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Thursday, November 5, 2009
EDUCATION
On the first anniversary of
his historic election victory, President Barack Obama went back to school
Wednesday, quickly reviewed the last 12 months and then made a pitch for the
future with a $4B education reform proposal.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/69125362.html
http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-091104-obama-speech-story,0,3510259.story
Democrats tried to pass a
bill Tuesday that would require schools that teach sx
education to instruct students about birth control, but Republicans blocked
final passage of the measure.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/69027272.html
A new enrollment study
projects that the
http://www.brookfieldnow.com/news/68921647.html
A suggestion to require 2.5
credits of math instead of the current two credits to graduate from Muskego
High School met with little enthusiasm on the Muskego-Norway School Board http://www.mymuskegonow.com/news/68840897.html
Instead of hiring a
consultant to help the Muskego-Norway School Board with planning, the board can
get virtually the same information from the city of
http://www.mymuskegonow.com/news/68840687.html
Ten years ago,
http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/11/04/ssfc_stricter_standa.php
Salaries for private
college presidents have hit more than $1M for 23 private colleges across the
country, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.
http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/11/04/private_college_head.php
School board to set
timeline for hiring new
It may be several weeks
before a
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20091104/APC0101/911040640/1003/APC01
Madison schools -- the
biggest loser; funding formula used was particularly unkind to Madison, which
overnight saw a gaping hole of more than $9M, a drop in aid not seen by any
other district in the state.
Other than an overwhelming
yes coming from those seeking the detachment, voters in the
http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/news/466692
http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/news/466700
In order to help balance
the school's budget, the
http://portagedailyregister.com/news/local/article_fa28bc98-c906-11de-9bd9-001cc4c002e0.html
Voters in the
The Southern Door School
Board voted on the 2009-10 budget and tax levy Monday. The district's budget
will be in a $131,000 deficit, and the tax levy has been raised from $7.53 to
$8.36.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091104/ADV01/911040463/0/ADV&theme=ADVNEWS
Chetek-Weyerhaeuser
consolidation referendum passes
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20385255&BRD=1134&PAG=461&dept_id=150853&rfi=6
The Fiscal Advisory
Committee met for the last time Monday at the MHS library to refine its
suggestions of budget cuts and revenue generating ideas to the Merrill Area
Public Schools administration and Board of Education for the 2010-11 budget.
http://www.merrillfotonews.com/content/1084_1.php
Recently, nine
http://www.waunakeetribune.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&ArticleID=2437&TM=62576.12
______
Obama: Shutter failing
schools and bring down the teacher 'firewall'
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-schools5-2009nov05,0,3477080.story
It's relatively small by
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/128045.html
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/military_unfityouths_recruiting_110309w/
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Derse Inc. has achieved
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certification from the
U.S. Green Building Council, making it the first industrial building in the
city of
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/11/02/daily54.html
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/68968012.html
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/68942282.html
Developer Rick Barrett has
spent the last 3 years of his life been working on The Moderne,
a planned 30-story building that will be built at the southwest corner of
http://www.biztimes.com/realestateweekly/
At the same time nearly a
half billion dollars is headed toward the Great Lakes as part of President
Barack Obama's ambitious ecosystem restoration program, nobody at the moment
appears to have the dollars to allow the U.S. Army of Corps of Engineers to do
regular maintenance on the new $9M Asian carp barrier.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/69129857.html
Horizon Development Group
will build 57 apartments instead of 48 condos south of the Alta Mira senior
apartments and west of the
http://www.menomoneefallsnow.com/news/68901112.html
http://www.menomoneefallsnow.com/news/68866632.html
Towne Investments has
purchased the
http://www.menomoneefallsnow.com/news/68667807.html
Plans to develop a hotel
complex in
http://www.oakcreeknow.com/news/68850637.html
The Watertown Common
Council approved the first reading of an ordinance implementing a revised
version of the city's comprehensive plan.
http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2009/11/04/news/news1.txt
A proposal to permit
"job shops" as a conditional use for highway and neighborhood
business districts in the City of
http://dailyunion.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=110&ArticleID=3773
The La Crosse Arts Board
will have a public meeting Thursday to hear thoughts and ideas about turning
the area around the Pump House and
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_0c9e100c-c958-11de-8d15-001cc4c002e0.html
Former federal Nuclear
Regulatory Commission member Peter Bradford does not believe nuclear power will
be a major answer to
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_51c0e4b2-c8fd-11de-b880-001cc4c002e0.html
http://foxpolitics.net/politics.iml?mdl=issues.mdl&Category=1&issue_id=37581
As soon as final financing
is complete, officials at a Wisconsin Rapids-based manufacturer intend to break
ground on a plant they say will create about 600 jobs. Members of the Wisconsin
Rapids Common Council unanimously approved a development agreement Tuesday with
Energy Composites Corp. to invest $5.3M in taxpayer money to support the
project.
A new farm subsidy program
could help more than just farmers. According to officials with the USDA, the
2008 farm bill has certain funds available to subsidize the harvesting, storage
and shipping of biomass products, such as corn cobs, grasses and wood waste
that could be used to make fuel or generate electricity.
http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=1325&yr=2009
With plans already underway
to build a new museum in Mazomanie, the North Freedom-based
http://www.wiscnews.com/spe/news/466713
The Door County
Comprehensive Plan 2030 provides local leaders a proactive and fresh approach
to development in their communities.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091104/ADV01/911040491/0/ADV&theme=ADVNEWS
The Sturgeon Bay Town Board
weighed its options on whether to fight a sand and
gravel pit moving there, after
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091104/ADV01/911040495/0/ADV&theme=ADVNEWS
The Vernon County Board of
Supervisors will consider an ordinance to adopt the county's comprehensive plan
at its meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 10.
http://www.vernonbroadcaster.com/articles/2009/11/04/news/00lead.txt
The city of
http://www.merrillfotonews.com/content/1086_1.php
A public hearing is set for
Nov. 12 on a proposal for a massive subdivision south of Waunakee that lies in
the Waunakee school district. The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission is
considering amending the county's land-use and transportation plan and water
quality plan to add the more than 900 acres into the Central Urban Service
Area.
http://www.waunakeetribune.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&ArticleID=2433&TM=62576.12
______
The Federal Reserve
repeated it will keep interest rates near zero for "an extended
period" and specified for the first time that policy will stay unchanged
as long as inflation expectations are stable and unemployment fails to decline
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=aiLPrCPDjWOQ
Economic crises have a
strange way of catalyzing market and policy innovation; This next economy will
be a low (or at least reduced) carbon economy, altering our energy sources, the
products we buy, the location and form of our communities, and how we get
around
http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2009/1012_seattle_katz.aspx
The Senate voted to extend
and expand a tax credit for homebuyers as an added boost for the recovering
real estate market, and also approved a provision to continue giving aid to the
long-term unemployed http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-tc-biz-senate-1104-1105-nov05,0,1434884.story
The Senate and House are
poised to agree on a compromise measure to extend unemployment benefits that
also would expand a popular $8,000 tax credit for homebuyers despite a recent
government report on extensive mistakes and suspected fraud in the program
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/us/politics/04cong.html?hp
A Housing Recovery with a
Solid Foundation; Even if policy supports are ended, home affordability and
shrinking inventory point to a sector on the mend. But don't expect recent price
increases to continue apace http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_45/b4154016692288.htm
Heavy doses of federal
funding and incentives are reviving the once dim prospects for all-electric
vehicles
http://americancityandcounty.com/topics/green/all-electric-vehicles-200910/?cid=200910topstory3
PUBLIC SAFETY
The Kenosha Fire Department
is adding an additional active ambulance to its services, without buying any
additional equipment or
adding any personnel.
http://www.kenoshanews2.com/news/fire_department_adds_fifth_ambulance_6679881.html
Lawmakers advanced
additional reforms Tuesday to crack down on
frequent background checks of day
care providers, barring workers guilty of serious crimes and creating new
whistleblower
protections.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/68932652.html
just outside the city limits.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/68884257.html
approved by the Common Council,
which also voted to raise sewer fees. The firefighters union has already
ratified the agreement, but
a ratification vote by the
police union is pending.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/69085787.html
Unless a settlement can be
reached for a second time, what could be a weeklong and sometimes salacious
hearing will be held this
month to determine whether
suspended Darien Police Chief Steven DeVoy will be
reinstated or terminated.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/69065277.html
State justice officials
want to hear from the public on a new rule that calls for police to collect
racial data during traffic
stops.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/69065002.html
Bayside Police Chief Bruce Resnick is hoping to enlist the support of the community to
raise $30,000 to purchase two cameras that
would be positioned on a pole at
Brown Deer and
village dispatch center around the
clock.
http://www.baysidenow.com/news/68974707.html
The Wisconsin Legislature
is on the verge of passing two pieces of legislation aimed at reforming the
drinking culture in the state.
