Local News - June 2008 - WegoWeb.net
26, 27, 28, 29, 30 Nov
Happy
ThanksgivingAcross these days, updating of WegoNews will be dependent on access to broadband and time available. The taxing bodies will not be sending info, the newspapers will be on skeletal staffs, and I will be traveling. The hills of PA are pretty this morning... 28 Nov. - Bob
"It wasn't until Cisewski was conducting genealogical research while employed in Washington, D.C., more than 20 years ago that he stumbled on the discovery that he was descended from Pilgrim stock, which, after settling Massachusetts, moved to New York and eventually took the Erie Canal to what was then the "west" to settle in Wisconsin."
"The woman said Allen threw a candle at her and attempted to choke her. An officer noticed swelling and redness around the complainant's neck, according to a criminal complaint filed by Iron County District Attorney Marty Lipske."
25 Nov
You
are reminded that the popular Range tradition, the
Deer Hunter's RoundUp
continues on WJMS and
WIMI. You can add to the growing
list of
Camp Cook Recipes, add your
favorite
camp story, or check out the
Hunting Season
Beard Contest... or just check out the craziness on the radio at the
PodCasts.
Jail
visit goes awry"ICSD deputies were attempting to arrest Parratta inside the lobby at the Iron County Jail in Hurley at about 3 p.m. Sunday on an outstanding warrant out of Ashland County when she fled on foot to her car, according to an ICSD report. County deputies and Hurley Police Department officers followed her in a squad vehicle and ..."
The
season is short - go hunting"Sure, it's similar to the childhood Christmas mornings of long ago, when gifts and toys made us giggle with delight, because we're so happy. But it's better than Christmas now because our mothers-in-law aren't coming over. My gosh, we are going hunting! Yipee!!"
Thanksgiving
Costs "For the sixth straight year the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal has gone up ... Throughout Wisconsin and the U.S., those traditional fixings cost more than they did last year. According to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau the average Thanksgiving meal costs over $43, that's up $2.75 from 2007. But that's not stopping the Steffens."
"The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is looking for a hunter whose stray bullet struck the back window of a vehicle, nearly hitting a young girl in the town of McMillan."
[Hunters are reminded that shoulder mounts of sporty little red cars are infinitely uncool. - Bob]
Employers
told to prepare for sick pay ordinance "The ordinance requires employers to provide private-sector employees in Milwaukee with up to 72 hours a year of paid sick leave, or up to 40 hours a year at employers with fewer than 10 workers."
State
Debate: SeniorCare a good deal"One government program that has gained support across political lines is SeniorCare. The Wisconsin prescription drug program for low-income seniors operates at roughly one-third the cost of the federal program, Medicare Part D. That's why the entire Wisconsin congressional delegation recently sent a letter to President-elect Barack Obama urging him to permanently renew the waiver and federal subsidy for SeniorCare that expire Dec. 31, 2009."
More
than 40 Wisconsin banks apply for federal aid"Not immune from recent economic woes, some Wisconsin banks may soon apply for aid under a temporary federal relief program, Wisconsin Bankers Association CEO Kurt Bauer said Monday."
Open
records audit finds 30 percent of requests not answered legally"Local governments denied or ignored one in 10 such requests for basic documents, the survey found, while another two in 10 were fulfilled only after records custodians required such things as asking requesters to identify themselves or explain why they wanted the documents. Asking for identity or cause violates state law."
"Fewer than five people supported the ordinance outright, and two of those backed the idea of grandfathering existing units. The draft code would allow outdoor woodburning units/outdoor furnaces with an approved permit from the zoning department; the units would have to meet emission standards embodied in guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency and of the Outdoor Furnace Manufacturer's Caucus of the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association."
Churches
get serious about protecting flocks from violence - St. Louis
Post-Dispatch"He said most shootings, whether they happen in a school, business or church, end before, or as, police arrive at the scene. So "just sitting and waiting for the good guys to get there is not an option" for church leaders, he said. Many churches opt to hire professional law enforcement for security. But off-duty cops are expensive."
"“The Park Service has treated its cultural and historic programs like a dusty attic which requires no attention,” Ruch added, pointing out that earlier this year PEER actually had to sue NPS to protect the Little Bighorn National Battlefield from being marred by construction of a 200-seat theater at the base of Last Stand Hill. “While this NAPA report cites resource shortages, far more damning is its indictment of agency leadership.”"
24 Nov
'Hunting
widows' hit the town""We peeled 42 pounds of potatoes today and cooked two hams and made cake and brownies and everything for those hunters, and what do we get for it?" she asked. "'Where's the gravy? Where's the gravy?' We had forgotten to make gravy.'" "It wasn't good enough," her cousin Ashley Sukanen, 28, piped in."
A
helping hand to the marten"This native resident at one time thrived in northern Wisconsin, but by 1925 it was extirpated due to loss of habitat and unregulated take. The 1- to 2-pound member of the weasel family is the only mammal on the state's endangered species list and is considered a sensitive species by the U.S. Forest Service."
Hurley
man sent to prison for selling pills "Joel Wesley Graser Jr. was given credit for 11 months served, according to Iron County District Attorney Marty Lipske. Upon conviction, a bail jumping felony and misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed, but read into the record."
Jauch
speaks of importance of civic duty "Jauch spoke to juniors and seniors in a U.S. government and politics class on Nov. 7... Jauch stressed the importance of being civically engaged, but said it wasn't necessary to be an elected official to help the community."
New
Campaign Report Tool "The new database will be available on the state Government Accountability Board Web site... The system allows candidates to send campaign finance information directly to the board and have it posted at the same time on the Internet."
Doyle:
Decision to eliminate bonuses ’pains me’"Doyle’s administration says 1,275 employees were rewarded in the most recent budget year with either hourly merit pay raises or lump sum bonuses. Doyle announced last week that he was eliminating discretionary pay increases as one of several measures to deal with a projected $5.4 billion budget deficit."
Madison
stem cell company raised $18 million "In a difficult fund-raising environment, Cellular Dynamics International said this morning it has raised $18 million to bolster its efforts to bring to market groundbreaking University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell research."
Construction
contracts fall 27% in October "The value of future non-residential construction contracts, which include office, retail and industrial buildings, dropped 18%, to $517.6 million from $631.9 million in October 2007. The value of residential contracts dropped 45%, to $215 million from $388.5 million."
Deer
Hunt 2008: Opening day notes from the field"At Hurley, in Iron County, "opening morning was tough to be a hunter," reported DNR wildlife biologist Bruce Bacon. "It was 8 below zero so hunter activity was minimal." Bacon said things turned round by midday when "it was nice and sunny, in the low 20s, with 6 to 10 inches of snow on the ground. Everything was good. It's probably a 9 out of 10 opener… very huntable.""
Campus
clear of virus spread"Through an online survey, University Health Services epidemiologist Craig Roberts has determined 137 people have contracted the virus in the past several weeks, 90 of whom live in Sellery Hall, 29 of whom live in other southeast residence"
News
Tribune
More
than a foot of snow possible in parts of NW Wisconsin"Ten to 13 inches of snow are possible from tonight through Friday morning in an area from far eastern Ashland County into northern Iron County, including Gile, Montreal and Hurley. Three to 5 inches of snow are possible for the city of Ashland and surrounding areas."
Nativity
scene in state park going up as usual - Wisconsin State
Journal"The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom from Religion Foundation had said a manger scene not accompanied by secular symbols such as a Christmas tree would violate the separation of church and state. The group wrote of its concerns in a series of letters to Ohio Attorney General Nancy Rogers."
Report:
Government prepared to lend $7.4 trillion - Houston Chronicle"The unprecedented pledge of funds includes $2.8 trillion already tapped by financial institutions in the biggest response to an economic emergency since the New Deal of the 1930s, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The commitment dwarfs the only plan approved by lawmakers, the Treasury Department’s $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program. Federal Reserve lending last week was 1,900 times the weekly average for the three years before the crisis."
22&23 Nov
"But it is not enough to just provide some temporary income to people who have lost their jobs. We also have to take actions to strengthen the ability of this economy to create new jobs and to preserve other jobs that may be wiped out without strong government action.”
Hurley's
FACT Team Endure Wind & Snow to Protest Smoking"Members of Hurley High School's Fighting Against Corporate Tobacco (FACT) team boldly displayed their anti-tobacco banner on the corner of Silver Street and US-51 yesterday."
Deer
data collection effort spans across state "They must check at least 100 adult bucks and 100 does for aging data from every deer management unit in the state. According to WDNR wildlife manager Nancy Christel, the DNR requires "statistically significant aging data.""
No
Construction For Holiday Travel "The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says it's pausing all state construction projects to accommodate heavy traffic related to Thanksgiving and deer hunting this week. "
"And some sheds are, well, awesome. They have hip roofs. They have tiny shutters and itty-bitty windowboxes. They have doors with crank windows. They have porches, front and back. They have stylish lofts and doggie doors and air conditioners and built-in bookshelves."
ARE YOU
READY TO HUNT?
Lawmakers
criticize cost, timing of more secure IDs "When people visit the Division of Motor Vehicles now, they leave with a license or state ID in hand. But starting next November under the DOT plan, they would get a paper receipt - which would include all the information on the driver's license and a black-and-white photo - that could be used as a license for 60 days."
