Sunday State News Briefs: State exports up 11 percent

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Exports to Chile and Australia are fueling an 11 percent increase in Wisconsin exports reported from last year.

The International Trade Administration says the value of items like transportation equipment, chemicals, machinery and electronic equipment sent overseas increased from almost 20 billion dollars, to about 22 billion last year. Exports to Chile jumped by 45 percent and products going to Australia were up 31 percent. Products sold to Canada and Germany were 18 percent above last year’s figures.

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Trial for accused child killer David Hoehm is set to start a week from tomorrow, but he may not be there. The Madison man is charged with strangling his girlfriend’s two sons last summer. Three year old Kemaury and four year old Kevin McArthur were killed last July 5th. At a hearing last week, Hoehm said he would no longer participate in his case. Dane County Judge William Hanrahan had just rejected his request to pursue an insanity defense. Then, at a hearing Friday, Hoehm refused to respond to the judge’s questions. He also had to be forced to leave his cell and wheeled into the Madison courtroom in restraints. That led the judge to conclude Hoehm didn’t want to be present when his trial starts.

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A committee in Door County has voted to start an ethics investigation into the conduct of County Administrator Michael Serpe. Local government leaders also decided to suspend Serpe at that Friday meeting. County Board Chairman Leo Zipperer told the Door County Advocate the moves come in response to allegations something was happening and it was necessary to take a closer look. Serpe had served as chief of staff to the Kenosha County executive for eight years when he was hired to be administrator for Door County. He told the newspaper he had no idea what brought on the actions taken by the county leadership.

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Freedom Honor Flight officials say they will be flying another mission for World War Two veterans to Washington May 12th. These flights are aimed to let those veterans see memorials which were built in their honor. This one will be the ninth – and the third sponsored by Kwik Trip convenience stores. About 100 veterans, trained guardians and medical personnel will make the trip. The veterans selected will be notified early next month. Almost 800 veterans have been flown to Washington so far. Korean War and Vietnam veterans are eligible, too.

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You can call Mount Mary College, Mount Mary University now. The Board of Trustees approved the name change and released the news to students and the general public last Friday. The change officially goes into effect in the fall of next year, which is the Milwaukee school’s 100th anniversary. Mount Mary College was founded in 1913 and was Wisconsin’s first four-year, degree-granting Catholic college for women.

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