Local News ... (Archives)
31 Mar
“Dan
Anderson Bill” Signed by Governor"After two and a half years, a bill twice introduced by Rep. Gary Sherman (D-Port Wing) was signed into law last week by Governor Jim Doyle. The legislation, suggested by Bayfield County Treasurer, Dan Anderson, streamlines the manner in which the school levy and lottery property tax credits are distributed to municipalities."
My
Hurley Showing Good Traffic"Your site myhurley.net has exceeded its bandwidth quota in the period beginning on 2008-03-01. Your quota is set to 1048576000 bytes ( 1000.0 MB ), and your site has consumed 980397056 bytes ( 934.979 MB) beyond that quota."
[That number is near record but not inflated by bot behavior. Maybe next month we can double the quota. - Bob]
Hurley
races highlight Iron County elections"There'll only be a few contested races in Iron County Tuesday when Wisconsin voters go to the polls. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In Hurley, three people are running for mayor, and 11 are seeking six at-large seats on the city council."
Saxon-Hollywood
connection continues with release of Clooney's 'Leatherheads'
"Saxon's connection to Hollywood remotely continues with "Leatherheads," the George Clooney-produced movie about the early days of pro football debuting Friday. Hemingway's "Adventures of a Young Man" was filmed, in part, in Saxon and Mellen in the 1960s."
Winter
to spring: 'not so fast' "Heavy snow this time of year is nothing new here. On April 3-5 last year, 24.8 inches fell in Ironwood, wreaking havoc on travel and spring sport practices. Driving will be difficult and removing the heavy snow will be a chore, Pearson said."
"Snow will diminish some after midnight tonight... but will continue through Tuesday morning. In addition... blustery north winds from late tonight through Tuesday morning will produce areas of blowing snow. When the snow ends early Tuesday afternoon... expect total accumulations of 7 to 12 inches... with the greatest amounts south of M-28."
A
Watershed event-Bad River Association gathers for fundraiser"For its water quality monitoring program, the group was honored on Saturday night with a couple of awards, given out by Nancy Larson of UW-Extension on behalf of UW-EX and the state Department of Natural Resources. "This group has gone above and beyond what we normally think of with citizen monitoring," Larson said."
Officials
predict low voter turnout Tuesday"Kennedy and University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientists say there are conflicting studies on whether negative ads raise voter turnout. Kennedy believes negative ads depress turnout. "People clearly get information from negative ads," Kennedy said. "But the interviews you get from persons on the street tend to be that they are turned off by them, and that it doesn't increase turnout.""
AP
NewsBreak: Lawton will run for governor if Doyle doesn't"Lawton has publicly vacillated on whether she wants a third four-year term as lieutenant governor. In a February interview with the WisconsinEye cable network, Lawton said she didn't plan on seeking a third term but hadn't fully decided. On Monday, Lawton again said she was undecided on that issue but she "absolutely" will run for governor if Doyle doesn't."
"There is no question that Mike Gableman, who has positioned himself as the conservative candidate, has run a despicable campaign. Gableman's race-baiting television commercials have been condemned by liberals and conservatives alike."
Long
winter delays planting"Nick Schneider, a University of Wisconsin Extension agent in Winnebago County, said farmers won't risk planting corn until the soil warms up. "It takes sufficient soil temperatures for the seeds to germinate," Schneider said. "If we get a lot of sunny days and temperatures turn around, that will speed things along.""
Bitter
Supreme Court race in final hours"Both candidates spent much of the campaign attempting to fend off attacks that came from third party groups. Those groups spent millions on the race that many observers characterized as the nastiest in state history. Both Butler and Gableman, as well as an independent group monitoring the race, urged voters not to pay attention to all the negative ads and instead investigate the candidates on their own."
Trying
to stop the insults on the stump - Wisconsin Radio Network"Wineke says Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and their supporters need to stop throwing bitter barbs. It's a sentiment shared by DNC Chairman Howard Dean and US Senator Russ Feingold. "
Governor
Doyle Launches Energy Independent Communities“We are heading toward energy policies that will clean our air and water, create jobs and save us money,” Governor Doyle said. “The course we are taking will help free us from big oil and make our country a safer place. I am looking forward to having these communities join as partners and adopt the state’s energy goals.”
29&30 Mar
Fish
winterkills could be severe, WDNR warns"We expect to see partial winterkills every year, but we haven't had severe winterkills in almost 20 years," said Paul Cunningham, Department of Natural Resources fisheries ecologist. "This really is a unique situation in terms of lower than average temperatures and higher snowfall amounts."
Schellinger
moves into full-time position in sheriff's department"Part-time Iron County Sheriff's Department deputy and emergency government director Tom Schellinger will begin a full-time position as dispatcher-jailer after today, as current dispatcher-jailer David Morello retires."
14
arrested at Lac du Flambeau released on bond"Fourteen members of the Lac du Flambeau Chippewa band are free on signature bonds after their trespassing arrests at the tribal center during a protest. ... The courtroom was packed for Friday's bond hearing in Vilas County Circuit Court."
U.P.
snowmobile season extended "A lingering, dense snow pack over most of the Upper Peninsula has led Department of Natural Resources officials to extend grants to groom state-managed snowmobile trails through April 6. The usual date to conclude trail grooming is March 31. "The U.P. has been blessed with late snowfall and continuing cold weather, so the trails have remained in great shape over most of the region, and that's great news for snowmobilers looking for a wonderful place to enjoy another ride before they put their machines away for the season," said Steve Kubisiak, MDNR Recreation and Trails coordinator."
Arts
education described as vital"The group's goal will be to position arts education as a way to teach critical-thinking skills and encourage Wisconsin's students to become visionaries who can propel the state to the forefront of the green economy and other emerging industries, Lawton said. "The Silicon Valley wasn't brought in on semi trucks," she said, citing Apple CEO Steve Jobs as someone who combines technical know-how with an artist's touch."
Supreme
Court candidates spar"I am a sitting Supreme Court justice, and I refuse to compromise my integrity or the integrity of that office just to win an election," Butler said in his closing statement. "Unfortunately, my opponent has chosen to run a very different campaign."
20%
turnout expected statewide"About 875,000 voters - or 20% of eligible voters statewide - are expected to go to the polls in Tuesday's spring election to elect a state Supreme Court justice, consider a change to the Wisconsin Constitution and elect various local officials."
"An election that could tip the balance of the state's highest court. A sitting justice targeted for defeat by business interests in a campaign that turns nasty. A previously unknown challenger. It is the plot of John Grisham's new novel, "The Appeal," which describes a dirty battle for control of the Mississippi Supreme Court."
"The seven-member court often comes down 4-3 on controversial decisions, with incumbent Justice Louis Butler, a soft-spoken, cerebral jurist who was appointed to the court in 2004, siding with the liberal majority ... "One very serious question is whether the system of judicial elections in Wisconsin is broken beyond repair, " said Howard Schweber, who teaches both political science and law at the UW-Madison. "It may be the case that from now on, judicial elections in Wisconsin will increasingly become exercises in personal attacks and ideological mudslinging carried out by party operatives and private groups hiding their agendas. ""
"As it happens, however, Butler's challenger is neither able nor honorable. Mike Gableman, a Burnett County judge who was appointed to his current position after contributing in a generous and timely manner to the governor who gave him the job, cannot begin to match Butler's long record of engagement in legal, educational and civic affairs. In fact, Gableman has not even tried to suggest in the current campaign that he is Butler's equal."
All
bets are off: Gambling not necessarily recession proof"A survey of 19 states with casino or race track gambling found about half saw gross gambling revenue drop in December 2007 from the year before. In January 2008, the portion grew to 12 of the 19 states, including Nevada."
Most
faiths accept limits to prayer healing"For members of most churches in the Wausau area, medicine and prayer complement one another as a patient is healed. For other religions and belief systems, such as The Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science) and Hmong followers of shamanism, modern health care might play no role at all in recovery."
Insurance
can mean life"Nearly five people between the ages of 25 and 64 die each week in Wisconsin because they lack health insurance coverage, according to a new report by Families USA, a national organization promoting the interests of health care consumers."
HMong
radio
connects community"It's a pretty low-tech studio. To put callers on the air, DJs pull a mic in front of a speakerphone. But it works. Yang, whose show airs on Thursday evenings and Fridays at noon, said he takes seven or eight calls every time he is on the air. When Hmong-language programming is not on the air, WNRB-LP also serves as a community radio station for a variety of English-language talk and music programming."
Better
Access to Health Care for Farmers"Kohl says, "[Farmers] can’t get the kind of insurance that covers farm accidents… and at a competitive price. As more people realize this is available, it is clear to me, and others, that enrollment will grow." Kohl says the co-op offers lower deductibles and better benefits to farmers who were paying, on average, 3 times more for insurance."
- ASLEEP ON MARS: THE "WASHINGTON MONUMENT" PLOY?
- NASA: RESIGNATION OF TWO TOP SCIENTISTS UNRELATED.
- ISS: A REPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
- SCIENCE DEBATE 2008: NOT LOOKING PROMISING.
"Before I get off my soap box, I have one more thing to say. I want to thank the Hurley Police Department, the Hurley Fire Department, the City of Hurley, and Iron County as well. The way we (the City of Ironwood) have treated our good neighbors across the river is disgraceful. For years Hurley has been buying their water from us. Iron County has been handling our cell 911 calls -- doing a spectacular job. I have seen many times when the Hurley Police and the Ironwood Police have both responded to Ironwood calls -- the same can be said for fires. We are very lucky to have Hurley's support! It's time the officials in the City of Ironwood recognize what good friends we have in the City of Hurley. The City of Ironwood needs to start treating our neighbors -- all of our neighbors -- a lot better!"
Range
shows signs of spring "With warmer temperatures comes the flow of sap, and that's evidenced by the bags hanging from sugar maple trees in the Montreal, Wis., area for well over a week. The sap is running."
Montreal
mayor: City to continue providing water to Hurley "Montreal Mayor Bob Morzenti said his city will continue to provide as much water as the City of Hurley requests. On Tuesday, Morzenti responded to questions that have arisen about cooperation between the two cities prior to the April 1 election."
Caution
issued about thin ice"With temperatures fluctuating wildly, ice that was safe yesterday may be dangerous today," Sanders said. "The biggest danger is hypothermia. If you fall through the ice and manage to climb out, you need to seek medical assistance quickly," Sanders said. "Wet clothing should be replaced immediately with warm, dry blankets, towels or clothes."
Forest
Service initiates Valhalla input process"Aside from skiing, snowmobiles and ATVs, Valhalla is also a popular spot for mountain biking, hunters, horseback riding and timber harvests. With public health and safety as the overriding goal, the Forest Service hopes to "enhance the experience or to continue allowing what it is that people value about Valhalla" and make the area "what it can be in contributing to the local economy," Rosales said."
Turnout
predicted to be 20 percent for Tuesday's election in Wis."The race for state Supreme Court tops the ballot. Voters also will decide on a constitutional amendment to limit the governor's veto authority and thousands of local issues. The state's Government Accountability Board released the turnout prediction on Friday. The estimate is that about 875,000 voters will turn out."
30
judges say Gableman ad marks a new low in Supreme Court race"More than 30 judges say a dishonest campaign ad by Judge Michael Gableman has tarnished the entire judicial system ... They have released a statement saying Gableman crossed all boundaries of fairness, honesty and integrity with an ad attacking Justice Louis Butler."
Denver
couple give Gableman $20,000 for Supreme Court race"The contributions from John and Carolyn Saeman were denounced by a government watchdog group as showing the growing influence of wealthy donors who can't even vote in the race ...Even Gableman's own father, Norbert Gableman, gave less at $5,500."
Doyle
asks state to shape up"This challenge is focused on motivating people of all ages and abilities to find activities they love, and get moving. Physical activity is extremely important for improving the health of our nation, decreasing obesity rates and reducing the risk of many serious diseases."
Lac
du Flambeau standoff ends peacefully"It took more than 15 hours, 10 law enforcement agencies and many attempts at reaching an agreement before members of the Lac du Flambeau tribe surrendered their ground within the William Wildcat Tribal Center Wednesday afternoon."
"Virden says, "Set up some type of mediation the council and this group and see if we can come to some resolution of some of the problems that are evident." Virden says one of the issues that may be looked at surrounds the misuse of funds among the tribal council. Lac du Flambeau Tribal Council Vice Presidnet Dee Mayo says, "There's not any misappropriations of funds I am aware of or have been flagged by any of our auditing agencies.""
Sirius
Buyout of Rival XM Approved - New York Times“We are particularly disturbed by this decision, given the Justice Department’s record in recent years of failing to oppose numerous mergers which reduced competition in key industries, resulting in the Justice Department not bringing a single contested merger case in nearly four years,” Mr. Kohl said."
Statewide
Challenge to Encourage Wisconsin Residents to Get Active"The Governor urged adults and kids of all ages to participate in the Wisconsin Governor’s Challenge, a six-week program launched in association with the National President’s Challenge that is designed to inspire individuals to become more physically active."
TPMtv:
Summa Bosniatica - Talking Points Memo"But most of them are incomplete or rapid-fire-cut or edited to make Sen. Clinton look as foolish as possible ... we wanted to go back and put together all the key moments in roughly chronological order -- what Sen. Clinton said on different occasions, the key video from the trip, what other eyewitnesses say, what her spokespersons and aides say, etc."
Reverend
Jeremiah A. Wright Video on You TubeAnybody who watches TV has seen the infamous footage, but any fair person should invest 10 minutes to view this video and decide for themselves whether the "Chickens Coming Home to Roost" clip fairly represents what Wright was saying and comes off as the quote of Ambassador Peck that it was. The intemporate "GD America" clip is also less shocking in context. Though still uneasy with swearing in Church, I don't think I would have walked out. I would personally appreciate it if you would all check it out. - Bob
PS. You could also read the first sermon here.
Prosecutor
weighs in on airline issue "Gogebic County Prosecutor Richard Adams will attempt to find a way to keep Skyway Airlines flying into Gogebic-Iron County Airport until a new essential air service contract is drawn up. Although Skyway Airlines had announced the decision early this year, airport and county officials were under the assumption that Skyway was legally bound to provide service until another airline came to Ironwood."
"Tuesday's electrical outage in Saxon, Gurney and parts of Ironwood was caused by a broken insulator on a transmission line, according to Xcel Energy spokesman Brian Elwood. About 2,385 customers were affected by the afternoon blackout, although the length of outage differed in the communities. The electricity went out around 12:57 p.m. and power was restored by 3:13 p.m. in all areas, Elwood said Wednesday morning."