Both the Assembly and
Senate have drafted bills that would toughen existing penalties and fines
against operating while under the
influence of an intoxicant.
http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/11/04/how_new_laws_could_c.php
The police union president
told the De Pere City Council 96 percent of the
police department has no confidence in Chief Derek
Beiderwieden. The chief disputed the
union's claims.
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=11439218
The Beaver Dam Police and
Fire Commission rejects invoice from hospital for sxual
assault cases
http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/news/466693
______
Reaction Housing; In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became obvious
that
people displaced by a natural
disaster
http://www.good.is/post/reaction-housing/
The Department of Homeland
Security opened a new operations center that integrates national cybersecurity and telecommunications
monitoring systems and provides a new
degree of situational awareness surrounding the nation's communications,
information
technology and cyber infrastructure
http://gcn.com/articles/2009/10/30/dhs-new-national-cybersecurity-operations-center.aspx
Swift and Certain:
http://www.governing.com/article/swift-and-certain-hawaiis-probation-experiment
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
January is now the target
date to bring a new Joint Services operating agreement and building lease
agreement to the Kenosha City
Council and
"shortsighted"
and urged them to reconsider.
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_a14ce2f8-c900-11de-9cc8-001cc4c002e0.html
opinion
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_7ba561e6-c8d9-11de-9391-001cc4c002e0.html
Effort launched to get
voter ID referendum on Tosa ballot
http://www.wauwatosanow.com/news/69110207.html
The Village Board has
declared Shorewood an "eco-municipality," making it eligible for
federal energy-related grants.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/69127297.html
The Monroe County Board
chairman was ousted in a recall election Tuesday, bringing to eight the number
of supervisors recalled by a
taxpayers group upset over a
proposed $27M justice center.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/69127082.html
A fair housing ordinance
introduced at South Milwaukee Common Council meeting would create a process for
making housing
discrimination complaints as well as a
board to hear them.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/69089672.html
their own positions. The salary
changes are for 2010, 2011 and 2012 and take effect after the next elections in
April. All the
elected officials affected by the
salary changes are up for election then.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/69079317.html
Because of time change,
deserve.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/69075092.html
health insurance program starting
in 2012. The council voted, 11-2, to eliminate the access for part-time elected
officials like the
aldermen and municipal judge, who
currently can participate in the plan if they pay 100 percent of the costs.
http://www.brookfieldnow.com/news/69030102.html
Brown Deer Village Board adopted
a 2010 budget that holds the line on wages and shifts the costs of crossing
guards and refuse and
recycling collection from the
village to the
http://www.mybrowndeernow.com/news/68855847.html
Germantown Village Board
decided to switch assessing firms by awarding a three-year contract to Accurate
Appraisals. The village's
assessor, Grota
Appraisals, came in with a bid of $270,000; Accurate's
bid was $88,500.
http://www.germantownnow.com/news/68907397.html
Instead of using a
collection agency,
The village had been paying
33 percent of the amount collected to a collection agency.
http://www.germantownnow.com/news/68892672.html
Menomonee board tables
sidewalk special assessment after residents raise objection
http://www.menomoneefallsnow.com/news/68875417.html
Drivers may as well start
using horses and buggies if
Jim Bohl.
Kagen seeks to save
Alderman dismayed at
Tuesday night's council meeting that a planning effort spanning years to give
Park a major facelift
seemed to be "all about panhandling." More specifically, the
discussion focused heavily on the plan's
inclusion of an ATM on the outside
of a new visitor's center, which would trigger the city's panhandling ordinance
and prohibit the
activity at one of the few places
on
The Madison City Council
approved Tuesday the addition of a citizen member and an alder to the city's
Alcohol License Review
Committee, and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said he will appoint a student to the citizen
member position.
http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/11/04/city_approves_civili.php
The Juneau County Board of
Supervisors will need to chop $298,000 from the county's proposed 2010 spending
following a public
hearing on the new budget Tuesday.
http://www.wiscnews.com/jcs/news/466742
First-term Seymour Mayor
Kenneth Rottier could face a recall election if a
petition filed Tuesday contains enough valid signatures.
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20091104/APC0101/911040632/1003/APC01
The executive committee of
the Brown County Board will hear a proposal to privatize the county planning
department in an open
session
Ledgeview village bid costs nearly
$450,000; Residents last year voted to support incorporation
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091104/GPG0101/911040537/1207/gpg01
The disc golf course at
be incompatible with
traditional park offerings.
http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/event/article/id/36512/
______
Charter Reform: Ways to
Think About It; When a community is considering the
form of government it wants to adopt, it would do well
to start by identifying the
problems it is trying to fix and articulating goals
Making Sense from
Information Overload; Governments need to apply the science of analytics to the
vast amount of data they collect
http://www.governing.com/column/making-sense-information-overload
NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Voters approved an $11.4M
addition to
http://www.kenoshanews2.com/news/trevor_school_addition_okd_6679870.html
Voters in the
available Wednesday.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/69094372.html
referendum question asked to issue
$9M in bonds to pay for roof, plumbing and electrical upgrades at five district
buildings, which
range in age from 50 to 90 years
old. It also sought security upgrades at entrances. The second question called
for issuing $13.6M
in bonds for expanded
cafeterias at two elementary schools; a new gym floor and a relocated orchestra
room for the middle school and
added space for music, science
and cognitively disabled students at the high school, as well as upgrading the
technology
infrastructure at all four schools.
http://www.whitefishbaynow.com/news/69018437.html
Both referendum questions
put to a vote in the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District on Tuesday were
defeated in every district,
according to final tallies. The
referendum sought $25M for a new middle school, technology center, swimming
pool and other
improvements, but voters emphatically
rejected both measures. The buildings were shot down by a 66 to 34 percent
margin and the pool
fell by a 74 to 26 percent
margin.
http://beta.sheboygan-press.com/article/20091104/SHE0101/91104020/1062/SHE01
HSR Associates Inc. on
Tuesday night could join Bray Associates Architects Inc. with schools to design
this winter. Or HSR's leaders
could be left with little more
to do than wonder what went wrong, as was the case for Sheboygan-based Abacus
Architects Inc. Either
way, the fate of HSR's winter workload is up to voters to decide.
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/tag/bray-associates-architects-inc/
The powers of persuasion
hit a frenzied pitch in
for school construction and
maintenance work. After the final votes were cast, the
two-part school district
referendum, one by a sizable margin.
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/10/30/whitefish-bay-boils-over-referendum/
Madison City Council gave
final approval for plans to renovate
ATM and
an outdoor theater.
http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/11/04/city_passes_peace_pa.php
Voters in the
http://www.wiscnews.com/wde/news/466684
The Fort Atkinson City
Council has taken the first steps in securing funding for its contribution
toward the Dwight Foster Public
Library
expansion and renovation project.
http://dailyunion.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=110&ArticleID=3770
Some almost half-century
old water and sewer infrastructure on the Menominee Indian Reservation is
getting a long overdue upgrade.
