Local News
"In July, Clemens was cited for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, first offense, refusal to take a breath test, and non-registration after witnesses reported "a crazy driver" on U.S. 51-Fifth Avenue in Hurley."
"Toraason's visit ends the summer series of artist appearances at the gallery on U.S. 51 south of Mercer. Mitch Myers, owner of Odonata with his wife Laureen, said it had been a "fantastic, gang-busters" summer for the gallery."
"Organizers are hoping for results similar to what they saw in the spring election when anti-war questions were passed in 24 of the 32 communities where they were on the ballot, including several communities that had voted Republican in the last presidential election. They say that despite recent poll numbers indicating that opposition to the war has hit 65% nationally, decision-makers haven't gotten the message."
"Gas prices are plummeting because of a combination of factors: lower crude oil prices; a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon; an Illinois refinery that shut down this month coming back on line; and less fuel demand as the summer travel season winds down."
Return
cash, Green told"On several 5-2 votes, the board upheld a complaint from the non-profit Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which said Green's transfer of cash from his federal fund to a state fund violated a rule the board adopted last year."
Green
campaign won't comply with order to return $468,000"State Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D- Middleton, said Green's transfer of federal PAC money "was wrong when he did it, it's wrong today, and it would be wrong under any meaningful reforms we are able to implement in the future."
"The only people who didn't want to improve the Elections Board were the ever-so-partisan leaders of the state Assembly -- Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, who is now running for Congress, and his sidekick Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem. Spouting lame excuses, these guys killed SB 1 despite broad, bipartisan support. And that left the Elections Board as partisan as ever."
Elections
Board ruling puts Green in a pickle"The board's action stems from Green's transfer of $1.3 million last year from his congressional campaign fund to his gubernatorial war chest. The non-profit Wisconsin Democracy Campaign filed a complaint with the board claiming that Green should not be allowed to spend nearly $468,000 in money received from political action committees, or PACs, not registered in Wisconsin."
John
Nichols: Kohl may be key to Internet neutrality"The three-term senator is running for re-election against a Democrat primary challenger best known as the organizer of the Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival and Weedstock, a Republican who couldn't muster 5 percent of the vote in his own party's Senate primary two years ago, a Libertarian who couldn't get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, and a Green who is mounting an impressive campaign but will never be able to match the campaign spending of the wealthy Kohl."
"And here's one bit of news that should make you happy: We have no idea how tall you are, but newspaper research has shown that readers of the Opinion page tend to be better educated and wealthier than those who don't read editorials."
"A structural engineering study has revealed dangerous conditions on the abandoned Soo Line Oredock superstructure, including spalling concrete and deteriorating steel ore chutes, which could collapse at any time."
Wal-Mart
bids accepted"As part of the deal to expand Wal-Mart on U.S. Highway 2, the company agreed to pay for the street's reconstruction because large amounts of traffic are expected to enter and exit the store along this street."
Journal
""I think once we get the word out, people will come to our Web site and see it is a good idea and will invest in their community," he said. Roppe said Nova M Radio would buy part of the station and the rest would be purchased through fundraising and people investing in the station, in a Green Bay Packers-type model of community ownership."
Sen
R. Feingold“The American people don’t buy the President’s attempt to repackage a failed policy. New slogans are no replacement for correcting a devastating Iraq policy."
Sen
H. Kohl"There is a primary vote on September 12, 2006 and we need to know if we can trust Kohl to do the right thing. So what is it Senator? Pro-Wisconsin small business or Pro-Big Business? Pro-constituent made media or Pro-Hollywood only made media? Pro-Chad Vader or Pro-Darth Vader?"
Gov.
Doyle“Three and a half years ago our state had a $3.2 billion budget deficit and an economy that was headed in the wrong direction. Since then, we’ve balanced the budget, created over 170,000 new jobs, and invested in manufacturing, job training and marketing Wisconsin products for export."
Shout
out to the folks at the Hurley Coffee CompanyThe Current site stats show an average of 219 distinct visitors per day, but that is based on only 43 people this morning. One more day like yesterday and the monthly average will be a new high of about 225. I'm counting on you folks at the coffee shop to ask your friends how many of the "big things" in the new collage they can identify, please.
"When board chairman Dennis DeRosso took over in April, he emphasized, "TEAM --Together Each Achieves More. If we all try, we can make this a smooth running machine. I want team effort.""
"Policies for everything from acceptable clothing to visitors and sexual harassment are included in the handbook. There's a discipline policy, although what school officials refer to as consequences for unacceptable actions are spelled out throughout the handbook."
"Wisconsin had the fourth-lowest rate of uninsured in the country, around one in 10 people, or 10.3%. The number of uninsured in the state actually declined, from 580,000 to 550,000, according to the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. Minnesota had the lowest rate, 8.7%, and Texas had the highest, 24.6%."
""My hunch is (wages) have been pretty stagnant," he said. "We have not seen major swings." Others, though, seized on the data as significant."
"The combined drop in reading and math scores on the nation's most widely used college entrance exam was 7 points, from 1028 out of a possible 1600 last year to 1021 this year. Officials of the College Board in the past have said increases of similar size were significant good news. This time, they said little should be read into the downturn."
"Crackdowns on drunken driving or other traffic violations are common on holiday weekends. This one is different, however, because it targets the roads where officers have found drunken driving most frequent, at the times motorists are most likely to drive drunk,..."
"Attorneys for both said they had no idea where their clients have gone and said they have not talked to them. Rea's attorney, Ed Krueger, withdrew from the case last week after writing to Circuit Judge Robert DeChambeau, "that because of Mr. Rea's failure to fulfill his obligation to maintain communication with me, my continued representation of Mr. Rea is no longer in the interests of Mr. Rea, myself or the court.""
Board
orders Green to get rid of funds from out-of-state PACs"The board took the move on 5-2 vote after a lengthy discussion, including testimony from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan group that had filed the complaint challenging the transfer of money from his congressional campaign and spending it on his gubernatorial bid."
"‘‘It has made things a lot more difficult for us,’’ Wydeven said. ‘‘A lot of farmers are concerned and disappointed and fearful that wolf attacks are not going to be slowed down.’’ Eighteen wolves were killed with the permit before the judge issued her ruling, he said. "
"The new 157,000-square foot store, which is three times larger than the existing Wal-Mart, will be on a site behind the existing store and will include a grocery market and tire shop."
Times - CA
"... and Jamie Wall, a 34-year-old Green Bay business consultant and Rhodes scholar who has been endorsed by the dean of the state's congressional delegation - U.S. Rep. Dave Obey."
[Actually an interesting run down of the entire WI election picture. - Bob]
Sen
R. Feingold“I’m pleased to hear that the administration may be reevaluating its emergency housing policies, which have left thousands of hurricane survivors without long-term housing a year after Katrina."
"I am honored to be recognized for my efforts on this crucial issue," Feingold said. "Unfortunately, there is still more work ahead. I will continue to work with my Senate colleagues to bring an end to the crisis in Sudan."
Gov.
Doyle
Big
Things in the North WoodsFrom the invention of the federal highway till the invention of the Interstate system, America was in love with those otherwise almost inexplicable large things along the highways attracting our attention. These items are on or near US 51.
"More than 35 people attended the meeting, including many of the 10 district residents listed as contacts on an Aug. 17 letter from Concerned Citizens for Mercer School that complained that the board was not dealing adequately with harassment at school."
"But the three education advocates interviewed Monday - who come from varying places on the political spectrum - said the national testing program known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, gives a much less rosy picture of the performance of Wisconsin students and finds that Wisconsin has some of the largest gaps in the U.S. between children from higher-income homes and those from lower-income homes, and between white students and African-American and Hispanic students."
Green
aims to be 'chief jobs officer'"He noted that Doyle pushed for a tax credit program for so-called "angel investors," who provide critical funds for start-up companies. That program was proposed as part of Doyle's "Grow Wisconsin" initiative at $10 million a year. The Republican-controlled Legislature scaled it back to $6.5 million a year. Green said Monday that it should be increased to $20 million a year."
""I don't know where Mark Green has been, but this kind of public-private business partnership has been going on for many years in this state" through several business boards that advise the department and the state, said former Commerce Secretary Cory Nettles."
"A scenic railroad line starting near the city's industrial park and traveling along the lakeshore could draw as many as 20,000 passengers a year, according to a business plan developed by an organization that operates a similar railroad line in Duluth."
In
Minocqua, Doyle touches on fond memories, serious issues “It is so important to me that the school [children] go to is a good school,” he said. “The key to Wisconsin is that we have a good education system.” Doyle said education cuts, like the $400 million reduction the state Legislature passed and he vetoed last summer, won’t happen as long as he is in office."
Wall Street
Journal
Poll
shows Kohl LeadingThe new Zogby/WSJ poll shows Democratic Senator Herb Kohl leading by 17.8% and Democrats leading in 14 of 18 polled states.
