Top Stories January 22nd

BDUSD Seeking Protective Order in Lawsuit

1/22/11 - A law firm has asked a judge to limit the types of questions lawyers for a woman suing the Beaver Dam School District can ask during a deposition in an open records lawsuit against the district and Superintendent Steve Vessey. Cheryl Grulke filed a lawsuit last month in an effort to get the district to release documents that her attorney, Bob Shumaker, believes will show that she was harassed by former high school principal Don Patnode and two other employees while working in the schools main office. A court order in late December gave the district and Vessey until January 24 to turnover the requested records and the district says it will comply. Meanwhile, late last week Shumaker asked that at least one person from the district give pre-trial testimony on at least 20-different topics involving the suit. In response, the district’s attorney Lori Lubinsky is asking for a protective order limiting Shumaker to only ask questions related to the open records request. That includes: whether the documents she requested exist, whether such documents were produced, and if they weren’t initially provided, why not. Lubinsky says the rest of the petition appears to be “a fishing expedition.” She later added that Grulke cannot use the lawsuit as a vehicle to fuel her “unsupported assertion” of mismanagement of the human resources department under Vessey. Shumaker called the motion one of the more extraordinary things he’d seen during his 25-year career, saying “Witnesses usually don’t get to pick and choose which questions they want to answer, and I do not know why an exception should be made for Steve Vessey.” A decision on the protective order is expected Monday, and the pre-trial deposition is slated for this Tuesday.

ICE Partnering with Tyson Foods

1/22/11 - Federal Immigration officials are partnering with Tyson Foods to prevent undocumented immigrants from working in its food processing plants, an arrangement immigrant rights advocates are opposing. The director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) signed an agreement this week with Tyson's human resources director. The goal is to make Tyson a partner with federal agents in enforcing immigration laws. ICE director John Morton says he hopes the Tyson partnership will send a message to other large employers that his agency is serious about enforcement. Tyson employs more than 600 workers at plants in Green Bay and Jefferson. Immigration rights advocates aren't happy with ICE's latest initiative. They are trying to work with labor unions to push back against employers who sign up for the program by urging them to use their clout to lobby for a pathway to citizenship for immigrant workers.

No Construction for Fans Heading to NFC Championship

1/22/11 - Packer fans traveling to the NFC Championship game in Chicago on Sunday should find no lane restrictions to impede their travels, at least on the Wisconsin side of the state line. Wintertime is the season when fewer road construction projects are underway and no lane closures are expected. However, the State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies are cautioning fans that they will be patrolling the Interstate and other highways in the area for impaired drivers before, during and after the game. If you’d like to avoid driving to the game, alternatives include intercity bus and the Amtrak Hiawatha Service, which has stops in downtown Milwaukee, at the Milwaukee Airport, and in Sturtevant.

Girl Charged in Friends Death

1/22/11 - A 17 year old from Mequon has been charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. Her friend died in the September rollover crash. Tests indicate Madeline Kudlata had marijuana in her bloodstream at the time of the crash. Sydney Tabakin died. Kudlata was eastbound on Interstate 94 when she took the exit to Highway 41, lost control and crashed. Drivers who stopped to help told police Kudlata threw liquor bottles over a concrete median wall. The testing showed the Homestead High School senior had no alochol in her blood, just THC -- the main active ingredient in marijuana.

Man Gets Prison Time for Recruiting Underage Girl

1/22/11 - A Milwaukee man is sent to prison for 14 years for recruiting an underage girl to be a prostitute. A Federal Judge sentenced 35 year old Amani Booker yesterday. Booker admitted he and Holly Arnold found the teenage girl walking on a Milwaukee street last May. He says he told her she could make a lot of money. Booker's attorney insisted his client didn't know she was 14 years old, but the girl says she told him her age and Booker said, (quote) "I can work with that." Holly Arnold was given one year in prison in connection with the case.

Conflicting Opinions on Impact of Business Tax Deduction

1/22/11 - Business owners would be eligible for a tax deduction for every new job they add over the next two years, under terms of a bill approved by the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee. But, State Senator Bob Jauch said the credit won’t accomplish much. Jauch questioned how many employers would really take on the expense of new hires for the deduction, which could be as little as $2,000. But Joint Finance Committee co-chair, Representative Robin Vos said the bills approved by the panel this week will have a beneficial effect when taken in aggregate.

Senate Passes Tax Exemption for Health Savings Accounts

1/22/11 - The Wisconsin Senate has passed a state income tax exemption for money people set aside in health savings accounts. The proposal has long been on the wish list for Republicans. All but a handful of states offer some kind of tax break for health savings accounts as does the federal government. But the plan comes at a price to the state budget--it's estimated it will cost the state treasury nearly $50-million the next couple years. Two Democrats joined all Republicans in supporting the plan.

Ryan to Give GOP Response to State of the Union

1/22/11 - A Wisconsin House member will give the Republican response right after President Obama’s State-of-the-Union address on Tuesday night. Paul Ryan of Janesville was chosen by House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Ryan is the new chairman of the House Budget Committee, and he’ll deliver the G-O-P’s nationally-televised response from the committee’s hearing room. Ryan is in his 13th year in the House. Boehner and McConnell said they chose Ryan because of his quote, “thoughtful and detailed critiques of big government policies.”

Walker to Chair Committee for the NGA

1/22/11 - Wisconsin’s new governor will chair a committee for the National Governors’ Association. Republican Scott Walker’s office said today that he’ll lead the association’s Health-and-Human Services committee. The panel makes recommendations on a variety of issues involving health care and Medicaid reform.

Petri Named Chairman of Aviation Subcommittee

1/22/11 - Congressman Tom Petri has been named the Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee. The Fond du Lac Republican, who represents Dodge County, says he is looking forward to a busy two years. As one of his first actions Petri, and 115 additional members of the House of Representatives, sent a letter to President Obama requesting that aviation user fees not be imposed to fund the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The congressman says the current system of aviation excise taxes has proven to be a stable and efficient source of funding. Petri says the U.S. has the most vibrant general aviation community in the world and imposing user fees would have a huge impact in addition to being an administrative nightmare. Over the past four years, the House opposed similar efforts during consideration of the FAA reauthorization bills to impose user fees to fund modernization of the air traffic control system. In addition to the Aviation Subcommittee, Petri is also a member of the ‘Committee on Education and The Workforce’ where he has been assigned to the ‘Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education’ Subcommittee and the ‘Higher Education and the Workforce’ Subcommittee.

Waupun to Offer Urgent Care Around the Clock

1/22/11 - Starting next month Waupun Memorial Hospital will offer its Urgent Care services 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. The new hours start February 1st. Waupun Memorial Hospital chief operating officer DeAnn Thurmer says, "You never know when important healthcare services might be needed, and with this change, area individuals and families can be assured they can receive care when it's most convenient or needed by them." Urgent Care Services are located within the hospital's Emergency Department. Urgent Care is for people with minor illnesses and injuries that aren't able to see their regular physician or don't have a primary physician. Patients are seen on a walk-in basis and are promptly evaluated to determine the level of care required.