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7 men charged in NE Wisconsin burglaries
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 31, 2008
GREEN BAY -- Seven Green Bay men face charges in a burglary ring blamed for hitting more than a dozen northeastern Wisconsin businesses since August. Chief Deputy John Gossage of the Brown County Sheriff's Department said a tip led officers to run surveillance on two men, and a traffic stop ...Read more, view comments (6) »
Packers sign QB Rodgers to contract extension
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 31, 2008
GREEN BAY -- The Green Bay Packers made a long-term commitment to quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Friday, signing the first-year starter to a contract extension through 2014. The team announced the deal after practice Friday afternoon, when Rodgers signed the paperwork. Terms were not disclosed. "It means a lot," Rodgers ...Read more, view comments (8) »
1 dead, 1 wounded in Cross Plains shooting
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 31, 2008
CROSS PLAINS -- Authorities searched for a suspect after a shooting in the Dane County village of Cross Plains left one person dead and another hospitalized. Sheriff's officials said they received a report of the shooting Friday just after 2 p.m. at an apartment building. The initial information was that ...Read more, add a comment »
Man faces 11th OWI charge
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 31, 2008
KENOSHA -- A Kenosha man arrested after his car flipped over last weekend has been charged with what authorities say is his 11th drunken driving-related offense. Deciderio Soto, 51, was charged with driving while intoxicated and obstructing an officer in the incident Sunday in Kenosha. A witness flagged down an ...Read more, view comments (20) »
Feingold questions Wisconsin AG's poll watchers
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 31, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold wants Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to reconsider his plans to have 50 poll watchers across the state on Election Day. The Republican Van Hollen has drawn heat from Democrats over his plan to send assistant attorneys general and special agents to ...Read more, view comments (24) »
More Wisconsinites file for bankruptcy
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 31, 2008
Bankruptcy filings increased 38 percent in Wisconsin during the third quarter, compared to the same time last year. And, bankruptcy attorneys say they don't expect the increasing number of people declaring insolvency to subside any time soon. Through Sept. 30, there were 15,978 bankruptcy petitions in the state, up from ...Read more, view comments (11) »
State, feds reach tentative agreement on waiver
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 31, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Gov. Jim Doyle says the state and federal government have agreed in principle on the state's plan to expand the BadgerCare Plus health insurance plan to low-income childless adults. The state is seeking a five-year waiver from the federal government to offer the program. However, Doyle cautioned ...Read more, view comments (5) »
Two seriously injured in Milton area crash
Posted by STAN STRICKER on October 31, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: Four teen-agers are hurt, two seriously, following an accident on Highway 26 just north of Milton early Thursday night. The Rock County Sheriff's Office reports 17-year-old Tiffany Duffy of Madison stopped for the stop sign on County "N" at Highway 26 just before 6:00 last night, ...Read more, view comments (21) »
SUV crushed between semis, 1 person killed
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 31, 2008
ELKHORN, Wis. (AP) A sports utility vehicle got crushed between two semitrailer trucks in Walworth County Thursday, killing a passenger in the SUV and injuring his son. Sheriff's officials say one semi had stopped for a flagman because of work being done along state Highway 11 in the town of ...Read more, view comments (9) »
Expect delays at Highway 26 and County N
Posted by CATHERINE IDZERDA on October 30, 2008
The Rock County Sheriff's Office responded to a serious accident at the intersection of Highway 26 and County N just before 6 p.m. today. Traffic is being re-routed around the area. No further information is available at this time.Read more, view comments (21) »
Ken Macha hired to manage Milwaukee Brewers
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 30, 2008
MILWAUKEE (AP) Ken Macha was hired Thursday as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, taking over from Dale Sveum following the team's first postseason appearance since 1982. The 58-year-old Macha, who managed Oakland to a pair of AL West titles, agreed to a two-year contract. He replaces Dale Sveum, who became ...Read more, view comments (7) »
Reports: Brewers to hire Macha as new manager
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 30, 2008
MILWAUKEE (AP) According to two reports, the Milwaukee Brewers are expected to hire Ken Macha as their new manager. The Brewers called a news conference for Thursday afternoon to announce their new manager. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said as early as Monday that the former A's manager would be general ...Read more, view comment (1) »
Downtown postal center to reopen Monday
Posted by SHELLY BIRKELO on October 30, 2008
JANESVILLE—The U.S. Post Office’s downtown Janesville postal center in the Olde Towne Mall, 20 S. Main St., will reopen Monday, both mall management and postal officials announced today. The postal center was temporarily closed Aug. 12 after postal workers got sick and while officials awaited results of air quality tests. ...Read more, view comment (1) »
GOP attempt to challenge Milwaukee voters fails
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 30, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) An attempt by the Republican Party of Wisconsin to disqualify thousands of registered voters in Milwaukee has failed. The Milwaukee Election Commission rejected a challenge filed by Republican attorneys shortly before Wednesday's 5 p.m. deadline. The party challenged about 60,000 voters who registered between Jan. 1, 2006 ...Read more, view comments (8) »
Wisconsin legislators earn nearly $50,000 per year
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 30, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) The candidates who win seats in the Wisconsin Legislature on Tuesday will become among the nation's best-paid lawmakers. Wisconsin's legislators earn nearly $50,000 per year. A Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance study done last year found lawmakers in only eight states earned more. But, that's partly because Wisconsin is ...Read more, view comments (5) »
UW-Madison students promote free Halloween party
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 30, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) University of Wisconsin-Madison students put off by the entrance fee to the city's official Halloween party are starting an alternative, free event. Madison officials started Freakfest two years ago after Halloween festivities on State Street downtown got out of hand. The city charges $7 for admission and ...Read more, view comments (4) »
Oshkosh Corp. loses on $20 billion contract
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 30, 2008
OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) In a decision that surprised Wall Street analysts, Oshkosh Corp. was eliminated from competition to develop a lightweight military tactical vehicle to replace the once mighty Humvee. Analysts had expected Northrop Grumman Corp. and its partner Oshkosh Truck Corp. to be among the winners for the $20 ...Read more, view comments (2) »
DeForest police set up fake OWI checkpoints
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 30, 2008
DEFOREST, Wis. (AP) This weekend DeForest police will again be intentionally creating the false impression of a random checkpoint for drunken drivers. Such a checkpoint is illegal in Wisconsin and 11 other states. About three weeks ago, police set up a fake checkpoint along Highway V. Officers wore bright reflective ...Read more, view comments (16) »
City funding cut for Tallman House
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 30, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: Those involved with Janesville's Tallman House can expect less money from the City of Janesville in the 2009 budget. Acting City Manager Jay Winzenz says the city cannot turn the site over to the Rock County Historical Society as a way of cutting costs because the ...Read more, view comments (8) »
Father-daughter team suspected in bank heists
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 29, 2008
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee police say a father and his daughter are suspected of robbing several banks in southeastern Wisconsin. And, the daughter tried to collect some reward money by turning in her father. Authorities say the 46-year-old father robbed a bank in Greendale while his 28-year-old daughter drove the ...Read more, view comments (26) »
Obama leads by 11 in latest Wisconsin poll
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 29, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Barack Obama leads John McCain by 11 points in Wisconsin, according to a new poll released just six days before the election. The results of the WISC-TV poll done by Research 2000 and released Wednesday are in line with seven previous polls this month that also showed ...Read more, view comments (19) »
Arts Center hires new director
Posted by CATHERINE IDZERDA on October 29, 2008
The Janesville Performing Arts Center (JPAC) has a new director. Emily Gruenewald, who most recently served as the executive director of Madison Youth Choirs, will begin her new job on Nov. 10. Gruenewal will replace Laurel Canan, who is leaving for Ohio. Canan served as the center’s director for the ...Read more, view comments (2) »
Wausau mother charged after cocaine found in baby
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 29, 2008
WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) A 20-year-old Wausau mother is charged with misdemeanor child neglect after her baby tested positive for cocaine days after he was born. Court records say the amount of cocaine found in Elizabeth L. Hoade's baby indicates he was exposed to the drug two or three days before ...Read more, view comments (12) »
Fire destroys McDonald's restaurant
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 29, 2008
WATERTOWN, Wis. (AP) Hungry customers took their burgers to go when fire broke out at the McDonald's restaurant in Watertown. The McDonald's along Highway 26 caught fire shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday and was declared a total loss within a couple hours. All the patrons and employees got out of ...Read more, view comments (17) »
Buckling up on the bus
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 29, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: Janesville students could buckle up on the bus if the school board approves a plan for all new buses in the school district to come equipped with seat belts. The school board came to a consensus Tuesday that it makes more sense to buy new buses ...Read more, view comments (21) »
Brodhead company announces layoffs
