Sunday State News Briefs: Wisconsin had second-highest voting percentage in the country

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Wisconsin had the nation’s second-highest percentage of people voting in last November’s presidential election. And only Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nevada had higher voting percentages last year than in 2008, when President Obama was elected for the first time.

The U.S. Elections’ Project at George Mason University said Wisconsin’s voting participation was only behind Minnesota in 2004, ’08, and last year. Seventy-two-and-a-half percent of voting-age adults in the Badger State helped re-elect Obama last November, up one-tenth of a percent from the previous White House vote. UW-Madison professor Barry Burden said a number of factors resulted in last November’s high turnout. It included the fact that Wisconsin was one of just nine states where presidential race was anywhere near close. The state also had Janesville’s Paul Ryan on the GOP ticket. Wisconsin’s same-day voter registration also drove up the turnout. State officials estimate that 400,000 people registered at the polls last November. Burden also says the state’s demographics played a role, including its ethnic and racial makeup. And many people voted out of habit.

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The final remnants of the massive Midwest snowstorm left Wisconsin yesterday. And folks had good weather to clear out the final snow-and-ice that the storm brought. New snow totals were released yesterday. And the National Weather Service said eight-point-three inches fell since Thursday in Shawano and Alma. That’s more than the previous high of around seven-and-a-half inches in Two Rivers. But it was still not much compared to the 17-inches that descended on parts of Kansas and Colorado, and the 13-inches which dropped south to Oklahoma. Meanwhile, forecasters say another large snow-storm will rumble through the Midwest on Tuesday – but it’s supposed to go further south, and southern Wisconsin might see a little snow from it. Until then, it’s supposed to be dry with patchy nighttime fog, and highs in the 30’s each day.

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If you think Wisconsin uses a lot of water, you’re right. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says over two-trillion gallons of water are pulled each year out of lakes, rivers, streams, and underground aquifers. It’s a little more than the annual flow of the Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Dells, where flowing waters are part of a huge tourist attraction. So how do we know how much water is being gobbled up? The state DNR requires all businesses and communities to report their water usage, if they’re capable of producing 100-thousand gallons or more each day. The order has been on the books for five years, but we’re just now getting a more complete picture of where all the water goes. The DNR said the percentage of users who reported did not exceed 90-percent until 2011. Officials say surface waters meet 90-percent of the state’s water needs, while groundwater provides the rest. The DNR’s Eric Ebersberger says the data will help communities manage their water resources, and try to make them more sustainable. Wisconsin’s 30 power plants are the largest users by far. They take almost 85-percent of the total surface water used in a year.

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A judge in Racine is letting a disabled man stay in his home, after he was accused of molesting an eight-year-old neighbor. Prosecutors said 60-year-old Robert Lambkin sexually assaulted the youngster on February 12th, while she was walking through an alley near their homes. A court commissioner agreed to let Lambkin stay under house arrest because he has heart problems and walks with a crutch. Prosecutors later asked a judge to force Lambkin to find another home, because the young neighbor was having panic attacks by hearing his voice while she was outside. The judge allowed Lambkin to stay in his home – but all of shades must be drawn, and he cannot be outside at the same time as the child. Lambkin is charged with first-degree child sexual assault. He’s due back in court March 6th, when a judge will decide if there’s enough evidence to order a trial.

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A 13-year-old boy killed in a Door County snowmobile crash was identified yesterday as Brett Buhr of Brussels. Authorities said his machine was crossing a road near Brussels late Friday afternoon when it collided with a pick-up truck. Buhr died a short time later at a Green Bay hospital. The truck driver was not hurt.

Tags: news, wisconsin