Local News
County Clerk Mike Saari will be making the agendas for the Iron County Board and the Finance Committee available to the general public. You will be able to find them (along with the City Council agendas) by just clicking on the "Agenda" in the banner menu above. I will try to also post them on this page like this:
"After a 12:59 a.m. Sunday call from a Saxon resident about seeing flares on Lake Superior, the sheriff's department contacted Coast Guard officials from Sault Ste. Marie, who then contacted Dave Kostac of Saxon about his sighting."
"More than 250 artists, crafters and other vendors will set up shop outdoors. Mercer businesses also offer food, merchandise and service specials during the mid-week festival."
"In addition to consumer education, Gilson said, the farm tours help residents of Wisconsin know more about an important state industry. "This is a really vital part of our economy in Wisconsin," she said. "So just knowing Wisconsin dairy farming is part of knowing Wisconsin.""
"Since the dispute flared up late last month, state employees have taken over planning for the immensely complicated project, which involves updating hundreds of computer systems, merging the software onto powerful new servers, and eventually moving most of those servers to a super-secure data center - all without interrupting service."
"The popular site, wcca.wicourts.gov, lists just about any charges and convictions from courthouses across the state. It also gives dates, times and locations for future court appearances. Some criminals are complaining that the site makes it hard for them to dodge their pasts. But isn't that the point? "
"The public has an expectation, jurors have an expectation these days that if you don't have scientific proof this person committed the crime, they probably didn't."
"No one was hurt in the storm, which lasted only minutes and may have caused millions of dollars of damage, said Bayfield Mayor Larry MacDonald. The National Weather Service office in Duluth says that no tornado was reported in the area, but several witnesses said they saw a funnel cloud accompanying the storm."
"And despite receiving some thunderstorms Friday night, northwest Wisconsin has had less than 50 percent of its normal rainfall, anywhere from three to five inches below normal since June."
Mark
Green"Green declined to offer specifics on what he believes should be the right size for state government and said he would make that determination as governor."
"But this weekend is one of the area's biggest for the summer. She has no firm numbers for the firemen's tournament, but the bureau gave out 1,300 packets to visitors for it."
"The board will be asked to approve sending a $90,000 reimbursement to Edelstein as payment in full for the money he fronted as his share of the Haven by the Falls parcel."
"Pole by pole, every 1,000 feet or so, some 200 construction workers are cutting through the woods - clearing trees, pouring concrete, erecting 140-foot-high poles and stringing wire - to build the state's first major high-voltage power line in decades."
"The president said he drew a moral boundary that prohibits the taking of "innocent human life" for medical purposes. Opponents to the veto decried Bush's decision as detrimental to important medical breakthroughs. The debate has special significance for UW-Madison, where researchers first isolated the cells."
"A new study by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance shows that property tax levies for the state's 230 largest municipalities rose an average of 4.1% despite a state-imposed cap to limit the increases to 2%."
"Dressed in knickers, leather helmets and goggles, white scarves trailing from their cockpits, pilots of 14 planes that date from the barnstorming era of the 1920s and '30s are re-creating - with modern conveniences such as radios and hydraulic brakes - a time when seeing an airplane was a novelty for most Americans."
"Moreover, SeniorCare is a cost-effective way to gain those advantages. An analysis by AARP found that the federal government saves $25 million a year by having Wisconsin residents in SeniorCare rather than Medicare Part D."
"Superior Insulation installs soybean oil foam, a bio-based material that greatly increases a building's energy efficiency. "It's one of the only green foams on the market, and it's actually got the highest bio-content of any of the foams and the highest R values (thermal resistance)," she said."
"The fire has burned 40,000 acres since it was first spotted July 14.
As of presstime, the fire was considered more than 35 percent contained and driven only by the fuel on the ground, according to fire information officers."
Wal-Mart
Decides to Pull Out of Germany - New York Times"In Germany, analysts say, Wal-Mart never got traction in a market that is characterized by unrelenting price competition, well-established discounters, and the cultural resistance of German shoppers to hypermarkets, which sell fresh vegetables a few aisles away from lawn mowers."
"Raffles and the silent auction of golf packages and more than 45 original artworks created by area artists raised about $5,500 for the new Mercer Educational Foundation, according to Margie Ervin, a foundation volunteer."
"Fitzgerald said the child threw gasoline on the fire and received second- and third-degree burns."