1
in 10 jobs open at key Wisconsin state agencies"And, the number is likely to increase as agencies slash expenses to try to deal with what is projected to be the worst budget deficits in Wisconsin history. But that raises the question of whether the agencies will be able to fulfill all their duties. Democratic state Sen. Bob Jaunch of Poplar says there's "real pain" in state government and programs are going to be affected."
"This behavioral shift isn't simply about spending less. It emphasizes stretching every dollar — spending more at discount chain stores, buying secondhand clothes or trading down to store brands. Consumers are clipping more coupons and swiping their credit cards less."
"Department of Natural Resources warden Jim Horne recommends hunters check online or in booklets to see what land the tribes own and whether the property has been enrolled as open managed forest lands. The rules also are different for tribal members and nonmembers, and hunters need to know which rules apply to them."
Reuters:
Comcast response to FCC query could bring fine"The U.S. FCC sent letters earlier this month to about a dozen businesses -- mostly cable companies, among them Madison-area provider Charter Communications -- after receiving complaints that some are ratcheting up prices for programming packages or requiring customers to buy digital set-top boxes for fewer channels ahead of the digital switch on Feb. 17."
WHAT’S
NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 21 Nov 08
-
DSCOVR: WHAT IS IT THEY DON’T WANT THE WORLD TO SEE?
-
GM VOLT: THE AUTOMOBILE WE SHOULD HAVE HAD.
-
GINKGO BILOBA: A TIP ON WHERE YOU CAN CUT EXPENSES.
-
CANADA: CONSERVATIVE PRIME MINISTER PICKS A CABINET.
"If the President-elect is successful in his advocacy of the so-called Freedom of Choice Act, he will bring a change that virtually no one but abortion profiteers wants," added Dr. King. "Not only will this legislation make abortion completely unrestricted everywhere in the country, it will require that we all pay for destroying babies with our tax dollars."
[This is a pretty harsh/far-fetched extrapolation of his statement on abortion which can be found HERE. - Bob]
"This week, a former managing director at Standard & Poor's speaks out on U.S. television for the first time about how he was pressured to compromise standards in a push for profits. Frank Raiter reveals what was really going on behind closed doors at the credit rating agencies the public relies on to evaluate the safety of their investments."
"This time, Chambliss and other Republican groups are going after Democratic challenger Jim Martin for being soft on crime and a danger to children, even though Martin's daughter was kidnapped at the age of eight and, subsequently, the Georgia Democrat introduced a wide-variety of legislation to protect families from crime."
21 Nov
Woman
allegedly tried to hit husband with truck "A 27-year-old Hurley woman was charged Monday with a 10-year felony count of second-degree reckless endangerment stemming from a Nov. 9 incident in which Rhonda Berghorn allegedly tried to run her husband over with a truck."
Midgetttes
start year with win "The Midgettes weren't boxing out in the first half, and they were making lazy passes. Northwestern led 30-19. But that all changed in the second half. Erin Gulan came off the Hurley bench and hit a 3-pointer a couple minutes into the third quarter. That put the momentum on Hurley's side, Oja said."
Hurley
downs Northwestern"After trailing throughout the first half of their girls basketball game against Northwestern, the Midgettes turned up the defensive intensity. That got things rolling as Hurley came back for a 55-44 win over the Tigers in the season opener for both teams."
Common
Hunting Violations"According to the DNR, a few common hunting violations are hunting with an improper license, group hunting and ATV violations, and transporting loaded or uncased firearms in a vehicle. Baiting and feeding violations have been the biggest problems over the past few seasons. "
Great
Lakes & Invasive Species"The National Wildlife Federation and its Wisconsin chapter argue the rules aren't tough enough to stop the spread of invasive species from oceangoing vessels. The rules issued earlier this year call for ballast water exchange and flushing, but the federation feels that won't be enough to protect the lakes."
"The state has reimbursed the federal government nearly $350,000 after auditors found that cab rides had been billed to Medicaid on days when Milwaukee County participants didn't receive medical services. An August audit by the federal Department of Health and Human Services estimated cab rides worth $694,066 to $1.6 million were improperly billed in 2005 to the health care program for disabled, elderly and low-income people."
States
credit unions see growth "Credit unions made about $95.8 million through Sept. 30, compared with $93 million in the same period last year, the Wisconsin Office of Credit Unions said. The ratio of delinquent loans to total loans rose slightly to 1.21% from 1.16%, a solid showing for credit unions in a slowing economy."
Federal
court upholds Michigan ballast water law"A federal appeals court Friday upheld a Michigan law designed to prevent oceangoing freight ships from bringing invasive species to the Great Lakes in their ballast water. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati rejected a challenge to the statute filed by nine shipping companies and associations."
"The state will have to leave 3,500 state jobs vacant, eliminate employee bonuses and cut agencies' budgets by 2.5 percent to deal with the worst projected budget deficit in its history, Gov. Jim Doyle said Thursday. Doyle also called for targeted tax increases and wouldn't rule out a general sales or income tax hike, although he said he wanted to do everything possible to avoid that."
The
evangelical shift that wasn’t - Politico"Perhaps most strikingly, the anticipated evangelical shift away from McCain never happened. Despite widespread predictions that many evangelicals would stay home or pull the lever for Obama, McCain managed to collect more white evangelical voters than George W. Bush four years ago."
General
Motors to Invest $1 Billion in Brazil Operations -- Money to Come from
U.S. Rescue Program - Latin
American Herald Tribune"According to the president of GM Brazil-Mercosur, Jaime Ardila, the funding will come from the package of financial aid that the manufacturer will receive from the U.S. government and will be used to "complete the renovation of the line of products up to 2012." "It wouldn't be logical to withdraw the investment from where we're growing, and our goal is to protect investments in emerging markets," he said in a statement published by the business daily Gazeta Mercantil."
20 Nov
Museum
cuts winter hours "Energy bills for the next year are projected to top $15,000, society president Gene Cisewski said in a news release. The museum will remain open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Friday and Saturday during winter, staffed by volunteers."
Iron
and Ashland Counties To Sell Native Plants"Purchasing native plants does several things to improve your gardening, including less maintenance provided that they are planted in conditions that match their cultural requirements. Native plants have evolved in their surroundings and tend to be more hardy. Planting native plants instead of cultivars helps keep out invasive, non-native plants often sold at our nurseries. On a much larger scale, using native plants, helps preserve the natural heritage of our area."
DNR:
White Deer Shot Legally"Newswatch 12 sat down with a local DNR warden to set the record straight. According to Tom Wrasse from the Wisconsin DNR, it IS legal to shoot a white OR albino deer IF you are hunting in the Chronic Wasting Disease or CWD zone."
jobs
continue monthly decline "State employers cut 27,300 jobs since October 2007, the state Department of Workforce Development reported Wednesday. That's the eighth month in a row and the ninth month this year in which year-to-year payroll counts slumped.:
Laid-off
workers can apply for unemployment benefits online "With unemployment rising, state administrators are encouraging laid-off Wisconsin workers to apply for unemployment insurance benefits through the state's Web site, at www.ucclaim-wi.org. Hal Bergan, administrator of the Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance Division, said the site helps the state expedite benefits and reduce application delays."
Bankruptcy
filings up 38 percent"The financial crisis leaving its mark on Wall Street is weighing heavily in Wisconsin as well. Through the first 17 days of November, about 500 bankruptcy cases were filed in the Eastern District - an average of nearly 30 a day. Federal bankruptcy Judge Margaret McGarity says there's a much larger segment of the population that's near retirement or beyond that's filing."
University
of Wisconsin researchers hunting for disease-spreading ticks "More
than a dozen scientists led by UW-Madison entomologist Susan Paskewitz will
head to selected Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources deer registration
stations Saturday to collect deer ticks from carcasses brought in by
hunters. It's part of a fight against Lyme disease, which is caused by
a bacterium that can be carried by deer ticks that bite people.""Revisions recommended by a panel of experts this week call for changing the "strengths-and-weaknesses" standard to "strengths and limitations." Another recommendation calls for middle school students to "discuss possible alternative explanations" for scientific concepts. The latter change brought sharp criticism from the progressive Texas Freedom Network. "The new draft contains loaded buzzwords that evolution deniers have used repeatedly to launch phony attacks on evolution," said network president Kathy Miller."
Guest
Columnist: Bailing Out Detroit - CQ Politics"Optimists hope that it can be coupled with conditions designed to help wean the United States off oil and reduce carbon emissions. In return for the bridge loans the automakers should be required to “produce large numbers of affordable, durable, safe, fuel-efficient, low-carbon vehicles within the next five years” and to promise to end their fight against higher carbon emissions standards."
19 Nov
Deer
Hunters RoundUp Goes High TechThe Deer Hunters Roundup, aired nightly November
14th through the 30th on WJMS AM 590 and WIMI
97 FM is a rangeland tradition. My Hurley now has forms for submitting
deer reports, recipes and check ones already reported ... plus a chance to
post your favorite camp/hunting story.
Check it out and the
podcast
sponsored by Stormy Kromer.
The
Role of Money in Politics"While there is no longer any factual basis for considering large amounts of expenditure by candidates as inherently corrupt, there is still a need to keep an eye on disproportionate expenditures by special interests, especially so-called independent expenditures and sham issue ads. I hope that good government advocates will join me in this refocus."
