5-20-14 cow slows traffic on highway 41

Highway 41 traffic was slowed for a short period of time yesterday morning when a cow fell off a truck.

The incident happened in the southbound lanes of 41 near the Fond du lac County Airporrt.   The cow escaped when the gate on the truck fell down.  As motorists hit their brakes, state patrol troopers corralled the cow in the median and the  truck driver loaded the animal back into the truck.

5-20-14 memorial day holiday travel survey

After a harsh winter more Americans are planning to start the summer travel season with a Memorial Day getaway.  AAA Travel projects more than 36 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home this holiday weekend.  State Triple A spokesman Nick Jarmuscz says in Wisconsin the AAA forecast also calls for a slight increase in holiday travel.  Jarmuscz says the 2014 forecast is 2.6 percent higher than the ten year historical average and second highest travel volume since 2000.  AAA expects most drivers will pay lower gas prices by Memorial Day weekend due to rising supplies.

5-20-14 deer ticks

A UW Madison entomologist says its that time of year…deer ticks are starting to emerge as the temperatures warm up.   Professor  Susan Paskewitz says she has seen a lot ticks in recent  days and weeks. Paskewitz says the early indications are that the bitter cold winter did not have a significant impact on the tick population.  Paskewitz was a guest on AM 1170 WFDL's Between the Lines program.

5-20-14 health overhaul-wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nearly 63,000 Wisconsin residents who were on the state's BadgerCare Medicaid program lost their coverage at the end of March under tighter income eligibility standards.

Gov. Scott Walker's administration had previously estimated the number who would be kicked off the program to be around 75,000.  Walker announced Monday that the actual number who earned too much to remain on the program is 62,776. They were among those who have to purchase subsidized private insurance through the online marketplace created under President Barack Obama's federal health care law.  Walker tightened income eligibility under Wisconsin's Medicaid program only to those earning less than poverty level. He also did away with a waiting list for childless adults.  Walker says nearly 82,000 childless adults signed up for the program, which is close to previous estimates.

5-20-14 lucey funeral

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Wisconsin Gov. Patrick Lucey is being remembered as a great family and religious man who helped the state and the Democratic party. Lucey was a hard-nosed Democrat who died May 10 at age 96. He was Wisconsin's governor from 1970 to 1977.  Other current and former Wisconsin governors gathered at his funeral Monday in Milwaukee.  Afterward, former Gov. Tommy Thompson, a Republican, credited Lucey with growing the Democratic party into a "tremendous organization, much to my chagrin and all Republicans."  Gov. Scott Walker also attended, along with former Wisconsin governors Martin Schreiber, Scott McCallum and Jim Doyle.  Lucey left office midway through his second term to serve as President Jimmy Carter's ambassador to Mexico. He also ran for U.S. vice president as an independent in 1980.

5-20-14 fdl police investigating reported home invasion

Fond du Lac police are investigating a reported home invasion and robbery in the 300 block of East First Street.  Police received a call Monday afternoon from a man who said three males entered his home, tied him up and took  his cell phone.  Police say no one was injured and no arrests have been made.

5-20-14 west nile-dodge county

State and county health officials today announced that a dead crow found in Dodge County has tested positive for West Nile virus. This is the first bird to test positive for the virus in Wisconsin this year. Although very few mosquitoes actually carry West Nile virus, infected birds serve as an early warning that the virus is present in the area and that people should be more vigilant in protecting themselves against mosquito bites.  West Nile virus is spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes

become infected with West Nile virus by feeding on infected birds, and then potentially transmit the virus by biting other animals or people.   Last year, 21 cases of West Nile virus infection were reported among Wisconsin residents. While West Nile virus infections in humans have been reported from June through October, most individuals reported becoming ill with West Nile virus infection during August and September.  Statewide surveillance activities related to West Nile virus began on May 1. People who   have a question about a dead bird should call the Dead Bird Reporting Hotline at 1-800-433-1610.