Top Stories January 25th

WI Legislators React to SOTU

1/25/12 - Wisconsin's congressional Democrats said they appreciated President Obama's vow to revive manufacturing in his State-of-the-Union address last night. But the state's Republicans said Obama's plea for economic fairness wrongly focuses on guaranteeing outcomes through government action, instead of opportunities in a free market. The Democrat Obama called for higher taxes on the rich -- a 30-percent bracket for those making over a million dollars a year. And he took another swipe at the foreclosure problem by offering a new re-financing program. The president also mentioned steps to help students afford college, and tax cuts for manufacturers. Milwaukee House Democrat Gwen Moore said Obama's policies have helped companies like Master Lock bring foreign jobs back to Wisconsin. But Sherwood Republican Reid Ribble said Obama's focus on American-made energy rang hollow when he rejected the Keystone oil pipeline last week. House G-O-P Budget Chairman Paul Ryan of Janesville said Obama quote, "recommitted to the path of debt, doubt, and decline." Menomonee Falls House Republican Jim Sensenbrenner said his chamber has focused on job creation and tax reform with no help from the Senate or White House. But Wisconsin Senate Democrat Herb Kohl said he was encouraged by Obama's focus on education both in the classroom, and with opportunities for job re-training.

Walker to Give State of the State Address Tonight

1/25/12 - Governor Scott Walker will give his second State of State address tonight and it comes under much different circumstances than his first 358-days ago. That came right after he and a new Republican legislative majority were swept into office -- and they had already achieved victories by passing a first round of job creation bills. But tonight, Walker will return to a state Assembly chamber that's been by rocked by protests ever since the Republican governor proposed a virtual end to most public union collective bargaining. His signature legislation was introduced 10 days after that first State-of-the-State address. And it divided Wisconsinites so much that it prompted hundreds of thousands of people to sign petitions for an unprecedented gubernatorial recall. Tonight, Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie says the governor will focus on the property tax savings his union law created -- plus his efforts to reduce fraud-and-waste in state government. But there might not be a lot of talk about jobs -- especially after the U-S Bureau of Labor Statistics said yesterday that Wisconsin was the only state in the country to lose private sector jobs in each of the last six months. Werwie says there have been bumps along the way, but the state is heading in the right direction.

BDCDC: Dissolve, Evolve or Revolve?

1/25/12 - The Beaver Dam Community Development Committee met last night for the first time in six months and the main agenda item was whether or not to consider dissolving the committee. The CDC was put in place back when Beaver Dam had a full-time economic development officer on the payroll. In 1997, the city decided to essentially contract out for those services and the Beaver Dam Area Development Corporation was formed. The Development Corp, a public-private partnership with the city, crunches numbers and negotiates with companies looking to set up shop behind closed doors and brings the findings to various city committees for approval. CDC Chair Robert Ballweg called the committee to session yesterday to ask if they’re still relevant, and he was met with mixed reactions. Discussion then turned to the possibility of establishing a new role for the CDC, shifting its scope to smaller projects that may not be practical or cost-effective for the Development Corp to focus on, like land purchase negotiations and downtown revitalization. Another possible new area of focus would be for the CDC to coordinate a revolving loan fund with revenues generated from the downtown Tax Increment Finance District #6, where the new Madison Place and the Lake Historic Lofts are located. Ballweg says between $25,000 and $30,000 could be accumulated annually for downtown businesses to use toward remodeling and façade improvements. After reaching consensus in committee, Ballweg agreed to meet with the city attorney, the mayor, the director of finance and officials with the Development Corp to draft a resolution outlining plans for a revolving loan fund. If the resolution is not approved by the committee and council, Ballweg says it would be time to revisit the necessity of the Community Development Committee.

UC Looking to Merge

1/25/12 - United Cooperative is seeking to merge with a company from Denmark, Wisconsin. The Beaver Dam-based company has signed a letter of intent to pursue the merger with Cooperative Services. United Co-Op President and CEO David Kramer says the agriculture industry puts a great deal of effort into improving efficiencies and sustainability so that present and future generations can continue to produce food and fuel efficiently. Kramer says the merger will provide their patron members with the equipment, products, and service needed to maximize production and survive for generations to come. Cooperative Services is projecting revenues for the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2012, to be in excess of $29 million. All of Cooperative Services divisions can be found at one location in Denmark; that includes feed, grain, agronomy, a Cenex convenience store, and an automotive shop. Formed in 1936, United Cooperative is a full-service cooperative with feed, grain, agronomy, fuel, lubricant, and propane locations throughout Wisconsin. They documented $525 million in sales in 2011, up $200 million from 2010, and employ about 500 full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers. United Cooperative is expected to finalize mergers with Shawano-based Mid-County Cooperative and Pulaski Chase Cooperative in February. In coming months, there will be a series of meetings with Cooperative Services’ employees and patron members about the proposed merger. Ballots will be mailed out next month. If approved, the merger will take effect April 1.

