Dense Fog Advisory In Effect Until 6pm
12/31/10 - Travelers today may want to be more cautious. The National Weather Service has issued a Dense Fog Advisory until 6pm for a handful of counties in our listening area. We will also be getting some rain and for New Year’s Day some scattered flurries as temperatures turn colder. Dodge, Jefferson, Columbia, Dane, Fond du Lac, Green Lake counties are among those included in the Dense Fog Advisory.
WSP Warns of Drinking and Driving
12/31/10 - If you plan to partake in New Year’s bubbly or other alcoholic beverages, also plan to turn in your car keys. If you get behind the wheel after having too much to drink this holiday season, Wisconsin State Patrol Major Dan Lonsdorf says be prepared for an encounter with someone in uniform. He says if an officer smells alcohol, or observes bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and reduced dexterity, you can look forward to a longer conversation with that officer.
We-Tip Not Available In 2011
12/31/10 - The New Year is brining an end to Dodge County’s involvement with the anonymous We-Tip hotline. Sheriff Todd Nehls says necessary budget reductions resulted in elimination of the crime reporting service for 2011. He says the toll-free, anonymous crime reporting tip line has been the conduit for numerous crime tips which have generated information that has led to the arrest and conviction of numerous crimes in the county since 2003. Nehls says he hopes to restore the $5200 annual cost for the program in the 2012 budget.
New Years Brings New Landfill Rules
12/31/10 - Starting tomorrow (Saturday), two more items go on the list of things banned from Wisconsin landfills. They are used oil filters from vehicles, and cloths, rags and other products that absorb oil. State lawmakers passed the landfill ban on oil filters and absorbent products. The DNR has been working on putting the ban in place. The DNR's Dan Fields says Wisconsin already bans oil, steel and paper from garbage dumps. He says a number of companies will pick up used oil filters at automotive repair shops and oil change centers, and recycle the filters. He says if by chance you still change your own car's oil filter, many auto parts stores will accept a used filter. And there's much to recycle from one small filter, including at least four ounces of oil. Fields estimates there are 9-million oil changes involving filters in Wisconsin every year, including those for farm tractors and ATV's. He doesn't think car owners will see much in the way of increased costs from the landfill ban. He says the DNR is hearing some complaints from repair shops about having to keep out of landfills the rags, cloths and granular absorbents used to mop up oil. But he says homeowners who spill up to a gallon of oil on their garage floor while working on a project can throw oily rags or towels into their garbage cart.
Walker Announces Cabinet
12/31/10 - Governor-elect Scott Walker announced his cabinet Thursday, in advance of an early afternoon news conference. In a statement, the Republican Walker called his department heads “top-notch individuals” who will help achieve his goal of creating a quarter-million jobs by 2015.
• State Assembly Republican Mike Huebsch is the new administration secretary. He’s a former Assembly Speaker from the La Crosse area.
• Former Green Bay Mayor and chamber executive Paul Jadin will be the commerce secretary. Walker says he’ll help convert the agency into a new public-private department focused on creating jobs.
• Dennis Smith, former head of the U-S Centers for Medicare-and-Medicaid, will run the state health services department.
• Former builder and state Senator Cathy Stepp will head the D-N-R. She told employees today she’ll work to improve customer service – and make it easier for businesses to get environmental permits.
• Assembly Republican Mark Gottlieb of Port Washington is the new transportation secretary. He was an engineer for 20 years before being elected to the Legislature.
• Former Revenue Secretary Rick Chandler will return to that post.
• Former state lawmaker and Agriculture Secretary Ben Brancel will re-assume the ag post.
• Eloise Anderson was named as the Children-and-Families secretary. She has held a number of public-and-private posts in Wisconsin, and was California’s head of social services.
• Manny Perez is the new Workforce Development secretary. He has co-owned a staffing firm, and previously held other labor posts including mediator.
• Former Dane County sheriff and state Justice official Gary Hamblin is the new corrections secretary.