The $5M project at the new Neopit wastewater and water treatment facility is part of a
larger project that includes new wells, a new
pump house, a new water tank
and new sewer and water lines.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091104/GPG0101/911040543/1207/gpg01
A combination of health
insurance changes, eight possible early retirements and some minor cuts will
eliminate a $730,000 deficit in
the 2010
http://www.leadertelegram.com/local_news/story/article_c45a381f-a0c9-5df5-93c0-ec70d4eab95c.html
Construction bids are in
for the new suite-style residence hall at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens
Point, and the numbers are
far under initial estimates.
The city of
recommended entering into an
engineering services agreement with CEC to build a new concession
stand/restroom facility at Hodag
Park.
http://www.rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2009/11/04/news/doc4af1ab7314ea2637282164.txt
Minocqua township voters
decided by a resounding margin Tuesday to approve a referendum question to
borrow up to $1.6M to build an
addition to triple the square
footage of the Minocqua Public Library. The renovation/expansion project up for
consideration included
constructing a 11,700-square-foot
addition adjacent to the library's current facility on the
Department.
http://www.rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2009/11/04/news/doc4af1ad4ae86d1238501957.txt
If all goes as planned,
Waunakee will have another recreational hub when an ice rink opens next year.
The village board voted to
borrow $1M to fund site work and
provide a $500,000 no-interest loan to the Waunakee DeForest
Ice Rink board at their meeting
Monday.
http://www.waunakeetribune.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&ArticleID=2431&TM=62576.12
STATE & FEDERAL
The
the State Supreme Court after
heated debate Tuesday. The justice campaign reform bill creates public
financing of Wisconsin Supreme
Court elections through the
newly established Democracy Trust Fund, in which extra money generated by
higher donation limits is set
aside for the elections.
http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/11/04/wis_high_court_refor.php
______
With predictions that
next year, a draconian step
after billions in cuts since 2003 already have dented police and fire services,
pushed schools toward
insolvency and reduced oversight of
prison inmates
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2300940.html
Battered by a grim economy,
job-hungry Ohioans approved gaming establishments for
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/04/issue3.html
In a coup for House
Democrats, AARP will endorse sweeping health care overhaul legislation headed
for a history-making floor vote
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/national/article_891bb00c-c977-11de-a8c4-001cc4c002e0.html
African nations pushed
wealthy countries at U.N. climate talks to explain how they intend to cut their
greenhouse emissions under
the landmark global warming
agreement being negotiated
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009/11/04/un_climate_talks_focus_on_how_to_cut_emissions
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
EDUCATION
All
Videos help
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/education/article_bc37e760-bcd1-11de-ab8d-001cc4c03286.html
In response to the H1N1
scare that began last spring, the
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_fe42c61c-bd16-11de-ac03-001cc4c002e0.html
The First District
Wisconsin Court of Appeals has upheld a decision to dismiss a lawsuit against
the university that alleged a
Almost all area school
districts will receive less general state aid in 2009-10 than they did the year
before, according to figures released to school districts by the Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction.
http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/news1.txt
If
The Wisconsin
Interscholastic Athletic Association has approved a $7.9M operations budget for
2009-10. WIAA officials said that the budget recently passed by the Board of
Control reflects a growth in projected income in regional soccer, lower-level
football playoffs and state track and field ticket prices. Officials said the WIAA's expenses went up for insurance premiums, legal fees,
capital expenditures, building maintenance and the planned move of the State
Girls Basketball Tournament to the
http://www.channel3000.com/sports/21349623/detail.html
Enrollment in two-thirds of
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20091020/APC0101/910200446/1979
School property taxes in
the Fox Cities will increase an average of 7.1 percent when the December tax
bills arrive, according to a Post-Crescent survey of six school districts.
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20091020/APC0101/910200448/1979
The Green Bay School Board
on Monday voted to restructure the district's debt, a move aimed at reducing
the burden on taxpayers.
The
Three local charter schools
were awarded implementation renewal awards by the state for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
______
Colorado Court Clears Way for
School-Funding Suit; In an opinion that could eventually have profound
implications for Colorado's budget, the state Supreme Court ruled that a
challenge to whether the state spends enough on public schools can go forward
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13597369
University System Eyes
Partial Privatization; As state funding cuts loom in 2011, leaders of the
Colorado State University system have started considering converting to a
part-public, part-private structure in which students pay more for costlier
degrees
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13598052
The Governor of Michigan
flexed her veto muscle, wiping out $54M from a public school budget and putting
lawmakers on the spot to come up with more revenue for schools or see deep cuts
at 39 districts
Average published tuition
prices rose, as expected, across all types of colleges this year
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-10-20-college-costs_N.htm
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Company close to creating
88 jobs in
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_c2b9bdd8-bdae-11de-a8a5-001cc4c03286.html
Technology business leaders
in the state of
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/10/19/daily30.html
Government-backed business
lending soared in
http://www.jsonline.com/business/64964322.html
In 2005, Louther designed a two-building apartment complex on
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/10/20/apartment-project-catches-second-wind/
Restat LLC, a prescription
benefit management firm, will move from
http://www.biztimes.com/daily/2009/10/20/west-bend-company-to-move-to-milwaukee
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_16e7d304-bd2d-11de-adca-001cc4c002e0.html
Federal stimulus money has
enabled the state to create or retain an estimated 8,284 full-time jobs so far,
mostly by preventing layoffs of teachers, police officers and firefighters,
Gov. Jim Doyle reported Tuesday.
http://www.couleenews.com/articles/2009/10/20/thisjustin/06astatestimulus.txt
The Oneida County Board of
Supervisors is expected to vote Tuesday on whether the county should continue
to pursue the possibility of leasing county forest land for mining exploration.
http://www.rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/doc4adbdec315097902023449.txt
______
The Transportation
Secretary is pointing to the transportation industry as being one of the
engines that will help the nation's economy recover from the recession;
Highlights role of rail in recovery
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=330519&src=109
The Obama administration
unveiled steps to help state and local housing-finance agencies provide
mortgages and rental housing to thousands of low- and moderate-income families,
underscoring the expansive role the government has taken to stabilize the U.S.
housing market
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125597111553794473.html
Revised formula puts 1 in 6
Americans in poverty
http://www.galesburg.com/business/x826019245/Revised-formula-puts-1-in-6-Americans-in-poverty
Construction of new homes
edged up slightly in September, helped by a rebound in single-family
construction. But applications for building permits fell by the largest amount
in five months, a worrisome sign for future housing work
http://www.southtownstar.com/business/1834861,housing-september-1020.article
PUBLIC SAFETY
Violent crime in
The
Texting would be banned for
all
Three new community police
officers are planned for "hardest hit" neighborhoods of
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_4ff59f3c-bd19-11de-9d5c-001cc4c002e0.html
Pewauekee Common Council, with Mayor
Scott Klein breaking a tie, approved a resolution Monday night to disband the
Police Department and start contract negotiations with the Waukesha County
Sheriff's Department for police services. The 4-3 vote doesn't spell the end of
the Police Department. The council action likely sets the stage for a court
battle.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/64783892.html
Milwaukee County Sheriff's
Deputy charged with battery, misconduct in public office
http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-091020-deputy-charged,0,6067232.story
Citing a chance to grab
more dollars for its city coffers, the Sheboygan Common Council passed an
ordinance that would fine first-time offenders convicted of possessing 25 grams
or less of marij. up to
$1,000.
Managers of a
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20091020/WDH0501/910200629/1981
State environmental
officials want to regulate 15 new substances in groundwater. The state
Department of Natural Resources wants to amend existing groundwater standards
to include the new substances. DNR officials are working off state health
officials'
recommendations on substances that could
cause health problems. The list of materials includes agricultural pesticides and
compounds related to production of explosives and munitions.
http://www.channel3000.com/goinggreen/21349717/detail.html
Vaccine supplies are shot;
Demand high, access low for seasonal flu inoculation
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/local_news/news2001.txt
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/local_news/news2002.txt
Four thousand dollars could
mean the difference between continuing the Fire Department and dissolving it.