Rescued
senior now advocates winter survival kit for cars"In the trunk of her car, she carries a spare winter coat, a warm wool army blanket, several tins of emergency iron rations, a cell phone capable of reaching the 911 emergency dispatcher and other necessities. She encourages her friends and acquaintances to do the same, and she speaks from experience ..."
Hurley
to implement cooperative curriculum "At its regular monthly board meeting Monday the Hurley Board of Education heard about the progress of the Euro Curriculum being led by northern Wisconsin's Cooperative Educational Service Agency 12 based in Ashland. The Euro Curriculum will allow a more focused approach to specific courses that will enroll in the same class students from Hurley, Mercer and other schools."
DNR
accepts comments on Iron County park plans "The
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments on Iron
County's application for a $595,816 grant to develop an all-terrain vehicle
campground in Schomberg Park. The campground would be developed on 2.5
acres of county property. Schomberg Park is located in the town of Oma,
between Hurley and Mercer.""The road is "reasonably safe but not in the best condition because it was wet, and we couldn't do our final fall grading," he said. "At this point, we cannot do anything," he said, noting the town crew was able to complete its initial grading prior to about three weeks of continuing rain."
Four
starters return to Midgettes "Four starters return to Hurley, as the Midgettes look to improve upon last year's 18-4 record. "Our goal is to build off of last season by obtaining a conference championship and improving on our record," Hurley coach Melissa Oja said."
WI
Senators on Auto Industry"Feingold said it must have protections for taxpayers and require the automakers to make more fuel-efficient cars while taking advantage of their existing workforce. Sen. Herb Kohl said the aid must be in the form of a loan and include accountability and the expectations of big changes to revive and renew the industry. "
WI
Home Sales Down"In fact, home sales in the Northwoods slumped lower than the state average according to the Wisconsin Realtors Association. But analysts believe that's because of our diverse market of single family homes and high-priced waterfront homes that didn't sell as well as last year."
Growers
to donate Christmas trees for troops"Volunteers will collect and load hundreds of donated trees onto FedEx Freight trucks for shipment to military bases. Nearly 16,000 trees are expected to be delivered this year to bases in the United States and abroad. The program is in its fourth year."
State
home sales drop 16.7% in 3rd quarter; prices fall 5.3% ""Every buyer I'm talking with right now is looking toward spring," Boeshaar said. Only a handful of Wisconsin counties posted an increase in average sales prices in the quarter compared with the third quarter of 2007. Several of them were in northeastern Wisconsin, with Oconto County increasing almost 20%, Door County up 12%, and Winnebago and Brown counties both rising less than 1%."
DNR
requires environmental analysis for big farm"It's the first time the DNR has ever required a dairy farm to do an environmental impact statement. The agency will decide whether to grant a wastewater permit."
State
budget cutters in limbo until federal changeover in January "Democratic Congressional leaders have spent the fall trying to enact a series of aid packages to bail out struggling states. But they've hit a road block in President George W. Bush. And until states know what the federal government is going to do, their own budgets remain in limbo. "We won't have any solid numbers until somebody passes something," Wisconsin's budget director Dave Schmiedicke said. "A federal stimulus is going to be part of the equation.""
"Simply put: Armband religion is killing the Republican Party. And, the truth -- as long as we're setting ourselves free -- is that if one were to eavesdrop on private conversations among the party intelligentsia, one would hear precisely that. The choir has become absurdly off-key, and many Republicans know it. But they need those votes!"
"On Monday, a 14-year-old girl taken by the state during the September raid testified that Alamo molested her, counted a number of young girls as his wives, and coached her and others to say they weren't touched improperly or beaten."
Hagel,
Unrestrained,
Lashes Into Bush, Rush And The GOP - Huffington Post"Appearing at a forum at the Johns Hopkins School of Advances International Studies, the outgoing Nebraska Republican leveled harsh criticism at his own party, the lack of intellectual curiosity among some of his colleagues, the Bush administration's handling of nearly every aspect of governance and -- perhaps most bitingly -- the conservative radio voices that often dictate the GOP agenda."
Web
Sites That Dig for News Rise as Watchdogs - New York Times"As America’s newspapers shrink and shed staff, and broadcast news outlets sink in the ratings, a new kind of Web-based news operation has arisen in several cities, forcing the papers to follow the stories they uncover."
18 Nov
"Terry L. Smith, 57, died in the fire, which was reported to the sheriff's department around 9:45 a.m. Sheriff Robert Bruneau said the structure was already destroyed when firefighters arrived at the scene after a 9:45 a.m. call. In addition to the sheriff's department, responding to the fire at 1070W Owl Lake Road were the Oma and Mercer fire departments and Mercer ambulance."
Hurley
fourth graders liven Saxon program
""The
veterans really enjoyed having the children at the banquet. We'll remember
this for a long time, and I'm sure they will, too," said Denny Smith, of the
Saxon-Gurney American Legion. As part of the program, every youngster
was paired up with a veteran to talk about military service experiences."
Customers
flag Charter for 'blindside block'"Those who didn't want to leave the comfort of their homes on a snowy Sunday for a friend or tavern with the NFL package on satellite TV were shut out of the Pack's 37-3 drubbing of Chicago. The complaints are likely to resurface on Dec. 14, when Charter will not air the Packers' noon game at Jacksonville."
[Although reports from the Range include Packer fans who used unexpected extra time to talk to their wives, the one reported incident involving a comment about gaining ten pounds is, at best, unfortunate. The scars are expected to fade over time. - Bob]
Panel:
Growth possible in green jobs, energy and food, but hurdles remain"Growing a regional network of food production, energy and green jobs is possible, but more conducive elements are needed from a public policy standpoint on down to choices by the individual consumer, a panel of experts and advocates said Monday."
High
prices for road salt add to economy woes"His concern is road salt, or more accurately, the lack thereof. In Wisconsin, salt in the winter is vital to safe driving. Without salt or a salt-sand mix, driving on icy roads quickly becomes an adventure in terror as vehicles spin out of control. "It's the beginning and end of winter that is the worst time for icy roads," Shields said. "That's when we get a lot of freezing rain.""
Obama
Commends
Gov. Doyle at Climate Meeting"Obama commended Doyle, and the governors of Kansas, Florida, Illinois and California as being leaders in the fight against global warming. Representatives from about 22 states as well as government officials from a number of foreign countries are at the meeting."
Turf
wars: New rules for organic dairies’ cows "The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently issued draft rules that would require that the cows be on pasture at least half the year and get plenty of fresh grass. The proposals are meant to close a loophole that allows some huge feedlots to sell their milk as organic, even though their cows rarely if ever get to graze on fresh grass."
Focus
on Energy saving $193 million in energy costs, state says
"Wisconsin homes and businesses are saving $193 million a year on energy costs because of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects funded through the state Focus on Energy program, Gov. Jim Doyle's office announced today. The program, run by the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp. of Madison, is funded through a charge collected on electric utility bills."
University
of Wisconsin researcher R. Alta Charo named to Obama transition team"R. Alta Charo, a bioethicist who has served on a federal panel on embryonic stem-cell research and on President Clinton's National Bioethics Advisory Commission, will review health policy for Obama."
"As we look forward on political coverage, we have to really think hard about where it's going to come from and how it's going to exist," Nichols said. "I think that's great. Big media became lousy and dysfunctional, and now we are going to be forced to go back to creating media and journalism in new and refreshing forms."
"The cuts are taking place throughout the organization. The most visible change will be the elimination of the print editions of four of its eight magazines...Plugged In, for example, has seen its print subscriber base dip to 30,000 while its Web site attracts 1 million unique visitors a month, Williams said."
Gov't
Finds
Child Hunger Rose 50% In 2007 - NewsNet5.com"Overall, the 36.2 million adults and children who struggled with hunger during the year was up slightly from 35.5 million in 2006. That was 12.2 percent of Americans who didn't have the money or assistance to get enough food to maintain active, healthy lives. Almost a third of those, 11.9 million adults and children, went hungry at some point. That figure has grown by more than 40 percent since 2000."
"Immigrants, female politicians (and women in general), the LGBT community, the poor and homeless, minorities, progressives, unions, college students, and even autistic children were targets of these radio personalities' invective."
[Receiving in small daily doses, we get immune to the magnitude of this cancer that is so visisble in this list. - Bob]
17 Nov
Sherman
committee posting announced "Rep. Gary Sherman, D-Port Wing, has been named to the Joint Finance Committee... Sherman also sits on the Joint Legislative Council Study Committee on State Tribal Relations, the Group Insurance Board, The Employee Trust Funds Board, and the Supreme Court's State-Tribal Justice Forum."
WDNR
surveying deer herd health "Samples collected from the heads of harvested deer are screened for chronic wasting disease and tuberculosis as well as other observable deer diseases. There have been no known occurrences of these diseases in northern Wisconsin deer, however it is important to periodically check on the health status to ensure a continued healthy deer herd."
DNR:
Up to 1.7 million
deer await Wis. hunters‘‘The deer herd is still a good deal larger than established population goals in much of Wisconsin,’’ said Keith Warnke, a state Department of Natural Resources deer expert. ‘‘It is probably the most extensive herd-control season that we have implemented.’’
