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Interesting, but just a tooth

July 17, 2009 By

WI DNR A Grant County trout stream has given up the tooth of a mastodon. The eight and a-half inch long prehistoric tooth was discovered earlier this month by a DNR heavy equipment operator. The DNR stopped work on a trout recovery project when the tooth was found, but resumed work after being cleared to do so by Wisconsin Historical Society archeologist Sherman Banker. 

"If someone took the time to go look, they might come up with more, but then again it's a juvenile tooth, to you might not find anything," says Banker. "When we got there, it was evident it had come down slope from a high energy event." And minus that context, Banker says the find, while interesting, is still just a tooth.

Banker concluded that the find was not significant. No other bones or other artifacts were found near the tooth that might have shed more information on the animal.

 

Filed Under: Human Interest

On-line help for those facing foreclosure

July 17, 2009 By

With the state on track to equal or exceed last year's number of home foreclosures, the Wisconsin Realtors' Association has a website to help homeowners through the process. "We've got sections of the site that give you a step-by-step analysis of what you should be doing, who you should be talking to, the things you should be thinking about, what you should be doing to prepare yourself, regardless of where you might be in that process," says the association's Joe Murray.

"For the year end 2008, Wisconsin had about 20,000 foreclosures statewide," says Murray. That was only slightly more than the number of foreclosures the previous year, and just slightly more than one percent of the nationwide total. Still, Murray says it's a trend that's likely to continue. "Wisconsin like the rest of the country is seeing an increase in these, so I don't think we've seen the bottom yet."

Murray says homeowners facing foreclosure, or even considering it, need to be proactive and ask plenty of questions. "If you are headed that way because you've lost your job, for example, you should immediately contact your lender and see if you can work something out," he says. "There are options today that might have been a little less available even a couple of years ago."

Filed Under: Business

High speed rail comes to Wisconsin

July 17, 2009 By

Governor Jim Doyle makes high speed rail announcement (Photo: Jackie Johnson) The state of Wisconsin signs a deal with a Spanish train manufacturer.

Wisconsin will purchase two 14-car passenger trains for $47 million, replacing Hiawatha trains running from Milwaukee to Chicago. Governor Jim Doyle says this new partnership with Talgo will be good for Wisconsin.

“And not only will Wisconsin residents be able to enjoy state-of-the-art passenger rail, we will also create jobs for hard-working families.”

Train parts would be manufactured in Spain, but assembled and maintained here in Wisconsin facilities, which Doyle says would initially create about 80 jobs. The contract allows for the option to buy two additional train sets if the state gets money from the federal government's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand rail service going 110 miles per hour from Milwaukee to Madison, with its ultimate destination being the Twin Cities.

“And the link of Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison and the Twin Cities is one that will bring enomorous longterm econonmic growth to this region.”

Eight-billion dollars in federal stimulus money has been allocated for high-speed rail projects in the U.S. Doyle says this contract makes the passenger rail project shovel-ready and well-positioned to get that federal money.

The eventual locations of the assembly and maintenance facilities have not yet been determined, but Talgo has already scouted areas in Janesville and Milwaukee and expect to make a decision within the next six to nine months.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:40 MP3)

Filed Under: Top Story, Transportation

Vilsack gets an earful during visit

July 17, 2009 By

The head of the USDA says they are working to improve the plight of farmers, but beyond $760-million in new farm loans, did not seem to offer much in the way of concrete fixes. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was at a rural community forum near La Crosse Thursday as part of President Obama's rural tour. On the minds of many participants were milk prices, currently much lower than the cost of production.

Jan morrow, a dairy farmer from Cornell, said the government needs to increase price support payments, or many farmers will be giving up. "Right now, I have gone behind so bad, I need thirty dollar milk for a good three years to dig out of the hole."

Vilsack says he's aware of the concerns. "I've talked to farmers who's loved ones have committed suicide over this," said Vilsack. "I do undertsand." After the forum, vilsack said they've been considering other possibilities, including restructuring loans, providing higher support payments on a temporary basis, and working longer term to smooth out the boom-bust price cycle.

AUDIO: John Helgeson reports (1:45 MP3)

Filed Under: Agriculture

Economy down = crime up

July 17, 2009 By

A downturn in the economy is leading to an uptick in crime including property crimes, thefts and bad checks, according to Beloit Police Captain Bill Tyler. He says he can't cite specific numbers but whenever there's a downturn in the economy those sorts of crimes increase.

Tyler says people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck don't have a safety net so even an eight hour cut in pay can have devastating results. The income loss can put people in situations, "they normally wouldn't be in."

Rock County has one of the highest unemployment rates in Wisconsin.

Beth Wheelock-WCLO contributed to this report

AUDIO: Brian Moon reports (MP3 :51)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts
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