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 29, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: The Department of Workforce Development says Woodbridge Group in Brodhead filed notice Tuesday of a mass layoff. Company officials estimate 70 workers will be affected. The DWD and Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board have formed a Rapid Response team to handle this and other layoffs. The ...Read more, view comments (8) »
Officials discuss Great Lakes wind generation
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 28, 2008
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) Offshore wind turbines could generate lots of clean electricity in the Great Lakes region, but thorny questions must be answered before any projects get started. Government regulators, environmental activists and scientists discussed offshore wind generation this week at the International Submerged Lands Management Conference in Traverse ...Read more, view comments (10) »
Court: Search of suspect's cell phone was legal
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 28, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) An appeals court says prosecutors can use incriminating photos obtained from the cell phone of a suspected drug dealer who had been stopped for speeding. Jermichael James Carroll of Milwaukee was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm after authorities discovered pictures on his ...Read more, view comments (13) »
We Energies proposes 90 wind turbines
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 28, 2008
MADISION, Wis. (AP) We Energies is asking state regulators to build 90 wind turbines in Columbia County at a cost of $340 million to $530 million. The proposed Glacier Hills Wind Park in the towns of Randolph and Scott, 45 miles northeast of Madison, would be the state's largest wind ...Read more, add a comment »
1930s gas station safe...for now
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 28, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: The gas station at 101 North Franklin in Janesville will stay where it's been since the 1930s, at least for now. City Council Member Russ Steeber says moving the building would place it in a better environment, instead of being surrounded by municipal buildings and apartments. ...Read more, view comments (7) »
More GM-related layoffs in Janesville
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 28, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: Another Janesville General Motors supplier says it's closing its doors by December 23rd. Atlanta-based Allied Automotive Group filed notice Monday with the Department of Workforce Development that it's laying off 117 workers. The DWD's Rapid Response Team will help those workers with training, update skills, and ...Read more, view comments (32) »
Property taxes will increase in Turner School District
Posted by ANN MARIE AMES on October 27, 2008
BELOIT TOWNSHIP--The Turner School Board on Monday night unanimously approved a $3.6 million levy for the 2008-2009 school year. That’s an increase of 15 percent over last year’s levy. To cover it, district property owners will pay taxes of $9.89 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. That's an increase of 77 ...Read more, view comments (3) »
UPDATE: Subject in custody, school open
Posted by STACY VOGEL on October 27, 2008
Marshall Middle School has been opened after a possibly suicidal subject in the neighborhood was taken into custody, Capt. Dan Davis with the Janesville Police Department said. The school had been put on lockdown after 3 p.m. as police dealt with the subject. The subject was apprehended without incident, Davis ...Read more, view comments (25) »
School Web site taken down
Posted by FRANK SCHULTZ on October 27, 2008
JANESVILLE--The Janesville School District’s Web site was taken down Monday after a link to a computer virus was discovered. The link was to the same virus that attacked the district’s computer system Sept. 19 and forced the district to take the Web site down at that time. Part of the ...Read more, view comments (8) »
Marshall Middle School on lockdown
Posted by STACY VOGEL on October 27, 2008
Marshall Middle School in Janesville has been put on lockdown relating to a potentially suicidal subject across the street, a Janesville police official said. Police are responding to the potentially suicidal subject in the first block of Pontiac Drive, Deputy Chief David Moore said. The school is being locked down ...Read more, view comments (30) »
Madison area man suspect in convention crime
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 27, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Sheriff's deputies have searched the home of a Madison-area man suspected of participating in a crime related to the Republican National Convention in Minnesota. Investigators in Ramsey County, Minnesota, believe the 22-year-old Town of Blooming Grove man is one of two men who threw a pair of ...Read more, view comments (23) »
Law gives Wisconsin workers 3 hours off to vote
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 27, 2008
MILWAUKEE (AP) Don't worry about lines at the polls next week. Wisconsin law entitles workers to up to three hours off to cast their ballots. All workers have to do is make arrangements with their bosses in advance. Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus has been working to promote awareness of ...Read more, view comments (10) »
3 killed in Dane County crash
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 27, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Three people, including a baby, have died in a two-car crash in northern Dane County. The sheriff's department says one car was traveling west on Highway V west of DeForest shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday when another car tried to make a U-turn directly in front of ...Read more, view comments (4) »
Gas leak closes part of Milton Avenue
Posted by SHELLY BIRKELO on October 27, 2008
JANESVILLE—All lanes of Milton Avenue, in both directions between Centerway and Walker St., were closed to traffic for less than a half hour today after a natural gas leak occurred at 6:15 a.m. today at 524 Milton Ave. Emergency responders from both the Janesville Fire and Police departments responded to ...Read more, view comments (3) »
Council to study conversion of Court and Milwaukee Streets
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 27, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: As the City of Janesville studies future transportation, dramatic changes could take place. The city is investigating whether to convert Court and Milwaukee Streets into two-way streets. In a city memorandum, Public Works Director Jack Messer says a study on the topic in 1994 appears to ...Read more, view comments (10) »
Gas prices fall nearly 53 cents in two weeks
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 26, 2008
CAMARILLO, Calif. — A national survey shows gas prices continue to decline, tumbling nearly 53 cents a gallon in the last two weeks. The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline at self-serve stations was $2.78 Friday. Mid-grade was at $2.93 and premium was at $3.05. That’s according to ...Read more, view comments (23) »
Ryan spends big on campaign ads
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 26, 2008
MADISON Rep. Paul Ryan is spending heavily to run television ads touting his plans even though most observers expect the Janesville Republican to breeze to re-election. Ryan has spent more than $1 million on television and radio ads through Oct. 15, according to his campaign finance report. He had not ...Read more, view comments (24) »
Wind advisory in effect today
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 26, 2008
A wind advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. today until 1 a.m Monday. West winds will be increasing throughout the day to 20 to 30 mph with gusts of about 45 mph. Forecasters predict it will be sunny in the morning, then turning partly sunny with a slight chance ...Read more, view comments (10) »
Man and woman found dead in Milwaukee residence
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 26, 2008
MILWAUKEE — Police are investigating after a man and woman were found dead in a Milwaukee residence. Authorities said relatives had been unable to reach the 25-year-old woman and her 24-year-old boyfriend since Thursday. Police said a relative went to the home, couldn't get in and got the landlord, who ...Read more, view comments (12) »
Wis. election could clear path for Democrats
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 26, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) It's been a long time since Democrats held both houses of Wisconsin's Legislature and the governor's office all at once. Twenty-two years, to be exact. Now, Democrats are banking voters on Nov. 4 will hand them control of Wisconsin government for the first time since "Top Gun" ...Read more, view comments (2) »
Eau Claire area man bags 23-point buck
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 25, 2008
EAU CLAIRE--A bow hunter from the Eau Claire area says his trip to Minnesota paid off when he bagged a deer of a lifetime — a 23-point buck. Ben Spanjers said he has bow hunted for 20 years before bagging the deer that had become known as the "Hokah Legend." ...Read more, view comments (8) »
DNR announces best state parks
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 25, 2008
MADISON — Wisconsin enthusiasts have named their favorite state parks in 10 categories ranging from best beach to best bird-watching trail. Park lovers vote on the features every year as part of the state Department of Natural Resources’ Gold Seal Awards program. Among the winners: — Best bike trails: Blue ...Read more, view comments (2) »
Milwaukee paper endorses Obama
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 25, 2008
MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is endorsing Democrat Barack Obama for president, calling him the candidate with the vision and potential to lead a nation with a teetering economy, a "health care morass" and involvement in two foreign wars. "The Bush administration has bumbled from crisis to crisis for ...Read more, view comments (22) »
Madison couple finds, turns in $1,000 cash
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 25, 2008
MADISON--The slumping economy didn't deter one Madison-area couple from doing the right thing after they found $1,000 in cash. Madison police say the pair turned in the money Thursday, one day after the woman found it while walking down the street. The couple are both in their early 50s but ...Read more, view comments (13) »
Sheriff favors sobriety checks but money’s tight
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 25, 2008
MADISON — Authorities around the state agree with Gov. Jim Doyle that sobriety checkpoints would help curb drunken driving, but some question whether the plan is affordable. Doyle said this week he supports giving police an additional enforcement tool. His comments came on the heels of state news reports that ...Read more, view comments (23) »
Woman extra cautious after bear attacks dog
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 25, 2008
RHINELANDER — A Rhinelander woman is being extra cautious going out in her yard after a bear attacked one of her dogs last week. Lori Oelrich said the bear came out of the shadows and attacked her dog, Nick. Her other dog, Copper, wasn't hurt, but Nick had wounds to ...Read more, view comments (9) »
Wis. governor orders change to state hiring
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 24, 2008
MADISON — Gov. Jim Doyle wants all state hiring to go through the Department of Administration. The head of that agency issued a statement Friday saying that all hiring decisions will have to go through DOA. Agency Secretary Michael Morgan said the new centralized process is the result of the ...Read more, view comments (8) »