(A Yahoo Group)
"Too many times we forget about the people behind the politics. We need to start remembering our local leaders are fellow citizens and humans too. We need to put humanity back into politics."
Sen
R. Feingold"A statement released by the office of Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) states that Specter’s bill “gives him even more power than he has asserted under his illegal NSA wiretapping program.”
Sen
H. Kohl"The discussion featured Phil Karsting, Agriculture Legislative Assistant from the Washington, D.C. office of U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, Mike Schmidt, Agriculture Legislative Assistant from the Washington, D.C. office of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, and Brad Pfaff, representing the office of U.S. Representative Ron Kind."
Gov.
Doyle“This is a great day for Franklin and one more step in the effort to grow Wisconsin’s economy. We’ve created 170,000 jobs in the last three years and we must continue that effort.”
"So far, 59 senators have denied placing a "secret hold" on legislation to create a public, user-friendly database of all government spending."
""We're not having a downtown Hurley event this year because of the ongoing road construction on Silver Street," said Hurley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ricky Kelly. With Hurley's newly reconstructed Silver Street scheduled for completion in September, Kelly said an Oct. 14 Silver Street Block Party is being planned."
"There will be a $2,500 limit on each card, except for the highway and forestry departments, Saari said, noting a $5,000 limit on those cards. The new policy will also increase meal reimbursements from $5.50 for breakfast, $7.50 lunch, and $15, dinner to $10, $15, and $25, respectively, Saari said."
"With more than 300 varieties grown in Wisconsin, "there's an apple out there for whatever desire you have:" baking, sauce, salads or eating fresh, said Anna Maenner, executive director of the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association."
"The revisions aren't necessarily about preservation issues, although the rampant destruction in the 1950s and 1960s of what would almost certainly now be considered historic and valuable properties would have been prevented had a better ordinance been in place then, said Kitty Rankin, city preservation specialist."
"A group of nine men dressed in pink bunny suits paraded past another group of men dressed as Nazi brown-shirts on the Capitol Square Saturday, drawing a flurry of attention."
"For developers and assisted-living providers, it often is a case of striking when the iron is hot. For now, it appears the market is just warming up. "The peak of the baby boomers looking to get into this kind of housing is 10 years off," Nikolai said."
"or the casual visitor, the Bad River Manomin Powwow is a spectacle of colorful regalia, a pageant of elaborate and exquisite dance. It is all that, but for the members of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, it is much more. It is a time of giving thanks for the blessing of Manomin, the wild rice that Native Americans regard as a gift from the Great Spirit."
Sen
R. Feingold"Looking back over the past year, we see how far we’ve come but also how far we have to go. One year after Katrina, we must rededicate ourselves to helping the people of the Gulf Coast make it home again."
"The challenge of rebuilding is enormous. But what's even tougher is trying to rebuild in a way that helps everyone come back, not just people with access to lots of resources and lots of different options."
Rep
D. Obey"San Diego VA Medical Center has delayed filling 131 vacancies on it staff. The VA medical center in Portland, Ore., is delaying nonemergency surgery for at least six months. "Right now, medical facilities are literally falling down around their patients," said Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin. (Navy Times, 7/18/05)"
Gov.
Doyle"Today’s announcement is part of $2 million in Workforce Advancement Training grants set aside by Governor Doyle in his budget for the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) that will be used to train 11,900 workers throughout Wisconsin."
"Here in Wisconsin, we’re leading the nation in the drive toward energy independence, but we also need stronger action at the federal level,”
“I am pleased that we could work with the Village of Belmont on a project that will enhance local job opportunities and generate new investments for the area.”
"Friends of the Gile Flowage volunteers, assisted by Department of Natural Resources conservation warden John Windt, are distributing boater welcome kits as part of a "Be A Friend of the Flowage" campaign."
"Janice Silanpa remains in the intensive care unit, with no reports on her condition available, according to hospital officials. Alcohol was a factor in the Silanpa vehicle's involvement in the crash, according to Starkey."
"A passerby said the 9:52 p.m. accident took place during a storm and on a newly paved section of road that lacked a center line."
"Lambie first planted the biodynamic tomato seeds in 2005. A single cherry tomato plant grew 11 feet tall and produced more than 300 tomatoes."
"After neighbors complained about the rats and urged the county to condemn and tear down the house, the county sold the property to the City of Hurley for action. The city, in turn, sold the property to the Ofstads."
"Jeff Schoep, a member of the Minnesota-based National Socialist Movement, said he was pleased to be in Madison to share his group's beliefs, but he wished those behind the counterdemonstration had been more open to the Nazis' remarks. "We didn't come here to be screamed at," he said."
"How should the governor determine the right balance between taxes and ensuring adequate funding for schools and local services, many of which have been mandated by the state?"
"The AutoMark is nothing more than a big, fancy computerized pen," explained Jim Longley, an ES&S representative who is teaching municipal clerks how to use the machines."
Sen
R. Feingold"I find it jarring that we spend so much time on the floor of the Senate and throughout the Congress talking almost incessantly about the situation in Iraq as if on 9/11 the situation involved Iraq, as if the attack had come from Iraq."
"A censure resolution sponsored by Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), which galvanized opposition to the NSA surveillance program but isn't likely to gather enough support to pass under the current majority. Republican senators tend to openly support the Bush administration's policy on this issue, and even those who don't generally don't want to challenge a sitting president in a midterm election year."
Sen
H. Kohl"The 19 million dollars to build the new facility were secured by Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl. Many area dairy farmers believe this is one of the many steps to ensure a stronger future for farming."
“Employers should be penalized heavily for employing illegals,” Kohl told an audience attending the AFL-CIO Wisconsin Building Trades Conference at the Holiday Inn. His stance drew loud applause from the union officials."
Rep
D. Obey"The group immediately released a report on what it called wasteful procurement spending in response to Hurricane Katrina. Other members of the Truth Squad are David R. Obey of Wisconsin, John Tanner of Tennessee, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, and John F. Tierney of Massachusetts."
Gov.
Doyle“Today we will make another significant investment that will ensure a bright future for the dairy industry in Wisconsin.”
Mark
Green"I am extremely pleased that Secretary Johanns decided to act on the appeals from me and the entire delegation to give much-needed federal disaster relief to the hard-working farmers of Wisconsin."
"It was the second time this week that Lautenschlager was cleared of wrongdoing in an ethics complaint brought by her Republican opponents in this fall's election for attorney general."
Doyle
announces mercury guidelines"Bruce Nilles, attorney for the Sierra Club, applauded Doyle's announcement. "It's a very significant step forward," Nilles said. He said he thought Doyle took a tougher stand on mercury because of concerns from sporting groups who worry about the effects of mercury in fish."
"Mercury, and some others in the marine industry, have an "anti-ethanol agenda," said Stockman, the group's director. "It has been generated by self interests, whether someone is selling another type of fuel or wants to blame an engine component problem on our fuel," he said.
"As beneficial as each tax break would be to middle-class pocketbooks, neither is worth the cost to the state's effort to close its long-term budget gap. Wisconsin confronts a long-term budget deficit that could amount to as much as $2.5 billion."
"The white supremacists' mostly inaudible speeches were punctuated by calls of "Sieg Heil" and the Hitler salute, raising a chorus of "Boos" and raised middle fingers from the crowd below."
"Since pharmacists in Wisconsin and elsewhere have, based on their personal beliefs, refused to stock and/or dispense emergency contraception as a prescribed medication, Boyce said she anticipates that there will be similar issues related to over-the-counter access to emergency contraception."
"The event's layout is similar to a rock ’n’ roll festival's, with attendees setting up camp along Waverly Beach in clusters of family and friends. It's easy for folks to visit their neighbors to trade food and conversation, but they're also there to attend and present grassroots workshops on topics like harvesting wild edibles, knife and rope making, wild rice processing, basket weaving and pelt tanning."
"Railroads are among the most efficient forms of transportation for bulk items. As the price of fuel increases, trucking may become less economical, and hence a desire for more rail service."
"Obey said getting approval of such funding is increasingly difficult because all the funds that had been tentatively earmarked for those and other expenditures have gone to the war in Iraq, and the federal government is both cutting programs and borrowing increasingly to meet federal program obligations."
"Northwest Wisconsin Long-Term Care Options is seeking people to participate in the planning process for long-term care reform in a nine-county region, including Iron County."
"The Hamilton Club was built in 1918 by Oglebay-Norton Mining Co. as a recreational center for Montreal Co. miners and their families. Special events and Christmas parties sponsored by the mining company were held in the center."
"The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reports the unemployment rate for July in the county was 6.5 percent, compared to 7.9 percent in July of 2005."
"The Harmels purchased the former Star Lite motel-tavern but couldn't use that name, since the former owners, the Jack Brown family, continue to use Star Lite for the pizzas they produce."