A
group of Bad River tribal members protested the recent recall election at
the Bad River Casino."A group of about half-a-dozen Bad River tribal members lined the main entrance to the Bad River Casino Wednesday to protest the recall election that resulted in the removal of Bad River Tribal Chairwoman Loretta Livingston, and her replacement by rival Eugene Bigboy Sr. Two of the picketers, Bernard A. Stone and his nephew Brian Stone, were cited for trespassing by Bad River Police for holding placards within the casino parking lot."
Standoff
at Lac du Flambeau reservation ends after 14 hours"The Vilas County Sheriff’s Department said the standoff ended peacefully about 3:45 p.m. Ten members of the group were arrested on tentative charges of criminal trespass, Chief Deputy Joe Fath said. All 10 were expected to make initial court appearances Thursday."
Candidate
asked for scrutiny; here it is"In December 1987, Gleisner sued his former law firm for $10 million, alleging that it had subjected him to such abuse that he spent months in a mental hospital... In an interview, the 61-year-old attorney said he spent several months in a couple of Wisconsin mental hospitals - the psychiatric wing of the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison and St. Michael's Hospital in Milwaukee - back in 1986 after he suffered a nervous breakdown. Gleisner said he thinks he checked himself into the hospitals, though a story at the time simply says he was committed."
Dissidents
block tribal center"The bold action followed warnings earlier this month from "invisible warriors," who demanded investigations of alleged corruption among tribal officials and more control over the finances of the 3,300-member tribe in Vilas County."
Ads
keep hammering in court race"Former Justice Janine Geske, now a Marquette University law professor, said the ads by special interests had turned the race into an "outrageous bloodbath" that is harming the court's reputation. "Our court system and their decisions are only as good as the trust that people have in them," Geske said. "And if that trust is so destroyed by what's going on in these ads, then I think we have to look at another alternative (to electing judges).""
Student hacks into school computers, using 'Dummies' book"Authorities found the book "Internet for Dummies" at a home of a 15-year-old boy who admitted hacking into the Little Chute School District's computers. "He was self-taught and self-motivated in that regard," said Lt. Ray Lee of the Fox Valley Metro Police Department. The boy, a student at Little Chute High School, faces a juvenile criminal charge and school discipline, he said."
Judge
orders teacher e-mails to be made public"Wisconsin Rapids School Superintendent Bob Crist determined the documents did not contain private information about students, but the teachers still filed an injunction in June to halt the release. The teachers want to emphasize they've done nothing wrong, even though they are fighting the release, Jonen said. "There's no misconduct at all; they don't want the public to feel they were misusing resources," she said. "These are e-mails they wrote to their friends, spouse or kids. It's a little unsettling they will be for public view.""
State
panel eyes regulating of issue ads"The move came Wednesday amid a Wisconsin Supreme Court race in which a study has said that businesses, unions and advocacy groups, which don't have to disclose who funds them, made 93 percent of the advertising expenditures through March 23."
Heated
Sidewalks Bill"Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill Wednesday that abolishes a state law prohibiting heated sidewalks, stairs, entrance ways and pedestrian walkways. Wisconsin's law, the only one in effect in the country, passed in 1980 as a response to the energy crisis of the 1970s."
"Most of those who follow your carrier with great interest like I do always believe you stand for the right things and vote your own position based on your views, understanding of the needs of the good people of Wisconsin and the US no matter how unpopular, tough or risky it may be for your own carrier. Your vote regarding the Patriot Act is a testament to that. The good people of Wisconsin believed in your character and desire to serve the country fairly and elected you to the office of the US Senate repeatedly."
It's
crunch time for Everglades restoration: A visit is due by a ...
- Sun-Sentinel.com - Fort Lauderdale,FL"This afternoon, Democratic Rep. Tim Mahoney of Palm Beach Gardens plans to take Obey, a Democrat from Wisconsin, on a helicopter ride for a view of the Indian River Lagoon, where some of the first restoration is planned."
"Living
Better""Is Wal-Mart helping you "live better?" Your tax dollars are still subsidizing Wal-Mart's health care crisis. Your good jobs are still being shipped overseas so Wal-Mart can import over 70% of its goods from communist China. Your neighbors are still earning poverty-level Wal-Mart wages so America's richest family can line their pockets with Wal-Mart's $12 billion in profits."
26 Mar
Iron
County adopts smoking ordinance"Under the adopted ordinance, smoking is allowed in two specific areas of the court house. One is the gazebo outside the south entrance of the building and the second is at the rear (west side) of the court house. These areas will be marked as "smoking only permitted here," the board agreed."
Three
candidates vie for Hurley mayoral post "Three people are running for mayor in the City of Hurley in the April 1 election. The Daily Globe asked incumbent mayor Joe Pinardi, former mayor Paul Mullard, who now sits on the city council, and Dan Rossi the following three questions: "
- Why are you running for mayor?
- What are your qualifications?
- What do you feel are the city's top priorities?
Iron
County to retain all paper service fees "The adopted resolution was passed out to county board members just prior to Tuesday's meeting. It was drafted earlier Tuesday by county attorney Michael Pope to replace an initially proposed resolution in which "Iron County's Finance Committee admits a mistake has been made in reference to the sheriff's service fee compensation.""
Bad
River Watershed Association to accept award"Thomas will join 17 other local residents in observing physical, chemical and biological characteristics of his sampling site once a month. Such work earned the Association the 2008 Volunteer Stream Monitoring Award, announced last week. The award, for group effort in the statewide Water Action Volunteer program, will be presented by University of Wisconsin Extension at the group’s annual “Spring for the Water” event on March 29 at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m."
Former
Bayfield resident is animator for blockbuster movies"However, doing state-of-the-art computer animation graphics isn't within the core curriculum at Bayfield High School,... The curriculum [at Sheridan College in Toronto] taught Martinsen the fundamental processes of old-school animation, and gave him a much more solid knowledge of animation when it came time to learn three-dimensional computer animation."
Ads
dominate high court race, debate"Both candidates denounced the third-party ads and their claims and encouraged voters to ignore or stand up against them. Independent groups are expected to spend millions of dollars on the race. The watchdog Wisconsin Democracy Campaign estimates outside interest groups spent $1.8 million on TV ads in the race between Feb. 20 and March 16."
Lac
du Flambeau members in standoff in tribal center"The people inside barricaded themselves in an office in the center, telling authorities they intend to complete a religious ceremony at sunrise and resolve the situation peacefully. They said they had tribal elders and children with them. There has been no threat of violence, Vilas County public information officer Cindy Burzinski said. Several law enforcement agencies and the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs have people on site in northern Wisconsin."
Board
approves VHS rule change"The board had adopted rules to stop the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia that prevent the movement of any fish off any Wisconsin waters. But legislators have balked at the idea. They say it forces anglers to dump out perfectly good bait minnows at the end of an outing. The lawmakers vowed to block the plan unless modifications were made."
Standoff
at Lac du Flambeau reservation ends peacefully"Members of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa locked themselves in a tribal center for at least 14 hours Wednesday, refusing to come out until federal officials agreed to investigate allegations of corruption among tribal leaders. The Vilas County Sheriff's Department said the standoff ended peacefully. Ten members of the group were arrested on tentative charges of criminal trespass, chief deputy Joe Fath said."
Budget
repair hurdles Senate"Included in the bill was a 0.7 percent tax on hospitals, which supporters say will bring in extra federal funding. Also, the bill will close a tax “loophole” bringing in $150 million. In hopes of revitalizing the plan to build a commuter rail between Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee, the bill would also raise the rental car tax in that area from $2 to $15. Lastly, the plan would put off some state funding set for June until July, originally included in the Assembly’s plan."
"The number of people arrested is varying a little bit at this hour, but we have reports of between nine and twelve people under arrest after taking over the tribal center in Lac du Flambeau ends with about 10 people being arrested."
Feingold
stresses necessity of bi-partisan efforts - Dunn County News
- Menomonie,WI"I want to proceed in a consensus manner and be one of the leaders in five areas: health care — this is the topic I hear most about other than Iraq; education; third is trying to change the way these presidential campaigns are funded; fourth, clean water; and finally, I have proposed a modified line-item veto with a Republican congressman, Paul Ryan, from Wisconsin.”
[Incidentally, the picture is just a Republican that Feingold could easily and often work with. - Bob]
Justice
Dept. Approves XM Merger With Sirius - New York Times"Senator Herb Kohl, Democrat of Wisconsin and chairman of an important antitrust subcommittee, said the deal would “create a satellite radio monopoly.” Gene Kimmelman, a spokesman for Consumers Union, the nonprofit organization that publishes Consumer Reports magazine, criticized the decision. “If this is what our competition cops do,” he said, “we might as well close shop and save taxpayers a few hundred million dollars because they’re not doing their jobs.”"
"Senate Bill 393 requires disclosure of certain information found during background checks for personal care workers. The bill also mandates that background checks for caregivers be conducted every four years."
Crack
Down on Capital Pirates"For many years, Robert Morgenthau has warned America that the nexus of capitalism and criminality poses a serious threat to our prosperity, security and growth. Now in the wake of the collapse of Bear Stearns, which pushed global markets still closer to the brink, perhaps the nation will listen to the Manhattan district attorney, whose scrutinizing gaze is fixed on targets well beyond New York."
25 Mar
Skyway
to end service April 5 "I really have no statement until I hear back from all the entities involved," said GICA manager Duane DuRay. "It would be premature to say anything. The airport is working feverishly to resolve this situation to minimize any inconvenience to our local travelers."
15
to run unopposed in Iron County election "Thirteen candidates are seeking re-election, while James Clement of district 8 in Saxon chose not to seek re-election and Charles Schroepfer, who was appointed to the district 12 post to fill the unexpired term of James Byrnes, is also not seeking election.
Montreal
officials seek re-election unopposed "There won't be any new faces on the Montreal City Council for the next two years. Mayor Bob Morzenti is seeking re-election Tuesday, and he's unopposed. The alderman posts are filled in staggering terms."
Bigboy
sworn in as Bad River chairman"After the decision was made, the council then appointed Bigboy as the chairman, since it was him who finished second to Livingston in the November 2007 election. The appointment was administered by the recall election ad hoc committee. "This Tribal Council meeting represented a compromise among the Tribal Council members to act in unison to receive the petition and schedule the meeting," according to the statement."
Fake
Medicare calls expand"The Wisconsin insurance commissioner's office warned late last week that such calls are a violation of Medicare program rules. The office initially warned residents in Ozaukee, Washington and Sheboygan counties, but others say the calls are being placed to people throughout the metro area."
Money
keeps flowing in Supreme Court race"The total doled out by independent groups is expected to exceed what was spent in last year's race between Annette Ziegler and Linda Clifford - the most expensive ever. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a group that tracks political spending, estimated that the candidates and third parties spent $5.8 million on the 2007 race - four times as much as the previous mark of $1.4 million set in 1999. Outside interest groups spent $3.1 million in 2007."
Doyle:
Wisconsin to move forward with renewable energy program"Lawmakers created the fund in last year's budget before a downturn in tax collections caused a multimillion dollar shortfall. Doyle says the commerce department anticipates awarding $15 million per year for 10 years. He says the budget situation might mean the state only gives out $12 million in the first year."
Court
upholds sanctions for pharmacist who didn't provide pills"The 3rd District Court of Appeals ruled the punishment the state Pharmacy Examining Board handed down against pharmacist Neil Noesen did not violate any of his state constitutional rights, specifically his "right of conscience" to religiously oppose birth control."
Pharmacist
loses appeal on refusing contraceptive"Noesen was working as a substitute pharmacist at a Menomonie Kmart in 2002 when a University of Wisconsin-Stout student came in to refill birth control pills. He asked her whether the pills would be used for contraception and then refused to fill her prescription -- or return it to her or transfer it to a pharmacist elsewhere -- as a matter of religious conscience."
UW
gets $1.3 million grant for flu pandemic prevention
"The
grant announced today will support research aimed at understanding the
molecular features that lead to influenza pandemics. The University of
Wisconsin-Madison will collaborate with Maryland-based Lentigen Corp. on the
project."Feingold
criticizes war, pushes volunteering"U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., stressed the importance of citizen diplomacy and international volunteerism while denouncing the Iraq war Monday night to a full house in Memorial Union’s Great Hall."
Local
grocers not affected by fruit recall"The state Department of Health and Family Services said at least three Wisconsin residents have been sickened in a multistate salmonella outbreak believed to be linked to tainted cantaloupe."
Report:
Lack of health insurance contributes to five deaths a week in WI“Our report highlights how our inadequate system of health coverage condemns a great number of Wisconsinites to an early death, simply because they don’t have the same access to health care as their insured neighbors,” said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. “The conclusions are sadly clear — a lack of health coverage is a matter of life and death for many Wisconsinites.”
Assembly
Passes State Budget"The Senate plan passed Tuesday also includes closing a tax loophole that would cost corporations $130 million over the next 15 months. That wasn't included in either Gov. Jim Doyle's proposal or the one passed by the Republican-led Assembly. A special bipartisan committee of lawmakers from both houses will be called together to work out a compromise unless a deal is reached in private first."
"That day made clear that America’s top national security priority must be combating the threat posed by al Qaeda. And in order to combat that threat, America would need to engage with the world in new ways. Like Pearl Harbor, 9-11 painfully established that what happens abroad is directly relevant to our lives and that we ignore at our peril threats beyond our boundaries."
“I am deeply concerned about the heavy-handed tactics used by the Chinese government in response to the Tibetan protests. I encourage the Chinese government to negotiate with the Dalai Lama and to respect the rights of the Tibetan people."
Kohl:
FCC Should Block XM-Sirius Merger - Broadcast Newsroom -
Newport Beach,CA"Speaking as chairman of the committee, Sen. Herb Kohl said in a statement: "We believe the elimination of competition between XM and Sirius is contrary to antitrust law and the interests of consumers. We urge that the FCC find the merger contrary to the public interest and exercise its authority to block it.""
Rudolph
farmer to challenge Obey for Congress - Oshkosh Northwestern""After 38 years in office, Congressman Obey has gotten off track and can’t get past his prejudices and hatred toward those who don’t agree with his way of doing things," Mielke said. Obey, 69 and one of the most powerful members of Congress because of his seniority, is expected to seek re-election but he said Wednesday he would not say anything related to it until July 8, the filing deadline for the Sept. 9 congressional primary. As for Mielke’s challenge, Obey said, "It’s a free country. Anybody can run who wants.""
Governor
Doyle Launches Clean Energy Wisconsin, a Plan for Energy Independence“From the supermarket to the gas pump, Wisconsin families are feeling the squeeze of high energy prices,” Governor Doyle said. “In Wisconsin, we are taking the lead to not only address these challenges – but to find opportunities for innovation and growth in them as well."
