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Audit matches sex offender addresses with day cares

September 23, 2009 By

Are sex offenders hanging out with kids in our state?

A new audit shows addresses of four registered sex offenders match the addresses of four licensed and certified child care providers in southeast Wisconsin. State Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) calls it every parent’s worst nightmare.

“Every parent shivers to think that this might be happening. And we must make sure that this program is absolutely tight, 100% assurance that this problem will never happen again.”

During an audit of Wisconsin Shares, the child care subsidy program, the Legislative Audit Bureau investigated cases of fraud, waste and abuse. The audit identified about $20-million in fraudulent claims had been made in 2008. It was that investigation that lead to the latest discovery. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Children & Families, Crime & Courts, Politics & Government

‘Puppy mill’ bill draws a crowd

September 23, 2009 By
Proposed legislation would regulate dog breeders in Wisconsin

Proposed legislation would regulate dog breeders in Wisconsin

Dozens of people turned out to testify at the Capitol Wednesday, in support of legislation to regulate dog breeders in Wisconsin. State Representative Jeff Smith is an Eau Claire Democrat and the author of the Assembly version of the bill. Smith says criminal charges have been largely ineffective in combating irresponsible breeders.

AUDIO: State Representative Jeff Smith (6:00 MP3)

“State statute provides penalties for violations of animal cruelty,” Smith said. “But the threshold is so high that even the worst offenders often come away with little more than a slap on the hand, and they keep their dogs and continue breeding.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Human Interest, Politics & Government

Succession bill needs more work

September 23, 2009 By

Legislation allowing Wisconsin legislators to name their own successors is not quite ready for a vote. The legislation allows lawmakers to secretly select persons to succeed them during emergencies. State Senator Bob Jauch said he understands why some legislators are opposed to keeping those names secret. The Poplar Democrat said he felt it would be unfair to those persons, to make their names public.

Jauch noted that the successors would only serve on an interim basis, to make sure the state legislature continues to function. Jauch said legislators need to think about the succession issue. The bill, which would provide for successors to serve as legislators in the event lawmakers die as the result of enemy attack, disease outbreak or other catastrophe was sent back to committee for further consideration.

AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Legislature, Politics & Government

A sixteen day deer season?

September 23, 2009 By

The state Natural Resources Board has approved hearing dates and locations for proposed changes to Wisconsin’s deer hunting season. “The traditional November firearms season would be expanded from nine to sixteen days,” says Department of Natural Resources spokesman Greg Matthews.

Matthews says that’s in response to the demise of the unpopular Earn-a-Buck program. “If we have a longer sixteen day season, we’ll be able to have the same results, as far as reducing the herd or keeping it in line, as we had when we used Earn-a-Buck,” says Maththews.

The public hearings have been scheduled for ten locations around Wisconsin, between October 14 and November 3. One additional hearing may be scheduled for southeastern Wisconsin. Matthews says, if the public response is positive, the Natural Resources Board could vote for the sixteen day season to take effect in 2010.

WIBA’s Chandra Lynn contributed to this report

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation

911 technology helps save woman’s life

September 23, 2009 By

Some sophisticated 911 mapping technology helped save a woman’s life near Neillsville this week. Clark County dispatchers were unable to understand the woman who turned out to have hearing difficulties.

“Basically, all our dispatcher could hear was that it was female on the other end of the phone,” says Chief Deputy Jim Backus. “She appeared very upset, crying, and just making noises.”

Backus says the mapping technology led them to find the woman, trapped in a car that had rolled over outside of Neillsville early Monday. Backus says there’s little traffic in the area, so it’s impossible to say when someone might have discovered the woman. Firefighters were able to extract the hard of hearing woman from her car and get her to a hospital where she was treated and released.

Backus says the technology has been used before to help find lost hunters, but this is the most successful story of how it’s been used.

WSAU’s Matt Lehman submitted this report

AUDIO: Matt Lehman reports (:35 MP3)

Filed Under: Human Interest
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