Economic
downturn has mixed effects for area gun deer season"The gun deer season has a major economic impact on the state, with a ripple effect on the state's economy that exceeds $1.5 billion, says Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Big Game Biologist Keith Warnke. That includes over $535 million in direct retail activity, and over $20 million in gas tax revenues"
Chimney Safety"John Mueller, the Deputy Chief of the Rhinelander Fire Department, says "If you don't have them cleaned at least once a year and inspected, you get a creosote build-up in your chimney, and eventually that can plug up and it can cause a chimney fire, create carbon monoxide in your home, or it can cuase the smoke to back-up into your house.""
Vehicle
rolls while driver text messages, passenger steers"Two teenagers were cited for operating a vehicle while intoxicated Saturday after their car crashed between Edgar and Athens while the driver was sending a text message."
Police
praise mom who turned teenagers in "The mother saw the video on the TV news that same day, recognized her children and turned them in to police, Zibolski said. Zibolski said the mother did the right thing and hoped she would be an example to other people in the city who have information about crimes."
Groups
want stronger control of Great Lakes water"He says that changes the legal status of water from a public resource to a private commodity, opening the door for multinational corporations to demand access to the Great Lakes under international trade laws. Olson says if the effort to amend the compact fails, activists will try to write stronger water protections into the Michigan Constitution."
Mystery
of the burned hawks is solved"Working with the landfill operators, Moller and others came up with a solution that is likely to be used at other landfills — stainless-steel spikes attached to the pipe that prevent the birds from perching. Mandy Bonneville, the assistant operations manager of the landfill, said the solution was welcome. "We want the hawks," Bonneville said. "They help control the rodent populations.""
Virus
spreads across campus"Though the official tally remains at 63 cases — all within the 1,100-person Sellery Hall — the virus seems to have spread to several Greek houses and off-campus apartment buildings, including Statesider apartments."
Times
Some
See Big Problem in Wisconsin Drinking "When it comes to drinking, it seems, no state keeps pace with Wisconsin. This state, long famous for its breweries, has led the nation in binge drinking in every year since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began its surveys on the problem more than a decade ago."
News Tribune
Lake-effect
snow warning for Ashland, Iron counties"Northwest winds blowing across the waters of Lake Superior are forecast to bring locally heavy snowfall to the warning area starting later today. The greatest snowfall is expected along the Gogebic Range from Mellen to Hurley, where 6 to 8 inches of snow is possible."
New York,NY
Investors
scramble to find safety in 529s"We've seen a dramatic increase in investment changes, and 99% are being made into certificates of deposit, which we began offering in October," said Megan Perkins, program director for Wisconsin's College Savings Program in Madison. The state's EdVest direct-sold plan, which offers the CDs, has about $1.2 billion in assets."
"Now Strandberg was receiving up-to-the-minute news from his constituents in Illinois. One of the winning lottery numbers in the president-elect's home state was 666— which, as everyone knows, is the sign of the Beast (also known as the Antichrist). "It is very eerie, and I take it for a sign as to who he really is," wrote one of Strandberg's correspondents."
US,
Iraq Sign Troop Withdrawal Pact - Voice of America"By calling for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraqi cities by June next year, and all American troops by the end of 2011, the pact overturns a long-standing U.S. policy against setting timelines for leaving the country."
Toxic
Trailers Sold to Public as Scrap - CREW"The government is selling travel trailers to the public that were banned from use as emergency housing in disasters because many had toxic levels of formaldehyde."
15&16 Nov
Deer
Hunters RoundUp ContinuesThe Deer Hunters Roundup, aired nightly November 14th through the 30th on WJMS AM 590 and WIMI 97 FM is a rangeland tradition. People who support local programming should tune in to support the stations' effort. - Bob.
Wendt
appointed to Montreal City Council "Mark Wendt of Oshkosh Avenue in Gile took his newly appointed seat on the Montreal Council this week. Wendt replaces David Aimone, who resigned from the Ward 2 post in October."
Charter
customers
voice displeasure over rates, service "The
latest; Charter Communications customers recently received letters stating a
rate increase would be going into effect... During the Hurley City Council
meeting on Tuesday councilman Don Richards read a letter he wrote to the
council voicing his opinion on the rate hike and poor customer service of
Charter and requested action by elected officials and area residents."Big
bucks face many obstacles "Every year hunters complain about a lack of big bucks in the area. They blame it on wolves, poor management by the Department of Natural Resources and too much competition, among other reasons. It seems to me that hunters always seem to neglect some key facts here, including the severity of our winters."
Deer
Donation Numbers Are In"Program coordinator Laurie Fike says the numbers are down slightly from a year ago when 126 processors in 54 counties participated. They ground up 9,200 donated deer into 414,000 pounds of packaged venison."
Projected
retirements lead to health care worries"About a quarter of health care workers in north central Wisconsin are expected to retire within 10 years, according to a report released Friday by a coalition of economic development agencies, educational institutions and health care systems."
Obama
election a boon for gun stores"The Democratic ticket repeatedly sought to reassure gun owners that they had no plans to promote gun-control legislation or other restrictions. A "Sportsmen and Sportswomen for Obama" group held rallies throughout the state to "discuss Senator Obama's strong support of the Second Amendment and his leadership record on conservation issues," according to a campaign communication."
Fraud
suit filed against state nursing home chain "The lawsuit says Extendicare violated the state's Consumer Protection Act through false advertising that lured residents into believing they would receive good care at nursing homes that were cited for health violations by state regulators. The complaint also says the company's "24/7 Extendicare Admission Policy" was designed to automatically admit patients who have acute medical conditions such as hepatitis B, or who require dialysis or therapy. Nursing homes are reimbursed at higher rates for more acutely ill residents."
Utility
wants to spend $153 million on pollution controls at Sheboygan plant
"Pollution controls would be installed at a 23-year-old coal-fired power plant in Sheboygan at a cost of $153 million under an application filed with state regulators Friday by Alliant Energy Corp. Wisconsin Power & Light Co., a subsidiary of Alliant, is seeking permission from the state Public Service Commission to install pollution controls that would reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide by 75%, the utility said."
"State officials are preparing new physical and virtual tools to avoid a snow disaster such as the one that stranded more than 2,000 vehicles overnight in February on Interstate 39-90 between Madison and Janesville."
Norovirus
outbreak grows at UW-Madison"UW officials say 63 students have become sick in Sellery Hall since Nov. 7. Also, University Health Services has received reports of several dozen sick students in some sorority and fraternity houses and a few suspected cases in off campus housing."
Doyle
to get post in Obama administration?"That was the speculation that swept the Capitol Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. Doyle aides confirmed to reporters that the governor had had some contact with the Obama transition team, but would go no further in describing the nature of any discussions."
WHAT’S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 14 Nov 08
-
OBAMA: QUICK ACTION EXPECTED TO FOLLOW INAUGURATION.
-
FIRST AMENDMENT: CORRECTING A SUPREME ERROR.
-
FAITH WARS: MAYBE THE WORLD NEEDS A FIRST AMENDMENT.
-
SHOENBORNS FOLLY: THERE’S A GAP IN HIS THINKING.
Focus
puts retailers on a naughty and nice list for Christmas -
Colorado Springs Gazette"The "friendly" retailers are so designated because they prominently use "Merry Christmas" and other Christmas-specific references in their catalogs and in-store promotions. Those on the Christmas-offensive list use secular phrases such as "happy holidays" and have "apparently abandoned" the use of the word "Christmas," Focus said. Christmas-negligent companies "marginalize" their message by using "Christmas" in some cases and "holidays" in others."
[Please note: the above pictured Christmas tree is Jesus approved and a plastic version that was common landscaping near national franchise hotels/motels in the Bethlehem area during the first century AD. Merry Christmas! (What ever happened to Thanksgiving? - Bob]
"Next week, Congress will meet to address the spreading impact of the economic crisis. I urge them to pass at least a down-payment on a rescue plan that will create jobs, relieve the squeeze on families, and help get the economy growing again,"
Election
spurs 'hundreds' of race threats, crimes"Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting "Assassinate Obama." Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars. Incidents around the country referring to President-elect Barack Obama are dampening the postelection glow of racial progress and harmony, highlighting the stubborn racism that remains in America."
14 Nov
Deer
Hunters RoundUp Starts TonightThe Deer Hunters Roundup, aired nightly November 14th through the 30th on WJMS AM 590 and WIMI is a rangeland tradition. Deer reports and other craziness by Bill Swift, Joe Rimkus and Sam in the Morning begin tonight at 5:30 on both stations.
Hurley
places six, Washburn three on All-GWC team"Hurley had a pair of senior linebackers make the first team defense in leading tackler Jared Reid (5-10, 185) and B.J. Wesenberg (6-0, 185). Hurley's Jeff Aspinwall (5-9, 175), a sophomore, was named the league's top kicker."
"The annual Paavo Nurmi Marathon needs a new race director. "Our vision is to keep this going, no matter what," said Hurley Chamber of Commerce vice president Don Richards about the annual marathon."
Shawano
Threats"Naomi Isaacson, a spokeswoman for the Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology, says the her group has been wrongly linked to the threats. She says any threat list is a scandalous security alert that is part of a propaganda campaign to drive the group from town."