"Survey data from Wisconsin mirrors the national trend. Approximately 21 percent of Wisconsin high school youth smoke, according to data. Nationally, approximately 23 percent of high school students smoke."
"When the federal government does find a way to reform immigration policies, Lautenschlager said, she hopes "it doesn't do so in a way that creates racial divisiveness or divisiveness between rich and poor or any of the things we're seeing in this election year."
New
questions on role of Doyle's office in sale of nuclear plant"The Feb. 10, 2004, meeting between Goodwin and representatives of Dominion Resources of Richmond, Va., came 10 days after Doyle received $2,000 in donations from executives at the utility, which was seeking regulators' approval to buy the Kewaunee plant."
Cut
mercury at coal plants, Doyle orders""Every year thousands of pounds of mercury are released in the air and are then deposited in soil and bodies of water," Doyle said. He said such emissions endanger Wisconsin's fishing and hunting tradition and the health of state residents."
"The Web site allows people to apply online for Medicaid, BadgerCare and other programs, such as the Family Planning Waiver program that helps low-income women avoid unintended pregnancy, and FoodShare, which replaced the state's food stamp program in 2004."
"Truth
Squad" Introduced by House Democrats to Identify Government Waste"Reps. Henry Waxman and Dennis Cardoza announced the creation of a "Truth Squad" to expose waste, fraud, and abuse under the watch of the Republican-controlled Congress and the Bush Administration. The group additionally includes Reps. David Obey, John Tanner, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and John Tierney."
"Agreeing that the southern part of the county needs additional law enforcement coverage, Bruneau and Samardich, both Democrats, have said they'll appoint an undersheriff from the Mercer area."
"Four Iron County officials are up for re-election, and although they are running unopposed, they must get elected in the primary before their names can appear on the Nov. 7 general election ballot, according to county clerk Mike Saari."
""It became very apparent over the years that the snowmobile and ATV clubs were having the same problems with trail maintenance and all trail issues," said Iron County Off-Road Vehicle Council Treasurer Don Richards."
"One of the objectives of the grant is to monitor academic progress of students who attend STARS for 20 days or more,"
"Cleon Borseth of Hematite Street was released from the Iron County Jail after posting a $5,000 cash bond set Monday by Judge Patrick Madden."
"A 52-year-old Fond du Lac, Wis., man will be jailed in the Fond du Lac County Jail for the first three months of his three-year probation sentence set Monday in Iron County Circuit Court."
"I'm satisfied we've been following proper procedure throughout all these incidents," school administrator Ron Vaughn said Wednesday. "Some of the investigations that happened showed that the allegations weren't true."
"As a political matter, the groups can be a wild-card factor in close elections. They have a well-documented penchant for attack (history shows group ads are much more likely to be "negative" than candidate ads). Critics say the groups do the candidates' "dirty work." But groups and candidates by law can't coordinate with each other, and independent ads occasionally backfire if they're too strident."
Kohl
gets challenger in primary"But if you have a taste for the offbeat in politics, what's not to like in a match between Herb Kohl, an 18-year Senate veteran and a powerhouse in state politics, and Ben Masel, who lists "good hash" as one of his four interests on his MySpace page on the Internet. (And, yes, he's referring to hashish and not potatoes.)"
Green
team taps Giuliani"When asked by reporters if he'd commit to more police officers for the city, where there are 200-plus vacancies on the force, Green said: "I'll make sure we have enough cops and they have enough resources. Whatever the number is, we'll do.""
"All of the children of the immigrants were born in the United States and are American citizens, but their futures here are uncertain, Abarca said, adding that the problem becomes how to return them to their mothers after the women are deported. Because the children's families belong to several churches, the exact number of youngsters in need of assistance could not be confirmed."
"But rather than the Democrats debating each other and the Republican candidates differentiating themselves, as one would expect in primary campaigns, the election has turned into a gloves-off free-for-all, with Bucher and Lautenschlager engaged in the political version of a caged death match."
"Nelson proposed Family Care, a pilot program currently implemented in Fond du Lac, Richland, Milwaukee, La Crosse and Portage counties, as an alternative that funds home care and assisted living on an "equal footing" with nursing home care."
"Eight of the ten northwest counties had higher unemployment rates compared with the previous year, but in Ashland County the unemployment rate dropped from 7.1 percent in July 2005 to 6.4 percent in July 2006 and in Iron County the rate declined from 7.9 percent to 6.5 percent over the twelve-month period."
Sen
R. Feingold“Over the past year, in my listening sessions in Wisconsin, I have heard from many people upset with the federal government’s response to Katrina and their emotional pleas to not forget about the people who lost their homes, their communities and their way of life,”
Gov.
Doyle“These grants enable businesses to take advantage of the world-class training opportunities provided by Wisconsin’s great technical colleges and help ensure that Wisconsin continues to have a highly-trained, highly-skilled workforce that’s producing the best quality products.”
“The Youth Apprenticeship Program is a critical part of our overall strategy to ensure Wisconsin has a workforce that is second to none,” Governor Doyle said. “That’s why I proposed that we double the state’s investment in the Youth Apprenticeship Program and put more young people on the path to success.”
Mark
Green"Created in the early 20th century, the exemption gave railroad companies an unfair advantage over freight shippers, and created a monopolistic environment that continues to hurt Wisconsin businesses and the economy."
"The half-hour television show, titled "Kayak Plunge" on the "Stunt Junkies" series, will air for the first time tonight at 9:30 p.m. on the Discovery Channel. It airs four additional times later this week."
"Renovations to the park were funded through 50-50 grants from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Recreational Boating Facilities and Wisconsin Stewardship Acquisition and Development of Local Parks programs."
"We will just need to have our engineers sign off after their final inspection and the roof matters can be put behind us,"
"Iron County Sheriff Bob Bruneau announced that if he is re-elected to another four-year term, he will name 22-year-old Joy Kohegyi from Mercer as his undersheriff."
"major harassment activity has occurred at the Mercer School within the last two years that has caused concerned citizens to question the safety of the learning environment at our school."
"The state Ethics Board on Wednesday cleared Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager of any wrongdoing in giving part of a legal settlement to a politically active group that advocates for increased access to health care."
"Leave it state Sen. Tom Reynolds to come up with a new one: Fear of cameras. Reynolds, of course, is the West Allis Republican known for having some outlandish views - like thinking it's OK to quiz job applicants about their sex lives - who also apparently has a fear of cameras, an unusual phobia for a politician."
"As testing of samples from birds in Alaska nears its peak at the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, the state Department of Natural Resources has started sampling shorebirds around Wisconsin for the deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus."
"U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Tuesday let stand a May ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit that ordered EchoStar Communications Corp., the parent company of Dish Network, to stop transmitting network programming to 800,000 subscribers - those who live in mostly rural areas too far to receive local stations with regular antennas."
"The city will drop a water surcharge to the school, the insurance rating for the K-12 school will improve and the city will plow snow, ..."
"Bruneau said it is believed the Schroeders were headed south when a northbound vehicle driven by Scott Silanpaa, 42, of Ironwood, collided with the Canadian vehicle."
"The family specifically asked that they not use his murder for political purposes, and it shows what kind of attorney generals each of them would be when they go ahead and use such a tragedy,"
Green
pledges to lower gas tax"In his statement Monday, Green said he would stand by a November 2005 pledge to eliminate a 2-cents-a-gallon gas tax used to clean up leaking underground fuel tanks and for other environmental programs. The remaining 30.9 cents a gallon goes toward transportation."
"Candidates who hope to win seats in Congress this fall should pledge now to support "pay-as-you-go" rules forbidding new spending or tax cuts that add to the deficit. The rules, which expired in 2002, desperately need to be revived."
Bill
Clinton to stump for Doyle"I am honored to have his support, and delighted that he is coming to our great state. His visit will be an exciting day for Wisconsin and for my campaign,"
Editorial:
Kohl stance is honorable"Joe lost. I don't feel very good about that because I don't know Mr. Lamont very well and I know Joe very well." But, added Wisconsin's senior senator at a Milwaukee luncheon: "I would support the person that they picked as their nominee ... I support Ned Lamont."
Green
asked to give back PAC money"Republican candidate for governor U.S. Rep. Mark Green should not be allowed to keep nearly $468,000 in donations he received from federal political action committees that are not registered in Wisconsin, a government watchdog group said today."
"It's a tremendous source of cold water to the White River main stem, and it's very important to the trout," he said. "But given predictions for climate change, it's a little scary ... These cold-water feeders are incredibly important."
Sen
R. Feingold"The President was blunt, so I will be blunt: This program is breaking the law, and this President is breaking the law. Not only that, he is misleading the American people in his efforts to justify this program." Read the entirety of Senator Feingold's well-crafted speech here."