The Big Bend-Vernon Fire Department budget process came to a halt Oct. 13, when
the
http://www.livinglakecountry.com/mukwonagochief/news/64961047.html
Menomonie Mayor Dennis Kropp wants city officials to talk to school board members
about the police liaison officer position. The City Council on Monday turned
down an offer by the school district to pay $50,000 of the liaison's expenses.
http://www.leadertelegram.com/local_news/story/article_90862cc9-3c4f-5c33-9d99-84be355a25d8.html
Onalaska Police Chief
Jeffrey Trotnic wants one of his department's two
investigators fired for alleged mishandling of an investigation and an ensuing
attempt to cover it up.
http://www.courierlifenews.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/01walker.txt
______
Half of those hospitalized
with the new H1N1 virus are under 25, a clear illustration that the pandemic is
affecting the young disproportionately
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-SwineFlu/idUSTRE59J58H20091021
Armed with grim statistics,
experts and activists are mobilizing to demand expanded federal efforts _
including more funding and tougher oversight _ to reverse a recent rise in the
number of children dying from abuse and neglect http://www.pantagraph.com/news/national/article_f348cfe6-2f93-56a3-8b7b-8bd4d664f12a.html
Undocumented youths
arrested on felony charges in
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
A
in
regardless of whether they are
convicted.
http://www.kenoshanews2.com/news/homicide_suspect_must_pay_for_his_appointed_lawyer_6591587.html
Racine Mayor John Dickert's proposed 2010 budget includes a 1.43 percent tax
levy increase, but no layoffs or furloughs.
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_d8a484a2-bd1d-11de-9eaf-001cc4c002e0.html
Mayor John Dickert proposed recycling carts and an annual recycling
fee for
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_80366508-bd1b-11de-96f1-001cc4c002e0.html
Snow plowing on state roads
throughout southeastern
causing traffic hazards and slowed
traffic, according to public works officials from seven counties.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/64818382.html
A proposed
drawing criticism from a local
group.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/65008367.html
According to a county
supervisor who is advocating it, going to a cooperative-style of operation at
Countryside Home would be the
best way to get around selling
the relatively new facility.
http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/news2.txt
http://dailyunion.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=110&ArticleID=3652
against the company.
Avenue into a more
pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly thoroughfare.
http://host.madison.com/ct/business/article_aa8eb0bc-bd61-11de-8d40-001cc4c03286.html
next to or moving a landmark
Frank Lloyd Wright house.
Planning and Development
Services officials will review a proposal on Monday night to help some
homeowners on the
was devastated by the flooding
that affected southern
http://www.channel3000.com/news/21344024/detail.html
The Sun Prairie Transit
Commission expects to break even in 2009 despite recently declining ridership
figures
http://www.sunprairiestar.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&ArticleID=4051&TM=59886.2
South
each with fees to go up Jan. 1
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/local_news/news2006.txt
county jail.
http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/466036
Lisbon Town Board voted to
recommend to town voters an approximately $4.1M 2010 budget that includes a 5
percent increase in the tax
levy and a 4 percent increase
in the tax rate from $2.77 to $2.88 per $1,000 assessed valuation.
http://www.livinglakecountry.com/sussexsun/news/65004027.html
The
department from the Courthouse to the
former Wisconsin Public Service building at
http://www.rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/doc4addbb500b7fc218624613.txt
______
Turbulent political and
economic times are expected to diminish initial participation by households in
next year's census
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2009-10-19-census_N.htm
NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Pleasant Prairie Village
Board unanimously approved a resolution Monday night that could net the village
$1.8M in interest-free,
tax-credit bonds. The bonds would be
used to pay the costs for going green at the new 50-meter swimming pool
addition planned for
the RecPlex.
http://www.kenoshanews2.com/pleasantprairie/village_wants_to_go_green_for_pool_6591585.html
A shortfall in private
donations threatens to put a $27M University of Wisconsin-Madison hockey
project on ice. The
addition designs, drawn up by
Milwaukee-based Kahler-Slater Architects Inc., will
be presented to
on Wednesday. But if
university officials cannot raise more money for the project in the next two
months, the addition may be
shelved.
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/10/20/uw-madison-hockey-rink-plans-in-jeopardy/
An
mountain of deferred maintenance
projects.
aging population, as well as a
chance for more social interaction. The 120-bed nursing home facility, which
will be built behind the
hospital off
http://portagedailyregister.com/news/local/article_53b2b62c-bd33-11de-b8fc-001cc4c03286.html
Rhinelander school board
unanimously approved going to the public April 6, 2010 to ask "to exceed
the revenue limit by $1.5M in each
of the next three
years," and "to authorize general obligation bonds in an amount not
to exceed $13.7M, for the public purpose of
paying the cost of remodeling,
renovating, improving and/or adding to district buildings."
http://www.rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/doc4addbb1fdede0740498891.txt
The city of
departments. At a special Monday night
meeting, the City Council awarded the contract for the project to John Wanta Builders of
Hatley. Fire Chief Terry Williams
sad the low bid of $874,400 is 26 percent under budget.
http://www.rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/doc4addbb760ef37626154764.txt
Boulder Junction electors
will vote tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m., on the issue of whether the
town should move forward with
the construction of a new community
building to include an expanded library, town offices and extra spaces for
public use.
http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=9&ArticleID=10329&TM=61600.61
STATE & FEDERAL
People who sell less than
$5,000 a year worth of food they can at home would not have to get licensed by
the state under a bill
before the state Assembly.
http://www.thecountrytoday.com/story-news.asp?id=BLGLUH3102R
______
Is that cut really a cut? A
number of items in the Governor of New York's plan to close a $3 billion
deficit by March 31 rely on
assumptions that aren't sure bets, or
represent one-time moves
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=854721
being looked at by a
legislative committee seeking ideas on how to deal with a 10 percent
across-the-board budget cut ordered by the
Governor
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13598054
A federal judge halted
starting Nov. 1
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2264809.html
Burning of fossil fuels is
responsible for about $120 billion in annual health costs nationwide, mostly
because of thousands of
premature deaths from air pollution,
the National Academy of Sciences reported
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/science/earth/20fossil.html
While warming temperatures
long have been seen as an environmental threat, a new
forests of the
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-trees-warming20-2009oct20,0,2783735.story
The
conference on the issue in
issue of global warming
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/world/asia/article_7dfdb641-d9e8-54da-bb59-9f6e433d7111.html
Thursday, September 24,
2009
EDUCATION
Negotiations between the
http://www.kenoshanews2.com/news/heated_exchange_6424554.html
Following North Star: Shaw
discusses long-term plan for Unified students' success
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_b5d6f792-a7de-11de-ac3a-001cc4c002e0.html
The
http://www.jsonline.com/business/60689167.html
The
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/09/23/news/local_news/news2308.txt
Not for the first time in
the last several months, the Menomonie School Board has found itself thankful
that closing
Although declining
enrollments have been a major issue over the past several years, the opposite
is true when it comes to this year's kindergarten class sizes in two of the
city's schools.
