Top Stories, January 23rd

Arctic Air Prompts Exposure Warning

1/23/11 - As arctic air moves into Wisconsin doctors are giving warnings about keeping warm when temperatures are so cold outside. Without proper protection, cold weather related injuries can happen even when temperatures are above freezing. Dr. Paul Green, an urgent care physician at Luther Midefort in Eau Claire, says things can happen to exposed skin in less than five minutes. He says frostbite most commonly affects hands and feet, but it’s also important to remember to cover your nose, cheeks and ears. He says even corneas may be affected by frostbite, so wearing sunglasses or even a ski mask can help. If you think you have frostbite, Dr. Green says get in to someplace warm, remove any wet clothing, and don’t rub the area, instead, put it in warm water.

Cold Temps Spark Carbon Monoxide Concern

With temperatures down to 25 degrees below zero in some parts of Wisconsin and most of the state experiencing wind chills of near minus-30, health officials are reminding everyone about the dangers of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be emitted from poorly functioning or unvented furnaces or other gas powered home appliances. The easiest way to protect yourself and your family is with a carbon monoxide detector. When a lot of snow falls, your home’s exhaust could be plugged up under a snow pile. Last week, several people in Janesville were found to have high levels of CO exposure due to a malfunctioning furnace. Symptoms of CO poisoning are flu-like and include headache, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea and mental confusion. High levels of exposure could be deadly. On February 1, a new law takes effect requiring carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in all one- and two-family dwellings.

Racial Data Collection Repeal Floated

1/23/11 - Two Republican state senators are asking their colleagues to sponsor a bill to repeal the law that makes police collect racial data from the people they stop. Mary Lazich of New Berlin and Van Wanggaard of Racine say they’ll seek support for the rest of the month. And if there’s enough, they’ll introduce the bill. Since January first, law enforcement has been required to get the ages, zip codes, genders, and ethnicities of every person in every vehicle they stop. The purpose is to discourage racial profiling – but law enforcement agencies have complained that there’s way too much paperwork. Sheriff’s deputies in Kenosha and Racine counties have stopped collecting it, saying most of the data is already on the citations they give drivers. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls, meanwhile, says his deputies will continue to collect the data as long as it is required but he says racial profiling is not much of an issue outside the state’s major metropolitan areas.

ALA Tobacco Report Card Grades Mixed

1/23/11 - A statewide public indoor smoking ban was not enough for Wisconsin to avoid poor grades in this year’s tobacco control report card by the American Lung Association. The Badger State received a grade of “A” for its smoke-free air since the ban took effect last July. But Wisconsin got “F” for a 55-percent drop in state funding for tobacco control programs in the last two-year state budget. And the state got an “F” for its overall efforts in helping Wisconsinites kick the habit. The state’s investment per smoker was just 94-cents – well below the federal recommendation of 10-and-a-half-dollars per smoker. But despite the lack of funds, the Lung Association praised the Badger State for a decline in teen smoking. The report said about 11-thousand fewer high school students were smoking last year than in 2008, and smoking among middle school youngsters was also down. Also, the Lung Association gave Wisconsin a grade of “B” for its cigarette tax – which is now just over two-and-a-half dollars a pack. It went up another 75-cents in the last state budget in 2009.

Walkers Job Creation Bills Moving Along

1/23/11 - A few of Gov. Scott Walker's proposals to create jobs received bi-partisan support in the legislature, but lawmakers remained sharply divided on the governor's plan to make it harder to bring lawsuits in Wisconsin. Two of Walker's proposals received 82-to-12 votes in the state Assembly, with most Democrats and all Republicans voting “yes”. One would offer a two-year break on taxes for businesses and corporations that move to Wisconsin from other states or countries. The other would grow the state's economic development tax credit program by $25-million. Those bills now head to the state Senate. But it was Walker's proposal to make sweeping changes to Wisconsin's tort laws that drove the most contentious debate. Democrats charge they'll make it harder for families of those who are killed or injured to sue the people or businesses that are at fault. Ashland Democrat Janet Bewley voted for a couple of Walker's other proposals, but drew the line on this one. She says it’s not a good bill when it comes to protecting people, including children, whom she calls the “most fragile” in accessing the justice system. That plan passed on a party line vote and is headed to the governor's desk.

Wisconsin GOP Takes National Stage

1/23/11 - Wisconsin takes the national stage this week, on several fronts. Republican leadership has chosen Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan of Janesville to deliver his party's response to the President's State of the Union address Tuesday night. Ryan is a rising star within the party. As House budget committee chairman, the Janesville lawmaker is expected to push the GOP message of shrinking the size of government. He calls it a great opportunity. Then, the next day the President travels to Manitowoc while Ryan presides over his first budget hearing as committee chairman. The new chairman of the Republican National Committee is also from Wisconsin. Reince Priebus says he is thrilled by Ryan's selection, saying Ryan will be a good spokesman for the party's agenda.

Amtrak Hiawatha Line Sets Records

1/23/11 - Ridership on the Amtrak Hiawatha Service has reached levels never seen before. The popular train that runs between downtown Milwaukee and downtown Chicago continues to set ridership records. The DOT’s Ethan Johnson says train ridership is soaring. Annual ridership last year was 792,848 and that’s a new record for the Hiawatha. It beat the previous ridership record set in calendar year 2008 by nearly 27,000. That’s about a three-and-a-half percent increase. Johnson says in the long term, annual Hiawatha ridership has increased 46 percent over the past 5 years and 86 percent over the past 10 years. He says ridership last year was seven percent higher than a year earlier and that December ridership was also a record-breaker, exceeding December of 2009’s ridership by two-and-a-half percent and making it the 60th month out of the last 74 in which a monthly ridership record was set.

Wisconsin Companies In Fortunes Top 100

1/23/11 - Five companies with major operations in Wisconsin have made Fortune Magazine’s list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. The Milwaukee investment firm of Robert W. Baird is the state’s top firm on the list at Number-14. The Johnson Financial Group of Racine is 46th. Mattel – which makes American Girl dolls in Middleton – is 69th. S-C Johnson, the household products giant in Racine, is 70th. And W-W Grainger, the owner of the Lab Safety Supply company in Janesville, is Fortune’s 100th best place to work for.