Sen
H. Kohl"Supporters say it's not pork... It should prevent the rodent from destroying cedar trees, trout habitats and from ruining roads. Wisconsin was the American for Prosperity Foundation's 30Th state."
Gov.
Doyle"The Hurley Police Department still has an open murder investigation, that of Lottie Morgan who was murdered with an ax in 1890 in Hurley."
"The Iron County Sheriff's Department is attempting to determine what caused an early Sunday morning two-car crash that resulted in a double fatality."
"Crystal Schutz, a member of the Iron County Fair Board, said attendance in Saxon was up quite a bit this year over last. "I would say so, especially Saturday and Sunday," she said."
"Designated trails and elimination of cross-country travel will help protect soil and water resources, control the spread of invasive species, provide for public safety and reduce conflicts with other multiple uses."
2
seek Obey's seat in Congress"Political handicappers generally consider Obey's re-election all but a certainty. But the contest for Wisconsin's largest congressional district is nevertheless worth watching."
Doyle
has gas tax pledge"Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle is promising not to raise the gas tax during the next four years, but his Republican opponent will not commit to keeping the tax at 32.9 cents a gallon if he is elected."
"In
my 14 years of holding listening sessions across the state, Wisconsinites
have mentioned health care more than any other issue. With an American-style
approach to reform that gives flexibility to the states and fuels
innovation, real health care reform is within reach,""There could be some very teachable moments in showing up at the Square with your children to watch the spectacle. Yes, people should go. It would be a shame if the only protesters were the UW College Republicans, that small but brave band that comes out to defend American values whenever they're threatened by the likes of Michael Moore and George Galloway."
"Living with bedbugs at one apartment may make it harder to rent an apartment somewhere else in the Madison area... Both Madison City Attorney Michael May and Tenant Resource Center program director Megin McDonell say landlords are probably within their legal rights to reject an applicant for prior bedbugs."
"And Pam Moen of Wisconsin AAA says if events around the world stay stable, we could see prices drop to about $2.70 a gallon. "I think, if things with Iran remain stable and if nothing else goes wrong, I don't think it's unheard of that we could see prices at that level or even lower," says Moen."
Democrats
strive to hold on to governor's office""The Republican motto will be to divide and divert," Obey said at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. "They will look for every single issue they can to divide the American people.""
Sen
R. Feingold"But now the Wisconsin Democrat, who in March proposed that the Senate censure Bush for flagrantly disregarding the law, has a federal judge on his side. And the question becomes: When will Democratic and Republican members of the Senate join Feingold in demanding that the administration be held to account for its assaults on basic liberties and the rule of law?"
Sen
H. Kohl"Senator Herb Kohl, Democrat of Wisconsin, said the report shows that the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services needs to improve its oversight of nursing homes...``If a facility is not up to par, the penalties in place must be strictly enforced," Kohl said.
Gov.
Doyle“The single-sales factor tax reform provides significant relief for Wisconsin manufacturers including the wood products industry,” Governor Doyle said. “This report shows just how important this reform is to creating jobs and growing our economy.”
"The Nourse Sugarbush State Natural Area and the Pikes Creek Fishery Area are some of Wisconsin’s best places – pristine natural areas with beauty that’s second-to-none. Today’s purchase, with funding from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, will protect these great natural areas for generations to come."
"The orchard harvest at Leo Saari's town of Oma farm included this unusual apple growing out of another apple. "It looks like a bird," Saari said Tuesday morning."
Doyle
re-election coffers flow with tribal money"Federal records show three tribes - the Mohegans in Connecticut and the Potawatomi and Oneida in Wisconsin - have poured $50,000 into the state Democratic Party's federal account in the past year. That's on top of all the money that tribe members and others have given directly and indirectly to help ensure that the first-term Democrat wins a second term."
"The same kind of dynamic that's fueling growth in the Milwaukee-Kenosha-Racine area also is affecting the northwestern part of the state, around the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Ludeman sees it accelerating there."
"Their questions span the gamut from schools to highways, the cost of health care to the wages of corruption. But mostly they're looking for vision; a sense that the candidates are capable of looking beyond the next election to a brighter Wisconsin."
"The Balchunas family letter defended Lautenschlager and said it was "outrageous" to suggest that she or the department were somehow responsible for Balchunas' death. ... The letter also was posted on WisPolitics.com."
"We respectfully request that, in Jay's honor, attempts to use his murder for political purpose including any advertisement or 'news brief' stop immediately,"
"One year ago today 27 tornadoes thundered through Wisconsin - the highest number ever recorded in the state on a single day. One year ago tomorrow, Wisconsin's people responded with courage, with heart and with action. Today we should remember both nature's destruction and the healing power of the human spirit."
"The first debate in Waukesha will focus on taxes and the economy while the second meeting in La Crosse will examine quality of life issues including health care and education, the multimedia partnership said."
"As a 21-year-old college student attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago with aspirations of becoming a youth minister, Van Kirk came up with a simple idea -- what if he could get $1 each from 20,000 people to help pay for his college expenses?"
"Earlier this month, Iron County Sheriff's Department officials were notified that the department had received a $22,483 Homeland Security Grant, of which the sheriff's department will fund $10,117, according to sheriff Bob Bruneau."
"The analysis of nine studies conducted over four years shows that hunters are simply unwilling - and often unable - to kill as many deer as the state Department of Natural Resources wants."
Poll
results give Doyle 10-point lead"Polls go up and down, and there's a long way to go," Doyle campaign spokesman Anson Kaye said. "But we're happy to have a substantial lead, and to be leading everywhere in the state."
"The backlog of DNA cases at the Crime Lab nearly tripled between 2003 and 2005, a period in which submissions from law enforcement agencies rose 62.1 percent, according to Department of Justice figures. A federal Department of Justice report last year showed a 70 percent rise in case backlogs at crime labs nationwide in 2002 - the most recent year available."
"Wisconsin lawmakers deserve credit for trying to address reckless behavior by increasing penalties for drunk ATV driving and for phasing in a safety training requirement for anyone intending to operate an ATV. It's now the job of ATV organizations and individual operators to emphasize the importance of safety and to speak out against reckless behavior."
"A survey by the National Retail Federation found the average family expects to spend $527 on back-to-school items this year, up 18 percent from $444 last year. Of that, teenagers are spending an average of nearly $29 of their own money, and preteens are investing about $13, the study by the Washington, D.C.-based trade group said."
"The machines cost $150,000 apiece, but will save the city $85,000 together each year, savings that will trickle down to taxpayers too."
"Hassett said production of ethanol from wood byproducts has the potential to make a big economic and environmental difference in the state. He noted that a number of new ethanol plants have been permitted by the state and several are already up and operating."
Sen
H. Kohl"AFT-Wisconsin has announced its endorsement of Herb Kohl for re-election to the U.S. Senate, praising the senior senator's leadership in support of public education, his dedication to quality public services and his commitment to helping working families everywhere."
Gov.
Doyle“This new state funding will encourage innovative new energy technologies across our state that will help the nation kick its addiction to oil. As I’ve always said, when it comes to our energy future, we should be more dependent on the Midwest, and less dependent on the Mideast.”
"A 54-year-old Hurley man remains in jail today on a $5,000 cash bond set Wednesday in Iron County Circuit Court on five counts of delivery of a controlled substance."
"A 22-year-old Ironwood man surrendered to police after holding at least 28 police officers at arms from a second story room of a Larch Street residence for almost seven hours on Wednesday."
Doyle
proposes tax break for health care"If the proposal became law, Doyle estimated it would save an average of $236 a year for a family now paying $300 a month to be in their employer's health care plan."
"Wisconsin, Hawaii, Missouri and Utah were designated by the federal department as being at "high risk" of not meeting the teacher quality rules. The four states were ordered to redo their plans by Nov. 1, "including specific steps to ensure that poor and minority children are not taught disproportionately by less qualified teachers.""
"State officials don't know why 38 people bought driving instruction permits and a state identification card from a state Department of Transportation worker, but suspect that they were undocumented immigrants who needed identification."
"Veninga hopes the UW Board of Regents will adopt a budget proposal when it meets today that will limit tuition increases to a 3 percent cap, matching inflation, as recommended by Gov. Jim Doyle."
"Big shots, people in the big-business community who used to say 'Hey, keep the government out of health care,’ are saying we have to do something about it," said Feingold.
Sen
R. Feingold“With the proper resources, parents and community organizations will be able to help our children receive a better education and take advantages of the resources available in Wisconsin,”
"We all want our government to monitor suspected terrorists, but there is no reason for it to break the law to do so. The administration went too far with the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program."
“These contests let the people decide who we should support financially and I'm proud we’ve been able to support more then 35 key Democratic campaigns across the country with this program."