24 Mar
Hurley
students attend Superior Days in Madison "Nicole Brannigan presented a power-point on raising the minimum wage to the director of the Department of Workforce Development and the entire youth delegation. She introduced Department of Commerce Secretary Jack Fischer at the Wednesday luncheon."
Spring
snow headed to the Range "NWS Meteorologist Steve Fleegel said the next storm could dump 2 to 4 inches of snow on the Gogebic Range and is coming from "a clipper system from the northern plains." The system will probably bring cooler than normal temperatures with highs in the 30s and lows in teens, Fleegel said."
News Radio
Cops
Bust Root Beer Kegger"Some police officers in the Wausau area thought they were busting an underage drinking party earlier this month. But much to their surprise -- even though there were dozens of rowdy teens, cars blocking the road and a keg -- not one teen's breath test revealed alcohol. That's because the teens got a root beer keg for the party on March first at the Kronenwetter home of 18-year-old Dustin Zebro."
Governor's
selective veto at issue"Those lawmakers want voters to approve the question on the ballot that asks whether the Wisconsin Constitution should "be amended to prohibit the governor, in exercising his or her partial veto authority, from creating a new sentence by combining parts of two or more sentences of the enrolled bill?""
Passage
in Wisconsin isn't deal's last hurdle"Legislators in Ohio also are objecting to the one-governor veto, and they also have worries about how the agreement could affect groundwater rights ... The Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec have a parallel agreement governing Great Lakes diversions and water use, but it is separate from the compact because U.S. states cannot enter into such agreements with foreign governments without congressional approval."
Wineke:
Wright is the real victim of pseudo-scandal"There has been guilt by association practiced in this issue, but the victim was not Barack Obama. The victim was Jeremiah Wright, whose reputation as a pastor has been trashed across the world because of his association with Obama... If Wright's message was one of hate, just why is it that no hate has come from his church? Why is it that all those scouring Obama's record haven't found a single incident of racism? Why is it that so many Madison white folk who have attended church there have been welcomed with warmth and with respect?"
Rural
Fresh Delivery: Popular CSA farm network ready for growing season"MACSAC Coordinator Erin Schneider estimates that some 12,000 people in southern Wisconsin buy fresh, local food from farmers offering CSA shares. A common share includes weekly or every-other-week boxes of farm-produced food, usually dropped off for customer pickup at a variety of local sites."
Senate
Democrats pitch budget shortfall repair plan"The Senate should likely pass its version of a plan to fill in a budget shortfall of about $652 million that was caused by an economic slowdown yielding lower-than-expected tax revenues. Three plans from three government powerhouses — Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, the Democratic Senate leadership and the Republican Assembly leadership — will face off with different strategies for filling the hole."
Cardinal
Madison
protesters fight ‘apathy’ on war’s anniversary"Kristan and a group of about 150 protesters marched around the Capitol on Wednesday, continuing into the Madison office of U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, D-Wis., where they were forced to leave when Kohl sent in the U.S. Homeland Security Department. No arrests were made, but Kristan said he was disappointed Kohl would not talk to his constituents."
Watch
out for Wimmer"It's been awhile, but Scott Wimmer is finally back in the winner's circle. The Wausau native ended a five-year drought on the NASCAR Nationwide circuit with a win at Saturday's Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway."
Mortgage
standards getting tougher in state "Area mortgage brokers say loan decisions take longer now because some banks are cutting back on their loan staffs. Ron Steinhofer _ president of the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association _ says the market is moving away from low credit scores and demanding higher down payments."
New
Collage of Hurley Winter ScenesJanuary and February are so often gray and dreary... but when the sun comes out and the snow turns bright and the sky turns blue, the contrast between trees and the snow cover makes the north woods one of the prettiest places in the world. Hey! Any time you folks want to email me some pictures (or even a finished collage) I have a place to post it. - Bob
"The Iron County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 6:00 PM at the Courthouse in Hurley, Wisconsin. The meeting is open to the public per Chapter 19, Sub Chapter V, Wisconsin Statutes. "
Local
'Green Teams' detail their efforts“This is a network of businesses and institutions that have voluntarily joined the Green Team Network. They committed two to five members from their business or institution to spend 80 hours a year trying to come up with sustainability ideas and share them with other members of the network. These first-year reports come from 17 different members,” Rehwald explained."
Schools
give extra as top leaders leave"Attorney Barry Forbes, staff counsel for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, said some boards might be thinking about the long term when providing additional retirement benefits. The market for superintendents is "very competitive" and any prospective candidate likely would speak to the departing superintendent before deciding whether to accept a superintendent job, Forbes said."
""It's a little bit puzzling that this was not discovered earlier," Quigley said. The Back Forty Project is in the advanced exploration stage, but the metals are within reach using a combination of sulfide and deep-shaft mining. "Especially with gold selling for about $1,000 an ounce, it's looking more feasible by the day," said Philip Fauble, mining coordinator for Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources, who visited the Back Forty site last fall."
"You've heard about spineless candidates who reverse field, flip-flopping on, say, abortion rights or the Iraq war. Judicial candidate William Gleisner III is doing them one better. He has undergone a full-scale political conversion on the road to the general election."
Delegation
marks Iraq anniversary"On The Huffington Post blog, Feingold wrote: "By invading Iraq, we have, in effect 'cried wolf' - we've used up our international chits and credibility attacking a country that had nothing to do with 9-11 and had virtually no connection to al-Qaida. As long as the president's policies continue, Iraq will continue to be what the intelligence community has called a 'cause célèbre' for a new generation of terrorists.""
Sen.
Kohl, is this what we signed up for?"I mean the one between Herb Kohl and us - the one that says he gives us lots of cool stuff and keeps us entertained and we give him a low-stress job, no questions asked. Where is that one? I'm thinking we need to take a look at that one. Herb Kohl has been in office 20 years now. He'll be a few years short of 80 years old at the end of his current term. Is this thing completely open-ended?"
Wis.
voters could limit governor's strong veto power"A majority of "yes" votes on April 1 would rewrite the state constitution to strip Gov. Jim Doyle of one method he has used to reshape budgets approved by lawmakers. The plan would limit the governor's ability to stitch together unrelated words and numbers to create new policy, taxes and spending levels never approved by the Legislature. Critics call this the "Frankenstein veto.""
Madison
sets record for snowiest season ever, Milwaukee has 2nd"In Madison, 7.7 inches fell in yesterday's storm, putting the city at 99.6 inches for the year. That means it's their snowiest winter on record. It far surpasses the second snowiest season, 1978-1979, with 76.1 inches. In Milwaukee yesterday, 12.4 inches fell. That puts the city's total at 96 inches, making it the second snowiest ever. The snowiest season was in 1885-1886, with 109.8 inches of snow."
Anti-farmer
farm policy"Wisconsin farmers -- like working farmers across the country -- have sent clear signals during the farm bill debate. They want the farm safety net preserved. And they are right. America's food supply is a vital resource -- more vital than oil, more vital than any resource save our fresh water."
Statelagging
on Great Lakes compact"The compact has been enacted into law in four states and has passed one chamber of state legislature in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Michigan is the only state in the Great Lakes basin that has yet to pass the compact through either legislative body. In both the state house and senate, bills that would enact and implement the compact are out of committee and up for vote."
Oneida
County DNR Warden Earns High Honors"Department of Natural Resources Warden Jim Yung goes above and beyond the call of duty. He's organized numerous youth activities that have gotten kids into the outdoors, and now he's getting a truly deserved pat on the back."
- Assembly Bill 893 makes various changes affecting the Wisconsin Retirement System.
- Assembly Bill 875 specifies the process of certification of major party nominees for the office of president and vice president of the United States in 2008.
- EXOPLANETS: THE SEARCH FOR LIFE BROADENS.
- SOLAR SYSTEM: NO EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE - YET.
- PEER REVIEW: COURT UPHOLDS CONFIDENTIALITY.
- WATER: TOO LITTLE WATER, OR TOO MANY PEOPLE?
Girl
In Red Phone Ad Denounces Hillary And Her "Politics Of Fear"
- TPM"They had a little fun making this one, clearly. Knowles says that Hillary "wanted to scare you into voting for her" by cutting a scary ad with frightful blue tinting and a narrator with a "scratchy voice.""
21 Mar
Indianhead
closes its golf course "Bolich said Indianhead's executive course, with holes measuring from 60 to about 175 yards, had not seen much use in recent summers. "Our primary business in the summer is lodging and providing food and beverages," Bolich said."
Narcotics
team arrests Mercer man in drug bust "Kevin Knipp is charged with two felonies of delivery of a controlled substance (cocaine), a felony of possession with intent to delivery a controlled substance (cocaine), and two misdemeanors of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia."
Farmers,
truckers, loggers, travelers hurt by high fuel costs"Ken Clement would like to put fertilizer on his land this spring to help yield a better feed crop at his dairy farm in Saxon, Wis., but fertilizer is expensive this year because it's made with petroleum. If he doesn't buy it, his crops won't be as good, but he'll use just as much diesel fuel to run his equipment no matter what the yield."
Ag
Station committee agrees to meet with Eileen Town Board"Several members of the Ad Hoc Committee expressed considerable frustration with those results, including Bayfield County Board member Tom Gordon, who said he felt obligated to listen to what the Town of Eileen thinks about the proposals for mixed development of the property. He also said he understood the desire to keep the land for agriculture."
"Natalie saw a familiar foe in what turned out to be an all-Wisconsin national final in Sharice Schnell of Owen. Just two weeks ago, the pair met for the Wisconsin state title with Natalie pulling out a 16-14 overtime win. This match was much shorter, with Natalie pinning Schnell in 1:47."
Senate's
budget repair advances"On a 6-2 vote, the Senate Finance Committee cleared the plan for debate Tuesday in the full Senate, which is expected to pass the proposal. Two Republicans on the committee voted against it, saying the state should be cutting spending instead of raising taxes. After the full Senate vote, an Assembly-Senate committee would be created to resolve the differences between the two houses on the budget-repair bill - a process that could take months."
Seniors
warned of fake Medicare calls""It's against federal Medicare regulations for anyone to cold call a Medicare consumer" by telephone or by showing up at someone's door, Ruch said. The consumer must first request information on Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans or Medicare Prescription Drug Plans."
AP
Centerpiece: Economy forces children to move home with parents"After being laid off from her job as an events planner at an upscale resort, Jo Ann Bauer struggled financially. She worked at several lower-paying jobs, relocated to a new city and even declared bankruptcy. Then in December, she finally accepted her parents' invitation to move into their home - at age 52. "I'm back living in the bedroom that I grew up in," she said. Taking shelter with parents isn't uncommon for young people in their 20s, especially when the job market is poor. But now the slumping economy and the credit crunch are forcing some children to do so later in life - even in middle age."
Government
needs sunshine""Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."
Madison's admonition is exactly why it has been necessary for states to pass open records and meetings laws. Their purpose is to require those who serve in government to do so in public. Democratic people, after all, can't make decisions if the public's business is conducted behind closed doors."
'Frankenstein
veto' vote may have far-reaching implications"Under the amendment, the governor would be banned from stringing together words from different sentences to create a new sentence. The governor could, however, still strike out individual words within a sentence to change its meaning and could still rewrite budget numbers to raise or lower spending within a budget."
Lane
reduction on Highways 51 and 29 starts next week 8:30 a.m."Northbound and southbound traffic on Highway 51 between Highway NN and Highway 52 will be reduced to one lane in each. Traffic backups and delays, especially during peak travel periods, are anticipated, Wisconsin State Patrol Capt. Jeff Frenette said."
Getting
national recognition: SWUP is featured on environmental Web site"“Fragmentation is the dangerous word,” Welch said. For decades, Welch said open land owned by paper and timber companies was available to be used for recreational purposes, but those properties are being sold and the public is using access. “We’ve had the luxury of a lot of open land available for public use,” she said."
Senate
Committee Investigates Med Device Company- Surgeon Conflict ...
- DOTmed.com - New York,NY"Committee Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) stated that physicians were as culpable as the medical device industry, and that patients' best interest may be compromised by influential relationships ...Some physicians claimed to investigators that certain medical companies avoided working with them upon the physicians' refusal to accept financial gifts. "
Obey
checks in on Hwys. V&53 progress - Rice Lake Chronotype“For what we spend on the war in Iraq, we could fully fund the construction of more than 60 of these intersections every day,” Obey said. “That just goes to show you how much we could be doing here at home if we weren’t stuck in this misbegotten war.”
- Assembly Bill 893 makes various changes affecting the Wisconsin Retirement System.
- Assembly Bill 875 specifies the process of certification of major party nominees for the office of president and vice president of the United States in 2008.
20 Mar
Iron
County seeks AG's opinion on paper service fees"Iron County Board of Supervisors Chairman Dennis DeRosso has asked for an Attorney General's opinion on whether sheriff Bob Bruneau should be required to pay back about $39,000 in paper service fees. On Wednesday, Bruneau declined to answer when finance committee member John Wiita asked if he would pay back the funds, if that's what the county board decides."
Addresses
sought"The Hurley High School Class of 1958 reunion committee is seeking addresses for the following classmates: Kay Lillstrom, Richard Madden, Antonia Frank, Robert Williams, Robert Paynter, Brian Benetti, Anita (Vita) Myette and Joe Gerry. Those with information should call Karen Hantula at 715-561-5543."
Mixed
future seen for area agriculture"Fischbach warned that there is an "unlimited demand" for fuel, but that there is a very limited amount of agricultural lands that could be used to grow the corn, oil seed crops and wood used to produce biofuel. He predicted in the near future virtually anything with cellulose would be sought to make fuel ethanol. "We are already starting to see cash rents for land go up," he said."
Obey:
Region can no longer rely on earmark funding"Obey said he is unwilling to even discuss funding for the oredock, given the current climate about earmarks in Washington D.C. "It would be a diversionary discussion, and it would give people false hopes, and right now I am not in that business," he said."
Three
challenges filed against Bad River recall election"Connors is asking the Tribal Court to declare an emergency stay, prohibiting the Tribal Council from swearing in any new tribal chair. He is also asking the court to declare invalid the March 11 recall election, "requiring the Tribal Council and its Ad Hoc Committee to provide immediate and prominent notice to all duly enrolled members of their right to vote in a new recall of Loretta Livingston.""
Hospital
tax, rail line proposal included in Senate Dem plan"The Senate Democrats' plan for solving the state's budget shortfall includes a tax on hospitals and the closing of tax loopholes corporations use. It also would authorize a car rental tax increase to pay for a three-county rail line. All three ideas are opposed by Republicans who control the state Senate."
Rudolph
farmer to challenge Obey for Congress"A 54-year-old Republican farmer and father of three adult children announced his candidacy for Congress, saying it's time to retire longtime incumbent Dave Obey because he has "gotten off track.""