High-Speed
Internet In The Northwoods"Jim Holperin says "Any business that aspires to be successful in this world economy of ours has got to have access to high speed internet." Anyone in the Northwoods who wants high-speed internet will soon have the chance to get it if members of this task force get their way."
Religious
leader denies involvement in Shawano threats "The head of the Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology, a religious sect, says the group has nothing to do with threats the FBI is investigating against 60 people in Shawano. "The city officials set all this up. SIST has nothing to do with any of this," Naomi Isaacson, CEO of the institute, told a Green Bay television station Thursday night."
Doyle
contacted by Obama transition team"Obama campaigned for Doyle in Wisconsin during the governor's successful re-election campaign in 2006, and Doyle hosted a fundraiser for Obama last fall. After Obama won the Iowa caucus in January, Doyle publicly endorsed him and campaigned for him extensively across Wisconsin and in other states."
"The state DATCP issued its warning after being notified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture that a laboratory there found the product contaminated. The Minnesota tests showed the cookies contained melamine above the U.S. Food and Drug Administration limit of 2.5 parts per million."
"A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil.""
Secrets of Talk Radio - former news director reveals how talk show hosts
work to get us angry - Milwaukee Magazine
"To succeed, a talk show host must perpetuate the notion that his or her
listeners are victims, and the host is the vehicle by which they can become
empowered. The host frames virtually every issue in us-versus-them terms.
There has to be a bad guy against whom the host will emphatically defend
those loyal listeners."
"By now, you may have heard about our acclaimed documentary I.O.U.S.A., a film that boldly examines the rapidly growing national debt and its consequences for the United States and its citizens. The film has been a huge hit, getting rave reviews from Roger Ebert and others.
Now, we proudly release a 30-minute condensed version of I.O.U.S.A. designed specifically for watching and sharing on the web - for free."
13 Nov
Red
Cliff officials oppose changes to law enforcement funding""If we are going to take the money away from them and they can't operate the department, we are still responsible for law enforcement if they can't stay in business," he said, pointing out that the costs of totally assuming the costs of policing the Reservation cold be far higher than any benefit picked up through splitting the grant."
Montreal
tax levy down for 2009 "The city council Tuesday adopted a $482,232 tax levy for 2009, down $39,163 from last year's levy of $521,395. Along with passing the tax levy, the council also adopted a $945,019 expenditures budget for 2009. That is down $87,646 from last year's $1,032,665."
Heating
Your Home Will Cost Less Than Expected"Energy costs probably won't drop at the same percentage that crude oil costs have fallen - more than 50% from the $130/barrel reported earlier this summer. That's because many utilities bought natural gas earlier in the year, when prices were at the much higher rate."
"The F-B-I spokesman in Milwauke says the residents were notified on November fifth and no further information is being released at this time because the investigation is ongoing. T"
FBI
notifies Shawano residents of ’implied threat’"Security was tight when the Shawano City Council met Wednesday night, but there was no discussion of the FBI statement during the session. “We’re taking some extra, precautionary measures to make sure nothing does happen,” Police Chief Ed Whealon said. “We don’t know, but we’re just going ahead, (taking) a little more precautionary measures.”"
Prosecutors
cite Oregon verdict in Weston prayer death case"The church permitted medical examinations, but not medical treatment. Despite suspecting Anthony had leukemia, Hays refused to seek medical intervention and turned instead to prayer and the laying on of hands. A jury convicted him of criminally negligent homicide."
Man
hospitalized with .56% alcohol level "A homeless man who called police from a Wausau laundry was hospitalized after his preliminary blood alcohol level registered at 0.56%, or seven times the legal limit for drivers. Police Lt. Mark Pankow said it is rare for someone to have that high a level and survive.'
Few
Nov. 4 votes under investigation for fraud, official says
"Of seven absentee ballots that were challenged, four cases have been closed and three remain under investigation, Landgraf said. Meanwhile, three voter registration workers have been charged with election fraud. The three were all paid by the Community Voters Project."
IBM
to help build broadband network in power lines"Their strategy is to sign up electric cooperatives that provide power to sparsely populated areas across the eastern United States. Rather than compete toe-to-toe with large, entrenched cable or DSL providers, IBEC is looking for customers that have been largely left out of the shift to high-speed Internet."
"Americans can name the four Beatles more easily than the four Gospels. Some think Joan of Arc was Noah's wife. And if they know little about Jewish and Christian Scriptures, they know even less about other world religions. And they often don't know why any of this presents a problem."
"To file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy will cost you $1,500, plus court costs, plus the credit counseling - just an extra $100.00 added by the credit card industry in the 2005 bankruptcy legislation. Without the cash you are meat on the street;..."
12 Nov
"The council approved a budget of $2,000,080.99 for next year. An over $200,000 decrease from the 2008 budget approved at this time last year. Estimating expenditures for the remainder of the year the city expenditures for 2008 total $2,358,600.73. A difference of $358,519.74 from the approved budget. The 2009 budget is expected to be 10 percent less than 2008."
Mercer
pays tribute to veterans"Guest speaker Alan Schmitz, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, noted that veterans are teachers, grocery clerks, doctors and neighbors. The veteran, not the preacher, gave the nation freedom of religion, Schmitz said. The veteran -- not the poet, campus organizer or lawyer -- gave the country freedom of speech, the freedom to assemble and the right to a fair trial."
Hill
Climb set for Feb. 14 "
Competition
is limited to the first 30 drivers. The drivers who competed last year are
given the first shot at competing at Copper Peak, but they need to register
by Dec. 31. After that, spots are open to drivers who may not have run last
year, but have run Copper Peak in the past. Then the remaining
positions will be filled by drivers who send short resumes detailing their
snowmobile hill climb and racing experience."Study:
Separate Great Lakes, Mississippi basins"The Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds aren’t connected naturally. Over a century ago engineers linked them through a complex network of manmade canals and natural rivers to reverse the flow of the Chicago River and keep waste from Lake Michigan, which Chicago uses for drinking water."
Great
Lakes Study"A 106-page feasibility study released today by the Chicago-based Alliance for the Great Lakes says separating the watersheds is the only way to stop the transfer of some invasive species."
Dorm
Norovirus"As many as 30 students at UW-Madison are sick with the norovirus... Symptoms of norovirus illness usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping."
"Marathon County health officials are continuing to investigate an outbreak of food-borne illness possibly linked to a sports potluck dinner."
State
deficit will exceed $5 billion, Doyle says ""I am going to do everything humanly possible to avoid any general tax increase," he said. "We got through the last significant deficit (in 2003) without raising taxes, and that is what I really want to accomplish here."
Study:
Separate Great Lakes, Mississippi basins"Waterways engineered more than a century ago to connect the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds should be altered to stop the exchange of invasive species that can cause irreversible damage, an environmental advocacy group says. Separating the two basins is the only way to stop the transfer of some species, including the voracious Asian carp that is within 50 miles of Lake Michigan, says a feasibility study being released Wednesday by the Alliance for the Great Lakes."
Smoking
ban, hospital tax will be among Dems' top "Democratic Assembly leaders, now in control for the first time in 14 years, say their first order of business will be to address the dismal economic outlook that plagues the state by pushing through aid for work training, fostering new energy technologies and punishing businesses that send jobs overseas."
Government
Accountability Board to Check New Voters' IDs"But the board had declined to order clerks to do the checks before the Nov. 4 election, saying they did not have enough time and rushing the process could disenfranchise voters whose information did not match. The shortage of time was created because the board's statewide database of voters was not running until August, years behind schedule."
"He gave a pair of sermons at a small church in Illinois where the pastor is an old friend of his. "The first thing I want you to know is I sinned," Haggard began. Haggard's comments were quite revealing."
"PEJ and the Post can claim that they can only put the tallies out there, they can't control how pundits and reporters interpret or spin them or what they write in their headlines. True enough. But those who produce the findings need to explain clearly, and right at the top, what exactly was tallied, the "horse race" context, and other crucial factors, such as providing a list of which articles were viewed as favorable or unfavorable for a candidate so others can judge their standards."
11 Nov
The
Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month ... Not a time to
celebrate but a time to remember. This excellent pictorial shows how
honoring vets should not be just one day and that a Monday to lengthen a
weekend, but a thought that arises several times each year. If you
don't have time for the whole pictorial,
just check this one, it kinda says it all. - Bob
A
Plethora of Deer Hunting Articles:- Deer donation program another option for hunters
- Late opener provides a change of pace
- Baiting pointers to keep in mind
- Answers to some of gun deer huntings most frequently asked questions
- Daily Press taking in deer photos
- Tips for a successful, safe hunt
- Hunters reminded lost licenses, tags can be replaced
- Area deer registration stations listed
- Hunters reminded that some species are off limits
- DNR seeking samples to help with deer herd health checkup
Woman
cherishes jar of blueberries"The jar and the blueberries look the same as when Vera Saarino first canned them. The top of the can shows the address and return address, along with a deceased marker placed on the original address label."
Iron
County joins multi-county co-op"Ashland,
Bayfield, Price, and Sawyer counties are the other members of the ADRC.