Wis. Supreme Court justice won't talk about charge
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 24, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) The newest member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court has begun his 10-year term under the cloud of ethics charges, but Justice Michael Gableman refused to discuss it following his swearing-in ceremony Friday. "I'll answer those questions in the proper time and place," Gableman said when questioned about ...Read more, view comments (7) »
Craig opens playoffs against Tremper
Posted by JOHN MCPOLAND on October 24, 2008
Janesville Craig will play at Kenosha Tremper in a first-round, WIAA Division 1 playoff game Tuesday night. The Cougars will carry a 5-4 record into the game against a 7-2 Tremper squad. The winner of that game will face either Mukwonago (4-5) or Middleton (8-1) in a Level 2 game ...Read more, view comments (6) »
Few Wis. candidates take political courage test
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 24, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) None of Wisconsin's congressmen returned a political courage test sent by the nonpartisan Project Vote Smart. Not many of their opponents did either. Only 22 percent of congressional candidates and 21 percent of candidates for the state Legislature returned the survey asking them about the budget, taxes, ...Read more, view comments (3) »
Guilty plea entered in murder case
Posted by TED SULLIVAN on October 24, 2008
ELKHORN -- A Linn Township man pleaded guilty Friday to felony charges stemming from the murder of his mother. Jeffrey Newberg, 45, pleaded guilty in Walworth County Court to felony first-degree reckless homicide and felony hiding a corpse in the stabbing death of his mother, Alice Newberg, 70. The first-degree ...Read more, view comments (3) »
Doyle calls for tougher drunken driving laws
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 24, 2008
MILWAUKEE (AP) Gov. Jim Doyle says Wisconsin needs tougher laws to fight drunken driving and that could include sobriety checkpoints. The governor says most people are in greater danger from drunken driving than someone breaking into their homes. He says he doesn't think sobriety checkpoints should be banned and they ...Read more, view comments (46) »
IRS can't deliver checks to 3,500 Wis. taxpayers
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 24, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) The Internal Revenue Service says about 3,500 Wisconsin residents haven't received their stimulus or tax-refund checks because the IRS doesn't have their correct address. IRS spokesman Christopher Miller says checks that total about $2 million came back as undeliverable. He says the average stimulus payment is $527 ...Read more, view comments (6) »
GM manager gets new position
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 24, 2008
In addition to losing more than 1,300 hourly and salaried employees in December, the Janesville General Motors plant also will lose its manager. Gary Malkus, who became plant manager in April 2002, has been named manager of GM’s Lake Orion assembly plant in Michigan, which builds the Pontiac G6 and ...Read more, view comments (19) »
Madison man gets 10 years in torture case
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 24, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A second Madison man has been sentenced for his role in a seven-hour torture session against a man he believed had stolen money or drugs from him. Twenty-year-old Emmanuel Usher was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison. A day earlier, another 20-year-old Madison man was sentenced ...Read more, view comments (4) »
Janesville School Board begins superintendent search
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 24, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: The Janesville School Board decides to entertain proposals from search firms for its superintendent search. The district will request proposals from a list of search firms Friday. The school board plans to gather input from the Studer consulting group and the community, including three listening sessions ...Read more, view comment (1) »
Judge dismisses Wisconsin voter lawsuit
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 23, 2008
A judge on Thursday threw out Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen’s lawsuit demanding state elections officials to confirm hundreds of thousands of voters’ identities before Election Day. Van Hollen’s lawsuit argued that the federal Help America Vote Act requires the state Government Accountability Board to check the names of everyone ...Read more, view comments (10) »
Wis. election officials call lawsuit 'power grab'
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 23, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) An attorney for state election officials calls Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's lawsuit demanding verification of voters' identities before Election Day an unprecedented power grab. Lester Pines is the attorney for the Government Accountability Board. He told Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi on Thursday morning that ...Read more, view comments (10) »
Poll: Obama ahead in Big 10 states
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 23, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A new poll shows that Barack Obama leads John McCain by double digits in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota and the other four states that make up the Big Ten Conference. Obama opened a lead in seven states of the Big Ten Battleground Poll of registered voters, and ...Read more, view comments (30) »
Janesville home nearly destroyed by fire
Posted by SHELLY BIRKELO on October 23, 2008
A Janesville man was displaced from his home Wednesday night after a fire caused $100,000 damage to his $140,000 east-side home. When Janesville firefighters were dispatched at 8 p.m. to 1610 Clover Lane, they could see flames, from two blocks away, shooting through the roof of Russell Stebe’s single-family ranch-style ...Read more, view comments (12) »
Council examines conferences and training for possible budget cuts
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 23, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: The Janesville City Council is examining budget reductions in order to give taxpayers a break. Councilmember George Brunner says he wants to be clear that the council does not want to sacrifice jobs while making cuts. Brunner says he wants a budget with zero tax increases. ...Read more, view comments (2) »
Wisconsin to receive $954,000 under Pfizer deal
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 22, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says Wisconsin will receive $954,000 from a multistate settlement with Pfizer Inc. over the marketing of its Celebrex and Bextra products. The state Department of Justice's share is part of a $60 million settlement filed Wednesday with 32 other states and the ...Read more, view comments (13) »
Obama leads McCain by 13 points in latest Wis poll
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 22, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Less than two weeks before the election, a new poll shows Barack Obama with a 13-point lead over John McCain in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Public Radio/St. Norbert College Survey Center telephone poll was conducted between Oct. 9 and Friday. It is the fifth poll this month to ...Read more, view comments (34) »
More GM-Janesville suppliers to shut down
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 22, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) More suppliers to the General Motors plant in Janesville are planning mass layoffs Dec. 23 — the same day GM is ending production of sports utility vehicles there. LSI in Janesville told the state Department of Workforce Development on Tuesday it will lay off 159 workers and ...Read more, view comments (49) »
Local farmers eligible for disaster assistance
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 22, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: Local farmers are receiving help from the federal government. Governor Jim Doyle says the USDA has approved his request for disaster declarations in counties affected by spring flooding and winter frost. Rock, Dane, Jefferson and Walworth are among the 24 primary counties eligible through the flood ...Read more, view comment (1) »
Emerald ash borer found in Kenosha County
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 21, 2008
MADISON – A scientist in Michigan has confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer in a newly planted ash tree in rural Kenosha County, several miles north of Silver Lake, the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced today. The discovery marks the third confirmed detection of the ...Read more, view comments (2) »
Wis. Democrats object to ads
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 21, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) State Democrats are objecting to ads accusing their candidates of supporting free health care for illegal immigrants. The Wisconsin Institute for Leadership and the Coalition for America's Families have been running television ads in Eau Claire, La Crosse and Green Bay targeting state Rep. Jim Soletski, D-Green ...Read more, view comments (13) »
Wis. officials help residents find sex offenders
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 21, 2008
APPLETON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin officials are helping residents find sex offenders to prepare for a safe Halloween. State Corrections Secretary Rick Raemisch says the state's sex offender registry site will temporarily link to the Family Watchdog Web site. That plots offender homes on maps that are searchable by address. He ...Read more, view comments (17) »
Minkey Road closed for a week
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 21, 2008
BRADFORD TOWNSHIP – A portion of Minkey Road will be closed for one week starting Wednesday, the Rock County Department of Public Works announced this morning. Minkey Road will be closed between O’Riley Road and Carvers Rock Road while a culvert is replaced. The road will not be open to ...Read more, add a comment »
Pilot arrested, pot found on plane
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 21, 2008
MINERAL POINT, Wis. (AP) A pilot who was arrested after Iowa County sheriff's deputies say they found his plane loaded with marijuana has been transferred to federal custody. Federal agents called sheriff's officials who stopped the twin-engine plane from taking off last Saturday night at the Mineral Point airport. Iowa ...Read more, view comments (46) »
More Safe training planned
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 21, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: Janesville police plan to expand "SAFE" training in the school district. SAFE stands for self-defense, awareness, familiarization, and exchange. Sergeant Brian Donohoue says the classes were so popular, they'll likely be expanded. Donohoue says during the first sections, the participants were very enthusiastic. Donohoue has great ...Read more, view comments (4) »
Obama cancels Madison rally to visit sick grandma