Airport
screeners miss 45 pounds of pot"Sheriff David Clarke suspects it was "an inside job" because of the security breach. Clarke says it's unnerving that such a bag can bypass all the TSA security devices. Investigators aren't saying exactly where the untagged suitcase was found, but they believe it was destined for a plane to New York."
Superdelegate
shenanigans"With regard to his superdelegate vote, Feingold says, "I give the greatest deference to what (my) state did." The other Wisconsin senator does not get it. "If the decision is, as some say, vote how your state voted, then there was no purpose in superdelegates," says Herb Kohl. "Superdelegates were (established) for a reason. They were picked to exercise their experience and make a choice in the event of what is apparently happening now.""
Sen.
Herb Kohl says Bucks will stay despite revenue woes“Milwaukee is a permanent fixture in the NBA,” Kohl said Wednesday after he announced that Larry Harris left as general manager. “I’m not in this business to make any annual profits. The value of the asset fortunately has appreciated over the years. On an annual basis, it’s a money-losing proposition. I’m in it because I love the sport, I love the competition and I love winning.”
Heparin
Contaminant "U.S. health officials have identified a contaminant in batches of the blood thinner heparin associated with 19 deaths and are trying to determine how the chemical got into the drug. Scientific Protein Laboratories of Waunakee is involved in producing the heparin."
Changes
in VHS Rules"They say it would force anglers to buy new bait every time they go fishing, even if they're going back to the same waters. The DNR has proposed new permanent rules allowing anglers to move bait minnows under certain conditions. The Natural Resources Board is expected to vote on the package next week."
Farmer
Running for Congress"A farmer from Rudolph says he's running for Congress as a Republican in Wisconsin's seventh district. Dan Mielke says Democratic Congressman Dave Obey's votes during the last 10 years, especially regarding illegal immigration were what drove him to run for Congress."
Feingold
Offers Best Democratic Rebuttal to Bush on Iraq - The Nation.
- New York,NY"Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, the man who chose to focus on his Senate Foreign Relations Committee duties rather than run an uphill campaign for the Democratic nomination, remains the savviest voice of opposition to Bush's misguided foreign policies. Here's what Feingold says: "Today marks the five year anniversary of the war in Iraq. Although Saddam Hussein's brutal authoritarian regime no longer exists, the war has been nothing less than a disaster for that country, for others in the region, and unquestionably for our own, as well. "
Governor
Doyle Announces Winter Storm Disaster Aid Approved for Eight Counties“This winter has been tough for Wisconsin, and has strained many crews who have worked long days and nights to keep the roads clear and safe,” Governor Doyle said. “The storm that hit Wisconsin in early February was among our worst, and it really hit many local budgets hard. I am pleased we have secured federal assistance to help provide relief to our local governments that have incurred much of these costs.”
Today's
Must Read - TPM Muckraker"The organizer noted that Sunni tribes, which have revolted against Al Qaeda in Iraq, attended the conference. But one of their main leaders, Sheik Sulaiman, decided to lead his delegation out of the conference. "I didn't stay any longer than it took me to smoke my cigarette. It was a total failure, because the Iraqi politicians are a failure," Sulaiman said."
19 Mar
Winter
gives spring the cold shoulder"About eight inches fell in Montreal, Wis., during the same period, according to weather watcher Lou Crosby. Snow-covered, slippery roads resulted in two accidents less than 15 minutes apart Tuesday evening in Oma, Wis., according to reports from the Iron County Sheriff's Department."
Fire
destroys Good Thyme Bistro in Washburn"The Good Thyme Bistro in Washburn was gutted by flames Tuesday after a fire started in the back of the restaurant and spread through the entire two-story structure. Firefighters from several area communities worked to extinguish the flames and save the Firehouse tavern next door."
Notary
public law cracks down on scams"Immigration attorneys such as Barbara Graham of Catholic Charities and Erich Straub praised the measure. "Intentionally or unintentionally, a lot of people are hurt," said Graham. "They (immigrants) think they're lawyers because they put up a notario sign and people are vulnerable, scared and want to believe there's a way for them to stay here.""
Butler
TV spot responds to allegations"State Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler hit back Tuesday against allegations that he's soft on crime, launching an ad that features law enforcement officials praising him and criticizing what they call false attacks from Burnett County Circuit Judge Mike Gableman."
Murphy
says Packers to retire Favre's number"The president and chief executive officer of the Green Bay Packers says the team plans to retire Brett Favre's number during this coming season. Mark Murphy says he had a preliminary discussion with Favre, and that both Favre and the organization agreed that his number four would be retired during the 2008 season."
Doyle
sees deficit fix in tobacco cash"Doyle wants to refinance a loan so the state can use more of the money it receives from tobacco companies to pay for state health programs for the poor. Doyle wants to refinance the loans to receive a lower interest rate and extend the payments. He estimates it would free up $68 million a year for the state through 2020 to be used to balance the budget and cover health care costs."
Organic
farmer will run against Dave Obey“I am running for Congress because it is time for a new voice, fresh ideas and a leadership that is willing to put American prosperity, liberty and security above partisan politics,” Mielke said in a press release. “It’s time that we quit fighting like children and get to the job at hand, which is working for American and her citizens."
Woman
finds Wisconsin-shaped pothole"Wisconsin's roads have plenty of potholes after this long, hard winter, and a Green Bay woman has found what may be the best of example of a Wisconsin pothole."
Tribal
tensions, rumors force closures of medical, child care centers"No individual or group claimed responsibility for the rumors, which reportedly targeted both the tribal center and the lake of the torches casino and bingo hall for a takeover. The talk did prompt the Vilas County Sheriff's Department to dispatch 10 deputies to the scene. "We sent deputies at the request of the Lac du Flambeau tribal police, but there was no takeover and things were peaceful as far as I know," Vilas County Chief Deputy Joe Fath said."
Lac
du Flambeau tribe terminates three-walleye bag limit"Hook-and-line walleye anglers may have to get used to new bag limits on as many as 82 lakes that will be speared by Lac du Flambeau tribal members this spring. It is likely that a two-walleye bag limit will be imposed on at least 19, and as many as 59 Northwoods lakes."
DNR
marks Hwy. 51 business signs for extinction"The DNR says it's a simple matter - the agency does not issue permits for private signs on state forestland and that Przlomski and others were never issued any such permits. As such, the agency intends to cite them for violating an administrative rule prohibiting any soliciting of business or posting of signs on the state forest without a commercial use permit or contractual agreement."
"The plant made aerosols and paint solvents, but officials say the blast destroyed much of the building.... Both injured workers are reported in critical condition tonight. Nursing supervisors confirm that Aaron Merchant is being treated at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, and Cory LaBonte is at at Miller-Dwan Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota." [Video Including arial view]
Feingold
Calls on President to Free Up Oil Supply to Help Slash Energy Costs“Americans have been faced with constantly increasing energy costs that are taking their toll, especially on lower income Americans,” Feingold said. “By taking oil off the market to continuing to stock the SRP, even as it is near capacity, the government is pitting itself against American consumers.”
on
the 5th Anniversary of the War in Iraq“Four million Iraqis are displaced from their homes and Iraq's profoundly weak central government cannot provide its citizens with sufficient basic services like food, water, and electricity or protect them from savage violence, disappearances, or kidnappings. Tensions continue to rise throughout the Middle East and, as the war triggers internal unrest in many countries, it has caused our own credibility to decrease significantly."
Counterdetailing:
A Cure For a Pharmaceutical Addiction? - MidwestBusiness.com
- Chicago,IL"Wisconsin Sen. Herb Kohl, who chairs the committee, said: “Pharmaceutical representatives often confuse educating with selling and evidence shows that doctors’ prescribing patterns can be heavily influenced by these sales representatives.”"
“With this bill, if a police officer is fired for a serious crime, pay appropriately stops after termination,” Governor Doyle said. “Milwaukee has so many great, hardworking officers who have earned the public support, so I hope the bill I am signing today moves us past controversies and lets the public recognize Milwaukee’s cops for the good work they do.“
Earth
Hour 2008"World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour is catching on across America following the tremendous success of last year's event in Sydney, Australia. This global phenomenon will spread across six continents in 2008, including hundreds of communities like yours in the United States."
18 Mar
Iron
County halts awarding sheriff's fees "Iron County Sheriff Robert Bruneau has collected more than $49,000 over the past nine years for serving warrants and other legal papers -- an apparently illegal practice that was halted last week by the Iron County Board of Supervisors' finance committee."
Hurley
board to accept fund proposals"The Hurley School Board agreed Monday to accept written proposals from financial companies for potential Lalich fund investments. The $1 million trust fund had been handled by Edward Jones company of Ironwood, but the school board recently interviewed representatives of about a half-dozen firms regarding investment possibilities."
Apostle
Islands Historic Conservancy seeks recognition from Park Service"But the group, which began initiating the procedure to become a non-profit organization in 2006, has broadened beyond the seven families still holding leases on Sand, Rocky and Bear islands. And its members say their intention is to focus on historic preservation efforts, both within the park and on the mainland of the Bayfield Peninsula."
Hurley
places three on All-IC squad"Hurley junior Kayla Windt made the team for the third straight year and was this year's lone unanimous selection. Windt led the league in field goal percentage, 3-pointers, and tied for second in scoring average. She was second in the league in steals. Teammate Brittany Czerneski, a junior, moved up from the honorable mention list, and sophomore Jesse Mackey made her debut on the team."
Hundreds
flock to Columbus see filming of Johnny Depp movie"Crew and security kept onlookers about a block away. Crew reported to the set at 6:30 a.m. and they planned to film until dark, according to the film’s publicist, Dave Fulton. They planned to return Tuesday."
Ethanol
plant courted behind closed doors""It smells like rotten beer," Arndt said. "Whichever way the smoke is blowing, I drive the other way." Metaphorically, it's an odor some see as lingering from the plant's opening a year ago this month, after city officials secretly negotiated a development agreement with United Ethanol, which the state's 4th District Court of Appeals ruled was illegal because it violated state open meetings law."
"A chemical plant in northwestern Wisconsin exploded Tuesday, injuring two people, authorities said. The Wisconsin State Patrol said it did not know the cause of the 8:43 a.m. explosion at the plant owned by Cortec Corp. The plant, about 100 miles northeast of the Twin Cities, made aerosols and paint solvents, Wisconsin Emergency Management spokeswoman Lori Getter said."
Former
Wis. veterans official charged with stealing $250,000"Rich Calcut, the former public information officer at the Wisconsin Veterans Home, is charged with felony theft by fraud. A criminal complaint says the 52-year-old diverted money from a nonprofit group set up to support recreational activities at the home for his own use."
Doyle
tobacco plan will cost $94 million"The analysis released by the Legislature's nonpartisan budget office last week showed the cost to taxpayers of Doyle doing a miniature version of the same thing. That cost is also rising for the state because of a credit crunch on Wall Street that makes it more difficult to borrow money, officials said."
Hollywood
meets Columbus (with photo gallery)"Everywhere else in Wisconsin, we are glad to see the snow finally melt. Here, we watch the quick reinvention of winter -- a machine that shaves ice into flakes and instantly whitens the street curbs. Talk about split personalities. To you, it's south central Wisconsin. To them, it's Indiana. Outside the pharmacy, a window mannequin flaunts finely tailored women's fashion. Above a tavern is a sign that says "funeral home." Inside the bank is an art gallery, but that's for real."
Insurers
to pay up to $730M for Fox River cleanup"The insurance companies could be required to pay from $550 million to $730 million if the jury's decision stands and if it is determined that Appleton Papers' responsibility is that much. Columbia Casualty Co. of Chicago sued Appleton in 2005 (Appleton Papers Inc. changed its name and logo to Appleton in 2003), claiming its policy did not cover PCB damage, and that Appleton didn't give the insurance company timely notice that it was responsible for the cleanup costs."
Senator
Feingold Gets ALA's Madison Award - Library Journal "The American Library Association (ALA) has presented U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) with the 2008 James Madison Award, honoring a national figure who has championed, protected, and promoted public access to government information."
Senate
budget to include $160 million for elder abuse prevention -
McKnight's Long Term Care News - New York,NY"The Senate approved an amendment for the funding last week, but the money, which would total $160 million, will only be available upon the Senate's passage of the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007 (S. 1577). The act would set up a comprehensive nationwide system of background checks for long-term care workers."
Today is a travel day and updating will mostly occurr later this evening. Sorry. - Bob
Spring
Home, Sport, and Recreation Expo"It's the 9th Annual WJMS/WIMI Spring Home, Sport, and Recreation Expo
coming to the Pat O'Donnell Civic Center in Ironwood April 4th, 5th, and
6th. 3 Big Days with exhibitors from throughout the region including a
variety of businesses new to the expo! Admission is FREE all weekend long
with a food booth, door prizes, demonstrations, and more! If you'd like to
be part to the expo contact Anna B. @ 906-932-2411. We're sure to have
something for everyone!"
Hurley
officers join local SWAT team"Three members of the Hurley Police Department will join nine other officers from local law enforcement agencies in forming a special weapons and tactical response team."
DNR:
Tracks in U.P. most likely cougar"The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said a wildlife track found in Delta County is most likely from a cougar. The DNR is continuing field investigations in the area."
Saint
Urho's Day brings dancers to Little Finland "Local polka-waltz band Dorothy and The Boys has been playing at Little Finland for Saint Urho's Day for a decade now. The group has such a following of Finnish-American residents that about one-third of the songs they sing are in Finnish, said Dorothy Walesewicz, accordion player and band leader."
Mercer
names honor students "The Mercer Area School has announced honor roll students for the second marking period of the 2007-08 school year."
[MyHurley wishes to congratulate these students. Their performance is a credit to themselves, their teachers, their parents, and the entire community. - Bob]
Public
Enemies begins filming in Columbus, other Wisconsin communities today"It’s all to take this city 70 miles northwest of Milwaukee back to the 1930s for filming ‘‘Public Enemies,’’ a movie starring Johnny Depp as bank robber John Dillinger, along with Christian Bale and recent Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard. ‘‘It’s so well propped that it’s magical,’’ said Kate Lueders, liaison to Columbus Mayor Nancy Osterhaus."
Deciding
a contest in a contest"For different answers, look no further than Wisconsin's two U.S. senators, Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold. Both are superdelegates. Neither has committed to Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton. But Feingold, a likely Obama vote, thinks he should be guided by Obama's big victory in Wisconsin's Feb. 19 primary."
"Three-quarters of Americans think the federal government is secretive. And nine out of 10 people want to know if political candidates are committed to open government before voting. Those numbers are huge and have increased in recent years, according to a scientific survey of more than 1,000 adults commissioned by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and conducted at Ohio University last month."