Sen
H. Kohl"The discussion forum will feature Phil Karsting, Agriculture Legislative Assistant from the Washington, D.C. office of U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, and Mike Schmidt, Agriculture Legislative Assistant from the Washington, D.C. office of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold. Also invited to participate are U.S. Representative Ron Kind (D-WI, 3rd District) and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle."
Rep
D. Obey"Earlier Tuesday, the Appropriations Committee gave voice vote approval to a bill making cuts to health research, school aid and social services for the poor. Despite opposition from Democrats such as David Obey of Wisconsin, the bill breezed through the panel by voice vote after bill author Ralph Regula, R-Ohio, added an amendment designating $500 million worth of back-home projects for lawmakers."
Gov.
DoyleMark
Green"News of the most recent terror plot, this one targeting the Mackinac Bridge, hits closer to home here in Wisconsin. It is believed that cell phones to be used in the terrorist attack were purchased in Antigo, serving as a chilling reminder of the potential for terrorists to hurt Wisconsinites."
"It's something we have to study a little more," said finance committee chairman John Wiita after Tuesday's closed session to discuss the counter-proposal, along with strategy with legal counsel over pending mediation/arbitration with the sheriff department's union."
"Pam Baeseman and Jerry Gross of Mercer School have been selected as two of 20 teachers to participate in a three-year program to increase teaching skills and knowledge in teaching science."
"Wisconsin high school graduates are better prepared to succeed in college than students nationwide - but that means only that more than 70% of state students are at risk of having trouble in one or more freshman-level subjects while the national figure is almost 80%, according to ACT, the college testing company."
"It said the value of all Wisconsin homes grew 10% from 2004 to 2005, or about four times inflation that year. In 1980, property values statewide rose 12%, but that gain was erased by inflation of about the same rate."
"But its frightening effects and the possibility of it spreading into other areas have made it one of the key issues in the race for attorney general, an office that supports local police in combating drugs."
Health
Care Tax Relief Plan"Last year, he signed a tax cut that made premiums tax deductible for people that pay the entire cost of their insurance. Today's proposal would include workers whose employees pay part of the premium. "A family paying $300 a month for their insurance would save about $236 a year from this tax cut," Doyle said."
"But demand for telemarketing has dropped significantly since the creation of the National Do Not Call List in 2003, he said. The no-call list prohibits companies from calling residences and businesses added to the list."
Sen
R. Feingold"It is urgent that Secretary Johanns approve Governor Doyle's request to get Wisconsin's farmers the federal disaster assistance they need,"
"A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the weekend theft of the head and trophy antlers from the elk that welcomed archers to the Full Draw Archery Club shooting range in Pence."
Sen
R. FeingoldFeingold
answers questions online"In a national online chat, an unfiltered Russ Feingold spoke out Friday on a host of topics. The Democratic senator from Wisconsin, who is flirting with a presidential run, fielded questions on subjects from high gas prices to Hezbollah, from gay marriage to his divorces, from the Iraq war to global warming."
Green
joins TV ad war; Doyle fires back on budget criticism"Mark Green, the Republican candidate for governor, started the paid media phase of his campaign Monday by introducing TV ads using humor and his wife and kids to dispute claims by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle that he is "too extreme" to be the next governor."
"Since the 2000 census, single-mother households in Wisconsin increased from 128,952 to 144,620, while married couple families with children declined from 493,530 to 469,325."
"There may have been some people who I think were appropriately designated as key professional staff of the governor but who had not shown up on an earlier list because they were also on the payrolls of other agencies,"
"No one who works full time should have to live in destitution, but the current minimum wage isn't enough to bring a single parent with one child over the poverty line - even if the parent works 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. Five million more Americans have fallen into poverty since President Bush took office - 37 million Americans now live in poverty, including 13 million children."
Doyle
Report Says Revenue Increases Will Cover Shortfall"The report from Budget Director David Schmiedicke shows that entering the next two-year budget cycle, the state will face $1.5 billion dollars in bills that will come due. But the report says the state should collect $1.9 billion in taxes over that same period."
"Wausau Tile manufactures concrete security decorative items, such as planters, that have steel reinforcements running through them and can block vehicles from entering an area."
"In 2004, U.S. Congressman Dave Obey secured $932,000 in federal funding to ensure that the Nourse Sugarbush, along with the ski hill, was preserved for recreation and remained undeveloped."
Obey
to be Honored at Dem Picnic"The Chequamegon Democratic Party of Ashland and Bayfield Counties will honor Congressman Dave Obey at its annual picnic at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, Sun., Aug. 20; from 3 to 7 pm."
Sen
R. Feingold"U.S. Senator Russ Feingold will give the keynote address at the annual meeting of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee on Monday, August 28, 2006, ..."
Sen
H. Kohl"The Wisconsin Farmers Union is reminding its members about their Farm Bill listening session this weekend near Chippewa Falls... The discussion forum will feature representatives of Senator Herb Kohl's and Russ Feingold's offices. "
Rep
D. Obey"Appropriations: David Obey of Wisconsin. Obey is a very smart liberal who previously chaired the committee and will give administration officials fits by asking tough questions and never fudging the numbers."
Gov.
Doyle“This is just one more example of how the state can team up with businesses to help create new family-supporting jobs,”
"Governor Doyle today announced $173,339 in Wisconsin Technical College System Workforce Advancement Training grant funds that will be used by Chippewa Valley Technical College and Western Technical College to train Wisconsin workers."
"Ironwood native Luke Wyzlic bet his mom she couldn't run 10 kilometers when she talked about starting at age 50. He lost that bet."
Feingold
again slams Bush's policies on Iraq"Feingold, who is considering a run for president in 2008, said such plots should be the focus of the United States. Talking about the Iraq war, he said: "It's distracted us. It's sapped us of our resources. . . . It has made us weaker.""
"Between 2003 and 2005, Wisconsin spent $152.8 million on economic development programs, and an additional $173.2 million in authorized borrowing, loan guarantees and tax credits for businesses. While the state's economy is healthy, the state doesn't know what kind of bang it's getting for these bucks, and which programs are working well."
"The federal government's share of welfare spending since 1996 has remained flat at about $300 million a year, while the state has spent generously on child care subsidies and other supports. That leaves Wisconsin, unlike other states, with no surplus in federal dollars to help carry it through the next budget cycle."
"Hopefully, it won't last for long, but as long as it lasts, I think the American public has to appreciate that it's being done to protect us and it's not being done to cause inconvenience,"
"A bald eagle found Thursday afternoon at the Lincoln County Landfill died Friday afternoon after it was brought to the Raptor Education Group Inc. for treatment. Marge Gibson, co-founder of the center, said the bird likely had West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne disease that can be deadly for birds."
"We really don't know if our beaches are in worse condition now or if this is ... as they've always been," said Amelia Lindsey, director of the Bayfield County Health Department. "But I think, as we continue testing the beaches, that will become clearer."
"Wolves were wiped out in Wisconsin in the 1950s after decades of bounty hunting. Since the animal was granted protection as an endangered species in the 1970s, wolves migrated back from Minnesota, and about 500 live mostly in northern and central Wisconsin."
Sen
R. Feingold"That would explain his [Lieberman's - ed] inability to consider the prospect -- even if only to dismiss it -- that extrication from Iraq might free U.S. defense resources to refocus on al-Qaeda, a case made by Lieberman's Senate colleague Russ Feingold, who articulates the most compelling rationale for withdrawal."
Gov.
Doyle“I’m extremely proud to be able to help establish this new intermodal station that will serve as a gateway to Wisconsin’s largest city and generate new economic opportunities for this entire region.”
"Health care in Wisconsin should be a birthright, not a ticket to bankruptcy. BadgerCare Plus will be simple and provide health care coverage to more families who need it.”
"Detroiters predominantly drive American-made cars and especially those made in their own state. Detroiters associated with the building of American cars also support workers in other American industries who support them. Not a bad concept. Do we do that for them elsewhere in this country?"
"Nothing liquid can be taken on board in carry-on bags. These items must be placed in checked baggage,"
"She exemplified what the Paavo Nurmi race stands for, what Paavo Nurmi himself stood for."
"The state Department of Natural Resources is urging hunters to take the lead in controlling the size of the herd by harvesting more antlerless deer than they have in the past - two does or young antlerless deer on average for every buck with antlers in much of the state ..."
"The largest, for nearly $2.3 million near Minocqua, will augment recreational land connected to the Willow Flowage scenic waters area in a region feeling increased development pressure."
"How can you claim it's a mistake when you registered the day before the election, then voted in Wisconsin and go and vote in Illinois on the same day?"
"Doyle called for the review in April after a coalition of faith-based groups filed a federal lawsuit challenging an annual program allowing state workers to direct payroll deductions to charities that are deemed eligible by a state committee. The groups allege they are wrongly left off the list of potential recipients under a rule requiring them to adopt a policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color and religion in who they serve and employ."