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 20, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama on Monday announced he was canceling a Thursday rally in Madison to visit his ailing grandmother in Hawaii. Obama campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama would leave the campaign trail for most of Thursday and Friday to visit grandmother Madelyn Dunham. He said the 85-year-old woman's health ...Read more, view comments (63) »
Investigators looking for armed robbery suspects
Posted by TED SULLIVAN on October 20, 2008
RICHMOND TOWNSHIP -- Two gunmen robbed a bar in Richmond Township early Monday morning. Walworth County Sheriff’s Capt. Dana Nigbor said in a news release that the men entered Real McCoy’s bar on County A at 1:42 a.m. One man had a handgun, she said, and the other man had ...Read more, view comments (23) »
"Natural woman" to be in Elkhorn on Friday
Posted by KAYLA BUNGE on October 20, 2008
ELKHORN Award-winning singer and songwriter Carole King will speak on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama at a rally at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Walworth County Democratic Party office, 21 E. Walworth St., Elkhorn. King has been touring Midwestern battleground states, including Iowa, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, talking ...Read more, view comments (38) »
Charges requested in Milton bomb incident
Posted by STEVE BENTON on October 20, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: The case against a 14-year-old female student, suspected in a Milton bomb scare incident, is advanced by Milton police. Last Thursday, Milton High School officials notified police that the word "bomb" was found written on an inside wall of the school. Police evacuated the building, searched ...Read more, view comments (28) »
Supervisor wants criminal probe into Gableman ad
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 20, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A county supervisor is asking for an investigation into whether Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman committed a crime when he ran a misleading campaign ad. The Judicial Commission alleges Gableman committed misconduct by falsely suggesting Justice Louis Butler freed a child molester who later raped again in ...Read more, view comments (3) »
Wis gas prices $1 lower than month ago
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 20, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas dropped nearly 6 cents Monday in Wisconsin, continuing a decline that's made filling up at the pumps more tolerable. The daily fuel gauge report from AAA says the average price in the Badger State is $2.89 a ...Read more, view comments (6) »
Police investigate political confrontation
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 20, 2008
CALEDONIA, Wis. (AP) _ Police in Caledonia say they're investigating a weekend attack on a Barack Obama campaign worker. Nancy Takehara tells WISN-TV she drove from Chicago to help canvass a neighborhood in Caledonia Saturday on behalf of the Democratic presidential nominee. Ronald Goetsch says he had a heated verbal ...Read more, view comments (29) »
Economy produces more overcrowding at Rock Co Humane Society
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 20, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: A grant contest could help the Rock County Humane Society reduce overcrowding. In a manner of speaking, the Humane Society is a no-kill shelter for dogs. That means any animal that's healthy, treatable and pet quality is saved. Executive Director Chris Konetski says the same is ...Read more, view comments (17) »
McCain gaining on Obama -- in costumes
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 19, 2008
MILWAUKEE (AP) — John McCain is catching up to Barack Obama in Wisconsin by at least one measure — Halloween masks. Obama masks were popular here earlier this month, but a price-comparison Web site says there’s been growing interest in McCain masks. Sortprice.com says the Republican’s masks were among those ...Read more, view comments (13) »
Wisconsin homecoming to be "carbon-neutral"
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 19, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin is designating next weekend’s homecoming football game with Illinois as "carbon-neutral." The designation gives the university a chance to raise awareness of environmental issues, such as the damaging effects of carbon dioxide and the benefits of recycling. The university will provide information on ways fans ...Read more, view comments (6) »
Survey: Lambeau one of best values in NFL
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 19, 2008
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — An annual survey concludes that a game at Lambeau Field remains among the best values in the NFL. The Team Marketing Report has calculated the 2008 Fan Cost Index. The figure combines the cost of four tickets to a regular-season game, four small sodas, four ...Read more, view comments (10) »
East Troy man seriously injured in cycle crash
Posted by STACY VOGEL on October 18, 2008
A 22-year-old East Troy man sustained life-threatening injuries in a motorcycle crash early this morning in Waukesha County, according to a news release from the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office. The man, whose name has not been released, was driving his motorcycle on County E south of County LO at 1:15 ...Read more, view comments (19) »
DNR: Don't bait and feed deer
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 18, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s top wildlife official is urging hunters to refrain from baiting and feeding deer this fall. Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank says there are some new health concerns that make it important to reduce the risks of spreading disease in the whitetail herd. Franks ...Read more, view comments (21) »
Two injured, suspected of drunken driving in Verona crash
Posted by STACY VOGEL on October 18, 2008
Two people were seriously injured, and both are suspected of drunken driving after a head-on crash this morning in Verona Township, according to a news release from the Dane County Sheriff's Office. A car driven by Evie J. K. Allen, 20, Oregon, was traveling east on County M near Davis ...Read more, view comments (20) »
Milton student arrested in bomb scare
Posted by STACY VOGEL on October 17, 2008
A 14-year-old Milton High School student was referred to authorities Friday afternoon in connection to a bomb threat discovered at Milton High School on Thursday, according to a news release from the Milton Police Department. The student has been suspended from school, pending further action, and confined to a juvenile ...Read more, view comments (34) »
Lear to close Dec. 23
Posted by STACY VOGEL on October 17, 2008
Lear Corp. has informed the Department of Workforce Development of its intention to close its Janesville plant Dec. 23, the same day the Janesville General Motors plant will stop producing SUVs. As a result of the closure, 371 Lear employees will be laid off, according to a news release from ...Read more, view comments (29) »
Safety concerns at Madison Memorial
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 17, 2008
MADISON — Students at a Madison high school were dismissed early because of safety concerns stemming from a fight the day before, but a football game is expected to be played tonight as scheduled. Police spokesman Mike Hanson said officials were concerned about threats of retaliation after a group fight ...Read more, view comments (11) »
Man sentenced to 15 years for shooting wife
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 17, 2008
WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) An unemployed gunsmith is sentenced to 15 years in prison for fatally shooting his wife in Waukesha County. Fifty-year-old Carl McDaniel maintained the shooting in the Town of Waukesha was a "tragic accident." He pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of second-degree reckless homicide. An autopsy ...Read more, view comments (11) »
Janesville police warn about door-to-door sales
Posted by SHELLY BIRKELO on October 17, 2008
JANESVILLE—Complaints of companies selling magazines and other items door-to-door have been received by the Janesville Police Department. The department, in a press release issued today, warns residents to be careful when buying items from door-to-door solicitors. “It’s is not a good practice to give checks, cash or any payment without ...Read more, view comments (36) »
JPD officer discovers house fire
Posted by STEVE BENTON on October 17, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: A smokey house fire in Janesville was discovered by a police officer on routine patrol. Officer Brad Rau was able to sound the alarm and firefighters were called to 903 McKinley around 2:22 Friday morning. The house is vacant. Fire officials are expected to have more ...Read more, view comments (12) »
Milton students searched after bomb threat
Posted by STEVE BENTON on October 17, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: Milton High School students will be searched before entering school Friday because of a late afternoon bomb threat on Thursday. Milton police say they were informed by school officials around 4:00 that someone had written the word "bomb" on an inside wall. The building was evacuated ...Read more, view comments (20) »
Janesville landlords learn how to prevent hoarding
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 17, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: The City of Janesville is coaching landlords on the best ways to prevent tenants from hoarding. Neighborhood Development Specialist Kelly Lee says landlords need to be involved. She says if they check in with the tenants once every few months, they can monitor possible problem behavior. ...Read more, view comments (19) »
Milwaukee may remove voters with suspect addresses
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 16, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Nearly 2,700 registered voters in Milwaukee could be removed from the rolls because they have addresses that do not exist. The Milwaukee Elections Commission sent letters last week warning the voters to resolve the discrepancy or they’ll be required to re-register on Election Day. Assistant Director Neil ...Read more, view comments (12) »
Harley profit falls by 37% in 3rd quarter
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 16, 2008
Harley-Davidson Inc. says its third-quarter profit fell 37% as consumer spending slowed to a crawl for big-ticket items like motorcycles. The company said its profit for the quarter that ended Sept. 28 fell to $166.5 million, or 71 cents per share, from $265 million, or $1.07 per share, in the ...Read more, view comments (46) »
Food ingredient company coming to Beloit
Posted by JIM LEUTE on October 16, 2008
An Idaho company plans to bring up to 90 jobs to Beloit to add to the mix of Rock County’s growing food ingredient and processing sector. HydroBlend, Inc., will move into a 40,000-square-foot building in Beloit’s I-90 Business Park by the end of the year, said Andrew Janke, the city’s ...Read more, view comments (33) »
BTC might hire instructors to keep up with demand
Posted by FRANK SCHULTZ on October 16, 2008
Blackhawk Technical College likely will hire a few instructors this school year in order to keep up with the continually rising enrollments. Local layoffs are the major factor in the enrollment increase. With SUV production coming to an end at the Janesville General Motors plant in December, the upsurge is ...Read more, view comments (8) »
Beloit man convicted on child abuse charge
