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UW-Whitewater provost named new interim chancellor
WHITEWATER (WKOW) -- UW-Whitewater provost John Chenoweth will serve as the new interim chancellor for the university after the previous interim chancellor resigned Monday.
According to a news release from UW System spokesperson Mark Pitsch, Interim System President Michael Falbo made the announcement Monday, with Chenoweth set to succeed previous interim chancellor Jim Henderson Tuesday.
“This is an unexpected situation, but I am confident that Provost Chenoweth will maintain continuity at UW-Whitewater,” Falbo said in the release. “I thank Jim for his service.”
Chenoweth has served as UW-Whitewater provost since July 1, 2021. He previously worked as a dean in UW-Whitewater's College of Business and Economics, the largest such school in the state. He first started work in Whitewater in 2002.
UW System Board of Regents President Edmund Manydeeds III is expected to provide an update on the search for a new permanent chancellor at UW-Whitewater this week. | 2022-04-05T02:59:24Z | www.wkow.com | UW-Whitewater provost named new interim chancellor | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/uw-whitewater-provost-named-new-interim-chancellor/article_43d4decc-b462-11ec-8676-0ffd0785e166.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/uw-whitewater-provost-named-new-interim-chancellor/article_43d4decc-b462-11ec-8676-0ffd0785e166.html |
SHEBOYGAN FALLS (WKOW) -- People in one city in eastern Wisconsin honored an 8-year-old boy who died after police say he was beaten by his mother.
Oliver Hitchcock's favorite color was purple.
So people all over Sheboygan Falls wore that color Monday.
"We just kind of wanted to pitch in together and show our community that we're here for them," Savannah Smogoleski told WISN.
A vigil is in the works to honor Oliver.
His mother is expected to be criminally charged. | 2022-04-05T06:23:20Z | www.wkow.com | Community wears purple in tribute to 8-year-old boy killed | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/community-wears-purple-in-tribute-to-8-year-old-boy-killed/article_94c5b236-b492-11ec-b829-f7736e8ae1ea.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/community-wears-purple-in-tribute-to-8-year-old-boy-killed/article_94c5b236-b492-11ec-b829-f7736e8ae1ea.html |
Experts warn 2021 could be 'the single most complicated individual tax year' ever
MADISON (WKOW) -- Tax day is just two weeks away and tax experts are saying this year has already proven to be a more complicated year than ever before. They say pandemic complications along with high demand have created a perfect storm of confusion.
Staff at Madison's Mennenga Tax & Financial are turning away new clients because they've filled up so fast — something they've never had to do.
"It's been super busy this year," owner Marshall Mennenga said. "We've never had to turn away new clients and we're doing that at the present time, simply because we don't have the staff."
The irony is that they have a full staff. Their staff just can't meet the current demand.
"There's just way too many clients that need assistance, that aren't going to be able to get it simply because there's not enough tax advisers out there," Mennenga said.
Experts say it's a trend happening across the country. Mark Steber, chief tax information officer at Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, says the wide range of tax law changes has a lot to do with it.
"2021 is simply the single most complicated individual tax year in my entire 30-year career, if not in the 107 odd years of the tax code," Steber said. "There were new child tax credits, increased dependent care credits, there was a tax law change for unemployment benefits, and then a change back. There were three sets of stimulus payments."
Steber says the smartest thing to do is, if you haven't already, start filing now, because it might soon be too late for tax advice.
"There's more rules, more dollars than have ever been available before on a tax return, and people simply are aware of that," Steber said. "They're seeking out help to make sure they get the maximum refund and the lowest tax bill that they can."
He also recommends people make sure to file electronically, because it's more reliable, safer and often means getting a quicker return.
Marshall Mennenga | 2022-04-05T06:23:27Z | www.wkow.com | Experts warn 2021 could be 'the single most complicated individual tax year' ever | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/experts-warn-2021-could-be-the-single-most-complicated-individual-tax-year-ever/article_93b6505c-b489-11ec-bf98-1bfe103fbc47.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/experts-warn-2021-could-be-the-single-most-complicated-individual-tax-year-ever/article_93b6505c-b489-11ec-bf98-1bfe103fbc47.html |
Public defender shortage leads to case delays in Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE (WISN) -- Thousands of criminal cases across Wisconsin are on hold because of a shortage of public defenders.
In Milwaukee County alone, more than 200 cases a day are delayed while defendants sit and wait for a lawyer.
"We don't have enough lawyers to take all the cases we have available, " Thomas Reed, state public defender regional attorney manager, told WISN-TV. "And it's especially notable where we're looking at very serious cases."
Wisconsin recently received $14 million in federal funds to ease the case backlog.
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Dogs get a play day in Oregon | 2022-04-05T06:23:33Z | www.wkow.com | Public defender shortage leads to case delays in Wisconsin | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/public-defender-shortage-leads-to-case-delays-in-wisconsin/article_97b76934-b493-11ec-88dc-776d32b34cf5.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/public-defender-shortage-leads-to-case-delays-in-wisconsin/article_97b76934-b493-11ec-88dc-776d32b34cf5.html |
Man arrested after threatening people with machete, resisting arrest
MADISON (WKOW) -- A man is in custody after threatening to kill employees at a Madison business with a machete and resisting arrest, according to the Madison Police Department.
Sgt. Nathan Becker said at about 1:45 p.m. Monday, Modou Bah, 34, walked into the Goodyear Auto Service on East Washington Avenue and placed a 22 inch machete on the counter. Bah threatened to kill employees who were there.
The employees went to the garage area and quickly called 911.
When police got there, Bah yelled for police to shoot him. MPD officers worked to apprehend the man as he was physically resisting arrest.
A lieutenant and sergeant were hurt in the struggle. They are expected to be ok.
The Madison Police Department said Bah was taken into custody and transported to the Dane County Jail.
Multiple charges have been recommended in this case, including resisting arrest, disorderly conduct while armed and bail jumping. | 2022-04-05T13:51:28Z | www.wkow.com | Man arrested after threatening people with machete, resisting arrest | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/man-arrested-after-threatening-people-with-machete-resisting-arrest/article_8484a206-b4ba-11ec-ae68-17f72cec8bbc.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/man-arrested-after-threatening-people-with-machete-resisting-arrest/article_8484a206-b4ba-11ec-ae68-17f72cec8bbc.html |
Courtesy of the Transportation Security Administration.
TSA stops gun at Dane County Regional Airport Monday
MADISON (WKOW) — The Transportation Security Administration stopped a gun from making its way onto a plane at the Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) Monday.
According to a press release from TSA, the image of a handgun was spotted during a routine x-ray of carry-on luggage around 5 a.m. TSA immediately contacted the Dane County Sheriff's Office.
The gun was loaded and the traveler had a concealed carry permit.
It's the first firearm stopped at a MSN checkpoint in 2022. In 2021, seven weapons were detected at MSN.
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How to keep your kids entertained over holiday break | 2022-04-05T17:46:47Z | www.wkow.com | TSA stops gun at Dane County Regional Airport Monday | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/tsa-stops-gun-at-dane-county-regional-airport-monday/article_0c02f20a-b4ed-11ec-b3ac-17af66b576e3.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/tsa-stops-gun-at-dane-county-regional-airport-monday/article_0c02f20a-b4ed-11ec-b3ac-17af66b576e3.html |
Madison homicide suspect given $1 million cash bail
MADISON (WKOW) — One of two men suspected in Madison's first homicide of 2022 appeared in court Tuesday.
Demone Cummins, 20, was formally charged with first degree intentional homicide and possession with intent to deliver heroin. At his initial court appearance, a commissioner set his bond at $1 million cash.
Cummins, along with Amond Galtney, are suspected in the shooting death of Dwayne Lee Collins on March 30 as he left the Dane County Jail around 5 p.m. Galtney did not appear in court Tuesday and has not yet been formally charged.
A criminal complaint alleges Cummins was the person who shot Collins. Officers obtained and analyzed footage from several city cameras which captured the shooting and the suspects fleeing immediately after. Video from the camera at W Doty Street and S Carroll Street shows a passenger getting out of a blue Ford Explorer and shooting Collins multiple times before returning to the vehicle and driving off.
When Cummins was taken into custody following a K9 search, authorities found four grams of heroin on his person. While in custody he told police he had come to Madison from Chicago with the intention of selling heroin.
Additionally, the criminal complaint alleges officers identified a second vehicle "which appeared to be coordinating with the Explorer based on movement of both vehicles around the jail area for the approximate 40 minutes before the shooting."
The complaint alleges the Ford Explorer and a Maroon Chevy Impala were "performing surveillance on the jail" anticipating Collins leaving the facility. It is unclear who was driving the Impala at this time.
The complaint also provides new information on a weapon recovered from Badger Road shortly after the shooting. A gun was on the 1000 block of W Badger Road at 6:15 p.m. on the day of the shooting. It's described as "black pistol with a mounted laser and an extended magazine."
Surveillance footage from a nearby home shows a weapon that looks similar to the gun recovered being thrown from a blue Ford Explorer matching the suspect vehicle description around 5:07 p.m.
Later, the gun would specifically be identified as a 40 caliber Glock 23, a semi-automatic pistol. According to the complaint, the weapon had a "selector switch," which is used to modify a semiautomatic firearm and make it capable of firing like a fully automatic gun.
Police analyzing the crime scene located 15, 40 caliber casings and determined the shots were fired within a span of three seconds. A detective claims in the criminal complaint that shooting five rounds a second for three seconds with accuracy from a semiautomatic is unlikely. Thus, he determines Cummins "likely possessed a Glock firearm capable of functioning as a fully automatic firearm by means of a switch at the time of the homicide."
Collins' autopsy determined he died of "three to four independent non-survivable gunshot wounds."
Dwayne Lee Collins
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High-speed chase starts in Beaver Dam ends in Madison, officers search for suspect | 2022-04-06T00:13:36Z | www.wkow.com | Madison homicide suspect given $1 million cash bail | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/madison-homicide-suspect-given-1-million-cash-bail/article_7f820f0c-b517-11ec-8974-8f1d0932c531.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/madison-homicide-suspect-given-1-million-cash-bail/article_7f820f0c-b517-11ec-8974-8f1d0932c531.html |
Milwaukee man arrested in Marquette County after fleeing traffic stop
ENDEAVOR (WKOW) — Marquette County Sheriff's deputies arrested a man early Tuesday morning after he fled a traffic stop in Columbia County.
According to a post on the Columbia County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, a Columbia County Lieutenant saw a car speed through a construction zone on the State Hwy 33 bridge over I-90/94 at 12:15 a.m. Tuesday. This was after the Sauk County Sheriff's Office contacted the office advising a vehicle had fled from a traffic stop in Baraboo. Deputies tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the vehicle sped away, heading north on I-39.
Officers followed the car, going as fast as 125 mph, over the county line into Marquette County. A Marquette County Deputy laid out a tire deflation device south of Exit 100 heading into Endeavor. The car hit the device, flattening the two front tires, but went through the exit and kept going before stopping when the tires went fully flat.
The driver, identified as Dvarion Beamon, 27, of Milwaukee, was taken into custody without further incident, and a passenger in the car was release from police custody later on.
Beamon has fled from law enforcement officers on several prior occasions and was wanted for serious weapons violations. He had active warrants from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office and the Milwaukee Police Department.
Beamon was issued multiple traffic citations and taken to the Columbia County Jail. He may face charges for fleeing an officer, second-degree reckless endangerment, THC possession and a probation violation, as well as his prior warrants.
Dvarion Beamon
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Online farmers market offers pies from Wisconsin bakers
New information released on Omicron sub-variant, BA-2 | 2022-04-06T00:13:42Z | www.wkow.com | Milwaukee man arrested in Marquette County after fleeing traffic stop | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/milwaukee-man-arrested-in-marquette-county-after-fleeing-traffic-stop/article_45ddd1c2-b522-11ec-8b69-6f5b9903e3c3.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/milwaukee-man-arrested-in-marquette-county-after-fleeing-traffic-stop/article_45ddd1c2-b522-11ec-8b69-6f5b9903e3c3.html |
Mother charged with killing son allegedly suffered agitation from war in Ukraine
SHEBOYGAN FALLS (WKOW) -- A Sheboygan Falls mother accused of killing her son was allegedly suffering from agitation caused by coverage of the war in Ukraine, and experiencing "surges of rage."
That's according to a criminal complaint obtained by 27 News' Green Bay affiliate, WBAY.
41-year-old Natalia Hitchcock is a Russian native.
Police say she killed her 8-year-old son, Oliver, and then attempted to kill her 11-year-old son.
The criminal complaint said Hitchcock was having "brain fog" and didn't have control of her thoughts and heard voices in her head, including that the Russian government would take her kids and abuse them.
Her husband of 15 years said she was growing agitated by the war and started drinking vodka and had rage.
She told investigators she thought about taking her own life, but didn't want to leave her boys to suffer and be abused, so she would "end his suffering with my hands."
Hitchcock appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday.
Her husband and other family members were there.
WBAY reports that within minutes of sitting down, Hitchcock tried to talk to them, saying: "I told you. I told you. We need to leave."
Hitchcock's bond was set at $1 million dollars. She is slated to appear in court again on Thursday.
As she was ushered out of court, WBAY reports that she looked at her husband and said she loved him, she was sorry and she didn't know what happened.
Madison’s Black-owned businesses cope with pandemic’s deepening impact
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Madison man charged in State Street shooting | 2022-04-06T02:59:16Z | www.wkow.com | Mother charged with killing son allegedly suffered agitation from war in Ukraine | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/mother-charged-with-killing-son-allegedly-suffered-agitation-from-war-in-ukraine/article_d35cf316-b531-11ec-8b09-dbea1341c2bd.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/mother-charged-with-killing-son-allegedly-suffered-agitation-from-war-in-ukraine/article_d35cf316-b531-11ec-8b09-dbea1341c2bd.html |
Ohio man charged with murder of Madison man in Akron
AKRON, OHIO (WKOW) -- An Ohio man now faces a murder charge after allegedly shooting a Madison man in Akron Saturday.
According to a news release from the Akron Police Department, Christopher Bailey, 37, of Akron faces charges for murder and evidence tampering. Bailey was arrested the night of April 2.
Police first responded to an Akron home Saturday around 9 p.m. A 27-year-old man was in the driveway with gunshot wounds, and he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. According to Summit County Medical Examiner's Office, the victim is Shawn Knox, a 27-year-old man from Madison.
Sources close to Knox's family have also identified him as the man who was killed to 27 News.
A preliminary investigation found there was likely a fight prior to the shooting, and police identified Bailey as a person of interest early on. Bailey was taken to the Summit County Jail after authorities found multiple unrelated warrants in his name. Bailey was later charged with murder following further investigation and evidence gathering.
Police said in the release that Bailey faces "other charges in connection with the murder" as well, but did not specify beyond that.
A search of the home also uncovered a handgun, a rifle and what police suspected to be methamphetamines.
Wisconsin politicians issue statements on Russia's invasion of Ukraine
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Woman arrested for third OWI after collision with parked car; two kids in car | 2022-04-06T02:59:28Z | www.wkow.com | Ohio man charged with murder of Madison man in Akron | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/ohio-man-charged-with-murder-of-madison-man-in-akron/article_919f7ee0-b52b-11ec-9fdb-47ced0825d8d.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/ohio-man-charged-with-murder-of-madison-man-in-akron/article_919f7ee0-b52b-11ec-9fdb-47ced0825d8d.html |
MADISON (WKOW/WXOW) - School districts in southern Wisconsin and around the state are getting money to provide mental health care and related services to students.
Some area districts getting funds include: Madison-Metropolitan ($361,660); Beloit ($95,050); Janesville ($132,583); Dodgeville ($26,287); Lodi ($29,438); Sauk Prairie ($44,834).
Click here to see all schools receiving funding. | 2022-04-06T20:40:51Z | www.wkow.com | Area school districts receive funds for mental health support | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/area-school-districts-receive-funds-for-mental-health-support/article_38a8929e-b5d6-11ec-9997-b3848a37bf17.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/area-school-districts-receive-funds-for-mental-health-support/article_38a8929e-b5d6-11ec-9997-b3848a37bf17.html |
Brewers trade for Caratini from Padres
MILWAUKEE (WKOW) -- The Brewers filled their catching hole just a day before the season opener. The team traded for veteran Victor Caratini from the Padres. Catcher Brett Sullivan and utility prospect Korry Howell were sent to San Diego.
Caratini is a career .242 hitter over five Major League seasons. The switch hitter hit .227 with seven home runs and 34 RBI over 116 games with the Padres last season. He spent the previous four seasons with the Cubs.
Sullivan had joined the Brewers as a free agent in the offseason. Howell was one of Milwaukee's higher-rated prospects. The 23-year old made it to Double-A last season.
Milwaukee was scrambling to find a backup catcher after offseason addition Pedro Severino was suspended by MLB for the first 80 games of the season for using a banned substance.
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Nascar Driver Ryan Newman in serious condition following crash at Daytona 500 | 2022-04-06T22:47:27Z | www.wkow.com | Brewers trade for Caratini from Padres | Sports | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/sports/brewers-trade-for-caratini-from-padres/article_babebb3e-b5ed-11ec-b2ab-6794ec028ec2.html | https://www.wkow.com/sports/brewers-trade-for-caratini-from-padres/article_babebb3e-b5ed-11ec-b2ab-6794ec028ec2.html |
Iron County Sheriff Office determines Middleton hiker died after ground beneath her collapsed
IRON COUNTY (WKOW) — The Iron County Sheriff's Office is releasing more information on the death of a Middleton woman who was on a hiking trip.
Kelsey Musgrove, 30, was found dead in the Potato River Falls area on April 3, a day after she was reported missing.
According to Iron County Sheriff Paul Samardich, her body was found partially buried in a steep bank along a river. Samardich said it appears she ventured off the trail to get closer to the river and while on the edge of an embankment the ground collapsed beneath her. This led to her falling along rocks and clay.
An autopsy indicates she died as a result of traumatic injuries sustained in the fall, and she died within minutes of the incident.
Samardich reminds hikers that clay banks are "always unstable."
"When hiking, please stay on marked trails and observation areas," Samardich said. "If you choose to hike alone, always make sure someone knows your route of travel and when you plan to return." | 2022-04-07T00:52:59Z | www.wkow.com | Iron County Sheriff Office determines Middleton hiker died after ground beneath her collapsed | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/iron-county-sheriff-office-determines-middleton-hiker-died-after-ground-beneath-her-collapsed/article_c8854282-b5f3-11ec-8b68-077b2c7974a2.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/iron-county-sheriff-office-determines-middleton-hiker-died-after-ground-beneath-her-collapsed/article_c8854282-b5f3-11ec-8b68-077b2c7974a2.html |
Mother of murdered son struggles with finances to bring son home
MADISON (WKOW) -- A birthday celebration in Ohio turned deadly, leaving a Madison man dead and his mother with a heartwrenching struggle to pay her son's final expenses.
Officials in Akron, Ohio confirmed a Madison man, Shawn Knox, was killed in a shooting after an argument over the weekend.
"No parent should have to bury their kid. Your kid is supposed to bury you," said Wendy Thompson, Knox's mother.
When Thompson's son took a road trip to celebrate his 28th birthday, she had no idea it would be his last.
Akron police say her son was shot and killed outside an Akron, Ohio home after an argument with the suspect, Christopher Bailey.
"He had his family with him. So he definitely wasn't trying to do nothing but celebrate and enjoy himself," said Thompson.
Wendy said her son was not a violent person. She said he was a hardworking father of three small kids and losing him is devastating.
"This is the hardest thing I can think of at this moment that I've ever had to go through and I went through a lot of hard things. I've lost my mom, lost my fiancee," said Thompson.
Shawn's death just complicates Wendy's hard times.
"I lost two of my toes due to diabetes. My baby sister has stage four breast cancer and I am her caregiver. My 17-year-old was diagnosed with schizophrenia," said Thompson.
To make matters worse, Wendy says she can't afford to bring her son's body back home to Madison.
They [funeral home in Akron] saying that they can try to get him a flight sometime this weekend. Once I get a $4,000 deposit to them," said Thompson.
Wendy says she'll need another $6,000 to bury her son and worrying about his final expenses has left her unable to even start grieving.
"It's like being awake in a dream that you can't wake up from and I just wish I could wake up," said Thompson.
Wendy says her son's final expenses for flight and burial are a little more than $10,000. A GoFundMe account has been created to help with these costs.
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Watch: ‘The whole thing’s a mess’ Evers says of lame-duck bills | 2022-04-07T00:53:11Z | www.wkow.com | Mother of murdered son struggles with finances to bring son home | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/mother-of-murdered-son-struggles-with-finances-to-bring-son-home/article_c492065c-b601-11ec-abaf-97412a17c51a.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/mother-of-murdered-son-struggles-with-finances-to-bring-son-home/article_c492065c-b601-11ec-abaf-97412a17c51a.html |
'Should be much better': New polling places raise accessibility complaints
MADISON (WKOW) -- Barbara Arntz says she'll never miss an election. Citing her parents' dedication to voting, the 89-year-old Madison resident said she finds a way to the polls.
On Tuesday, however, she worried she'd encountered an obstacle she wouldn't be able to conquer. Arntz's polling place had changed and she was now set to vote at the 'Duck Pond' ballpark in Warner Park.
"I didn't see the ramp. I saw the steps," Arntz said recalling her first thought upon arrival. "I said I can't walk up those steps!"
Arntz wouldn't have to walk up those steps. An elections worker directed her to the ramp further down the road but both Arntz and her longtime friend, Diane Walder, said the long, winding ramp was a poor option for the elderly and voters with disabilities.
"This is accessible? This is not accessible," Walder said.
"Better than the steps," Arntz retorted.
Madison Deputy City Clerk Jim Verbick said his office became aware Tuesday of complaints about accessibility to the 'Duck Pond' polling place. He said staff brought more signs pointing toward the ramp and said Madison allows curbside voting at each polling place.
27 News crews saw a sign at the ballpark site Tuesday with a phone number for curbside help.
"It'd ring directly to someone inside the polling place and they would know and be able to speak with that voter," Verbick said. "And then go inside, grab the voter's ballot, bring it out to the voter."
Verbick acknowledged the ballpark wasn't the best location for a polling place. Both he and City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said the biggest hurdle was the Madison Metropolitan School District still not allowing the city to use its buildings.
