Milwaukee County pool openings; some to remain closed this season
The Milwaukee County Parks Department said there are five pools not opening this summer.
More than 170 lifeguards are being hired to kick off the season as other pools start to open.
All splash pads and wading pools will be open for the summer.
MILWAUKEE - The weather is finally starting to warm up, which means local pools are opening up.
But the Milwaukee County Parks Department said there are five locations not opening this summer.
Big picture view
Rena Cannon lives near Washington Park. For the last several years, she said the pool there has been closed.
The Milwaukee County Parks Department said it will remain closed this summer.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Pelican Cove Aquatic Center, Jackson Pool, Hales Corners Pool and Grobschmidt Pool are also closed for the 2025 season.
"I think they need to open it back up for the community because the children need it," Cannon said. "Like, where is a good pool? And everyone is talking about going south, going south, and it's like, what about over here?"
Cannon said she has to drive at least 30 minutes to get to a pool.
"That's gas money. If we want to go somewhere three times a week – that's 30, 40 minutes there, and back. That's a long way," she said. "That's a long way to go."
What they're saying
Andrea Wallace of Milwaukee County Parks said the closures are because of mechanical issues.
"With some facilities that haven't been open in years, we have some mechanical issues that we have to deal with – whether it is a bad pool lining or a filter system or concrete work," she said.
Instead, Wallace said the department is focused on lifeguard staffing, and starting off the season with more than 170 lifeguards.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
"Staffing has definitely been at the forefront recently," Wallace said. "In the last probably five years as we build the lifeguard core from zero in 2020."
Wallace said all splash pads and wading pools will be open for the summer.
For a full list of pool openings, visit the Milwaukee County Parks website.
The Source
The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
Volunteers, friends vow to carry on work of late Chicago LGBTQ+ activist: ‘We're her legacy'
Bobby Foster sobbed all day Monday, but there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he'd be back to work the following morning. He has to go on, he said, no matter what. 'If we have to do it with tears coming out our eyes, we gotta do it,' Foster, 57, said. Tuesday marked Foster's first volunteer shift at GroceryLand, the long-running Edgewater food pantry for HIV-positive people, without the pantry's steadfast linchpin, Lori Cannon. A fixture of LGBTQ+ activism in Chicago and the driving force behind GroceryLand, Cannon died at home Aug. 3 of heart failure, a close friend told the Tribune. She was 74. Less than 48 hours later, the doors of GroceryLand's 5543 N. Broadway brick-and-mortar stood open, as grieving volunteers returned to do what they had for years done side by side with Cannon: serve the community. They wouldn't have had it any other way, the volunteers said, as they vowed to carry on Cannon's legacy. 'This was her dream,' Foster said. 'This was her goal.' Born in Ravenswood and raised in West Rogers Park, Cannon established what would ultimately become GroceryLand 37 years ago amid the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. Eleven years after AIDS was first reported in the United States, it was the leading cause of death for U.S. men ages 25 to 44. HIV disproportionally affects people in vulnerable populations that are often highly marginalized, stigmatized and criminalized, including the LGBTQ+ community, racial and ethnic minorities, women and girls, drug users and sex workers, according to the World Health Organization. 'I didn't understand what was happening,' Cannon told the Tribune in 2004 of the epidemic. 'But I knew I didn't like it. The horror, the heartbreak we experienced … and no one was paying attention.' Cannon turned to organizing, becoming an early volunteer for Chicago House, which provides a range of services for people and families affected by HIV, and helped launch the city's local chapter of the national AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, according to the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. In 1988, Cannon co-founded Open Hand Chicago to deliver meals to people with AIDS. Six years later, Open Hand expanded to food pantries where clients could shop for their own free load of groceries, with the idea that they'd come away feeling more empowered in the process. GroceryLand was born. Over time, the operation evolved, being renamed Vital Bridges in 2001 and 10 years later, becoming an arm of Heartland Alliance Health, whose parent organization split apart last year amid financial turmoil. In February, Heartland Alliance Health itself was on the brink of closure before receiving a multimillion-dollar donation that saved the organization from shutting down. Still, through it all, GroceryLand remained, with Cannon at the helm. 'Lori Cannon was a true ally in Illinois from her organizing days to founding Open Hand Chicago — she led the way with chutzpah and humor,' Gov. JB Pritzker wrote in a statement to social media recently. That tenacity was palpable Tuesday, living on through the GroceryLand volunteers and clients Cannon leaves behind. 