Thursday State News Briefs: Woman in Hudson bridge jumping did not act in advance

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The Washington County, Minn., Sheriff's Department air boat takes the woman's body to Beanie's Resort on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River.

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HUDSON - A sheriff in far western Wisconsin said a woman who jumped to her death off a busy Interstate bridge today apparently did not plan the act in advance.

Saint Croix County Sheriff John Shilts said the 48-year-old Pierce County woman might have had some very recent issues that were troubling her – but her death quote, “seemed to be something that just happened as she was going over the bridge.” Witnesses said the woman stopped her car on the Interstate-94 bridge at Hudson, about 100-feet from the Wisconsin shore on the eastbound shoulder – and she climbed the bridge railing and jumped onto ice. An 11-year-old daughter was in the car, and she’s now with other relatives. An ice boat recovered her body. One of the eastbound lanes of the Interstate was closed for about an hour at mid-morning. Shilts said the incident was an absolute tragedy – and the officers’ concerns are with the young girl, hoping she can overcome what she had to witness.

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Metro Milwaukee had almost half of Wisconsin’s job gains in November. The state’s workforce development agency released preliminary figures today, showing that 5,200 jobs were added last month in Milwaukee, Washington, Ozaukee, and Waukesha counties – and another 14-hundred jobs were added in the Green Bay area. The figures are based on quick surveys of just three-and-a-half percent of employers – and they’re subject to heavy revisions later on. The early figures showed that eight of the state’s 12 metro areas gained jobs last month. Madison lost the most jobs with 800. Racine, Wausau, and Oshkosh-Neenah had smaller losses. Actual unadjusted unemployment rates rose in all 12 metros. They now range from four-point-four percent in the Madison area to seven-point-nine in Racine. And of the 72 counties, all but three saw their actual rates go up in November, as colder weather set in before the holiday hiring period. Ozaukee, Pierce, and Saint Croix counties reported steady joblessness from October.

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The numbers of Wisconsinites undergoing background checks to buy guns has increased by a whopping 60-percent from last year. The Justice Department said its hotline for doing background checks for firearms purchases had almost 133,000 calls as of Sunday. It only received 89,000 calls for all of last year. And these numbers don’t include people who buy their guns from private parties or gun shows – because those buyers are not required to have background checks. For the week of December 16th, there were 2, more requests for checks – indicating that lots of people bought guns in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings, and the possibility of new gun control laws next year. Earlier this week, gun dealers in far northwest Wisconsin reported a large increase in purchases of assault rifles – after some politicians have again called to ban those. Dana Brueck of the Justice Department said the fall season has been busier in general.

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The Dane County District Attorney’s office has cleared a Madison police officer who shot and killed a man last month. Paul Keenan entered his neighbor’s house November 9th. When officer Stephen Heimsness arrived with his weapon drawn, Heenan charged him. The homeowner confirmed the officer’s version of the events. Heimsness says he thought Heenan was trying to grab his gun, so he shot the man because he feared for his life. DA Ismael Ozanne says Officer Heimsness didn’t violate any statutes. He says anyone who believes he or she faces a genuine threat of deadly force is allowed to respond with deadly force. Keenan had been drinking that night and was apparently confused, entering the wrong house and setting off the fatal incident.

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Mount Pleasant police say the person found dead after a house fire this week was intentionally killed. Investigators think the victim was a young woman, but they are awaiting confirmation from the Racine County medical examiner. Among the questions to be answered are whether she was killed by the fire, or died before the fire. Police say the victim was staying at that home temporarily, but did not live there permanently. Neighbors say the people who had been living there had moved to Texas.