"Doyle said he attracts more out-of-state donations because people understand the importance of the Wisconsin governor's office and the importance of advancing stem cell research - an issue his campaign has used to slam Green."
"The latest is a study, published in the high-falutin' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that found -- ready for this? -- it's hard to study with the television on. Researchers used all sorts of scientific mumbo-jumbo supporting their findings -- declarative learning in the medial temporal lobe and so forth."
"A bronze sculpture of a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots will be unveiled at a dedication at 1 p.m. Monday at The Highground, a park in rural Neillsville devoted to veterans who served the United States."
" Twenty firefighters from the U.S. Department of the Interior took off from the Bureau of Indian Affairs office in Ashland Thursday evening, headed for a wildfire in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that has already consumed 50 square miles of national forest since it started July 14."
"Testing at the site could begin this fall and would involve injecting into the aquifer a mix of chemicals capable of breaking down polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. These toxic contaminants are found in coal tar, the substance that seeped into Kreher Park from a gas manufacturing plant and possibly other sources."
Sen
R. Feingold"You get to see a lot of history every time you go outside. The whole city is dominated by the capitol and politicians."
"From the beginning, Feingold has taken a decidedly squeaky-clean route to political success. When he first ran for senator in 1992, Feingold ran TV commercials claiming to have secured Elvis Presley’s endorsement, using humor against the two other candidates in the Democratic primary, who reportedly set new standards for campaign slime. His Republican foe in the runoff countered with an ad featuring an Elvis impersonator challenging Feingold’s claim. He won anyway."
Sen
H. Kohl"The pharmaceutical industry remains one of the most profitable industries in the world, returning more that 15% on their investment," Kohl said. "But they are charging Americans the highest drug prices in the world, forcing some employers to drop health coverage for their employees and squeezing the budgets of state and federal governments."
"Senator Kohl appoints a Service Academy Selection Committee -- made up of community leaders, other elected officials, former and current military officers and educators -- which makes nomination recommendations based on a competitive application process."
Rep
D. Obey"Obey, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said the administration was trying to cover up the effects on the federal deficit of its campaign to cut taxes while it was fighting a war. "No other president has decided that in a time of war, you cut taxes and send the bill to our kids," Obey said."
"For Lisa Brown to be so uptight about the Hurley voters' choice of mayor and council is wrong. I, Dave Levra, made the decision as to what is more important to taxpayers and how to save money at the same time. This is not to say Little League is not important, as it most certainly is."
"The Iron County Historical Society will host a presentation by Matthew Liesch at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 3, "Early Days on the Gogebic Range: Reputation, Riches, and Rowdiness.""
"The kick-off for Iron County's 2006 two-week Heritage Festival is the open house at the Iron County Historical Museum from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, July 28, at 303 Copper Street in Hurley."
"St. Mary's Church in Hurley is holding its annual bazaar and picnic on Sunday at Riccelli Park. The day starts with a polka mass under the big top at 10:30 a.m.. Following mass the festivities begin."
"Changes in parking under consideration at Mercer School will mean parents dropping off a forgotten lunch won't be able to park in front of the main entrance."
"The Mercer School District budget of $2,634,924 for 2006-07 is $235,224 more than the 2005-06 budget. A story in the Tuesday Daily Globe incorrectly stated the 2006-07 budget was less than the 2005-06 budget."
Doyle
bombarding Green on stem cells
"With the hope of attracting undecided voters and driving a wedge into
Green's support, Doyle has launched a relentless effort to paint Green as an
opponent of stem cell research, which is seen as holding the promise of
treatments for a host of debilitating diseases."
"Walworth County officials say a planned meeting next month of the National Socialist Movement at the Adolf Hitler Museum built by a former Nazi Waffen SS veteran and retired Wisconsin farmer would violate a court order."
"Other than plant injury, they don't hurt anything. They just creep people out," Pellitteri said. "Until the Asian lady beetle showed up, I considered earwigs the most hated insect in Wisconsin. They act like a cockroach, hiding under things and scurrying around."
"I was worried that there might be at some point some pressure put on to retain them," Johnson said Wednesday when asked why he saved the message. "But there wasn't."
WMTVMadison
"A state analysis by the DOT shows families with two drivers are paying nearly one thousand dollars more per year to fill up."
"The party's platform, developed at its convention earlier this month, is: affordable health care for everyone; the restoration of civil liberties by ending the Patriot Act; improved employment for Americans; providing strong support and funding to the military; and supporting the Bill of Rights as it was written, not as interpreted by the courts."
