerne.About one-third were German speakers, but “AI Jesus” which is conversant in about 100 languages also had conversations in languages like Chinese, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Russian and Spanish.’Work of the Devil’?”What was really interesting (was) to see that the people really talked with him in a serious way. They didn’t come to make jokes,” said chapel theologian Marco Schmid, who spearheaded the project. Most visitors were aged 40 to 70, and more Catholic respondents found the experience stimulating than did Protestants, the report showed.Schmid was quick to point out that the “AI Jesus” billed as a “Jesus-like” persona was an artistic experiment to get people thinking about the intersection between the digital and the divine, not substitute for human interaction or sacramental confessions with a priest, nor was it intended to save pastoral resources.”For the people, it was clear that it was a computer … It was clear it was not a confession,” Schmid said. “He wasn’t programmed to give absolutions or prayers. At the end, it was more summary of the conversation.”The Catholic Church, from the Vatican on down, has been wrestling with the challenges and possible opportunities presented by the explosion in public interest in AI since generative artificial intelligence captured the world’s attention two years ago when OpenAI’s ChatGPT made its debut.The Vatican has appointed a friar from a medieval Franciscan order as its top expert on AI, and a Lutheran church in Bavaria served up sermons delivered by a chatbot last year. Pope Francis, in his annual peace message for this year, pushed for an international treaty to ensure the ethical use of AI technology.Chatbots like ChatGPT are powered by algorithmic models trained on vast pools of text and other data to mimic speech and generate seemingly unique and human-like responses.Haslbauer is sensitive to public reaction and has noted chatter on social media saying the project is “blasphemous” or the “work of the devil.””If you read comments on the internet about it, some are very negative which is scary,” Haslbauer, whose long-haired look featured as a basis for the image of the virtual Jesus.In a demonstration of the technology in the chapel, Haslbauer queried “AI Jesus” about its message for a troubled world, and about whether AI could be helpful as a way for people to find God.”All knowledge and wisdom ultimately come from God,” the chatbot said in a soothing voice, after a pause to respond, and the image briefly crackled. “If used wisely, AI can indeed be a tool to explore the wonders of creation, deepen our understanding of Scripture, and foster connections among people.””Yet it remains essential to seek God with all your heart and soul beyond any technology,” it added.A good side, and downsidesKenneth Cukier a journalist, author and expert with the U.S.-based nonprofit group called “AI and Faith” said if “AI Jesus” helps people connect deeper to themselves and the world, it “has to be a good thing.””It will lead to better individuals and a better world,” he said. “However and there’s a big however this does feel a little bit infantile, and pardon my pun, machine-like.””The risk is that it pulls people, ultimately, farther away from that which is more meaningful, deeper and authentic in spirituality,” said Cukier, the co-author of “Big Data: A Revolution that Will Transform How We Work, Live and Think.”For Schmid, the exhibit was a pilot project and he doesn’t foresee a second coming of “AI Jesus” anytime soon.”For us, it was also clear it was just a limited time that we will expose this Jesus,” he said, adding that any return would need to be done after deeper thought.”We are discussing … how we could revive him again,” he said, noting interest from parishes, schoolteachers, researchers and others as the project got media attention in Switzerland and beyond. “They all are interested and would like to have this ‘AI Jesus.’ So we have now a little bit to reflect on how we want to continue.”___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement that allows OpenAI access to part of AP’s text archives.

How new, bipartisan Alaska House leadership could impact education funding [Video]
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Small Business Funding

How new, bipartisan Alaska House leadership could impact education funding [Video]

For the upcoming legislative session, which starts in Juneau in January, the House Majority Coalition has identified committee chairs and priorities for the next session. One area in which the coalition is likely to separate itself from the House Majority last session is education.

Libraries around across the U.S. are helping people get healthier [Video]
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Libraries around across the U.S. are helping people get healthier [Video]

