Milwaukee & Madison Schools Closed as Protests Continue
2/18/11 - Wisconsin’s two largest school districts are closed today as teachers continue to protest the governor’s efforts to scale back their union powers. After being open all week, the Milwaukee Public Schools decided to shut down today – and classes in Madison are off for a third straight day. Meanwhile, the schools that were closed in our area yesterday are back open today, though Randolph public schools, which were open yesterday, are not today. Most of the teachers taking time off went to Madison to oppose the Republicans’ budget plans that include reductions in benefits and collective bargaining rights. A vote on the bill is being held up in the Senate, because the Democrats have refused to show up and majority Republicans don’t have enough people to act on the measure. But the Assembly has enough members to hold a vote without the Democrats having to be around – and they’re thinking about taking up the measure today, even though the Senate was supposed to act on it first.
Republican Governor Scott Walker said late yesterday the Democrats should end their “stunt” and quote, “do the job they’re paid to do.” Walker again defended the need for the unions to pay more for their pensions and health insurance and bargain only for their salaries. He called it a “modest” plan, and the only other option is quote, “massive layoffs at a time when we don’t need anyone else laid off.” Walker said he got eight-thousand e-mails, mostly from people supporting the bill. But Senate Democrats accused the G-O-P of ramming it through, and people need more time to debate it. An estimated 25-thousand protestors jammed the Capitol building yesterday, as well as the square outside. State officials reported nine arrests during the week of protests, mostly for disorderly conduct.
County Contracts May Get Done Sooner than Expected
2/18/11 - New contracts for Dodge County employees could get done quicker than expected in response to Governor Walker’s budget repair bill that would strip public unions of most of their bargaining rights. County Administrator Jim Mielke says they have a bargaining session slated for next week and depending on what happens in Madison could have the contracts approved prior to the bill taking effect. The Board of Supervisors normally meets on the third Tuesday of the month, but there is a tentative meeting set for March 8th. Several county employees showed up to a silent vigil outside the Dodge County Administration Building as a show of support for their fellow union members. A similar gathering was held in Horicon and dozens of local union members went to Madison to join the other protestors.
BDEA Defends Teacher Absences
2/18/11 - Wisconsin’s two largest school districts are closed today as teachers continue to protest the governor’s efforts to scale back their union powers. After being open all week, the Milwaukee Public Schools decided to shut down today – and classes in Madison are off for a third straight day. Meanwhile, the schools that were closed in our area yesterday are back open today, though Randolph public schools, which were open yesterday, are not today. Most of the teachers taking time off went to Madison to oppose the Republicans’ budget plans that include reductions in benefits and collective bargaining rights. A vote on the bill is being held up in the Senate, because the Democrats have refused to show up and majority Republicans don’t have enough people to act on the measure. But the Assembly has enough members to hold a vote without the Democrats having to be around – and they’re thinking about taking up the measure today, even though the Senate was supposed to act on it first.
Republican Governor Scott Walker said late yesterday the Democrats should end their “stunt” and quote, “do the job they’re paid to do.” Walker again defended the need for the unions to pay more for their pensions and health insurance and bargain only for their salaries. He called it a “modest” plan, and the only other option is quote, “massive layoffs at a time when we don’t need anyone else laid off.” Walker said he got eight-thousand e-mails, mostly from people supporting the bill. But Senate Democrats accused the G-O-P of ramming it through, and people need more time to debate it. An estimated 25-thousand protestors jammed the Capitol building yesterday, as well as the square outside. State officials reported nine arrests during the week of protests, mostly for disorderly conduct.
County Contracts May Get Done Sooner than Expected
2/18/11 - New contracts for Dodge County employees could get done quicker than expected in response to Governor Walker’s budget repair bill that would strip public unions of most of their bargaining rights. County Administrator Jim Mielke says they have a bargaining session slated for next week and depending on what happens in Madison could have the contracts approved prior to the bill taking effect. The Board of Supervisors normally meets on the third Tuesday of the month, but there is a tentative meeting set for March 8th. Several county employees showed up to a silent vigil outside the Dodge County Administration Building as a show of support for their fellow union members. A similar gathering was held in Horicon and dozens of local union members went to Madison to join the other protestors.
BDEA Defends Teacher Absences
2/18/11 - The President Elect of the Beaver Dam Education Association is defending the decision of teachers who have taken an unpaid personal day in opposition to the governor’s controversial plan. Gordy Ashbrook says they need to act now for the good of the state’s educational system but, more importantly, the children. Ashbrook says teachers are giving up their daily wages to make sure that kids have the quality education they deserve. He says if this bill passes it will hurt education for decades and make it impossible to attract quality teachers.
Nehls Says Plan In Place For Corrections Walkout
2/18/11 - Plans are in place for the National Guard to run the state’s prisons in the event of a work stoppage but one official thinks it won’t be needed. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls he’s been a part of group working on the plan over the past couple but he believes cooler heads will prevail. Nehls says about 2600 National Guard troops would be needed to run the prisons and there are 7500 available.
