Afternoon News Brief - Tom Barrett and fellow Democrats unified to defeat Gov. Walker in recall

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Tom Barrett and the three fellow Democrats he defeated in yesterday’s primary say they are unified in recalling Republican Governor Scott Walker. Barrett treated his three former opponents to breakfast at his Milwaukee home this morning. They then met with reporters, and vowed they would work together to improve the future of Wisconsin. Kathleen Falk, who finished a distant second in the primary, said she quickly gave her support to the Democratic nominee and she urged her supporters to do likewise. State Senate Democrat Kathleen Vinehout and Secretary of State Doug La Follette also stressed their need to get behind Barrett to defeat the first term governor. State Democratic Party chairman Mike Tate said the party is launching a major blitz to get supporters to the polls on June fifth and that effort will continue throughout the remaining 27 days of the campaign. Walker also said the GOP would work hard to get out the vote for the general election.

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Wisconsin utility regulators are expected to vote tomorrow on a proposed new electric transmission line north of La Crosse. Three utility groups have asked the Public Service Commission for the okay to build a $201 million dollar power line from Holmen to Alma. The 345 kilovolt line would link up with other transmission lines in both Wisconsin and Minnesota. It’s part of Cap X 2020, a series of power lines from the Dakotas to Madison. Officials of Xcel Energy, WPPI, and the Dairyland Power Co-op say their line is needed to meet a growing demand for electricity in the La Crosse area. But a recent study by PSC staff members questioned whether the region would grow enough to justify the project. Citizen groups that oppose the power line cite a reduced demand for electricity that results from the struggling economy and they say there’s already an over-supply of power throughout the Midwest. The Citizens Utility Board, which represents Wisconsin utility customers, says a lower voltage line should be pursued, to reduce costs for electric users.

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After selling to a private equity firm last week, Great Wolf Resorts of Madison reported a net loss of $9.3 million dollars in the first quarter of this year. That’s compared to the same time last year, when the water park chain lost $6 million. The most recent loss was $0.29 a share, more than the $0.19 loss from a year ago. But Great Wolf is no longer a publicly held firm, after it was bought last Friday by Apollo Global Management of New York. Great Wolf runs 11 water park resorts around the country, including one in Wisconsin Dells. The firm says the Dells location has been quote, “significantly impacted” by growing local competition from 16 other water parks. Great Wolf says the struggling economy is holding down revenues at its sites in Traverse City Michigan and Sandusky Ohio. But the firm says it will grow by building more resort locations and buying other water parks and converting them to the Great Wolf brand. The company says it will also license some of its features, like its Magi Quest action game.

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A school bus and a car collided today in Germantown, injuring both drivers and five students. Police said the bus stopped for a stop sign, but did not yield to the car before pulling from the intersection. Twenty one students were on the bus as it was heading to MacArthur Elementary School in Germantown. Five of the seven injured people were taken to a Menomonee Falls hospital. A student was released to a parent.

Tags: wisconsin news, news, governemnt, energy, accidents