The Aurora Health Care Mobile Medical Clinic team waited patiently at a table in the main hallway of the Milwaukee Public Librarys sprawling downtown branch, a blood pressure cuff and mental health questionnaire at the ready as they called out to patrons who paused: Do you have any questions about your health?On this Tuesday afternoon, one man did. His joints were bothering him, he told Carolyn McCarthy, the teams nurse practitioner. And he knew his bones need calcium to stay strong, so he stopped taking his blood pressure medication, a calcium channel blocker.McCarthy talked with him at length in simple and specific terms about how the medication worked on his cells, why it was important to take and how it doesnt affect calcium storage in his bones.Hopefully, he walked away a little bit more informed, McCarthy said.The mobile clinic is one of several health programs offered by libraries around across the U.S. from tiny rural town libraries to large urban systems. They offer fitness classes, food pantries, cooking classes, conversations about loneliness and mental health, and even blood pressure monitors that can be checked out just like books.The public health programs leverage libraries’ reputation as sources of reliable information and their ability to reach people beyond formal health care settings. No money, insurance, language skills or ID required, no limits on age. All are welcome.Libraries are the last true public institution, said Jaime Placht, a health and well-being specialist at the Kansas City Public Library system in Kansas City, Missouri. The system has a full-time social work team. The library is a public health space.The Kansas City Public Library, along with Milwaukee and several others, is part of the American Heart Association’s Libraries with Heart program. Several Kansas City branches have blood pressure stations which Placht said have been used 13,000 times as well as a take-home blood pressure kits that have been checked out nearly 100 times. The program started there about a year ago.We have patrons that say, Because I used the blood pressure monitor at the library, I went and saw my physician for the first time in a long time, Placht said.There is no local public health office in Jarrell, Texas, a small town between Austin and Waco. But there is a nonprofit library that can connect patrons to mental health help. It’s one of nine rural libraries in central Texas that receives funding from the St. Davids Foundation, the philanthropic arm of one of the states largest health systems.Jarrell Community Library and Resource Center is a place for brave conversations. When a senior card game group turned to a discussion of the best crematorium in town, the library brought in local experts to teach about end-of-life planning, library director Susan Gregurek said. Last year, seven women came to the library for information on how to file restraining orders against their husbands.This is mental health, but its obviously larger than mental health,” Gregurek said.The public library in Smithville, Texas, which also gets money from the Libraries for Health program, stocks boxes of surplus food from area farmers and built out programs that help teens, older adults and parents address isolation. The librarys peer support specialist has gone from working with four to five people a month to nearly 60 in the community southeast of Austin.St. David’s Foundation has invested more than $3 million in the program over three years, which Smithville library director Judy Bergeron said is key when she hears comments like, Why are we funding the library so much? Nobody reads anymore.A year and a half into being in Milwaukee’s libraries, mobile health clinic reaches eight patrons on average per visit. They’ve had some people come back to say they went to the hospital and got a life-saving treatment, McCarthy said. Theyve also had patients who did not seek help and later died.What we do is a Band-Aid on a broken (health care) system, McCarthy said of the clinic.Another library effort in Milwaukee teaches kids about healthy nutrition habits at the Mitchell Street branch a weekly after-school program run by chef Sharrie Agee since 2022.Certain areas of Milwaukee dont have the same opportunities to (access) healthy ingredients, healthy sources of food, the knowledge behind how to use those ingredients, said Agee, whose class learns how to make snacks from different continents.Four junior chefs helped her cut cheese and tomatoes for a pizza this month while she quizzed the rest of the attendees: What country is pizza from? What ingredients are listed on the recipe?Ruby Herrera, 40, brought her children to help them learn to cook something healthy and try different foods. Her older kids cook everything in the air fryer.Yareni Orduna-Herrera, 7, ran over to her mom, smiling, her task of slicing tomatoes complete.She said she’ll try the recipe home again and also wants to learn to make rice and beans. But first, she needed to taste the pizza.The one that I made, she said with pride.

Clyde P. Stickney, Roman L. Weil, Katherine Schipper, Jennifer Francis [Video]
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Small Business Funding

Clyde P. Stickney, Roman L. Weil, Katherine Schipper, Jennifer Francis [Video]

The Finance Divisions Planning and Reporting, Financial Planning and Evaluation,TRAC and Subsidiaries teamsare here to help you with any queries. In addition, financial accountants prepare detailed statements and talk monetary information to company leaders and audiences that do not have an extensive accounting background. Apply Monetary Accounting Rules to Business Settings. Accountancy companies, insurance coverage firms, building societies, funding banks, excessive avenue banks, and public sector businesses are just a number of the potential employers for these with an accounting or finance diploma, with the massive multinational financial services corporations still offering lots of the most popular opportunities.

Why many businesses have not received government aid after Helene [Video]
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Small Business Funding

Why many businesses have not received government aid after Helene [Video]

Two months after Hurricane Helene, many homeowners and businesses have not received any aid from the federal government as the U.S. Small Business Administration's disaster loan fund ran out of money. CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane reports and North Carolina business owner Jessie Dean shares her story.