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A Wisconsin Assembly Democrat says he’ll try for a fourth time to raise the state’s minimum wage in the next session. The state’s current minimum wage is $7.25-an-hour, same as the federal minimum. Racine Representative Cory Mason wants to increase the state wage to $7.60 – and then take politics out of it by indexing the minimum wage each year, to adjust for inflation. Mason says he doubts that the Republican majority will go along with it. But he tells the Racine Journal-Times that it’s better to pay people a living wage, then to make them rely on food stamps or the Earned Income Tax Credit. And Mason says both parties should realize quote, “There’s no government program that works better than somebody having an honest wage for an honest day’s work.” Republicans have argued that increasing the minimum wage would cut jobs, especially in small businesses – and that’s something the state cannot risk in these economic times. But Mason insists that there’s no study which shows even a casual relationship between the minimum wage and unemployment – and he said the wage is intended to boost the economy by increasing the buying power of low-wage workers.

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The manufacturing economy in southeast Wisconsin and northeast Illinois improved this month for the first time since June. The monthly index from Marquette University and Milwaukee’s Institute for Supply Management was 52-point-two for November. That’s up from 45-point-three in November. And it was the first time in six months that the index rose above 50, which reflects overall growth in the area’s factories. The report also reflected a better employment picture in December, with a sub-index of 55-point-two, up from 47-point-nine the month before. New factory orders have also increased – but some companies report short lead times. One industry in the survey said it’s been the strongest December in recent memory – and they expect the start of 2013 to be strong as well.

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In another economic report today, PNC Bank said Metro Milwaukee’s economy was steady this year. But it said labor market conditions became more stable after the elections, and southeast Wisconsin should see a return to a slow improvement in 2013. PNC predicts job growth of nine-tenths-of-a-percent in the Milwaukee area, a two-percent increase in home prices, and a one-thousand-dollar jump in median household incomes to $53,400 dollars.

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It’s time for Wisconsin agriculture to stand up and be counted. The USDA’s five-year Census of Agriculture is getting underway – and those involved in the industry are getting Census forms in the mail. The law requires people to fill out the forms – and Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary Ben Brancel says ag producers help themselves by doing so. The Census provides a detailed view of U.S. farms and ranches, and the people who run them – and it’s the only comprehensive source of agricultural data for every state and county. Brancel says the Census is important for the state’s marketing efforts – and it’s important in formulating farm policies. Brancel says commodity buyers also use the data, because they want to find the best, most consistent, and most economical producers. Surveys can be completed by mail or online, but they must be submitted by February fourth. Individual information is confidential. For more, go online to AgCensus-Dot-USDA-Dot-Gov.

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A West Bend man was due in court today, for allegedly killing a passenger in an oncoming vehicle during a head-on crash late Christmas Eve in Kewaskum. Police said a car driven by a 34-year-old West Bend man crossed a center-line on Highway 45, and slammed into the oncoming vehicle. 56-year-old Pamela Matenaer of West Bend was a rear seat passenger in the second vehicle – and she died later at Milwaukee’s Froedtert (fray-dert) Hospital. Two people in the same vehicle were hurt, and the car driver had minor injuries. Authorities are seeking a charge of homicide by drunk driving, and two counts of causing injury by OWI.

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The mayors of Madison and Palo Alto, California have made their customary wager on Tuesday’s Rose Bowl between Wisconsin and Stanford. And none of it involves beer, brats, or California wine for a change. Instead, the losing city will plant a tree in honor of the winning team. The losing mayor will wear the winning team’s hat during a Common Council meeting – and the loser will display the winning team’s flag for a day in January. Madison Mayor Paul Soglin says he’s confident that his Wisconsin Badgers will come through – even though Las Vegas picks Stanford as a six-and-a-half to seven-point favorite. That also makes Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh the favorite in his bet with Soglin.

