Month: January 2019

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A coalition of liberal-leaning groups has filed a lawsuit seeking to void laws passed by Wisconsin Republicans that reduced the powers of the newly elected Democratic governor.  The groups filed the lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court on Thursday. It argues that Republican lawmakers illegally convened the session last month to pass bills weakening newly-elected Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.  He defeated Republican Gov. Scott Walker in […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers plans to sit down with legislative Republicans in an unusual joint meeting with lawmakers from both the Assembly and Senate.  Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Thursday that the joint caucus will take place Tuesday. He says he expects it to begin as a private meeting so lawmakers can have a "real conversation" with Evers about their priorities.  The meeting comes after […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Federal safety regulators have cited two contractors for failing to locate a gas main that exploded during work in a Madison suburb in July.  A VC Tech employee punctured the line while installing fiber optics, resulting in a blast that leveled half a city block in Sun Prairie and killed firefighter Corey Barr. The U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday that the Occupational Safety and Health […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner's office says the longtime congressman had hip replacement surgery.  The Wisconsin Republican's office said the surgery Thursday at Mt. Vernon Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, was a success but he will be recuperating and in rehab for "several weeks."  Sensenbrenner is 75 and has been in Congress since 1979.  Sensenbrenner fell while attending a community fair in Butler, Wisconsin, six years ago. His […]

A  town of Eldorado native is continuing the effort to try to prevent violent out of county sex offenders from being placed in a house in the neighborhood where he was raised.   Dan Degner  delivered a petition Wednesday to the state Department of Health Services signed by town residents asking  the state to remove the controversial  Nitschke Road house from the Chapter 980 sex offender housing system.  "We had over […]

The World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships are returning to  Lake Winnebago for the fourth annual Sturgeon Spectacular in  February.  Fond du lac Convention and Visitors Bureau director Craig Molitor  says the event brings in competitors from across the globe.  The Sturgeon Spectacular is held  February 5-10 in conjunction with the  sturgeon spearing season…featuring a snow sculpting  competition…and new this year…curling.  Event organizers are hoping to draw over 30,000 people […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — U.S. Air Force investigators have confirmed they're looking into allegations of sexual assault and harassment within a Wisconsin Air National Guard security unit, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin's office said Wednesday.  Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, asked the Air Force on Nov. 13 to investigate claims involving members of the 115th Fighter Wing's Security Forces Squadron, a group of about 100 airmen that polices the Truax Field Air […]

A Beaver Dam man has been convicted in the heroin overdose death of a Reeseville man.  A Dodge County jury has found 41 year old Jason Thompson guilty of First Degree Reckless Homicide for the delivery of heroin that killed James Hook, of Reeseville, in 2016.   Thompson now faces up to 46 years in prison and $110,000  in fines.  A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 1.