Monday State News Briefs: Temps didn't warm up much today

Talk about it

It didn't not warm up very much in Wisconsin today.

It was still 15-below at 10 o’clock in Manitowish Waters, near the Upper Michigan border. Wind-chill factors were 20-below or colder in all but the far southern part of Wisconsin – where wind chills were in the minus-teens, and actual temperatures were in the single-digits above zero. And that’s about all that forecasters expect for today. In far northwest Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said the afternoon highs did not get above 10-below – and they could drop to minus-20 tonight, with stronger winds and lower wind chills. It’s supposed to be a few degrees warmer tomorrow, with highs of zero-to-four above statewide.

Forecasters expect highs in the teens on Wednesday – and by Friday, it could get to 20 again near Lake Michigan. The Weather Service said Woodville and Frederic in northwest Wisconsin had 39-below wind chills overnight. And parts of the far north had to shovel while they shivered, as places close to Lake Superior had lake-effect snows. Bayfield had just over two-inches of snow yesterday and overnight. Gile had three-and-a-half inches early yesterday. More lake effect snows are expected the next couple days along Lake Superior.

_____________________________________________________________________

The federal government warns that Wisconsin Republicans might be slowing down the approval process for new mining, instead of speeding it up. But the head of the state Senate’s Mining Committee doesn’t buy it. Tamara Cameron of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the GOP’s relaxing of state environmental rules appears to stray from federal requirements for the same projects. And it could be that both the state and the Corps might end up doing their own reviews for a mining proposal – instead of the state and federal governments working together. State Senate mining chair Tom Tiffany says he believes the state’s timelines for new mining projects correspond to federal rules – and he says both can still work together. Tiffany also says the new bill requires mining developers to work with both state-and-federal officials, thus reducing possible hold-ups. Cameron’s concerns were in a letter dated last Monday – two days before the GOP rolled out a new mining package similar to the one the state Senate defeated by one vote last March. Senate Democrat Tim Cullen of Janesville, who opposes the Republican package, released Cameron’s letter. Cullen plans to introduce an alternative package tomorrow which preserves environmental protections and does not reduce the public’s ability to challenge mining projects. Cameron said the differences between the state and federal rules would include a mine’s impact on wetlands – and the amount of information a mining firm would have to give to regulators.

_______________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision which legalized abortion. Catholics in the Milwaukee Archdiocese plan to observe the anniversary – and show their opposition to abortion – with “Holy Hours for Life.” They begin at seven tonight at various parishes throughout the 10-county archdiocese. Tomorrow night, Archbishop Jerome Listecki will preside at a special Mass called “Respect Life.” It starts at seven tomorrow night at Saint Monica’s Catholic Church in Whitefish Bay. There will be a special Rosary led by seminarians, and music by the Milwaukee Pius XI High School choir. Then on Friday, Archbishop Listecki plans to join pro-life advocates and area students at the national March-for-Life in Washington D.C.

________________________________________________________________________

Wisconsinites are being asked which state government rules they’d like to throw out or change. Assembly Republican Dan LaMahieu of Cascade in Sheboygan County created a task force which identified hundreds of possible changes – and today, he asked for public feedback on that report. He’s leading an effort in the Assembly to review all 1,768 chapters of the state’s administrative code – to get a close look at the rules that bureaucrats adopt to carry out laws passed by the Legislature. Republican Governor Scott Walker has called for a review of state rules which made it harder to do business in Wisconsin. In the last session, majority Republicans gave Walker the authority to reject new rules proposed by agencies. Walker says LaMahieu’s project is one of the governor’s main priorities for the year.

_________________________________________________________________________

A Madison man was killed early today after his car rolled over several times at an expressway exit north of Sun Prairie. It happened around two this morning. Dane County sheriff’s deputies said the driver had exited the Highway 151 four-lane when the vehicle drove off a shoulder, slid down an embankment, and overturned a number of times. The driver was 53, and was pronounced dead at the scene. A 28-year-old passenger was taken to UW Hospital in Madison for treatment of minor injuries. Officers said alcohol appeared to be a factor, but they’re still investigating. Both people in the car were wearing seat belts at the time. Their names were not immediately released.

________________________________________________________________________

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin and University of Wisconsin President Kevin Reilly were among the dignitaries attending today’s Martin Luther King Junior Day celebration at the state Capitol. Hundreds of people gathered to hear journalist and author John W. Fountain give the keynote address. Today’s marked the 33rd annual ceremony in Wisconsin honoring the late civil rights leader, Dr. King. The event featured music, speeches and prayers.