"Most people remember the late U.S. senator from Wisconsin, William Proxmire, for his monthly "Golden Fleece" awards, which he used to cite government programs for their colossal waste of taxpayer dollars. It was a gimmick that got Prox lots of publicity, but its importance was a pittance compared to what the senator ought to always be remembered for: his unrelenting battles on behalf of American consumers. Proxmire made consumer protection his mission when he was elected to the U.S. Senate, taking the seat held by the censured and expired Joe McCarthy. He believed that the financial industry was frequently misleading borrowers about the true cost of credit on everything from mortgages to auto loans."
"The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is joining Yahoo's consortium of newspapers to help boost traffic to the newspaper's Web site. The newspaper's parent company says the consortium will now include 635 newspapers from across the country. The partnership means news from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will be delivered across Yahoo's online network."
DNR
is looking into cougar
wandering around Walworth County"Last week, a state conservation warden found cougar tracks about seven miles northeast of Elkhorn. The Department Natural Resources verified the tracks as those of a cougar from photos taken at the scene. A hair sample was collected for genetic analysis. The tracks were found about 23 miles east-southeast of a cougar sighting east of Milton in January."
This is a new Greenwald video that documents the Obama smears which are currently spreading from Faux News and Republican Hate Radio to the main stream media. - Bob
15&16 Mar
Judge
dismisses portion of Bednar-Clemens' suit"In his ruling, O'Melia dismissed two counts -- malicious prosecution-abuse of process, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to county attorney Michael Pope. O'Melia ruled that attorneys for Bednar-Clemens, John Carter of Greenfield, Wis., now in Tucson, Ariz., and Christopher Sayrs from Milwaukee, can move forward with other counts, including intentional infliction of emotional distress, and conspiracy."
Man
freed from vehicle after crash"The injured man was extricated from his vehicle by Hurley Fire Department members and Beacon Ambulance personnel, strapped to a board and transported to Grand View Hospital in Ironwood by the ambulance. An Iron County Sheriff's Department deputy at the scene said the man's injuries didn't appear to be life-threatening."
Anderson
honored in Madison "A senior at UW, Anderson was honored for her stellar athletic achievements. She was recently named Big Ten Player of the Year, the first Badger player ever to be so honored. The resolution was authored by State Rep. Gary Sherman, D-Port Wing, and State Sen. Robert Jauch, D-Poplar."
Wisconsin
hunters shot more than a half-million deer "Archers established a season record of 116,042, eclipsing the previous record of 113,918 from the year before. Gun-deer hunters brought in 402,531 deer, the third best season ever. "Bringing the herd down to established population goals and maintaining herd and ecosystem health are our main management objectives," said Keith Warnke, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources big game biologist."
State
passes resolution honoring Jolene Anderson“I can’t tell you how proud we all are of Jolene,” Sherman said, who recalls watching her play various sports since her childhood years growing up in their shared home town in Northern Wisconsin. “Not only are Jolene’s athletic achievements remarkable, but her grace, generosity and humility under all of the acclaim and pressure placed upon her, is equally remarkable.”
Repeat
honorees head All-IC boys basketball squad"Conference champion Hurley had two, in Levra and Michael Sejbl, but the Midgets also had the Coach of the Year as Gary Giancola was selected for that honor."
Traverse City,MI
Adventures
point to true North"McClelland writes, "On the very last block of the UP, before U.S. 2 crosses the Montreal River and becomes honky/tonk Silver Street in Hurley, Wisconsin, you'll find Joe's Pasty Shop. No one produces crisper, flakier, meatier pasties than Joe's.""
If
race doesn't matter, why not Feingold?""I can't help but view the American experience through the lens of a black man of mixed heritage, forever mindful of how generations of people who looked like me were subjugated and stigmatized, and the subtle and not so subtle ways that race and class continue to shape our lives," he wrote in "The Audacity of Hope." "But," he also wrote, "that is not all I am." Of course not. He is many other things that make him an attractive candidate to many voters on the left. Just as he is many other things that make him unsupportable to many on the right and in the center. Just like Russ Feingold."
Records
show new ad misleads about Butler's role in case"Butler's campaign and former Justice Janine Geske denounced the ad by Burnett County Circuit Judge Michael Gableman. The ad shows a close-up of Butler and convicted rapist Reuben Lee Mitchell on the screen at the same time. "Butler found a loophole. Mitchell went on to molest another child," the narrator says. That statement is misleading, according to a review of court records by The Associated Press."
Doyle's
campaign Web site seems to indicate he'll seek third term"The new address of Gov. Jim Doyle's campaign Web site seems to indicate he will be seeking a third term in 2010. The new address is http://www.jimdoyle2010.com . The previous address was http://www.doylelawton.com . Doyle's campaign finance director Mike Edmondson said Friday the governor still has not made a decision on whether he will run again.""
Hospital
tax gets a big boost"The announcement by business lobby Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce means that Assembly Republicans opposing the hospital tax will have to fight it without their staunchest traditional ally in anti-tax battles, prompting Democrats and the tax 's supporters to say Friday that the switch might help break a legislative stalemate over the proposal. "It 's about time WMC started representing the interests of their own members by supporting policies that help the business community, " said Carrie Lynch, a spokeswoman for hospital tax supporter Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston. "It definitely increases the chances that the hospital assessment will be in the final budget repair bill. ""
WMC
now backs hospital tax"In a statement, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce spokesman James Buchen said that if lawmakers pass the tax as part of Doyle's plan to fix the $650 million budget hole, "our state will be able to attract $400 million in increased Medicaid payments." The group had opposed the tax, which would levy a 0.7 percent gross receipts tax on hospitals, as part of Doyle's budget last year. That was also the position of majority Republicans in the Assembly -- who rely on WMC as a key ally at election time."
Sen.
Kohl Requests Documents from Schering-Plough Regarding “49 Plan” Sales PushPharmaLive.com (press release) - Newtown,PA
“I am troubled by any attempts to persuade physicians to prescribe a drug for any reason other than the patient’s condition and the drug’s effectiveness in treating it,” Chairman Kohl said in the letter. “Unfortunately, it appears that your '49 Plan' may do exactly that.”
WHAT’S NEW
- PHYSICS BLOC: FERMILAB PHYSICIST WINS HASTERT SEAT.
- A BIGGER PRIZE: TEMPLETON BUYS ANOTHER SCIENTIST.
- THE WAR GOD: BUSH SPEAKS TO RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS.
- EARMARKS: SENATE REJECTS BILL TO BAN EARMARKS.
"Leaders of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, which represents 1.5 billion Muslims across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, made the "Dakar Declaration" after a two-day summit in Senegal. "We continue to strongly condemn all forms of extremism and dogmatism which are incompatible with Islam, a religion of moderation and peaceful coexistence," the declaration said."
14 Mar
Hurley
to receive $500,000 for after-school program"A $100,000 grant was awarded to the school district for the 2008-09 academic year for the 21st Century Community Learning Center and similar grants will be given for the following four years."
TV
crews film Gogebic Range as winter destination "We highlight some of the greatest areas for snowmobiling, and we think the Gogebic Range is one of those areas. This is one of the best areas in the country to go snowmobiling in."
Earn-a-buck
not planned for area's gun deer season"The procedure, while effective in achieving overall herd reduction, is disliked by many hunters who fear that it might require them to pass up a shot at a trophy buck if they see one before they get an opportunity to take a doe or fawn. Instead, this season a mid-October antlerless season will be instituted in the region, including Ashland and Bayfield counties"
Chequamegon-Nicolet
trails closed to ATVs, horses, bikes"Phil Barker, forest recreation and lands officer, said, “ATV use during the spring thaw can cause significant damage to roads and soils. Rutting, soil erosion, and other resource damage can occur when ATVs are ridden on ground that is saturated and muddy, resulting in costly repairs. This spring closure order protects the public’s investment in roads and trails, and protects the forest’s soil and water resources.”
Crime
Alert Network"From now on law enforcement agencies won't be the first to be alerted about a crime. Lawmakers have passed a bill designed to send your business a fax or email providing information about missing children, crimes, and suspects in your area. It's called the Crime Alert Network."
Doyle
slams budget plan""Unfortunately, the Assembly Republicans have passed a fiscally irresponsible bill that spends down our reserves to basically nothing and delays addressing our financial problems," Doyle told reporters."
Doyle
signs bill lowering age to donate blood in Wisconsin"Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill Friday that allows 16-year-olds to give blood with their parents' consent. The old minimum age was 17. Supporters of the bill say the change will foster a lifelong habit of donating among young people."
Twin
Ports shipping season to begin this weekend"Workers at Superior's Midwest Energy Resources are scheduled to begin loading the Mesabi Miner with coal at 8 a.m. Saturday. It's bound for Marquette, Michigan. Fred Shusterich is president of Midwest Energy. He says last year the Mesabi Miner opened the season on March 16, departing with 58,000 tons of coal."
UW
staff goes GAIA for energy sustainability"The project emerged from a survey of UW departments by the Faculty Senate in 2006. "They were concerned about global warming and sustainability," said Hoyt, a consumer science professor who leads the GAIA Project with Thatcher Root, a chemical and biological engineering professor. After a follow-up survey of the entire faculty, the University Committee heading the Faculty Senate decided to start a broad-based campus discussion about climate change and sustainability -- meeting the needs of the present without depriving posterity."
IDs
to shift away from social security numbers"After mid-April, however, any faculty or staff who wish to continue to use any services on campus that require an ID will have to exchange their cards because the old ones will be deactivated."
Feingold
Calls for
Swift Action to Protect Privacy of Americans"The continued misuse of the NSL authority laid out in this report can be directly attributed to the USA Patriot Act, which granted the FBI a blank check to obtain sensitive information about innocent Americans without judicial review."
Response
to the President's Comments in Support of Retroactive Immunity“The President’s fear-mongering and efforts to mislead the American people have become increasingly transparent. The House should continue to stand up to these tactics and decline to grant immunity to companies that allegedly cooperated in the president’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program."
"Feingold is basically the antithesis to the members of Congress I lambasted last week. He refuses to take a pay raise in non-election years, returning money to the government when Congress approves its annual pay hike. Also, he’s a proven independent Senator. He is against the Iraq War and also was the only Senator to vote against the Patriot Act."
"Kohl said that the Administration's budget proposal for WIC funding for FY09 is "…detached from reality. It is difficult to fathom, given current economic trends, that the Administration realistically believes an increase of $80 million is an appropriate amount for WIC. Outside estimates already provided to Congress show that the WIC level requested in the budget is at least $400 million below the amount necessary to fully fund participation, assuming that Congress will continue to reject the Administration's attempt to cap administrative funding."
Obey
target of Republican ire over special projects' money - Green
Bay Press Gazette"A letter by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey gave individual Republican members a choice: If they backed a moratorium on earmarks, he expected them not to request project money. If they supported earmarks, they should get their requests in. Obey, D-Wausau, said he wanted GOP members to clarify their position. Minority leader John Boehner called it a threat."
President
weakens espionage oversight - The Boston Globe"Almost 32 years to the day after President Ford created an independent Intelligence Oversight Board made up of private citizens with top-level clearances to ferret out illegal spying activities, President Bush issued an executive order that stripped the board of much of its authority. The White House did not say why it was necessary to change the rules governing the board when it issued Bush's order late last month. But critics say Bush's order is consistent with a pattern of steps by the administration that have systematically scaled back Watergate-era intelligence reforms."
13 Mar
Jolene
Anderson Recognized by State Legislature for Athletic Achievements"Today the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate passed by unanimous consent a joint resolution, authored by Representative Gary Sherman (D-Port Wing) and Senator Bob Jauch (D-Poplar), honoring UW-Madison Women’s Basketball player and Port Wing native Jolene Anderson for her stellar athletic achievements during her four years at the university. Most recently, Ms. Anderson was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, the first Badger player ever to be so honored."
Last
Day of Radio Auction"The final wrap up edition of the WJMS/WIMI auction block is upon us! Listen to 99.7 The Storm or AM 590 for great deals on items too numerous to mention! Friday March 14th we will be on the air from 9-11am and your FINAL CHANCE to bid is from 4-6 pm."
Beer
garden issue comes to a head in Hurley"Mike Fontecchio, who operates Spider's tavern at 219 Silver St., appeared before the city council Tuesday. He proposes to open the beer garden at 217 Silver St."
Seasonal
weight limits begin March 17"Enforcement of seasonal weight limitations on all Ashland County Trunk Highways will begin at 8 a.m. Monday, March 17. Enforcement will begin at that time and the ban will stay in effect until further notice. The Department reserves the right to post weight limitations earlier than the stated time and date if road conditions necessitate such action."
Madison
wins international stem cell summit"Gov. Jim Doyle, a major backer of the stem cell industry in Wisconsin, said the summit helps preserve Wisconsin's place as a leader in stem cell research. He cited work not only at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where ground will soon be broken on the Wisconsin Institute of Discovery, but also at UW-Milwaukee, the Medical College of Wisconsin and nanotechnology research in the Chippewa Valley. "In Wisconsin, we are working hard to build innovative centers, to turn research into life-saving treatments in every corner of the state," he said in a news conference."
Plan
for budget gap OK'd"The Republican plan would push $125 million in school aid payments into July 2009 - just after the fiscal year ends. That accounting gimmick pushes that part of the budget problem into future years. It more than doubles the size of an accounting maneuver the state has relied on for 10 years."
"Democrats railed against the plan as "intellectually lazy" and unworkable. It was almost certainly dead on arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate. And while Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle had no immediate comment on the proposal, it differed so dramatically from his proposal released Monday it is highly unlikely he would support it."
Wind
farm bill runs out of gas"Any time you have Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and the Sierra Club supporting the same piece of legislation, you know you have something that should get done quickly and has broad support, " said Callisto, executive assistant to PSC chairman Dan Ebert. "Lots of good legislation gets done at the end of the session. This is just that kind of piece. "
Smoking
ban fans promise to fight on"Maureen Busalacchi, executive director of Smoke Free Wisconsin, said she was lobbying lawmakers up until the end. "Until they all go home, we're not going to take the pressure off," she said. Busalacchi, along with the American Cancer Society and others, attempted for months to broker a compromise with opponents."
UW
study details biofuel drawback"They looked at the estimated amounts of land and fertilizer needed to meet a U.S. Senate production target of 36 billion gallons a year by 2022, more than three times the amount of ethanol produced in 2006. If that goal is reached, the researchers say nitrogen loading from the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico would increase by 10 to 19 percent."
Stem
cell forum hitting Madison"The summit will be an opportunity for the state to demonstrate its leadership in working to turn research into life-saving treatments, Doyle said. “Obviously the University of Wisconsin-Madison, now the leading public research university in the country, is at the center of much of this groundbreaking research,” he added."