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Wisconsin’s Senior-Care prescription drug program will stay in business for at least three more years. The federal government has renewed a waiver which allows the state to offer Senior-Care as an alternative to the Medicare Part-“D” drug benefit. Governor Scott Walker’s office announced the extension today. Senior-Care has been operating since 2002. It allows lower-income seniors to buy medicines at lower costs, with less paperwork, than Medicare Part-“D.” The governor also announced a new benefit for Senior-Care clients – medication therapy management. It seeks to improve the delivery of medications through better coordination between patients and their doctors and pharmacists. Walker said over 150-thousand Wisconsin seniors have used the Senior-Care program over the last 11 years. Senior-Care requires a 30-dollar enrollment fee each year, with co-pays of 5-to-15 dollars for medicines.

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If you’re a fan of “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” raise a toast to Wisconsin native Larry Klein. He’s been the long-time producer of the annual ABC show, which will be televised on Monday night for the first time without its legendary host. Dick Clark died this year at age 82. Klein, who’s 59, was raised in Milwaukee and attended UW-Oshkosh. After arranging concerts and running a sub sandwich shop in Oshkosh, Klein left for the big time. He joined Clark’s operation and never left it. He said the “American Music Awards” show had just started, and Clark needed a “gofer” – and Klein moved up from there. In the early years of “Rockin’ Eve,” Klein said Clark stood on a ladder while his wife held cue cards. Now, of course, the host has a glass booth overlooking the crowded Times Square. The show has evolved over the years – and it’s now a six-hour extravaganza which includes live music on Times Square and recorded performances elsewhere. Clark missed the 2004 show with a stroke, and Klein said he knew the host wanted to come back – which he did, with the help of who’s now the main host, Ryan Seacrest.

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A one-week trial is set for late July for one of two men accused of robbing-and-beating a Wausau man to death six months ago. 19-year-old Zach Froehlich faces 13 charges – including reckless homicide, strangulation, armed robbery, and armed burglary. Authorities said Froehlich and 21-year-old Warren Krohn robbed Kerby Kniess of 21-dollars before pounding him to death with a baseball bat in a detached garage where he was living. The 49-year-old Kniess was a well-known figure in Wausau’s bowling community. An autopsy showed that he died from head trauma and a skull fracture. Krohn is charged with five counts that include reckless homicide, armed robbery, and armed burglary. Krohn does not have a trial date yet, and the status of his Marathon County court case will be reviewed on February 21st.

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A man arrested in Milwaukee this month for allegedly running a large Ecstasy drug ring is due in federal court tomorrow in Baton Rouge Louisiana. Authorities said Vinh Van Trinh conspired to send over a million Ecstasy tablets from Canada to Baton Rouge Louisiana. A judge could decide whether Trinh could be released on bail. He was arrested December third in Milwaukee, on a warrant that was secretly issued in April by Federal Judge James Brady of Baton Rouge. Brady also sealed an indictment that a grand jury handed down April 19th against Trinh and seven others. They were all accused of smuggling Ecstasy from Ontario Canada on trucks headed toward Baton Rouge, Dallas, Los Angeles, Raleigh North Carolina, and other destinations that were not disclosed. Reports said Trinh was an alleged coordinator for a large Ecstasy sales ring in Vietnam.

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Milwaukee movie actress Sally Marks has died. The 82-year-old Marks died from cancer on December seventh, but the death was not publicized until now because the family delayed making funeral arrangements. A celebration of her life – with music from a jazz band – is scheduled for January 27th at Milwaukee’s Italian Community Center. Marks’ first movie role came when she was six. She portrayed Dorothy Lamour as a child in the 1936 film “The Jungle Princess.” She went on to perform in five more movies, with giants of the era like Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamarr. Marks left Hollywood when her mother died. But in 2007, she returned to acting – this time, on Milwaukee’s live theater stages. She had nine roles on-stage in plays that included “Steel Magnolias,” “Death Trap,” and “Naughty Children.” Sally Marks is survived by her husband Robb, three step-children, and four grand-children.