"The rule would restrict the amount of developable space on each property and would limit the length of any single building to 80 feet. Building walls may exceed that length if courtyards, passageways or other means create a view of the lake."
"The general management plan that we develop over the next couple of years will set the direction for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore for the next 15 to 20 years,"
"The Department of Natural Resources has established a second caution area for individuals training bear dogs this year after wolves attacked hounds being trained for bear hunting in western Bayfield County near Barnes."
Sen
R. Feingold“The presidential financing system was put in place to restore fairness and voter confidence in our electoral system,” Feingold said. “This important Watergate-era reform simply needs updating.”
Common Dreams - Portland,ME
"Feingold’s bill is aimed at breaking the political stalemate in Congress that is preventing meaningful health care reform from being enacted."
Gov.
Doyle“Average Wisconsin families are getting squeezed by the oil companies, and yet the President and the Republican Congress continue to sit on their hands,”
"... we will not turn our backs on the countless families who hope that science may one day unlock the cures to diseases long thought incurable,”
"After accepting the bid, board members indicated they may ask Ruotsala to add a few sidewalk squares to the project. The curbs are broken and worn and the sidewalks are heaving in certain spots in the circular area that is designated for buses to drop off students."
"Silver Street or no, all but one of the traditional Iron County Heritage Festival events will go on, organizers said."
"Caring for our older adults; "A Changing Perspective," a day long conference for family and professional caregivers, will be held Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Kimball Community Center."
"Today, paths and steppingstones wind through the gardens. Scattered seating in a variety of materials offers a choice of sun or shade, although Swearingen said, "I don't do a lot of sitting.""
"The Reedsburg City Council became one of the first municipalities in Wisconsin this week to legalize small electric cars on city roads at low speeds. The cars save gas, pollute less and are ideal for people who primarily make short trips around their neighborhood."
"If you really want to accomplish something, it should be on a statewide basis and not piecemeal," Potts said. He said while he's not opposed to a smoking ban per se, a citywide ban alone is not fair to Fitchburg businesses."
WMTVMadison
"The food bank trucks are out on the road a lot more, so that's raising the cost of our operation because nearly 50 percent of the food that we distribute now to the people in Wisconsin goes out on our trucks,"
"At the age of 40, though, the Freedom of Information Act is in peril of dying an early death from neglect and abuse. At no time in its life has the law been more threatened, ignored and belittled by public officials."
"This means that at the beginning of January the price was about $1.38. So, there all you warmongers, if you haven't put two and two together before, I've done it for you -- and now you know why gas is high-priced. When filling your tank, don't bellyache to me, I'll just laugh."
Sen
R. Feingold"This is not for all the states at this point, this is for a few states to show what can be done and hope it will catch on,"
Sen
H. Kohl“As we found out in Louisiana, when you have a real disaster, it’s the elderly who are least capable of taking care of themselves,” said Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, ranking Democrat on the Special Committee on Aging, which held hearings this year on the plight of Hurricane Katrina’s elderly."
"That's $235,224 less than the 2005-06 budget of $2,399,700. Although the budget approved at the district's annual meeting includes $250,000 in tax revenue above the state levy cap, it also shows a deficit."
"Commissioner Cliff Koivisto suggested 25 kill permits be sought, but city resident Bill Tregembo said the number should be closer to 200. "Twenty-five wouldn't put a dent in it (the city deer population)," Tregembo said."
Feingold
would give states sway over health care"The senator's proposed $32 billion, 10-year legislation, which Feingold said he will introduce this week in Congress, is meant to provide funding to a handful of pilot states that experiment with models of universal medical coverage at the state level. The plan coincides with a burst of state initiatives from Massachusetts to New Mexico and Tennessee."
"Though most planes are built in factories, there's a group of people within the aviation enthusiast world who prefer to build their own just like the Wright brothers did, the first home-builders."
Wal-Mart
settles campaign case"Retail giant Wal-Mart has agreed to settle a civil forfeiture action stemming from its failure to register with the Monroe city clerk before a 2005 referendum on so-called big box stores, in violation of state campaign finance law. Wal-Mart agreed to pay the maximum fine of $500 plus fees and assessments for a total of $753, Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard said Monday."
"The committee is an umbrella group including the Wisconsin Coalition Against the Death Penalty, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Wisconsin Council of Churches and Amnesty International, according to Tom Cannon, who is coordinating the effort."