________________________________________________________________________

More of us appear to be tuned in to social media – and tuned out from our neighbors. In Oshkosh, a 51-year-old man was found dead on Christmas Eve at the home of where he lived alone. And police figure he was dead for 2-to-3 weeks before anybody realized it. The Oshkosh Northwestern says the numbers of people dying alone and remaining undiscovered appears to be on the rise. Mark Weisensel of the Winnebago County Aging and Disability Resource Center says society has changed in the last decade. He says younger people are spending more time online – and less time visiting with older and-or disabled neighbors. Police spokesman Joe Nichols is asking residents to check on those who live alone, and are not feeling the best.

_________________________________________________________________________

Wisconsin is behind schedule in setting up a statewide database on prescription drugs – and who’s supposed to get what medicines. A state law was passed in 2009 requiring about 1,200 drug dispensers to report their transactions – so it’s easier to track painkillers like Oxycontin and Vicodin which are often abused by others. Pharmacies have been required since January first to collect the data for the state. Greg Gasper of the Department of Safety and Professional Services said his agency selected an Alabama company to provide the database. But they’re still negotiating the details with the firm of Health Information Designs. Gasper expects the deal to be finalized soon. Tom Engels of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin says pharmacies already collect the data, so it’s just a matter of getting it to Madison efficiently. Law enforcement groups can access the new database by obtaining court orders. Meanwhile, veterinarians are still trying to be exempt from the new reporting requirements. They say that very few people try to abuse drugs meant for animals – and they say the reporting would be expensive because many don’t keep records electronically. The Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association says it will try again in the new legislative session to get an exemption.

_________________________________________________________________________

Wisconsin’s housing market showed a solid recovery in 2012. The state’s Realtors Association said its members sold just over 62-thousand-500 existing homes in the year that just ended. That’s almost 21-percent more than the $52,000 home sales for all of 2011. Buyers paid a median price of $133,500 dollars last year, one-point-one percent higher than the previous year. Realtors’ Association president Mike Theo said median prices have grown in eight-of-the-last-nine months – and that’s a “welcomed sign” that home prices have stabilized, following declines in recent years. Realtors throughout the state had just over 46,000 unsold homes in their inventory last December. That’s over 7,500 fewer houses than the same month of 2011. Theo said Realtors had almost nine months of inventories last month – down from 12-and-a-half months the year before. Theo credits a drop in foreclosure activity for the fact that more houses have been going off the market. And he expects continued growth in 2013 quote, “assuming that the economic problems in Europe, as well as the unresolved budget issues at the federal level don’t lead to recession.” Theo said a slight rise in some prices will get more buyers off the fence – but the real key is higher job growth and lower unemployment. He called the state’s job growth “anemic at best” over the last year.

________________________________________________________________________

Lots of cars are not starting in this cold weather. But those that do start might be running afoul of the law, depending on what their drivers do after their engines start warming up. In Milwaukee, it’s against the law to walk away from a running vehicle unattended. The same is true in La Crosse, where the law applies to vehicles parked on streets and other public places. The fine in La Crosse is $114 – and it’s meant to discourage people who might take a car at the spur-of-the-moment because it’s such an easy target. Just over a year ago, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel said car thefts jumped by 43-percent in one north side police district during a cold spell. Back then, police said the biggest problems were in the mornings, when teens stole cars that were warming up – and then left them abandoned within a block or two of a school.

_________________________________________________________________________

Authorities in Dodge County are investigating a one-vehicle crash that killed a 29-year-old man overnight. Sheriff’s deputies said Joseph Koenigs of rural Neosho was going south on County Trunk “O” near Ashippun, when his unit spun, went off the road, and overturned in a field. Koenigs was the only one person in the vehicle. Authorities were called to the crash site around 12:15 this morning.

_________________________________________________________________________

The federal government warns that Wisconsin Republicans might be slowing down the approval process for new mining, instead of speeding it up. But the head of the state Senate’s Mining Committee doesn’t buy it. Tamara Cameron of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the GOP’s relaxing of state environmental rules appears to stray from federal requirements for the same projects. And it could be that both the state and the Corps might end up doing their own reviews for a mining proposal – instead of the state and federal governments working together. State Senate mining chair Tom Tiffany says he believes the state’s timelines for new mining projects correspond to federal rules – and he says both can still work together. Tiffany also says the new bill requires mining developers to work with both state-and-federal officials, thus reducing possible hold-ups. Cameron’s concerns were in a letter dated last Monday – two days before the GOP rolled out a new mining package similar to the one the state Senate defeated by one vote last March. Senate Democrat Tim Cullen of Janesville, who opposes the Republican package, released Cameron’s letter. Cullen plans to introduce an alternative package tomorrow which preserves environmental protections and does not reduce the public’s ability to challenge mining projects. Cameron said the differences between the state and federal rules would include a mine’s impact on wetlands – and the amount of information a mining firm would have to give to regulators.

Tags: news, wisconsin