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Closer look at cranberries

September 26, 2009 By

Foreign trade representatives got a firsthand look this week at Wisconsin’s cranberry industry. The international guests visited the 230-acre Gottschalk family marsh west of Wisconsin Rapids, as part of a campaign to increase exports of Wisconsin berries. The goal of the visit was to give the trade group new ideas for promoting the sale of Wisconsin cranberries back home. Australia’s Louisa Galligani has been marketing U.S. cranberries to her countrymen for almost four years, but she said Thursday’s firsthand trip to central Wisconsin has given her greater insight into the industry.

AUDIO: Mike Warren reports (1:08 MP3)

Besides Australia, other countries represented at Thursday’s trade mission included Germany, Mexico, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, South Korea and the Czech Republic.

Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association Director Tom Lochner says the harvest is starting a few days early this year, even though a cool summer slowed the development of the crop. And despite the slow start, Lochner says this year’s harvest should be close to last year’s record crop of 4.4 million barrels. Wisconsin will be the nation’s top cranberry-producing state for the 15th straight year. The state produces over half the world’s cranberries.

WDLB’s Mike Warren contributed this report

Filed Under: Agriculture, Business

Call for Wood to resign

September 25, 2009 By

Governor Jim Doyle says state Representative Jeff Wood’s second arrest for driving while intoxicated in less than a year is a troubling situation. “There’s a personal side of it for Representative Wood that he really has to deal with, but we also have to recognize that, as alleged, this kind of driving puts the public at very grave risk,” Doyle said during a meeting with reporters in his Capitol office on Friday. “I think he has very big decision to make, and if he doesn’t the people in his district have a big decision to make. ”

AUDIO: Governor Jim Doyle (:17 MP3) 

Wood was arrested Wednesday in Marathon County and charged with operating while intoxicated. He reportedly said he had taking several anti-anxiety pills and cough medicine. He was arrested in Columbia County in December and charged with third-offense drunk driving and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The Marathon County 911 Center released nearly nine minutes worth of audio, during which a motorist described Wood’s erratic driving before he was pulled over by a State Patrol trooper.

AUDIO: Marathon Co. 911 call (8:45 MP3)

Also on Friday, state Representative Steve Nass circulated a letter in which he requests that Wood resign, or face expulsion proceedings in the Assembly.

Jason Fischer contributed to this report

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Politics & Government

Doyle outlines DNA effort

September 25, 2009 By

A team of retired cops will attempt to locate and obtain DNA samples from convicted felons who are supposed to have submitted them to a state databank. Governor Doyle made that announcement Friday after meeting with Corrections Secretary Rick Raemisch.

AUDIO: Governor Jim Doyle (:18 MP3)

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says he’ll work closely with the Correctons Department to close the gap. Van Hollen and Raemisch say short-term safeguards have been put in place to improve DNA collection, and sheriff’s departments around the state have started taking DNA samples from felons who are missing from the database.

Governor Doyle says a retired cop will oversee the effort. He says there’s been some trouble determining where the holes exist.

AUDIO: Governor Jim Doyle (:15 MP3)

State law requires the Corrections Department to take DNA samples from all convicted felons and ship them to the state crime lab. A Justice Department review last week discovered samples from at least 12,000 felons never made it to the labs. Doyle says he’s not convinced the number is that high.

Jason Fischer

Filed Under: Politics & Government

People holding onto pets even in hard times

September 25, 2009 By

People are not abandoning their pets during hard times, at least in one Wisconsin community. Despite the economy or perhaps because of it the Rock County Humane Society reports the shelter’s dog intake was about 11 percent lower for the fiscal year ending in August compared to last year.

Director Angela Rhodes says people are willing to give up a lot of other things before they give up their companions.

AUDIO: Angela Rhodes (MP3 :17)

Since Rock County has extra space Rhodes says she took in 11 dogs last week from Milwaukee County and more than half have been adopted.

However although the number of cats at the shelter is also down by about 100, Rhodes says they still took in 1,500 cats this past fiscal year.

Contributed by Beth Wheelock-WCLO

Filed Under: Human Interest

Putting the gubernatorial squeeze on Barrett

September 25, 2009 By

The political pressure grows on Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

A Democratic activist is quoted today as saying “Immense pressure will be brought to bear” on Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to run for Governor. UW political scientist Dave Canon says Barrett seems to be favored by many in the party. The only announced Democratic candidate so far is Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton.

Is Lawton being “disrespected?” The Lieutenant Governor announced she’s a candidate for Governor weeks ago, but many Democratic party activists seem to have their eyes on Barrett. Canon weighs-in on the Lawton situation.

“Well … ‘disrespected’ is a pretty strong word. But certainly there are her detractors within the Democratic party but she has her base of support as well. I think that a lot of people in the Democratic party would like to see is just a strong field of candidates from which the voters can choose.”

With Congressman Ron Kind out of the race, pressure is said to be increased on Barrett to announce his bid.

John Colbert report (:36 mp3)

Filed Under: Politics & Government
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