Peyer to Resign

1/25/12 - Randolph School District Superintendent Greg Peyer is resigning effective June 30th. In a letter sent to district staff members last week Peyer said that while he has enjoyed his time in Randolph he realizes that due to the size of the district and the current economic times there needs to be a restructuring of the administration. He said the board had been considering a change for some time and said would not impede the process in anyway. Peyer has been with Randolph for 5-years and says he intends to pursue other positions in education and in the business world.

Wiard Gets Probation

1/25/12 - A Horicon man who burglarized a Horicon tavern last Fourth of July weekend will spend five years on probation. Police arrested Daniel Wiard on charges of domestic battery during the early morning hours of July 3 and en route to the jail, arresting officers got word that Danny Boy’s Irish Pub in Horicon had been burglarized. The next day investigators reviewed video footage from that night and the bartender identified the suspect as a guy named “Dan” who was new to town. Wiard moved to town last June. Police executed a search warrant at his residence and recovered $2600 in small bills and a Brewers Jersey that had been on a wall in the establishment. According to the criminal complaint, the 30-year-old waited in the women’s bathroom until everyone left for the night, loaded-up a garbage can full of items from the bar, dragged the garbage can home on his bike, and then dumped the garbage can full of stolen items out in his living room. That sparked a fight with his mother that resulted in his arrest on the domestic abuse charges. Those charges were dismissed but read in last November when Wiard pleaded “no contest” to the felony burglary charge. In addition to probation, Wiard was ordered yesterday (Tu) maintain absolute sobriety but his probation officer will be able to order 30 days in jail for a first violation, 60 days in jail for a second violation and 90 days in jail for a third. A three year prison sentence was imposed and stayed but if his probation is revoked he will get credit for the 142 days he already spent behind bars.

Officials Urge Caution When Using Craigslist

1/25/12 - If you’re buying or selling an item through Craigslist, Milwaukee police suggest you only meet the other person in the transaction in a public place. Police say they are seeking a spike in robberies hitting people using the popular online classified ads site. Investigators say there have been at least a half-dozen in the last month, with four of those happening in the last week. They are following up on leads and but don’t say if they’re close to an arrest or not.

Jobs Committee Favors Mine Bill

1/25/12 - The state Assembly Jobs Committee voted 9-to-5 Tuesday in favor of a bill that tries to make it easier for a new iron ore mine to open in far northern Wisconsin. The package would streamline the process of getting state permits for iron ore mines both now and in the future. And the panel okay-ed several changes suggested by members of both parties. Local communities would get a bigger-than-expected share of tax revenues from the materials that are mined. The limit on application fees would be raised from one-point-one million dollars to two-million. There would be assurances that mining projects would follow the terms of the Great Lakes water protection agreement. And Indian tribes near proposed mines would receive copies of permit applications. But that wasn’t enough for Stevens Point Democrat Lou Molepske. He wanted tribes at the table when mining decisions are being made. But Greendale Republican Jeff Stone said it’s not the government’s responsibility to represent Indian tribes – and they can pursue their own interests on the subject. The 180-plus page bill now goes to the full Assembly for a final vote.

Kohls Expanding Business into the South

1/25/12 - The Kohl’s Department Store chain is expanding its online business in the South. The Menomonee Falls-based company announced yesterday (Tu) that it would build a distribution center in DeSoto Texas, near Dallas, to serve buyers on its Web site. The facility is expected to open this summer with about 400 new jobs. Hiring is expected to begin around March first. Kohl’s has 84 retail stores in Texas.

Harley Sales Looking Better

1/25/12 - Things are starting to look up for Wisconsin’s legendary motorcycle maker. Harley-Davidson of Milwaukee reports a 106-million-dollar profit for October-through-December, compared to a loss of 47-million in the same quarter a year ago. Investors made 46-cents a share in the last quarter, after losing 20-cents at the same time the previous year. Sales of Harley motorcycles jumped almost 11-percent worldwide this past fall, and almost 12-percent in the U-S. Sales revenues exceeded a billion dollars, up from 917-million in the same quarter the previous year. Harley C-E-O Keith Wandell said the higher sales were due to a rise in consumer confidence, plus growth in foreign markets. But he says the company is still cautious in its expectations for the New Year. Harley-Davidson saved about as much as it expected from its re-structuring activities last year – around 217-million dollars.