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 16, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: A Beloit man is convicted on child abuse charges. The Rock County District Attorney says a jury found 24-year-old Jason Jordon guilty of giving his five-month-old nephew multiple skull fractures. Jordon's brother testified he left the infant in Jordon's care in June. When he returned from ...Read more, view comments (11) »
Doyle warns of state job cuts
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 15, 2008
MADISON — Nothing, including cutting state government jobs and spending on education, will be off the table as Wisconsin deals with the national economic downturn that could put the state $3 billion in the red, Gov. Jim Doyle warned Wednesday. "We’re going to have to make very deep cuts," the ...Read more, view comments (17) »
Investigators looking for attempted kidnapping suspect
Posted by TED SULLIVAN on October 15, 2008
LYONS TOWNSHIP -- The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man suspected of attempting to abduct a young girl. An 11-year-old girl told investigators at 3:20 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, that she was walking home near Brandi Street and Clearwater Court in Lyons Township when a sport utility ...Read more, view comments (11) »
Teens accused of poisoning man’s home-brew
Posted by TED SULLIVAN on October 15, 2008
ELKHORN -- A teen suspected of spraying WD-40 in a man's home-brew to poison him pleaded not guilty Wednesday to two felony charges. Dale D. Hanson, 17, of 641 N. Sandy Lane, No. 202, Elkhorn, is charged with party to placing foreign objects in edibles and party to second-degree reckless ...Read more, view comments (14) »
Man charged with selling Viagra to stand trial
Posted by TED SULLIVAN on October 15, 2008
ELKHORN -- A Lake Geneva man accused of selling Viagra to an undercover sheriff’s deputy will likely be charged with three misdemeanors, a defense attorney said Wednesday. David L. Vos, 55, of 617 Haskins St., Lake Geneva, is charged with three counts of felony delivery of prescription drugs, but the ...Read more, view comments (13) »
UW band to play at Packer game
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 15, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The University of Wisconsin marching band will be allowed to travel to Green Bay to play during Sunday’s Packers game. The band temporarily lost its travel privileges last week after a university investigation uncovered inappropriate hazing and alcohol-related activities. Band Director Michael Leckrone says new policies ...Read more, view comment (1) »
GOP seeks police, veterans to work Milwaukee polls
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 15, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Democrats are criticizing the Wisconsin Republican Party for seeking people with military and law enforcement experience to watch Milwaukee polling places. Barack Obama's presidential campaign says the effort is meant to intimidate voters but Republican Party spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski says that claim is ridiculous. Obama's campaign has ...Read more, view comments (33) »
Former governor heads racing safety alliance
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 15, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson has been chosen to oversee a national horse racing alliance that could lead to a ban on steroids and the beginning of uniform medication rules. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced the formation of the Safety and Integrity Alliance on Wednesday and ...Read more, view comments (13) »
Mayor proposes new policy for holiday displays
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 15, 2008
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) Green Bay's mayor has proposed a new policy for holiday displays on city property a week after a federal lawsuit over a nativity scene at City Hall was dismissed. Mayor Jim Schmitt says Santa, reindeer and other non-religious displays would be allowed, but Mary, Joseph, the ...Read more, view comments (15) »
Former Janesville City Councilman to run for Congressional seat
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 15, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: A former Janesville City Councilman says he decided to run for Congress when he heard about the government's financial rescue plan. Greg Addie has registered as a write-in candidate with the state Government Accountability Board. He faces incumbent Paul Ryan and Democrat Marge Krupp in the ...Read more, view comments (13) »
Republicans call for ACORN investigation in Wisconsin
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 14, 2008
WASHINGTON — Three Wisconsin congressmen are calling on state and federal authorities in Wisconsin to investigate the activities of a nonprofit group that was accused of voter fraud in several other states. Repbulican congressmen Jim Sensenbrenner, Tom Petri and Paul Ryan sent letters Tuesday to Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van ...Read more, view comments (37) »
Kohler lays off 50
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 14, 2008
SHEBOYGAN — Kohler Co. permanently laid off 50 local workers Tuesday due to the slumping economy. Kohler spokesman Todd Weber said 38 administrators and 12 production workers were notified Tuesday and let go immediately. Kohler employs about 7,500 people in Sheboygan County. Weber said the layoffs were because of the ...Read more, view comments (8) »
Doyle outlines options for GM workers
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 14, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle says state and regional services are available for General Motors plant workers in Janesville. GM announced Monday it will end sport utility production at the plant on Dec. 23, leaving about 1,200 people out of work. The plant is set to close completely ...Read more, view comments (41) »
Bergstrom Automotive cuts jobs at dealerships
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 14, 2008
NEENAH, Wis. (AP) An auto sales company with a strong presence in Wisconsin is reducing its workforce because of the tough economy. Bergstrom Automotive of Neenah has 33 dealerships across the state, selling domestic and foreign vehicles. Chairman and CEO John Bergstrom didn't immediately give a number on job losses, ...Read more, view comments (39) »
Poll: Obama's lead widens over McCain in Wis.
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 14, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Barack Obama's commanding 17-point lead in Wisconsin over John McCain shown in a new independent poll released Tuesday is the largest he's ever enjoyed in the state. The Quinnipiac University poll also shows large leads for Obama in Minnesota, Colorado and Michigan with the election just three ...Read more, view comments (52) »
UPDATED: Man dies in Green County crash
Posted by SHELLY BIRKELO on October 14, 2008
BRODHEAD—A 19-year-old Brodhead man died in Green County after a traffic accident that happened just before 10 p.m. Monday. The driver and lone occupant of the vehicle, Ryan D. Strommen, was pronounced dead at 9:43 p.m. at the scene, one-quarter mile west of Brodhead in Decatur Township, by the Green ...Read more, view comments (4) »
Budgets, baseball and billing at Janesville City Council meeting
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 14, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: The Janesville City Council hears the proposed budget for 2009, including an increase to the average property tax owner of $21.23. That increase doesn't sit well with Council Member George Brunner. He says any increase in the tax levy is not acceptable for citizens with fixed ...Read more, view comments (17) »
GM to close Mich. stamping plant, cut 1,340 jobs
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 13, 2008
DETROIT (AP) _ General Motors Corp. says it will close its metal stamping plant near Grand Rapids, Mich., by the end of 2009, costing about 1,340 hourly jobs. Workers at the 2-million-square-foot factory in the suburb of Wyoming were notified Monday afternoon. The move comes as GM tries to cut ...Read more, view comments (12) »
Obama urges his Wisconsin supporters to vote now
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 13, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Sen. Barack Obama is urging his Wisconsin supporters to vote before Election Day. The Democrat's presidential campaign on Monday sent an e-mail to thousands of supporters featuring a video clip of the Illinois senator. Obama says, "Voting is easy in Wisconsin. You can go do it today." ...Read more, view comments (55) »
Wrongful death lawsuit filed in Crandon shooting
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 13, 2008
CRANDON, Wis. (AP) The lone survivor and parents of four young people killed in a shooting rampage by an off-duty deputy have filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking millions of dollars. Forest County Deputy Sheriff Tyler Peterson killed his one-time girlfriend and five others on October 7, 2007, before killing ...Read more, view comments (10) »
Report: Black unemployment in Milwaukee increases
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 13, 2008
MILWAUKEE (AP) Milwaukee has the second highest rate of unemployment among black males, and the nation's largest employment gap between black and white men. That's according to a new report from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development. The center says unemployment among black men rose from 46.8 percent ...Read more, view comments (12) »
GM employees get official word
Posted by JIM LEUTE on October 13, 2008
Local General Motors’ employees learned officially this morning that production of full-size sport utility vehicles will end in Janesville on Dec. 23. The work stoppage will affect about 1,150 hourly and 130 salaried employees at GM, plus hundreds more at local companies that supply the auto plant. GM announced in ...Read more, view comments (94) »
Two teens involved in Beloit shooting
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 13, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: Beloit police are investigating a weekend shooting that involved two 17-year-olds. Captain Bill Tyler says the shooting occurred in the 700 block of West Grand just before three o'clock Sunday afternoon. One teen was treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries and the other ...Read more, view comments (25) »
Air pollution/health alert issued
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 12, 2008
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is issuing an Air Quality Watch for Monday. The Air Quality Index is forecast to reach the orange level, which is considered unhealthy for people in sensitive groups. Those groups include those with heart or lung disease, asthma, older adults and children. People in ...Read more, view comments (7) »
McCain responds to GM plant news
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 11, 2008
The John McCain campaign sent out a news release Saturday, responding to the news that General Motors plans to shut down production at several plants. Production of SUVs at the Janesville General Motors plant is expected to end in December. The statement reads: "I'm disappointed to hear of the upcoming ...Read more, view comments (111) »
Obama joins chorus on GM
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 11, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama added his voice to those of the members of the state’s congressional delegation in reacting to the news that Janesville’s General Motors plant will cease production of SUVs by the end of the year. The statement came from Obama’s Wisconsin campaign office late Friday night. It reads: ...Read more, view comments (50) »
