Month: May 2016

Several years ago, long before the crisis in Flint, Michigan, Madison became the first community in the nation to replace all lead water pipes. Several other Wisconsin communities, including Green Bay, Wausau, Kaukauna, Marshfield and others either have replacement programs under way or are exploring the cost. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now looks to Wisconsin, specifically to Madison, for information that will help other communities across the nation dealing with lead pipes.  Fond du Lac […]

A Fond du Lac city councilmember says he wants the council to consider an ordinance that would allow people to take their pet dogs into city parks.   Current ordinance prohibits allowing dogs in parks.  Councilmember Brian Kolstad says he asked that the question be placed on Wednesday night’s council agenda for discussion.  "I would be open for any type of change,"  Kolstad told WFDL news.  "I know there are some concerns about aggressive dogs around […]

Sarah Lloyd says she is running for congress because 6th district residents deserve a new voice in Washington who will listen to their concerns.  The Wisconsin Dells Dairy farmer and former Columbia County Board supervisor is running as a Democrat against Republican congressman Glenn Grothman.   Lloyd says Grothman a career politician and is extreme in his views.  Lloyd says Grothman is out of touch with the real issues impacting families and communities in the […]

Work is expected to begin shortly on a new bridge on the Pebbles recreation trail.  Fond du Lac County Parks director, Sam Tobias, says the bridge over Taycheeda Creek is being replaced.  The Pebbles trail starts at the southeast corner of Lakeside Park and runs along an abandoned railroad bed through Pebbles and up the ledge.  The $120,000 project is being paid for through a $45,000 Recreation Trails Act grant, a $15,000 Urban Rivers […]

An elderly woman has died from injuries suffered in a three vehicle crash in Dodge County last week.  Eighty eight year old Helen Henkel from Waterloo, Wisconsin died this week at UW Hospital in Madison.  She was a passenger in an SUV that failed to stop for a stop sign at the intersection of  STH 89 and CTH T last Wednesday.   The Jeep struck a vehicle that was northbound on T.  The Jeep then […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's longtime chief elections official Kevin Kennedy is retiring before the board he currently heads is eliminated next month.  Kennedy announced his intentions Tuesday to retire on June 29. That is the day before the Government Accountability Board which he heads is dissolved and reconstituted as two separate commissions.  The 64-year-old Kennedy has worked for the state on elections for 37 years. He first served on the state Elections […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A state appeals court says police can release full accident reports without violating federal law but must black out information taken directly from driver records in incident reports.  The decision Tuesday stems from a lawsuit the New Richmond News filed against the City of New Richmond in 2013. The newspaper alleged police were redacting too much information from reports. The city argued the federal Driver's Privacy […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says he has met with President Barack Obama's U.S. Supreme Court nominee but he still doesn't want the Senate to confirm him.  Johnson issued a news release Tuesday saying he met with Merrick Garland earlier in the day. He called the meeting cordial but still believes the Senate shouldn't hold confirmation hearings.  He says the American people should have a voice in […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker's administration is delaying $101 million in debt payments to help with the state budget's bottom line.  The tactic has been used by Democratic and Republican governors for years as a short-term budget-balancing move.  A memo by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released Tuesday shows that Walker is skipping $50 million in debt payments. But Walker administration spokeswoman Laurel Patrick says since the memo […]