"I'm very pleased that they were caught. But we were warned, from a variety of sources, including from al-Qaida, that we better not let our guards down. ... Personally, I am worried. I think, obviously, the people who planned this attack were very intelligent. They were using fairly sophisticated means. And I think they're going to keep trying."
Feingold
gets an earful"Regarding Medicare Part D prescription coverage, many seniors will reach the infamous “donut hole” soon… is there any effort in Congress to address the Part D problem and make changes to this program?"
"... still half of U.S. citizens believe that Saddam Hussein was harboring weapons of mass destruction because the campaign to convince them that is true continues unabated on places like Fox News, among the right-wing radio talkers and Bush-friendly Internet bloggers, and in the pronouncements of many of this administration's key figures."
Sen
R. Feingold"In this primary election, Democrats in Connecticut showed the Washington establishment what Democrats and Progressives all over the country are demanding - elected officials that stand up for the core American values we all share."
"But Ned Lamont's positions on the critical issues facing our country today are much closer to mine," said Feingold, a potential 2008 presidential candidate. "We need more leaders like Ned Lamont in Washington and I look forward to working with him on a wide range of issues in the U.S. Senate."
Sen
H. Kohl"I'm proud of you, and you give me a sense of confidence that when I go to work in the morning, I'm doing something that's useful to our state, useful to the city of Madison," Kohl said.
"The Mardi Gras North theme was suggested, since Hurley is about as far north as it gets from New Orleans."
"The complaint filed by Hurley Chief of Police Dan Erspamer said that after Negro had dinner with a 22-year-old woman from LaBlonde Lane in Hurley, he went back to her apartment, 'pushed her to the floor, and then ripped her pants off.'"
"The debate turned personal during a commercial break when Bucher interrupted as Van Hollen was trying to clarify his position on whether suspected terrorists are operating in Wisconsin. 'Will you ever listen?" Van Hollen said. "That's why you suck, Paul, because you only listen to people who agree with you.'"
"So far this year, federal authorities have killed 18 gray wolves in Wisconsin under a special permit system approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency had allowed authorities to kill up to 43 wolves."
"They run red lights, change lanes without looking and can be, for lack of a better term, a royal pain in the rear. They're motorists. But, if you ask the motorists, they feel the same way about bicyclists."
John
Nichols: Connecticut vote is call to Dems here"Kohl will face a more serious test in the fall, when a very solid Green Party candidate, Rae Vogeler, will ask why the state's senior senator has not been working with U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., to set a timeline for bringing the troops home from Iraq."
"What the pipeline crisis demonstrates is a need for some middle ground -- some compromise between environmentalists who, rightly concerned about the dangers posed by spills and leaks, want no drilling anywhere and those who would kill the last salmon or penguin on earth if it meant gas would be a penny cheaper."
"'To suggest this will be the next biotech center in the state is not realistic,' said the director, Mark Bugher. 'Biotech companies typically locate in areas with research universities, he said. On the other hand, this region is in position to grow its manufacturing sector, which will look vastly different from the "smoke stacks" of yesteryear, he said.'"
Sen
R. Feingold"In responding to this remarkable interpretation of presidential powers, Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold accurately stated that the Bush administration has “assigned itself the sole responsibility for deciding which laws it will comply with, and in the process has taken upon itself the powers of all three branches of government.”"
"The Connecticut Post adds the names of Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) to the list of Lamonteers. Here’s more on Feingold’s endorsement and contribution."
Sen
H. Kohl“I will continue to focus on agriculture looking for ways, by way of research, innovation and technological process, to get the kind of funding and earmark that funding in ways that will benefit agriculture in the years to come,”
"Schillenger will meet with the finance committee late Wednesday afternoon to negotiate his salary for the contracted, part-time emergency government position, according to county clerk Mike Saari."
"I can decide whether or not the state is going to use its enforcement authority to proceed," he said. "We've got five Big Oil companies that are taking unconscionable profits from people and they have no real legitimate competition."
"There are hundreds of thousands of pastors out there in plateaued or dying churches," he said. "And here we are, sitting on this asset. It's a wonderful open space, but we're in the business of ministry of people, not land. So we'll sell off a piece of our land and solve some problems, for maybe the next 50 years."
"Early in July, a woman on a shopping trip to a Victoria's Secret store in Racine found it difficult to get a dressing room where she could nurse her baby. Staff members were uncooperative, and the woman left. But she posted a note on a Mothering.com message board, and within a week, women organized nurse-ins outside Victoria's Secret stores."
"We don't believe there's any threat in Wisconsin but we advise people who are traveling to follow the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) guidelines."
"The sign, she said, was a response to what she perceived to be the city's slow response to her complaints about her neighbors’ parking in the city right-of-way that separates her property from theirs."
"Based on the company's latest forecast, current electric rates would under-recover costs by approximately $22.6 million, or 5 percent overall, for the 2007 calendar year."
Feingold
gets an earful"For an hour, approximately 60 people packed the town of Hayward town hall to ask the senator questions and to make their views known on a variety of issues, from affordable housing, to alleged corruption in county government, to the wars in Iraq and Lebanon. "
Gov.
Doyle"Governor Jim Doyle today helped CLM Corporation celebrate its 59th anniversary and highlight CLM’s proposal to invest $36 million to upgrade their facilities and create new jobs."
“The numbers show that people are voting with their feet and they are choosing to come to Wisconsin for our great quality of life and vibrant business environment,”
“I am assured that this new terrorist activity in Britain poses no known threat to Wisconsin, and that residents of Wisconsin can safely go about their daily routines."
Mark
Green"Today, the credit goes to law enforcement officials and the intelligence community, both here and in Britain, who work hard each and every day to keep us safe from the terrorists who plot against us."
Feingold
to hold Iron County listening session Tuesday "These listening sessions are an excellent opportunity for me to hear directly from constituents about any issues or concerns they may have, and I appreciate the effort people make to attend these meetings and let their voice be heard."
"We're not trying to get rid of them, but to make sure they're constructed in a safe fashion,"
"Private businesses are required to recycle, but they cannot use the recycling services that are available to the public through funding provided to the county by the DNR."
"The following youth won Best of Show awards for the Youth Exhibit Building at the Iron County Fair, held Aug. 3 through 6..."
"He's not the undersheriff. He's the person put in charge in the chain of command. He was just like an undersheriff, but he didn't have disciplinary powers."
"The new city hall-fire station will be constructed on the north side of Wis. 77, adjacent to the old ball field, just behind the North Riverside Playground which borders Wis. 77."
"The survey will be used to collect and evaluate the community's usage and impressions of Mercer Lake."
"In order to know our taxpayer dollars are being used wisely, we need to track the dollars to know . . . are they truly going toward economic development."
"I want to send a clear message to producers and consumers of ethanol that the State of Wisconsin will not do anything to artificially drive up the price."
"Now that Lamont has defeated Lieberman, Feingold has an indication that his ideas are resonating with Democratic voters - and candidates. In fact, Lamont cites Feingold as an inspiration and says he would side with the senator on many matters, including a controversial move to censure President Bush for authorizing the controversial warrantless wiretapping program from which most Democratic senators have distanced themselves."
"Seeing such a wonderful array of ultra-fresh vegetables makes buying a little of everything all too easy -- a boon for the growers ..."
"Another ATV advocate, Gary Croteau, recommended the council impose heavy fines to ensure ATV drivers follow the rules of the road. "Hit them in the wallet for those that want to go out and ruin it for everybody," Croteau said."
"As part of their developmental life cycle, these parasites are released from infected snails and swim around in the water, looking for a person to stick to, and burrow under the skin."
Sen
R. Feingold"Democrats are also raising the profile on the domestic effects of the global war on terror. Last week, Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois, Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin called on President Bush to unblock a Justice Department investigation into whether lawyers who advised him to authorize warrantless domestic surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA) were guilty of misconduct."
"Richard Long asked Feingold about the long-term state of readiness for the military because of the U.S. involvment in Iraq.
“It is unbeleivable bad,” he said. “Just because these guys [The Administration/Repulican leadership] don’t want to admit a dumb mistake, they are endagering this entire country and this entire world.”"
Sen
H. Kohl"Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Herb Kohl, D-Wis., introduced a bill in the 108th Congress that would have banned commercial shipping of tobacco products through the U.S. mail and would have required private shippers to verify that appropriate state taxes had been paid on tobacco shipments."
"Wisconsin Farmers Union will be holding a listening session related to the 2007 Farm Bill. The forum will allow Wisconsin's farmers and consumers to voice their opinions about the drafting of this crucial piece of agriculture policy. The discussion will feature Phil Karsting, Agriculture Legislative Assistant from the Washington, DC office of U.S. Senator Herb Kohl and Mike Schmidt, Agriculture Legislative Assistant from the Washington, DC office of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold."