"The reasons have been COVID related," MMSD Spokesman Tim LeMonds said in an email. "As local COVID conditions continue to improve, there will be more discussion on this issue."
Verbick said he's been in talks with the school district and was optimistic at least some of the schools would reopen for voting in time for the August primary, where there will almost certainly be a much greater turnout.
"We're really close to getting back into the schools," Verbick said. "I have every indication that in August, we'll be back at most of our schools in Madison."
Barbara Beckert, who directs the Milwaukee office for Disability Rights Wisconsin, said schools aren't always great polling places. She cited more school districts adopting stricter security policies in light of continued mass school shootings.
Beckert added some older schools also pose accessibility challenges.
"My experience has been there is a movement away from using schools as a polling place and that pre-dates the pandemic," Beckert said.
Janesville City Clerk Lori Stottler said Janesville schools have been unavailable as polling places due to security concerns. She said the Lutheran churches had filled the void, accounting for four of the city's 10 polling places.
Beckert said the pandemic was creating more challenges in terms of communities finding suitable polling locations. She asked people to report any accessibility concerns to either her office or the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
"While we often hear about accessibility concerns, not many people take the time to report it to the election commission," Beckert said. "We really encourage people to do that."
As for the 'Duck Pond,' Verbick said Tuesday's election was the first, and likely last, election held there.
Arntz said she certainly hoped for a different polling place ahead in August. In the meantime, she noted the silver linings: she found the ramp and, unlike Wednesday, it didn't rain on Election Day so she didn't have to worry about slipping on the steel ramp.
"It could be worse," she said. "But it should be much better."
Barbara Arntz
Diane Walder
Barbara Beckert | 2022-04-07T00:53:17Z | www.wkow.com | 'Should be much better': New polling places raise accessibility complaints | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/should-be-much-better-new-polling-places-raise-accessibility-complaints/article_55835be6-b5ff-11ec-bcfc-83c840d92a6b.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/should-be-much-better-new-polling-places-raise-accessibility-complaints/article_55835be6-b5ff-11ec-bcfc-83c840d92a6b.html |
Single-game tickets for Bucks First Round playoff series go on sale Friday
MILWAUKEE (WKOW) — The Milwaukee Bucks are playing in the postseason for the sixth season in a row, this time defending their championship title.
The playoffs officially tip off next weekend with First Round action. Although the Bucks don't yet know the date or opponent for their First Round series, fans can start getting excited about going to a game.
Limited single-game tickets for the First Round of the playoffs at Fiserv Forum go on sale Friday at noon. Click here to purchase tickets. | 2022-04-07T00:53:23Z | www.wkow.com | Single-game tickets for Bucks First Round playoff series go on sale Friday | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/single-game-tickets-for-bucks-first-round-playoff-series-go-on-sale-friday/article_68b95e46-b5ea-11ec-a0a6-a3ecbc260ee3.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/single-game-tickets-for-bucks-first-round-playoff-series-go-on-sale-friday/article_68b95e46-b5ea-11ec-a0a6-a3ecbc260ee3.html |
Donation to bring in new Dane County K9 unit
MADISON (WKOW) -- A new donation will help the Dane County Sheriff's Office add a new K9 unit, and it'll also cover the cost of training the dog's handler.
The donation from former sheriff Dave Mahoney is going to Dane County K9 Inc. The nonprofit supports the K9 unit at the sheriff's office, since the unit is not fully funded by taxpayer dollars.
"This is about an organization that is private coming together and finding ways to help us in our abilities to serve the community. And service is what we're all here for," Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said.
They did not say how much the donation was for, but a new K9 typically costs between $10,000 and $12,000, and basic training can add as much as another $7,000.
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McFarland man arrested after firing gun in home | 2022-04-07T02:59:07Z | www.wkow.com | Donation to bring in new Dane County K9 unit | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/donation-to-bring-in-new-dane-county-k9-unit/article_004a6bcc-b467-11ec-b31e-43513aca4ad5.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/donation-to-bring-in-new-dane-county-k9-unit/article_004a6bcc-b467-11ec-b31e-43513aca4ad5.html |
JEFFERSON COUNTY (WKOW) -- Nearly 23-million chickens and turkeys have been killed across the country to limit the spread of bird flu.
State officials have found the virus in two flocks in Wisconsin and in wild birds, so they're monitoring for other potential outbreaks.
State veterinarian Dr. Darlene Konkle told WISN, "We're definitely on high alert. As I mentioned, these wild birds are migrating through and we know that will continue to happen over the coming weeks."
Nearly 3-million birds at a farm in Jefferson County where bird flu was found are now being composted.
People who live near the site are concerned about contamination to their groundwater.
But a state epidemiologist says the risk to any groundwater is virtually nothing. | 2022-04-07T06:28:28Z | www.wkow.com | State on 'high alert' after bird flu outbreak in Jefferson County | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/state-on-high-alert-after-bird-flu-outbreak-in-jefferson-county/article_7bf701fe-b624-11ec-a4a6-7ffe1a863607.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/state-on-high-alert-after-bird-flu-outbreak-in-jefferson-county/article_7bf701fe-b624-11ec-a4a6-7ffe1a863607.html |
Ask a Doctor: Protecting your children from accidental poisonings
MADISON (WKOW) -- Each year, hundreds of children end up in the hospital with a case of unintentional poisoning, and a lot of it comes from medications and supplements that are left out. Not to mention, children are naturally curious creatures who love to explore their world. So keeping medications out of arms reach is crucial.
"Cabinets that are higher up with child locks, or if you don't have higher up cabinets, drawers, making sure that the safety locks are in place," said Dr. Kathryn Less, UW Health.
It's also no secret that when you've got kids around, there's bound to be some level of chaos. But doctors say don't let your need for organization cloud your judgement.
"The area that we often see issues come up with is when people are moving the medicines out of the label packages into kind of pill storage containers, Ziploc bags to put in purses, or backpacks," said Dr. Less.
So let's say you've done all that: The meds are out of reach and they're in their original packaging, but somehow your child still gets into something. What's next? Start with poison control.
"Having it in your cell phone is a great place to keep it because everybody has their phone close by," said Dr. Less. "I also think that having it posted up on the refrigerator with a magnet is great. That way if you have a babysitter over, maybe a different caregiver, it's an easily accessible number."
Poison Control also has a list of resources. Click here to learn more.
Kathryn Less
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Trailblazing actor Sidney Poitier dies at 94 | 2022-04-07T17:38:19Z | www.wkow.com | Ask a Doctor: Protecting your children from accidental poisonings | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/ask-a-doctor-protecting-your-children-from-accidental-poisonings/article_a6f2edcc-b670-11ec-a956-fb6f2509bb53.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/ask-a-doctor-protecting-your-children-from-accidental-poisonings/article_a6f2edcc-b670-11ec-a956-fb6f2509bb53.html |
Wisconsin's overall population health graded as 'C' in new report
MADISON (WKOW) — A report card assessing the health of Wisconsin's overall population shows room for improvement, according to UW Health.
The University of Wisconsin Health Institute has issued a report card every three years since 2007 with a pause in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are two categories in the report card released March 2022: length and quality of life. Wisconsin earned C's in both categories.
The C's are the highest grade Wisconsin got, other metrics which assess health disparities and educational attainment, were graded as D's or F's.
“The Report Card is intended to spark curiosity and commitment to explore new ways of understanding the health of the people of Wisconsin,” Sheri Johnson, Ph.D., director, UW Population Health Institute in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health said. “We believe it is possible to use data, evidence and stories to find common ground, cultivate social solidarity and build the power needed to ensure everyone in Wisconsin has an opportunity to thrive.”
On top of grades, the report card provides recommendations focusing on policies and practices that advance equity. They are: ensuring access to quality healthcare, expanding safe and affordable housing, increasing economic resources for children and families, expanding broadband and increasing civic engagement.
The report identifies some of the state's pervasive problems as the number of children in poverty (13.5% statewide) and barriers to economic opportunity that impact health.
Specifically, the some of the suggested solutions for Wisconsin are expanding BadgerCare Plus, making the 2021 Child Tax Credit permanent, increasing broadband access in underserved areas and removing barriers to voting.
To see the full report and specific calls to action, click here.
Sheri Johnson
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Madison police: Man shows up to hospital with gunshot wound, one arrested | 2022-04-07T17:38:25Z | www.wkow.com | Wisconsin's overall population health graded as 'C' in new report | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/wisconsins-overall-population-health-graded-as-c-in-new-report/article_917fdf12-b676-11ec-9976-93e2f810b035.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/wisconsins-overall-population-health-graded-as-c-in-new-report/article_917fdf12-b676-11ec-9976-93e2f810b035.html |
Job seekers interact with recruiters during a 'Back to Work' job fair organized by Goodwill in Los Angeles, California on October 5, 2021. Initial claims for jobless benefits fell to 166,000 in the week ended April 2, adjusted for seasonal swings, the Labor Department reported April 7.
America's labor market is on fire. There are far more available jobs than workers and the latest data on initial weekly unemployment claims underscores that imbalance.
"We saw big revisions in this week's initial and continuing claims figures due both to the usual annual revisions and a change in the seasonal adjustment procedure," said Mike Englund, chief economist at Action Economics.
But now that jobless claims have fallen back to levels seen before Covid-19 hit, the department is changing its methodology back to what it was before the pandemic. That's why there were so many adjustments in Thursday's numbers.
"The new data reveal a steeper initial claims downtrend through [the first quarter] but a less aggressive downtrend in the continuing claims," Englund said.
The data reflects the tight US labor market, including the millions of jobs available across the nation and an unemployment rate that just hit a new pandemic-era low of 3.6%. Two years after the economy shut down due to the first wave of the coronavirus and millions of people lost their jobs, the nation's employment situation is now characterized by a shortage of workers.
Mike Englund
Downtrend | 2022-04-07T17:38:38Z | www.wkow.com | Jobless claims match 1968 low | Economics | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/economics/jobless-claims-match-1968-low/article_a80e4bdd-0cb0-5f01-9d26-2a08fe001797.html | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/economics/jobless-claims-match-1968-low/article_a80e4bdd-0cb0-5f01-9d26-2a08fe001797.html |
Dane County plans to extend Farm to Foodbank program through end of 2022
MADISON (WKOW) — Dane County plans to extend a program that helps stock food pantries with locally grown produce and goods, officials announced Thursday.
According to County Executive Joe Parisi, the County is extending its partnership with Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin through the end of 2022. A resolution to extend the Farm to Foodbank program, worth $2.75 million, will be introduced at Thursday's County board meeting and is expected to be approved in the coming weeks.
The program, which started in April 2020, was set to end in July 2022, but $1 million from the 2022 budget extended it to October. Now, the latest investment means the program can purchase $750,000 of goods each month from August-December. In total, Dane County has invested $26.75 million in the Farm to Foodbank program.
"Partnerships like these are crucial in a time of significantly higher food and fuel costs caused by inflation," Second Harvest President and CEO Michelle Orge said. "With the community’s support, we will continue our commitment to provide locally produced food through our partnerships and programs.”
Through February 2022, the program distributed 8.45 million pounds of food — most of which being fresh produce, dairy or protein. Along with feeding residents, the program gave vendors a reliable outlet and assisted partner agencies allocate food. | 2022-04-07T22:30:24Z | www.wkow.com | Dane County plans to extend Farm to Foodbank program through end of 2022 | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/dane-county-plans-to-extend-farm-to-foodbank-program-through-end-of-2022/article_bc2544ea-b695-11ec-80c9-c7967e78107b.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/dane-county-plans-to-extend-farm-to-foodbank-program-through-end-of-2022/article_bc2544ea-b695-11ec-80c9-c7967e78107b.html |
Does Marsy's Law lessen the rights of the accused?: Debate lingers on its second anniversary
MADISON (WKOW) Thursday marks the second anniversary of the historic statewide vote on the crime victims' constitutional amendment commonly known as Marsy's Law.
Marsy’s law was named after Marsalee “Marsy” Nicholas, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983.
While crime victims praise this law, opponents say it infringes on the rights of the accused
"He beat my head really bad and then he choked me and he stabbed me in the back four times. He can know where I'm living," said Maggie Kumpos, a crime victim.
Kumpos and other victims of crime say Marsy's law has empowered them through the criminal justice system.
"It gives crime victims strong, enforceable, that's very important enforceable constitutional rights to ensure that the state treats victims fairly in the criminal justice system," said Nela Kapric, Outreach Director for Marsy's Law for Wisconsin.
Advocates say before Marsy's law attackers could revictimize those recovering from a crime.
"The perpetrator could definitely have access to everything and anything under the sun, to try to perpetrate you as a crazy person or as an ill person or as a mentally unstable person," said Veronica Figueroa Velez, a Marsy's Law advocate.
Even on this anniversary of Wisconsin's statewide vote for Marsy Law, opponents note there are some unintended consequences.
"There are questions about what qualifies or who qualifies as a victim. And therefore, who is to be afforded these rights," said Attorney Eric Pangburn, a partner at West and Dunn Law Firm.
Attorney Pangburn said without this clear distinction, those accused of a crime are seeing their rights diminished.
"I have individuals who come into my office who have been charged with crimes, and they don't know who is making the accusation against them. Because the name of the alleged victim has been taken out of the complaint. In my experience now that Marcy's Law has come about, we're not seeing the names of individuals in criminal complaints at all, I can't even run a conflict check.
"Instead of blaming the law for backlogs and all these other things that you want to label Marsy's Law for they should really leverage Marsy's Law to really get the funding and the resources that victims of crimes need."
There is a challenge to Marsy's law. In late 2020 Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington ruled the Marsy Law ballot question wasn't properly worded and didn't warn voters the amendment would lessen the defendant's rights.
In February 2022, the State Supreme Court has agreed to hear this appeal.
If the Supreme Court Rules in favor of the Circuit Court, the amendment in its entirety will be invalidated, and Marcy's law will no longer be enforced in Wisconsin.
Marsy Law
Maggie Kumpos | 2022-04-08T01:07:17Z | www.wkow.com | Does Marsy's Law lessen the rights of the accused?: Debate lingers on its second anniversary | Law | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/law/does-marsys-law-lessen-the-rights-of-the-accused-debate-lingers-on-its-second-anniversary/article_55aa90ec-b6bf-11ec-8377-e39a508bb050.html | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/law/does-marsys-law-lessen-the-rights-of-the-accused-debate-lingers-on-its-second-anniversary/article_55aa90ec-b6bf-11ec-8377-e39a508bb050.html |
Fundraiser held for daughters of Madison woman killed in Florida hit and run
MADISON (WKOW) -- People are pitching in to help the daughters of a Madison woman who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Florida.
Mary Reed was well known in the hospitality industry.
Some of her friends and colleagues put on a hot dog sale at Brothers Three on North Fair Oaks Avenue.
The money raised will help Reed's 17 and 19-year-old daughters.
"She was such a light for all of us. And if we can do that to her girls and just show a fraction of the love she gave us, it would be, it'd be awesome," said organizer Jessi Pacetti.
The bar also had shirts for sale.
Some of those proceeds will go to the For Mary's Girls Foundation, which was started to help her daughters.
Mary Reed
Jessi Pacetti | 2022-04-08T03:30:58Z | www.wkow.com | Fundraiser held for daughters of Madison woman killed in Florida hit and run | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/fundraiser-held-for-daughters-of-madison-woman-killed-in-florida-hit-and-run/article_1a280728-b6df-11ec-baa2-7bec9f3d9794.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/fundraiser-held-for-daughters-of-madison-woman-killed-in-florida-hit-and-run/article_1a280728-b6df-11ec-baa2-7bec9f3d9794.html |
Gun-posing photos allowed for trial on killing of Madison physician, husband
MADISON (WKOW) -- A judge Thursday ruled photos showing murder defendant Khari Sanford posing with guns will be allowed to be shown to jurors in Sanford's upcoming double homicide trial.
Deputy Dane County District Attorney William Brown says some of the photos show Sanford with a gun resembling a Glock 357 handgun. Authorities say shell casings consistent with that model gun were found near victims Beth Potter, a Madison physician, and her husband Robin Carre in March 2020. They say the gun used in the fatal shootings of the couple has not been found.
Dane County Judge Ellen Berz also ruled video Sanford recorded of the area near where the victims were found in the UW Arboretum weeks before the killings could also be shown to jurors.
But Berz says photos connected to an FBI attempt to locate suspects in armed robberies prior to the double homicide were off-limits for the trial. Brown says Sanford was one of the suspects.
Sanford's attorneys also say statements made by Sanford to police days after the murders should be suppressed, as Sanford was coerced into making them. They argue while Sanford was told by UW Police Detective Peter Grimyser he just wanted to ask Sanford some questions, he was never told he could leave the interview if he wished. The attorneys also say when Grimsyer asked Sanford if the interview could continue at a police station, Grimyser indicated Sanford could be "detained." Grimyser testified Wednesday he did not handcuff or detain Sanford during the interview.
Berz says she wants to watch police-worn body camera video of Sanford's questioning before deciding on the interview's suitability for trial.
Authorities say Sanford was the boyfriend of the victims' daughter and the victims asked the couple to leave the family home over disputes about protecting against the spread of COVID-19 and other issues. Court records also show Sanford and the victims' daughter talked about large amounts of money the physician and her husband had and accessing the money.
Sanford's friend, Alijah Larrue, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony murder-kidnapping in connection to the killings. Authorities say Larrue contributed to the victims' deaths but Sanford was the shooter. Larrue is scheduled to testify in Sanford's May trial in accordance with the terms of Larrue's plea agreement.
Sanford's attorneys and Brown are asking Berz to prohibit media organizations from live-streaming the upcoming trial. Brown says live-streaming has already resulted in witnesses being harassed in previous court cases. Brown calls the practice journalistic "voyeurism."
For Thursday's hearing on court motions in the Sanford case, Berz allowed news cameras but banned the later broadcast of anything beyond one 10-second video clip. Berz also required the video to be deleted from any storage 24 hours after it aired.
In addition to opposing any prohibition on the live-stream of the Sanford trial, attorney Tanya Salman of a coalition of media groups said Berz's limitation on broadcasting material from the hearing was "unfair to the public" and could compromise reporting on the competing views in the Sanford case. Salman said while state Supreme Court rules give judges discretion in what they allow in connection to electronic media, the rules are intended to address the number and positions of cameras in the courtroom and safeguard the confidentiality of some courtroom conversations.
Berz will decide the issues involving the media's presence, broadcasts and live-streaming at a later date.
Sanford remains jailed with bail at $1 million.
Sanford was 19 at the time of the homicides. In 2019, he was found responsible for stealing the car of acquaintances. Sanford also formerly served as an intern in the Office of Madison's mayor. | 2022-04-08T03:31:04Z | www.wkow.com | Gun-posing photos allowed for trial on killing of Madison physician, husband | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/gun-posing-photos-allowed-for-trial-on-killing-of-madison-physician-husband/article_9979c0f6-b6cc-11ec-8a4f-9349657fb6f4.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/gun-posing-photos-allowed-for-trial-on-killing-of-madison-physician-husband/article_9979c0f6-b6cc-11ec-8a4f-9349657fb6f4.html |
By Rhonda Foxx
'Those numbers are coming down': How hospitals are faring as the omicron surge fades
MADISON (WKOW) -- COVID-19 hospitalizations in Wisconsin peaked in mid-January 2022, and in the nearly four months since, they've fallen dramatically. Wednesday, 144 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized in the state, which was the lowest number of hospitalizations since July 2021.
"Those numbers are coming down, and so we're happy to see that," Pam Wetzel, the chief medical officer at UnityPoint Health - Meriter, said.
She said, the hospital had around 10 patients with COVID-19 on Thursday, and none of them were in the ICU.
However, that doesn't mean hospital staff are able to take a break.
"They're busy with all sorts of patients who need their help in other areas," Wetzel said. "Emergency rooms are a little busier than what we've seen in the last few months."
That trend isn't isolated to her hospital.
Eric Borgerding, the president and CEO of the Wisconsin Hospital Association, said many of the state's hospitals are seeing higher demand for conditions other than COVID-19.
"Resources that had been devoted to overwhelming COVID demand are now being redirected to other types of care, which, in many cases, is no less urgent," he said in a statement.
Despite that increased demand, Wetzel said the drop in COVID-19 patients has still been a relief, and it's letting hospitals take time to start addressing the toll the past two years have taken on frontline health care workers.
"People still are trying to recover," she said. "I don't think we're totally out of the woods when it comes to burnout. It's an ongoing problem for us."
Pam Wetzel
Wisconsin Hospital Association
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Performance venues beg for change to Dane County mask mandate, face postponed or canceled shows | 2022-04-08T05:46:07Z | www.wkow.com | 'Those numbers are coming down': How hospitals are faring as the omicron surge fades | Coronavirus | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/coronavirus/those-numbers-are-coming-down-how-hospitals-are-faring-as-the-omicron-surge-fades/article_11726f5e-b6e6-11ec-84ba-8375e0bddb08.html | https://www.wkow.com/coronavirus/those-numbers-are-coming-down-how-hospitals-are-faring-as-the-omicron-surge-fades/article_11726f5e-b6e6-11ec-84ba-8375e0bddb08.html |
Wisconsin gets average health grades
MADISON (WKOW) -- A new report on the health of people in Wisconsin gives our state an average grade.
The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute looked at how long and how well people are living.
Wisconsin got a C in both categories.
The director of the institute says the goal of the study is to spark conversations about what we can do to improve length of life and quality of life.
"So this year, we included several policy areas that are important for all of us to pay attention to, and to think together about what we can do with policy and system change to improve how long and how well people are living," said Shari Johnson, Ph.D., director of the UW Population Health Institute.
The study shows Minnesota has consistently better health than Wisconsin.
Iowa and Illinois are similar to our state.
Shari Johnson | 2022-04-08T05:46:37Z | www.wkow.com | Wisconsin gets average health grades | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/wisconsin-gets-average-health-grades/article_8d4354e2-b6e4-11ec-b7a7-73b47e54256d.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/wisconsin-gets-average-health-grades/article_8d4354e2-b6e4-11ec-b7a7-73b47e54256d.html |
Keonte Furdge is briefly detained in June by Monona police after a neighbor reported him sitting on the steps of a home he had just moved into with a friend.
$150,000 settlement reached in civil rights case against city of Monona
MONONA (WKOW) — The city of Monona's insurer will pay a settlement brought by a Black man who was detained by police in a 2020 search.
Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled the two officers who barged into a Monona home and briefly handcuffed Keonte Furdge, violated the Fourth Amendment.
Furdge was staying at a friend's house when a neighbor reported suspicious activity. Police responded and briefly handcuffed and detained him.
According to information from Strang Bradley, LLC, the law firm that represented Furdge, the city agreed to pay him $150,000.
"Mr. Furdge is happy to put this terrible experience behind him and to not have to relive the trauma at a jury trial," said attorney Rick Resch.
The law firm said settlement was reached two days before the trial was scheduled to begin.
Furdge
Rick Resch | 2022-04-08T15:22:06Z | www.wkow.com | $150,000 settlement reached in civil rights case against city of Monona | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/150-000-settlement-reached-in-civil-rights-case-against-city-of-monona/article_0404d578-b73b-11ec-a561-f385b7ea369b.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/150-000-settlement-reached-in-civil-rights-case-against-city-of-monona/article_0404d578-b73b-11ec-a561-f385b7ea369b.html |
DATCP announces suspension of poultry exhibitions through May
MADISON (WKOW) — Wisconsin is suspending all poultry shows, exhibitions and swap meets through the end of May, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced Friday.
The suspension is the department's latest effort to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza — which has been located in several Wisconsin counties at this point.
Poultry exhibitions were already suspended in Jefferson County, where the first case of the virus was located at a commercial farm.
Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and North Carolina are some of states implementing similar restrictions to prevent the spread.
While the virus is present, poultry owners are encouraged to practice strict biosecurity and keep flocks indoors to prevent contact with wild birds. | 2022-04-08T15:22:18Z | www.wkow.com | DATCP announces suspension of poultry exhibitions through May | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/datcp-announces-suspension-of-poultry-exhibitions-through-may/article_d1978844-b73d-11ec-8134-b791c060f924.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/datcp-announces-suspension-of-poultry-exhibitions-through-may/article_d1978844-b73d-11ec-8134-b791c060f924.html |
UPDATE: US 14 reopens after closure in both directions
UPDATE (WKOW) — All lanes have reopened on US 14 in Rutland following a multivehicle crash that briefly closed the road in both directions.
OREGON (WKOW) — All lanes are blocked on US 14 in Rutland because of a crash.
According to an alert from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, US 14 east and west bound is closed at County Highway A for a multiple vehicle crash.
The Dane County Sheriff's Office is responding along with three ambulances.
Authorities with Dane County Dispatch said tow trucks are also on the way and the road is expected to open up soon. | 2022-04-08T15:22:43Z | www.wkow.com | UPDATE: US 14 reopens after closure in both directions | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/update-us-14-reopens-after-closure-in-both-directions/article_6ed50924-b743-11ec-b1b9-cb68b2db2199.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/update-us-14-reopens-after-closure-in-both-directions/article_6ed50924-b743-11ec-b1b9-cb68b2db2199.html |
Dane County man charged in September 2021 shooting
FITCHBURG (WKOW) -- Alexander Jefferson-Cooper, 28, of Oregon was charged in the Dane County Circuit Court last week following a September 2021 shooting, according to a press release by the Fitchburg Police Department.
Jefferson-Cooper was charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety, criminal damage to property and intimidation of a victim with the threat of force. On March 9, he was also charged federally for possession of a firearm as a felon.
In addition to Jefferson-Cooper, Zendel Rolack, 25, was also taken into custody. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections wanted both men for violations of their parole, and Rolack had an extraditable warrant through Minnesota.
During the investigation of the September 2021 shooting, investigators executed a search warrant of Jefferson-Cooper's residence in Oregon. During the search, investigators seized multiple firearms and narcotics.
The firearms are what led to the March 9 federal grand jury indictment of Jefferson-Cooper and Rolack for felon in possession of a firearm.
In addition to the new charges, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections revoked Jefferson-Cooper and Rolack's paroles.
Alexander Jefferson-cooper
Zendel Rolack | 2022-04-08T22:55:19Z | www.wkow.com | Dane County man charged in September 2021 shooting | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/dane-county-man-charged-in-september-2021-shooting/article_27503dce-b777-11ec-9263-9fcd98281e90.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/dane-county-man-charged-in-september-2021-shooting/article_27503dce-b777-11ec-9263-9fcd98281e90.html |
Courtesy of Juneau County Jail
Union Center man charged with homicide in connection to deadly fire
JUNEAU COUNTY (WKOW) — A Union Center man has been charged with homicide in connection to a fire on March 19.
Travis Yirka, 45, was charged on April 8 with first-degree intentional homicide and arson of a building. Online court records show a court commissioner set his bond at $500,000 cash.
Yirka is charged in connection to a fire where LeRoy Siefkes was found dead.
A criminal complaint alleges that the victim is Yirka’s uncle, and they got into an argument the night before the fire.
On the night of the fire, witnesses and authorities allege in the complaint Yirka made conflicting claims on whether or not anyone remained in the home. Eventually, part of Siefkes remains were located near the bottom of the stairs on the first floor of the home. Preliminary results from an autopsy determine his cause of death to be a combination of thermal injuries and smoke inhalation.
On the night of the fire, authorities collected a cigarette lighter and tiki torch style candle as evidence — which police claim in the complaint are the only two items to survive the fire. They’re also two items Yirka claims to own.
Authorities learned that Yirka was charged with arson in 2016 in Yuba County, CA. The complaint alleges the fire was a result of a dispute Yirka had with his landlord.
On March 24, deputies questioned Yirka about the fire. During the over two-hour interview, authorities said Yirka “gave an unbelievable account of the events leading up to and surrounding the fire to include being blown out of the house by an explosion.” Yirka also made claims about him and Siefkes going to Kwik Trip the morning of the fire, which authorities disproved through security footage.
The claims of an explosion were further discounted by a DCI agent Ryan Windorff, who was assigned to investigate the fire. Agent Windorff said the “evidence at the house is not consistent with an explosion.” Windorff further explained Yikra was uninjured in the fire, no witnesses reported hearing or seeing an explosion, and the water heater was electric not gas.
Authorities also point to Yirka’s emotion as a point of concern. The criminal complaint states “Yirka appears at times in the interview and during the investigation to be trying to force emotion.”
Further, authorities point out the tension between Yikra and Siefkes as potential motive, as there are multiple reports of the pair getting into disagreements that ended in verbal attacks or physical altercations.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Detective Jay Greeno at 608-847-5649.
Jay Greeno
Ryan Windorff
Yikra | 2022-04-08T22:55:51Z | www.wkow.com | Union Center man charged with homicide in connection to deadly fire | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/union-center-man-charged-with-homicide-in-connection-to-deadly-fire/article_e1a17bc0-b777-11ec-a7f1-5b5f5d4dfa8c.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/union-center-man-charged-with-homicide-in-connection-to-deadly-fire/article_e1a17bc0-b777-11ec-a7f1-5b5f5d4dfa8c.html |
Sun Prairie starts spring season with new team, same goals
SUN PRAIRIE (WKOW)-- The reigning champions of Sun Prairie are back on the diamond.
"Competing every day," Senior Captain Davis Hamilton said. "No matter (if we're) practicing out here in the cold weather or playing in the state championship, competing every day."
Senior Captain and Iowa Football Commit Addison Ostrenga knows what it means to be a Cardinal.
"I mean, we have a target on our back when we show up to any field, so we just have to play like we know we can and have fun with it," Ostrenga said.
Every season starts with three goals.
"Win conference, win sectionals, and then obviously go onto win the state championship," Davis Hamilton said. "We have been really fortunate to have really good players and have really good leadership to get us there almost every year."
The road may look different this year with a new group.
"We started three freshman and three sophomores, so we are pretty young compared to last year," Head Coach Rob Hamilton said.
But they are showing some promise in their first two wins.
"Offensively, we are going to be alright," Rob Hamilton said. "We do have some speed on the bases, and I think defensively, we are going to be sound."
With good leadership, the Cardinals believe anything is possible.
"Everybody has a good mentality," Junior Captain Jackson Hunley said. "Everybody comes and wants to work every day in practice, and I think in the long run, that will take us a long way."
The Cardinals are hoping to repeat history.
"Firetruck pulling up and the parade on the way home with the trophy, that was one of the most memorable things," Ostrenga said.
Now, going for title number ten in the last season as one.
Davis Hamilton
Addison Ostrenga
Jackson Hunley
NT Sagapolu eager to shine on the D-line
Peralta delivers again, Brewers hit 3 HRs to beat Royals 5-1
Braun hits 2 HRs, Chacin goes 7 as Brewers beat Cubs 7-0
LaFleur: Bakhtiari ‘a little bit ahead of schedule’
Mount Horeb hosts Oregon in Wisconsin Dells for first games of season
Wisconsin wins national title with 2-0 win against Minnesota | 2022-04-08T22:56:03Z | www.wkow.com | Sun Prairie starts spring season with new team, same goals | Sports | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/sports/sun-prairie-starts-spring-season-with-new-team-same-goals/article_9980defc-b77d-11ec-b0b7-0fded0425118.html | https://www.wkow.com/sports/sun-prairie-starts-spring-season-with-new-team-same-goals/article_9980defc-b77d-11ec-b0b7-0fded0425118.html |
Michael Gableman on Steve Bannon's 'War Room' podcast asked listeners to tell Speaker Robin Vos he shouldn't close down Gableman's office later this month. Courtesy: Bannon's War Room
MADISON (WKOW) -- The man appointed by Assembly Republicans to lead their review of the 2020 election told an advisor to former President Donald Trump that Speaker Robin Vos plans to close down Gableman's office before the end of April.
Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon interviewed Gableman for his 'War Room' podcast. In a video posted Thursday, Gableman said Vos planned to have his staff come in a little more than two weeks and take away equipment from the office Gableman has rented in Brookfield.
"Now I'm getting calls from Speaker Vos's office asking- telling us that they're gonna pick up our office equipment on April 26," Gableman said.
Gableman then read off the phone number to Vos's office at the State Capitol and shared his email with Bannon's listeners, asking them to contact Vos and ask that he allow the investigation to continue.
"Thank him for his continued support of this office to get to the truth of what happened and we must pursue those subpoenas in court," Gableman said. "We must pursue these outside entities."
Gableman referred to his ongoing efforts to depose mayors and other officials from the state's largest five cities. That quest is tied up in the courts as the cities and the Wisconsin Elections Commission argue they should only have to testify before Gableman in public and not at his Brookfield office.
Vos's office released a statement Friday in response to questions about whether Vos indeed planned to wrap up the review on April 26.
“As we’ve said before, the investigation will now turn its focus to resolving the lawsuits that have been brought against our efforts by liberal activists," a statement attributed to Vos read. "We hope to have Justice Gableman help us do that so we can once again focus on reforming the election process.”
Vos announced Gableman's hiring last summer at the state party's convention and has given him a taxpayer-funded budget of $676,000. The public is also paying for legal fees as Gableman still pushes for private depositions; one of those lawsuits is scheduled to last until at least July.
Vos has said his office planned to claw back money Gableman expensed for travel to partisan events in Arizona, South Dakota and Chippewa Falls.
Gableman appeared at Mar-a-Lago this week where The Washington Post reported Trump praised Gableman over his investigation, which has not uncovered any proof of widespread fraud that would've changed the outcome in Wisconsin, where President Joe Biden won by more than 20,000 votes.
Gableman's March presentation instead repeated a number of findings already raised in reviews by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau and by the Conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty.
It was during that presentation Gableman had his most public split from Vos. He suggested lawmakers could reclaim the state's 2020 electoral votes after Vos had said for months such a maneuver was illegal.
Legal experts, the legislature's lawyers and even Gableman's own lawyer have said it would be impossible to decertify the election. | 2022-04-09T01:58:28Z | www.wkow.com | Gableman: Vos plans to shut down election review by end of month | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/gableman-vos-plans-to-shut-down-election-review-by-end-of-month/article_3998fc30-b78d-11ec-bc9c-b7459ffd63e5.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/gableman-vos-plans-to-shut-down-election-review-by-end-of-month/article_3998fc30-b78d-11ec-bc9c-b7459ffd63e5.html |
Urban League of Greater Madison begins work on Black Business Hub
MADISON (WKOW) -- The Urban League of Greater Madison broke ground on its Black Business Hub project Friday.
The Black Business Hub is a Black-led, placed-based project that officials expect to help underserved businesses and entrepreneurs by providing training, loans, business coaching and mentoring and educational support, among other things.
Located in South Madison, this is the largest project in the organization's history, costing $25.5 million.
The Hub will be a nearly 80,000 square foot center. It will have retail storefront space, office space, meeting rooms and commercial kitchens available at below market-rate rents to support emerging businesses.
At Friday's groundbreaking event, the Urban League of Greater Madison announced that it has raised nearly $18.5 million for the project.
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin announced that she secured a $1 million federal appropriation for the project.
"The Hub is a long overdue investment," Baldwin said. "The Hub will serve as an incubator for entrepreneurs and innovators, empowering and inspiring tomorrow's leaders.”
Madison Common Council alder Sheri Carter said the Hub will be more than just a building, and was excited for the opportunities it could create.
"This building is going to bridge the gap that financial institutions have never addressed for people of color to thrive, to create, to succeed," Carter said.
Summit Credit Union CEO, Kim Sponem also announced that Summit -- Wisconsin's leading small business administration lender for the eleventh consecutive year -- will open a new branch in the Hub.
The campaign still needs to raise seven million dollars to reach its goal. If you are interested in supporting the Black Business Hub, visit the ULGM website for more information on giving opportunities
Sheri Carter | 2022-04-09T01:58:35Z | www.wkow.com | Urban League of Greater Madison begins work on Black Business Hub | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/urban-league-of-greater-madison-begins-work-on-black-business-hub/article_375448e0-b77d-11ec-ba75-9ff45d569348.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/urban-league-of-greater-madison-begins-work-on-black-business-hub/article_375448e0-b77d-11ec-ba75-9ff45d569348.html |
One City Schools unveils student-run bank to help students get an 'A' in financial literacy
MADISON (WKOW) -- Summit Credit Union is partnering with One City Schools and taking finance into the classroom by opening a student-run bank branch.
"All of our kids are going to graduate high school understanding finance. They'll have a savings account, a checking account, a stock account. They're going to know more about finance than I do," said Gail Wiseman, One Schools' VP of External Relations.
"It's a lot easier to learn fundamentals and to avoid financial problems than it is to fix them later. And so the earlier we can do that within the schools, the better," said Kim Sponem, president and CEO of Summit Credit Union.
School officials say they want to teach their kids more than just their ABC's.
They want them to learn about money, especially because many families are still suffering through economic hardship.
"We don't know what's coming down the road, and just having our scholars understand how economics works and how their personal finances work," said Devon Davis, Head of Schools for One City Schools.
Before kids head out into the world, officials say schools often fail at teaching them real-life math.
"All of a sudden you need to figure out how to fill out your housing applications, and you need to be able to do your taxes," said Davis.
This student-run branch hopes to instill generational money lessons in kids, like how a few coins can add up to big bucks.
"We can teach time value of money and compounding interest," said Sponem.
"I think there are a lot of adults that don't know what compound interest is our kids are going to know all of that. We're hoping all of our staff and families will bank here and our students, our scholars, will get a good experience," said Wiseman.
One City School is a free public school and this student-run branch will open in January of 2023. | 2022-04-09T01:58:58Z | www.wkow.com | One City Schools unveils student-run bank to help students get an 'A' in financial literacy | School | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/school/one-city-schools-unveils-student-run-bank-to-help-students-get-an-a-in-financial/article_40c60a08-b791-11ec-88c4-03b2322db9a9.html | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/school/one-city-schools-unveils-student-run-bank-to-help-students-get-an-a-in-financial/article_40c60a08-b791-11ec-88c4-03b2322db9a9.html |
Marchant, Melissa A.
Silver Alert issued for missing Jackson man last seen in Deerfield
DEERFIELD (WKOW) -- A Silver Alert was issued Friday night for missing man Joel Krueger, 80, of Jackson.
Krueger left his home in Jackson shortly before 9:00 a.m. Friday to run an errand in Slinger.
He was last seen in Deerfield around 3:45 p.m. where he asked for directions to Jackson and attempted to call home on a bystander's phone but was disconnected seconds after getting the answering machine.
The possible directions given to Krueger were to take I-94 to Highway 26 to Highway 60.
Krueger is a white man who is 6'3", 230 lbs., has blue eyes, is balding with short grey hair on the sides and has a droopy lower left eyelid. He was last seen wearing white tennis shoes, blue jeans, a blue t-shirt and a multi-color flannel shirt with Sherpa lining.
The Silver Alert's vehicle information included images of a black 2014 Toyota Tacoma with a bed cover.
If you have any information regarding Krueger's whereabouts, contact the Jackson Police Department at 262-335-4411. | 2022-04-09T04:44:13Z | www.wkow.com | Silver Alert issued for missing Jackson man last seen in Deerfield | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/silver-alert-issued-for-missing-jackson-man-last-seen-in-deerfield/article_871f508a-b7b0-11ec-881f-4f06fa24747e.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/silver-alert-issued-for-missing-jackson-man-last-seen-in-deerfield/article_871f508a-b7b0-11ec-881f-4f06fa24747e.html |
DA's office begins review of Quadren Wilson's police shooting investigation
MADISON (WKOW) -- Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne confirmed to 27 News his office is beginning to review the Dane County Sheriff's Office's investigation of the February 3 police shooting on the east side of Madison.
DA Ozanne said as of late Friday he had received a "majority of the reports."
Sheriff's investigators have previously said local, state and federal agents were arresting Quadren Wilson for violating his parole. He was also a person of interest in an ongoing drug investigation. Wilson has since been formally charged, accused of selling heroin.
The Dane County Sheriff's Office identified Special Agent Nathan Peskie and Special Agent Mark Wagner with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) as the two officers who fired their guns during Wilson's arrest.
The two special agents were put on paid administrative leave February 3, according to a DOJ spokesperson.
Wilson's family claims he was shot five times, which medical records obtained by 27 News support.
Investigators said Wilson was not armed during his arrest.
Nathan Peskie | 2022-04-09T21:57:38Z | www.wkow.com | DA's office begins review of Quadren Wilson's police shooting investigation | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/das-office-begins-review-of-quadren-wilsons-police-shooting-investigation/article_fa1dd840-b841-11ec-a519-576e9bc7dd28.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/das-office-begins-review-of-quadren-wilsons-police-shooting-investigation/article_fa1dd840-b841-11ec-a519-576e9bc7dd28.html |
Easter Egg Hunt brings Verona community together
VERONA (WKOW) -- As the countdown to the holiday ticks down, Easter activities are ramping up.
On Saturday, Verona Area High School's Latino Nation Student Group hosted an Easter egg hunt.
The event featured arts and crafts, Easter eggs of all colors and the Easter bunny of course.
Frank Rodriguez, president of Latino Nation, said the goal was to bring the community together.
"We have been all locked up due to COVID and so the idea was to bring back the community and make sure that we are all in safe place to have fun and enjoy the day," Rodriguez said.
The event also included a raffle, which raised money for the student group's end for the year trip to Chicago.
Latino Nation Student Group | 2022-04-10T00:12:40Z | www.wkow.com | Easter Egg Hunt brings Verona community together | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/easter-egg-hunt-brings-verona-community-together/article_8522d8dc-b851-11ec-92fb-034584da4fa4.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/easter-egg-hunt-brings-verona-community-together/article_8522d8dc-b851-11ec-92fb-034584da4fa4.html |
MADISON (WKOW) -- Following Tuesday's spring election, both the state Republican and Democratic parties touted individual results. While the parties each put a positive spin on particular outcomes, strategists acknowledge they're not necessarily predictive seven months away from mid-term elections in this battleground state.
Republicans celebrated Maria Lazar ousting Lori Kornblum from her seat on the state Court of Appeals in southeastern Wisconsin. Kornblum was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers. Republicans also pointed to conservatives winning the county executive seats in Kenosha and Portage counties -- places that have often voted Democrat.
The Democratic Party championed Milwaukee Mayor Cavailier Johnson capturing nearly 72 percent of the vote in winning a complete term. Johnson outpaced his predecessor, Tom Barrett, by about two percentage points when Barrett won in 2016. In those races, Johnson and Barrett beat former Alderman Bob Donovan who had the backing of conservatives.
Republicans touted a number of conservative wins in school board races in suburban Milwaukee while Democrats looked elsewhere as conservative newcomers were thwarted in Eau Claire and Rock County.
Democratic Strategist Sachin Chheda, who oversaw Johnson's mayoral campaign, said he was most encouraged by the defeat of Scarlett Johnson in the Mequon-Thiensville School District.
Johnson is a close ally of GOP gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch and had already lost in her bid to recall members of the school board. She finished last in Tuesday's four-candidate race for two seats.
"A bipartisan coalition of pro-public education who were gonna set the nonsense aside won in that very red part of Ozaukee County," Chheda said.
McCoshen pointed to the county executive wins, as well as conservatives flipping the county board compositions in Door, Kenosha, Marathon, and Rock counties among others.
Still, he noted the party's continued poor performance in Dane and Milwaukee counties will pose serious challenges in statewide races for governor and U.S. Senate.
"For us to win in the fall, we have to fix that," McCoshen said. "In the last election, Republicans lost those two counties alone be 362,000 votes. That's a lot to make up in the other 70 counties."
McCoshen said it was up to grassroots organizations, particularly county chapters, to improve efforts on the ground and make up ground in the state's most populous counties.
Those county-level groups have instead focused much of their ire on Speaker Robin Vos for not trying to decertify the 2020 election, a move legal experts and the legislature's lawyers say would be impossible.
McCoshen said he did not expect that to be much of an issue after the August primary election.
"I don't think decertification is gonna be a divisive issue this fall the way some do," McCoshen said. "I think once the primary's over, the Republican nominee for governor will focus on the big issues - the economy, inflation, education and crime."
Chheda said those issues are ones Democrats cannot ignore. He said the party needs to improve on-the-ground efforts in potential swing counties like Kenosha - and to do so, it must address issues that right now are giving Republicans an edge.
"At the end of the day, you have to respond to voters' concerns," Chheda said. "Right now, voters are focused on things like inflation and crime, access to health care, making sure that their wages keep up with the rising costs that are out there."