School Officials Concerned About State Aid Reductions
2/18/11 - While unions are upset about the current state budget, Wisconsin school officials are sounding an alarm about the next budget. The School Boards’ Association says Governor Scott Walker will propose 900-million dollars less in general state school aid for the next two years. That’s a drop of nearly 10-percent. And the group says Walker wants to lower the school revenue limit by 500-dollars a student, so schools cannot jack up local property taxes to make up for the lost state revenue. The school boards’ group says it could have a “devastating” effect on public education. And Miles Turner of the School District Administrators’ Association says teachers will take home less money, thus putting a major dent into local economies. Walker’s people have not said how much they’ll cut in state school aid. But they do say the proposed limits on union bargaining will help schools reduce labor costs, thus making up for at least part of they’ll lose in state aid. Walker will propose his budget for the next two years on Tuesday.
Lynch Arraigned On Molestation Charges
2/18/11 - Former Fox Lake Police Chief Pat Lynch entered a “not guilty” plea Thursday to charges that he molested a young girl and then later stalked her and two other people. The 54-year-old is charged with one count of First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 13 and three counts of Stalking. The alleged sexual assault of a 7-year-old child occurred in the summer of 1989 at home in Randolph. The victim’s father was friends with Lynch, who was an officer with the Randolph Police Department at the time. The victim says, years later, Lynch kept showing up where she worked and would drive his police car past her home. He is also accused of stalking a woman who used to work for the Fox Lake Police Department – as well as a man who was dating his ex-wife. Lynch resigned from his job as police chief in Fox Lake in the spring of 2009. He has court activity on the calendar again at the end of April.
Horicon Man Appears On Fleeing Charges
2/18/11 - A Horicon man is accused of running from police with a car full of guns. Officers executed a high-risk traffic stop last Saturday afternoon and arrested David J. Falkowski. According to the criminal complaint, the 42-year-old was fighting with his girlfriend and loaded his minivan with an assortment of guns. Falkowski allegedly saw police as he exited his driveway and accelerated rapidly. The responding officer says he was forced to drive his squad car backwards at a high rate before “initiating an evasive maneuver” that allowed him to narrowly miss the suspects oncoming vehicle. A brief pursuit followed that ended with Falkowski exiting his minivan near North Palmatory and East Walnut. Officers drew their rifles on Falkowski who is said to have made a move toward the back of his van before complying. He reportedly told investigators that he was trying to keep his girlfriend from damaging the firearms left to him by his father. Falkowski allegedly said that he panicked when he saw police and fled because he didn’t want his neighbors to see. A signature bond was set at $10,000 Thursday and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 24. He could spend over 13 years in prison if convicted of the two felony charges of Fleeing and Reckless Endangerment.
BD Man Arrested On Child Porn Charges
2/18/11 - A Beaver Dam man was arrested Wednesday by special agents with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Criminal Division along with officers from the Beaver Dam Police Department and deputies from the Dodge County Sheriffs Department. Joshua Grunewald is charged with eleven felony counts of Possession of Child Pornography. The 23-year-old was allegedly found in possession nearly 100 movies and 15 pictures depicting acts between adults and children. According to the criminal complaint, Grunewald admitted to viewing the materials, most were young teens and preteens but some of featured boys as young three. The items were accessed on a roommate’s computer. Each felony charge carries a maximum 25 year prison sentence upon conviction. Cash bond was set at $3000 during an initial appearance Thursday in Dodge County court.
Judge Rejects Motion To Dismiss in Thrill Ride Injury
2/18/11 - A former thrill ride operator at Extreme World in Wisconsin Dells will go to trial for causing serious injuries to a 12-year-old girl last summer. A judge has rejected Charles Carnell’s request to dismiss reckless injury charges. Carnell’s attorney says prosecutors failed to prove recklessness in the accident. Teagan Marti of Parkland Florida was injured on July 30 when she fell about 100-feet on the Terminal Velocity free-fall ride. Officials said the ride has a safety net that catches people when they fall – but the girl began her fall before the net was put into position, and she fell to the ground. Police blamed the mishap on an operator error. The judge decided the charge meets the elements of causing bodily harm, criminal conduct and disregard for human life.
Wisconsin Guard Troops Heading Home
2/18/11 - About 300 Wisconsin National Guard troops will return to the Badger State Friday. Members of the 724th Engineer Battalion will land at Volk Field in Juneau County, where a brief ceremony will be held. The troops will then go to Fort McCoy for five days of de-briefing before they go back home. The battalion has units in Chippewa Falls, Medford, Hayward, and Superior. The returning troops and about 100 others have spent the last 10-and-a-half months in Iraq. The troops officially ended their mission on Monday, and their responsibilities were transferred to a battalion at Fort Campbell Kentucky.
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