Top Stories, October 17th

Columbus City Hall Open House Scheduled

10/10/17 - Columbus will be holding a City Hall “Open House” later this month. The City will be showing the results of four months of renovating the historic building. The new first floor 40 chair Council Chambers and public-friendly Administration offices will be heated and air conditioned by a new H-VAC system that replaces failing 45 year-old furnaces and fans. The City is also installing briefing and communications equipment to change the former City Hall Police Dispatch area into a City “Emergency Operations Center.” EOC activities were previously run from a second floor room in the Fire Station. The City Hall Open house is scheduled for Tuesday, October 26 between 5pm and 6:30pm right before the Council Committee of the Whole meeting.

Marian University Offers Homeland Security Institute

10/10/17 - The first of its kind in the state of Wisconsin; Marian University in Fond du Lac has launched an Institute for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Director Dan Zimmerman says part of their goal is to learn from local and state officials what needs to be addressed for disaster planning and training. Michelle Majewski, Dean of Marian’s School of Criminal Justice, says the Institute will prepare students for careers in homeland security and public service. She says once prepared students could find jobs at federal, state, and local levels. She says the Institute will be the first of its kind in the state, with the nearest being in Illinois. Next month the Institute will host the school’s 2nd annual Homeland Security Symposium. It’s slated for November 17th.

Oshkosh Corp Secures $459M Contract

10/17/10 - The Oshkosh Corporation will build another 12-hundred Army trucks. The company announced a 459-million-dollar order Friday. Most of the new vehicles will be designed to carry ammunition and other supplies – and they have a trailer system that reduces the Army’s need for fork-lift vehicles and other handling equipment. The trucks have been used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan. Deliveries in the latest order are scheduled to be finished by August of 2012.

National Guard Top Brass Seek Raise

10/17/10 - Wisconsin state officials say a request from the National Guard shows the Guard is out of touch with the current fiscal situation. The Wisconsin National Guard has asked that the chief and his deputies get a raise. The department reportedly requested the chief get a raise of 33 thousand, 800 dollars a year -- plus more than 19 thousand dollars in additional benefits. Deputies would also get more pay. Initial response from the state doesn't seem to indicate the requests have been met with favor.

Wisconsin Improves Business Rating

10/17/10 - Wisconsin is improving, but still ranked low on the list of "Best States for Business." The annual report from "Forbes" magazine ranks Wisconsin 43rd out of 50 states. The ranking is an improvement because the Badger State was 48th last year. Categories used to determine the ranking are business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life. Wisconsin did the best in its quality of life ranking at 10th. Utah was ranked by "Forbes" as the best overall state to start or operate a business.

DNR Secretary Touts BioEnergy

10/17/10 - Wisconsin’s DNR secretary says this state could have a bright future in bioengery, an emerging technology which has moved well beyond corn-based ethanol to include a wide variety of potential fuel sources. State and national experts in the field met at Monona Terrace in Madison for the Wisconsin Bioenergy Summit. Secretary Matt Frank says Wisconsin is well positioned to develop bioenergy. Peter Taglia, staff scientist with Clean Wisconsin, explained that anaerobic digesters are just one of many potential energy sources, including household waste.

Cheese Maker Reaction To EU Decision

10/17/10 - Wisconsin cheese makers are reacting to a free trade agreement between the European Union and South Korea, fearing the deal may require producers outside of certain geographical areas to re-name their cheeses. A "geographical indicator" means, for example, a parmesan cheese could only be marketed by that name if it came from certain provinces in Italy. Otherwise exporters could face customs action and be turned away. John Umhoeffer is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. He says Wisconsin is America's largest producer of feta which would be affected by the South Korean agreement, along with a host of others, such as, Fontina, asiago, gorgonzola, parmesan and mozzarella. Umhoeffer says the agreement between the EU and South Korea sets a precedent. It is the first time the geographical indicators have been applied internationally. Name usage is already restricted among EU members, where countries like Denmark have been forced to rename widely recognized cheeses.

Two Accused of Defrauding State Child Care

10/17/10 - Two people are accused of defrauding the Wisconsin Shares child care program out of more than 340 thousand dollars by submitting false attendance reports. Department of Children and Families Secretary Reggie Bicha says the new criminal charges reflect his office’s commitment to stopping fraud in the taxpayer-funded system. Shawn Nash of Franklin and Maria Woodruff of Milwaukee are charged with two counts of felony fraud. If convicted, each faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Just this week Bicha announced the hiring of 31 new fraud investigators. The goal is to go beyond finding fraud, he says, it’s also about improving the safety and quality of child care.

Escaped Inmate Earns More Jail Time

10/17/10 - Walking away from the Sheboygan County Jail means inmate Jason Halverson will spend an additional three years behind bars. Halverson spent five months on the run before he was arrested in Florida last summer. Halverson could wind up paying an even larger penalty since his three years in prison are based on his breaking probation. He also stands to be sentenced on the escape charge. Halverson was originally in jail for using his five year old son to help him shoplift. He had been released last February to go to the hospital when he took off.