http://www.dunnconnect.com/articles/2009/09/23/news/doc4ab946d62a7d0407012063.txt
Recession, family economic
troubles tax school resources
Arbor Vitae-Woodruff eyes
ways to cut costs, share services
http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=9&ArticleID=10175
University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point focuses on H1N1's classroom impact
Three
http://www.shawanoleader.com/articles/2009/09/23/news/news4.txt
Colby schools' mil rate
expected to drop significantly for 2010
http://www.centralwinews.com/tribune/frames/sept_23/colbymilrate.html
Waunakee residents weigh in
on school referendum
http://www.waunakeetribune.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&ArticleID=2220&TM=63143.36
http://www.greendalenow.com/communitywatch/60299912.html
Parents fighting the school
district's proposed redistricting plan urged the administrators Tuesday night
to come up with an option that doesn't including moving more than 240 students
out of
http://www.menomoneefallsnow.com/news/60706957.html
______
In what Los Angeles,
California school district officials hope is the first of several concessions
by labor unions, bus drivers have agreed to take six unpaid days off this fiscal
year; The district is facing a nearly $200M budget shortfall this fiscal year
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd-bus23-2009sep23,0,1967227.story
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Controversy over West
Racine project; developer Tom Tousis has proposed
building a grocery store with fuel pumps, a sit-down restaurant and a bank http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_f33e67ec-a7ce-11de-a937-001cc4c03286.html
When the economy reboots,
chief financial officers are planning to improve their information technology
systems, according to a survey by Robert Half Management Resources.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/09/21/daily36.html
New Pick
'n Save store planned for
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/60695082.html
Four women-led Wisconsin
companies are among the 18 selected to make pitches for venture capital at a
three-city road show that will kick off in
http://www.jsonline.com/business/60696322.html
The plans for a large
shopping center at the Pabst Farms development, which have been on hold, are
likely to change, says Oconomowoc Mayor Maury Sullivan.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/60673342.html
Redevelopment prospects for
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/60288827.html
Redevelopment prospects for
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/60288827.html
The Milwaukee Water Council
has been awarded a $172,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to help
plan for water-related economic development. Specifically, the grant funds a
study of how best to strengthen and enhance the
http://www.biztimes.com/daily/2009/9/23/milwaukee-lands-federal-grant-to-develop-water-cluster
A
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/09/23/wright-house-hamstrings-madison-development/
Several farmers' futures
have been soured by the
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/environment/article_d6faa37a-b2df-5dcb-93f1-abf307687d51.html
Tribes behind the Beloit
Casino Project remain "guardedly optimistic" after a national
newspaper this week reported the Obama administration is reconsidering
decisions made under the Bush presidency http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/09/23/news/local_news/news2305.txt
Two projects hoping to
utilize tax-exempt bonds took a step closer to them when the Oshkosh Common
Council gave the effort unanimous approval Tuesday.
Unemployment numbers
released today for the
The state shipbuilder
doesn't want to put all its eggs in one basket, so company leaders are trolling
the market for possibilities.
http://www.wiscnews.com/spe/news/464997
The move for WireTech Fabricators into
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090923/ADV01/909230466/0/ADV
Variance requests for a new Kohl's department store will come before the Rice Lake
Zoning Board of Appeals when it meets Monday at 5 p.m. at City Hall. The
Milwaukee-based retailer, with over 1,000 stores nationwide, plans to build a
64,000 square foot store on the lot east of Menards.
http://www.chronotype.com/main.asp?SectionID=32&SubSectionID=113&ArticleID=18141
An 86,000 square foot
theater complex could grace Cameron's streets if a new proposal becomes a
reality.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20372423&BRD=1134&PAG=461&dept_id=150853&rfi=6
Members of the town of
http://www.brookfieldnow.com/news/60517102.html
Each year the
reconstruction of
http://www.elmgrovenow.com/news/60737197.html
A new ownership group is
taking over a stalled residential development at Blackstone Creek, an area
along
http://www.germantownnow.com/news/60303982.html
The Whitefish Bay Village
Board voted to approve the transfer of two parcels in
http://www.shorewoodnow.com/news/60281407.html
The West Allis Common
Council has given final approval for the city to purchase eight residential
properties, the old
http://www.westallisnow.com/news/60012102.html
City Market eyed for
http://www.whitefishbaynow.com/news/60031397.html
Whitefish Bay Business
Improvement District will partner to offer up to $50,000 in grants to certain
types of businesses that would locate in the BID area along
http://www.whitefishbaynow.com/news/60338467.html
______
Kohl's Department Stores is
preparing for the Sept. 30 grand opening of 37 stores, including 30 in
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/09/21/daily41.html
The American Institute of
Architects' Architecture Billings Index -- a key indicator of future construction
activity -- dropped to its lowest level in four months in August after showing
an improvement the previous month.
The August index was 41.7,
down slightly from 43.1 in July, when it was up six percentage points from
June.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/09/21/daily38.html
Although stimulus money
will pump billions of dollars into the state and national economies, the money
is coming wrapped in legal red tape that could prove complicated and costly.
About $26.7B of nearly $800Bin American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money is
destined for
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/09/23/ny-stimulus-money-comes-with-strings-attached/
Seeking relief from what it
calls "adverse effects of the Central Corridor light rail line," the
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/09/23/university-of-minnesota-sues-over-light-rail-project/
"Vital Communities
Toolbox" catalogues a variety of planning tools that are available to
assist communities in the creation and preservation of affordable housing
http://www.co.tompkins.ny.us/planning/vct/3.html
The Federal Reserve on
Wednesday upgraded its assessment of the
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32980973/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/
GM, Tech Firm to Add 2,000
Jobs; Michigan, reeling from the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in
recent years, got a boost as companies representing the state's automotive past
and technology future announced plans with the potential to put 2,000 or more Michiganians to work
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090923/BIZ/909230378/Michigan-gets-jobs-boost
The Governor of Iowa says
he is "outraged" that "some" movie companies have taken
advantage of a state program designed to lure the film industry to
PUBLIC SAFETY
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has added a Cedarburg site to its list of hazardous-waste
sites.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/60767312.html
Lending police to
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/noquarter/60481917.html
The federal government
expanded a terrorism warning from transit systems to
http://www.jsonline.com/news/usandworld/60482327.html
State officials took
short-term steps to improve DNA collection from felons while planning a meeting
later this week to discuss long-term changes to the system and how to close a
12,000-felon gap in the state's DNA databank.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/60314497.html
New "cable"
traffic barriers are going up in the median on the interstate system
http://wclo.com/news/2009/sep/23/dot-adds-safety-barriers-interstate/
The Watertown Police
Department will soon begin to conduct identification compliance checks at
establishments that sell alcohol in the city thanks to a $10,000 grant from the
Jefferson County Delinquency Prevention Council.
http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2009/09/23/news/news4.txt
The addresses of four
registered sx offenders matched those of licensed
child care providers in
Children and teens
practicing safety will be rewarded with a free music download from the La
Crosse Police Department and AAA Wisconsin during the "Get Stopped for
Safety" program running Thursday to Oct. 29.
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_1026602e-a871-11de-89e0-001cc4c002e0.html
The
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_2359f374-a7f7-11de-8fd6-001cc4c03286.html
While many Wisconsin
counties struggle to collect felon DNA samples listed as missing from the state
database,
http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20090923/WRT0101/909230652/1806/WRT01/
Proposals designed to stop
pollution from mercury and limit the amount of electronic waste in landfills
have passed the Legislature.
One bill passed Tuesday by
the Assembly would require electronics manufacturers to arrange for recycling
of their products to cut down on so-called e-waste being dumped in landfills.
Under the bill, it would be illegal to dump in a landfill
electronic equipment like computers, TVs and other devices that contain toxic
materials such as lead and mercury. The measure has already passed the Senate.
While the goal to end
underage alcohol consumption is embraced by
The Wisconsin Assembly and
Senate on Wednesday approved legislation to ban the sale of certain products
containing mercury.
http://www.superiortelegram.com/event/article/id/37426/
http://www.waukeshanow.com/communitywatch/60275967.html
______
Indiana's rules for
recording police interrogations will rank among the nation's most stringent
under a new mandate that requires police to videotape most statements made by
felony suspects
Helping Local Police
Departments Solve Cold Cases
http://policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=1891&issue_id=92009
The National Rifle
Association says Americans usually buy about 7 billion rounds of ammo a year.