Spending on school board races
Spring elections typically come with relatively lower stakes and feature contests for nonpartisan offices like municipal boards and school boards. This year, school board races drew the attention of citizens typically unlikely to get involved with politics.
The contests across the state often revolved around issues like how race and LGBTQ lessons are taught in schools. In many cases, campaigns to oust sitting board members began over their votes to enact COVID-19 policies like universal masking or when to resume in-person learning.
Because those disagreements split along partisan lines, the school board races - and the money that went into them - often mirrored partisan political contests.
"A lot of people who didn't pay attention to school boards before are now very invested because there is so much happening in state news, in national news that is focusing on curriculum and things that are happening in the classroom," Rory Linnane, K-12 Reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, said.
Linnane noted her review of campaign finance records shows Republicans spent about $70,000 on school board races statewide while Democrats spent closer to $10,000. Teachers unions, a liberal bulwark, also spent heavily on candidates facing conservative challengers.
Republicans focused on the Milwaukee suburbs and had success there, gaining seats on a number of boards in traditionally red communities - especially in Waukesha County.
It was a mixed bag elsewhere as conservatives failed to pick up seats in places like Eau Claire and Rock County, including contests where Kleefisch endorsed a candidate.
"In the areas that are already the most conservative, that's where we saw the GOP-backed candidates getting the most success while in other areas, there were incumbents who really put up a fight," Linnane said. "In some cases, they had backing from the Democrats and in others cases, they didn't but they were able to stick it out."
In addition to funding from political parties and traditionally active outfits like unions, there was also the unfamiliar element of dark money in school board contests.
Linnane cited a corporation called Rock County First spending $11,000 to back conservative candidates. Such groups do not have to disclose their funders.
"They don't necessarily have to share exactly who donated to them and they're not necessarily giving directly to candidates but they're launching their own campaigns for or against candidates, so sometimes they're doing their own mailings or their own billboards," Linnane said.
Climate findings: more emissions, better solutions
The United Nations issued a sweeping report this week on the state of the climate. More than 80 lead authors from more than 30 different countries penned the report.
One of those lead authors is UW-Madison Energy Policy Professor Greg Nemet, who said while the key finding in the report is greenhouse gas emissions increased over the past decade, he's optimistic overall.
"The overall takeaway is that the climate problem is getting worse but the solutions are getting better," Nemet said. "And one of the areas that it's getting better are in clean energy technologies getting cheaper and getting adopted more broadly."
Nemet said the increased availability and affordability of alternative fuel sources like wind, solar, and electric energy help drive emission decreases in more than 20 countries, including the U.S.
"These countries are not ones that are now poor because of what they've done; they have high levels of well-being and economic growth and so learning what they've done has been helpful," Nemet said. "We've got examples from renewable energy, of policies that have been put in place to guarantee prices for new renewable energy projects."
Nemet said finalizing the report was a somewhat arduous process because the final summary required line-by-line approval from each of the member nations.
Some countries wanted the report to take a stronger tone about the urgency needed to avoid irreparable climate damage. Others sought more cautious approaches that wouldn't risk economic turbulence.
"In some places, we were careful and in some places, we had to say 'no, that's actually what the science says.' We do have to reduce fossil fuels, clean energy is getting cheaper," Nemet said.
Nemet said the beauty of clean energy sources becoming cheaper and more accessible is the ability to convince leaders in the public and private sectors they don't need to sacrifice economic growth in order to protect the planet and reach the necessary target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
"That's been the reason why for 30 years of dealing with climate change, we're still increasing emissions - because that trade-off was so intense between economic growth and addressing the climate problem," Nemet said. "What this report shows, though, is that that trade-off is not quite as stark as it used to be because we've got these policies that work and we've got these technologies that are affordable now and we can scale them up."
Cavailier Johnson
Sachin Chheda | 2022-04-10T16:59:44Z | www.wkow.com | Capital City Sunday: Cutting through spring election spin, UW professor optimistic over climate report | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/capital-city-sunday-cutting-through-spring-election-spin-uw-professor-optimistic-over-climate-report/article_bd97bf94-b79c-11ec-9bfa-3f4a5f6b993c.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/capital-city-sunday-cutting-through-spring-election-spin-uw-professor-optimistic-over-climate-report/article_bd97bf94-b79c-11ec-9bfa-3f4a5f6b993c.html |
MPD invites community to participate in strategic plan meetings
MADISON (WKOW) -- The Madison Police Department is continuing its effort to include the community in its next strategic plan.
This week, MPD officials are inviting people to join in on a virtual conversation to talk about things like community trust, the role of police, community policing, crime and safety, and police staffing.
The feedback will be used to create the department's strategic plan for the next five to seven years.
Below are the districts taking part this week:
West District: April 11, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Midtown District: April 12, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
South District: April 13, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
If you want to attend, you have to register ahead of time. Click HERE to do so.
Police seek hate-crime enhancer following threats to officer
Getting Answers: Protecting your eyes during increased screen time
Wisconsin Safety Council shares ways to stay protected during record-cold weather
Police arrest man suspected of shooting two police officers in Waukesha County
Drug companies recalling medications due to packaging problem | 2022-04-11T14:12:39Z | www.wkow.com | MPD invites community to participate in strategic plan meetings | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/mpd-invites-community-to-participate-in-strategic-plan-meetings/article_0d063ba0-b97d-11ec-9b52-03237ebbfefa.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/mpd-invites-community-to-participate-in-strategic-plan-meetings/article_0d063ba0-b97d-11ec-9b52-03237ebbfefa.html |
Warm and dry Monday ahead of possible severe storms midweek
MADISON (WKOW) - Temperatures continue to climb, but rain returns, and so does the possibility of severe weather.
A sun-cloud mix in the low 60s today with mid 30s on the way tonight. Clouds increase through Tuesday in the low to mid 60s with scattered showers and storms developing in the afternoon or evening. As they move in, they could be strong to severe with a risk for high winds, hail and even a couple of tornadoes.
More showers and storms Tuesday night with another risk for severe storms Wednesday afternoon or evening as the main cold front arrives. Ahead of the front, we stay warm in the upper 60s with a much colder trend the rest of the week with highs in the 40s through Easter Sunday. | 2022-04-11T14:12:42Z | www.wkow.com | Warm and dry Monday ahead of possible severe storms midweek | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/warm-and-dry-monday-ahead-of-possible-severe-storms-midweek/article_396adb4e-b985-11ec-b24c-bfcf5056bde2.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/warm-and-dry-monday-ahead-of-possible-severe-storms-midweek/article_396adb4e-b985-11ec-b24c-bfcf5056bde2.html |
Mariupol theater in Ukraine building after being bombed by Russia, Photo Date: 3/17/2022
Courtesy of Telegram / CNN
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol says that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city and that the full death toll could surpass twice that number.
Speaking by phone Monday to The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko said corpses "carpeted" the streets of the city. | 2022-04-11T18:34:36Z | www.wkow.com | Mariupol mayor says siege has killed more than 10K civilians | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/mariupol-mayor-says-siege-has-killed-more-than-10k-civilians/article_e832e222-b9bf-11ec-9f45-ff3722f6190a.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/mariupol-mayor-says-siege-has-killed-more-than-10k-civilians/article_e832e222-b9bf-11ec-9f45-ff3722f6190a.html |
Colonel Heg statue to be rededicated in May
MADISON (WKOW) — The Col. Heg Statue Rededication Committee is holding a ceremony to rededicate the statue over Memorial Day weekend.
According to a news release from committee chair Fred Campbell, Heg was the highest-ranking Wisconsinite to lose his life during the Civil War. He was born in Norway, then organized and served in the 15th Wisconsin Infantry division. He took fatal wound at the Battle of Chickamunga in Georgia on September 19, 1863 and died the following day.
Norwegian citizens brought the statue of Heg to the people of Wisconsin in 1926, and he has stood watch over Capitol Square ever since.
“The people who paid for this monument were celebrating the fact that Col. Heg was a Norwegian immigrant, fervent abolitionist, and organizer of the 15th Wisconsin. They called it a debt of gratitude," Campbell said in the release.
The event will be held at 1 p.m. May 29 in front of the Capitol building, via the King Street walkway. Madison Veterans Council President Alan G Hembel will serve as master of ceremonies, and Wisconsin Veterans Museum director Christopher Kolakowski will deliver the keynote address.
Several of Col. Heg's descendants will attend the ceremony, bringing them in from all across the United States. The Edvard Grieg Chorus of Dane County will also be on hand, performing English and Norwegian choral selections.
The rededication comes after after the statue came down and a man faces charges for stealing its head during the Black Lives Matter protests of summer 2020. Surveillance video shows Rodney Clendening, 34, of Beloit taking Heg's head and stowing it in his car trunk.
Clendening's trial for felony theft is still ongoing.
Alan G Hembel
Christopher Kolakowski
Fred Campbell
Rodney Clendening
Col.
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'The whole world right now needs to unite': Rallies are being held across the US in support of Ukraine | 2022-04-11T18:34:42Z | www.wkow.com | Colonel Heg statue to be rededicated in May | State news | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/state/colonel-heg-statue-to-be-rededicated-in-may/article_f9ac6d0e-b9ae-11ec-aefd-2fd6e1d34b49.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/state/colonel-heg-statue-to-be-rededicated-in-may/article_f9ac6d0e-b9ae-11ec-aefd-2fd6e1d34b49.html |
Dane County announces food equity grants for local organizations
MADISON (WKOW) — Dane County is dividing $20,000 in food equity grants among 10 area agencies working to address issues surrounding nutrition in the community.
According to a news release from Dane County spokesperson Ariana Vruwink, the Tamara D. Grigsby Office of Equity and Inclusion's Partners in Equity (PIE) Food Grant program was first built to develop projects address food issues in Dane County. Grant recipients will work to address problems like healthy food access, access to land for growing food and food waste.
“We thank this year’s grant recipients for developing innovative food programs that strive to achieve greater equity in our community. By supporting these efforts, we increase opportunity and lift our community up," Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said in the release.
2022 PIE Grant recipients include:
Cambridge Farm to School built two composting stations at Cambridge Elementary School in 2017 to help redress food waste. This grant will go to three new 160-gallon compost bins for staff and students to use, offering more access.
The funds will go toward buying fruit trees and supplies for maintaining them, including trellises and a watering system. Fruit and vegetables grown their will be donated to the foundation's food pantry, and students will also get to eat the fresh produce during class.
The Cambridge School District plans to build out on its existing raised bed vegetable garden, with the district looking to expand it from 12 beds as of now to 36. Students care for the beds throughout the growing season, and all of the produce is either eaten by students or donated to the Cambridge Food Pantry.
Youth Empowerment Initiatives (YEI), a non-profit that "promotes equity for individuals through agriculture, fiscal education, empowerment, and cultural upliftment," per Vruwink, will provide more fresh produce to Dane County representatives. The farm YEI operates on serves as an outdoor classroom for community members interested in learning about urban agriculture, specifically growing Scotch Bonnet peppers and West African garden eggs.
Mission Nutrition - DeForest will use its grant to build a new digital registration system, offering more translation services and more choices for people who need reading assistance. The new system will leave Mission Nutrition volunteers more time for other tasks, and it will allow the foundation to provide better service to communities.
The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County plans to implement a Culinary Education Pilot Program at its Taft Street location in downtown Madison, aimed at low-income kids who go to that location. The club will work with The Plate Initiative, which aims to educate kids on food access and curbing food waste, to build career paths in the food industry.
River Food Pantry currently operates its Munch mobile lunch program Monday through Saturday, mostly on the north and east sides of Madison. With this funding, Munch will be able to work in underserved communities on the south side, starting with the Burr Oaks neighborhood. The service primarily provides meals for kids, but some neighborhood partners report that other community members are in need as well.
The full acre of garden space, located in the McFarland-Stoughton area, serves at-risk teens by giving them a place for productive community service. Working with Dane County Human Services, Restorative Garden helps these teens build gardening skills and provides them with fresh produce to bring home for them and their families.
Groundswell Conservancy offers gardening access to older members of the Hmong community with PTSD, dementia or depression. According to Vruwink, many of them have practiced gardening since they were children, and these skills persevere through memory loss and dementia. The garden also provides an outdoor space to work against social isolation, which has been a concern for this community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Connecting the Dots works to provide resources for people experiencing homelessness, including meals, clothing, healthcare and stable housing. Primarily, the organization aims to get daily meals to the people who need them most where they have taken up refuge, including under State Hwy 30 on the south side, on State Street and at various traffic intersections throughout the city.
Ariana Vruwink | 2022-04-11T18:34:54Z | www.wkow.com | Dane County announces food equity grants for local organizations | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/dane-county-announces-food-equity-grants-for-local-organizations/article_07bc320a-b9a8-11ec-942a-7f3f0eb984ed.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/dane-county-announces-food-equity-grants-for-local-organizations/article_07bc320a-b9a8-11ec-942a-7f3f0eb984ed.html |
Area soccer coach charged, accused of sending sexually inappropriate messages to minor
MADISON (WKOW) — An area soccer coach is being charged with exposing a child to harmful descriptions after authorities found inappropriate texts sent to a teenager.
Jamie Lieberman, 34, appeared in Dane County Circuit court on Monday. Lieberman is the coach of the East Madison Futsal team. He entered a not guilty plea, and a court commissioner set a $500 bond.
According to a criminal complaint, Lieberman first made contact with his victim in January through her friend at a soccer tournament in Minnesota. The victim is a minor and plays soccer on an area team. Originally, he exchanged text messages with his victim about the sport.
The victim stated the messages "began to change" to questions about her day, how she was feeling and school. He asked in March to message her on Snapchat.
On April 4, the criminal complaint alleges the "Snapchat messages got bad." The victim provided police 45 images of different inappropriate messages Lieberman sent.
The complaint states the victim was "very disturbed by the messages" and was afraid he would show up at her soccer games.
When police contacted Lieberman on April 7, he admitted to sending the inappropriate messages and said he knew that the victim was a minor.
Lieberman appears in court next at the end of the month. | 2022-04-11T22:25:31Z | www.wkow.com | Area soccer coach charged, accused of sending sexually inappropriate messages to minor | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/area-soccer-coach-charged-accused-of-sending-sexually-inappropriate-messages-to-minor/article_0aaa1c10-b9c7-11ec-8703-fb4cac39e85e.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/area-soccer-coach-charged-accused-of-sending-sexually-inappropriate-messages-to-minor/article_0aaa1c10-b9c7-11ec-8703-fb4cac39e85e.html |
Second Madison homicide suspect also given $1 million cash bond
MADISON (WKOW) — One of the suspects in Madison's first homicide in 2022 has appeared in court for the first time.
Amond Galtney, 25, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime and operating a vehicle to elude an officer on April 7.
He was briefly hospitalized last week and appeared in Dane County Circuit Court on Monday.
During the initial appearance, a court commissioner set Galtney's bond at $1 million.
The other suspect, Demone Cummins, appeared in court on April 5. He also got a $1 million cash bail.
Both men are accused of playing a role in the shooting death of Dwayne Lee Collins as he was leaving the Dane County Jail on March 30.
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Commission gives final approval on absentee ballot application mailing | 2022-04-11T22:25:37Z | www.wkow.com | Second Madison homicide suspect also given $1 million cash bond | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/second-madison-homicide-suspect-also-given-1-million-cash-bond/article_1abe698e-b9d2-11ec-9d56-5bbb58d93fff.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/second-madison-homicide-suspect-also-given-1-million-cash-bond/article_1abe698e-b9d2-11ec-9d56-5bbb58d93fff.html |
Brewers honoring Burnes, Hader at April 15 home game
MILWAUKEE (WKOW) -- The Milwaukee Brewers will recognize 2021 NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes and 2021 NL Reliever of the Year Josh Hader at their second home game Friday.
According to a news release from Brewers spokesperson Andrew Gruman, pitching coach Chris Hook will deliver Burnes the Cy Young Award. Manager Craig Counsell will give Hader his award. Both awards are being recognized following the pregame national anthem at 7 p.m. Past Brewers award winners will send recorded messages that will play during the ceremony.
Burnes is the third Brewer to ever take home a Cy Young award, the first since Pete Vukovich in 1982. Brewers legend Rollie Fingers also brought home pitching's top prize in 1981. Burnes recorded the best ERA among all starting pitchers in 2021 with a 2.43 mark, allowing just 0.94 walks and hits per inning and 0.4 home runs per nine innings.
Burnes' lethal cut fastball has quickly become one of the best pitches in baseball, guiding him to a Cy Young just two seasons after finishing the year with an ERA of 8.82. He's one of the only pitchers on the Brewers' staff without a four-seam fastball, in sharp contrast to fellow awardee Hader.
Since coming up to the big leagues full-time in 2018, Josh Hader has ridden his devastating four-seamer to three NL Reliever of the Year awards, losing out on a fourth to teammate Devin Williams and his one-in-a-million changeup in 2020.
After taking the league by storm with his fastball on Milwaukee's 2018 division champion squad, Hader has worked to improve his slider to be just as unhittable, and now he can incorporate in a changeup as well. In 2021, Hader notched 102 strikeouts in just 58.2 innings, recording a mind-boggling 1.23 ERA while surrendering all of eight earned runs.
He is the first pitcher to ever win Reliever of the Year three times. | 2022-04-11T22:25:44Z | www.wkow.com | Brewers honoring Burnes, Hader at April 15 home game | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/brewers-honoring-burnes-hader-at-april-15-home-game/article_c7efc6f8-b9c2-11ec-a0fd-a30b2021ca21.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/brewers-honoring-burnes-hader-at-april-15-home-game/article_c7efc6f8-b9c2-11ec-a0fd-a30b2021ca21.html |
MADISON (WKOW) - Milder temperatures continue past Monday, but quiet and dry conditions do not.
Monday continues to be a mild, calm day into the evening and overnight time frame. Temperatures will continue within the 60s over the next couple of days, even warmer than Monday. Highs ranging from the mid-to-upper 60s through mid-week.
Tuesday morning begins with increasing clouds. Another breezy day, with increasing winds from the SE gusting up to 30 mph potentially, bringing in the warm air. Scattered showers and storms will begin developing in the afternoon, increasing into the evening and overnight. Strong to severe storms are possible, with the time frame of overnight Tuesday into Wednesday near midnight being the best chance. Areas west and or southwest of Madison have a higher chance of seeing severe storms. This region has been placed under a 'slight' (level 2 out of 5) risk with the rest of southern WI under a 'marginal' (1 out of 5) risk. All modes of severe weather are possible, including tornadoes.
Wednesday brings another severe weather risk day, with the entire region placed under a 'slight' (level 2 of 5) risk. Scattered strong to severe storm chances are increasing, with the time frame being likely during the afternoon into the evening. Once again, all modes of severe weather are possible. Although, strong potentially damaging winds and tornadoes look to be a bit more possible than hail and flood risks.
Overnight Wednesday into Thursday, after the cold front pulls through, comes a decent drop in temperatures with a chance for a mix into Thursday morning. Highs are expected to drop to the mid-40s.
Highs in the mid-to-upper 40s will likely stick around through the weekend. Friday brings a chance of a mix/rain showers at night, although mostly dry weather which is the case for Saturday. Easter Sunday brings a chance for light rain/snow mix possible for the second half of the day.
This week is a week where you'll want to stay up-to-date on the forecast, due to the chance of strong to severe storms.
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Showers return tomorrow, but not for everyone | 2022-04-11T22:26:02Z | www.wkow.com | Shower and storm chances increase, strong to severe potential | Weather | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/weather/shower-and-storm-chances-increase-strong-to-severe-potential/article_d716ad56-b9d4-11ec-8406-2bc3cb70a463.html | https://www.wkow.com/weather/shower-and-storm-chances-increase-strong-to-severe-potential/article_d716ad56-b9d4-11ec-8406-2bc3cb70a463.html |
Courtesy of PHMDC
'Get Yourself Tested' campaign encourages testing for STIs
MADISON (WKOW) — Phrases like "get yourself tested" were used throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but Public Health Madison and Dane County says there's another meaning behind it.
According to a press release from PHMDC, Get Yourself Tested (GYT) is a national campaign to remind people to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.
Locally, PHMDC reports STI testing dropped significantly. In 2020, the organization conducted 706 STI tests. In 2019, PHMDC conducted 1,952 tests.
“This campaign couldn’t come at a more important time, after regular health checkups and screenings have unfortunately taken a backseat during the pandemic for many people, including getting tested for STIs,” said Madeleine Armstrong, Public Health nurse.
STIs are more likely to impact young people, with a 2018 report from the Center for Disease Control stating almost half of new infections were among those aged 15-24. Left untreated, STIs can cause serious health problems.
PHMDC offers a sexual health clinic that provides STI testing, among other services for people of all ages, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.
“We know that many teens don’t feel comfortable talking to their primary healthcare providers about sex during annual health visits. Our clinic offers a judgment free and confidential space to get some of those sexual and reproductive health questions answered,” said Armstrong.
People can make an appointment at the clinic by calling (608) 243-0411 or find more information online at publichealthmdc.com/sexualhealth.
Other local testing options include Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin or University Health Services Sexual Health Clinic.
Madeleine Armstrong | 2022-04-12T20:52:48Z | www.wkow.com | 'Get Yourself Tested' campaign encourages testing for STIs | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/get-yourself-tested-campaign-encourages-testing-for-stis/article_6859ae6e-ba73-11ec-8427-970aa742df7e.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/get-yourself-tested-campaign-encourages-testing-for-stis/article_6859ae6e-ba73-11ec-8427-970aa742df7e.html |
Dane County Jail implements new program to help inmates fighting addiction
MADISON (WKOW) — Inmates fighting opioid addiction have a new resource at the Dane County Jail.
The Dane County Sheriff's Office is implementing a program called the Medical Assistance Treatment (MAT) program.
It will be a continuation of care for anyone entering the jail who was already on a MAT program in the community.
"Unfortunately, prior to April 1, we were unable to continue this level of MAT treatments in the Dane County Jail," said Sheriff Kalvin Barrett. "This resulted in an interruption of their recovery during incarceration."
Barrett said now that they're able to offer the program within the jail walls, they can work to reduce recidivism, or the chances of someone re-offending after release.
"When we reduce recidivism, we reduce the jail population," he said. "By reducing the jail population, we decrease the crime rates. By decreasing the current crime rates, we increase public safety, and we reduce criminal justice budgets."
The in-house nursing staff will administer Subutex in a controlled environment. Subutex is a prescription medication used to treat opioid addiction.
