Merry Christmas from Mother Nature
12/25/09 - Christmas travel promises to be wet and messy. Dennis Hughes with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation says rain across much of the state this morning is going to demand caution on the roads and highways. Hughes says Mother Nature is really in charge. He says drivers need to slow, down, buckle up and don’t drink and drive. That last warning is one a Dane County man apparently failed to heed. The sheriff’s department says 47 year old R. Douglas Hill died after striking a bridge shortly after midnight Thursday morning. Weather Central meteorologist Brian Olson says the forecast is for rainy, wet and not too “Christmassy,” with lingering rain showers on Christmas morning, and considerably diminished snow cover, thanks to as much as an inch of rain.
Referendum Coming to Cambria-Friesland School District
12/25/09 - A 1.25-million-dollar referendum will appear on the ballots of Cambria-Friesland School District residents this April. Earlier this week the school board unanimously approved going to referendum. If approved, the funds would be used to perform long overdue building maintenance, including the replacement of a 50-year-old boiler on the high school side of the building. The funds would also help in repairing roof leaks and electrical service. It’s projected the tax rate for residents would actually stay about the same as it currently is, because the debt for the elementary school addition will be retired next year. The next steps in the process include finding someone that can handle the financial and legal aspects of the referendum.
Waupun Hires Real Estate Firm to Sell Former Elementary Schools
12/25/09 - The three former Waupun elementary schools that closed in June will officially go on the market in the near future. That comes after the school board approved the bid of the real estate firm House to Home to handle the sale of the buildings. The Alto, Jefferson, and Fox Lake elementary schools closed at the end of the last school year after voters shot down a referendum that would have provided funds for the operation of the buildings. Earlier this year, the board approved the selling prices for the buildings. The asking price for Fox Lake Elementary and an additional four-acres of land is $311,000. The price for Jefferson Elementary in Waupun is 370,000 and that also includes an additional 4-acres of land. And the Alto building had its price set at 200,000. So far, administrators say no groups or investors have shown a real interest in the buildings.
Lawmaker Looking to Stop the Counting of Prison Inmates as Residents
12/25/09 - A legislator in Wisconsin is trying to push a constitutional amendment that would stop the practice of counting prison inmates as residents in the legislative district where they are imprisoned. Fred Kessler of Milwaukee says in the 53rd Assembly district, an area that includes Waupun, 10-percent of the population is incarcerated and therefore do not have a right to vote and aren’t using local public services. He believes that because inmates aren’t using the services, communities with prisons are allowed a greater impact on a state level than they should. However, Senator Randy Hopper, who represents the 53rd district, says inmates in his district do use local services, including a recently built health clinic in Waupun. He says if Kessler wants to count the inmates from the county they are from he would expect the cost of housing those prisoners be repaid. There are at least five correctional institutions located within Hopper’s district, including Waupun Correctional Institution and Dodge Correction Institution.
Feingold Satisfied with Health Care Reform Package
12/25/09 - Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold says he’s generally satisfied with the U.S. Senate health care reform bill which passed early Thursday. Senator Feingold says the bill allows for changes in Medicare reimbursement formulas which, he says, have “ripped off Wisconsin for decades.” Also, the bill does not penalize Wisconsin, which has been a leader in providing health care to low-income residents. Feingold is disappointed that the Senate bill, which passed on a 60-39 vote, does not include a public option – but says that could still be a feature of the final bill that gets hammered out by a House-Senate conference committee. Feingold expects a finished product to be ready for the president’s signature before the end of next month, prior to the State of The Union address.
Doyle Reflects on Rough 2009
12/25/09 - Dealing with declining state revenues and rising unemployment dominated much of Governor Jim Doyle’s agenda in 2009. However, Doyle says Wisconsin has been able to weather the storm better than others. He says agencies have been able to cut spending, while still trying to protect jobs and services. The governor says people have had to do more with less, but they have succeeded. It has still be a tough year. The Governor says things are starting to look up. As he enters his last year in office, Doyle says a major focus will be on preparing the state to take advantage of new economic opportunities -- such as jobs in biotechnology and renewable energy industries. He says the state needs to be ready for long term sustained growth, as the economy starts to improve.
On Average WI Property Taxes Up 4.2%
12/25/09 - Wisconsin’s property owners will pay an average of four-point-two percent more on their local taxes for this year. That’s according to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, which analyzed the bills sent out by local governments this month. Those bills include taxes for public schools, municipalities, counties, and technical colleges. The tax alliance said school taxes rose an average of six-percent. Tech schools are charging three-point-nine percent more, and county tax levies are up three-point-two percent. Complete data is not available yet for city, village, and town governments – but the alliance says those taxes should go up three-point-two percent statewide. These are just averages. Actual rates vary greatly from place-to-place.