Proposed by the state, the consortium is designed to allow people to stay in
their own homes longer and not be dependent on government resources
(Medicaid)," said Elizabeth Skulan, director of the Human Services
Department in Bayfield County on Monday."Let
it snow: Iron County town gets nine inches“Iron County and in Ashland County over in northwestern Wisconsin, we got a report of a total of 9.3 inches in Gile, Wisconsin, which is over in Iron County near Ironwood. Some other areas in Iron County received believe it was Gurney saw 3 inches, Hurley saw five inches….”
Doctor
Shortage Prompts Action"Healthcare organizations across the state including Ministry Medical Group are taking a proactive approach to fix this problem. Including targeting medical students and residents to come to rural areas like the Northwoods."
College
Savings"Wisconsin's state-sponsored college savings program dropped 8.4 percent in value in the third quarter of this year. The loss will be felt by parents and others who invested in the funds to help save for college."
Endangered
cranes cross into Illinois "The ultralights launched this year's flight of 14 first-year cranes in Necedah on Oct. 17. The cranes and crew made four stopovers in Wisconsin, but weather forced the migration to halt in Green County for 10 days."
State
confirms first flu case of the season"“Getting a flu shot is the most effective way to avoid getting the flu,” state Department of Health Services Secretary Karen Timberlake said. “There is still time for the vaccine to be effective and help prevent complications that can be caused by the flu, such as pneumonia or hospitalization.”"
Wis.
woman who voted twice won't be prosecuted"The Milwaukee woman said she voted absentee and in person at her neighborhood polling place on Nov. 4. Edna Byrd said she thought poll workers would turn her away or the machine wouldn't accept her ballot since she had voted absentee. But after her ballot was accepted, Byrd panicked and turned herself in to the Government Accountability Board."
[After all the squealing and self flagellation by the Republicans about Acorn, we now have one bad vote and she turned herself in. This is not a problem requiring federal legislation and everybody being inconvenienced. - Bob]
"The author of the e-mail, Focus on the Family Action senior vice president Tom Minnery, told his readers not to despair, saying that the right wing would overcome this situation just as Britons overcame Hitler’s bombing in World War II:"
"In fact, ACLU of Ohio executive director Christine Link wrote in a letter that she "was deeply disturbed to hear that state officials approved the use of government databases to obtain information" Wurzelbacher, and the legal director for the ACLU of Ohio told Media Matters, "We would be very happy to talk to him and see if there's something we could do to pursue redress for this violation of his privacy rights.""
10 Nov
"Its shelves are always stuffed with household essentials, its clothing racks rife with fashion treasures and its book stacks piled with bygone best sellers. But behind the vast selection of secondhand merchandise at the ABC Thrift Shop is a devoted team of volunteers, some of whom have spent nearly two decades working to keep the store up and running."
Tuesday
and every day, veterans deserve respect"Thank them, salute them, shake their hands or even hug them. We're talking about the millions of living veterans in this country. Veterans Day should remind all of us of the incredibly important and selfless sacrifice made by the men and women who are serving or have served in our Armed Forces."
Distance
Learning: a Northern Wisconsin Opportunity"Distance learning has a long successful history in Wisconsin. More than a century ago, the University of Wisconsin began teaching people across the state through correspondence study, followed by radio and television. The state now has extensive resources for online instruction, and electronic classrooms for interactive television courses in nearly every community."
WHEDA
gets new tax credits for housing ""We know this won't impact every deal that needs to get done," Riley said. "But in a tough economy like this, where more and more families find themselves needing rental housing, we need to do all we can to get additional affordable rental properties built.""
"At the same time, public school enrollment in Milwaukee has fallen below 80,000 students for the first time in a decade. The continuing drop in enrollment has put more financial pressure on the Milwaukee Public Schools, forcing them to close some buildings and seek new ways of attracting students."
DNR
shifts strategy on CWD "That response -- opposed by many hunters and some landowners in the area -- did not work, as deer in that area actually increased and the disease spread throughout most of southern Wisconsin. The agency now concedes that eliminating CWD from the state is unlikely, especially considering declining political and social support for reduction of the deer herd."
Energy
forum looks ahead"In his speech at the eHub Conference, Moore talked mainly about the benefits of nuclear power, emphasizing that “public policy wants nuclear plants, not coal plants.” After a lack of progress in nuclear energy for decades, experts have seen a recent increase in interest surrounding it. "
""I'm extremely disturbed by this election," she said. "It just doesn't seem to matter to the majority of Americans who voted for him. The pro-life movement could be set back 15 to 20 years.""
A
Quiet Windfall For U.S. Banks"In the midst of this late-September drama, the Treasury Department issued a five-sentence notice that attracted almost no public attention. But corporate tax lawyers quickly realized the enormous implications of the document: Administration officials had just given American banks a windfall of as much as $140 billion. "
08&09 Nov
Mercer
Artist Exhibited at Finlandia
""Lake
Superior's southernmost shore is the outpost for boreal species," Daulton
writes in her artist's statement. "As our climate changes these habitats
face threats from warming temperatures and changing moisture patterns.
"This exhibit is a celebration of the boreal, but also a call to action.
Humans can make a difference for the species in the North Woods of Michigan
and Wisconsin - if we choose to."'Funniest
Videos' to air clip of Hurley flip"A video clip from the advance music media class at Hurley High School is scheduled to appear on "America's Funniest Videos" (ABC) at 6 p.m. on Sunday."
New
Assembly Speaker To Be Chosen on Wednesday"The 52-member Democratic caucus is scheduled to meet that day to secretly vote for their new leader. Democrats took control of the Assembly from Republicans in last week's election."
Taxpayer
Privacy"The state of Wisconsin's transition to a new computer billing system for Medicaid and other programs is on track to be done Monday. Once operational, all 900,000 Medicaid recipients will no longer use their Social Security Number as an identifier."
Voting
Early in Wisconsin"Kennedy says early voting requires less paperwork than voting absentee, which involves applying for a ballot. He says clerks also could count the early votes before Election Day, unlike absentee ballots. Counting them on Election Day has delayed some results."
tural
plants along lakes""If Adams County would have done what they were supposed to do the last 35 years, none of us were voicing our opinion," Gabriel said. Adams County Conservationist Chris Murphy said the ordinance -- including the buffer zones provision -- is designed to protect the water quality of the lakes."
"Portland, Maine-based Barber Foods Co. is recalling the products - about 41,400 pounds worth - that were produced on May 17, June 2 and Aug. 4 for catalog or online purchase from Schwan's."
"A statewide smoking ban that went up in smoke in the Legislature last year will likely be reignited when Democrats take control of the Assembly. Even though opposition to the ban came mostly from the powerful Tavern League lobby, Republican leaders in the Assembly did not actively work on getting the bipartisan bill passed."
Springfield,VA,
Senator
wants answers on dangers of burn pits"Feingold said he read about the issue in a Military Times paper. Another Military Times story showed hazardous waste is a problem throughout Iraq and Afghanistan."
WHAT’S
NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 07 Nov 08
-
CHANGE: SCIENCE IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
-
THE NEW OIL: A DESALINATION PLANT FOR LONDON?
-
SCIENCE FRICTION: MICHAEL CRICHTON DIES AT 66.
-
REALITY THERAPY: RICHARD DAWKINS RETIRES FROM OXFORD.
Jewish
Law's Meaning of Death Nears Court Fight - Washington Post
"In
court papers, the hospital says treating him is "offensive to good medical
ethics" because, unlike the highly publicized cases of
Terri Schiavo and Karen Ann Quinlan, the boy has no brain activity. His
parents, Orthodox Jews from Brooklyn, say their faith does not define death
in that way, and they reject the hospital's pronouncements that their son
has been dead since Tuesday."
U.S.
Supreme Court May be Next Stop for Illinois 'Choose Life' Specialty License
Plates"We are very disappointed that the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago has reversed the decision handed down on January 22, 2007, by U.S. District Court Judge David Coar. Coar affirmed that Illinois violated the First Amendment rights of more than 25,000 Illinois citizens who signed petitions for Illinois' approval and issuance of 'Choose Life' specialty license plates. Proceeds were to be dedicated to funding adoptions throughout Illinois."
Animated
short: The economy"The economic outlook isn't too peachy, according to this newscaster."
"Don't miss Walt Handelsman's animated cartoons. Sign up to be sent an alert when each new animated cartoon is posted online."
07 Nov
Regulators
approve new Wisconsin area codes in 715 region"‘‘Usable telephone numbers are a finite resource,’’ PSC chairman Eric Callisto said. New customers in the 715 area code, which covers roughly the northern half of the state from Eau Claire to Marinette, could get a 534 number as soon as mid-2010. Current customers will keep 715."
Elections
bode well for Great Lakes, experts said
""We know that Barack and his family lived for nearly 20 years
just blocks from Lake Michigan," Cameron Davis, CEO and president of the
Alliance for the Great Lakes, said in a Thursday conference call with
reporters and others interested in Great Lakes issues. "He goes to Lake
Michigan with his family, he knows the importance of local coastlines to
local economies for commercial, recreational and quality of life purposes; I
think that's a given.""
"Scattered power outages were reported Thursday afternoon in areas of Iron County, Wis., as a rare early November rainstorm moved through the Gogebic Range, turning the sky black, then pink. Some homes in Kimball, Montreal, Gile and South Carey were affected, according to the Iron County Sheriff's Department."