WMTVMadison
"Last year, the state had a case load of 726 cases. As of June 30th, Wisconsin has 261 cases, that's a 30 percent decline."
"Anyplace you look in the drought-affected areas of Wisconsin, the stream and river flows are as little as 10 percent of normal. Just look at the confluence of the Rib and Wisconsin rivers near Gulliver's Landing in Rib Mountain. Much of what was a weedy bay now is weedy dry land. Why? Because there's a drought. "
"This bill does nothing to end the war, curb the deficit, protect our borders, improve education or address the myriad issues confronting us. U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, who voted against the bill, gets that. U.S. Rep. and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mark Green, who voted for it, doesn't. "
"Those aid levels are tied to the amount committed locally for infrastructure improvements, and aid monies have declined in recent years because the city has diverted money for capital improvement projects to cover its general operations. Next year the city expects to spend about $300,000 on capital improvement projects, down from nearly $1 million several years ago. "
Sen
R. Feingold"We need to make the U.N. more effective and more accountable, but real reform requires U.S. leadership, not just the brinksmanship that Ambassador Bolton has practiced."
Rep
D. ObeyIronwood Daily Globe
"The Great Ships Initiative received initial funding of 500,000 dollars through the efforts of Congressman David R. Obey (D-WI) in federal fiscal year 2005. Obey secured an equal amount in fiscal year 2006."
This item is going 404... the link is left in case they repair their problem. - Bob
"That's a huge increase. You should never have bomb shelled them with that letter," said Ironwood resident Lou Bonaguro. "Rightfully, they were upset." The mayor acknowledged there was a lack of communication and Hurley should have been notified more in advance of the impending increase."
"Rural America, which often relies on one-factory towns, has a 16% greater concentration of low-tech industries that fare worse against global competitors, the center found, while metropolitan areas have synergies and businesses better suited for international business."
"In Wisconsin, officials recently joined with four other Midwestern states to formulate a policy that, if approved by their legislatures, will lead to banning home desktop computers, laptops, monitors and televisions from going into landfills."
"Supporters said the "BadgerCare Plus" initiative would make the program more efficient and allow for expanding coverage to tens of thousands of children and poor working parents without costing taxpayers any more."
"Still, Wisconsinites dumped more than 1 million computers from 2002 to 2005, according to a report from the University of Wisconsin Extension."
"The risk for wildfires in these areas is very high and there's little relief in sight in the near future with the current weather pattern."
"The wood he uses is all locally harvested — mostly pine — which he also uses to construct wishing wells, windmills, crafted lamps, rustic furniture and nautical decor."
"The plan by the Wisconsin Democrat would set up a pilot program that would allow selected states to design their own health coverage plans."
Sen
R. Feingold“With an American-style approach to reform, that gives flexibility to the states and fuels innovation, real health care reform is within reach. I support guaranteed health care coverage for all Americans and this bill moves us toward that goal.”
Sen
H. Kohl"Herb Kohl could earn a new term as one of Wisconsin’s representatives to the United States Senate, according to the latest poll by Rasmussen Reports. 60 per cent of respondents would vote for the incumbent Democrat, while 27 per cent would support Republican Robert Gerald Lorge."
"The first-ever event is believed by organizers to be the largest gathering of hybrids in one place. More than 100 hybrids were on hand, including all 10 models currently or soon to be on sale at U.S. dealerships."
"Water quality is a big deal to people here," said Fritz Kroncke, Madison's recreational services supervisor. "A lot of people are getting apprehensive about using the beaches because of it."
"A major insect pest, the pine budworm, already has completed its path of destruction, eating the buds of red and white pine trees, causing them to appear scorched or burned with browning needles, officials said."
Sen
R. Feingold"There's been chatter in the media that Russ Feingold might be a 2008 presidential candidate, but Friday, he was simply Senator Feingold - giving ear to concerns and questions from Rock County residents at a listening session at the Merrill Community Center."
"There are fundamental problems with the Corps," Feingold said. "We just want to get this agency back on track to serve the interests of all Americans."
"Feingold has long called for better federal oversight and in 1997 he offered legislation to reduce the reliance of milk pricing on the questionable trading at the National Cheese Exchange. In 1997, that exchange was closed and trading moved to the CME."
