On Training offered for storm spotting

Posted on March 3 at 9:49 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I just checked their website and they have an evening class in Albany at the Lions Club on March 8th from 6:30-8:30.

On Half of 4-year-olds enrolled in Wis preschools

Posted on April 26 at 6:49 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Dumbledorf-I guess you can say that I am one of those people who are saying "They get this, I don't get this." I work at a child care center and I can tell you for a fact that we see and deal with the same things as a "regular" teacher does and yet we get paid just over minimum wage and rarely ever receive any kind of benefits let alone someone "i.e. the taxpayers" to pay for 100% of a health care plan. I have a family of 5 and I have not had health insurance for over 2 years so please don't tell me I am wrong for wanting what some others have. And before you start in on how I should better myself by going to college I can assure you that I already have one Associates Degree and am currently working on my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education Administration. I live in Evansville and we do not currently have a 4k program but it is in the works for this comming fall. I can tell you from first hand experience that I have heard more people say that if is approved they are going to send their children because "it is like having free child care" or "do you know how much money I am going to save because I won't have to pay you guys anymore." Most child care centers do a preschool curriculum for their children that are 3 and 4 years old. I do admit that some child care centers do just "babysit" and do not work on skills such as letter recognition, colors, shapes, letter sounds and such. But just as other things in life you get what you pay for and most parents are going for what is going to cost them less in the long run not what is best for their child/children. Kids need to be kids and by shoving them into a kindergarten setting when they are not ready is not going to add anything positive to their school experience. It does not matter what exactly it is costing the taxpayers. It matters that it is costing something and people are tired of shelling out money to school districts in general for this and that. It may only be pennies for each taxpayer but pretty soon those pennies are going to start adding up to real money.

On State lawmaker seeks cuts to 4K

Posted on January 9 at 2:31 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Someday.....That is the most truthful/educated statement that I have read so far. If this state would stop paying for the birthing and medical expenses of the people who continue to have children who can't afford to take care of them we wouldn't be in the hole we are now. Those people will be getting their HUGE tax returns soon but will get to spend it on whatever they want while the rest of us try and catch up on bills or our medical expenses because we don't have health insurance while someone who pops out a couple of kids while working part-time can drive around in their SUV's and hang out in their income based mortage houses that are nicer than the ones we live in.

On State program will rate all childcare facilities

Posted on August 14 at 1:16 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I work at a child care center. I have worked their for almost six years and before that I worked at another center for seven years. I am not against this star rating system but I hope that parents realize that when this system is used you will be paying quite a bit more for your child care. I always hear that daycare is too expensive. If you think it is expensive now just wait until after the rating system. Another point is that this rating system is partially based on education and qualifications of the child care teachers. It will not be long until all child care providers are required to have at least an Associates Degree in early childhood. I do not disagree with this. I think that the early years are important for a child's development and teachers should be educated to foster the children's learning abilities. After all that is what the parents are paying for in addition to knowing that their children are safe during the day. But just because someone is well educated and you pay them well does not mean they will not abuse or neglect your children. Just look at all of the doctors lately that have been found molesting children. They have 10+ years of education and charge an arm and leg for their services and still have been found to harm children.

On This was taken In Clinton on 7/22

Posted on July 24 at 1:01 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I have been trying to get pictures of the storms and lightning but can't seem to do it. They are always dark and I can't get the camera to focus on anything cause they sky is dark and there is nothing to focus on. I have a Nikon D3000. Could you give me any pointers on taking nightime pics. Anything would be helpful. Thank you!

On Seven injured in Interstate crash

Posted on July 19 at 2:08 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

My guess is this is a person who is driving illegally (now) without insurance, hesitated at first with doing the right thing which would have been stopping to offer assistance, realized that his/her butt would be in deep **** when the cops arrived, and speed off as to not get caught. We (the insured drivers) should be afraid every time we get in our cars and drive somewhere because I'm sure there are more uninsured people than there are insured people.

On Doyle proposes child care rating system for Wisconsin

Posted on January 23 at 9:20 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

OntheNEside-I totally agree with you. I too work at a child care center and cannot believe families that come in who are on w-2 and drive better cars than mine and my husbands and we make 80,000 dollars a year together. People are in hard times right now and will find anyway to dupe the state. If the state put more time and money into investigating the families situation or fraud before just handing over the money they wouldn't be in this bind in the first place. Actually checking a tax return or look at their lifestyle you can tell which ones are just getting by with a free ride. The state health care system is the same way. Paying for people to have children who can't afford to care for them is a problem right there. I don't think if you are on state aid for health insurance that they should pay for you to have that child. Having a child is a privledge not a right. If you can't afford to take care of it don't have one. With the state paying for the medical bills of a birth then they are creating more expenses for themselves because then they have to pay for the child's health care and the daycare expenses because the parents choose to have a child when they couldn't afford it in the first place. I'm not saying that all people on state aid are "working" the system, but from my experience a good percentage of them know how too and do it because its easier not to work than to work. Just pump out a few kids (that the state will pay for) and you will get more in state aid than you would if you were holding down a full time job.

On ‘Deadbeat dads’ is term unfair to caring fathers

Posted on December 1 at 7:26 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I too can agree that there are such things as deadbeat father as well as deadbeat mothers. I spent the afternoon in the Rock county courthouse a few weeks ago for my ex's failure to pay child support. Our case was the last case so I got to sit for a few (unpaid) hours and listen to everyone elses child support cases. The courtroom was mostly men but there were a few women waiting their turn. One guy that was there was 1500.00 behind in his child support. I wasn't sure if this was alot for him to be behind or if it had only been a month or two since he paid (we pay 200/wk so it could have been just a few months), until the judge read his court order of child support which was only 17.00/week. This man had not paid any support for over a year and a half at only 17.00 week. It was unbelievable. This man also admitted that he lived on his own and paid rent but didn't have a job. How is that possible (I know how it is possible but I've never seen a line on a tax return for gross drug sales). I don't think that the term deadbeat dad is used too much, I just think the term deadbeat mom isn't used enough.

I do have a problem with one statement used in this article which states "Most single fathers are either on schedule or at least making their best efforts to pay their court-ordered obligations". This is great that most are on schedule, but the exspenses to raise a child for the custodial parent do not stop because the noncustodial father or mother can't "afford" the make their child support obligations.

On Former school district manager appears in court

Posted on November 20 at 2:53 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I went to school with this man. He was always buying things and then selling them to other people for more money (I bought a shirt from him in 8th grade). We both graduated from Evansville in 2006. Just seems weird that the IT coordinator in Evansville is also being charged with ordering electronics for the school and then intercepting them to sell on ebay. There must have been a class offered to learn how to scam school districts out of money.Guess I never looked at the class lists close enough at registration time.