That figure has jumped to about 9 billion in the past year http://www.herald-review.com/news/national/article_2ceb403d-c240-58f6-8bbd-b3815a76660d.html
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Stalled projects cost
village;
http://www.kenoshanews2.com/news/stalled_projects_cost_village_6424576.html
The city is looking to
switch tracks on the ownership for
http://www.kenoshanews2.com/news/city_plans_to_lease_train_station_to_transit_agency_6424569.html
A former child care center
director was likely fired in retaliation for complaining about age, gender and
religious discrimination, a federal agency's review determined.
By the end of next year,
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett hopes to have shaved more than a century off the
time it takes city workers to repave or replace residential streets.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/60469987.html
The Waupaca County Board
ordered five-day furloughs Tuesday for the county's 480 employees to help plug
a $1M budget shortfall.
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20090923/APC0101/909230532/1979
Still staring down at a
$1.7M budget gap for next year, the Sheboygan Common Council's Committee of the
Whole endorsed a 2010 budget resolution Tuesday night that calls for a zero
percent increase in the property tax rate, extends a hiring freeze throughout
next year for all positions and resumes the city's capital improvement program
with a minimum of $2M in projects.
The public will have a
chance to weigh in on the Brandon Sewer and Water Utility's application to
increase water rates.
Local leaders say federal
and state dollars are critical to the existence of general aviation airports
like the
City and village leaders
are fighting a state bill that would limit their rights to review developments
in neighboring towns.
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/09/23/town-rights-bill-draws-municipal-backlash/
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_b137d02c-d1eb-5f77-81f7-71f1b8d95e03.html
No-layoff clause
manageable, according to Beloit officials; Three bargaining units so far have
agreed to the city manager's wage freeze request for 2010-2011 on the condition
of a no-layoff clause.
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/09/23/news/local_news/news2302.txt
The Local 2537 chapter of
the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) on
Monday became the second union to accept, with conditions, a request made by
the
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/09/23/news/local_news/news2303.txt
The destructive emerald ash
borer has been found in a sixth Wisconsin county. The state agriculture
department says the tree-killing beetle has turned up in
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=11184367
The
Lawmakers to draft
legislation on how to protect, use groundwater supplies
http://www.shawanoleader.com/articles/2009/09/23/news/news2.txt
Mayor Sue Sossaman has told the DNR that Abbotsford will come up with
a final plan for addressing its water shortages in six months and provide a
timeline by April for getting the project completed.
http://www.centralwinews.com/tribune/frames/sept_23/abbywater.html
A financial update from the
Shell Lake City Council on the airport improvement project Monday, Sept. 14, at
city hall, revealed that the city should be getting money back.
http://www.wcregister.net/link.asp?smenu=73&twindow=&sdetail=6615&mad=&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=
Since a committee formed to
map a
http://www.waunakeetribune.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&ArticleID=2221&TM=63143.36
http://www.germantownnow.com/news/60364652.html
Thiensville is challenging
the Wisconsin Department of Administration's population estimate for the
community.
http://www.mequonnow.com/news/60387952.html
http://www.waukeshanow.com/news/60045447.html
______
"How It Plays in
http://www.icma.org/main/ns.asp?nsid=4884&p=1
How Four-Day Weeks Work; This alternative schedule can improve efficiency and
work-life balance, but how is it implemented?
http://www.governing.com/column/how-four-day-weeks-work
"Prefunding Other Post
Employment Benefits (OPEB) in State and Local Governments: Options and Early
Evidence", takes a hard look at the options state and local governments
are pursuing to reduce their unfunded liabilities for retiree health care
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-14/125366730571070.xml&coll=1
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention just released its first comprehensive set of
evidence-based recommendations on how local governments can address the
nation's obesity epidemic with policies and programs that encourage physical
activity and healthy eating
http://www.icma.org/main/ns.asp?nsid=4861&LGM=1
NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Two aging dams will receive
upgrades valued in the tens of M's of dollars over the next five six years,
Wisconsin Power & Light Co.
said Wednesday.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/60677617.html
A developer wants the city
of
Nearly $19.4M in federally
subsidized loans are now available for businesses and
government to fund facility and infrastructure projects in
Manitowoc County Board
supervisors voted to seek bond financing of up to $15.4M to pay for a new
Construction of
County Board's finance
committee's rejection Tuesday of a $48,000 capital expenditure for
high-security doors for the district attorney's and victim-witness
coordinator's offices didn't come without a lengthy discussion about overall
security issues in the Columbia County Courthouse.
No where to grow ...
http://www.wiscnews.com/spe/news/464998
STATE & FEDERAL
In a move that would
sharply weaken the powers of the governor to manage natural resources, the
Assembly voted to return authority to appoint the secretary of the Department
of Natural Resources to a seven-member citizens board.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/60417227.html
States aim at ACORN, but
little money at stake
http://www.gmtoday.com/news/front/topstory02.asp
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/09/23/federal-highway-plan-rolls-toward-deadline/
The state Natural Resources
Board has approved hearing dates and locations for proposed changes to
http://www.wrn.com/2009/09/a-sixteen-day-deer-season/
______
Tracking States' Spending
Sites; The states are promising transparency on
stimulus spending
http://www.propublica.org/special/chart-tracking-states-spending-trackers
The Obama administration
began a Web program that eliminates red tape in the immigration process by
allowing applicants to follow their status via text message and e-mail http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/22/AR2009092202424.html
Congressional Democrats and
the White House have begun paring some of the more controversial elements of
the Obama administration's proposal to overhaul supervision of financial
markets as they begin an intensive push to gin up broader support for
legislation
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125371201220533929.html
The Senate Finance
Committee rejected a Republican effort on Wednesday to delay a final vote on a
broad healthcare overhaul as it slowly battled through a crush of amendments on
its cost, size and timing
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN2349621420090923
The EPA said that it will
require the nation's biggest emitters of greenhouse gases to start tracking
their emission levels on Jan.
1 and report them to the
government. The new rules would require 10,000 industrial sites and suppliers
of petroleum products to submit the data beginning in 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/business/energy-environment/23emissions.html
Climate Week: Don't
Celebrate Too Soon; The path to
http://www.newsweek.com/id/215986
Thursday, August 27, 2009
EDUCATION
Despite the threat of
mayoral control, Milwaukee Public Schools Board President Michael Bonds said
Tuesday he will continue working
to restore the public's
confidence in the school district.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/08/24/daily27.html
Milwaukee Public Schools should
create a new accountability services office that can provide the district with
much-needed
transparency, oversight and an annual
fiscal review
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/54877872.html
High schools offer much
longer orientation to incoming freshmen
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/54879832.html
The
not all - of its latest budget
deficit. The district faces about a $3.8M shortfall for the 2009-10 school year
because of a
greater-than-expected drop in state aid.
With a week before the
first day of school, the Beloit Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously
approved the final details
regarding the teen parent program.
