Good morning.

We’ll have a sunny and hot day in Whitewater, with a high of ninety, a heat index of ninety-six, and a ten percent chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

Common Council meets tonight at 6:30 PM.

On this day in 1945, the first atomic bomb was successfully tested in New Mexico:

…at 5:29:45 a.m., the Manhattan Project comes to an explosive end as the first atom bomb is successfully tested in Alamogordo, New Mexico….

Finally, on the morning of July 16, in the New Mexico desert 120 miles south of Santa Fe, the first atomic bomb was detonated. The scientists and a few dignitaries had removed themselves 10,000 yards away to observe as the first mushroom cloud of searing light stretched 40,000 feet into the air and generated the destructive power of 15,000 to 20,000 tons of TNT. The tower on which the bomb sat when detonated was vaporized.

On this day in 1941, Wisconsin adds a wildlife refuge:

1941 – Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Established
On this date the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge was established after a 20 year struggle by conservationists. The refuge is over 21,000 acres, encompasses the Horicon Marsh, the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States, and is home to over 223 species of birds and other wildlife. [Source: History Just Ahead: A Guide to Wisconsin’s Historical Markers edited by Sarah Davis McBride, p. 6 and Horicon National Wildlife Refuge]

Puzzability‘s current series is Switch Hitters, running from July 15-19.

Switch Hitters
There are some changes in this week’s lineup. For each day, change a letter in each of the two words given and move the space to get the name of a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Example:
TOSS WAVER

Answer:
Tom Seaver

Here’s Tuesday’s puzzle:

ROUGE BRIG

Good morning.

Whitewater’s Monday will be hot, with a high of eighty-eight, and a slight chance of thunderstorms.

It’s Rembrandt’s birthday, and Google has a doodle to commemorate the painter’s 407th birthday:

On this day in 1980, a storm in Wisconsin caused millions in damage:

1980 – Western Wisconsin Derecho
The Western Wisconsin Derecho was a severe weather system that moved through several western counties on July 15, 1980. It cut a 20-mile-wide swath through St Croix, Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Chippewa, and Clark counties. Although much of the storm’s damage was caused by straight-line winds in excess of 100 mph, several tornadoes were also reported. The storm caused nearly $160M in damage (1980 dollars) and killed three people.

Puzzability‘s started a new series, Switch Hitters, for the week of July 15-19.

Switch Hitters
There are some changes in this week’s lineup. For each day, change a letter in each of the two words given and move the space to get the name of a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Example:
TOSS WAVER

Answer:
Tom Seaver

Here’s Monday’s puzzle:

DOG IBERIA

Good morning.

Sunday in Whitewater: Sunny, eighty-four, with calm winds. Sunrise was 5:29 a.m., and sunset will be 8:32 p.m. The moon is a waxing crescent with 35% of the its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1965, Mariner 4 flies past Mars, taking pictures of that planet. The New York Times reported on the flyby:

Pasadena, Calif., July 14 — Mariner 4 completed its rendezvous with Mars this evening and sailed on into space carrying it is hoped, a series of tape-recorded pictures of that mysterious planet.

Instruments aboard the spacecraft indicated that Mars has no significant magnetic field and no appreciable radiation belts. Its lack of a magnetic umbrella has a direct bearing on its habitability.

Life on earth is protected by the shield of this planet’s magnetism, which diverts incoming radiation from the sun and exploding stars–radiation that might otherwise be lethal….

In Wisconsin history on this day in 1948, Janesville turns to DDT:

1948 – Janesville Sprays for Bugs
On this date, intending to create a bug-free environment, Janesville tested a DDT fogging machine that quickly emitted a “smokescreen of insect-killing fog.” City officials hoped to persuade the county to buy the machine for use by all municipalities or to buy it jointly with Beloit. [Source: Janesville Gazette]

Good morning.

It’s a lovely day in store for Whitewater, with sunny skies and a high of eighty-seven.

Someone sent me a video of a small dog eating a watermelon, and I’ve embedded the video below. At least, I think it’s a dog: it’s small, extremely fluffy, and looks much (perhaps, too much) like a plush toy, from my way of thinking. Still, I’ll concede that he is moderately cute, and undeniably happy while enjoying his snack.

On this day in 1787, Congress establishes the Northwest Territory:

1787 – Northwest Territory Established
On this date the Northwest Ordinance was passed by the Continental Congress. The ordinance provided for the administration of the territories and set rules for admission as a state. The Northwest territory included land west of Pennsylvania and Northwest of the Ohio River, which encompassed present day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, parts of Minnesota and of course Wisconsin. [Source: Indiana Historical Bureau]