"The town paid $1,000 for two lots along Wisconsin 77 that were taken on a tax deed by Iron County. The town also forgave a $1,440 weed control bill issued to Iron County for cutting the grass on those two lots, said county clerk Mike Saari."
WI
Joins Multi-State Effort Against Elicit Ads "Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced the partnership today. Under the agreement,
advertisers on Craig's List will have to provide phone numbers and credit card information that could be used by police conducting an investigation."
State
traffic deaths down for October ""For the last two months in Wisconsin, we've seen traffic fatalities at their lowest numbers in more than 60 years," said Dennis Hughes, chief of safety programs for the DOT. "If this trend continues, Wisconsin could end the year with the lowest number of traffic deaths in several decades.""
State
pension fund loses $10 billion in October "The State of Wisconsin Investment Board had assets of about $62.5 billion on Oct. 31, down more than $25 billion since the beginning of the year. The SWIB portfolio is now about the same size as it was at the end of 2000."
Wisconsin's
voter turnout rate ranks second in nation"In Wisconsin, 70.89% of the voting-age population cast ballots. That's down from 2004, when 73.82% went to the polls. In all, just under 3 million people voted in Wisconsin, compared with just over 3 million four years ago. Analysts believe the decline, in part, is because the presidential contest was seen as less competitive than in 2004, when a difference of about 11,400 votes separated the candidates."
AT&T
nearly doubles top U-verse Internet speed"The 18 Mbps speed also is faster than the top offerings from its main competitors -- cable companies like Madison-area provider Charter Communications, which offers a top speed of 16 Mbps with its Charter High-Speed Max service."
[You can test your upload speed at the link that is always in the right column or by clicking HERE. - Bob]
""It's how I see good in the world," explains participant Ryan Mooney, a college freshman in Portland, Ore., who is Jewish but spends hours reading the teachings of other faiths. "That all these religions formed by different societies come around to this sentiment of striving toward goodness gives me faith in the world.""
The
Bailout: A Far Cry from Socialism - History News Network"Many of America's first banks were owned partly by either state governments or the national government. These included the first Bank of the United States, established in 1791, in which the federal government held 20 percent of all shares. Among the states, Pennsylvania in particular owned stock in numerous banks, beginning in 1793 with a third of the Bank of Pennsylvania."
06 Nov
Northern
Wisconsin Running Out of Telephone Numbers "The Wisconsin Public Service Commission will meet Thursday to discuss what to do with two telephone area codes that are running out of numbers. PSC spokesman Tim Le Monds says the 715 area code is projected to be out of numbers by mid-2010 and the 920 area code will run out by mid-2011."
Absentee
system blamed for slow results"Early voting is not the same as voting absentee, which requires municipal officials to hold a resident's ballot after it's submitted and then cast it on Election Day. Early voting allows municipal officials to count ballots from voters prior to the general election, though results are not made public until polls close on Election Day."
MillerCoors
discloses Milwaukee job cuts "MillerCoors LLC has cut around 270 jobs throughout the newly formed joint venture, including 100 positions in Milwaukee, as part of its goal of achieving $500 million in cost savings over three years, a company spokesman said Wednesday."
"A similar package was delivered to the Indianapolis Star on Monday, with a return address and writing that tied it to Marc Keyser. He was charged last week with three counts of sending anthrax hoaxes. Keyser has said he sent more than 120 such packages early last week to alert the public to the threat of terrorism, according to an Associated Press report."
Budget
deficit leaves state Democrats tough row to hoe"With the fall of the Republican Assembly in Tuesday's elections, Democrats now take control - and responsibility - for the steering of the course of a state where factories are closing, voters are fearful and government could be facing its largest budget shortfall in years."
Doyle's
plans bolstered by Democratic Legislature ""I think we can have a really great Legislature that is focused on the real needs of the people of Wisconsin," he said. But facing a budget deficit earlier projected at $3 billion and expected to grow when new numbers are released in mid-November, the state and the nation are in for a "long and deep recession" that will require spending cuts, he said."
UW
community celebrates stem cell anniversary"Today is the 10th anniversary of a monumental achievement in stem cell research by University of Wisconsin professor James Thomson. On Nov. 6, 1998, Thomson reported the first isolation of human embryonic stem cells, which could potentially cure diseases like Parkinson’s and cancer."
"Digital Praise's Guitar Praise - Solid Rock adopts the same concept of "playing" rock tunes on an increasingly difficult level. But it inhabits a gentler world where a bad performance gets you mild clapping and gentle suggestions instead of the raucous boos and catcalls that accompany failure in Guitar Hero."
Moratorium
on Political CoverageWe have not violated the promise to not cover politics... the articles above are about the budget... they are governance not politics. We still feel an obligation to cover what they do, just not what they say.
05 Nov
Gary
Sherman handily retains 74th Assembly District seat""My good friend Frank Boyle always said that being in the minority was sort of like being one notch above pond scum," he said. "That's why I'm looking at being in the majority, and I think it's falling our way." LaBarre said she was "hanging in there" following her decisive defeat."
Mercer
School District passes referendum"The successful referendum means the district will be able to levy an additional $350,000 beyond state revenue limits every year for the next five years, Ehrhardt said."
Obey
defeats challenger Mielke""I feel pretty good about the support the people of the district have given me," Obey said in a telephone interview Tuesday evening. “I am deeply appreciative, and I am also really pleased that this country is finally going to get a change in direction under Obama."
Voters
turn out in high numbers in Iron County "The number of registered voters increased on Tuesday, however, when a good number registered just prior to casting their ballots. At the onset of Tuesday's election, the City of Hurley had 1,006 registered voters. By 3 p.m., 543 voters had cast ballots, 40 of which were people who had registered to vote on Tuesday."
Sherman
defeats LaBarre in race for Assembly seat "Gary Sherman won his sixth term as Wisconsin's 74th Assembly representative in Tuesday's election, holding a two-to-one lead in early returns. Sherman led 11,789 to 5,921 overall."
First
Time Voters"There was a steady stream of people voting all morning, but the surprising thing was the number of new voters. Registration tables were constantly filled with people filling out paperwork to vote for the first time."
"City of Milwaukee residents overwhelmingly approved a binding referendum Tuesday that calls for private employers in the city to provide paid sick leave for all their workers, a measure strongly opposed by business leaders and Mayor Tom Barrett. The final vote tally showed 69% voted for the referendum with 31% against."
""We believe that our properties' locations, generally within 180 miles of major population centers,Sherman helped attract 'stay-cation' families who wanted to get away to a convenient drive-to location with great value," he said."
| County | Precincts | G. Sherman (i) (Dem) | S. LaBarre (GOP) | ||
| Total | 89/89 |
17,910 |
62% | 10,793 | 38% |
| Ashland | 26/26 | 5,625 | 70% | 2,450 | 30% |
| Bayfield | 28/28 | 5,970 | 64% | 3,311 | 36% |
| Iron | 19/19 | 2,058 | 64% | 1,181 | 36% |
| Sawyer | 16/16 | 4,257 | 53% | 3,851 | 47% |
"After services ended Sunday, First Presbyterian in downtown Fresno and Trinity Presbyterian in Clovis both voted to leave Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) over differences mainly about the authority of Scripture and the possibility of gay leadership in the church."
Morratorium
on political coverage ...If politicians issue thank yous to the voters, they will be posted. Short of that, readers of these categories will have to wait until December.
04 Nov
Finally,
it's time to vote!"Incumbent Congressman Dave Obey, D-Wausau, faces a challenge in the 7th District from Dan Mielke, while state Rep. Gary Sherman, D-Port Wing, will try to keep his 74th District Assembly seat in a race against Shirl LaBarre."
"Participants voted at the end of the meeting by placing a sticker next to one of 28 of their favorite goals or objectives. The "Beautiful NorthWoods" concept received 10 votes. Following it were "Tourism (range-wide community calendar/share event scheduling) with 8 votes, ..."
[Perhaps
these folks should click on the "Calendar" button above. I am
regularly amazed at how complete, inclusive, and accurate that information
is. Silvia at WIMI/WJMS (906-932-2411) does an excellent job. It
would be nice if some of you called and thanked her. That it syncs
with their public service announcements is a definite plus. - Bob]-
Four
Midgettes headline cross country squad
"Senior Hailey Manzanares, junior Erin Gulan, sophomore Chanel Youngs and freshman Miranda Manzanares were all named to the 10-member team selected by conference coaches. For Youngs, it was her second straight appearance on the All-Indianhead team." -
Windt, Manzanares named to All-Indianhead team
"Hurley senior Kayla Windt was one of six members of the 2007 All-Indianhead Conference volleyball team to repeat the honor in 2008... Midgette senior Hailey Manzanares also made the team,..."
With
the Colors "Kyle W. Thompson Jr. graduated from basic training in the U.S. Army Oct. 23. He has been assigned to the military police."
"By the time the polls close tonight, about 3.2 million people are expected to have cast ballots in Wisconsin. That would be about three-quarters of the voting age population and 91 percent of the registered voters. The previous highest number of votes cast was 3 million in November 2004."