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/local_news/news2602.txt
Historic partnership of
http://wistechnology.com/articles/6435/
The University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point has been named a military-friendly school for 2010 by
G.I. Jobs
University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point to lay out which classes will count for transfer
students
The Southern Door School
District may look at a possible referendum to override state spending limits in
the coming months.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090826/ADV01/908260471/0/ADV&theme=ADVNEWS
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090826/ADV01/908260472/0/ADV&theme=ADVNEWS
university $1,068,552, the largest
gift in the school's 135-year history. Miller died Nov. 16 last year. According
to a UW-RF news
release, the money will be used to
establish endowed scholarships
http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/event/article/id/35584/
With no comments from the
small gallery in attendance, the Antigo school board Tuesday approved a 2009-10 budget that trims many
areas of spending but increases
the amount that must be raised through local property taxes.
http://www.antigodailyjournal.com/full.php?id=9028
The Viroqua Area School Board
decided to pursue a virtual school option for a student at a special meeting
held Monday evening.
http://www.vernonbroadcaster.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/02story.txt
Waunakee ACT scores dip
slightly, still above state and national averages
http://www.waunakeetribune.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&ArticleID=2100&TM=63039.53
Academically ineligible
students wishing to participate in fall sports may get a reprieve from the
Nicolet School Board. Assistant
Football Coach Brian Sommers asked the board to consider a change in policy that
would allow a grade review on Sept. 18 for those
ineligible students.
http://www.baysidenow.com/news/54771452.html
Residents approve 2009-2010
Nicolet tax levy
http://www.baysidenow.com/news/54779112.html
Elmbrook will use federal stimulus
funding to pay five special education teachers and one speech pathologist
http://www.brookfieldnow.com/news/54786352.html
http://www.mybrowndeernow.com/news/54786357.html
Whitnall board may use consultant
for superintendent search
http://www.franklinnow.com/news/54640792.html
attempts to obtain funding for a
new school.
http://www.germantownnow.com/news/54768337.html
The Germantown School Board
on Monday ratified the 2007-10 AFSCME contract, which
includes back pay of about $155,000 and $294,000
for the 2007-08 and 2008-09
school years, respectively.
http://www.germantownnow.com/news/55039737.html
By refinancing long-term
debt and shifting capital improvement and fund balance funds,
reduce the property tax impact of
a $1M loss in projected state aid.
http://www.germantownnow.com/news/54780382.html
http://www.greendalenow.com/news/55114382.html
The Menomonee Falls School
Board on Monday approved a three-year contract with Johnson Bus. Board member
Ron Bertieri said the
district will see $55,000 in
savings in the first year and $37,000 each in the second and third years over
the previous contract
with the company.
http://www.menomoneefallsnow.com/news/54786787.html
principals.
http://www.menomoneefallsnow.com/news/54793472.html
stimulus dollars at a Special
Education Parent Network meeting Sept. 2.
http://www.wauwatosanow.com/news/54811622.html
______
For schools, use of
stimulus money falls short of big hopes; The
announcement earlier this year that roughly $100 billion in federal
stimulus funds would flow to public
schools came with great expectations - both for saving jobs and for fostering
reforms in
education. But the way the funding
is being used so far is decidedly more mundane
In a startling
acknowledgment that the
Education approved a plan that
could turn over 250 campuses-including 50 new multi-M facilities-to charter
groups and other outside
operators
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd-schools26-2009aug26,0,4203620.story
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09238/993252-298.stm
This fall,
10 school districts, all in
the southern part of the state, are required to open their doors to 5-year-olds
for the first time
Two
public after a school secretary
was cleared on similar charges
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-08-25-school-prayer_N.htm
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Milwaukee-based Wired
Properties plans to build a mixed use building with 25 apartments and 11,000
square feet of first floor retail
space at the northeast corner of
be 3 stories tall. The $8M
development will also include 46 underground parking spaces and 33 surface
parking spaces behind the
building.
http://www.biztimes.com/realestateweekly/
The state is purchasing 400
acres of land around an undeveloped lake in
Stewardship Fund for $1.7M
to preserve the natural area around
aspen, white birch and mixed
northern hardwood trees.
The Fond du Lac County
Board of Supervisors will meet in closed session Thursday at 7 p.m. to discuss
"negotiating strategies and
funding alternatives related to
Mercury Marine."
The union at Mercury Marine
that rejected some wage and benefit concessions is researching whether a second
vote is possible.
Sales of new homes rose 9.6
percent from June to July, according to the Commerce Department, to an annual
pace of 433,000. Sales
nationally were still down 13.4
percent from a year earlier.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/08/24/daily41.html
The state of
of Energy Secretary Steven
Chu said Wednesday.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/08/24/daily47.html
A proposal to renovate some
historic
would receive over $2M in city
financing, up from a previous recommendation of $1.5M
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/55019927.html
Francesca's Restaurants, an
18-unit Italian restaurant chain based in
is considering locations in
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/55037272.html
Pet supplies retailer Petco might join discount clothing seller T.J. Maxx in
opening a new store at a reviving
center.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/54817262.html
Supporters and opponents of
a proposed $109M redevelopment of the Edgewater Hotel politely but passionately
clashed Tuesday on the
potential impact on the surrounding
neighborhood.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/463370
More talk is yielding more
disagreement over the proposed redevelopment of
and residents argue over the
big picture, it's the details that will seal - or break - the deal.
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/08/26/historic-hotel-rehab-hinges-on-details/
New TIF districts spark
growth spurt in Brillion; City sees $18.5M in new buildings in 12 months
Bay Shipbuilding Co. filed
a notice with the state that it anticipates laying off as many as 405 people
this fall due in large part
to the economy.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090826/GPG0101/908260538/1978
The Fond du Lac County
Historical Society continues to negotiate on the possible purchase of the
historic Postilion property but
says it will need funds for the
acquisition; launching a $500,000 capital campaign
perty
A giant construction
company's role in winning a $20.8M federal contract reserved for small
businesses has at least one contractor
raising concerns.
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/08/26/miron%e2%80%99s-role-in-small-business-contract-questioned/
Without a redesign,
neighborhood.
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/08/26/integration-of-housing-project-neighborhood-in-works/
City looks for ways to
connect with developers; As the city with the highest
unemployment rate in the state, city officials of
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/local_news/news2603.txt
A proposed new tax
increment financing district on
afternoon as the panel advanced it
to city council review Sept. 15.
http://dailyunion.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=110&ArticleID=3179
train make
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20090826/APC0101/908260579/1979
Latest vision for 480-acre
property - as a nine- to 12-farm development - has gained some traction. At
least with the town of
Onalaska's
Plan Commission.
Members voted to recommend
approval of a rezoning request by Gavaghan LLC that
would make way for the creation of several 35-acre
farms.
http://www.courierlifenews.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/03seversonfarm.txt
Shopko Stores Operating
Co., LLC, of Green Bay and the owner of Country Inn & Suites Microtel and
Fairfield hotels in Appleton and
http://www.marketplacemagazine.com/blogs/blog1.php
Local developer Dan Schott
has had a busy week at City Hall. Last week, a petition signed by more than 100
west-side residents was
handed to the Sturgeon Bay Plan
Commission by Alderman James Abeyta in opposition to
a conditional-use permit for Schott's two new
apartment buildings. Commissioners
voted unanimously to postpone the decision.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090826/ADV01/908260479/0/ADV&theme=ADVNEWS
Aurora Health Care is
closing its Clintonville clinic Friday, but plans are still on track for the
opening of a new clinic in
Shawano next year
http://www.shawanoleader.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/news2.txt
Commercial developer Paul Lynch,
president of PLH & Associates LLC., is negotiating with village officials
over the amount of tax
incremental financing his company will
receive for a hotel it plans to build on
http://connectoregonwi.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=1351&TM=62915.21
Fed up with little
direction on a future
planning committee to disband.
http://www.waunakeetribune.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&ArticleID=2099&TM=63039.53
______
More signs of
of the state of the world's
largest economy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8222879.stm
Shares of home builders
jumped on news that new-home sales climbed more than anticipated in July,
staging their fourth straight
month of strong gains, and
adding more evidence that the housing market is emerging from the worst
downturn in decades
States go head-to-head to
lure businesses
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-08-25-state-raiding_N.htm
GIS Crossing Government
Lines; As powerful as they are, most geographical
information system developed during the past decade were
created in isolation from one
another
http://gcn.com/articles/2009/08/10/gis-integration-state-local-federal.aspx
Smart urban growth
development is linked with rural land protection under a visionary partnership
agreement between the City of
http://www.transformgov.org/govnews_details.asp?newsid=1935
Green at City Scale; As part of an evolving "eco-district" policy,
individual structures to focus on
greening entire neighborhoods
http://www.governing.com/article/green-city-scale
What Would Get Americans
Biking to Work? Surveys have shown that the leading deterrent to potential
bicycle commuters is lack of a
safe, secure parking spot on
the other end
http://www.slate.com/id/2225511/
The suburbs have long been
unsustainable, and now they are becoming ruins. What are the solutions for this
new frontier?