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The Marshfield Clinic and Theda-Care of Neenah had the highest total scores among 19 Wisconsin medical groups tested by Consumer Reports. The world-famous product rating service said all 19 groups had higher scores than the national average in three categories – cancer screenings, treatments for heart patients, and care for those 60-and-older. The groups provide care for about half of all Wisconsinites. The results are broken down in a special edition of Consumer Reports, to be released in January. The magazine received performance information from the state’s Collaborative for Health-care Quality – and the Consumer Reports’ findings will also be on the collaborative’s Web site. Also getting high marks were Aurora Health Care of Milwaukee, Bellin Health of Green Bay, the Dean Clinic of Madison, and the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse. The lowest scores went to Wheaton-Franciscan of the Milwaukee area, Froedtert

in Menomonee Falls, Columbia-Saint Mary’s Community Physicians of Milwaukee, and Mercy Health of Janesville. Three of the four systems said Consumer Reports only looked at only a small sampling of quality measures. Collaborative president Chris Queram said even the ones with the lowest scores outperformed their national counterparts. Wisconsin is the third state in which Consumer Reports tested health systems. Minnesota and Massachusetts are the others.

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A former volunteer fire-fighter in Sheboygan County has been sentenced to six months in jail, for starting a farm blaze that killed two dogs and damaged thousands-of-dollars in facilities. 27-year-old Sean Bradley of Cedar Grove must also spend four years on probation. He has to 96-hundred dollars in criminal restitution, plus an extra 65-thousand that was ordered in a civil case. Bradley was on the Cedar Grove Fire Department when authorities discovered that he started Walvoord’s Berry Farm on fire out of boredom in August of 2011. He pleaded no contest two months ago to an arson charge. The fire destroyed two buildings and thousands-of-dollars of equipment. Authorities said Bradley was among the fire-fighters who responded to the call – and he stayed on the Cedar Grove department until he was arrested 13 months ago.

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An agricultural group plans to offer fresh fruits-and-vegetables to Indians who live on reservations in northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota. The Inter-Tribal Agricultural Council plans to start a mobile delivery service in May, with the goal of providing more access to foods that are fresher and more nutritious. Project leader Dan Cornelius tells Wisconsin Public Radio it will also help farmers sell their fresh produce to more customers. Ho-Chunk Nation president John Greendeer says the project will help tribal members eat healthier, and help reduce a growing problem with diabetes. The mobile produce deliveries will begin in May. Cornelius says he hopes it can eventually serve all 34 tribes in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.

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If you left something on an airplane lately, you’re not alone. Southwest Airlines – the main carrier at Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport – says it’s mind-boggling what fliers leave behind. Baggage service manager Robert Lehr tells the Journal Sentinel that lots of cell-phones and reading glasses are shoved into seat-pockets. He said 28 I-Pads were left aboard the company’s domestic flights on December 14th alone. In Lehr’s words, “If you can carry it on a plane, it’s been left on a plane.” In Milwaukee, airport officials picked up almost a-thousand lost items at the terminals in the past six months – including somebody’s oxygen tank. Anything that looks suspicious will get the once-over by Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputies. And anything worth over 100-dollars is turned over to deputies. Mitchell International has procedures for trying to reunite owners with their lost property – and if things are still not claimed, they’ll be sold at sheriff’s sales. The electronic data form of Mozy says the holidays are full of stress for most people – and so it’s no surprise that more items get lost this time of year. Mozy said almost four-of-every-10 Americans lose two-or-more personal belongings in a year’s time – and the average American lost almost $250-dollars in possessions over the last 12 months.

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A man accused of killing his father in Washington County will get a mental exam to see if he’s competent to help with his own defense. 37-year-old Beau Musial of Richfield was charged yesterday with first-degree intentional homicide. Prosecutors said Musial and his 76-year-old father Jerome argued about Beau’s purchase of a semi-truck – and then a few minutes later, Beau allegedly punched his father and slit his neck with a serrated knife seven-or-eight times. Investigators quoted Beau Musial as saying he was upset with his father and quote, “couldn’t take it anymore.” The two men lived together, and officials said the slaying took place at their home last Friday night. Beau Musial is being held under a $700,000. Results of his competency exam are expected to be reviewed at a court hearing on January 23rd.