Gov.
Doyle“Captel is a vital, fast-growing Wisconsin company that provides important services to people that are deaf or hard of hearing, and I am pleased that we can assist this project and create 600 jobs for the Milwaukee area.”
“Making sure ethanol remains more affordable than petroleum is a good first step, but we also need to make sure that consumers can have access to ethanol based fuels like E-85,”
News
"They Want Names of All Predatory Priests in AmericaUnprecedented Lawsuit Seeks Injunction But No Money'Dangerous Clerics' Must Be Disclosed,"
""I think there should be a severe response so that Andrew Zaleski never loses sight of the fact that because of his actions, a young person is dead.""
"A Sept. 29 court review is scheduled for Robert A. Constantini, of Abba's Brite Spot in Hurley. On Jan. 19, 2005, he was charged with one felony count of commercial gambling: operating a gambling place for gain, and 16 counts of commercial gambling: collecting the proceeds of a gambling machine."
"Crystal Henning, Iron County Fair Association secretary, said 1,704 exhibits were entered in the open classes in this year's fair, which was up substantially from the 1,362 entries in 2005. A total of 174 open exhibitors and 77 youths participated."
"It's like a domino effect. Any disruption in oil supplies, no matter where it's from, can trigger shortages and send petroleum prices soaring. Even the threat of a shortage can drive prices up as commodities traders get in on the action."
Green
proposes back-to-school 'tax holiday'"Green estimated that the plan would save taxpayers - and thus reduce tax revenue for the state - between $5 million and $10 million a year. The change would require approval from the Legislature."
""However, at the same time, I think the drive- thru, once you had it, changed peoples' behaviors as well. For example, the drive-thru restaurant very much begins to impact things right up to the way cars are designed. Every car in the past 20 years has some kind of cup holder."
"According to the Centers for Disease Control, those who have had contact with rabid mammals, especially skunks and bats in Wisconsin, should seek anti-rabies therapy and make sure their pets' vaccinations are up to date."
"Like
Al Gore - Lieberman's presidential running mate in 2000, who would later
join Feingold in declining to back the senator's re-election campaign - the
Wisconsinite was not going to the mat in defense of a Democrat who provides
consistent cover for the worse excesses of a Republican administration."Doyle
Halts Minimum Markups for Ethanol Blends"Doyle has ordered the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to not pursue actions against sellers of ethanol blended gasoline. That means that ethanol based fuel is not subject to minimum markup law enforcement."
"It belched thick clouds of acrid smoke that quickly turned snowbanks in Ashland black. The high sulfur coal it burned contributed to acid rain and the coal piles would discharge a fine fallout of coal dust into Lake Superior whenever the wind came out of the southwest."
Park
Falls celebrates mill reopening"Gov. Jim Doyle received immediate applause from a crowd pushing 2,000 people when he arrived at the Park Falls paper mill during a celebration of its reopening as Flambeau River Papers Monday morning."
Sen
R. Feingold"Sens. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts wrote to President Bush last week, saying it would be "inappropriate" to confirm Steven G. Bradbury until the "investigation is completed and Mr. Bradbury is cleared of any wrongdoing.""
Gov.
Doyle
Attendance
surges at Iron County Fair"State Sen. Robert Jauch was amazed at the size of the crowd at Iron County Fair here Sunday. He should have seen Saturday's turn-out."
"The dragster smashed through a wooden fence and extensively damaged two vehicles owned by Mike Zacharais, 40, of Kimball. A long line of vehicles was parked along the fence line."
"Make the time to make one quick call to find out if you are eligible," said Michael Jacob, project coordinator in Wisconsin for Covering Kids & Families. "The investment in time is worth it in terms of the benefit you will get for your family."
"The high price of a graying prison population has corrections officials and crime experts looking for ways to cut costs. One idea: placing geriatric prisoners deemed to be low risk in residential nursing homes or on house arrest."
"The state crime labs in Madison and Milwaukee have dozens of professionals working hard and deliberately to process a mountain of DNA evidence from law enforcement agencies across Wisconsin. Yet the backlog of DNA evidence continues to climb."
"Today's shipment, which follows the latest lifting of the beef ban on July 27, came from U.S. beef giant Cargill Inc. and was imported by Costco Wholesale Japan, the Japanese unit of the American retailer."
"It's not good news for motorists," says AAA's Pam Moen. "It certainly makes a bad situation with already high gas prices even worse."
"Goulet is one of four graduates of D.C. Everest Senior High School who participated in an internship program as a senior. Since then, three have gone on to work for the company. "I got a well-paying job right out of high school. To be honest with you, I'm doing something I like to do," he said."
‘‘Everybody is pretty happy. I think the mood in town is very joyous,’’ he said. ‘‘Four months ago, I would never have envisioned we would have been at this point this quickly.’’
Sen
R. Feingold"I think this administration has been very reckless in trying to grab as much power as they can," said Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the only senator to vote against the original version of the Patriot Act. "There is loud concern that that the balance has failed."
"... a resolution urging the Administration to grant "temporary protected status" to Lebanese citizens in the US and the Senate passed, by unanimous consent, a new resolution on Lebanon, correcting its previous one-sided effort. This new resolution was sponsored by Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and cosponsored by Senators Sununu, Chafee, Stabenow, Carl Levin (D-MI), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and Russ Feingold (D-WI)."
Sen
H. Kohl"Senators Mike DeWine (R. Ohio) and Herb Kohl (D. Wisconsin) introduced a bill which passed a Senate vote giving the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission specific power to override the sovereign immunity exemption extended to OPEC members ..."
(I'm not sure why I am posting this. I don't know what activity on the web caused my bots to dig this up. Apparently written for the 2004 election, it rips votes dating back to 1992. Funny, all the big name Republicans get grades of A and Dems get F's and F- ... read it only if you need a laugh. - Bob)
Rep
D. Obey"Republicans in Congress Voted Against Increasing the Minimum Wage. Twice. Last week, the Republican-led Congress voted against a minimum wage an amendment offered by Rep. David Obey and an amendment by House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer"
Mark
Green"Here's what the congressman can and should do: Join Obey and Doyle in calling for the Bush administration and its Department of Agriculture to take the drought seriously... If that attention leads to action, Green will have delivered more for Wisconsin farmers with one gutsy act than with his eight years in Congress."
"In the bright light of day, the Iron County Fair is a family event. When night falls and the music kicks in, teens crowd the midway rides and games and adults pack the beer tent."
"A "yes" vote, she said, would write into the state constitution an existing restriction limiting marriage to a union between one man and one woman. A "yes" vote would also ban civil unions and other arrangements for unmarried couples that are "substantially similar" to marriage."
Doyle
attacks election rival in stem cell speech"We are at a very crucial moment in the development of stem cell research in the United States, precisely because there are politicians who want to see stem cell research stopped in its tracks,"
"Not only is the Transportation Department facing higher costs, but gas tax revenue is down because people are driving less in the face of rising gas prices."
"The attorney general's explanation tells voters that it would be up to courts or the Legislature to determine whether that second clause would affect so- called domestic partner benefits between same-sex and other unmarried couples."
"Republicans who control the state Legislature have been pushing for voters to present photo identification at the polls, saying the move would prevent voter fraud. But Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle has vetoed their attempts three times, saying an ID requirement would keep poor people and the elderly who lack identification from the polls."
"Younger people tend to enjoy camping, outdoor volleyball, jogging, in-line skating, disc golf, downhill skiing, ice skating, nature-based education, water skiing, boating and bicycling. People with higher education levels and higher incomes tend to hike, golf, view nature, swim, visit historic sites, cross-country ski, kayak, sail, bicycle or walk for pleasure."
"We really had to learn to make money on worthless wood," he says, demonstrating by rolling a small log onto his sawmill. "We've never cut a good tree."
"Tech expert Ryan Tevis says not all surge protectors are designed for a power surge as strong as a lightning strike. But even if you have one that is, you have to make sure every cable that connects your device to the wall is protected.
That means not just power cords, but phone lines or Ethernet cables."
"7. This popular Oneida County tourist destination has more than 3,200 lakes in the area. It is known as "Island City," with a quaint downtown actually situated on an island. It hosts BEEF-A-RAMA the last weekend in September."
"The city of Ashland has allowed hunting for several years, but hunters were required to use their state-issued tags. As a way of encouraging more hunting within the city, the Ashland City Council last year approved giving away special nuisance tags."
"The six or eight inches of rain in the past week served to alleviate the dry, dusty conditions that are present for many fairs. They said the only glitch so far in preparations for the fair was a faulty water pump that was luckily repaired before the opener."
"The community support program will offer community members services in accordance with state regulations that will insure that they can remain in our community, avoid hospitalization, and receive services so that they are happy and productive members of our community."