Dane deputy wounds man
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 11, 2008
CAMBRIDGE – A Dane County Sheriff’s Deputy shot and wounded a Cambridge man early this morning, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Jacob Prochnow, 28, suffered "serious but non-life threatening injuries," according to the release. The deputy was dispatched to Cambridge around 2:09 a.m. Saturday for a ...Read more, view comments (13) »
GM plant to end SUV production by end of year, source says
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 10, 2008
The final day of production of sport-utility vehicles for Janesville’s General Motors plant will come by the end of this year, sources said late Friday. A spokesman in Sen. Herb Kohl’s office said a representative of GM told the senator on Friday that GM plans to end production by the ...Read more, view comments (107) »
Chrislaw to stand trial on contract killing charges
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 10, 2008
JANESVILLE Joseph R. Chrislaw Sr. will stand trial on two charges that he tried to hire a hit man to kill his estranged wife and her boyfriend, Janesville City Councilman Yuri Rashkin. Court Commissioner Stephen Meyer on Friday bound Chrislaw over for trial on two charges of soliciting first-degree intentional ...Read more, view comments (12) »
Superintendent Evert to retire
Posted by FRANK SCHULTZ on October 10, 2008
JANESVILLE – The Janesville public schools superintendent, Tom Evert, will retire at the end of the school year. School Board President DuWayne Severson made the announcement at a press conference this afternoon. The school board will discuss how they will replace Evert on Tuesday night, at meetings of the personnel ...Read more, view comments (12) »
Prosecutor: Man confesses involvement in shooting
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 10, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A Dane County prosecutor says a man allegedly involved in a fatal shooting has confessed. A criminal complaint charges that 19-year-olds Amir Furlow and Promethius Brown went to Marcus Hamilton's apartment to rob him and that Furlow shot the 30-year-old when Furlow thought he was reaching for ...Read more, add a comment »
GM could announce production cuts soon
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 10, 2008
DETROIT (AP) General Motors Corp. is likely to announce further production cuts and possible plant closures as early as next week as it deals with slumping sales and a collapse in its stock price, a person with knowledge of the company's plans said Friday. The person, who did not want ...Read more, view comments (39) »
Wisconsin's population increases slightly
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 10, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) New estimates show Wisconsin's population increased less than 1 percentage point in 2007. The state Department of Administration estimates the state's population grew 0.5 percent last year. That's an increase of 27,000 people. Since 2007, the state's population has grown nearly 6 percent. The state's current population ...Read more, view comments (4) »
Doyle unveils research triangle for gene research
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 10, 2008
MARSHFIELD, Wis. (AP) Gov. Jim Doyle has unveiled an initiative he says will make Wisconsin a worldwide leader in personalized health care. Doyle on Friday announced the formation of the Wisconsin Medical Research Triangle, one that might rival a similar research park in North Carolina. The three points of the ...Read more, view comments (2) »
Juvenile scares burglars with BB gun in Madison
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 10, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Madison police say a juvenile scared away two burglars — with a BB gun. Police say a male juvenile shot the BB gun at two males who tried to enter his house at about 8:20 p.m. Thursday, possibly hitting one in the shoulder. The two ran away ...Read more, view comments (24) »
Rock County's proposed budget lowers taxes
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 10, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: The first look at the Rock County budget shows the recommended tax rate at $5.38 per thousand. That's actually a decrease, which is a result of equalized value in the county increasing by 4.62 percent. As he presented the budget proposal to the Rock County Board ...Read more, view comments (4) »
UW says band will play on but culture must change
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 09, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin marching band will play on — but members better watch their step. University of Wisconsin-Madison officials said Thursday the band’s suspension will be lifted so it can play during Saturday’s home football game against No. 6 Penn State. But they vowed to end a ...Read more, view comments (6) »
Alleged killer's parents: We tried to get son help
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 09, 2008
WATERTOWN, Wis. (AP) Todd and Tammy Zoellick say they tried for years to get help for their troubled son, the Watertown man accused of killing a man to steal his sports car. They say they knew 20-year-old Travis Zoellick had anger issues, and they bent over backwards trying to help ...Read more, view comments (10) »
McCain backers in Wis. say they don't trust polls
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 09, 2008
WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) Supporters waiting in line to see John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin in Waukesha say they don't believe recent polls that show Democrat Barack Obama leading by 10 points in Wisconsin. Alicia Thorson of Waukesha says she thinks the polls are fixed. The mother of ...Read more, view comments (41) »
Beloit College grad is safe
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 09, 2008
Syria says it is holding two missing American journalists for illegally crossing the border from Lebanon. A Foreign Ministry statement says Holli Chmela, 27, and Taylor Luck, 23 were arrested Thursday after they crossed into the country with the help of smugglers. It says the two will be handed over ...Read more, view comments (3) »
Ex-Wis. senator can practice law again, court says
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 09, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated the law license of a former state senator convicted of using state employees to help his 2002 campaign for attorney general. Brian Burke, a Milwaukee Democrat who served in the senate from 1988 until 2003, satisfied all the legal requirements ...Read more, view comments (2) »
United Way planning for less money
Posted by SHELLY BIRKELO on October 09, 2008
Programs supported by the United Way of North Rock County will get $245,718 less in 2009. The United Way board voted unanimously Wednesday morning to cut 25 percent from funding to programs and 50 percent from special grants for agency contingencies, community initiatives and venture start-up. The 25 percent across-the-board ...Read more, view comments (4) »
Students graded on character
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 09, 2008
KAUKAUNA, Wis. (AP) Besides math, science and other basics, young students in Kaukauna Public Schools are being graded on their character. Educators are considering manners, trustworthiness and politeness in grading kindergartners through second-graders on character. Assistant Superintendent Deb Hunt says students should feel good about themselves and have trust in ...Read more, view comments (15) »
US Embassy says Beloit College grad missing in Lebanon
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 09, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: A Beloit College graduate is one of two American journalists believed to be missing in Lebanon. Beloit College spokesman Ron Nief says 23-year-old Taylor Luck found his interest in the Middle East as an international relations major at Beloit. Nief says the 2007 graduate from Chicago ...Read more, view comments (4) »
Judge says he'll likely run for Wis. Supreme Court
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 08, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A circuit court judge says he's leaning toward running against Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson in next spring's Supreme Court election. Randy Koschnick of Jefferson County says he's been getting advice from political consultant Darrin Schmitz and making calls to potential supporters. He says he'll make a final ...Read more, view comments (6) »
Report: Obama outspends McCain on TV ads
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 08, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A new report shows Barack Obama outspent John McCain on television advertising last week. Obama spent more than $17 million compared to just under $11 million by McCain and the Republican National Committee. The Wisconsin Advertising Project report shows nearly $4 million was spent on TV ads ...Read more, view comments (27) »
Dozens gather to remember shooting victims
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 08, 2008
CRANDON, Wis. (AP) More than 100 people gathered in Crandon to mark the date one year ago when six young people were killed in a fit of rage by a man who was paid to protect and serve. They gathered Tuesday night on the property where the mass shooting took ...Read more, view comments (3) »
DOT blames miscommunication for I-94 backup
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 08, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) State transportation officials say they'll make sure all Interstate 94 lanes are open for the Wisconsin Badgers game Saturday night, unlike last week when late night roadwork caused a huge backup after the game. The Department of Transportation blames a miscommunication for a lane closure around Lake ...Read more, view comments (25) »
Parkview School District "stops the bleeding" of student migration
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 08, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: Good news for the Parkview School District: educators are finding ways to keep students from transferring out to different districts. Interim Superintendent Patrick Kennedy says the goal starting last year was to try to "stop the bleeding" of students leaving the school district. The final count ...Read more, view comments (38) »
Milton council members scold ethanol exec
Posted by STACY VOGEL on October 07, 2008
Three Milton City Council members scolded David Cramer, CEO of United Ethanol, after he and other plant officials gave a presentation Tuesday night. "It’s laughable, it really is laughable, that you’re negotiating with the DNR while you’re pushing that crap into the air," council member Tom Chesmore told Cramer. Cramer ...Read more, view comments (8) »
Candy recalled: White Rabbit may be toxic
Posted by MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE on October 07, 2008
Wisconsin consumers are being warned to throw out White Rabbit candy, a Chinese product that may contain the dangerous chemical melamine and that has been found in three cities in the state. The imported product has been found in Eau Claire, Sheboygan and Wausau, as well as in a Wisconsin ...Read more, view comments (12) »
UPDATE: Barricaded suspect in custody
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 07, 2008
