After being delayed for several years because of a pending lawsuit construction is expected to resume next week on a project that will eventually make Highway 23 four lanes from Fond du Lac to Sheboygan. The $10.4 million project that starts Tuesday involves a 7.5 mile stretch from County Highway P in Sheboygan County to the Fond du Lac County line. A DOT spokesman says both traffic lanes will be open […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin disability advocates say the Legislature's finance committee move to approve a special needs voucher program amounted to a "budgetary sneak attack." The committee created a program early Wednesday morning that would function like open enrollment for public schools, with public dollars following each disabled student who leaves the district for a private school. State disability advocate groups responded to the news Wednesday morning with anger, […]
The North Fond du Lac school superintendent says an education plan approved this week by the Wisconsin Legislature’s budget committee includes too many policy items. Superintendent Aaron Sadoff says non budgetary items such as requiring high school students to pass a civics test before graduation or creating alternative paths for people to be licensed to teach should be considered on their own merits. "This isn't new for the Republicans or […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican state lawmakers say they hope to pass a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks of gestation before the budget is debated in June. Senator Mary Lazich and Representative Jesse Kremer say they introduced the measure Wednesday with more than 30 co-sponsors. The Republicans say they plan to hold a joint public hearing on the measure and pass it in both the Senate and Assembly before budget […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A sweeping proposal giving control of the lowest-performing schools in Milwaukee to a commissioner who could fire all the teachers and administrators also applies to other large, racially diverse school districts in Wisconsin. The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, approved the overhaul plan for Milwaukee. The so-called Opportunity Schools and Partnership Program requires three criteria to be met, and Milwaukee is the only […]
The Fond du Lac County executive says there is still nothing official from ConAgra that its closing one of its cookie plants that makes Rippin’ Good cookies. Al Buechel says he had no inkling that layoffs were planned at the Ripon company. "If there had been something confirmed I think I would have heard it by now," Buechel told WFDL news. Buechel says ConAgra should notify him if there is […]
The Fond du Lac County Board chairman and member of the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation board says he was surprised that ConAgra planned to close a cookie plant in Ripon. County board chairman, Marty Farrell, lives in Ripon. Farrell says a large corporation such as ConAgra probably has no idea the history or legacy of the company that was founded in Ripon more than 80 years ago. […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill that allows state transportation officials to raise the speed limit to 70 mph on some Wisconsin roads. Walker signed the measure Wednesday. It passed the Senate and Assembly on voice votes earlier this year. Under the law, the Department of Transportation can raise the speed limit to 70 mph only on four-lane roads that have entrance and exit ramps. […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack says "there's no chaos" on the state's highest court, and she has not spoken with former longtime Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson since she succeeded her. Roggensack said Wednesday that talking with Abrahamson now would not be "fruitful," and she understands that the transition is difficult. Roggensack was elected chief justice by four conservative justices April 29, replacing Abrahamson who […]