"The biggest problem is with the felons list. Even when technical hurdles are overcome, elections officials will be unable to use the list of felons provided by the Department of Corrections because it does not include dates of birth or valid addresses for many of the 63,000 felons on the list."
"Gas stations set their pump prices based on the next day's wholesale price, which increased 12 cents earlier this week, said Matt Hauser, governmental affairs director for the Wisconsin Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association. He said some may want to raise prices right away while others will gamble that the wholesale price will come down."
"When it hits $4, that's when we storm the White House," said Burnard, 24, expressing the frustration almost every American feels over an issue that has no easy answer."
"Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner has taken around $200,000 worth of privately funded travel over the past 6 years, more than any other lawmaker, according to a new report."
"For nearly two years, officials of the National Park Service have been working on broad planning documents that will guide the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore for the next two decades. Over the course of the next three years, the Park Service will draft and refine these plans into what will become the park's General Management Plan, Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement."
Sen
H. Kohl"These searing temperatures, combined with record high electricity prices across the country, are putting many low-income families at risk for heat-related illnesses because they cannot afford the cost of electricity to cool their homes. Many low-income families do not have adequate resources,"
Gov.
Doyle"As a mother, Pam told me she can’t understand why any politician would say that a few cells smaller than a head of a pin are more important than her teenage son. I can’t understand it either."
“The simple fact is that people in Wisconsin – and all over America – are being squeezed by the high price of prescription drugs and we must do all we can to provide them with access to safe, affordable prescriptions,”
"The weather was plenty loony. Rain fell off-and-on most of the morning. Bright sun took over later in the day, switching the morning umbrella jam to streets even more full of people."
"The elimination of a deputy's position is aimed at compensating for the upcoming undersheriff position. The new jailer, while at the desk will receive $16.18 per hour."
"The secretaries of the departments of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; Natural Resources; and Health and Family Services jointly asked two weeks ago that the proposed safety standard become law. The presence of alachlor-ESA in at least 28% of water wells sampled in one test "indicates a potential for long-term exposure of the state's citizens to this contaminant," the state officials said a July letter."
"State officials agree that budget cuts have drastically curtailed the DNR's ability to monitor those who spread septic tank waste and enforcement has become complaint-driven rather than due to any on-site monitoring. Sup. John Hendrick, 6th District, said he would like to set up a fee system to pay for one or two county employees to inspect land before it's approved for spreading waste from septic and holding tanks."
"But in its most controversial provision, the amendment could potentially ban domestic partnership benefits and a myriad of other contractual arrangements between unmarried couples."
"Most of the feedback we've gotten has been more favorable than not," he said. "There are a lot of farmers who wouldn't mind getting paid a little bit more for their corn."
"Most people think their trash is private, but it's not," Linehan said, referring to a 1988 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says police do not need a warrant to search trash left curbside because the garbage is readily available to anyone. "It's not illegal to go through someone's trash, and I think people should be aware of that."
Jauch:
Ag Station transfer likely to Happen
"State Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, said he expects the nine-member
commission to approve the transfer during its meeting next week, despite an
attempt by member Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Beaver Dam, to attach a deed
restriction."
Sen
R. Feingold"... but I will not vote for this cynical attempt to use desperately needed help for working families as a way to jam through an unfunded tax cut for the wealthiest handful of estates."
""People want to know when someone is going to stand up for principles," he told the crowd of over 1,000 who attended the $200-a-plate HRC fundraiser. Feingold said he feels he has not been hurt one bit by his liberal stand on gay issues while hailing from the "not very liberal" state of Wisconsin."
Sen
H. Kohl"For example, there’s an excellent Senate race in Wisconsin, where incumbent Herb Kohl, D, is battling Republican Robert Gerald Lorge, a farmer and lawyer, who has been sued by a woman who claimed that he molested her when she was 3 years old."
"All of the old Iron County Fair favorites will return this year, along with a new Demo Derby that should boost Sunday's attendance."
"The committee will "establish camping and boating rules and regulations, set camping and harbor rates, assign boat slips, and resolve any other Saxon Harbor related issues.""
"That means campfires are again legal day or night and one-day permits will again be issued by the DNR for burning in barrels. Smoking outdoors will also be permitted, as all of the emergency regulations that were in place because of the drought-like conditions have been lifted."
"Christine's Thrift Shop will be six days a week, Mondays through Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m."
"In the next two-year budget, future commitments would cost $630 million in the first year, Schmiedicke said. If new revenue isn't used to pay for them, the funds would have to come out of other areas of the budget, such as aid to public schools, property tax relief or tuition at the University of Wisconsin, according to an analysis by the budget office."
Feingold
leads Democrats in share of small donations" But in one respect, Feingold's fund raising sets him apart. Unlike any other '08 prospect in his party, his early money is coming mostly from small donors. In the first half of 2006, the Wisconsin senator raised 62% of his funds from people giving $200 or less, a much higher share than any other potential candidate."
Green
too busy for ethics survey?"Mark Green says he wants to be the candidate for reform. Why, then, was the Green Bay congressman the only candidate for governor to decline to respond to an ethics survey by a trio of citizen groups? "There was no conscious decision to not answer that," Green campaign manager Mark Graul said Tuesday of the survey sent to candidates for state office by the League of Women Voters, Common Cause in Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign."
"Regents, who govern the UW System of 13 four-year universities and 13 two-year colleges, considered a budget plan that would increase tuition by 3 percent for 2007-2008 and then 1.75 percent in 2008-2009."
"At least one Third Street resident has registered her opposition to the proposal. Nicky Lindman said her family owns ATVs and enjoys riding them, but she wouldn't want to open city streets to them, at least not in residential areas. She recommended turning U.S. Highway 2 into an ATV route, instead. Along with citing safety concerns, she said ATVs generate too much noise for residential areas."
Sen
R. Feingold"On Wednesday, Senator Feingold, a Democrat of Wisconsin, Rep. Martin Meehan, a Democrat of Massachusetts, and Rep. Christopher Shays, a Republican of Connecticut, introduced a bill to revive the crumbling system for public financing of presidential campaigns."
Sen
H. KohlRep
D. Obey"As with last year's $3.4 million grant for battlefield communications, this year's grants were won with the help of Wisconsin Rep. David Obey, who represents Small Tree's headquarters city of Chippewa Valley,"
"Rep. Obey is a co-sponsor of the Miller-Owens Fair Minimum Wage Act (HR 2429), which would increase the minimum wage from its current $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour in three steps."
"U.S. Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), a co-sponsor of the House minimum wage bill, said the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans hold one-third of the nation's wealth and the bottom 40 percent have just 3 percent. "That is an obscene difference and it is growing every day under the policies pursued by George Bush," he said. "Raising the minimum wage is the least we can do to help close the gap." "
- April 180
- May 180
- June 191
- July 200
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"There were no serious injuries in the storm that Bayfield Mayor Larry MacDonald said might have caused as much as $2 million in damages."
"An oak tree crashed through a snow fence erected to protect a new shoreline restoration project Friday at the Kimball Town Park. The project had been completed only hours earlier, after three days of planting more than 1,050 native trees, bushes and wildflowers."
"The Iron County Board unanimously agreed Monday to reimburse a Marshfield, Wis. doctor $90,000 for his share of a May 24, 2004, land purchase with Iron County."
"A packet containing a list of terms and conditions and descriptions of the parcels that will be auctioned is available at the county treasurer's office in the courthouse."
"The corporation counsel office is gone because we do not have a corporation counsel at this time," DeRosso said Monday. "We do have legal counsel."
"Milwaukee, with a high of 98, tied a record set in 1917; Madison's high of 95 tied a record set in 1988 and matched in 2001. The heat index in Milwaukee reached 105, which was just slightly over the raw temperature in Hayward, which topped out at 103 at midafternoon."
"Heat, ma'am!" I said; "it was so dreadful here, that I found there was nothing left for it but to take off my flesh and sit in my bones."
"Indeed, the transcript of a voicemail message he left for former Investment Board legal counsel Keith Johnson showed he made no recommendation. Johnson also told the State Journal last week he was never pressured by anyone to consider the firm."
"Well, we are far enough along in this fiasco that enrollees who have significant drug costs are reaching the famous "donut hole," that abyss where coverage stops and does not restart until huge bills have accumulated."
"For us, it is not a big change," said Capt. Brian Goodwill of the about 100 people who came to the cooling shelter. "Our doors are always open for people to come in for social services, but they now come in to get out of their home or apartment to relax and cool off."
"There is a spot about a foot in diameter where the plaster has cracked and dropped off. There is water standing on the hardwood floor. The water went through the church and into the basement, so we've got ceiling tiles in the basement that have fallen in,"
Mark
Green"After releasing his original budget plan in April, Green was criticized for not providing enough specifics on how he would handle the state's budget issues. On Monday, Green provided more details about how he would manage state dollars:"
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