As the program progresses, jail administrators and our medical staff will look toward expanding the program beyond continuation of care.
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Dane County Farmers’ Market postponed until further notice | 2022-04-12T23:29:23Z | www.wkow.com | Dane County Jail implements new program to help inmates fighting addiction | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/dane-county-jail-implements-new-program-to-help-inmates-fighting-addiction/article_0c719678-baa7-11ec-aa24-7f46c340181a.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/dane-county-jail-implements-new-program-to-help-inmates-fighting-addiction/article_0c719678-baa7-11ec-aa24-7f46c340181a.html |
Badgers add McGee from Green Bay
MADISON (WKOW) -- The Badgers have made their first transfer addition of the offseason. The team landed a commitment from former Green Bay guard Kamari McGee.
McGee averaged 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in his only season with the Phoenix. The 6'0" point guard joined Green Bay after a standout high school career at Racine St. Catherine's.
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Justices to weigh if trafficking defense applies to homicide | 2022-04-12T23:29:54Z | www.wkow.com | Badgers add McGee from Green Bay | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/badgers-add-mcgee-from-green-bay/article_f609f722-ba9c-11ec-8376-87b204833fc7.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/badgers-add-mcgee-from-green-bay/article_f609f722-ba9c-11ec-8376-87b204833fc7.html |
UPDATE: Two people in custody following Beltline shooting investigation in Monona
UPDATE (WKOW) -- Two people are in custody following a shooting investigation Tuesday afternoon near the Beltline in Monona.
A spokesperson for Monona police also confirmed the public is no longer in any danger.
All lanes of the Beltline were reopened shortly after 5 p.m.
MADISON (WKOW) — The two right lanes of the eastbound beltline near Monona drive are closed for a shots fired investigation, according to Dane County Dispatch.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation first sent a notice that the lanes were closing at 4:10 p.m. The lanes are expected to stay closed for at least two hours.
Monona Police, Madison Police and the Dane County's Sheriff's Office are all responding to the scene.
This is a developing story that will be updated as 27 News learns more. | 2022-04-12T23:30:06Z | www.wkow.com | UPDATE: Two people in custody following Beltline shooting investigation in Monona | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/update-two-people-in-custody-following-beltline-shooting-investigation-in-monona/article_fe9e7cd4-baa9-11ec-8fb0-f3c312646cd4.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/update-two-people-in-custody-following-beltline-shooting-investigation-in-monona/article_fe9e7cd4-baa9-11ec-8fb0-f3c312646cd4.html |
Edgewood's Zwettler announces retirement
MADISON (WKOW) -- Longtime Madison Edgewood coach and athletic director Chris Zwettler has announced he will be retiring at the end of the school year.
Zwettler has worked for Edgewood High School for 33 years. He has served as a teacher, boys varsity basketball coach and athletic director.
As a coach, Zwettler lead the Crusaders to the 2002 WIAA boys basketball state championship. As an athletic director, he oversaw an Edgewood athletic department that has been state champion or runner-up more than 50 times in 15 different sports since joining the WIAA in 1999.
Edgewood principal Jerry Zander announced he will lead a search for Edgewood's next athletic director. The new athletic director will lead the search for a boys basketball coach.
Jerry Zander
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Antetokounmpo matches career high with 44, Bucks beat Cavs | 2022-04-12T23:30:12Z | www.wkow.com | Edgewood's Zwettler announces retirement | Sports | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/sports/edgewoods-zwettler-announces-retirement/article_b1e7ad16-baa9-11ec-963f-fbe1726fa4d8.html | https://www.wkow.com/sports/edgewoods-zwettler-announces-retirement/article_b1e7ad16-baa9-11ec-963f-fbe1726fa4d8.html |
GOP candidate for A.G. wants Evers to remove 5 WEC commissioners; the governor doesn't have that power
MADISON (WKOW) -- One of the leading GOP candidates seeking to become Wisconsin's top prosecutor asserted Tuesday Gov. Tony Evers should remove five state elections commissioners, including some who were appointed by lawmakers. The legislature's lawyers said the governor doesn't have the authority to make such a change.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney held a press conference at the State Capitol to announce he'd delivered a complaint to Evers calling on the Democratic governor to remove five of the six commissioners on the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Toney, who's running as a Republican for attorney general, said he believed the five commissioners committed the crime of misconduct in office when they issued guidance in 2020 waiving the requirement special voting deputies visit nursing homes and instead had absentee ballots automatically delivered.
Toney cited the findings in a report delivered last fall by the Racine County Sheriff's Office, which alleged commissioners issued illegal guidance which allowed nursing home staff to allegedly cast ballots on behalf of residents who didn't understand what was happening.
"It is important we make sure the public has confidence in the Wisconsin Elections Commission," Toney said. "And I don't see that happens when we see five of these board members that have repeatedly violated Wisconsin law."
Under the commission's setup, which was created by Republicans in 2015, the governor appoints two of the commissioners - one from each major party. From there, the four legislative leaders - Assembly speaker, Senate majority leader, Assembly minority leader, and Senate minority leader - each appoint a commissioner.
Toney claimed Evers could remove not only his own appointees but also lawmakers' chosen commissioners.
"It has to start with the governor and if the legislature is in recess, the governor can remove those other board members as well," Toney said.
Peggy Hurley, a senior staff attorney for the nonpartisan Wisconsin Legislative Council, said the governor does not have the authority to remove other commissioners because they're appointed by legislative leaders, who act as officers, and not the legislature itself.
"In my opinion, the removal provisions of s. 17.07 (2), Stats., do not apply because these members are not appointed by 'the legislature,'" Hurley wrote in an email Tuesday. "Rather, the removal provisions of s. 17.07 (6) Stats., apply, because these members are appointed by an 'officer … having the authority to make appointments to that office.'"
Even if the commissioners were under the purview of the legislature, Hurley said Evers could not remove them because the legislature has not declared a recess, which is the only time a governor can remove lawmakers' appointees.
The legislature is out of session for the rest of the year but legislators could still come back and hold an extraordinary session.
Evers' communications director, Britt Cudaback, laid out a similar understanding of the law when asked about Toney's complaint. Cudaback confirmed the governor's office received the complaint and referred to Evers' comments at a November 2 press conference.
"It's my understanding [the elections commission] broke no laws, that they were just doing what they can do to make sure A) people can vote, and two, people can be safe," Evers said at the time.
Toney did not rule out the possibility of eventually prosecuting commissioners himself although that would require commissioners to essentially refer charges against themselves to prosecutors.
Toney said the commission could refer complaints to prosecutors in the home counties of commissioners; if those district attorneys declined to pursue charges, prosecutors in an "adjoining" county could take up the case. Fond du Lac County borders Green Lake and Sheboygan counties, the homes of Marge Bostelmann and Julie M. Glancey, respectively.
Toney declined to say whether he'd actually file charges should the exceedingly unlikely scenario play out. The commission's chair, Ann Jacobs, called the suggestion "silly" and defended the commission's 2020 nursing home guidance.
"I think Mr. Toney is doing a lot of stretching and it appears to be largely in a political pursuit," Jacobs said.
Toney under scrutiny over 2019 firefighter death
Toney held the press conference amid criticism over his office's handling of a 2019 case in which a defendant out on $500 bail was involved in a shootout that killed an Appleton firefighter.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported Ruben Houston had his bail lowered from $5,000 to $500 by a judge who, along with prosecutors, was unaware of Houston's lengthy criminal record under the last name 'Huston.'
Toney said Tuesday his office didn't know about the name change because the state's court records database didn't link the crimes Houston, who was killed by Appleton police in the shootout, had committed under the name 'Huston.'
"The information we had did not include a name change. There was no information in our report that showed that," Toney said. "We didn't learn of the name change until last week."
The Appleton Post Crescent reported on Houston's old name and criminal history less than one week after the shooting.
Toney said the case should spur legislative action that ensures criminal pasts are connected to someone's new identity after a name change.
Former lawmaker Adam Jarchow is Toney's main challenger in the GOP primary for attorney general. In a statement Tuesday, he accused Toney of playing politics with the complaint and implied Toney wasn't making public safety enough of a priority.
“While Eric Toney is out doing political stunts and even initiating election prosecutions that he failed to pursue until becoming a candidate, my focus is on restoring order and keeping our citizens safe in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and other places across the state where violence is out of control," Jarchow said in a statement.
Peggy Hurley | 2022-04-13T01:48:52Z | www.wkow.com | GOP candidate for A.G. wants Evers to remove 5 WEC commissioners; the governor doesn't have that power | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/gop-candidate-for-a-g-wants-evers-to-remove-5-wec-commissioners-the-governor-doesnt/article_e79c1bb4-bab2-11ec-ad72-c3e06516fa40.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/gop-candidate-for-a-g-wants-evers-to-remove-5-wec-commissioners-the-governor-doesnt/article_e79c1bb4-bab2-11ec-ad72-c3e06516fa40.html |
'I truly believe...she may have saved other girls': Victim's mother speaks out on criminally charged Dane County soccer coach
DANE COUNTY (WKOW) -- The mother of the victim of a child sex crime that authorities say was carried out by a Dane County soccer coach tells 27 News she and her teen daughter are coping with a betrayal of trust.
27 News is not identifying the mother to protect the identity of the child sex crime victim.
The girl's mother says it took courage for the teenager to notify school and police officials of what the soccer player said was sexting by 34-year-old Jamie Lieberman.
"I'm so proud of her for doing what she did," the teenager's mother says.
Lieberman was charged Monday with felony exposing a child to harmful material. A criminal complaint states Lieberman recently sent Snapchat messages to the player that were sexually explicit.
A criminal complaint states the girl did not respond to this final message from Lieberman: "What do you want me to do to you baby?"
The teen's mother tells 27 News her daughter's decision to go to authorities about her coach carries with it emotional trauma.
"She felt very alone for the first few days," her mother says. "But more and more people have come forward and told her how...strong she is and that is really helping her to get through."
The girl's mother says Lieberman recruited her daughter to play under him. She says she checked Lieberman's credentials and spoke with him.
"We met with him over Zoom," the mother tells 27 News. "He had other experiences as a coach and with other clubs," she says. "It seemed like a great opportunity for her."
When authorities say Lieberman's messaging with his player over social media turned sexual, the victim made sure to document what was happening.
"She had the wherewithal to take photographs of the messages before they disappear because she knew they were wrong," her mother says.
Court documents say Lieberman told a detective he knew his messages were wrong and a mistake, and also knew the player was a minor. Lieberman declined comment to 27 News Monday when a reporter approached him after his release from the Dane County Jail on a signature bond.
The victim's mother now believes Lieberman's resume of coaching changes were for reasons other than advancement. She also believes her daughter is not alone in being targeted. "I 100% believe there are other victims out there."
A lieutenant of the investigating police agency says detectives continue to collect information, but says he cannot comment on the continuing court case or any other aspect of the police work.
One of Lieberman's previous positions was as an assistant soccer coach at UW-Whitewater. The school's sports information director and communications director have yet to respond to 27 News on the nature of Lieberman's departure from that position.
The victim's mother says she spoke to more than a dozen of her daughter's teenage contemporaries after Lieberman's arrest.
"My advice to them was, "Trust your gut,' " she says. "If something doesn't feel right or it makes you feel a little uncomfortable...tell an adult," the mother says.
This mom says her daughter will emerge from the emotional pain of this experience.
"And I truly believe in my heart that she may have saved other girls from Mr. Lieberman." | 2022-04-13T01:48:58Z | www.wkow.com | 'I truly believe...she may have saved other girls': Victim's mother speaks out on criminally charged Dane County soccer coach | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/i-truly-believe-she-may-have-saved-other-girls-victims-mother-speaks-out-on-criminally/article_ed6e57de-babf-11ec-83cd-dbb19df441da.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/i-truly-believe-she-may-have-saved-other-girls-victims-mother-speaks-out-on-criminally/article_ed6e57de-babf-11ec-83cd-dbb19df441da.html |
Wausau woman warns of scam on Venmo
MADISON (WKOW) -- If you're splitting a lunch bill with friends or repaying family, Venmo can be a life saver. But, like other digital payment platforms, it can also be home to people trying to scam others out of money.
For Breanna Saunders, a resident of Wausau, a scam on Venmo impacted not only her, but also her best friend.
“Venmo is really convenient because you can send money instantly, but now, I'm kind of questioning if it's the right decision,” Saunders said.
Saunders said it all happened about a week ago when someone impersonating her on Venmo requested $300 from her best friend.
The request said: "At the store. I left my wallet at home. I'll send it back as soon as I get home. Please & Thank you? Appreciate it."
Without thinking twice, Saunders said her best friend sent the money.
“For Heather, it was just: 'Oh, my friend needs help,' you know? She didn't ask questions. That's a true friend right there,” Saunders said.
After exchanging texts, the friends soon realized that Saunders was not the one who sent the request, and therefore, didn't get the money.
“Looking at the Venmo name, it was the same picture, same username, but basically, the only difference was there was a dash between my first and last name when my real one had an underscore between my first and last name,” Saunders said.
Soon after, Saunders started seeing more friends post online about the same thing happening to them.
“The exact same message, the exact same cry for help and the exact same amount of money,” Saunders said.
To prevent yourself from falling victim to scams like this, Tiffany Bernhardt, Southwest Wisconsin Regional Director of the Better Business Bureau, recommends making your Venmo profile private.
“When you have the public feed turned on, anybody can see your transaction and it's super easy for a scammer to develop a profile with a letter or a number that's off,” Bernhardt said.
Bernhardt said another step people can take to protect themselves is linking a credit card, rather than a debit card to their Venmo account.
“It's going to cost you a little bit more money--Venmo charges a 3% fee if you go ahead and use a credit card, but it's going to give you additional protections that other forms of payment may not,” Bernhardt said.
Venmo also shared tips for avoiding scams. Those include:
Looking at the profile of the person requesting money to confirm they are legit
Reaching out to the person directly to confirm they made the request
Utilizing Venmo codes in person to pay people directly
If you do fall victim to a scam on Venmo, you can report it to Venmo by emailing spoof@paypal.com or calling 1-(855)-812-4430.
The Better Business Bureau also takes reports of scams. You can make a report on their website.
“Your report is going to help warn others of the scams that are taking place in the marketplace,” Bernhardt said.
Breanna Saunders
Tiffany Bernhardt | 2022-04-13T01:49:04Z | www.wkow.com | Wausau woman warns of scam on Venmo | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/wausau-woman-warns-of-scam-on-venmo/article_ca7dcba6-bab0-11ec-8e64-a7b6de95abc2.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/wausau-woman-warns-of-scam-on-venmo/article_ca7dcba6-bab0-11ec-8e64-a7b6de95abc2.html |
Eye drops could replace reading glasses
MADISON (WKOW) -- Many of us need a little help reading things once we reach a certain age.
But if you're ready to ditch the reading glasses, you might have another option.
The FDA recently approved eye drops to help treat presbyopia, age-related farsightedness.
Dr. Tim Schwefel is an optometrist instructor at Madison College and the Chief of Eye Care at Group Health Cooperative.
He says presbyopia affects 128 million adults in the U.S.
The drops are recommended for patients 40 to 55, with a prescription.
"This drop actually was used for glaucoma for many many years and one of its side effects, is it caused the pupil to get very, very small, which increased people's depth of field. As new medications came along, it found the shelf," said Dr. Schwefel.
Now the drops have been reformulated.
He says they're used once a day and work within 15 minutes of putting them in. They last about six hours.
Tim Schwefel | 2022-04-13T06:01:31Z | www.wkow.com | Eye drops could replace reading glasses | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/eye-drops-could-replace-reading-glasses/article_c3481208-badb-11ec-aa92-3b2a65a017c7.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/eye-drops-could-replace-reading-glasses/article_c3481208-badb-11ec-aa92-3b2a65a017c7.html |
MILWAUKEE/NEW YORK (WKOW) -- Investigators have identified a man from Milwaukee as a person of interest in a subway shooting in New York City.
Authorities are looking for 62-year-old Frank James. Police in New York say James rented a U-Haul connected to the shooting. They also found one of his credit cards at the scene.
Our Milwaukee affiliate saw investigators outside James' home in Milwaukee Tuesday night.
Authorities in New York say a man in a gas mask opened smoke grenades on a subway train Tuesday morning and started shooting as the train pulled into a station.
Police say the suspect fired more than 30 shots. Nearly 30 people were taken to the hospital Ten people were shot. They are all expected to survive. Those who were not shot were hurt as they rushed to get out of the train station or they suffered from smoke inhalation. | 2022-04-13T06:01:37Z | www.wkow.com | Milwaukee man is person of interest in New York subway shooting | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/milwaukee-man-is-person-of-interest-in-new-york-subway-shooting/article_6caf1fbc-badc-11ec-8021-a72de8039984.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/milwaukee-man-is-person-of-interest-in-new-york-subway-shooting/article_6caf1fbc-badc-11ec-8021-a72de8039984.html |
No one hurt in Dane County barn fire
TOWN OF YORK (WKOW) -- No one was hurt when a barn fire broke out Tuesday afternoon in the town of York.
Captain Jerrod Fox with the Columbus Fire Department said his agency was called to the fire on Highway 89 around 1:30 p.m.
By the time the Columbus fire chief got there, the barn was fully engulfed in flames and live power lines were down in the driveway.
"Crews did a great job fighting this fire and working around the live lines, strong wind and long narrow driveway," Fox said in a news release.
Fox said the barn was empty. Two other buildings suffered damage. | 2022-04-13T06:01:43Z | www.wkow.com | No one hurt in Dane County barn fire | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/no-one-hurt-in-dane-county-barn-fire/article_700f909e-badf-11ec-a136-0f30d43b2f1b.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/no-one-hurt-in-dane-county-barn-fire/article_700f909e-badf-11ec-a136-0f30d43b2f1b.html |
Beloit Sky Carp ring in new era
BELOIT (WKOW) -- The Beloit Sky Carp made their home debut on Tuesday night to mark a new era for the organization. The Miami Marlins Single-A (High) affiliate rebranded over the offseason and will spend their first full season in the brand new downtown ballpark, ABC Supply Stadium.
There are many changes for the team this season, including new threads. The team's new president Zach Brockman joins the staff and comes in with 16 years of previous Minor League Baseball experience. He spent a lot of time out west but always wanted to return to his Midwest roots.
"Coming back to the Midwest has been a goal of mine for a while and being able to do it close to home, 90 minutes from home, [with the] best ownership group, we're going to go above and beyond and create those memorable kind of experiences for folks," Brockman said.
Additionally, Brockman wants to cater to everyone in the Beloit area, not just baseball fans.
"I want people to know that it's not just about baseball. I mean we're gonna have things going all year long. I really want to make this community living room."
The stadium turned their field into an ice rink over the winter and plans to host events such as movie nights, trivia parties and much more.
To prove how dedicated he is to providing the best experience, Brockman gave out his personal cell phone number in a video message that played on the jumbotron.
The Sky Carp opened their home series against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, falling 6-3.
Zach Brockman
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Everything you need to know about the NCAA national volleyball semifinals | 2022-04-13T06:01:49Z | www.wkow.com | Beloit Sky Carp ring in new era | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/beloit-sky-carp-ring-in-new-era/article_0c918bc6-bad0-11ec-adeb-679f371ef872.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/beloit-sky-carp-ring-in-new-era/article_0c918bc6-bad0-11ec-adeb-679f371ef872.html |
Final warm day with storm chances
MADISON (WKOW) - After missing most severe weather Tuesday, we have one more chance ahead of a colder, drier stretch of weather.
A cold front moving in from west to east will spark off a few more showers this morning with storms flaring up this afternoon. As the cold front sweeps through though, the chance for severe weather will be confined to areas east of Madison. Gusty winds and hail are the main concerns.
Otherwise, we'll be warm and breezy with highs in the mid 60s to low 70s before temps tumbling to the 50s by the evening drive due to the cold front setting the stage for much colder weather the rest of the forecast.
Highs will be in the 40s Thursday with wind chills in the 30s as winds howl with 10-25 mph winds, gusting up to 40 mph!
Suspected drunk driver crashes into front lawn of Madison home
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Entire Rock River under slow-no-wake restriction | 2022-04-13T13:30:29Z | www.wkow.com | Final warm day with storm chances | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/final-warm-day-with-storm-chances/article_2e994778-bb1a-11ec-8d7e-1fb8f161b7a5.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/final-warm-day-with-storm-chances/article_2e994778-bb1a-11ec-8d7e-1fb8f161b7a5.html |
Sun Prairie students to perform Mamma Mia
SUN PRAIRIE (WKOW) -- After months of planning and weeks of rehearsals, Mamma Mia the musical is coming to life at Sun Prairie High School.
Wednesday on Wake Up Wisconsin, the director of the show, Marsha Heuer, and one of the members of the cast, Aleah Frank, stopped by to talk about the production.
Mamma Mia opens April 22 and runs through May 1 at the Sun Prairie Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased ahead of time, HERE.
Marsha Heuer
Aleah Frank | 2022-04-13T13:30:35Z | www.wkow.com | Sun Prairie students to perform Mamma Mia | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/sun-prairie-students-to-perform-mamma-mia/article_f5c372fe-bb12-11ec-be2d-3fbb5589371b.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/sun-prairie-students-to-perform-mamma-mia/article_f5c372fe-bb12-11ec-be2d-3fbb5589371b.html |
Memorial Union Terrace opens for 2022 season
MADISON (WKOW) -- The colorful sunburst chairs are back at the Memorial Union Terrace on UW-Madison's campus as it opens for the 2022 season Wednesday.
According to the Wisconsin Union, the Terrace is returning April 13 with many activities planned, including live music, art events and paddling equipment rentals.
For more than 90 years the Wisconsin Union has welcomed guests to the Terrace's 40,000 square feet of outdoor entertainment space.
“We look forward to seeing patrons enjoy the fun experiences for a lifetime that we’ve created for them at the Memorial Union Terrace," said Mark Guthier, Wisconsin Union director and associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs at UW–Madison.
Memorial Union Terrace | 2022-04-13T15:54:22Z | www.wkow.com | Memorial Union Terrace opens for 2022 season | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/memorial-union-terrace-opens-for-2022-season/article_c3891d18-bb33-11ec-aa33-373fc5a4acf9.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/memorial-union-terrace-opens-for-2022-season/article_c3891d18-bb33-11ec-aa33-373fc5a4acf9.html |
File photo of Derek Hammer appearing in court virtually on February 24.