Last-Minute Voting Tips
Judge:
Caught 'Between Rock and Hard
Place' in Prayer Death Case"Marathon County Circuit Judge Vincent Howard says courts in two states have tossed out similar cases while courts in two other states allowed them to go to trial."
Early
morning at the polls"People were complaining that they have been standing in line for almost an hour and those who are not registered to vote were taken in from anywhere in the line, brought inside the polling place, registered to vote and then were able to vote right away, jumping past those who were in line."
Ruling
lets disputed political ads return to radio "The three-judge panel said it could find no case law that would force the Coalition for America's Families to stop its ads before there was a ruling on whether the spots were false. At the hearing, Lister refused to take further action because of the appeals ruling. He said he was stepping aside in the case to avoid the appearance that he was predisposed to rule against the group running the ads."
Feingold
wants federal probe into Badger Ammo contamination "Records provided by the citizens' group indicate that workers and those living near the plant could have been exposed to contamination beginning in 1943 because the potable water system at the plant, which manufactured ammunition for the military, was directly connected to industrial process water piping."
Paid
GOP workers say they misled Wis. voters "The workers claim they were told to say they were GOP volunteers even though they were getting paid $10 an hour for the work. They said they were forced to sign agreements stating they would not speak publicly about their work; they decided to speak out because they were angry they had not been paid for their final few days."
Exploring
bioenergy crop potential
"Miller found that if managed right, trees grown on high-quality land could
be profitably sold as chips for power generation. When he factored in the
value of the carbon sequestered from the trees, the activity could be
profitable on low-quality land as well. Miller found that a net credit of
only $6 per metric ton would make aspen plantations economically feasible on
the lands."
"“[The students] have said it was a political statement,” Perez said. “The point they were trying to make was that Obama was not good enough to be an Act Six student. That’s what they said afterward. From their perspective, it wasn’t racially motivated.”"
How
McCain Could Win - Greg Palast"Here's an ugly little secret about American democracy: We don't count all the votes. In 2004, based on the data from the US Elections Assistance Commission, 3,006,080 votes were not counted: "spoiled," unreadable and blank ballots; "provisional" ballots rejected; mail-in ballots disqualified."
-
Feingold
Has Unique Perspective On Election - WISN.com - Milwaukee,WI,
03 Nov
Hunters
easier on wolves in 2007"The six-month period covered in the wolf report, from October through March, wasn't a mortality-free period for the packs, however. A total of 37 wolves and two wolf-dog hybrids were found dead during the winter period. Ten of those animals had been radio-collared by the DNR. While only one wolf was shot during deer-gun season, nine wolves were killed illegally during the six-month period, including three by bow hunters.
Hurley
man arrested for failing to appear"Volkening did not appear in court on Oct. 13 for his initial appearance on two felony burglary counts and one felony of identity theft. The charges stem from two thefts from a home in the Oma area in early May. Volkening also faces two misdemeanors of theft resulting from the same incident in which cash and a credit card were stolen from the home."
Glidden,
Park Falls face big decision"Only twice in the last 13 years have two Wisconsin school districts chosen to shut down, reconfigure their boundaries and reopen as one. Now the small districts of Park Falls and Glidden, boxed into a corner by declining student enrollment, rising costs and the state's unforgiving school-funding formula, are poised to become the third pair to consolidate since 1995."
"Are there long lines at your polling place? Have you been required to use a provisional ballot? Have you seen signs of voter suppression or fraud? If you run into these problems or others on election day, we want to know and there are plenty of ways to contact us.
- Call – (414) 224-2318
- E-mail a description – jsmetro@journalsentinel.com
- E-mail pictures – photo@journalsentinel.com
DNR
cautions dog owners about fatal algae toxin"The DNR says three dogs have died in late September and early October, the start of duck hunting season... DNR water management specialist James Vennie says the toxin is released when the algae die. It then turns colors, including green and purple. He warns if the water is pea soup green, don't go in.
"Wisconsin's multibillion-dollar public employee pension fund is preparing to reduce payments to about 150,000 retirees for the first time in its 26-year history. The Department of Employee Trust Funds is also warning municipalities, counties, school boards and the state they will have to increase contributions to the pension fund."
"During what some call the start of a recession, mainline church officials are assuring pastors and retirees that their pension funds are secure. But the officials are concerned about how the economic woes will affect their operating budgets and ministries."
McCain's
name nowhere to be seen at Palin rally = CNN Political Ticker"But on closer inspection, the GOP nominee’s name was literally nowhere to be found on any of the official campaign signage distributed to supporters at the event... The other sign handed out to supporters read “Florida is Palin Country,” but those signs were neither paid for by the Republican National Committee nor the McCain campaign."
GOP offers
scant proof of voter fraud - Politico"But Ronald Michaelson, a veteran election administrator and member of the McCain-Palin Honest and Open Election Committee, said in an interview that he could not name a single instance in which this had occurred. “Do we have a documented instance of voting fraud that resulted from a phony registration form? No, I can’t cite one, chapter and verse,” he said."
"A look back at the most memorable gaffes, disastrous interviews, and other schadenfreude-inducing moments from the 2008 presidential campaign."
01&02 Nov
Voting
Problems? Here's the Newest Way to Report Them - Alternet"Twitter Vote Report is a joint effort by a coalition of groups, including Rock the Vote, Election Protection, and techPresident, who are asking voters to "tweet" any problems they see and include the tag #votereport in their tweet. The folks at the project will then be able to aggregate and map these "tweets" so that problems around the country can be seen as they happen."
Mercer
to make most of U.S. 51 project"Rebuilding the two-lane highway will add sidewalks and bike lanes in some areas. Downtown parking will be redesigned. The storm sewer system will be rebuilt. Areas will be created to collect storm water to prevent street debris from washing into Mercer Lake, as happens now."
Airport
waits for official word on terminal funding"On Wednesday, when airport officials met with representatives from the MDOT-Aeronautics Division, and airport engineers Mead & Hunt of Lansing in a pre-engineer and design session, Kelly Crannell from the MDOT said the state would make up for any shortfalls in funding (FAA discretionary funds), according to DuRay."
Voting
Dropoff"Both parties are working to reduce the ``voter dropoff'' rate the number of people who cast ballots in the presidential race but leave the rest of their ballots blank."
Plan
would expand BadgerCare to adults without children "The new plan would provide basic coverage to adults who do not have children under 18 years old. State health programs now are limited to families with children, people who are disabled or children. Adults with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level - $20,800 a year for one person and $28,000 for a married couple - would be eligible for the plan."
"Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board chief executive James Robson says in a statement the campaign is intended to create a personality for each cheese that consumers can relate to. The campaign will include print and radio advertisements and a Web site."
"I appreciate that your office must be prepared to respond to incidents, if any, that may arise on Election Day. But the announcement and execution of your plans may have the effect of discouraging legitimate voters from attempting to cast their votes, and I urge you to reconsider your decision."
-
Feingold Weighs in on WI AG's Plans for Prosecutor Poll Watchers
- TPM
"But Van Hollen doesn't seem to be fazed by these setbacks and detractors. The GOP AG sent a letter Wednesday asking chief district court judges across the state to alert him on Election Day in the case he has to "initiate emergency election-related proceedings.""
WHAT’S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 31 Oct 08
-
OCTOBER SURPRISE? THERE’S STILL TIME IF YOU HURRY.
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ENDORSEMENTS: NOT EVERYONE WAS PLEASED LAST WEEK.
-
HUBBLE: THE SPACE TELESCOPE EMERGES FROM COMA.
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HYDRINOS: BLACKLIGHT POWER ANNOUNCES CONFIRMATION.
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PUBLICATION: OLDER SCIENTISTS PUBLISH MORE PAPERS.
""Certainly the business has every right to establish theme parks or other types of businesses and request funding," Weinberg said. "We want to ensure that the tax incentives granted are available to all similarly situated businesses.""
"As the top leader of the New Apostolic Reformation, which extensive evidence suggests is Sarah Palin's chosen religious and political movement, C. Peter Wagner proclaimed, on June 21, 2006, that "God has declared through His prophets that the wealth of the wicked will be released to the Kingdom of God," and Wagner declared, threateningly, "the enemies' camp will be plundered.""
-
Quebec
pair prank Palin with faux-Sarkozy phone call - CTV
""I see you as a president one day, too," says one of the pranksters to Palin. "Maybe in eight years," she responds. The duo, who have a regular show on Montreal radio station CKOI, have also made prank calls over their 10-year history to celebrities like Bill Gates, Tiger Woods, Britney Spears and Sarkozy himself." -
Quebec comedy duo talks porn and politics with oblivious Sarah Palin
- The Canadian Press
""I wanted to see how (Palin) was on an intellectual level," Audette said, comparing the latest prank to the duo's crank call with pop idol Britney Spears. "You can see that she's, well, not really brilliant." In a statement Saturday, Palin's team said the vice-presidential nominee was "mildly amused" to learn she was the victim of a prank."
"In Congress, we have a red button, a green button and a yellow button, alright. Green means 'yes,' red means 'no,' and yellow means you're a chicken shit. And the last thing we need in the White House, in the oval office, behind that big desk, is some chicken who wants to push this yellow button."
-
Wisc
Senator Feingold Not Happy His Fellow Democrat Refused Public Financing
- 1410 WIZM - La Crosse,WI