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010206.html
stimulus package
http://www.qctimes.com/news/local/article_8f9f7400-929e-11de-bfcd-001cc4c03286.html
Cash for Clunkers generated
nearly 700,000 new car sales and ended under its $3 billion budget, the
Transportation Department said
http://www.pantagraph.com/business/article_614ba7c8-9257-11de-b716-001cc4c002e0.html
PUBLIC SAFETY
Police across country
looking into
Some
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/461851
The open carrying of a gun
in
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090826/GPG0101/908260542/1207/GPG01/
went into effect in July giving
officers the right to pull over and ticket drivers for not wearing seat belts.
http://www.leadertelegram.com/story-news_local.asp?id=BL02P2920L7
Mayville cuts two police
positions
http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/news/463375
http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/news/463380
Local retailers confront
shoplifting scourge
http://www.rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/doc4a94a1bd7a492882134293.txt
______
State leaders opposed to a
Pentagon proposal involving control of how part-time military troops are used
in any state. At the heart
of the disagreement is who
will command troops when they are sent to a particular state to deal with a
hurricane, wildfire or other
disaster
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/local/doc4a930f8553305990110714.txt
Swine flu could hospitalize
2M in
a new report says. But the
CDC director notes that the H1N1 outbreak also could be much milder
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-swine-flu25-2009aug25,0,1109674.story
Data-Driven Approaches to
Crime and Traffic Safety; The use of timely and accurate localized data to
drive law enforcement
operations toward more efficient and
effective resource deployment is the benchmark for 21st-century policing
http://policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=1839&issue_id=72009
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The future of a Hispanic
center in
Tuesday night.
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_9ab5e20c-91ea-11de-ba05-001cc4c002e0.html
including nursing home improvements
and equipment, park improvements, highway improvements, acquisition of highway
equipment, public
works equipment and equipment
for the sheriff's department and improvements and equipment for the courthouse
and other county
facilities.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/08/24/daily45.html
A state lawmaker is
challenging a Wisconsin Department of Transportation rule that forces
municipalities to hire outside engineers
for local projects eligible
for state money.
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/08/26/bill-would-give-municipalities-an-engineering-option/
Suddenly, and with little
explanation,
resigned Monday night after the
Common Council held two closed sessions a week apart to discuss his position.
http://www.veronapress.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&TM=18114.11
West Salem grew by 376
acres Tuesday night, and the town of
http://www.couleenews.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/00lead.txt
Members of the Burns Town
Board aren't quite ready to sign off on the town's 2008 annual report because
of lingering questions about
irregularities with the town's tax
withholding.
http://www.couleenews.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/01burns.txt
Hamilton Town Board members
approved the town's comprehensive plan as well as approving a user fee for
structure fires in two
separate meetings.
http://www.couleenews.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/02hamilton.txt
A half-penny sales tax that
might add $100 to the cost of a modestly equipped mid-size Chevrolet or a dime
to a pair of pants
remains off-limits in
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20090826/APC0101/908260583/1003/APC01/
Members of the
that the prospect of another
wind farm near the village is only one of many reasons why
authority up to 1.5 miles from the
village limits.
http://portagedailyregister.com/news/local/article_77029ad4-91f5-11de-a5ae-001cc4c03286.html
The Sturgeon Bay Wayfinding Task Force has finalized the components that may
become part of the new sign program for the city of
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090826/ADV01/908260442/0/ADV&theme=ADVNEWS
Department of
Transportation ready to green light a $682,650 award that would help fund the
reconstruction of
Rhinelander
http://www.rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/doc4a94a1e1e9d06976765946.txt
After presentations by
on Tuesday held off deciding
whether to allow the use of city-owned vehicles for travel to and from work.
http://www.ashlandwi.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/doc4a954dce7dff1384538390.txt
Marinette council whittles
away at deficit; Aldermen close Tot Lot, raise room tax, order
five-day furloughs for city workers
http://ehextra.com/main.asp?SectionID=12&SubSectionID=35&ArticleID=5975&TM=62580.86
After a procedure that took
four years, the Pierce County Board adopted a new comprehensive land use plan
http://www.riverfallsjournal.com/event/article/id/92698/
percent from their 2010 budget
requests in order to reduce the proposed county tax levy down to the
state-mandated upper limit of a
3 percent increase.
http://www.haywardwi.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/doc4a95965ed8278834767750.txt
Open meeting resolution
fails in Washburn Co.
http://www.wcregister.net/link.asp?smenu=73&twindow=&sdetail=6534&mad=&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=
The city of
http://www.wcregister.net/link.asp?smenu=73&twindow=&sdetail=6533&mad=&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=
The Franklin Common Council
has rejected an offer to settle a lawsuit involving embezzlement by a former
city treasurer, which means
the case will remain on track
to go to trial.
http://www.franklinnow.com/news/54572637.html
After nine years of
litigation and a two-week trial, lawyers representing the City of
complex are in settlement talks
over whether the complex will be razed.
http://www.southmilwaukeenow.com/54555877.html
http://www.westallisnow.com/news/55116197.html
______
Cities, states wrangle over
cuts to local aid; Around the country, a number of
states desperate for cash have tapped heavily into
money intended for local
governments, creating friction between states, cities, counties and towns
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=421424
Financial Lockdown; Large
projects and small in big cities and rural towns are on hold because of the
lockdown in the bond insurance
market
http://americancityandcounty.com/admin/finance/bond-insurance-delays-200908/?cid=200908topstory2
Could the Recovery Act Help
Reinvent Government? If you think the Obama administration's $787 billion American
Recovery and
Reinvestment Act is just
one big government boondoggle, check out some top
regional implementation strategies
http://www.planetizen.com/news/redirect_new.php?id=40287-0
City Dictionary.com Sheds
Light on Unique Local Language, Culture
http://www.muninetguide.com/articles/site-illuminates-cities-unique-language-culture-323.php
NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS
The Oshkosh Common Council
voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve almost $2M in funding for
renovations to the Grand Opera
House.
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20090826/OSH0101/308260011/1987
City Council members
unanimously approved a step toward expanding the Baraboo Public Library Tuesday
by giving their OK to purchase
of a neighboring office
building.
http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/463361
The University of Marathon County on Friday will break ground for its
Public Policy Institute/Theater for
at the corner of Stewart and
Seventh avenues in
The North Shore Library,
which serves
http://www.baysidenow.com/news/54593852.html
STATE & FEDERAL
income taxes.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/08/24/daily50.html
As Governor Jim Doyle
continues his northern tour, he is promoting a policy agenda that will serve as
his legacy when he leaves
office next year. One of the most
ambitious pieces of legislation Doyle is pushing for is a law that would create
a new renewable
energy benchmark for the state.
http://www.rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/doc4a94a20a084f3557073289.txt
The Wisconsin Senate will
review its e-mail use and retention policies after a lawsuit uncovered how
employees in Sen. Dan Kapanke's
office used personal accounts for
state business
http://www.courierlifenews.com/articles/2009/08/26/thisjustin/04bkapankesuit.txt
______
Governor Quinn's refusal to
fire two
state workers
http://www.sj-r.com/state/x1886185195/Cullerton-reviving-fumigation-bill-for-trustees
benefits flowing to more than a half-M
jobless
budget cuts have harmed their
ability to audit returns and collect money owed by taxpayers
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2139048.html
employees and citizens that will be
discussed at the first meeting of the Legislature's State Government
Reorganization Commission
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090826/NEWS10/908260366
Nearly 8 in 10 Americans
support a federal health insurance plan for those who can't afford or can't get
private insurance, but only
37 percent define
"public option" correctly, a new national poll found
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13203651