GOP
leader blasts Obey"Minority leader John Boehner said a letter House Appropriations Committee chairman Dave Obey sent violated an ethics rule the Democrat-controlled House approved last year. The rule prohibits committee chairmen from tying members' earmarks to their support or opposition to specific legislation...Obey, D-Wausau, said his letter was a way to end Republican "hypocrisy" on earmarks. "For them to suggest my exposing members who are trying to play it both ways is a violation of House rules is a joke," Obey said after the vote."
Lawmaker
Returns from Iraq"A Republican state lawmaker who was serving in Iraq for two months returned to the Assembly floor on Wednesday. Freshman Rep. Roger Roth of Appleton was serving in the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing. The unit was deployed to Iraq about two months ago."
Available
Assistance to Help Rural Americans with Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy"The Rural Business-Cooperative Service, an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, is accepting applications for the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Grants and Guaranteed Loans program. Funding is available in the form of grants and loans ranging from $1,500 to $500,000."
EXECUTIVE
ORDER # 242"The Governor has ordered that flags be lowered to half-staff on March 13, 2008, from sunrise until sunset as a mark of respect for Staff Sergeant Christopher Frost of the United States Air Force who lost his life during Operation Iraqi Freedom. "
12 Mar
E-Waste
Recycling Bill Passes Senate"A bill authored by Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona) to deal with the ever-growing problem of electronic waste passed the Senate this afternoon on a vote of 30-3. The bill, SB 397, requires manufacturers of video display monitors, including both televisions and computers, sold in Wisconsin to assume responsibility for the collection and proper disposal of used and discarded units. The three dissenting votes came from Republican members."
Hurley
council OKs building water plant"On a 5-1 vote, the council agreed its engineering company, MSA Professional Services, should seek permits from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for construction of the plant. Paul Mullard cast the lone opposing vote."
Sheriff
won't receive service fees"Iron County Sheriff Bob Bruneau will no longer receive 50 percent of the fees for performing process serving duties. Bruneau collected $7,700 for process service in 2007, said county clerk Mike Saari."
Officials
try to determine cause of power outage"Brian
Ellwood, a spokesman for Xcel's office in Eau Claire, Wis., said the cause
of the outage was not immediately determined. It affected residents from
Ironwood as well as Wisconsin customers in Mercer and Saxon, including
people who live near Superior Falls and Saxon Falls, he said."Hurley
Inn pools reopen"Results from the Wisconsin Laboratory of Hygiene in Madison found the whirlpool was infected with the bacteria pseudomonas aeruginosa, Wick said. Water samples from the swimming pool were negative." [See http://www.hurleywi.com/hurleyinn.aspx.]
Doyle
might resort to special session to pass water compact""I'd call them into a special session in a second to get this done," Doyle said during a Capitol news conference Tuesday as lawmakers from both parties stood behind him. But, Doyle added, "I don't want the special session to be a way that we don't get this done (now)." Doyle's comments came hours before Assembly Democrats tried to force a vote on the compact, but that effort failed on a party-line vote."
Smoking
ban appears to be going up in smoke in Wis. Legislature"Barring a last-minute breakthrough, a proposal for a statewide smoking ban is about to be snuffed out in the Legislature. The Assembly planned to finish its work for the year on Wednesday and the smoking ban was not up for a vote. The Senate has likewise not taken a vote on the ban, which must pass both chambers and be signed by the governor before it becomes law."
Missing
elk turns up after 10 years in Wisconsin"Laine Stowell of the state Department of Natural Resources says a radio collar was put on the calf called "elk cow No. 26" after it was born in the Clam Lake herd established in 1995 in far northern Wisconsin. But the collar fell off in 1998, and the cow wasn't seen or heard from until this winter. Stowell says it is a mystery where the cow has been."
Evasive
elk found, gave DNR the slip for decade"She was the first Wisconsin-born wild elk calf that was radio-collared in the Clam Lake herd established in 1995. But she was unaccounted for since her radio collar broke away in 1998. A check of the metal tag on her ear showed that she was the long-missing elk. "It is great to know she is still alive, but (it's) a mystery as to where she's been keeping herself," said Laine Stowell, a Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist tracking the state's elk herd."
Smoking
ban appears to be going up in smoke in Wis. Legislature""We're not giving up," said Rep. Steve Wieckert, R-Appleton. "We're in for the long haul." Gov. Jim Doyle has been advocating for the ban for months, but it met with staunch opposition from the powerful Tavern League lobby... "Until they all go home, we're not going to take the pressure off," she said."
Little
Bohemia: The Story of John Dillinger in the Northwoods"Wanatka
adds, "I do remember, and this story is out, playing ball in the front yard.
A bunch of us were playing ball and I quit playing because Baby Face Nelson
was throwing the ball too hard." The gang was on edge, afraid they'd
be caught. They did let Emil and his mother attend his cousin Cal's 9th
birthday party. It was there that the adults decided it was time to notify
the FBI of Dillinger's whereabouts."on
the Resignation of Admiral William Fallon"It is no secret that I do not see eye to eye with the administration on most foreign policy issues, and the credibility which Admiral Fallon brought to the issues he was involved in will be sorely missed.”
Need
to Know - New York Times"When companies are sued for selling unsafe consumer products or creating environmental hazards, the cases too often end with court orders that keep vital health and safety dangers secret. This practice works out well for the wrongdoers, but it is bad for ordinary Americans, who need to know about these threats... First they will have to apply a sensible balancing test that takes into account both the public’s interest in learning of a potential hazard and the defendant’s legitimate interests in secrecy, say to protect trade secrets."
Governor
Doyle Announces World Stem Cell Summit to be Held in Madison“Stem cell research represents the promise to not only save lives, but to create economic opportunity for innovation and job growth as well. We are at the ground floor of a vastly important field of life science discovery. Wisconsin will continue to blaze the future of stem cells, and the World Stem Cell Summit represents the next frontier of hope for patients and the next generation of businesses for Wisconsin.”
11 Mar
320,000
state residents to get IRS refund packets in mail"The Internal Revenue Service next week will begin sending a 10-page packet to about 320,000 Wisconsinites who do not normally file an income tax return but will need to do so by April 15 to receive economic stimulus payments later this year. The packets will be sent to people whose income is from Social Security and veterans' benefits."
Doyle
offers budget patch"Doyle said lawmakers must act quickly, but leaders of the split Legislature indicated that they wanted to go in different directions. That could lead to a protracted budget fight like the one that dominated the Capitol for most of last year."
Great
Lakes compact likely stalled this session"The compact was approved by the eight Great Lakes governors in late 2005 but needs approval from the Legislature. Four states have passed measures. The Senate version of the bill, after more than a year of work, came quickly before the Wisconsin Legislature, leading to complaints that there wasn't adequate time to fully understand the nuances and amendments in the measure."
Deal
reached to keep virtual schools open"Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, said the deal was hammered out during talks last week and over the weekend in an effort to keep the online schools available for the families who have their children in them. About a dozen virtual schools with about 3,400 students have faced the prospect of closing after a December appeals court ruling said the largest one was in violation of state laws, raising the possibility that all would be shut down."
Democrats
and a lawless Bush"With bipartisan support, Congress voted to prohibit so-called 'enhanced interrogation techniques.' The CIA's interrogation program, which has included torture, represents the opposite of what we are fighting for in the global struggle against al-Qaida," said the Wisconsin Democrat. "The program is morally reprehensible and legally unjustified, and it has not made our country any safer. The president's veto is inexplicable and adds to his legacy of disregarding the rule of law and the core principles on which this country was founded."
John
Nichols: Obama aide's remark not so monstrous"Power's comment about Clinton was a rough one: "She is a monster, too -- that is off the record -- she is stooping to anything." ... Here's what Power told an Irish TV reporter when asked if she regretted her remarks: "Of course I regret them. I can't even believe they came out of my mouth. The campaign was getting very tense, and I -- in every public appearance I've ever made talking about Senator Clinton, I have sung her praises as the leader she's been, the intellect."
Wood
Co. 'puppy mill' investigated twice before"In August 2005 and November 2006, the county's humane officer at the time, Vanessa Marceau, received complaints of Reno running a puppy mill out of her home and selling sick dogs. Puppy mills can be fairly unsanitary, with health problems developing in the event of malnutrition and inbreeding."
Clean
snowmobile challenge this week"A total of 17 teams of university students are bringing their sleds to see whose is the quietest and least-polluting. A new challenge is in the mix this year. More accurately, it’s in the fuel mix. “This year we have made each team use bio-fuel and that can be either E85 or B10, which is a biodiesel fuel,” event coordinator Jay Meldrum said."
s
Our Drinking Water Safe?"Officials here at the plant say for those of us living here in the Northwoods, we have nothing to be worried about when it comes to our drinking water. K.T. Krueger says "We're starting with pretty fresh clean water so we have good drinking water up here.""
Kohl
& Feingold Call for MILC Provision in Next Farm Bill -
Wisconsin Ag Connection "In a letter to Senators Tom Harkin and Saxby Chambliss, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, the lawmakers urged that the final version of the Farm Bill restore the payment rate of 45 percent and expand the quantity of milk that would make farmers eligible to receive payments to 4.15 million pounds under the program – key elements of the Senate MILC extension."
EXECUTIVE
ORDER # 242"Relating to a Proclamation that the Flag of the United States and the Flag of the State of Wisconsin be Flown at Half-Staff as a Mark of Respect for Staff Sergeant Christopher Frost of the United States Air Force Who Lost His Life During Operation Iraqi Freedom"
Swiftboating
Obama: A Look Inside Bogus Rightwing Claims He Has Terror Ties
- Pensito"Now that he is the putative Democratic nominee, here is a look at another potentially Swiftboat-able part of his record — his tenuous connections to Michael Ayers and Bernadine Dorhn, who were members of the Weather Underground in the Vietnam War era — and his one-time professional relationship with Dr. Rashid Khalidi, a one-time PLO media director. Ayers was a prominent constituent in Obama’s state senate district. Ayers and Dorhn were involved in the planning and execution of violent protests 40 years ago:"
10 Mar
Iron
County violating state law"A practice in Iron County of paying the sheriff for serving papers apparently is a violation of Wisconsin law. The apparent violation was brought to the attention of county clerk Mike Saari by Jack Prospero, a member of the county board of supervisors, about two weeks ago, according to deputy clerk Pat Stever."
[Again this link gains you access to a mere teaser. Sorry. - Bob]
Debating
philosophies""People have to be confident that as judges and justices we're not going to make the law, we're going to apply it," Gableman said. "Any substantive changes in the law ought to come from the legislative process." Butler said his judicial philosophy is to uphold the U.S. and Wisconsin constitutions and hold wrongdoers responsible. Suggestions he makes decisions based on personal preference or ideology were false, he said, and he challenged Gableman to say more about why he disagreed with those decisions."
$4
gas? That's news to Bush"Not paying attention, especially if you're the president of the world's most powerful nation, isn't a good thing. Now comes the embarrassing revelation that the president of this country doesn't know that prices for gasoline are skyrocketing. He expressed amazement the other day when a reporter asked him what he thought about gas prices nearing $4 per gallon."
"Kelda Helen Roys, executive director of NARAL, said Ott was among the legislators targeted for his “egregious” views. “We think it’s important to hold these legislators accountable because their views are so extreme and because they don’t represent the voters in their districts,” Roys said."
Jauch,
Sherman address objections to water compact"The objections to the compact are based on "strange" politics that are "difficult to understand," state Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, told an audience at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute on Saturday.
"I don't know what we could do to modify this compact that would make it acceptable to the Assembly leadership, and there's been no concrete suggestions so far that would make it acceptable to us," Jauch said.
Violent
E-mail Scam's Just That.......A Scam"The sender of the e-mail writes that a friend of the recipient has hired him or her to kill them, but they're willing to spare their life for 15,000 dollars. Chief Vander Bloomen says "It's a scam. It's a money making thing. They'll send 100,000, 200,000 e-mails out and all they have to do is just get one person to believe it and they've made some money." "
News Republic
Snowmobilers
enjoy last hurrah"Since December, about 83 inches of snow have fallen on Baraboo. And while that made grooming Sauk County trails a challenge, it drew in out-of-state snowmobilers normally destined for northern Wisconsin, said Sauk County Snowmobile Association President Chuck Cady. "Many Illinois snowmobilers that typically go to Eagle River, Ironwood, Hurley and those areas came here," he said. "With the price of gas, it was much better to come here, and they learned that Sauk County has got a lot to offer.""
President's
Veto of Legislation Banning Enhanced Interrogation Techniques"The program is morally reprehensible and legally unjustified and it has not made our country any safer. The president’s veto is inexplicable and adds to his legacy of disregarding the rule of law and the core principles on which this country was founded.”
KOHL
FIGHTS FOR DAIRY FARMERS"Since its inception six years ago, MILC has provided a meaningful safety net for small and mid-sized dairy farmers who suffer great losses when milk prices drop," Kohl said. "The Senate version of the Farm Bill restores and updates the MILC program to help farmers adjust to changes in the dairy farm industry."
Mass transit use hits 50-year high on pump prices - Reuters
"U.S. mass transit ridership began to surge when gasoline hit the $3 a
gallon level in 2005 and has continued to rise steadily ever since as pump
prices top record after record, according to a report released on Monday by
the American Public Transit Association. "As people are struggling
with the increase in fuel prices, they have to make adjustments, and one of
the ways they are doing that is driving less and taking public
transportation more," said William Millar, the president of the APTA."
08&9 Mar
Midgettes
named All-Indianhead"Three members of the Indianhead Conference champion Hurley Midgettes were named all-conference by coaches. Hurley junior guard Ashley Windt was the only unanimous selection on the 10-member team, according to commissioner Greg Rigoni."
Change
in Globe's WebsiteThe Globe has certainly changed their website but appears to have also changed their policy. Access to the Globe website appears to get you only teasers that direct you to read the paper edition. They then invite you to add comments. MyHurley will be watching for further developments and make a decision about continuing to link based upon whether useful information is at the target of our links. - Bob
Judge
gives Troha probation, no fine"He provided information on three significant cases, and there will probably be more," Biskupic said. "They (Troha and his associates) have been a deep well of information regarding illegal campaign activity."
Justices
decry outside campaign ads"Butler has called for all third-party groups to "stand down" from participating in the race, and Gableman's campaign said he would prefer to go head to head with Butler. With the election three weeks away, there's not much time for candidates to cut through the messages flying on the airwaves."
Bill
expected to increase number of Wisconsin organ donors"A bill which recently received final legislative approval is expected to increase the number of people who pledge to be donors and boost the number of actual donors, the director of University of Wisconsin Hospital's organ recovery service says. "It allows people who make their wishes known to be honored and not overridden," Dr. Tony D'Alessandro said."
