Saturday State News Briefs: Snow delays travelers in northern Wisconsin

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BAYFIELD - Holiday travelers met strong weather challenges in northern Wisconsin Friday.

Both Bayfield and Douglas counties recorded as least a foot of snow since Thursday night. Cole temperatures and blowing winds mean the bad driving conditions will last through the weekend. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation reports roads in the northern half of the state are snow-covered, with several long stretches of slippery pavement. The weather system bringing the snow had swept into Canada by last night.

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An autopsy conducted on a two month old Milwaukee boy failed to determine a cause of death. Authorities are investigating the case of Kenneth Williams, who was found unresponsive early Thursday morning and taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital. The boy died while he was sleeping in the same bed as his mother. The boy’s mother told authorities they went to sleep together Wednesday night. She woke up early to change his diaper and noticed he wasn’t responding, so she called 911.

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The Green County Sheriff’s office reports a man driving a milk truck killed two cows which had wandered onto a road in the Town of Clarno. The incident happened Thursday night. The 26 year old driver says he braked and swerved, but wasn’t able to avoid all of the cows in the road. The milk truck sustained some front end damage in the collision. The owner of the cows was contacted to remove the animals from the roadway in southern Wisconsin.

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Milwaukee election officials report about 19 percent of the people who voted on election day had registered that day. The total number was about 54 thousand voters. Wards at or near some of Milwaukee’s college campuses accounted for the highest number of voters who registered on November 6th. Republican Governor Scott Walker has said he is considering ending the state’s same-day voter registration. Democrats oppose the idea. The Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association has said changing the status quo would be burdensome of the state’s clerks.

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A judge has ruled Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke has the right to reassign guards from the jail in Franklin to the downtown County Jail, without taking in to account the seniority of those guards. The former union for the deputies had asked for a restraining order against moves like that, but the request was denied last week. Sheriff’s administrators had notified more than two dozen correctional officers at the Franklin facility they would be moved to the County Correctional Facility-Central. A representative for the correctional officers says they feel they are being used as pawns by Sheriff Clarke in his ongoing fight with the County Board of Supervisors.

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Petting zoo animals have been killed in a fire in Dodge County that destroyed a house. Multiple fire departments were called to the scene in Hustisford. High winds made it difficult for firefighters to control the flames. The fire started in the home's basement. No people were injured. The house is a total loss. Investigators are working to determine the cause. WISN-TV in Milwaukee reports it may have started with a wood-burning stove.

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Governor Walker announced additional details about the Capital Christmas Tree today. The 2012 Capitol Christmas Tree was selected from Meyer’s Castle Tree Farm in Medford, Wisconsin. It will be decorated with the theme

'In Wisconsin.' Kids from around the state created ornaments to adorn the tree. The Balsam Fir will be decorated by the Department of Administration. It will be lit during a special ceremony on November 30th.

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The Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group says despite effort to get unsafe toys off the shelves, consumers still need to be aware of the risks. The group offers an annual list of toys that contain what could be toxic materials or that present a physical danger to children. They encourage consumers to get online and look at toys before they make their purchases.

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A Milwaukee County law firm has lost an unemployment denial case. Sandy Weidner, of Racine,R appealed the Cross Law Firm's denial of her unemployment application because she says she was wrongfully terminated in September. Court testimony against Weidner stated that she stole pay by writing down inaccurate times on her time card. Weidner says the claims aren't true and that the law firm inexplicable cut her pay before she was let go. Administrative law judge Jennifer Ortiz said their wasn't enough satisfactory evidence to backup the law firm's claims.

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