Teens Were Drinking Before Killing Farm Animals
12/25/09 - Prosecutors said two teenagers were drinking before they shot-and-killed eight farm animals in Barron and Dunn counties last month. 17-year-old Trenton Hollister of Dallas Wisconsin appeared in Barron County Circuit Court yesterday on two adult felony charges of killing animals by mistreatment. He was freed on a signature bond, and is due back in court next Wednesday. A 17-year-old Wheeler boy is also awaiting court action. On-line court records did not list any charges for him yet – but media reports say he’s due in court next Wednesday. According to prosecutors, Hollister and the other boy each had eight-or-nine beers before they got into Hollister’s car, drove around the countryside, and shot three horses in one location and five cows in another. Officials said their original plan was to poach deer.
Police Help to Recover Money in Scam
12/25/09 - Janesville police have helped an elderly woman recover three thousand dollars. Cops say a con artist, posing as the woman’s grandson, called her and said he needed bail money wired to Canada. She had already wired the money, but the manager who set up the transfer inadvertently wrote down the wrong country code. Thanks to that error, police were able to recover the money. Officer Valerie Southwick said the woman realized it was a scam when the con artists kept calling, saying they hadn’t received the money. When she called her actual grandson, he was in Michigan, not a Canadian jail. The calls came from an untraceable cell phone in Quebec. Southwick said it made her Christmas to be able to help recover the money.
Another Big Contract Awarded to the Oshkosh Corporation
12/25/09 - The Oshkosh Corporation got quite a Christmas present – another big military contract. The truck manufacturer announced a 54-million contract today to provide protective armor for almost a-thousand vehicles. The armor is designed for the mine-resistant trucks which are made by Oshkosh to handle the rough terrain in Afghanistan. The firm says it will make 800 armored kits that protect against rocket-propelled grenade, and 170 kits which will help ward off explosives.
Fire Awareness Important During Holiday Season
12/25/09 - It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but if you’re not careful, your festivities could go up in smoke. One of the main causes of home fires is the use – or misuse – of candles. Sheboygan Chief Fire Inspector Robert Kocmoud says candle use is even more prevalent during this time of year. He says we have to make sure those candles are properly put out when you’re done. Kocmoud says too often it’s the inattentive use of candles that causes the most problems.
12/25/09 - Christmas travel promises to be wet and messy. Dennis Hughes with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation says rain across much of the state this morning is going to demand caution on the roads and highways. Hughes says Mother Nature is really in charge. He says drivers need to slow, down, buckle up and don’t drink and drive. That last warning is one a Dane County man apparently failed to heed. The sheriff’s department says 47 year old R. Douglas Hill died after striking a bridge shortly after midnight Thursday morning. Weather Central meteorologist Brian Olson says the forecast is for rainy, wet and not too “Christmassy,” with lingering rain showers on Christmas morning, and considerably diminished snow cover, thanks to as much as an inch of rain.
Referendum Coming to Cambria-Friesland School District
12/25/09 - A 1.25-million-dollar referendum will appear on the ballots of Cambria-Friesland School District residents this April. Earlier this week the school board unanimously approved going to referendum. If approved, the funds would be used to perform long overdue building maintenance, including the replacement of a 50-year-old boiler on the high school side of the building. The funds would also help in repairing roof leaks and electrical service. It’s projected the tax rate for residents would actually stay about the same as it currently is, because the debt for the elementary school addition will be retired next year. The next steps in the process include finding someone that can handle the financial and legal aspects of the referendum.
Waupun Hires Real Estate Firm to Sell Former Elementary Schools
12/25/09 - The three former Waupun elementary schools that closed in June will officially go on the market in the near future. That comes after the school board approved the bid of the real estate firm House to Home to handle the sale of the buildings. The Alto, Jefferson, and Fox Lake elementary schools closed at the end of the last school year after voters shot down a referendum that would have provided funds for the operation of the buildings. Earlier this year, the board approved the selling prices for the buildings. The asking price for Fox Lake Elementary and an additional four-acres of land is $311,000. The price for Jefferson Elementary in Waupun is 370,000 and that also includes an additional 4-acres of land. And the Alto building had its price set at 200,000. So far, administrators say no groups or investors have shown a real interest in the buildings.