Sen
H. Kohl"The Senate Aging Committee's top two lawmakers said savings from more generic drugs could offer some relief, but company tactics and an underfunded Food and Drug Administration are dampening access. Wisconsin Democratic Senator Herb Kohl said, "Government needs to consider action if companies unfairly or illegally manipulate the private market." "
"It's mainly civilians who are suffering from the continuing conflict in Lebanon between Israel and the Islamic Hizbollah movement," says Radio Netherlands. Foreign online outlets seem more likely to run stories about specific incidents in which Lebanese non-combatants died."
"By the time Thompson pulled the plug on the idea in late June, it was too late for anything but a Hail Mary pass to a clearly lesser figure, state Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend). Grothman decided at the last moment not to catch the pass. Isn't it, like, kind of embarrassing for a major party not to be able to come up with a candidate it backs for a major office? "
"I know that what they want is to drive everyone into Medicare Part D and they don't want to have these separate state programs around, but when you have one that is as good and widely accepted as SeniorCare and is cost superior, I hope they'll back away from that and allow us to continue SeniorCare,"
""Wisconsin residents on our Morris campus next year will pay $2,720 less than kids from Minnesota," he said. "I don't care what anyone else says about the issue. How could anyone defend that?""
"Upwards of 30 percent of our troops in Iraq are coming home with some sort of trauma," said Bock, whose son, Adam, is an Air Force captain flying Chinook helicopters in Iraq. "You can't separate the war from the warrior. America needs to stand behind both."
"Any time their minds wandered and they started talking about concealed weapons or flag burning, the teachers would whack 'em on the knuckles with a ruler. "Jim Doyle, that's a one-day detention for mentioning Mark Green's support of President Bush and the war in Iraq! And Mark Green, the next time you suggest that Jimmy is opposed to prayer in school, you're going straight to the principal's office!"
"Preceding the ceremony in the commons area of the Hurley school, the foundation is sponsoring a complimentary continental breakfast and tours of the school, hosted by the Honor Society."
"There are about 1,300 registered volunteer firemen in the U.P. and we're expecting about 700 to 800 to attend,"
"One measure: Doyle raised about $1.6 million, compared with $1.1 million in the previous six months. That's an increase of about 45%. Green, meanwhile, went from raising about $617,000 in the previous period to nearly $1.7 million in the last one. That's an increase of roughly 175%."
"Wicked summer storms with hurricane-force winds ripped through Dane County and other parts of Wisconsin early Thursday morning, downing hundreds of trees in Madison, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses and killing a 6-year-old girl camping in Nelson Dewey State Park near Cassville."
"Enterprising "backyard" mechanics have turned hybrid Toyota Prius sedans into plug-in Prius models by adding extra batteries and other electronics so that they can travel up to about 40 miles a day solely on electric power, enabling those who don't drive much to all but forget filling up their gas tank. (Non plug-in hybrids charge while the car is decelerating and at a stop.)"
"We can agree that nothing could be more important than preserving an institution within which adults express sexual love and children learn to be responsible men and women. But how, exactly, does recognition of homosexual marriage pose a threat to heterosexual marriage?"
"The city of Ashland and surrounding townships avoided a crisis of sorts last year after some townships threatening to leave the city's emergency service coverage area agreed to sign contracts that would continue to include them."
County Record
"Over the past week, there were seven wild fires in the Hayward area, one of which was in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest protection area. Of the fires, four were sparked by trees/branches blown onto power lines by gusty winds early Sunday. Two others originated from equipment (a lawn mower and hay mower) and the other was sparked by fireworks, Lemke said. "
Sen
R. Feingold"I was proud to cosponsor the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act and today’s vote reaffirms the principle that every American should be able to participate fully and equally in the electoral process.”
"According to Iron County District Attorney Marty Lipske, arrests are mandatory when an officer has probable cause to believe a person has violated:
--A domestic abuse, child abuse, or harassment restraining order or injunction.
--A foreign protection order."
"Meanwhile in Hurley, the lower two blocks of Silver Street were reopened to traffic today. Motorists no longer were required to use the Poplar (Norrie) Street detour to get from Hurley to Ironwood."
"The sidewalks should be replaced, with the curb work secondary to sidewalk replacement because of the safety factor to pedestrians, he indicated."
"But Kaye called Bush's appearance for Green "probably the largest special-interest fund-raiser in the history of the state" because "just about everyone in that room was a special-interest fat cat.""
"The drought in northern Wisconsin is serious enough that on Wednesday Gov. Jim Doyle declared a statewide drought emergency and the Wisconsin Farmers Union called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide drought assistance."