'We don't know what tomorrow's going to bring or how it's going to turn out,' Foster said as he wiped his eyes, his voice wavering. Foster initially came to the organization as a client when it was still known as Open Hand, after he contracted HIV at 20 years old. From Florida, he fell in love with Chicago from the moment he saw 'two guys walking down the street holding hands … and it seemed normal to them,' he said. Cannon gave Foster the 'guidance of the mother that I never had,' he said, sitting in GroceryLand's reception area as clients filtered in and out with canned goods, grains and vegetables in hand. All around, pride flags lined the pantry's walls while overhead, a doll resembling Cannon hung from angel wings, though the effigy had been part of the pantry's decor long before Cannon died as a standing homage to GroceryLand's 'guardian angel,' volunteers said. 'Will it be the same?' Foster said. 'Will we have the same support from the community? She knew so many people. She had so many connections. … Only time will tell. (But) the need is there.' Chicago artist David Lee Csicsko said he'll be a part of GroceryLand 'until I'm gone.' For more than 30 years, Csicsko has produced artwork for the pantry to liven the space and turn it into somewhere for not only 'nourishing your body but your mind and your soul and your heart,' he said. 'The constant thing was just making something that makes people smile.' That was important to Cannon, who exuded kindness and humor and knew every client that walked through the door by first name, Csicsko said. Today, GroceryLand, with the help of some 30 volunteers, serves a few hundred regular clients, volunteer Maria Mavraganes said. Mavraganes, 60, met Cannon when she was 16 years old, after she and her family, who had owned a restaurant in Lakeview for years, became involved in advocacy efforts early on in the AIDS epidemic, she said. When she retired four years ago, Mavraganes said she formally joined GroceryLand so she could volunteer 'for the community that gave so much to me and my family,' an opportunity she owed to Cannon. 'It's because of Lori and on Lori's behalf that we're all here.' she said. When client Frank Frasier took a bad fall last year and tore a tendon in his leg, it was Cannon who kept in touch and ensured he'd still receive his groceries, he said. A friend introduced Frasier, a longtime survivor of HIV, to GroceryLand seven years ago, and he's been a client, as well as a part-time volunteer, since. Cannon had this ability to 'make you feel like you're the most important person in the world,' said Frasier, who lived in Edgewater for 24 years but now lives in the suburbs. 'She never turned anybody away. Never. Whether it was a day's worth of food or a week's worth of food or whatever, even if they weren't a client, she didn't turn them away.' Frasier said it was always Cannon's hope that someday, GroceryLand wouldn't be necessary anymore. He referenced a 2016 article by the former hyperlocal news website DNAinfo Chicago, in which Cannon was quoted as saying, 'I hope to hang up the shingle on my front door that says, 'We're going fishing, we're closing our doors, the need is not there, it's been a pleasure serving you all.'' Frasier said that dream still stands. 'I don't want (her legacy) to be a dusty plaque someplace. I want it to keep living and breathing. … We're her legacy. The people here,' he paused, choking up, 'are her legacy. Clients, the people working.' Cannon's 'unwavering commitment to nourishing both bodies and spirits made Vital Bridges a lifeline for thousands,' Tamashiro continued, adding: 'We are profoundly grateful for (her) decades of leadership and love.' Tamashiro said Heartland Alliance Health is 'taking time to thoughtfully consider next steps for GroceryLand, ensuring that any decisions reflect the care, community and values Lori brought to her work every day.' Longtime Chicago performer Angelique Munro, who knew Cannon for 16 years, said the focus among Cannon's close network is 'the future of GroceryLand and the LGBTQ+ community' especially amid today's political climate. Heartland Alliance Health, which relies on federal funding for an estimated 20% to 30% of its annual budget, has been closely monitoring 'proposed changes to federal funding with concern,' Tamashiro said, though he added that the organization is 'on strong financial footing' and 'well-positioned' to continue delivering care. For the past 15 years, Munro, 55, has held an annual Thanksgiving food drive for GroceryLand to ensure that clients could take home a holiday meal. She plans to keep the tradition going this fall. Cannon was like a mother to Munro, whose own mother died in 2006, she said. Losing Cannon has 'shattered' her, but 'we just have to continue on,' she said, 'because that's what she would want. … It's all about honoring her and keeping her memory alive.' On that Tuesday afternoon, Derrick Fox walked towards GroceryLand with a black suitcase rolling behind him on the sidewalk. 'Are they servicing today?' the 63-year-old asked. Fox, of Englewood, met Cannon when GroceryLand opened and is 'living witness to what (the pantry) has done for us by way of Lori,' he said. 'I'm a longtime survivor,' he said. 'And I'm a longtime survivor because of her.'
