August 23

The City of Oshkosh Common Council voted against the proposed development of a CVS Pharmacy at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Koeller Street, citing concerns about preserving the nearby residential neighborhood as well as concerns regarding traffic safety turning in and out of the location. Representatives for CVS proposed several solutions to ease the concerns of nearby residents, though the concessions still didn’t sway the position of the majority of council members.

August 25

The Green Bay Packers unveiled plans to expand Lambeau Field by 6,600 seats, which would give it a total capacity of 79,000, making it the fourth-largest stadium in the National Football League. The $143 million project will also include two new entrances and a rooftop viewing platform in the north end zone. The franchise expects to pick up some of the expansion costs itself and may offer a stock sale to help pay for renovations.

August 25

The Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce hired Laurie Radke, the dean of corporate training and economic development at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, as its new president and chief executive officer. Radke replaces Paul Jadin, who left the top role at the chamber this past January after nearly eight years to serve as the secretary of the state Department of Commerce, which reorganized this past summer as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

August 26

School Specialty of Greenville reported first quarter fiscal 2012 sales increased 9 percent to $276 million. Earnings were up from the first quarter of fiscal 2011 to $13.6 million, or 72 cents per share.

August 29

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism launched its new Meetings Mean Business grant program aimed at assisting communities as they bid for national or Midwest regional meetings and conventions. The new grant program provides finances for expenses such as facility rental costs, shuttle buses or other transportation, promotional expenses associated with a host city preview, guest room rebates or other host requirements. Traveler spending from meetings and conventions increased 45 percent from 2000 to 2008, making it the fastest growing segment of travel in the state prior to the recession.

August 30

Wisconsin’s Main Street Program admitted the City of Omro to its ranks, joining programs already in place in Fond du Lac, Ripon, De Pere and Green Bay. As a Main Street community, Omro will receive intensive technical services and training from Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. staff to revitalize the downtown area while preserving its historic character.

August 30

The Basic Needs Giving Partnership through the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation launched a joint initiative to address the needs of low-income, isolated elderly residents in the region. Proposed programs or services can receive a grant of up to $300,000, and must serve residents in all three of the Green Bay, Fox Cities and Oshkosh areas.

September 1

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Foundation announced a plan to purchase and renovate the seven-story City Center Hotel in downtown Oshkosh, as well as separate plans to build a 22,000-sq. ft. riverfront conference center. The UW-Oshkosh Foundation partnered with WHG Companies of Oshkosh – a large hotel developer and management group – to purchase the ailing downtown hotel with a promise to invest nearly $8 million to renovate and revitalize the 179-room property on the banks of the Fox River. The two partners anticipate approaching the City of Oshkosh for tax incremental financing to assist in the renovation. The separate UW-Oshkosh Alumni Welcome and Conference Center will be built on the site of Carl Steiger Park which the university foundation acquired from the city this past summer. The proposed facility will feature a ballroom with capacity for 460 people, meeting spaces for groups of 70 to 80, a boardroom and breakout work rooms.

September 1

SCA in Menasha announced plans to invest $70 million during the next two years into technology and equipment to expand the premium product offering in its North American tissue business. The company said it’s recognizing increased demand in the away-from-home market for premium towel, tissues and napkin products.

September 2

Aver Informatics Inc., a De Pere firm that has created a Web-based data exploration software to help insurers spot errors in medical claims, reported it raised $1.3 million in angel capital. Wisconsin Investment Partners and Silicon Pastures reportedly participated in the funding, along with individual angel investors. Aver Informatics just wrapped up a three-month pilot with Group Health in Madison.

September 2

The U.S. Department of Labor reported employment was relatively unchanged during August, leaving the national unemployment rate steady at 9.1 percent. Health care continued to add jobs, while a decline in information employment reflected a strike in the telecommunications field.

September 6

The City of Menasha Common Council approved a measure to borrow $250,000 from the city’s highly successful Midway Business Park tax incremental finance district to help pay interest expenses and refinance a principal payment on its Third Street corridor TIF district. That district, created five years ago, has been struggling to generate sufficient income to pay off its debt on schedule.

September 6

The Village of Allouez Board of Trustees voted to continue negotiations to merge its fire department and rescue operations with the Green Bay Fire Department rather than with De Pere. A committee reviewing merger options believed Green Bay has the capacity to maintain existing service levels in Allouez, and also described the proposed merger as a cost-effective alternative to remaining an independent fire department.

September 7

The City of Appleton Common Council agreed to extend health care insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners of non-union employees. The benefit extension is estimated to cost the city an additional $100,000 annually. The benefit extension was part of a broader measure which cut sick leave in half, established a zero percent pay raise, and extended sick and bereavement leave for same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners.

September 8

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded $448,500 in grant funds to Outagamie County Regional Airport to rehabilitate several concrete apron panels on the airport’s air carrier apron, as well as to design a runway 12/30 concrete panel replacement project.

September 9

The Fond du Lac School District was awarded a $200,000 charter school grant from the state Department of Public Instruction to fund the new Fond du Lac STEM Academy dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math. The STEM academy, which is a partnership between Fond du Lac schools and Mercury Marine, is expected to instruct about 100 students in Grades 3 to 5.

September 12

The 2012 U.S. News & World Report rankings of best colleges and universities in the country pegged UW-Oshkosh at No. 70 and UW-Green Bay at No. 78 in its Best Regional Universities-Midwest category. Marian University in Fond du Lac ranked No. 109 in that category. The publication’s rankings of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges included Lawrence University in Appleton at No. 60, Ripon College at No. 116 and St. Norbert College in De Pere at No. 127.

September 15

Midwest Environmental Advocates and its clients withdrew a petition challenging Rosendale Dairy’s Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and paid Rosendale Dairy for legal and expert witness fees to settle the dairy’s claim that its opponent’s accusations were frivolous. Midwest Environmental Advocates filed the petition in 2009 challenging six issues regarding the state Department of Natural Resources permit given to the 4,000-head dairy operation in Fond du Lac County. Five of those six claims were voluntarily withdrawn this past May.

September 21

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation completed the nearly $1.75 million project to resurface 10 miles of State Road 23 from Rosendale to Fond du Lac. The highway was closed to traffic and detoured more than 20 miles since the project began in early August.

September 21

The Federal Reserve Board voted to maintain its target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent. In doing so, the nation’s leading board of bankers said it anticipates economic conditions to remain low for an extended period.