JANESVILLE--Police took a barricaded suspect into custody around 5 p.m. from an apartment in the 2900 block of Kennedy Drive on Janesville's north side, a Janesville Police Department spokeswoman said. Traffic was blocked this afternoon near Kennedy Drive and Barberry Drive. More information will be reported as it becomes available.Read more, view comments (15) »
Barricaded suspect on Kennedy Road
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 07, 2008
JANESVILLE--The Janesville Police Department asks residents to avoid the area of Kennedy Road and Barberry Drive while they respond to a suspect barricaded in an apartment, Deputy Chief Dave Moore said. Police responded to the call at 3:15 p.m. in the 2900 block of Kennedy Road on Janesville's north side. ...Read more, view comments (7) »
Walworth County deputies cleared in shooting
Posted by TED SULLIVAN on October 07, 2008
ELKHORN -- Two Walworth County deputies who shot and killed an armed kidnapping suspect in June near Pell Lake have been cleared of any wrongdoing, the district attorney said. Deputy Jon Albrecht fired two shots, and Deputy Jamie Green fired one shot, killing Antonio J. Torres, 41, of Pleasant Prairie ...Read more, view comments (2) »
Statements by homicide suspect admissible in court
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 07, 2008
JEFFERSON, Wis. (AP) An Illinois suspect's statements to police will be admissible in court when he is tried next month on charges of killing a Cambridge real estate agent. The ruling by a Jefferson County judge Tuesday means prosecutors can use at least three police interviews with the 35-year-old defendant, ...Read more, add a comment »
Wis. school superintendent won't run again
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 07, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) State Superintendent of Public Instruction Libby Burmaster will not seek a third term. Burmaster's decision was reported Tuesday by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Tony Evers, Burmaster's deputy since she took office in 2001, announced he will run in the spring to replace her. The 54-year-old Burmaster had ...Read more, view comments (4) »
School district audited to find $1 million
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 07, 2008
NEKOOSA, Wis. (AP) An accounting firm is auditing the Nekoosa School District to find out what happened to $1 million. School Board President Steve Bechard says it's not yet clear whether the financial inaccuracies were willful or accidental. At a meeting Monday, citizen taxpayers asked school board members and district ...Read more, view comments (3) »
Woman accused in baby death may not be prosecuted
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 07, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) The public defender for a Madison mother accused of causing the death of her infant daughter says the woman may never be prosecuted because of her mental disability. Twenty-four-year-old Ee Lee is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless endangerment and two counts of child abuse in ...Read more, view comments (11) »
13-year-old fires at classmates with pellet gun
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 07, 2008
ALTOONA, Wis. (AP) A 13-year-old Altoona boy is facing juvenile charges after he was accused of bringing a pellet gun to school and firing at students on the playground. Police say the boy had a fight with other students at Altoona Middle School, hit another student with his skateboard, breaking ...Read more, view comments (11) »
Major Youth Sports Complex expansion moves forward
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 07, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: Youth baseball and softball could become more prominent in Janesville. Monday the city's Plan Commission approved the expansion site plan that includes four new baseball fields and four new softball fields on about 37 acres near Wuthering Hills Drive. Some commissioners voiced concern that they did ...Read more, view comments (19) »
Milton School Board puts new high school plans on hold
Posted by STACY VOGEL on October 06, 2008
The Milton School Board wants to wait and see what happens in the next year before deciding when to hold a referendum asking for a new high school. The board met Monday to discuss its options, almost three months after a design committee presented plans for a $69.4 million school. ...Read more, view comments (10) »
Man killed for his car, criminal complaint says
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 06, 2008
A UW-Milwaukee student found dead in a shallow grave in Watertown over the weekend was killed for his car, according to court records filed today. Haroon Khan, 31, drove a silver 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, known as an "Evo“, a fast, sleek car coveted by his apparent killer, 20-year-old Travis ...Read more, view comments (15) »
Absentee voting starts in Wis., but not everywhere
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 06, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Absentee voting is under way for the presidential race in Wisconsin — but not quite yet in the state's two largest cities. Absentee ballots were supposed to be available starting Monday under state law, which requires they be ready 30 days before an election. But city workers ...Read more, view comments (4) »
Bald eagle, part of nesting pair, found dead
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 06, 2008
MEQUON, Wis. (AP) A bald eagle that was part of the first pair to nest in the Milwaukee area in more than a century has been found dead. Officials say the eagle was discovered Sunday afternoon in Mequon, less than 20 feet from its nest on the Lake Michigan shore. ...Read more, view comments (10) »
Feds offer Wisconsin $15M to change seat belt law
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 06, 2008
MILWAUKEE (AP) The federal government is offering Wisconsin a multimillion dollar incentive to change its seat belt enforcement law. The state now allows police to ticket drivers for not wearing seat belts only if they've been pulled over for another offense. The federal government wants the state to change the ...Read more, view comments (63) »
GM plant to build SUVs in November
Posted by JIM LEUTE on October 06, 2008
Three days after announcing the definitive closure of an Ohio sport utility vehicle plant, General Motors said today its Janesville plant will build trucks through most of November. In a mid-morning memo to Janesville employees, GM said it is reinstating production of full-size SUVs for the week of ...Read more, view comments (33) »
Teenage boy in custody for father's death
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 06, 2008
NEENAH, Wis. (AP) A 16-year-old Neenah boy has been arrested in the death of his father. The teenager's arrest Sunday by the Neenah Police Department's SWAT team came hours after the body of a man was found in a car parked just south of the city at Lakeview School. Lt. ...Read more, view comments (15) »
City works to repair sink holes before winter
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 06, 2008
The effects of this summer's floods on downtown Janesville could be felt into winter. Portions of Main Street and Pease Court are closed as the city repairs sink holes. City Public Works Director Jack Messer says he expects FEMA to reimburse the city for storm sewer repairs. There were four ...Read more, view comments (2) »
Who's not eating enough cheese? Prices drop for Wisconsin farm products
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 05, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wisconsin farmers are seeing prices drop for milk, beef, corn and other staples. The National Agricultural Statistics Service says prices for 10 basic agricultural products are expected to drop from August to September and, in the case of milk, will be lower than last September. As of ...Read more, view comments (14) »
Wisconsin considers expanding herbicide ban
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 05, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Some southern Wisconsin farmers may have to find news ways to control weeds in their corn fields as the state seeks to extend a ban on a common herbicide. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has proposed adding about 1,830 acres in Columbia County ...Read more, view comments (4) »
UW band members face the music one at a time
Posted by MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE on October 05, 2008
(MCT) Oct. 5--University of Wisconsin officials interviewed members of the university Marching Band one at a time Saturday as part of their investigation into “serious hazing allegations,” officials said. Staffers in the UW-Madison dean of students’ office began meeting Friday night with the 300-plus members of the band, and the ...Read more, view comments (13) »
Miller Park crowd reaches ’82 decibels on Saturday
Posted by MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE on October 05, 2008
BC-MW-Miller-Park-crowd-reaches-82-decibels-on-Saturday-1005 Oct. 5--First pitch, and the fans were on their feet. First pitch, and Miller Park was transformed into a tunnel of wind and noise, fans waving white towels in defiance, the crowd belting out a primal roar that echoed off the roof that was shut against the October sky. ...Read more, view comments (2) »
Burglars get bright idea from television show
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 04, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A man charged with a companion in a string of Madison area burglaries told police he got the idea from a cable TV show. Charges were filed in Dane County Circuit Court Friday against the two 21-year-olds, Carl Cook and Justin Montroy. Both are from Hayward ...Read more, view comments (23) »
Politicians flinging money around in Wisconsin
Posted by MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE on October 04, 2008
Oct. 4--Democrat Barack Obama has been sharply outspending Republican John McCain on TV ads in Wisconsin and other key presidential battlegrounds in recent weeks. That edge in firepower is one more obstacle for McCain to overcome as he seeks to bounce back in the contest’s final month. Between Sept. 16 ...Read more, view comments (3) »
Careful with those eggs: Marshfield boy wins bagging contest
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 04, 2008
MARSHFIELD, Wis. (AP) — Jared Seidel has it in the bag. The 18-year-old grocery store employee won the Great Wisconsin Bag-off in Madison this week, earning $500 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas to compete in January’s national championship. Seidel took top honors by placing 40 items cleanly in ...Read more, view comments (3) »
Freedom From Religion seeks freedom from Day of Prayer
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 04, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An anti-religion group based in Wisconsin is suing President Bush and others over the federal law designating a National Day of Prayer. The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed the lawsuit today in federal court in Madison. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle is being sued because he is ...Read more, view comments (83) »
Albion shooting suspect held on $5,000 cash bail
Posted by CATHERINE IDZERDA on October 03, 2008
Cash bail of $5,000 was set today for Cortez Tucker, 18, of Janesville, the man who allegedly fired several shots during a robbery gone bad in Albion Wednesday, according to the Capital Times. No one was injured in the shooting, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office reported. Five people were arrested ...Read more, view comments (10) »