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Ringconn Gen 2 Air review — this budget smart ring beats the Oura Ring 4 in three big ways
I've been testing the Ringconn Gen 2 Air smart ring for a few months, and I'm convinced that it's one of the best entry-level smart rings available in 2025, alongside the Amazfit Helio Ring. Priced at $199 and subscription-free, the Gen 2 Air represents the cheaper, entry-level alternative to the $299 Ringconn Gen 2. Despite the wallet-friendly price, the Ringconn Gen 2 Air offers impressive specs and features, like a ten-day battery life rating, 100 meters of water resistance, in-depth sleep tracking reports with a daily Sleep Score, 24/7 wellness monitoring for heart rate and blood oxygen saturation, and a lightweight, tough-built design. It also plays nicely with both Android and iOS devices. In fact, this capable little device has three serious advantages over the best smart ring available today, the Oura Ring 4. Read on to find out exactly what they are. But first, a quick smart ring specifications comparison table... Ringconn 2 Air Ringconn 2 Oura Ring 4 Amazfit Helio Ring Starting price $199 $299 $349 $199 Subscription No No Yes No OS compatibility Android, iOS Android, iOS Android, iOS Android, iOS Weight 2.5 - 4 g 2 - 3 g 3.3 - 5.2 g 3.8 g Sizes 6 - 14 6 - 14 4 - 15 8, 10, 12 Finishes Gold, Silver Black, Gold, Silver Gold, Rose Gold, Silver, Brushed Titanium, Black, Stealth Silver Battery life rating 10 days 10 - 12 days 8 days 4 days Water resistance 100 meters 100 meters 100 meters 100 meters Material Stainless steel Titanium alloy Titanium Titanium alloy The Ringconn Gen 2 Air is cheaper than the Oura Ring both upfront and in the long run. Priced at $199, the Ringconn Gen 2 Air is $100 cheaper than its higher-end sibling, the standard Ringconn Gen 2 — more on what sets them apart below — and $150 cheaper than the most affordable Oura Ring 4 option. While the Oura Ring costs an additional $5.99 per month to access health insights in the Oura app, Ringconn doesn't charge a subscription. This means that the Ringconn Gen 2 Air is cheaper than the Oura Ring both upfront and in the long run. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The second advantage the Ringconn Gen 2 Air offers over the Oura Ring 4 is a lighter overall design. With sizes ranging from 6 to 14, the Air weighs between 2.5 and 4 g. That's about half a gram heavier than the standard Ringconn Gen 2, which is ironic given the 'Air' in the cheaper model's name... but I digress. More notably, the Ringconn Gen 2 Air is roughly a gram lighter than the Oura Ring 4 across the board. The Oura Ring 4, which varies in weight from 3.3 g to 5.2 g, does come in a wider range of sizes than the Gen 2 Air, 4 through 15. It's also available in a greater selection of styles. Still, the durability between the two smart rings should be a match. Both boast 100 meters of water resistance and all-metal exteriors. The Air uses comparably cheaper stainless steel in its construction compared to the Oura Ring 4's all-titanium build. However, both metals are sufficiently abrasion- and impact-resistant. The Ringconn Gen 2 Air feels just as well-made in-hand as any smart ring I've encountered, and I have no doubt it could survive the inevitable several-foot drop from my dresser/nightstand to the hardwood floor, something that's become an unofficial smart ring durability test. Indeed, after months of wear-testing (no drops yet), it remains relatively blemish-free. An oval shape marking on the ring's surface indicates where the sensors are, which eliminates the guesswork from putting it on in the correct orientation. The sensors on the inside of the ring protrude slightly on the Gen 2 Air. This was something that didn't bother me at first, but after a week of continuous wearing, I found the sensors left small indentations in my finger. So, while the Gen 2 Air may be lighter than the Oura Ring 4, it's not quite as comfortable. Feature-wise, where the Ringconn Gen 2 Air shines is sleep-tracking. Every morning, you're greeted with a fairly detailed sleep report, similar to what you get from Oura or Samsung. This report includes a Sleep Score out of 100, along with an overall Wellness Score, similar to Samsung's Energy Score or Garmin's Body Battery. Other daily metrics include a Relax Status and a Vitals Status, both of which are also on a scale from one to 100. I scored an 82 sleep score on my most recent Gen 2 Air sleep report. That's considered "good," according to Ringconn. My time asleep that night was a lengthy eight hours and 40 minutes, while my "sleep efficiency ratio" was 88%. The latter is calculated by dividing the time spent in bed by the time spent actually sleeping. Users can also subjectively rate their sleep quality from within their daily sleep report on a scale from one to ten, with seven to ten being considered "optimal." Each of these metrics is accompanied by a short message or explainer, like 'Good sleep makes you energetic' or " If you feel tired, consider taking a short nap or going to bed early.' These aren't particularly useful. In addition to time spent asleep versus awake, users can also see how much time they spent in REM versus deep sleep versus light sleep. Other sleep report metrics include your average heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels and skin temperature. Better yet, each of these metrics gets automatically and dynamically compared to your most recent seven-day average so that you can better spot any troubling changes. Note, unlike the pricier Ringconn Gen 2, the Air does not offer sleep apnea detection. Outside of sleep reports, the companion Ringconn app also provides insights into your daily activity based on steps taken, calories burned and workouts logged. It additionally tracks your stress levels based on heart rate and HRV. The Ringconn Gen 2 Air can even alert you to any abnormalities it detects in your vitals, thanks to 24/7 heart rate, SpO2 and heart rate variability tracking. For example, while testing the smart ring, I received just one notification of a "minor outlier" in my vitals regarding slightly lower than normal blood oxygen readings for a short period while I slept. However, I'm still not quite certain what triggered it. For women's health, an onboard temperature sensor monitors subtle changes in your body temperature to predict menstrual cycles, a tool you'll find on most of the best smart rings. While the Ringconn Gen 2 Air does an impressive job keeping tabs on sleep and vitals, it's less well-suited to tracking physical activity. For example, there are only six workout modes: Outdoor running, Indoor running, Indoor cycling, Outdoor cycling, and Outdoor Walk. Like most smart rings, there's also no onboard GPS for location tracking, so you'll need to carry a paired smartphone. The Gen 2 Air is pretty good at detecting walks and runs, I didn't test biking, but post-workout insights are severely lacking. For example, on a recent walk, the Ringconn Gen 2 Air generated fairly accurate step-count and heart rate data (compared to my Apple Watch 10), calories burned, time spent moving, and... not a whole lot else. There's no distance, pace or elevation data, and nothing by way of workout recovery advice. The third advantage the Ringconn Gen 2 Air offers over the Oura Ring 4 is better battery life, with a rating of ten days compared to eight for the Oura. Of course, both of these ratings need to be taken with a grain of salt, as real-world battery life is almost always less than advertised. In reality, while testing the Oura Ring 4, my colleague Kate found it averaged roughly six days of battery before needing a top-off. I've been getting about eight days per charge out of the RingConn Gen 2 Air, so not quite as advertised, but still better than the latest Oura Ring. It's worth mentioning that battery life is another one of the key differences between the standard Ringconn Gen 2 and the Air (along with weight). The pricier option not only lasts up to an advertised 12 days per charge, but also ships with a nifty rechargeable clamshell storage case that can recharge the ring between 12 and 15 times. As a tech nerd who writes about smart rings for a living, people often ask, "Dan, what's the least I can spend on a reliable smart ring?" Up until this point, my answer has been the $199 Amazfit Helio Ring, which is also subscription-free. However, with better battery life, a lighter design and similar wellness insights, the Ringconn Gen 2 Air is my new favorite entry-level smart ring for 2025. It also comes in a wider range of sizes. The Gen 2 Air may not offer nearly the same depth of holistic data as the latest Oura Ring 4, but it is lighter, cheaper and longer-lasting. That said, the Ringconn Gen 2 Air lacks the sleep apnea detection of its pricier (but also subscription-free) big bro, the Ringconn Gen 2. The device is also pretty limited when it comes to fitness tracking modes and metrics, and the autogenerated bits of holistic advice could use some serious expanding. Even still, for the smart ring curious, the Ringconn Gen 2 Air gets my recommendation.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Yahoo
Patients to book own hospital appointments online
A service has been launched to allow people to book and manage their hospital appointments and tests online. The Patient Portal run by NHS Humber Health Partnership will give patients the power to log in and select appointment dates and times, without needing to wait on the telephone. A partnership spokesperson said people will still be able to manage their appointments via phone if they prefer. The service will be piloted in Hull before being expanded into Goole and northern Lincolnshire. Chief digital officer at the partnership Andy Haywood said it would bring hospital services "in line with what we expect in every other aspect of our daily lives". "Our new patient-led booking service will transform the way in which our patients interact with their care," he said. "This new service will see an end to patients receiving a letter with an appointment they can't make and then having to wait long periods on the phone to try and rebook." The system will also send messages if needed, such as informing patients of a change in location of an appointment, or if an earlier slot becomes available. It can also check whether a patient is able to attend, allowing appointments to be given to somebody else if not needed. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices. More related stories Hospitals scan more patients with AI technology Bus service aims to cut missed hospital appointments Related internet links NHS Humber Health Partnership