Farmland
cost soars in Midwest"Farmland values rose 16 percent in 2007 in an area that covers Iowa, Michigan and most of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, according to a survey by the Federal Reserve. It 's the biggest one-year increase in almost 30 years."
Cheeseheads
can look forward to 'Leatherheads'"McNally, who hadn't given up hope of returning to Notre Dame and college football stardom, thought it would be fun to play pro ball -- at $6 a game -- but didn't want to risk his college eligibility. He and Hanson decided to take aliases. According to Gullickson, they were riding around town on McNally's motorcycle when they saw a movie marquee advertising a Rudolph Valentino movie, "Blood and Sand." McNally yelled: "That's it! I'll be Blood and you be Sand.""
Kohl's
fight for state jobs"At Kohl's request, the new Senate budget plan provides resources for a critical initiative, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, that has enabled Wisconsin manufacturers to retain and create 8,000 jobs over the past five years. President Bush wanted to eliminate MEP funding. Such a move would have hit Wisconsin hard."
Group
seeks more oversight of dog breeders in Wisconsin"Wegner said the legislation he's seeking would require all breeders to become licensed and have regular inspections of their breeding location. He said current state standards require the breeders to provide proper housing and water, but the terms are not defined. "To must of us, (a proper housing) isn't a dog chained to a tree," he said. "You can't live your life that way; it doesn't work."
Confiscated
fish a tasty treat for area citizens"The savory smell of fresh fried fish permeated the community room of Ashland's Bay Tower apartments as a volunteer crew of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conservation wardens and Ashland Fire Department firefighters took part in what has become an annual tradition in Ashland, the Senior Citizens’ Fish Fry. The event used some 30 pounds of confiscated walleyes, along with about 50 pounds of donated whitefish and lake trout, along with donations of milk and juice, and potluck donations to produce a monumental feast for the 150 or so area residents who turned up for the meal."
USDA
Says Who Ate Recalled Meat Is None of the Public's Business -
NewsBlaze - Folsom,CA""Why don't you have a system that uncovers this inhumane treatment of animals?" Senator Kohl asked Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer who was making his first appearance on Capitol Hill since assuming the post days before the meat scandal broke."
"Obey explained that his visit was fundamentally a “show-me” trip, a windshield tour augmented with specific site visits. “We went out on the river, we were down in Eagle Pass, we visited people in San Antonio, and now, we’re here.” He explained that the purpose of the trip was not to try to find solutions for nettlesome border problems, but to gain a better understanding of what they are and the context of land and culture in which the issues arise. "
A Recessionary Job Market - TPM"Had the 450,000 people who left the labor force last month been counted among the unemployed, the jobless rate would have been 5.1% instead of 4.8%. Most industries shed jobs last month; a measure of industry hiring activity is at its lowest level in almost five years."
07 Mar
Mercer
students enjoy Superior Days"A seven-county delegation included public officials, private citizens, high school and college students. "It was a good experience. You learn a lot about government and how laws that are in place start out," said Kessenich."
"Pseudomonas is the name of the suspected outbreak, according to Iron County public health officer Zona Wick. Both pools were shut down late Tuesday afternoon after nine children who had been swimming in the pool broke out in rashes and had to be examined by a medical professional, Wick said."
State
Senate approves Great Lakes Compact"The state Senate passed an interstate treaty Thursday designed to keep arid states from pulling water out of the Great Lakes. But it appears doomed anyway in the Wisconsin Legislature. The 26-6 vote in the Democratic-controlled chamber sent the Great Lakes Compact to the state Assembly, where Republican leaders have raised objections to part of it."
Senate
passes water compact bill"There's a great, great concern with protecting the Great Lakes and having water diverted to other states and maintaining our manufacturing base and the jobs it provides," said Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay). "We cannot and must not let them have it"
UW
System to look at tuition restructuring"One approach would create a greater range of tuition rates, boosting the price at campuses such as UW-Madison while lowering or freezing it at the UW Colleges. Another embraces a pattern that has already emerged at a few campuses: asking students to pay higher tuition for certain programs or initiatives"
Green
Bay television station pulls anti-Butler ad"-- A Green Bay television station has pulled from the airwaves an ad accusing state Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler of siding with criminals. Butler faces Burnett County Circuit Judge Michael Gableman in the April 1 election. The ad was launched by the Coalition for America's Families. The coalition backs Gableman."
Governor
writing budget repair bill"I think we're continents apart on any hope for an agreement, to be honest with you," said Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, who sat on the committee that helped negotiate the budget. "The Legislature took three months to pass a budget when we thought we had money. I'm just not terribly confident that, in an election year, we're going to have the will to pass a budget when we don't have the money."
Legislature's
resolution honors 'Fighting Bob'"In a session dominated by partisan disagreements, the Republican-led Assembly and Democrat-controlled Senate this week came together on a resolution honoring Wisconsin's most enduring political figure: Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette. The resolution, passed by the Senate last year and the Assembly on Wednesday, designates La Follette's June 14 birthday as "Fighting Bob La Follette Day.""
Board
looks at tuition options"Tuition stratification involves the differences in tuition between UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, the UW System’s other four-year schools and UW’s two-year colleges. Annual in-state tuition at UW-Madison is the highest in the state this year at $6,330, although this is nearly $2,000 less than the average of its peer institutions nationwide. As for differential tuition, UW-Madison already employs such a program at the School of Business, where students pay an additional $500 per semester for their education."
DNR:
Winter won't thin deer herd"Barring late-season snowfalls or prolonged periods of low temperatures, DNR big game ecologist Keith Warnke doesn't expect a significant winter deer kill. Does in recent years have had twins and even triplets, further boosting the population, he said. A longer winter could force does to have fewer fawns in spring and could kill last year's fawns"
Decker
engages in Capitol shouting match"I want to get back to the issue!" Darling yelled in return. Decker and several Republicans, including state Rep. Jeff Stone of Greenfield, yelled at one another for a few minutes before Decker got in one last comment. "Go back in the Assembly and take care of your business there!" Decker shouted at Stone before turning around and walking back to his office.
Bill
requiring fire-safe cigarettes passes Assembly" All cigarettes sold in Wisconsin would have to be the type that automatically extinguish when they're not being smoked under a bill that has passed the Assembly. Wisconsin would join 22 other states in requiring that only fire-safe cigarettes be sold should the bill also clear the Senate and be signed by the governor."
"consumers. Last year’s high profile recalls of lead-based toys and pet food led many Americans to wonder if everyday products were safe to bring into their homes. With passage of this bill, the Senate took an important step toward restoring consumer confidence"
"grants. In recent meetings with Wisconsin law enforcement officials, Feingold learned that the drug heroin is taking the place of methamphetamine in rural areas of Wisconsin. So Feingold also asked Mueller whether the FBI is seeing similar patterns nationally and what the FBI is doing about it."
Senators
Kohl and Feingold Urge Administration to Defend Wisconsin Paper Plant Jobs“In Wisconsin, people are losing their jobs and livelihoods when paper plants are forced to close. Hundreds of families and entire communities suffer,” Kohl said. “This week, the Administration has an opportunity to put an end to this alarming trend by halting the free flow of unfairly low-priced lightweight paper from overseas manufacturers.”
KEY
MANUFACTURING INITIATIVE FUNDED AT KOHL-REQUESTED LEVELS"As the economy struggles, it is essential our manufacturers in Wisconsin, who employ thousands, get all the advantages we can give them so they may flourish in an increasingly competitive global market," Kohl said. "The Manufacturing Extension Partnership program is a solid investment in strengthening small- and medium-sized manufacturers, helping them remain strong employers"
Wisconsin
within One Step of Passing Historic Great Lakes Compact “After two years of work in Wisconsin, we are ready to pass this historic Great Lakes Compact that will protect our state’s greatest natural resource
06 Mar
OBEY
SUPPORTS LEGISLATION TO EXPAND MENTAL HEALTH COVERAGE"Seventh District Congressman Dave Obey (D-WI) joined a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives in support of legislation intended to end discrimination against patients requiring treatment for mental illnesses."
Food
pantry gets verbal OK"The Iron County Food Pantry will move from Hurley to its new location in the former Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Montreal as soon as the pantry receives written confirmation from the Diocese of Superior."
Wal-Mart
presents $18,000 in community grants"The soon-to-open Wal-Mart Super Center presented $18,000 in charitable contributions to six local organizations Wednesday night. The presentations were made during Wednesday's preview night for Wal-Mart employees and their families."
Senate
passes John Doe legislation"The state Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would preserve the right of inmates to launch John Doe proceedings against correctional officers but would also give judges discretion to decide whether the allegations deserve further review."
Democrats,
Republicans get in shouting match at news conference"Democratic Sen. Spencer Coggs of Milwaukee stepped forward from a line of reporters to tell the Republicans that he had not allowed a hearing on the bill because he disagreed with them. Then Majority Leader Russ Decker appeared and yelled at Republicans, telling them not to accuse Democrats of stifling free speech."
Legislature
unlikely to pass health care reforms this year"Despite all the rhetoric about how health care was a major issue for the Legislature to tackle this year, it appears unlikely any major initiatives will pass before the end of the session next week. Senate Democrats pushing a universal health care plan never got the backing of the governor and didn't plan to introduce a new version until the waning days of the session. A previous version cleared the Senate last year, but fell victim to budget negotiations."
Hey,
express yourself, you're in Wisconsin!"The brand promise: "Because of the passionate nature of the state's people to create fun, express themselves in original ways and feel more comfortable doing it here than anywhere else, in Wisconsin originality rules." Now work begins to develop slogans and taglines that are spin-offs of the brand, and those products will "potentially be applied to commerce, agriculture, natural resources, even education and workforce development," plus become a marketing tool for Wisconsin organizations and businesses."
Doyle
calls special session to iron out budget woes"Gov. Jim Doyle called the special session Wednesday night to meet one week from today to fix the shortfall caused by lower-than-expected tax revenues after economic slowdown in the state. Doyle must introduce a budget repair bill, which will then face debate in the state Legislature but must pass eventually to rebalance the budget."
E-waste
bill may slip in under legislative deadline"Senate Bill 397 would require manufacturers of electronic equipment — such as televisions, computers and cell phones — to pay into a fund for the collection and recycling of such equipment in an effort to keep toxic substances like lead and mercury out of landfills. Supporters of the bill, including local representatives Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, and Rep. Gary Sherman, D-Port Wing, are hopeful it will at least get a vote on the Senate floor after unanimously clearing the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Tuesday."
Record
Hayward,WI
Numbers
‘don’t justify’ 5-day veteran’s clinic in Hayward, VA ..."The Hayward VA Clinic re-opened Tuesday, March 4 in temporary leased space at the River’s Edge Professional Building and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday each week with two medical providers each day. There is a nurse, nurse practitioner and a physician out of Spooner."
"In late 2005, NaterraLand purchased property adjacent to the Power Company's hydroelectric properties. Since that time, UPPCO, with NaterraLand's involvement, has been working through a formal Shoreline Management Plan process. That plan will determine if docks and paths to the shore can be allowed on project lands surrounding the reservoir. According to UPPCO officials, NaterraLand says they are unhappy with the pace of the land development and has now filed a lawsuit."
Duluth,MN
Highway
2 expansion years away, if at all for northern Wisconsin"The Ashland County Board Chair says traffic is increasing. “We use a lot of it for medical transportation. There’s also a lot of increased tourism traffic. There’s also a lot of increased logging trucks and heavy equipment going back and forth and a lot of Canadian traffic on Highway 2. There’s passing lanes on them, and thank you for them because that’s made things a lot better than it was. But, we’re getting to the point where we’re going to need a four land highway to get from east to west.”
Balancing
the Books Tops Feingold's Goals for Senate Budget"The President inherited a huge budget surplus, but he will leave office with four trillion dollars in debt added to the backs of future generations. We must return to the sound fiscal practices of the 1990s if we want any chance of balancing the books in the near future."
Feingold
Recognizes National School Breakfast Week"Feingold’s resolution encourages all states to strengthen their school breakfast programs, recognizes the need to provide states with resources to ensure all low-income students receive a nutritious breakfast, and expresses strong support for states that have successfully implemented breakfast programs."
Feingold,
Kohl, Obey Seek Assurances Vets are Getting the Care They Need"Obey added. “The performance of the contractor left doubt about the commitment of the VA to serving Northwoods veterans. Turning the clinics into VA run facilities is a step in the right direction, but their performance from here on out will be the true measure of whether they are delivering on that commitment.”"
Club
For Growth Praises Obey For Earmark Survey - RTT
News,Williamsville,NY"The Club for Growth called Obey's decision to put House members on record by asking them in a survey whether they will continue to submit earmark requests for fiscal 2009 a good first step in shedding more light on the congressional earmarking process that allows members to bring home the bacon. "
Earmark
Fight Takes Center Stage in House Budget Markup -
CQPolitics.com"Obey wants all members on the record and ends his letter with: “I will assume that any member not returning this form [by March 19] wishes to see congressional earmarks discontinued and will therefore be submitting no requests for fiscal 2009.”"
EXECUTIVE
ORDER # 241"... do hereby require the convening of a special session of the Legislature at the Capitol in Madison, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on March 13, 2008, solely to consider and act upon legislation relating to: state finances and appropriations."
05 Mar
Jauch
to host listening sessions"Listening sessions are set for 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. in the Danielson Alumni Room of the Rothwell Student Center at the University of Wisconsin-Superior and from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Sigurd Olson Institute at Northland College in Ashland."
Great
Lakes Airlines makes bid"Great Lakes Airlines has emerged as the sole bidder for the Essential Air Service contract at the Gogebic-Iron County Airport."
Barnes
returns from trip to Capitol""Once we started working, it was really interesting." Barnes, a high school junior, was selected by State Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, for the 2008 Senate Scholar Program. Juniors and seniors from around the state participated in the third year of the program at the State Capitol Feb. 17 through 22."
Mercer
school board approves new contracts"Teachers will receive a total package increase of 3.8 percent for 2007-08 and 4 percent in 2008-09. The increase includes wages and benefits such as health insurance."
Senate
panel will consider health bill"A plan to provide health-care coverage to every person in the state will make a last-minute return this week to the Senate, where leaders last year vowed to pass it a second time, the plan 's author said Tuesday. But months of delay and the looming end of the Legislative session have left "Healthy Wisconsin " with no chance of becoming law. Instead, its Democratic backers hope to use it in the fall elections."
Last
call for Favre"And when McCarthy heard those words — having just walked into a banquet hall in Austin, Texas — the Packers coach turned and left the room. "I had to remove myself from where I was standing, because I was taken aback," McCarthy said Tuesday afternoon during a press conference with general manager Ted Thompson at Lambeau Field."
