12-19-13 traffic fatality victim identified

The victim of a car versus semi accident in Fond du Lac County has been identified.   Sheriff’s Captain Rick Olig says 29 year old Nicholas Ryan of Fond du Lac was killed when his car skidded on snow-covered Highway 44 near Ripon Tuesday afternoon into the oncoming lane of traffic and collided with a semi.  Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene.  This is the eighth traffic fatality on Fond du lac County roadways this year.

12-19-13 aaa holiday travel survey

AAA predicts 94.5 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holiday season.  That’s a slight increase from last year.  The upward trend marks the fifth consecutive year of increases and the highest travel volume recorded for the season.  In Wisconsin more than 1.8 million people are expected to travel for the holidays.  Triple A spokesperson Pam Moen says gas prices continue to drop.  She says gas prices in Wisconsin are averaging $3.10 for a gallon of unleaded regular, down 12 cents from a year ago.  Holiday air travel is expected to decline slightly.

12-19-13 thiesfeldt-common core

The chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Common Core Standards says Democrats on the committee politicized the process and recommendations made by the committee.  Republican state representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du lac says the recommendations approved on party line votes emphasize the importance of Wisconsin-based standards and reaffirm local control.   Thiesfeldt says the committee’s review of the standards affirmed his skepticism.  "Not so much that I think that the standards themselves are a problem but where the standards are coming from,"  Thiesfeldt told WFDL news.  "There is some real serious belief and I think its well-founded that this is potentially going to take a great deal of local control of education, not just in Fond du Lac but across the state and across the nation, away and we are essentially federalizing our approach to education."   Thiesfeldt says Republican lawmakers are already crafting legislation in response

to committee recommendations.

12-19-13 medicaid expansion

A Democratic lawmaker says its not too late to bring more Medicaid money to Wisconsin.  State representative Melissa Sargent has introduced a bill that would allow Wisconsin counties to get federal money to pay a for expanded Medicaid services, sidestepping Republican governor Scott Walker and the GOP controlled legislature.  Sargent admits it will be an uphill battle to convince any Republican lawmakers to change their minds but says 18 county boards across the state have have voted  in favor along with the Wisconsin Counties Association.   Sargent says accepting the money would provide coverage to more people at less cost to state taxpayers.  Responding to comments by the state Department of Health Services that  governor Walker’s goals have put Wisconsin in a position to better manage its finances long term, while creating a system where every Wisconsin individual and family has access to affordable health insurance.   Fond du Lac County Executive Al Buechel says while he supports Medicaid expansion, he has some concerns about the proposal.  "Okay we get the federal dollars for three years but then it starts getting phased down and who's going to pick up that other 10 percent of the cost,"  Buechel said.  Sargent and Buechel made the comments on AM 1170 WFDL’s Between the Lines program.
                               

12-19-13 wi ranks 37th in private job sector growth

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin is ranked 37th in private sector job growth over the 12-month period that ended in June.  Figures released Wednesday from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show private sector job growth in Wisconsin between June 2012 and June 2013 grew by 1 percent. That puts Wisconsin just ahead of Mississippi and below New Hampshire.  North Dakota had the highest increase at 3.7 percent while West Virginia was the worst with a drop of 0.7 percent.  The national rate was 1.9 percent.

Wisconsin added about 24,000 jobs over the period.  Gov. Scott Walker promised in 2010 to add 250,000 private sector jobs by the end of next year. But he is highly unlikely to meet that, given the growth numbers to date.

12-19-13 attorney general

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says he doesn't have plans to run for higher office — at least not yet.  Van Hollen announced earlier this year he won't seek re-election in 2014. In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, he said he doesn't know what he'll do when he leaves office.  He says he's not ruling anything out, but he has no current designs on higher office such as the U.S. Senate or the governor's office. He said if he did he would have been in a better position if he had decided to run for re-election as attorney general.  He says he's surpassed his goals as attorney general by 10 times and wants to spend more time with his family.

12-19-13 stubborn crime victim

MARSHFIELD, Wis. (AP) — The elderly, but spirited neighborhood grocer who wouldn't let a would-be robber take any of her cash is closing the store her family has run for more than 50 years. Ninety-seven-year-old Margaretta "Marge" Wolf says her final day behind the candy counter is Thursday. Wolf says the new owner will convert the store to an apartment.  Wolf's Grocery has changed through the decades. Originally a full-service grocer, the store later became more of a convenience store. Wolf garnered attention earlier this year when a boy, armed with a knife, tried to rob the store. Wolf refused to give him cash and offered him candy instead.  Wolf says if she had the energy, she wouldn't be closing the store because she's loved every minute of operating it.