Green County man takes plea in disorderly conduct case
GREEN COUNTY (WKOW) — A Green County man with several open court cases has settled one originally filed in May, 2021.
Derek Hammer, 35, appeared in court Tuesday, a day before his trial was scheduled to begin, for a plea hearing on three counts of disorderly conduct.
There, a no contest plea was entered for two of the counts, and the other was dropped.
On Wednesday, he was sentenced to two 90 day sentences, running concurrently, and was given a 45 day credit for time already served.
Hammer still has three open cases, facing 11 charges in total, most of which are felonies. He is expected to appear in court for arraignments on all three cases on April 21.
Hammer had a relationship with Melissa Trumpy, a Monticello woman who has been missing since late October 2021 and was with him in Illinois prior to going missing.
In February, the Green County District Attorney said Trumpy's case is likely a no body homicide. Hammer has never been named as a person of interest in her disappearance.
Derek Hammer
Melissa Trumpy
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UPDATE: Madison police locate missing man | 2022-04-13T18:05:28Z | www.wkow.com | Green County man takes plea in disorderly conduct case | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/green-county-man-takes-plea-in-disorderly-conduct-case/article_6340478e-bb3c-11ec-9525-bb75bafd10cc.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/green-county-man-takes-plea-in-disorderly-conduct-case/article_6340478e-bb3c-11ec-9525-bb75bafd10cc.html |
Court documents reveal woman who hit and killed pedestrian on E Washington Ave. was driving for DoorDash
MADISON (WKOW) — A driver accused of killing a pedestrian on E Washington Avenue was driving for DoorDash at the time of the April 3, 2021 crash.
A search warrant affidavit revealed Janessa Cardenas, 26, told police she had just completed a delivery and was driving outbound on E Washington Avenue, on the way to Denny's on Thierer Road to pick up another order.
The affidavit as well as criminal complaint stated Cardenas was going 75 mph when the crash happened, citing records from the vehicle's event data recorder (EDR). The speed limit on that stretch is 40 mph.
The court gave Cardenas a $500 signature bond in January for the two charges she's facing: second-degree reckless homicide and homicide by using a vehicle while intoxicated. As a condition of her bond, Cardenas is not allowed to have contact with any immediate family members of the victim in the crash. The court also revoked her driving privileges while the case is pending, and Cardenas is not allowed to use or have any controlled substances without a prescription.
In court Wednesday, a judge denied a motion from the defense to modify her bond.
Court records show Cardenas' case will go to trial in mid-July.
The Dane County Medical Examiner previously identified the man who died in the crash as Ashley Taylor, 37.
Janessa Cardenas | 2022-04-14T00:59:16Z | www.wkow.com | Court documents reveal woman who hit and killed pedestrian on E Washington Ave. was driving for DoorDash | Crime | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/crime/court-documents-reveal-woman-who-hit-and-killed-pedestrian-on-e-washington-ave-was-driving/article_72877368-bb62-11ec-8fa7-5b2ae1796130.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/crime/court-documents-reveal-woman-who-hit-and-killed-pedestrian-on-e-washington-ave-was-driving/article_72877368-bb62-11ec-8fa7-5b2ae1796130.html |
Exploring the NYC subway shooting suspect's ties to Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE (WKOW) — Frank James, the suspect arrested in the Brooklyn subway shooting, posted on YouTube indicating he left Milwaukee to travel to New York before Tuesday's tragedy.
James' last known Milwaukee address on North 6th Street was visited by what appeared to be plain clothes law enforcement officers Wednesday. A group of four men went inside his apartment.
One of the men who declined to identify himself told a 27 News reporter and other reporters no search warrant was obtained from a court to go inside the unit.
"That was a consent to search," he said. He declined to say if anything was found pertaining to the shooting. "I can't talk about it," he said.
A Caledonia, Wisconsin based company, Phantom Fireworks, issued a statement that a person believed to be Frank James purchased product at the firm's store last summer. They said there was no surveillance video to confirm the purchaser was suspect Frank James. However the statement said several items found at the Brooklyn shooting scene appear to be items purchased by a Frank James in last summer's sale.
A California couple who owns the Milwaukee apartment where James lived have yet to comment on his time there. It appears James himself posted a large note to his mailbox directing that his mail be forwarded.
Neighbor Keliah Milller's impressions of James mirror some of his angry YouTube posts.
"When I say 'Hi,' it's like a grunt," she said. "I don't see him. I hear him sometimes yelling on the phone, arguing about things. He's always chopping up something. And yeah, he's not friendly." | 2022-04-14T00:59:19Z | www.wkow.com | Exploring the NYC subway shooting suspect's ties to Wisconsin | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/exploring-the-nyc-subway-shooting-suspects-ties-to-wisconsin/article_7708e374-bb74-11ec-9953-1b781aae9efd.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/exploring-the-nyc-subway-shooting-suspects-ties-to-wisconsin/article_7708e374-bb74-11ec-9953-1b781aae9efd.html |
Rock County authorities identify man killed when tree fell on truck
JANESVILLE (WKOW) — Authorities have identified the man killed when a tree fell onto the cab of a dump truck.
The Rock County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Randall Reilly, 61, of Edgerton. Preliminary results of an autopsy confirmed he died as a result from injuries sustained in the incident.
A large tree fell onto the dump truck's cab while it was travelling southbound on N. River Road in Janesville.
The Rock County Sheriff's Office drone team responded to the scene for evidentiary purposes, but there is not a criminal investigation at this time.
Randall Reilly | 2022-04-14T00:59:35Z | www.wkow.com | Rock County authorities identify man killed when tree fell on truck | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/rock-county-authorities-identify-man-killed-when-tree-fell-on-truck/article_1529794e-bb73-11ec-9467-57263614c89b.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/rock-county-authorities-identify-man-killed-when-tree-fell-on-truck/article_1529794e-bb73-11ec-9467-57263614c89b.html |
Brewers unveil new menu items to ring in home opener
MILWAUKEE (WKOW) — As the Brewers welcome the St. Louis Cardinals for their 2022 home opener, American Family Field is set to unveil new dining options for this season.
The name of the game at American Family Field this season? Bacon. Brewers fans can find bacon-wrapped hot dogs, bacon on a stick and even bacon on a cup this season.
The Crew is collaborating with local restaurants to bring all-new options at concessions stands this year, and Loren Rue, executive chef at sports hospitality company Delaware North Sportservice, said the new offerings are a change of pace in stadium food.
"Everything is born and raised in Wisconsin, and that's not the norm," Rue told 27 News affiliate WISN. "I don't see many places using a taco beef from the state that they're from, so we're trying to represent in every facet possible."
More than 12 new options will be available at American Family Field concessions stands, ranging from hot dogs topped with cheese curds to nachos in a commemorative batting helmet. Rue told WISN he and James Beard nominee Chef Joe Muench, have been working to develop these new dishes all offseason.
"I think the players are the only ones that actually have an offseason," Rue said. "We're here all the time, all winter long. It was just a lot of collaboration between Chef Joe and I."
Muench, Rue and Muench's partner Dan Sidner worked with Milwaukee restaurants Blue Egg, Story Hill BKC and Maxie's to develop brand-new menu items. Muench and Sidner's company, Black Shoe Hospitality, launched a new partnership with the Brewers this offseason.
According to a news release published on MLB.com, Rue and Muench both grew up as Brewers fans. Serving food to Brewers fans is a "dream" on Muench's.
“At Black Shoe we have spent the last 15 years working to elevate the dining scene in Milwaukee. To be part of elevating the food and fan experience at American Family Field is a huge thrill,” Muench said in the release.
Delaware North general manager at American Family Field Keven Jezewski said the goal with the new menu additions was to maintain a local identity in ballpark food.
New additions include hot dogs topped with brat strips, apple-onion sauerkraut and cheese sauce, Wisconsin-raised beef patties and a "Badger State Dog" topped with tater tots, bacon, cranberry-jalapeno ketchup and sharp cheddar cheese.
"We work closely with the Brewers to ensure the ballpark’s dining options reflect the unique spirit of Milwaukee and truly give fans a sense of hometown pride," Jezewski said in the release.
Loren Rue
Joe Muench | 2022-04-14T00:59:41Z | www.wkow.com | Brewers unveil new menu items to ring in home opener | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/brewers-unveil-new-menu-items-to-ring-in-home-opener/article_ff65d77a-bb4e-11ec-bb30-77aa8f8920fb.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/brewers-unveil-new-menu-items-to-ring-in-home-opener/article_ff65d77a-bb4e-11ec-bb30-77aa8f8920fb.html |
Madison Girl Scouts take part in low-carbon concrete demonstration
MADISON (WKOW) -- Girl Scouts in Madison raised awareness about sustainable construction practices and learned more about the industry Wednesday.
Several months ago, the group had a presentation about the benefits of low carbon concrete at a Madison Public Works meeting. Wednesday, the troops were part of a concrete pour demonstration with the engineering division.
"Yeah, it was really cool to see like after we've been talking about it for so long," Girl Scout Juniper Liberatore told 27 News. "Actually see you like it in action. That was really cool."
The troop said practices like low carbon concrete help keep the planet clean. That's because the emissions intensity of cement — concrete's key ingredient — is responsible for around seven percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions.
Juniper Liberatore | 2022-04-14T00:59:53Z | www.wkow.com | Madison Girl Scouts take part in low-carbon concrete demonstration | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/madison-girl-scouts-take-part-in-low-carbon-concrete-demonstration/article_a5f47202-bb6f-11ec-998c-d3f7b437c18a.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/madison-girl-scouts-take-part-in-low-carbon-concrete-demonstration/article_a5f47202-bb6f-11ec-998c-d3f7b437c18a.html |
Clay Cundiff nearing finish line of recovery process
MADISON (WKOW)-- Badgers fans could have heard a pin drop at Camp Randall on Oct. 30, 2021, when Clay Cundiff left in a stretcher.
"I remember the play," Cundiff said. "It was last play of the third quarter, and it was an inside zone. I was on the backside, and I was blocking the backer, and he started to run over the top, and Braelon ran his guy over right into my leg. It was a tough scene for my teammates out there to see it, but they were really supportive through all of that."
"It still gives me chills to know that those guys are really my brothers."
Cundiff said the season-ending injury was a dislocated ankle, broken fibula, and deltoid reconstruction.
Cundiff is nearing the home finish of his recovery process, and the junior tight end was open about the difficulty of the journey.
"This week was first time running full-speed, and it felt really good. At the beginning when I couldn't really walk, that was probably the toughest part mentally. A lot of time I was just alone and stuck in one place, couldn't really get around. But, it is much better now and hope to be one hundred percent by this summer."
"It was a tough time for a month and a half, two months when I was on crutches or on my scooter, I would come here in the beginning of the day and then I would really just go home and be stuck on the couch, stuck in my bed, but it was a time to reflect on myself and just see where I needed to do things better in certain areas, so I am pretty grateful for the time," Cundiff said.
As he inches closer to a return, he knows gaining confidence on the field will be one of the biggest challenges.
"Definitely my first few practices, it will be a strive to regain confidence and just know my ability out there, but I think once I get that down, it's just working out the technique, the first step, just getting used to that stuff," Cundiff said.
"Just where he is at now, looking back to where he was, like what happened, is just amazing," Junior Tight End Hayden Rucci said. "He's running, everything, just getting that confidence back."
Cundiff played in eight games in the 2021 season, tallying three receptions, 86 yards, and one touchdown.
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Report: Bucks sign Connaughton | 2022-04-14T01:00:12Z | www.wkow.com | Clay Cundiff nearing finish line of recovery process | Sports | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/sports/clay-cundiff-nearing-finish-line-of-recovery-process/article_414828f4-bb78-11ec-b7c7-4ffe5b8ebd66.html | https://www.wkow.com/sports/clay-cundiff-nearing-finish-line-of-recovery-process/article_414828f4-bb78-11ec-b7c7-4ffe5b8ebd66.html |
Good Samaritan brutally attacked while protecting Madison woman from sexual assault
MADISON (WKOW) -- Madison police are looking for the suspect in a reported sexual assault that happened early Tuesday morning.
The victim is recovering.
Things could have been much worse if not for a neighbor who jumped into action after hearing screams.
"I heard a girl screaming like bloody murder," said Jade Petrowski-Busse.
She heard a woman screaming for help and soon realized the seriousness of the situation.
"There is a guy that was on top of the girl kind of trying to bash her into the floor. It looked like he was trying to put his hands down her pants," said Petrowski-Busse.
Madison Police report a stranger sexually attacked a woman as she was entering an apartment building on Brandie Road.
"The victim had just arrived home and within 30 seconds to within a minute of her walking to the foyer to go into her residence. The suspect ran out from behind her and grabbed her," said Lt. Jason Ostrenga.
"I yelled at the guy and I told him to get off for her," said Petrowski-Busse. She said that's when the suspect ran towards her and began to viciously beat her.
"He started punching me in the left side of my head and then I let him go. He saw that I had a phone in my hand that I was trying to call the cops with and he had smacked it out of my hand and took off running," said Petrowski-Busse.
Petrowski-Busse says now that she's witnessed a sexual assault and has been attacked, she's frightened.
"It does make things a little bit more scarier, especially with having the sex offender housing down the road," said Petrowksi-Busse.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registry, there are 76 sex offenders within one mile of this building which could complicate this investigation.
"It makes more work. That's definitely one avenue we will explore is to see what sex offenders are in that area because we don't know if this person lives right there," said Lt. Ostrenga.
Petrowski-Busse lives close to where the assault happened and says she's taking extra precautions knowing the suspect is still on the loose.
"I start carrying a hammer out to my car with me every time I come in and out. I work late nights. So it gets very nerve-wracking to come home," said Petrowski-Busse.
The suspect is described as a black male in his 20's. The Madison Police Department expects to release a sketch and more details about the suspect later.
Jade Petrowski-busse
Jason Ostrenga | 2022-04-14T01:00:24Z | www.wkow.com | Good Samaritan brutally attacked while protecting Madison woman from sexual assault | Crime | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/crime/good-samaritan-brutally-attacked-while-protecting-madison-woman-from-sexual-assault/article_6b06852c-bb6a-11ec-877e-dbaf0f23041c.html | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/crime/good-samaritan-brutally-attacked-while-protecting-madison-woman-from-sexual-assault/article_6b06852c-bb6a-11ec-877e-dbaf0f23041c.html |
Cavalier Johnson takes oath to become Milwaukee mayor
WKOW/WISN
MILWAUKEE (WKOW/WISN) -- The City of Milwaukee officially has its first Black mayor.
Cavalier Johnson took the oath of office Wednesday at the Harley-Davidson Museum.
Johnson defeated Bob Donovan in a special election last week.
Johnson has a number of issues to address in the city, like a looming pension crisis and historic crime rates.
"The homicide numbers this year are unacceptably alarming. I've spoken to close family members of murder victims, and I've seen the impact of those killings," Johnson said after taking the oath.
Johnson became acting mayor after former mayor Tom Barrett resigned. Barrett left the post in order to become the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg. Johnson will serve out the remaining two years of Barrett's term.
Johnson told WISN 12 News he does plan to seek re-election in 2024.
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UPDATE: Man identified in fatal Dodge County crash | 2022-04-14T07:31:26Z | www.wkow.com | Cavalier Johnson takes oath to become Milwaukee mayor | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/cavalier-johnson-takes-oath-to-become-milwaukee-mayor/article_6f791972-bb9b-11ec-8111-eb46f3d2a51b.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/cavalier-johnson-takes-oath-to-become-milwaukee-mayor/article_6f791972-bb9b-11ec-8111-eb46f3d2a51b.html |
Police: Monroe man arrested after attacking mother with knife
MONROE (WKOW) -- Monroe police arrested a man Thursday morning after he attacked his mother with a knife, inflicting life-threatening injuries.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley says officers responded to the 900 block of 24th Street at 5:33 a.m. Thursday, on a report of a man assaulting his 63-year-old mother with a knife. Kelley said Ryan Gregory Lewis, 29, drove away from the home only after his brother intervened to defend her.
Lewis' mother was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, while his brother was treated for minor injuries and released.
Green County Sheriff's Deputies found Lewis in his car just blocks away at 6:01 a.m. Thursday. He was booked into the Green County Jail on an initial charge of substantial battery with a knife.
Kelley says intervention by Lewis' brother during the attack helped prevent something more tragic.
"In my opinion, he could very well have saved his mom's life," Kelley says.
Lewis' brother, Derek Lewis tells 27 News he simply reacted when he came upon his younger brother attacking his mother.
"I'm just glad that she's safe," Derek Lewis says.
Lewis says his younger brother was recently in a mental health commitment.
"This last couple of months, he's been having a hard time," Derek Lewis tells 27 News.
But Lewis says he's not known his brother to have a violent nature, nor specific animosity against their mother.
"I'm hopeful that he gets the help he needs," Derek Lewis says.
Green County Court records show Ryan Lewis last year successfully completed the terms of a deferred prosecution agreement after being found responsible for illegally possessing drugs and paraphernalia.
Ryan Gregory Lewis
Fred Kelley
Green County Court Records Show | 2022-04-14T22:55:49Z | www.wkow.com | Police: Monroe man arrested after attacking mother with knife | Crime | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/crime/police-monroe-man-arrested-after-attacking-mother-with-knife/article_c3d09394-bc0c-11ec-89e0-dbd25de48968.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/crime/police-monroe-man-arrested-after-attacking-mother-with-knife/article_c3d09394-bc0c-11ec-89e0-dbd25de48968.html |
Rep. Sondy Pope to retire from Wisconsin State Assembly
MADISON (WKOW) — Representative Sondy Pope (D-Mt. Horeb) announced Thursday that she will retire from the Wisconsin State Assembly after 20 years.
Since being elected in 2002, Pope spent time as a member of the Assembly Committee on Education, as both the chair and ranking Democrat member. In a statement from her office, Pope urged her constituents to "oppose all forces that would corrupt Wisconsin’s former reputation for clean, honest, and progressive politics."
"I have enjoyed the support of committed and knowledgeable staff to whom I am deeply grateful. I have cherished this work and the relationships built along the way. It is now time for me to step out of this role, and I look forward to the next generation of leaders and the work they will do," Pope said in the statement.
Pending new electoral maps following the 2020 Census, Pope's 80th Assembly district covers Mt. Horeb, New Glarus, Belleville, Barneveld and parts of Fitchburg and Verona.
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The worst start to the year for stocks since 2009 | 2022-04-14T22:55:55Z | www.wkow.com | Rep. Sondy Pope to retire from Wisconsin State Assembly | Politics | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/politics/rep-sondy-pope-to-retire-from-wisconsin-state-assembly/article_e3ba7520-bc03-11ec-b9d0-b33c911b20aa.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/politics/rep-sondy-pope-to-retire-from-wisconsin-state-assembly/article_e3ba7520-bc03-11ec-b9d0-b33c911b20aa.html |
Second Harvest awards $200,000 in grants aimed at increasing food equity
MADISON (WKOW) — Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin awarded grants to four organizations aimed at increasing food equity in the community.
Groundswell Conservancy, Kennedy Heights Community Center, REAP Food Group with Roots4Change and the Hmong Institute have received the grants totaling $200,000.
"Everyone in our community should have enough nutritious and culturally meaningful food to thrive," said Michelle Orge, Second Harvest's President and CEO said. "
The goal is for these organizations to learn from and build long-term racially diverse nutrition strategies. The groups say being able to access culturally relevant food is important.
"Food is our gateway for our health," Roots4Change manager Mariela Quesada said. "And not only our physical health, or spiritual health, food is a ritual, not only what you eat, how you eat it, but how you plant it, how you plan to plant it, because it has a history of the soil, the soil, the soil grow."
The organizations must use the funding between now and June 2023.
Second Harvest Food Bank Of Southern Wisconsin
Michelle Orge | 2022-04-14T22:56:01Z | www.wkow.com | Second Harvest awards $200,000 in grants aimed at increasing food equity | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/second-harvest-awards-200-000-in-grants-aimed-at-increasing-food-equity/article_786e2716-bc2c-11ec-865f-c399840804a4.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/second-harvest-awards-200-000-in-grants-aimed-at-increasing-food-equity/article_786e2716-bc2c-11ec-865f-c399840804a4.html |
Brewers advise fans to avoid tents during tailgating due to high winds
MILWAUKEE (WKOW) — With high winds gusting throughout southern Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Brewers asked fans to keep their tents and canopies down when tailgating for Thursday's home opener.
In a Facebook post, the team asked fans to be mindful of the high winds due to safety concerns. The team also said fans should be aware of the wind lifting small grills and tables.
The Brewers kick off their home schedule Thursday against the Cardinals after going 3-3 on their season-opening road trip. Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff will look to shake off a rough start to the season against the Cubs (3.2 IP, 7 ER).
The Milwaukee offense will look to beat up on longtime Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright in his 17th MLB season. In 49 career appearances against Milwaukee, Wainwright has a 20-12 record, 249 strikeouts, one save and a 2.60 ERA. | 2022-04-14T22:56:08Z | www.wkow.com | Brewers advise fans to avoid tents during tailgating due to high winds | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/brewers-advise-fans-to-avoid-tents-during-tailgating-due-to-high-winds/article_0653bdcc-bc17-11ec-8c49-9babec1a7f5d.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/brewers-advise-fans-to-avoid-tents-during-tailgating-due-to-high-winds/article_0653bdcc-bc17-11ec-8c49-9babec1a7f5d.html |
Charge downgraded in Stoughton New Year's Eve shooting
MADISON (WKOW) — A Stoughton man now faces a negligent homicide charge after Dane County prosecutors reduced his case down from reckless homicide in a New Year's Eve shooting.
According to online court records, Isaiah Ruffins, 19, of Stoughton, pleaded not guilty to homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon Thursday.
Ruffins is accused of accidentally shooting his friend Fredrick Davis on New Year's Eve when the gun discharged while Ruffins was moving it. Davis was the godfather of Ruffins' newborn daughter.
Ruffins waived his right to a preliminary hearing during his appearance Thursday, which the court accepted and ordered the case bound over for trial.
Ruffins told detectives at the scene that his finger had not been fully on the trigger when it went off and he didn't remember pulling it. He also said the firearm had been built from parts he ordered online, commonly known as a "ghost gun." He also told detectives the gun had misfired before.
Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why his office downgraded the charge.
Fredrick Davis
Stoughton New Year's Eve | 2022-04-14T22:56:14Z | www.wkow.com | Charge downgraded in Stoughton New Year's Eve shooting | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/charge-downgraded-in-stoughton-new-years-eve-shooting/article_8d5487f2-bc1c-11ec-ae6b-6331f1cf5562.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/charge-downgraded-in-stoughton-new-years-eve-shooting/article_8d5487f2-bc1c-11ec-ae6b-6331f1cf5562.html |
Downed power lines, tree block off Town of Middleton intersection
TOWN OF MIDDLETON (WKOW) — Downed power lines and a downed tree blocked off an intersection in the Town of Middleton Thursday afternoon.
According to Dane County Communications, the Town of Middleton Fire Department responded to the intersection of Blackhawk Road and Twin Valley Road after an officer came across the downed lines and called it in.
The roadway is completely blocked off, and a Communications manager said high winds may have been a factor. At this time, there is no official estimate as to when the roadway will reopen or how many people are without power.
Middleton Fire Department
Twin Valley | 2022-04-14T22:56:26Z | www.wkow.com | Downed power lines, tree block off Town of Middleton intersection | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/downed-power-lines-tree-block-off-town-of-middleton-intersection/article_9aef8864-bc38-11ec-aa3a-1f5adc38d475.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/downed-power-lines-tree-block-off-town-of-middleton-intersection/article_9aef8864-bc38-11ec-aa3a-1f5adc38d475.html |
Courtesy of the School District of Janesville
Janesville school principal named Wisconsin Elementary Principal of the Year
JANESVILLE (WKOW) — The Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA) surprised Madison Elementary School principal Stephanie Filter with its 2022 Wisconsin Elementary Principal of the Year award Thursday.
According to a news release from AWSA executive director Jim Lynch, Filter has worked as principal at Madison Elementary for eight years after spending time as a social worker and student services specialist for the School District of Janesville.
Filter attended Madison Elementary growing up, and in her time as principal she has worked to develop a "a culture of positive problem solving and an ongoing focus on the school's mission."
"Beyond the academic success of her students, Stephanie Filter has a track record of success in meeting the needs of all of her students, including her most vulnerable students," Lynch said in the release.
The AWSA polls Wisconsin teachers, parents, school staff and administrators to nominate principals for the award every year. Representatives from the AWSA, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and the Wisconsin PTA select the final winners.
"Stephanie has worked hard with her team to deliver on our Janesville Promise of having every student known by name, strength, and need," said Steve Pophal, Superintendent of the School District of Janesville. "She will be the first to say it is a team effort, but her leadership has certainly helped the entire staff at Madison Elementary School remain focused on doing what is best for students."
Filter graduated from UW-Oshkosh with a bachelor's degree in social work, the got her masters in social work from UW-Madison and a certificate of Advanced Study in School Administration from National Lewis University.
"I'm honored because I represent you. I represent you students who are doing all the hard work every day," Filter said while accepting the award.
Stephanie Filter
Association Of Wisconsin School Administrators
Madison Elementary School
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Dane County officials report over 180 homes were damaged during Saturday storm | 2022-04-14T22:56:32Z | www.wkow.com | Janesville school principal named Wisconsin Elementary Principal of the Year | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/janesville-school-principal-named-wisconsin-elementary-principal-of-the-year/article_6d829d9a-bc14-11ec-bc28-a348a4dd44d3.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/janesville-school-principal-named-wisconsin-elementary-principal-of-the-year/article_6d829d9a-bc14-11ec-bc28-a348a4dd44d3.html |
The Foundation for Black Women's Wellness CEO Lisa Peyton-Caire announces the new ConnectRx program
The Foundation for Black Women's Wellness announces new system supporting Black pregnant people
MADISON (WKOW) -- The Dane County Health Council (DCHC) and The Foundation for Black Women's Wellness (FFBWW) announced a new program for Black pregnant people looking for support.
According to a news release from Public Health Madison and Dane County, ConnectRX Wisconsin is designed to supply Black people with a baby on the way "potentially unmet social needs," such as food, housing, transportation and housing assistance.
“What’s most powerful about the system is its emergence from the collaboration of health systems, Black women and the community working together to eliminate racial birth disparities and save the lives of Black babies," Foundation president and CEO Lisa Peyton-Caire said in the release.
The process of building ConnectRx Wisconsin kicked off in 2017, when community health needs assessments showed maternal and child health to be a prominent concern among community members. Wisconsin has one of the highest Black infant mortality rates in the United States, with 2013-15 CDC data showing 14.28 of every 1,000 Black babies born in Wisconsin die.
In 2018, DCHC commissioned the FFBWW and consulting firm EQT By Design to run a community engagement program centered around Black women on identifying solutions to disparities in low-weight births between Black and white babies in Wisconsin.
More than 300 Black community members participated in the program, building the Saving Our Babies Report, which identified "stress caused by economic insecurity, racism and bias in the daily experiences of Black women and families" as key factors in this disparity. DCHC pointed out that Wisconsin is the only state in the US where the life expectancy gap between Black and white women is growing.
The report led to the launch of the Saving Our Babies Initiative in 2019, as well as the Black Maternal and Child Health Alliance of Dane County, both of which were instrumental in launching ConnectRx. UW assistant professor of population health sciences and obstetrics and gynecology and FFBWW co-chair Dr. Tiffany Green said the work of ConnectRx depends on community ties.
“This work requires a deep dedication to partnership and listening to the voices of the experts and the community members, then acting on what we hear with tangible, systemic change,” Dr. Green said in the release.
ConnectRx starts with a screening, conducted in a culturally sensitive appointment setting at UW Health, using Epic care coordination tools and community health workers to identify specific support needs. ConnectRx also offers doulas and community health promoters for community members.
From there, the care team will refer the patient to community agencies to gain access to specific resources, such as housing, employment and mental health services. Patients with especially high health risks will be offered support from doulas throughout their pregnancy as well as postpartum.
“ConnectRx will transform how we identify and enact sustainable solutions to improve birth outcomes,” DCHC program director Ariel Robbins said in the release. “The Dane County Health Council is proud to facilitate the work that has stemmed from the voices of our community members to change the health trajectory of their lives and the lives of their children.”
Access Community Health Centers, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, SSM Health, UnityPoint Health — Meriter and UW Health all serve as healthcare partners for ConnectRx.
Dchc
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Zelensky calls for no-fly zone and harsher sanctions on Russia in Zoom meeting with US lawmakers | 2022-04-15T02:12:02Z | www.wkow.com | The Foundation for Black Women's Wellness announces new system supporting Black pregnant people | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/the-foundation-for-black-womens-wellness-announces-new-system-supporting-black-pregnant-people/article_386d88f8-bc3d-11ec-8bdf-1bc4a7bf4c24.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/the-foundation-for-black-womens-wellness-announces-new-system-supporting-black-pregnant-people/article_386d88f8-bc3d-11ec-8bdf-1bc4a7bf4c24.html |
Child receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. File photo.
As Pfizer touts booster for young kids, vaccine hesitancy remains
MADISON (WKOW) -- Pfizer said Thursday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine raises antibody levels against the omicron variant for children 5 to 11 years old.
UW Health's Dr. William Hartman said those results are encouraging.
"While the data is in a small group, it is a very convincing argument that they're putting together," he said.
However, Hartman said if and when that booster dose gets authorization from federal health officials, it's not likely that parents will scramble to get their young kids another shot.
"There is still quite a bit of hesitancy," he said. "We see the same thing that that's being seen nationwide: people are still waiting to see how the COVID-19 vaccines work in other kids before they vaccinate their own kids."
Data from Wisconsin's Department of Health Services shows 27.4% of 5- to 11-year-olds in the state have one dose of the vaccine, and 24.5% have two doses.
For older children who are eligible for a booster shot, only 18.7% have actually gotten one.
"I don't always know what the reason is that people aren't vaccinating their kids," Hartman said. "I thought it would be more of a slam dunk than it has been at this point."
He said as more variants spread, the additional booster vaccine dose is becoming more important.
"Everyone really needs to consider getting the booster shot," he said. "This is really looking to be like a three shot vaccine instead of a two shot vaccine."
More than 256 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and Hartman said there's no need for vaccine hesitancy.
"The vaccine overall is still very safe and effective against the very worst things that can happen from COVID," he said.
Children 5 to 11 years old are not yet eligible for a booster dose, but Pfizer said it plans to see emergency use authorization "in the coming days."
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Rock County COVID-19 testing site closes early due to high demand | 2022-04-15T05:01:53Z | www.wkow.com | As Pfizer touts booster for young kids, vaccine hesitancy remains | Coronavirus | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/coronavirus/as-pfizer-touts-booster-for-young-kids-vaccine-hesitancy-remains/article_bc575a18-bc65-11ec-be0f-bf3aea3220c0.html | https://www.wkow.com/coronavirus/as-pfizer-touts-booster-for-young-kids-vaccine-hesitancy-remains/article_bc575a18-bc65-11ec-be0f-bf3aea3220c0.html |
SSM Health distributes donations to support new mothers facing financial hardship
MADISON (WKOW) -- Families who need a little help with the cost of raising a young child will benefit from a baby shower donation drive.
Every year, SSM Health collects donations for families at its hospital and clinics. The organization gets things like diapers, baby clothes and blankets.
SSM Health distributed the items it collected to three organizations. They include Project Baby, Blackhawk Church and Pregnancy Helpline.
"We're serving hundreds of families each and every month, and it's vital to help these families that are trying to take care of their babies," said Brenda Collins, Executive Director of Pregnancy Helpline.
A spokesperson for SSM Health said they put the donation drive on pause for the past few years because of COVID-19, so they say people were excited to participate when it came back this year. | 2022-04-15T05:02:05Z | www.wkow.com | SSM Health distributes donations to support new mothers facing financial hardship | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/ssm-health-distributes-donations-to-support-new-mothers-facing-financial-hardship/article_d425ac6e-bc63-11ec-a493-8f1127fee456.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/ssm-health-distributes-donations-to-support-new-mothers-facing-financial-hardship/article_d425ac6e-bc63-11ec-a493-8f1127fee456.html |
Courtesy of UW-Platteville
Alumni donate $10 million to UW-Platteville Foundation for new scholarship
PLATTEVILLE (WKOW) — The UW-Platteville Foundation got a donation from the family of an alumnus to build a new scholarship program Friday.
According to a news release from UW-Platteville Public Relations, Todd and Susan Johnson offered the university $10 million to launch a new scholarship fund. The Capstan Scholarship Program, named after the company Todd Johnson runs as CEO, was announced at a ceremony on campus Friday.
Todd Johnson graduated from UW-Platteville in 1981 with a degree in engineering and management. He and his wife are both members of the 1866 Cornerstone Society, a UW-Platteville alumni organization made up of members who have all donated or pledged to donate at least $25,000 in their lifetimes.
"This prestigious scholarship program will allow students to graduate debt free, offering students scholarships of full tuition, room and board, renewable for four years," UW-Platteville announced in the release.
Uw-platteville Foundation
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Charges filed against man accused in deadly shooting outside Wilderness Resort | 2022-04-15T20:55:59Z | www.wkow.com | Alumni donate $10 million to UW-Platteville Foundation for new scholarship | Top Stories | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/alumni-donate-10-million-to-uw-platteville-foundation-for-new-scholarship/article_1fdac910-bce5-11ec-9aa5-4705498c2d04.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/alumni-donate-10-million-to-uw-platteville-foundation-for-new-scholarship/article_1fdac910-bce5-11ec-9aa5-4705498c2d04.html |
MADISON (WKOW) -- The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) informed families Friday that it will be extending its requirement to wear masks inside school buildings until the first week of May.
The decision comes after a meeting between the district and its medical advisors, and it was determined that it was in the best interest of students and staff to extend the requirement to wear masks indoors until May. The district is will provide an updated decision on masking indoors by May 6.
MMSD had several considerations for this decision, the first of which is to keep their schools open and in-person, saying that they "strongly believes this in the best interest of students, families, staff, and the community." They said that outside of vaccination, the best way to prevent spread of any virus is wearing a mask, so they continue to require it.
The other considerations are the upward trend of local COVID-19 cases, the extension being in line with the CDC mask mandate for public transportation, with the extension giving the district time to monitor the current surge and prevent further spread in advance of the May decision.
MMSD pointed to their phased approach to modifying their mask protocols in March when they continued to require masks indoors through spring break to safeguard against a potential COVID spike similar to what they experienced shortly after winter break. The COVID-19 spike post-winter break significantly exacerbated already severe staff shortages across the district, causing a three-day pause to the district's return from winter break to reduce risk of needing to close schools.
During the extension, the district plans to continue holding regular Metrics Meetings to review current COVID conditions and engage in ongoing discussions with its medical advisors.
The Madison Metropolitan School District
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Monitoring screen time during the pandemic | 2022-04-16T03:06:28Z | www.wkow.com | Madison Metropolitan School District extends mask requirements through May | Coronavirus | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/coronavirus/madison-metropolitan-school-district-extends-mask-requirements-through-may/article_9b6aff2c-bd09-11ec-8a90-1f124fecd667.html | https://www.wkow.com/coronavirus/madison-metropolitan-school-district-extends-mask-requirements-through-may/article_9b6aff2c-bd09-11ec-8a90-1f124fecd667.html |
17-year-old arrested for sexual assault at UW Madison residence hall
MADISON (WKOW) — A 17-year-old has been arrested following a sexual assault in a UW-Madison residence hall early Friday morning.
According to an incident report from UWPD spokesperson Marc Lovicott, officers responded to a Southeast residence hall around 3 a.m. for a report of a sexual assault. The victim told police she was sleeping and woke up to an acquaintance sexually assaulting her.
The suspect, a 17-year-old from Green Bay, was arrested and taken to the Dane County Jail on tentative charges of second-degree sexual assault. 27 News is not identifying the suspect at this time because he is a minor.
Lovicott said he was visiting another resident at the time of the assault and is not affiliated with UW-Madison.
Marc Lovicott | 2022-04-16T03:06:35Z | www.wkow.com | 17-year-old arrested for sexual assault at UW Madison residence hall | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/17-year-old-arrested-for-sexual-assault-at-uw-madison-residence-hall/article_45ea6592-bcff-11ec-b2b0-37a66221bfd1.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/17-year-old-arrested-for-sexual-assault-at-uw-madison-residence-hall/article_45ea6592-bcff-11ec-b2b0-37a66221bfd1.html |
7 Wisconsin lawmakers among 398 members of Congress sanctioned by Russia
MADISON (WKOW) — Seven Wisconsin lawmakers are among the 398 members of Congress Russia sanctioned on April 13.
According to CNN, the sanctions are a retaliation against the blacklisting of hundreds of Russian lawmakers last month.
According to a statement from the Russian foreign ministry, the "mirror" sanctions include "the leadership and chairmen of the committees of the lower house of the American Congress."
For Wisconsin, sanctioned lawmakers include Michael Gallagher, Glenn Grothman, Bryan Steil, Tom Tiffany, Scott Fitzgerald, Mike Pocan and Ron Kind. The only Wisconsin congressperson not sanctioned is Gwen Moore.
Kind responded to the sanctions on Twitter Friday, calling it "a badge of honor" and promising to continue to stand up for Ukraine.
Looks like I'm on the list of Members of Congress being sanctioned by Putin. It's a badge of honor to be sanctioned by an international war criminal and I'll continue to stand up for democracy, freedom, and the people of Ukraine. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/VHzFycEXLU
— Rep. Ron Kind (@RepRonKind) April 15, 2022
The list of lawmakers sanctioned could increase, the Russian foreign ministry statement indicates.
"Taking into account the constantly imposed U.S. sanctions, new announcements of Russian countermeasures are planned in the near future, involving an increase in the number of persons included in the 'stop list' and other response steps," the statement says.
Congressperson | 2022-04-16T03:06:41Z | www.wkow.com | 7 Wisconsin lawmakers among 398 members of Congress sanctioned by Russia | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/7-wisconsin-lawmakers-among-398-members-of-congress-sanctioned-by-russia/article_ba1064da-bceb-11ec-8b1f-97d41407f349.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/7-wisconsin-lawmakers-among-398-members-of-congress-sanctioned-by-russia/article_ba1064da-bceb-11ec-8b1f-97d41407f349.html |
Milwaukee Brewers launch Jackie Robinson Art Challenge for young fans
MILWAUKEE (WKOW) -- Young fans have a chance break out their art supplies for the Milwaukee Brewers' "Jackie Robinson Art Challenge" that launched this Friday.
Fans can participate by creating an original artwork that captures one or more of Jackie Robinson's values of citizenship, commitment, courage, determination, excellence, integrity, justice, persistence and teamwork. The artwork can be any shape or size and can include painting, drawing or rendering.
Anyone under 18 can register for this contest, and the top three artists and their families will be invited to American Family Field for a future game and be recognized on-field, with their artwork displayed on the Brewers scoreboard.
The grand prize winner will also throw the ceremonial first pitch and have their art piece displayed on the Summer Slugger Brewers Challenge web page.
Registration is available until April 24, and winners will be announced no later than midnight April 26.
Jackie Robinson Art Challenge | 2022-04-16T03:07:17Z | www.wkow.com | Milwaukee Brewers launch Jackie Robinson Art Challenge for young fans | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/milwaukee-brewers-launch-jackie-robinson-art-challenge-for-young-fans/article_ff776bdc-bcfe-11ec-b3b2-6ff382c6df27.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/milwaukee-brewers-launch-jackie-robinson-art-challenge-for-young-fans/article_ff776bdc-bcfe-11ec-b3b2-6ff382c6df27.html |
Wisconsin state Supreme Court
SCOWIS reverses course, picks Republicans' redistricting maps
MADISON (WKOW) -- In a twist that could reshape legislative races in Wisconsin for the next decade, the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday adopted district maps submitted by the GOP-controlled legislature.
The 4-3 decision departed from the court's previous ruling that chose Democratic Gov. Tony Evers's submitted maps.
The U.S. Supreme Court sent back those maps, saying they weighed race too heavily in their creation of a seventh majority-Black Assembly district in and around Milwaukee. It was unclear how the court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, split on the question because no justices put their name on the opinion.
The legislature's maps reduce the number of majority-Black Assembly districts from six to five.
Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul slammed the decision, noting the outside analysis that has found the legislature's maps would enhance an edge Republicans gave themselves when they drew the current set of maps in 2011.
"This decision is a travesty for democracy in Wisconsin," Kaul said in a statement. "The court, applying a new standard in a case it never should have taken, has made one of the most extreme gerrymanders in America even worse.
Gov. Evers also spoke out, calling the the decision an "unconscionable miscarriage of justice."
"This court had clearly and decisively rejected the Legislature’s maps prior to this case being considered by the Supreme Court of the United States, and today, they have backtracked on that decision, upholding the very maps they had previously found to unlawfully 'pack' Black voters," Evers said in a statement. "At a time when our democracy is under near-constant attack, the judiciary has abandoned our democracy in our most dire hour."
The conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) argued in favor of the legislature's maps and maintained Evers never proved why an additional majority-Black district was necessary in the 99-seat Assembly.
"We are pleased that the Court recognized that our Constitution reserves race-based decision-making for the most extreme situations," WILL President Rick Esenberg said in a statement. "The Governor did not justify his race-based redistricting. The Court was right to reject it.”
With the case back before the state's high court for weeks, Brian Hagedorn provided the swing vote, just as he did in a 4-3 decision that first picked Evers's maps.
The state court had previously rejected the governor's request to submit new evidence backing its claim the maps were compliant with the Voting Rights Act.
Hagedorn wrote in Friday's opinion the state was left to pick lawmakers' maps when the only higher court had ruled the governor's maps were unconstitutional.
"In light of the Supreme Court's clarified instructions, the Legislature's state senate and state assembly maps are the only legally compliant maps we received," Hagedorn wrote.
Outside analysts have observed that the current maps, drawn by Republicans in 2011, artificially inflate their advantage in the battleground state.
The legislature's maps this time strengthen that edge. Under the governor's maps, Democrats would likely gain seats but, short of a huge blue wave, would not be enough to take a majority in the Assembly because of a natural Republican advantage due to liberal voters clustering in Milwaukee and Madison. | 2022-04-16T03:07:23Z | www.wkow.com | SCOWIS reverses course, picks Republicans' redistricting maps | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/scowis-reverses-course-picks-republicans-redistricting-maps/article_605ea5cc-bd0a-11ec-8f76-0709be9c1124.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/scowis-reverses-course-picks-republicans-redistricting-maps/article_605ea5cc-bd0a-11ec-8f76-0709be9c1124.html |
Pocan, Baldwin unveil funding for UW construction, Madison Metro
MADISON (WKOW) -- Rep. Mark Pocan and Sen. Tammy Baldwin were on hand Friday to announce new funding developments for both the UW College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and Madison Metro.
According to a news release from Pocan spokesperson Matthew Handverger, $39.7 million will go to building a new Plant Germplasm Research Facility. The current building was constructed during WWII, and Handverger said it is "in severe need of replacement." US Department of Agriculture researchers also share that space.
Of the remaining $1.37 million, $1.2 million will go to weather satellite instruments for the support work UW performs with NASA and NOAA, and $174,000 will go to the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center.
"UW-Madison is home to some of our nation’s brightest students and the world’s best researchers. These federal funds will ensure UW-Madison can continue to be the trailblazing university that it always has been," Pocan said in the release.
Baldwin then joined Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway to discuss $6.4 million in federal funding for the Madison Metro, via the Federal Transit Administration. The funds will go toward redesigning the Metro system and converting the city's fleet of buses to electric power.
Uw College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences And Madison Metro
Matthew Handverger
Gov. Evers submits new round of legislative maps to Supreme Court, citing 'least change' directive
As zoos take precautions against bird flu, health experts say its risk to humans is low
4 new COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin; 39.2% fully vaccinated | 2022-04-16T03:07:29Z | www.wkow.com | Pocan, Baldwin unveil funding for UW construction, Madison Metro | State news | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/state/pocan-baldwin-unveil-funding-for-uw-construction-madison-metro/article_53051d00-bcfd-11ec-99e5-fbff51d870b1.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/state/pocan-baldwin-unveil-funding-for-uw-construction-madison-metro/article_53051d00-bcfd-11ec-99e5-fbff51d870b1.html |
Wisconsin Grocers Association says more workers needed to help stabilize food prices
VERONA (WKOW) -- Shoppers can expect to pay more for Easter dinner this Sunday because food prices for some of the holiday's staples have gone up.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports food prices rose nearly 9% in March.
