Top Stories, August 8th

Detour On Beaver Dam Thoroughfare

8/8/10 - A heavily traveled street in Beaver Dam will be closed for the next week and a half. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says both lanes of Madison Street will be re-routed so that utility work can be performed on the street fronting Madison Place, a new downtown housing development. Northbound Madison Street traffic will be intercepted at Mill Street and then directed north on S. Center Rd. back to Front Street. Westbound Front Street traffic destined for Madison Street will be intercepted at Center Rd. and directed to Mill, then back to Madison St. Silverstone Partners of Middleton is constructing a 62-unit, three-story independent senior living center at the site of the former Thomas Chevrolet lot. Silverstone President Tom Sather says the doors will be opened as planned this October. Madison Place will offer 36 one-bedroom apartments and 26 two-bedroom apartments to those 55 and older.

Weyco Work Beginning

8/8/10 - Meanwhile, across the street from Madison Place, work is now underway to convert the old Weyco Shoe Factory in Beaver Dam into an apartment complex. Wisconsin Redevelopment Vice President Todd Hutchison says construction should take less than one year and the units should be ready for occupancy by next June. Like Madison Place, Hutschson says there have already been a number of people that have requested marketing a packet to sign-up for a unit. The structure at 222 Madison Street is being converted into 33 loft-style apartments.

Walker In Iron Ridge

8/8/10 - Republican Gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker is in Dodge County today to spread his message on job creation. Walker, the Milwaukee County Executive, will participate in the Dodge County Firefighter Association Tournament Parade. He’ll then start his brown bag message of job creation at 9:30 at the corner of South Main Street and Herman Street in Iron Ridge. Walker and Mark Neumann are the two main Republican candidates attempting to replace Governor Jim Doyle in this fall’s election.

Barrett Returns To State Fair

8/8/10 - Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will return to the State Fair this weekend, a year after he was attacked while leaving there. This time, he’ll be visiting on a Sunday morning instead of Saturday night. And unlike last year, Barrett will ask fair-goers to vote for him as Wisconsin’s next governor this fall. Barrett was not running last August, when he intervened to help a woman in a domestic dispute while heading back to his car. The mayor was severely beaten with a tire iron, and his attacker – Anthony Peters – was recently sentenced to 12 years in prison. Of course, Barrett won’t be the only politician fishing for votes at the State Fair. The two major Republican hopefuls for governor, Scott Walker and Mark Neumann attended and even held a debate.

Consumer Protection Warns of Back-To-School Errors

8/8/10 - While you’re shopping for back to school items, Wisconsin Consumer Protection officials say you should keep a watchful eye on prices for back-to-school items. Newspaper advertisements and in-store promotions can save shoppers some cash. However, those sale prices might not register at the check-out counter. It’s not intentional. Weights and Measures Chief Judy Cardin says there’s a greatest chance of pricing error when products are on sale. If you notice an error, call attention to it sooner rather than later. Cardin suggests you write down prices as you shop, bring store ads with you, watch display screens as items are being scanned, speak up if you think you are overcharged, and if need be, report pricing errors to state or local inspectors.

DNR Steps Up Invasive Species Enforcement

8/8/10 - The Department of Natural Resources has been working for years to warn the public about the dangers of transporting invasive species. Now, Chief Conservation Warden Randy Stark says they’re moving from education to enforcement when it comes to those breaking the law. Stark says wardens will no longer just warn boaters who fail to remove invasive plants and animals from boats or trailers. They’ll also be issuing tickets, which can carry a price tag of nearly 400-dollars for the first offense. Stark says there have been extensive media campaigns and a high level of public awareness about invasive species, so those who continue to avoid taking steps to stop their spread really have no excuse.

State Campaigns Finance Law Targeted

8/8/10 - A second lawsuit has been filed against Wisconsin’s newest campaign finance law. Wisconsin Right-to-Life and its political action committee filed suit in federal court against a new state rule on issue ads – which praise or criticize a candidate on an issue, but do not say to vote for-or-against the person. The law requires outside groups to say where they get the money for the issue ads they run within 30 days of a primary, and 60 days of a general election. The right-to-life group says it puts a clamp on free speech. The conservative Wisconsin Club for Growth and the liberal One Wisconsin Now gave the same opinion when they filed a joint lawsuit against the new law. The Government Accountability Board put it into effect on August first. After the first suit was filed, board director Kevin Kennedy said the panel spent over a year getting input on the new rule – and making sure it passes constitutional muster.