'Hi'
to immigrants springing up here"The signs say "Immigrants Welcome" printed in English, Hmong and Spanish. The word "Welcome" also is handwritten in six languages: English, Hmong, Spanish, Norwegian, German and Arabic, by members of immigrant families in Wisconsin. "We've heard a lot of angry anti-immigrant sentiment. We're glad to be giving people an opportunity to express welcome and love to immigrants," said Janet Parker, co-chairwoman of Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice."
"I
thought he was going to be here for two more years at least," Sigl said.
"With the offensive fire power that he has, I just can't believe he would
walk away from that. I can't complain because he did give us a good 17-year
run."Assembly
committee passes smoking ban"The statewide smoking ban passed an Assembly committee by a bipartisan vote of 6-3 Tuesday just hours prior to a Madison visit from seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong in support of the legislation."
Jauch
to hold listening sessions in Ashland, Superior on Great Lakes water compact
on Saturday"State Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, will hold two listening sessions on Saturday in Superior and Ashland regarding negotiations over the Great Lakes Compact, which is meant to establish regulations for water withdraws and diversions."
Rebranding
Wisconsin" Governor Doyle is unveiling a new brand promise for the state at a tourism convention in Lake Geneva this evening. A brand promise is a strategic framework used to plan advertising. Wisconsin's new one says originality rules here. It says residents have a passion for creating fun and expressing themselves in original ways.
Invasive
Species Bill"The state Senate passes a bill that would outlaw driving a vehicle or trailer with an invasive species attached to it. Police, including wardens, would be able to force people to remove the creatures before they could continue on their way. Anyone who doesn't comply would face up to $250 in fines."
New
Feingold bill smart solution for Iraq War - Daily Cardinal -
Madison,WI"On Tuesday, Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., continued to push forth his Iraq Redeployment Act of 2007. This bill would necessitate any funding toward an elongated war be eliminated after a span of six months."
US
lawmakers demand further food safety measures -
FoodProductionDaily.com - Montpellier,France"Senator Herb Kohl pressed a number of measures on Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer, including the auditing of all 900 meat processing plants that slaughter cattle to make sure there are language-appropriate materials for workers and that employees receive proper training."
Top
Wisc. Dem endorses Obama before Texas, Ohio primaries - Daily
Cardinal - Madison,WI"DPW Communications Director Rachel Strauch-Nelson said it is too early to say if superdelegates will play a large role in nominating the Democratic candidate as many states are still undecided. Many superdelegates in the state have already endorsed Obama or U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. Gov. Jim Doyle, along with U.S. Reps. Dave Obey, D-Wis., and Steve Kagen, D-Wis., have all endorsed Obama."
"Senate Bill 279 amends the rules for motorist attraction signs provided by the Department of Transportation on state highways. Highway information signs, under certain circumstances, may now display motorist services up to 30 miles from the sign. "
04 Mar
"The Kimball Volunteer Fire Department's brand new fire truck arrived Friday, just in time for the department's annual turkey dinner fundraiser at the community center Sunday. Chief Paul Stenros made sure the 3,000-gallon tanker was parked outside the fire department across the road from the center."
Hurley
School Board awards window project bid"Wayne Nasi Construction of Hurley was awarded the bid for the window and wall rehabilitation project for the Hurley K-12 School at a special meeting of the Hurley School Board on Monday."
Hurley's
Levra leads all-conference voting"Hurley sophomore Daulton Levra received the most votes from conference coaches last week. Mercer's Kelly Ervin had the second-highest vote total and Hurley junior Mike Sejbl also made the all-conference team."
Gogebic
County jury acquits Montreal teen"It took a six-person Gogebic County District Court jury just 35 minutes to acquit Nicole Brannigan, 18, of Montreal, Wis., of a charge of zero tolerance."
UW
gets the message out"Joining the ranks of a growing number of schools, the University of Wisconsin-Madison will soon be able to send instant text alerts to the cell phones of students, faculty and staff in campus emergencies."
Armstrong
pushes for smoking ban; Assembly committee OKs plan"Armstrong's noon rally in Madison, followed by a news conference at a bar in the Milwaukee suburb of Shorewood, comes as lawmakers plan to end their work for the year in a matter of days. While there's still time for a ban to pass, proponents have not been able to reach a deal with the powerful Tavern League lobby."
March
madness at the Capitol"That's a problem that worries Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, who said compromise between the two houses and Doyle won't be easy to reach because Senate Democrats won't want to cut programs and Assembly Republicans won't want to increase taxes. "There's got to be a balance," Jauch said. "We're going to have to be statesmen and not politicians.""
Kohl
leads on food safety"No senator is doing more to protect the safety of America's food supply than Wisconsin's Herb Kohl. Indeed, Kohl, who is often thought of as cautious, has been a bold and uncompromising leader on the issue of food safety since the recent beef recall from California-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. -- the largest such recall in American history."
Dave
Zweifel: Why are payday loan bills held captive?"Ironically, Zepnick told me, many payday lenders would like some regulation. It's the bad apples in their industry, some of them claim, that give the "responsible" lenders an undeserved reputation. But, if the GOP leadership of the Assembly is going to sit on bills and decline to even hold hearings, Wisconsin citizens will continue to be among the most unprotected in America."
Cause
of pool illness still not known"Excessive chlorine levels were first suspected in Friday's incident, said Gary Bezucha, chief executive for North Central Health Care Center in Wausau. "We don't even know that it was chlorine. It wasn't that there was too much in the water or anything like that. The water concentrations were normal. They were tested immediately," he said."
Bowman
data fails to support LUHS study conclusions"To be sure, the information is raw, and is for the most part presented as bulleted three- or four-word phrases taken from participant interviews. It is also open to subjective interpretation, meaning different analysts can draw different conclusions. "
Viral
Hemorrhagic Septicemia"Yukon Jack a fishing guide in Eagle River says, " If V-H-S would get to this area fishing as we know it today would be just something that we talk about...it would definitely affect the resource at least for quit a few years."
"But he says he's not sure how his department would get the extra supplies needed to maintain roads if mother nature decided to bring the northern part of the state more snow than normal. "There's always a possibility that we could get some bad ice storms this time of year. When you get freezing rain, you use larger amounts of salt and it doesn't take long to empty your salt supplies.""
Perfect
Score on Child Advocacy Issues"In its annual nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard, CDFAC recognized Feingold for his record, where he voted in every case to protect the health and well-being of Wisconsin’s children."
Access
to Locally Grown, Healthy Food“With hunger and childhood obesity on the rise, we should take steps to provide our schools and our communities with healthy food options. By helping local farmers supply food to their communities, we’re getting healthier foods to those who need it while supporting the local economy.”
"We’re all incredibly thankful for Brett’s hall-of-fame career and his contributions both on and off the field."
"For 16 years, Brett Favre brought fun and excitement to Lambeau Field. His talent, energy and enthusiasm for the game will be missed. “I want to thank Brett Favre on behalf of Packer fans everywhere for his commitment to the Packers, Green Bay, and all of Wisconsin.”"
Why
is Obama's skin blacker than normal in Hillary's new attack ad?"None of the 3 video sources I found showed Obama nearly as black as the Hillary ad does. Click the image above to see a larger version. Look at his lips. Look at his eyebrows. Look at how the red MSNBC background has turned more purple. Clearly the image was darkened. The question is "why.""
03 Mar
Future
of Northern Highland ATV trails in NRB's hands"More than 3,000 citizens have responded to a request for comments about building all-terrain vehicle routes in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, including a trail system in Iron County that could span 30 miles and cost $7 million."
Mercer
kids do the Barnebirkie"The fifth and sixth grade classes and teachers Jerry Gross and Sue Benzel, a handful of other students, Wilhelm, Nordic Iron Ski Club coaches Tim Fitzgerald and Bill Niehaus, and parent volunteers filled the bus from Mercer. Students could ski a 1K, 2.5K or 5K route. No times were recorded, and every skier got a medal at the finish line."
"After being pulled over for a traffic violation, officers discovered a warrant had been issued for her arrest for failure to appear in court to answer a municipal citation issued because items had not been returned to the Beloit Public Library. Givhan, who was in between residences when the citation was issued last year, said she never received notifications from the library that explained she had overdue items."
"Officials with the Sheboygan Area School District are expected to decide this week on a grievance filed by a female employee who said she should be granted paid leave when she weds another woman."
Cutting
back"Lange, like many consumers, is reacting to the reality of an economic slowdown. The rising cost of food and energy is not being matched by wage increases. And factors such as the housing slump and a tough job market mean families may not have the spending money for discretionary items that propel the economy."
Feingold
'gets' Pakistan, Iraq"But there is every reason to believe that members of the administration lack the knowledge or the vision to get things right. That knowledge and vision can be found in Washington, however. It was on display Thursday when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on U.S. policy options following the elections in Pakistan."
nterstate
bridge closed Sunday"The metal sticking out of the joint punctured tires on several vehicles before the State Patrol arrived and shut down the center and outside (right) lanes so highway crews could make repairs. Traffic backed up on the Interstate as the State Patrol rerouted vehicles off the highway shortly before 5 p.m. By 6:20 p.m., crews had repaired the center lane and finished repairing the right lane shortly thereafter. "The metal was cut out and straightened and then welded back into the joint," Boge said."
UW
to look at tuition policies"According to Giroux, UW-Madison already has a program-based differential tuition plan at the School of Business in which some students pay higher tuition than others. The extra costs pay for things that improve the quality of education available to them, Giroux said. UW-La Crosse has just recently adopted a campuswide differential tuition policy, he added."
MySpace
foils Wausau underage drinking party"Marathon County Sheriff’s deputies issued 29 underage drinking citations Friday night after a Wausau couple found out about a party their daughter was hosting from her MySpace page."
"Most were quickly released, but two were kept overnight at Aspirus Hospital in Wausau and allowed to return home yesterday. Officials at the Marathon County Health Department and North Central Health Care said a noxious gas, possibly chlorine, caused the emergency."
Number
of women holding Wis. local offices down slighty"The figures indicate they now constitute about 29 percent of all local elected officials in the state. The report says women account for 37 percent of all school board members statewide, as well as 19 percent of all city council members and 18 percent of all county board members."
01&02 Mar
ADMINISTRATION’s
PLAN TO CLEAR DISABILITY CLAIM BACKLOG IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE"Five years to clear the Social Security disability claims backlog is totally unacceptable, Seventh District Congressman Dave Obey (D-WI) said after a hearing that he conducted this week to review the Administration’s budget request for the Social Security Administration."
DNR
may ease mercury timetable"The DNR has called for a 90% cut in the past. But the agency also is offering an inducement for utilities to delay compliance from 2015 to 2021 if they also make reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide."
Who
really knows what's in our food?"There was a story in The New York Times the other day that mentioned how many restaurants across the country now have "open kitchens," some even "bordered by counter seats that give diners a closer look." That's proof, it is said, of "the way cooking has officially become a spectator sport." We'll all insist on being spectators now.
Local
leaders tout Great Lakes in D.C."House Republican Jim Sensenbrenner of Menomonee Falls also got into the water act last week. He criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for not releasing a long-anticipated report, undertaken in 2002, about the health impact of hazardous substances in the Great Lakes. As senior Republican on the investigation and oversight subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee, Sensenbrenner has been investigating the report's delay."
"The state Department of Employee Trust Funds has set pension increases for approximately 141,000 retired state and local government employees covered under the Wisconsin Retirement System. It says the core annuity dividend will be 6.6 percent starting May 1st, while the variable annuity will not change."
Doyle
wants federal government to give state air OK"In a letter to the federal Environmental Protection Agency late last year, Doyle acknowledged that several counties are in violation of standards for particulate pollution -- the fine particles that come from burning coal and vehicle exhaust and that make breathing difficult for people with asthma and other lung afflictions."
UW-Madison
to add emergency text messaging service"We wanted to develop a system of notification that essentially would take the same message and send it out six different ways with the thought that the student in the classroom isn't going to get the mass e-mail or the student on the bus is not going to get the reverse 911 call,"
Doyle,
Armstrong unite on smoke ban"With just two weeks to go before the Legislature adjourns, Gov. Jim Doyle said it's time legislative leaders in both houses scheduled the smoking ban for a floor vote. "It's important for the leaders to allow it to come to a vote," Doyle said in a conference call Friday with reporters and bicycling star Lance Armstrong."
Roads
Traveled: Nominations are in; now vote for the best of Wisconsin"But now it's time to vote in 20 categories, so head to www.wondersofwisconsin.com before April 24. Only one vote per e-mail address is allowed. Sorry, there are no paper ballots."
UW
turns to TXT alerts"Beginning later this spring or early this summer, students, faculty and staff will be able to submit their cell phone numbers to receive alerts in case of an emergency on campus. Participants will be able to register through their MyUW account."
State
at forefront of biofuels breakthroughs""While we're still in the early stages, there is true potential in biomass from the byproducts of paper manufacturing and what we leave behind in agriculture," Frank [Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank] said."
Scofflaw
snowmobilers forcing trails to close"When a landowner gets fed up with sledders straying off trails and onto their property, the first step is usually for a snowmobile club to work with them, putting up signs and snow fencing. If those barriers are ignored, the landowner has the right at any time to withdraw their land from the route. And when that happens, every snowmobiler suffers."
"Hispanic workers have been a relative rarity in the Ashland area until relatively recently. In the past few years, Hispanics have worked at a garment factory, Anna Marie Designs, and a few other locations. An Anna Marie Designs supervisor who declined to be identified said the company had never directly employed any Hispanic workers, although he admitted that the firm had had some Hispanic workers working at the Ashland facility who were employed through an outside contractor."
Doyle, Feingold support Obama in Democratic primary - Green
Bay Press Gazette "I'm highly inclined, given the results of the primary, to support him at the convention," Feingold, D-Middleton, said Sunday. "I think it will be resolved by then anyway."
Kohl
Calls on USDA to Get Tougher on Enforcing Food Safety -
Wisconsin Ag Connection"Kohl said he was particularly troubled by the implications this incident has for the national school lunch program and children. He also outlined a plan to prevent recurrence of future incidents similar to the Westland/Hallmark recall, in which 143 million pounds of beef were recalled, after undercover video surfaced of animals too sick to stand being dragged, fork-lifted, kicked, jabbed and dumped into America's food supply."
Senator
Queries FDA and Spinal Disk Maker - New York Times"Testimony included executives from two medical device makers, Zimmer Holdings and Stryker, that were among manufacturers that recently settled with the Justice Department over accusations that they used consulting agreements and other means to persuade doctors to back their products."
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