Month: March 2017

Five candidates are running for three seats on the Fond du Lac city council in next week's spring election.  Incumbents Greg Giles, Catherine Block and Brian Kolstad are running for re-election along with challengers Bill Turner and Thornton Albertz.   Giles was appointed to the council and was elected for the first time two years ago.  "Fond du Lac is a wonderful community, great place to raise a family, great […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Democratic lawmaker says meeting with inmates at the Wisconsin's youth prison left him with serious concerns about conditions there despite recent efforts to improve them.  The Legislature's Assembly Corrections Committee met Thursday to discuss five of its members' tour of the Lincoln Hills youth prison in Irma earlier this week.  Democratic Rep. David Bowen, of Milwaukee, says one teen told him he doesn't feel comfortable […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Up to 18 percent turnout is predicted for the Wisconsin state superintendent election on Tuesday.  The state Elections Commission predicted Thursday that turnout will range between 13 percent and 18 percent. Incumbent Tony Evers is running for a third term against challenger Lowell Holtz.  The average turnout in the past 11 spring elections with a statewide race was just over 19 percent.  Only two of those […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Whitnall School Board is notifying parents that if former superintendent and current state superintendent candidate Lowell Holtz comes under investigation, the board will cooperate.  The board sent parents a letter on Wednesday saying that another group had requested the Milwaukee County district attorney investigate Holtz. If contacted, the board says it will cooperate.  But the letter signed by the board says it will not spend […]

Two men are accused of setting a car on fire in Oakfield to try to collect insurance money.  Forty two year old Damon Marshall of Illinois and 50 year old Shane Gibbs of Missouri are charged in Fond du lac County Circuit Court with arson with intent to defraud, and criminal damage to property.  Marshall is also charged with resisting an officer.   Bail was set at $50,000 cash for […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The top health official in Wisconsin says the 64,000 adults who lost food stamp benefits because they didn't meet a work requirement made a deliberate choice and "I don't think we kicked anybody off."   Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Linda Seemeyer made the comment Wednesday during testimony before the Legislature's budget-writing Joint Finance Committee.  Seemeyer was being asked by Democratic Rep. Gordon Hintz about […]

The state’s largest environmental group is blasting president Donald Trump’s executive order undoing former president Barack Obama’s efforts to curb global warming.  Trump signed an order this week to suspend, rescind or flag for review more than a half dozen measures in an effort to boost domestic energy production in the form of fossil fuels.  Clean Wisconsin’s Keith Reopelle says the executive order undermines years of bipartisan progress aimed at […]

The Beaver Dam Fire chief says a residential fire this week is a perfect example of the reason for having working smoke alarms.  Fire Chief Alan Mannel says a town of Beaver Dam family was able to escape unharmed when fire detectors sounded early Tuesday morning.    "Smoke detectors woke them up.  They went to investigate the source of the smoke and get their child out of the house.  They […]

Ahead of the summer travel season a new AAA survey reveals the impact rising gas prices have on consumers’ lifestyles.  The survey shows that nearly a quarter of consumers  believe the price at the pump is already too high.  State AAA spokesman Nick Jarmuscz says more than 70 percent of consumers say they would make everyday lifestyle or driving habit changes to offset higher prices expected this summer.  The survey […]