• 30-year financial services veteran Peter Bildsten will run the state Department of Financial Institutions.
• Stephanie Klett, host of the “Discover Wisconsin” T-V show, will head the tourism deparment.
• Superior Mayor Dave Ross, who ran and lost for lieutenant governor this year, is the new regulation-and-licensing secretary.
• And community development executive Wyman Wynston will head the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.
All Cabinet posts require Senate confirmation. Special elections will be scheduled for the appointed legislators once they take their new posts.
Doyle Pardons At 177
12/31/10 - Outgoing Governor Jim Doyle has pardoned 74 convicted criminals in the last two weeks, bringing the total for the year to 177. That’s much more than in any of his previous seven years in office. And Doyle’s pardons since December 15th were more than the 51 he granted in all of 2009. None of the latest pardons appear to involve prominent or politically-connected people. Their crimes ranged from fleeing police to second-degree sexual assault. Doyle was recently criticized by Republicans for the numbers of pardons he granted. But he did not approve them all. Doyle did not act on a pardon request from the late Laurie Bembenek, the former Milwaukee police officer convicted of killing her former husband’s ex-wife in the early 1980’s. Bembenek tried for years to clear her name before she died in November. Also, the governor refused to commute a pair of 80-year prison sentences in a pair of Milwaukee robberies. State pardons do not remove convictions – but they restore rights such as voting, gun ownership, and the ability to get state licenses.
Organic Beef Recall
12/31/10 - A California meat packer has recalled almost 35-thousand pounds of organic ground beef sold in Wisconsin and five other states. First Class Foods of Hawthorne is recalling beef that might have been contaminated with E-coli bacteria. The U-S-D-A said the problem was found during a normal sampling process. Officials said they no reports yet of anyone getting sick from the product. It involves First Class organic ground beef sold from December seventh-through-the-16th. It has a sampling number of E-S-T 1-8-8-9-5. Those with questions are asked to call Lucienne Adams of First Class Foods. Here’s her phone number – 1-310-676-2500.
Cougar Attack Investigated Near Deerfield
12/31/10 - The state D-N-R is trying to find evidence that a cougar attacked and killed a horse at a stable in Dane County this week. An employee at the Freedom Stables near Deerfield found the horse dead on Wednesday. A veterinarian said the horse’s major neck artery and air passage-way were both too deep for a machine to do it – and it looked like the attack was a single swipe. Also, the stable’s owners said they saw tracks that appeared to be from a large cat. But D-N-R warden Barbara Wold says her investigators don’t have proof of that yet. As of mid-August, the state confirmed the presence of four cougars in Wisconsin within the last two years. All were male, and one attacked a dairy cow in Juneau County earlier this year. It was the first assault of its kind in the Badger State since the 1800’s.
Suspect Leaves Drink At Crime Scene
12/31/10 - A Lomira man accused of stealing from his neighbor was tied to the crime after investigators say he left a key piece of evidence at the scene: his drink. 51-year-old Thomas H. Brace is accused of breaking into the apartment of his neighbor, who was just moving into the unit at the time of the burglary on Halloween. A tool box and bag of tools were among the items taken. After the victim noted that his neighbor was a heavy drinker and might be responsible, deputies attempted to make contact with Brace. According to the criminal complaint, a deputy saw the stolen contraband inside the suspect’s apartment. The deputy reportedly called Brace’s cell phone, heard it being turned off, and then saw Brace lying down in front of his closed door. The stolen tools were then allegedly moved out of site. When questioned about leaving a Green Bay Packers pint glass of whiskey with fresh ice cubes in the victim’s apartment, Brace reportedly said to investigators (quote) “Oh, that’s not good, I must have left that in there.” Brace faces a maximum sentence of over 13-years in prison if convicted on the felony Burglary and misdemeanor Theft charges. A signature bond was set at $1000 this week and a preliminary hearing is scheduled in February.
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