As last-minute shoppers check out at grocery stores ahead of the holiday weekend, they're noticing food prices are 'eggstra' high.
"We do a brunch at my mom's and I'm picking up eggs and I know I paid a lot less last year," said Easter shopper Julie Cline.
In February, the cost to feed a family of four* rose nearly $50 from last year, according to the Official U.S. Department of Agriculture Thrifty Food Plan (TFP)**:
$204.90 weekly, $887.80 monthly
*reference: Family of 4 [male and female, 20-50 years and two children, 6-8 and 9-11 years]
**(TFP)= basis for maximum food stamp allotments
In March 2022, U.S. food prices jumped across the board:
Flour 14.2%
Eggs 11.2%
Bacon 18.2%
Fruits/vegetables 8.5%
Butter 6%
"The price of all pork is gone up and bacon is a very small part of the animal, and since there's such great sales of bacon, it has to compensate for the amount because you have to slaughter an entire pig to get a very small amount," said Jonathan Kvalheim, a butcher.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports food prices like flour, milk, and eggs are spiking because of droughts, the Avian flu and disruptions in the market caused by the war in Ukraine.
"Grocers and their suppliers don't want to increase prices," said Brandon Scholz, President of the Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA).
The WGA attributes other factors to price increases.
"You look at fuel, you look at workforce, you look at raw ingredients. All of those factors that go into making a simple profit," said Scholz.
Stolz said we're still recovering from supply chain issues
"Every department is challenged by their suppliers trying to make enough product to send to the grocery stores," said Scholz.
Scholz thinks supply issues will improve when more people return to work, which might help stabilize food prices.
"We need more workers and you'll start to see more products on the shelves, and hopefully some settling in prices," said Scholz.
The Wisconsin Grocers Association said that it doesn't think these rising food prices are permanent, and it's still uncertain how long until consumers see a break in price
Wisconsin Grocers Association
Brandon Scholz | 2022-04-16T03:07:47Z | www.wkow.com | Wisconsin Grocers Association says more workers needed to help stabilize food prices | Commerce | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/commerce/wisconsin-grocers-association-says-more-workers-needed-to-help-stabilize-food-prices/article_e0b49e86-bd12-11ec-abec-a7c3fcc00fb4.html | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/commerce/wisconsin-grocers-association-says-more-workers-needed-to-help-stabilize-food-prices/article_e0b49e86-bd12-11ec-abec-a7c3fcc00fb4.html |
Evers vetoes 28 bills, including ban on vaccine mandates, 'parents bill of rights'
MADISON (WKOW) -- Gov. Tony Evers signed more than a dozen bills into law Friday while rejecting nearly 30 other Republican bills, including measures that should reshape the state's education and unemployment systems.
The 28 bills Evers vetoed included a ban on government agencies from establishing any type of COVID-19 vaccine requirement.
Evers also rejected a series of GOP bills that would add work and job search requirements for people seeking unemployment benefits. One measure would make people ineligible for benefits if they rejected a job offer or turned down more hours at work.
Another would tie how long someone could receive unemployment pay to the state's current unemployment rate. Department of Workforce Development officials said Thursday the state had recorded a record-high number of people currently employed amid a record-low unemployment rate.
Evers also vetoed what Republicans branded as a 'parents bill of rights.' It would ban schools and other agencies from interfering with what a parent deemed to be their child's religion, name and pronouns. Parents could also opt their kids out of lessons with which they disagreed.
"Unfortunately, this is another bill is another in a string of legislation aimed not at supporting our parents, our kids and our schools," Evers wrote in his veto message, "but at dividing our schools."
National Republican groups seized on the veto as the question of how issues like race and LGBTQ issues are taught in the classroom have mobilized voters in school board races across the country.
"Governor Tony Evers just vetoed a bill that would have created a Parental Bill of Rights in Wisconsin public schools," Maddie Anderson, regional press secretary for the Republican Governors Association, said in a statement. "Apparently, he learned nothing from [former Virginia Governor] Terry McAuliffe's loss in a state that Biden won by 10 points."
A GOP bill removing income limits for private school vouchers also met Evers's veto pen. Evers cited fiscal estimates that such a change could raise property taxes statewide by a total of more than $500 million as the state covered additional private school tuitions.
Regarding higher education, Evers vetoed a bill that would restrict how UW System universities and technical colleges could teach about race. The bill outlawed any lessons that stated any groups were responsible for the actions of their ancestors.
Republicans also sought to expand the ability for people to file elections complaints, including granting the ability to directly sue elections officials without first filing a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Evers vetoed that bill as well, the latest in a string of clashes over election policy.
Evers also vetoed a bill that would extend legal liability to manufacturers of guns and ammunition.
Evers signed a total of 15 bills into law, including legislation defining and enacting penalties for impersonating police officers and utility workers. Evers also approved bills modifying the state's campaign finance and lobbying laws. | 2022-04-16T03:07:59Z | www.wkow.com | Evers vetoes 28 bills, including ban on vaccine mandates, 'parents bill of rights' | Legislation | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/legislation/evers-vetoes-28-bills-including-ban-on-vaccine-mandates-parents-bill-of-rights/article_3bf68ed2-bcee-11ec-bf90-83fae467e991.html | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/legislation/evers-vetoes-28-bills-including-ban-on-vaccine-mandates-parents-bill-of-rights/article_3bf68ed2-bcee-11ec-bf90-83fae467e991.html |
Healthy man nearly dies from COVID-19, urges people to sign legal document for healthcare decisions
MADISON (WKOW) -- Madison man Mike Wiltse was perfectly healthy and newly-wed when he fell sick from COVID-19 and almost died. Now, he's urging everyone to sign a legal document stating their healthcare decisions in an emergency on this year's Healthcare Decisions Day.
When Wiltse got married to his wife Luciana in May 2021, he never expected that in just a few months he'd being handing over the reigns to his healthcare decisions just a few months later.
"I had no idea that I would contract COVID," Wiltse said. "Especially given the fact that I was fully boosted at the time."
Wiltse, his wife and father-in-law all tested positive for COVID-19 in August. While his wife and father-in-law had mild cases, Wiltse's condition only got worse and he ended up in the hospital for more than a month.
He spent three weeks in the ICU and 13 days on a ventilator. He experienced delirium and was incapacitated for days, and had no legal document stating how he wished to move forward.
"I will never forget when the doctor and clergy were in my hospital room asking me to sign, you know, a form that gave healthcare power of attorney to Luciana," Wiltse said.
Eventually, when Wiltse had to be moved to a ventilator, his wife Luciana was able to make the decision for him because of the last-minute signature, but it was nearly too late.
"We did a lot of the financial agreements kind of first, but not really health that much at all," Luciana said.
According to UW Health, only about 44% of patients over the age of 65 have a Power of Attorney for Healthcare, or a legal document stating their healthcare decisions if incapacitated.
Luckily, Wiltse recovered on the ventilator, but he still has long-term symptoms of COVID-19 today. He says he and his wife were sure to sing a Power of Attorney for Healthcare afterward, and urges everyone regardless of age to do the same.
"You never know when something's going to happen," Wiltse said. "If not COVID it could be a motorcycle accident, car accident. It could be anything that puts you into the hospital and put you in the situation that we were in."
UW Health currently offers free virtual workshops twice a month to help people learn how to create their own Power of Attorney for Healthcare documents. You can sign up and find more information on the documents here.
Mike Wiltse
Summerfest cancels for 2020 after earlier decision to postpone
Wisconsin dentists pitch in to donate medical supplies
Wisconsin now recommending new, shorter quarantine guidelines
Opponents explore pair of options for challenging statewide mask order
Getting Answers: Will people be stopped for violating stay at home order?
Wisconsin COVID-19 vaccine registry now open | 2022-04-17T01:10:52Z | www.wkow.com | Healthy man nearly dies from COVID-19, urges people to sign legal document for healthcare decisions | Coronavirus | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/coronavirus/healthy-man-nearly-dies-from-covid-19-urges-people-to-sign-legal-document-for-healthcare/article_f12f8956-bdda-11ec-ab7a-cbc89aed2826.html | https://www.wkow.com/coronavirus/healthy-man-nearly-dies-from-covid-19-urges-people-to-sign-legal-document-for-healthcare/article_f12f8956-bdda-11ec-ab7a-cbc89aed2826.html |
Top-ranked Wolfpack embrace 'next man up' mentality
MADISON (WKOW) -- The Madison College Wolfpack currently sit at the top of the NJCAA Division 2 national rankings but their journey to the top hasn't been an easy one. The team was hit with a number of injuries to begin the 2022 season and yet, they've powered through the adversity.
Head coach Mike Davenport is proud of the way his group has handled the challenges.
"We've been banged up all year [and it] started on our spring trip so anybody that we put in there has been good enough to compete and give us a chance," said Davenport.
The team also brings back a hefty amount of key contributors from last season's College World Series roster. A portion of the returners used their extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19's affect on past seasons. Their skipper knows experience can go a long way.
"It's been great to have leadership with our position players. It's a bunch of guys that have been together for for quite a while," said Davenport.
While the diamond crew is currently 23-3 overall and ranked No. 1 in the nation, sophomore catcher Eduardo Saucedo says they're not letting the mid-season results distract them.
"At the end of the day, you know, we still have to come out here and play. I mean, rankings don't matter once you're in the batter's box or on the field," said Saucedo, an Oregon native. "It's just about executing each pitch and understanding that we'll be able to do really good things if we're able to do that."
Madison College swept their Saturday doubleheader against Rock Valley College.
Eduardo Saucedo
Cain, Chacin pace Brewers past Cubs 1-0
Dr. Pothof: NCAA tournament bubbles required “super intensive” plan
Tomah girls prevail over Holmen in this MVC matchup
Badgers beat Nittany Lions in epic season finale
Trice, King land medical hardship waivers for Badgers | 2022-04-17T01:11:23Z | www.wkow.com | Top-ranked Wolfpack embrace 'next man up' mentality | Sports | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/sports/top-ranked-wolfpack-embrace-next-man-up-mentality/article_c99ec610-bdd8-11ec-8242-3352deb8e1f0.html | https://www.wkow.com/sports/top-ranked-wolfpack-embrace-next-man-up-mentality/article_c99ec610-bdd8-11ec-8242-3352deb8e1f0.html |
Starkweather Creek Spring Cleanup Ahead of Earth Week
MADISON (WKOW) -- One Madison environmental group got an early start to Earth Week by picking up trash along Starkweather Creek Saturday.
"Our mission is to take care of the creek, make the creek as healthy as it can be," said Lance Green, co-chair of the environmental group Friends of Starkweather Creek.
He said his group is dedicated to keeping Madison's largest watershed clean and usable.
"When people walk along Starkweather Creek or paddle along it, we want them to have a beautiful experience of nature and that just doesn't include trash," said Green.
"Starkweather Creek doesn't feel like you're in the city. So it's just a nice getaway without having to go too far out of Madison," said David Pulkowski, a volunteer.
He said Starkweather Creek is like a natural oasis and that's why he volunteered to help keep this haven- unsoiled.
"I just enjoy being out in nature and protecting the places that I love being in is important to me," said Pulkowski.
While some volunteers turned the tide to clean the creek, others like Jeanie Kramer; walked it.
"I sit out in my yard and on my deck and watch the abundance of wildlife right in my backyard. I think that Starkweather Creek is an amazing asset," said Jeanie Kramer, a volunteer.
Kramer said she's bagging trash near the creek to protect that wildlife.
"Birds especially are attracted to the bright colors of the aluminum and plastic that we picked up and sometimes they pick it up and try to eat them, which is really very harmful," said Kramer
Organizers said what's also harmful to our waterways is not always the junk that you place in trash bags.
"We have a lot of chloride build up from salting all the streets all the time.
We also have phosphorus that's from fertilizer that then goes into the lakes and makes those big algae blooms. We think of Starkweather Creek as a gem in our community," said Green
Organizers hoped to collect at least 15 bags of trash and recyclables.
On April 24, Friends of Starkweather is hosting 'Burning Nature' Event at Warner Park, where guests will be able to scoop out little critters from the pond and examine them through a microscope.
Lance Green
Jeanie Kramer
David Pulkowski | 2022-04-17T01:11:29Z | www.wkow.com | Starkweather Creek Spring Cleanup Ahead of Earth Week | Hydrography | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/hydrography/starkweather-creek-spring-cleanup-ahead-of-earth-week/article_4eb9cfa0-bdd6-11ec-9d5e-337d18c6b281.html | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/hydrography/starkweather-creek-spring-cleanup-ahead-of-earth-week/article_4eb9cfa0-bdd6-11ec-9d5e-337d18c6b281.html |
UW-Madison students raise $12,000 to benefit American Cancer Society
MADISON (WKOW) -- A group of UW-Madison students hosted a festival-style fundraiser in Madison Saturday to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
Grace Botzo, president of Relay for Life UW-Madison, said the group had been working to put the event on since the fall of 2020.
"We were just a group of students who wanted to make an impact on the fight against cancer, so we came together and started planning events, and the rest is history," Botzo said.
The event finally came to fruition Saturday with games, music and the opportunity to throw pies at student leaders for just $5.
In all, the students raised at least $12,000.
"Relay for Life is something that I think can be held really close to a lot of people's hearts because cancer affects so many people across the world, and it just provides a way for people to come together as a community and give back," Botzo said.
More information about the student's group, including where you can donate to the cause can be found here.
Grace Botzo
Life Uw
Despite COVID-19 surge, thousands attend Trump rally in Waukesha
Local experts weigh in on black communities disproportionate share of COVID-19 deaths
Authorities identify the driver killed in Green County crash
UPDATE: US 151 reopens near Sun Prairie following crash | 2022-04-17T07:21:11Z | www.wkow.com | UW-Madison students raise $12,000 to benefit American Cancer Society | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/uw-madison-students-raise-12-000-to-benefit-american-cancer-society/article_9455100e-bdf6-11ec-a184-e3da9719c19e.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/uw-madison-students-raise-12-000-to-benefit-american-cancer-society/article_9455100e-bdf6-11ec-a184-e3da9719c19e.html |
Woman stabbed, charged for breaking into Madison apartment building
MADISON (WKOW) -- Madison Police say a woman is facing charges after she was stabbed after forcing her way into an apartment building on the city's north side Saturday night.
According to an incident report from Lt. Jennifer Hannah, the woman came to the apartment in the 1900 block of Northport Drive to "settle a beef about something that was said at a birthday party."
The woman came to the apartment, and a male resident opened the door, pushed her away and told her to leave. However, the woman's brother was with her and entered the apartment at this point and began fighting with the man. The woman then also entered and allegedly attacked another woman, the girlfriend of the man renting the apartment.
Hannah says at one point, the man renting the apartment was able to grab a knife and stabbed the woman in the right side of her abdomen, and her right elbow. She is in the hospital and is expected to survive.
When she is released, Hannah says the female suspect will be arrested for Damage to Property, two counts of Disorderly Conduct, Battery and Residential Burglary.
The man who rents the apartment is facing possible Disorderly Conduct charges.
WI groups now recommended for vaccine have been on federal list for weeks
Janesville’s Jolly Jingle goes on, with precautions
Madison Police looking for person after officers say two ran from crash
Senate GOP leader: Court has to end back-and-forth on mask order
Endangered missing person alert canceled for Cudahy woman
UPDATE: Beltline crash involved stolen car, police say | 2022-04-17T18:36:30Z | www.wkow.com | Woman stabbed, charged for breaking into Madison apartment building | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/woman-stabbed-charged-for-breaking-into-madison-apartment-building/article_3985a9a8-be56-11ec-8821-c7d89695ea27.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/woman-stabbed-charged-for-breaking-into-madison-apartment-building/article_3985a9a8-be56-11ec-8821-c7d89695ea27.html |
Local doctors compare vaccine types and COVID-19 strategies as China struggle to contains Omicron surge
MADISON (WKOW) -- Wisconsin's Department of Health Services said the BA2 Omicron subvariant is now responsible for the majority of new COVID-19 cases in the United States.
Case levels are slowly increasing, but we haven't seen a major surge in the U.S. since January.
China's largest city, Shanghai, is the epicenter of the latest Omicron surge and doctors report several factors have impacted this outbreak like vaccine type. China primarily uses Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines.
"They're not nearly as effective as the mRNA vaccines, and those are the ones that they've been exclusively using in China," said Dr. Ottenbaker, SSM Health Wisconsin's VP of Ambulatory Clinical Programs.
Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines use a weakened or de-active form of COVID-19 to trigger immunity, which UW Health Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr. James Conway says has a big drawback.
"Those really aren't holding up very well to these new variants, and so that's why they've had to very quickly pivot to either trying to get their hands on some of the genetic vaccines," said Dr. Conway.
Pfizer and Moderna are the genetic vaccines primarily used in the U.S., which doctors said can be adjusted for protection against coronavirus variants.
"The great thing about these genetically made vaccines, the mRNA and DNA vaccines that we've got is those can actually be updated pretty quickly," said Dr. Conway.
Doctors also reported China's strict 'Zero Covid' strategy, which is mass testing, contact tracing and isolating the infected isn't adapting as the virus changes.
America's COVID strategies, like masking and testing, have been far less restrictive than China's 'Zero' policy, which doctors say has proven costly.
"That did result in us having more cases throughout the pandemic, maybe a higher percentage of folks, you know, getting really sick and passing away from COVID. I think we could see an increase in cases, at this point in the pandemic, with vaccination rates where they are," said Dr. Jeff Pothoff, UW Health Chief Quality Officer.
New cases of COVID-19 are increasing in Wisconsin.
However, the CDC still lists every county in the state as having a low community level.
James Conway
Jeff Pothoff
Ottenbaker | 2022-04-18T00:12:18Z | www.wkow.com | Local doctors compare vaccine types and COVID-19 strategies as China struggle to contains Omicron surge | Medicine | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/medicine/local-doctors-compare-vaccine-types-and-covid-19-strategies-as-china-struggle-to-contains-omicron/article_17312b08-be9b-11ec-a9bd-975e21e02f46.html | https://www.wkow.com/townnews/medicine/local-doctors-compare-vaccine-types-and-covid-19-strategies-as-china-struggle-to-contains-omicron/article_17312b08-be9b-11ec-a9bd-975e21e02f46.html |
Store sells supplies to make traditional Ukrainian Easter Eggs to benefit refugees
MADISON (WKOW) -- As the war rages on in Ukraine, a Madison business is uplifting the culture and history of the nation under attack through traditional Ukrainian Easter Eggs.
Orange Tree Imports has been selling the supplies to make traditional Easter eggs for four decades now. This year though, co-owner Carol "Orange" Shroeder said that they are donating all the proceeds to a charity that helps refugees.
"When the crisis happened with Russian aggression and Ukraine, we felt terrible. We feel a certain kinship with the culture and people of that area, so we decided that this year we would continue to sell these supplies but 100% of the proceeds would go to the International Rescue Committee," Shroeder said.
So far, Shroeder said they have already sold out a number of times. Despite this, they will continue selling the Easter egg making supplies beyond Easter.
"Every year, someone wants to try it," Shroeder said. "Its a unique method."
Orange Tree Imports is also selling sunflower keychains to honor Ukraine's national flower. If you donate to their cause, Shroeder said you will get one for free.
Carol Shroeder
Orange Tree
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After teacher's drag performance sparks controversy, students, staff show abundance of support
MIDDLETON (WKOW) -- After a teacher at Middleton High School performed in drag for students at a staff talent show, the performance went viral on social media, drawing both support and criticism.
The talent show, which is the annual culmination for the school's fine arts week, showcases art performances from various staff members. When French teacher Matt Kashdan heard about it, he knew he wanted to perform in drag.
"I'm like, this opportunity could be cool to show my art, my version of art," Kashdan said. "But it's also a cool opportunity for me to show students like — who cares? Just go be yourself."
Kashdan says his performance was thrilling and drew tons of excitement from the crowd. However, shortly after, a parent emailed a complaint to the school and shared their concerns on social media and with a conservative media outlet.
Suddenly, the performance went viral, drawing immense criticism from all over.
"People were calling me a groomer, people were calling me a pedophile, people are calling me a narcissist," Kashdan said. "It was homophobic."
While Kashdan had checked with an event organizer ahead of time to make sure his performance was okay, there wasn't any protocol in place for administrative approval.
In an email to families, school officials assured that going forward, the process would change saying:
Dear Cardinal Families,
I want to directly address what happened during the staff performance at the end of our Fine Arts Week last Friday.
The week was full of outstanding performances by our uniquely talented students and staff. One staff performance has created controversy and media attention. Fine Arts Week has been in place for many years and is a time-honored tradition enjoyed by students and staff alike. Staff performances have historically been part of the festivities. Traditionally, the administrative team has never approved or disapproved of staff performances that were part of the Fine Arts week schedule. Going forward, staff performances will be vetted by a team, including an Administrator.
We are committed to the Fine Arts week tradition and will do everything we can to make sure it remains a positive and rewarding experience for all involved. Our goal remains to be a learning community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for every member of our community. We are proud of our students and local community for all they are doing to create and maintain our safe learning environment and we expect that that will continue. As always if your student would like to talk more about this, Student Services Staff and Administrators are available.
However, after the criticism online, Kashdan says the school district and students showed him an incredible amount of support.
"The coolest thing was that when I went back to school after all of this media stuff had happen, all around the school there were these signs posted saying we support you, LGBTQ rights matter," Kashdan said.
After all of the ups and downs, Kashdan said he has no regrets and will continue to be a mentor to all students.
"This whole experience honestly made me want to do drag more," Kashdan said. "All this has done has just showed me the power of drag and how important it is for our community."
Matt Kashdan | 2022-04-18T05:51:49Z | www.wkow.com | After teacher's drag performance sparks controversy, students, staff show abundance of support | News | wkow.com | https://www.wkow.com/news/after-teachers-drag-performance-sparks-controversy-students-staff-show-abundance-of-support/article_b877d63a-bea3-11ec-a127-ef985721b0e9.html | https://www.wkow.com/news/after-teachers-drag-performance-sparks-controversy-students-staff-show-abundance-of-support/article_b877d63a-bea3-11ec-a127-ef985721b0e9.html |
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