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Wisconsin veterans who received the Purple Heart award will soon be able to enjoy some of Milwaukee’s top attractions for free. County Executive Chris Abele says he’ll award the first passes to two veterans during a ceremony tomorrow. Soldiers and Marines who were wounded during their service will get free admission to the County Zoo and other attractions that include the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Milwaukee Public Museum, Discovery World, the Mitchell Park Domes, and the Harley-Davidson Museum. Purple Heart veterans will need to contact the Milwaukee County veterans’ service office to get passes, which will take effect at the start of the New Year. Abele says it’s a small way to thank veterans, and he’s honored to do it.

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A funeral is planned tomorrow for a northern Wisconsin man who died this month, after he lost his wife and five kids in a house fire in 1996. Relatives said 57-year-old Kirk Foley died on December 14th at his home in Superior, from an acute stomach ulcer condition. His sister, Delores Moyer, said he started getting stomach ulcers soon after the tragic fire – but it was not proven that they had anything to do with the condition from which he died. The fire destroyed Foley’s farmhouse near Hurley in Iron County. Authorities said it most likely started in a wood stove in the basement. Foley suffered burns and cuts when he was blown through a kitchen window while trying to save family members. Relatives said Foley, an attorney, went through extensive therapy after the fire – and he occasionally saw a grief counselor all the way until he died. He also built a new home on the same site as the old one. He re-married, had a girl who’s now 11, and got more involved in real estate development. Sister Kathy Chellevold of Dodgeville said Foley was a testament to people can move on, even after the worst of tragedies. Foley was a native of Dodgeville, and his funeral will be held tomorrow in the same church where his first wife and kids had their services back in 1996.

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An accountant from Mequon faces prison time, after she’s sentenced in March to tax evasion and filing false claims against the IRS. 42-year-old Leah Kuchta struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors which calls for a prison term of up to two-and-a-half years. She also agreed to repay the IRS almost $325,000, plus interest and penalties. The plea agreement indicates that Kuchta took $181,000 from her grandmother’s inheritance several years ago – and she used the money to buy a house in Mequon, start a business with her boyfriend, and invest in land deals in Arizona. Prosecutors said Kuchta also stole $30,000 by forging a check intended for her sister. And she collected almost $90,000 in false claims paid by the IRS that related to her investment business.

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At least one person died in Wisconsin this year, because of the large increase in whooping cough cases. Stephanie Smiley of the state Health Services Department said a baby with whooping cough died in February – and she was not immediately certain whether anyone else in the state had died from the respiratory ailment. Earlier today, officials said Wisconsin had the nation’s highest rate of whooping cough this year, with about 93 cases among every 100,000 state residents. The state’s health agency reported almost 5,700 confirmed or probable cases of whooping cough as of December 14th – almost five times as many cases as last year. Most states had a spike in what’s medically-known as pertussis. Outbreaks occur every 3-to-5 years, but it’s been eight years since Wisconsin had so many cases. Smiley says the disease runs in cycles. But those cycles are not completely understood, and that’s why everyone is urged to remain vaccinated for pertussis – even adults.

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Shoppers throughout Wisconsin were lured by post-holiday bargains on this day after Christmas. It used to be a huge day for folks to return presents that didn’t fit – or things they just didn’t want. But ShopKo store manager Dale Adams in the Green Bay area says gift cards have helped reduce the numbers of returns. WLUK-TV in Green Bay says most returns actually come before Christmas these days – and shoppers found it easier to get around the malls today than before the holiday. Adams told the station that the season’s traffic at his store was similar to previous years – but he won’t know sales trends until the end of the year. Nationally, analysts now expect a 3-to-4 percent sales increase from 2011 – the lowest performance for the holiday season since 2008.

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