Lawmaker Looking to Stop the Counting of Prison Inmates as Residents
12/25/09 - A legislator in Wisconsin is trying to push a constitutional amendment that would stop the practice of counting prison inmates as residents in the legislative district where they are imprisoned. Fred Kessler of Milwaukee says in the 53rd Assembly district, an area that includes Waupun, 10-percent of the population is incarcerated and therefore do not have a right to vote and aren’t using local public services. He believes that because inmates aren’t using the services, communities with prisons are allowed a greater impact on a state level than they should. However, Senator Randy Hopper, who represents the 53rd district, says inmates in his district do use local services, including a recently built health clinic in Waupun. He says if Kessler wants to count the inmates from the county they are from he would expect the cost of housing those prisoners be repaid. There are at least five correctional institutions located within Hopper’s district, including Waupun Correctional Institution and Dodge Correction Institution.
Feingold Satisfied with Health Care Reform Package
12/25/09 - Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold says he’s generally satisfied with the U.S. Senate health care reform bill which passed early Thursday. Senator Feingold says the bill allows for changes in Medicare reimbursement formulas which, he says, have “ripped off Wisconsin for decades.” Also, the bill does not penalize Wisconsin, which has been a leader in providing health care to low-income residents. Feingold is disappointed that the Senate bill, which passed on a 60-39 vote, does not include a public option – but says that could still be a feature of the final bill that gets hammered out by a House-Senate conference committee. Feingold expects a finished product to be ready for the president’s signature before the end of next month, prior to the State of The Union address.
Doyle Reflects on Rough 2009
12/25/09 - Dealing with declining state revenues and rising unemployment dominated much of Governor Jim Doyle’s agenda in 2009. However, Doyle says Wisconsin has been able to weather the storm better than others. He says agencies have been able to cut spending, while still trying to protect jobs and services. The governor says people have had to do more with less, but they have succeeded. It has still be a tough year. The Governor says things are starting to look up. As he enters his last year in office, Doyle says a major focus will be on preparing the state to take advantage of new economic opportunities -- such as jobs in biotechnology and renewable energy industries. He says the state needs to be ready for long term sustained growth, as the economy starts to improve.
On Average WI Property Taxes Up 4.2%
12/25/09 - Wisconsin’s property owners will pay an average of four-point-two percent more on their local taxes for this year. That’s according to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, which analyzed the bills sent out by local governments this month. Those bills include taxes for public schools, municipalities, counties, and technical colleges. The tax alliance said school taxes rose an average of six-percent. Tech schools are charging three-point-nine percent more, and county tax levies are up three-point-two percent. Complete data is not available yet for city, village, and town governments – but the alliance says those taxes should go up three-point-two percent statewide. These are just averages. Actual rates vary greatly from place-to-place.
Teens Were Drinking Before Killing Farm Animals
12/25/09 - Prosecutors said two teenagers were drinking before they shot-and-killed eight farm animals in Barron and Dunn counties last month. 17-year-old Trenton Hollister of Dallas Wisconsin appeared in Barron County Circuit Court yesterday on two adult felony charges of killing animals by mistreatment. He was freed on a signature bond, and is due back in court next Wednesday. A 17-year-old Wheeler boy is also awaiting court action. On-line court records did not list any charges for him yet – but media reports say he’s due in court next Wednesday. According to prosecutors, Hollister and the other boy each had eight-or-nine beers before they got into Hollister’s car, drove around the countryside, and shot three horses in one location and five cows in another. Officials said their original plan was to poach deer.
Police Help to Recover Money in Scam
12/25/09 - Janesville police have helped an elderly woman recover three thousand dollars. Cops say a con artist, posing as the woman’s grandson, called her and said he needed bail money wired to Canada. She had already wired the money, but the manager who set up the transfer inadvertently wrote down the wrong country code. Thanks to that error, police were able to recover the money. Officer Valerie Southwick said the woman realized it was a scam when the con artists kept calling, saying they hadn’t received the money. When she called her actual grandson, he was in Michigan, not a Canadian jail. The calls came from an untraceable cell phone in Quebec. Southwick said it made her Christmas to be able to help recover the money.
Another Big Contract Awarded to the Oshkosh Corporation
12/25/09 - The Oshkosh Corporation got quite a Christmas present – another big military contract. The truck manufacturer announced a 54-million contract today to provide protective armor for almost a-thousand vehicles. The armor is designed for the mine-resistant trucks which are made by Oshkosh to handle the rough terrain in Afghanistan. The firm says it will make 800 armored kits that protect against rocket-propelled grenade, and 170 kits which will help ward off explosives.
Fire Awareness Important During Holiday Season
12/25/09 - It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but if you’re not careful, your festivities could go up in smoke. One of the main causes of home fires is the use – or misuse – of candles. Sheboygan Chief Fire Inspector Robert Kocmoud says candle use is even more prevalent during this time of year. He says we have to make sure those candles are properly put out when you’re done. Kocmoud says too often it’s the inattentive use of candles that causes the most problems.
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