"Other planes expected to garner attention at the fly-in include: an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, the most modern military plane hauling troops, cargo and equipment; a 1956 Cessna 172 Skyhawk to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the plane; and the Lockheed Super Constellation "Star of America," a craft many people say is the most beautiful airplane ever built."
"The city of Ashland is looking to turn the pathway into a concrete reality during the Comprehensive Plan's implementation, according to Zoning Administrator Brea Lemke. The city is also looking to create a "master trails plan," which could allow this path and others to become interconnected."
Sen
R. FeingoldSen
H. KohlRep
D. Obey"The Iron County Board of Supervisors' finance committee has been scrutinizing use of credit cards by county officials and hopes to come up with a recommendation to the full county board on Aug. 1."
"U.S. 51 was reopened to traffic at the intersection with Silver Street, but the lower two blocks of Silver Street remain closed. That means traffic on U.S. 51 is no longer rerouted on Copper Street, but the Poplar Street detour to Ironwood remains in effect."
"Lupino noted in reading, Hurley scored above the state average in all seven grades that were tested. In math, however, Hurley was only above the state average in four of seven grades."
"The Department of Natural Resources also said the fire danger level was "high" or "very high" in areas north of a line stretching east and west from Wisconsin Dells. The DNR urged caution to avoid accidentally starting a fire."
"Under the Volunteer for Safe Skies program, airlines must set up a way for law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians to register with the airlines and to confidentially identify themselves to the crews of airliners on which they are flying. The unarmed volunteers could then help crew members and armed undercover air marshals in an emergency."
"But a bigger problem, perhaps, is the city's alleged "apathy" - borne of decades of prosperity from state jobs and the university - about keeping, growing and attracting business."
""We need to diversify our base of well-paid jobs in our community." To do that, experts say, it will take an array of bold - sometimes costly - initiatives."
"The Marathon County Public Health Department is sending out five bird samples this week to be tested for the West Nile virus after a dead crow from Lincoln County tested positive for the disease last month."
"Keen to the lessons of the bitter Smart Growth battle of 2003, county officials are now attempting to soften the debate over the latest incarnation of all-inclusive development strategy – Comprehensive Planning."
Sen
R. Feingold
“I’m pleased that five years after the Safe Skies program became law, air carriers are finally required to have a plan in place to allow first responders to register to volunteer,”
"In a 2002 report, Review Procedures for Water Resources Planning, the National Academy of Sciences recommended creation of a formalized process to independently review costly or controversial Corps projects."
“I am delighted the Senate adopted this common sense amendment requiring independent review of Army Corps of Engineers projects that are costly, controversial, or critical to the public safety."
Rep
D. Obey“Efforts to hold back stem cell research, with all of the promise that it has for persons suffering from Parkinson’s, Diabetes, and so many other diseases, will be no more successful than were efforts in earlier ages to suppress Copernicus and Galileo."
"And this Congress is making things worse; giving over $50 billion in tax cuts to people making over a million dollars a year while refusing to consider an increase in the minimum wage for the poorest in our country.”
"The Boundary Waters fire that started Friday when a lightning bolt struck had spread to more than 13,000 acres Monday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The Cavity Lake fire was burning through an area where millions of trees blew down on July 4 in 1999. "
"It would amount to about an added 11 cents per $1,000 of valuation to a local taxpayer. A resident with a home valued at $50,000 would pay about $5.50 more in taxes."
"It's been 18 months or so since we last reported a cougar sighting. There's been another. John Mussatti, Bessemer, told friends he spotted "a big black cat with a long tail" headed north on Ascherman Street in Wakefield Friday night."
"State law allows local governments to impose fees to respond to the impact that new developments make on their communities. The fees can be used for roads, water and sewer service, parks, and other public services to accommodate the new developments."
"The Badger Poll results show slightly greater support for the marriage amendment than a survey of 600 adults released earlier this month by Web site WisPolitics.com. About 49% of those responding to the WisPolitics.com survey supported the amendment, with about 48% opposed and the rest declining to answer or not knowing enough information to answer."
"President Bush's approval ratings in Wisconsin are at their lowest point in the history of the Badger Poll, which is run by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center. Poll results released today show only 27 percent of respondents ranked Bush's performance as "excellent" or "good," compared with 72 percent who rated him "fair" or "poor."
WMTVMadison
"We have many business owners on our board that say, 'We already offer these benefits and we think it's good - it helps us in a competitive world, it helps us recruit the brightest and the best, and we don't want that option taken away,'" said Susan Schmitz of Downtown Madison, Inc."