Silent fifth quarter: UW Band suspended
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 03, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The University of Wisconsin marching band has been suspended indefinitely while allegations of hazing, alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct are investigated. The band won’t play Saturday during a nationally televised football game between the No. 18 Badgers and No. 14 Ohio State at Camp Randall Stadium. ...Read more, view comments (32) »
Walworth County agency wins grant money
Posted by CATHERINE IDZERDA on October 03, 2008
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen today announced the award of $47,238 in Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding to the Association for the Prevention of Family Violence program in Walworth County. With this funding, the Association for the Prevention of Family Violence (APFV) will provide early intervention and a variety ...Read more, view comment (1) »
Marching band might be out of tempo
Posted by CATHERINE IDZERDA on October 03, 2008
The UW-Madison is holding at media briefing tonight about the status of the UW Marching Band. The Office of the Dean of students has received a set of allegations of hazing against band members. Hazing has been an issue in the past, and university officials said they would take disciplinary ...Read more, add a comment »
Teacher denies possessing cocaine
Posted by TED SULLIVAN on October 03, 2008
ELKHORN -- A second-grade Walworth Elementary School teacher arrested in the school parking lot on a cocaine possession charge pleaded not guilty Friday. Katie M. Luessenhop, 26, Delavan, was arrested Sept. 18 after police were called to the school for a disturbance, Walworth police said. Luessenhop remains free on a ...Read more, view comments (17) »
Burlington man pleaded not guilty in wife's death
Posted by TED SULLIVAN on October 03, 2008
ELKHORN -- A Burlington man who pleaded not guilty Friday to first-degree intentional homicide in the death of his wife has become a victim of identity theft, his attorney said. David A. Brossard, 40, of 7740 Fish Hatchery Road, Burlington, had three credit cards opened in his name and his ...Read more, view comments (3) »
'Feingold voters' will be critical in Wisconsin
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 03, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Something striking happened when Wisconsin voters went to the polls in 2004. Tens of thousands of them backed President Bush's re-election and on the same ballot voted to send one of his most liberal critics, Sen. Russ Feingold, back to Washington. These ticket-splitting voters made a huge ...Read more, view comments (4) »
UW Regent: More info needed on job finalists
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 03, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A regent involved in the failed University of Wisconsin-Parkside chancellor search says he and his colleagues routinely lack enough information to make good hiring decisions. Regent Michael Falbo says regent committees recommend who to hire for top campus jobs after interviewing the finalists for about 45 minutes ...Read more, add a comment »
More schools to join UW-Madison transfer program
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 03, 2008
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (AP) University of Wisconsin System leaders say they've expanded a program that allows students to earn UW-Madison degrees after spending their first two years at other campuses. The Connections program creates another route to a degree from the state's flagship university. Students who are qualified for UW-Madison ...Read more, add a comment »
Wis. pantries call for emergency shipments of food
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 03, 2008
MILWAUKEE (AP) Milwaukee area food banks are calling for more emergency shipments of food as demand grows. The executive director of the Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee says it had five emergency food orders last month, which is rare and significant. Sherri Tussler says emergency shipments went to food pantries ...Read more, view comments (6) »
Parents accused of teaching kids to smoke pot
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 03, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A father and stepmother from Walworth are accused of teaching their young children how to smoke marijuana. Mathew and Ashley Mathias are charged with child neglect for providing marijuana to the father's 9-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter when the family lived in Madison. A criminal complaint says ...Read more, view comments (75) »
Rock County's displaced auto workers to receive up to $3.8 million
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 03, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: The US Department of Labor is providing up to $3.8 million to displaced auto workers in Rock County. Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board Director Bob Borremans says the grant is awarded in phases. The first phase includes $1.6 million to assist second shift workers laid off ...Read more, view comments (19) »
Edgerton Fire to hire full-time chiefs
Posted by STACY VOGEL on October 02, 2008
The Edgerton Fire Protection District passed a budget tonight that included money to pay a full-time chief and administrator/deputy chief. Chief Brian Demrow and Assistant Chief Ryan Beckwith suggested the change, Demrow said. They presented the idea to the volunteer firefighters, who supported it, and then to the board, Demrow ...Read more, view comments (4) »
Sierra Club attacks coal plant ad
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 02, 2008
MADISON — The Sierra Club is blasting one of its former officials for using its name in an ad supporting a proposed coal-fired power plant. Brett Hulsey appears in the Alliant Energy radio ad as part of the company’s push to convince regulators to approve the $1.3 billion plant in ...Read more, view comments (3) »
12 & 12 to move to new location
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 02, 2008
JANESVILLE 12 & 12 Drop In Center will move to 402 W. Delavan Drive, Janesville, the site of the defunct Screamin’ MeeMees strip club, and plans to start hosting 12-step meetings there in four to six weeks. 12 & 12 Drop In Center is not an Alcoholics Anonymous group but ...Read more, view comments (8) »
Audit finds no wrongdoing in Wis. mail department
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 02, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin auditors say they can't substantiate a complaint about workplace problems and fraudulent time sheets in the state's mailing department. The state Legislative Audit Bureau took a complaint that the Department of Administration wasn't properly overseeing contract staff provided by Spherion Corp. in the Bureau of Publishing ...Read more, add a comment »
Judge allows NAACP to join Wis. voter suit
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 02, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) The NAACP and a Milwaukee teachers union can participate in a lawsuit demanding election workers verify tens of thousands of voters' identities by Election Day, a judge ruled Thursday. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Milwaukee chapter and the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association argued ...Read more, view comments (15) »
Woman sues Wis. family that she says enslaved her
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 02, 2008
MILWAUKEE (AP) A Filipino woman who was allegedly enslaved in a suburban Milwaukee home for 19 years as a maid and nanny is suing the family for damages. Forty-two-year-old Irma Martinez filed a federal lawsuit last week against Jefferson N. and Elnora Calimlim and their three adult children, Jefferson, Christopher ...Read more, view comments (50) »
Wis. orchestra strikes for better job conditions
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 02, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Musicians with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra have gone on strike after contract negotiations hit a snag. The bargaining unit of 34 musicians disagrees with management over issues of performance requirements and job security. It's not clear whether Wednesday's strike will force the cancellation of the group's first ...Read more, view comments (9) »
Modine cuts 20 jobs at Racine headquarters
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 02, 2008
RACINE, Wis. (AP) Modine Manufacturing Co. is cutting 20 jobs at its headquarters in Racine, and at least 15 of them are management positions with the maker of heating and cooling systems and components. In announcing the cuts Wednesday, Modine said they included about 15 percent of the management staff ...Read more, view comments (4) »
6 arrested after shooting
Posted by GAZETTE STAFF on October 01, 2008
ALBION TOWNSHIP An armed robbery attempt apparently disguised as a drug deal triggered a shooting and the arrest of six Rock County residents Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. No one was injured in the shooting, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office reported. Five of those arrested were taken into custody in ...Read more, view comments (34) »
Council hires Levitt
Posted by MARCIA NELESEN on October 01, 2008
The Janesville City Council has offered Eric Levitt a contract to be new city manager. Levitt said he expects to sign the contract Thursday morning. Amy Loasching, council president, said the comments the city delegation heard from community members in Sedona, Ariz., were overwhelmingly positive. Loasching expects Levitt to begin ...Read more, view comments (12) »
Kohl's to open 1,000th store by end of year
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 01, 2008
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. (AP) Kohl's Corp. says it plans to open 47 more department stores by the end of the year, bringing its total number of stores to 1,000. Forty-five of the new stores are being built according to a design that is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design pre-certified ...Read more, view comments (13) »
Regal Beloit acquires motors distributor
Posted by ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 01, 2008
BELOIT, Wis. (AP) Regal Beloit Corp., a manufacturer of motion-control and power-generation products, says it has acquired Dutchi Motors B.V. for undisclosed terms. Dutchi is based in the Netherlands. It distributes Regal Beloit's Hwada motor products and other industrial motors in Europe, South Africa, Russia and the Middle East. Dutchi's ...Read more, add a comment »
Downtown Janesville will soon have more parking
Posted by BETH WHEELOCK on October 01, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: It might soon be easier to find parking in downtown Janesville after the demolition of 121 East Court Street. City Development Specialist Al Hulick says the majority of the prep work is done for the demolition of the city-owned building. He says the sewer, water and ...Read more, view comments (17) »
Congressional plan could help Janesville auto workers
Posted by STAN STRICKER on October 01, 2008
From the WCLO newsroom: A $25 billion loan package for the auto industry, approved by Congress, will help the entire industry, and might even be a bargaining point in negotiations to keep the Janesville General Motors plant open. United Auto Workers Local 95 President Andy Richardson says the plan gives ...Read more, view comments (22) »