"They serve essentially as middle men between the customers and the oil companies and operate on a very thin profit margin. But when gas prices go up, they know customers have less money to spend on soda, milk and other items that make up much of their profits."
Sen
R. Feingold"As of Friday afternoon, over 92,000 Americans were on waiting lists for organ transplant. Seventeen of these people will die every day waiting for a vital organ."
Mark
Green"Green has promised in a campaign statements to "inject a heavy dose of Wisconsin values into the University of Wisconsin System," but has not spelled out what that means. As governor, Green would be able to appoint members of the Board of Regents, which oversees the university."
"Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in an Op-Ed blaming "conspiracy mongers" for "attempting to scare and mislead young Americans," insisted that "the idea of reinstating the draft has never been debated, endorsed, discussed, theorized, pondered or even whispered by anyone in the Bush administration." That assertion is demonstrably false. According to an internal Selective Service memo made public under the Freedom of Information Act...:"
"Discussing responsibilities of the new director, liability insurance, and use of a county vehicle for some time, the committee directed county clerk Mike Saari to check with other counties on how these matters are being handled in other areas."
"The workshop is sponsored by LEAF, the K-12 forestry education program, and will help teachers effectively utilize their school forest in the curriculum."
"The Mercer Fire Department and DNR responded to the first grass fire on U.S. 51 near Plunkett Lake Road in Mercer at 6 p.m. Saturday. While fire fighters extinguished that blaze, a second fire call came in at 6:12 p.m., with that grass fire ignited on U.S. 51 in Vilas County, the report said. "
"If that trend holds up in the next few weeks as final year-end tax payments are counted, state Budget Director David Schmiedicke said, it could produce an unexpected windfall of about $75 million - cash sorely needed to pay future bills and offset a possible deficit by mid-2009."
"The controversy over water diversions is based on the fear that once water is taken over basin boundary lines it never returns, and the Great Lakes could begin to shrink. Cities that lie within the basin are entitled to essentially all the Great Lakes water they want, because most of it eventually flows back into the lakes via drains, sewers, streams and rivers."
"What we have done by becoming mired in Iraq, and by deciding to change the balance of power in that region, is enable Iran and Syria to be much more open in tormenting Israel, the United States and our allies,"
"I think he may have read a bit too much into the political aspect of (our critique), though. Frankly, it was one of the comments that came up in the staff review panel, but it was a small factor."
WMTVMadison
"52 percent of those surveyed said they would vote in favor of a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Nearly 44 percent oppose it."
"Two of the counterfeit bills used at two different locations had the same serial number: EC71006475E. Two of other the counterfeit bills had the same serial number, ED01911853A, and were also used at two different locations."
Sen
R. Feingold“It is time for this Administration, which too often has ignored our constitutional system of checks and balances, to recognize that the NSA wiretapping program has no legal basis.”
"Feingold announced the program at a listening session in Dubuque, Iowa on Saturday. Feingold spent this past weekend in Iowa meeting with local activists and holding a fundraiser for the Iowa State House Democratic Caucus."
Sen
H. Kohl"But the cold hard reality of Kohl's personal popularity, and immense wealth, led the conservative firebrand to douse his fires Tuesday. He said he thought an overwhelming defeat in a November race with Kohl would harm the conservative cause."
"Gone are the days when turning 16 meant squealing out of the school parking lot with a carload of friends. Now, to improve safety and to reduce accidents, the newest drivers must operate with restrictions on the number of passengers in the car and the hours they're allowed behind the wheel. The restrictions are in place for the first nine months that a teen has a license."
"My hope would be that Israel would use as much restraint as possible. . . . It's in Israel's interest and the interests of peace. But I do think Israel has not only a right but also a responsibility to respond to the Hezbollah attack."
"Supporters, who include both Wisconsin senators, believe they have the votes needed to loosen restrictions set up five years ago by President George W. Bush. But time and again, Bush has threatened to issue his first-ever veto to quash the measure."
"Neighborhood electric vehicles, or NEVs, may soon be roaming Wisconsin streets, thanks to a state law passed in April allowing municipalities to permit the use of NEVs on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less."
"No longer used as a dumping ground for organic wastes and toxic chemicals such as dioxins and PCBs, the river now carries enough oxygen to support healthy fish populations and has become a treasured resource for recreational activities in north central Wisconsin."