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Wisconsinites to see relief on heating bills

October 7, 2009 By

The state’s largest natural gas utility, is predicting it will cost significantly less this winter to heat your home with natural gas. We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey says the drop means a savings ranging from $118 to $135 for the six month winter period that runs from November through April.

Manthey says the forecast includes a proposed rate increase currently being considered by the Public Service Commission.

The utility’s forecast of a 14-to-16 percent drop is similar to the projection released Tuesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which is predicting home heating costs will be about 15 percent less than last winter.

Roger Cooper of the American Gas Association attributes the cost decrease to natural gas production increasing this year and an increase of the fuel available as less being used during the slumping economy. However, Cooper says if the weather’s “incredibly cold” this winter, all bets about reduced prices are off. 

AUDIO: Janet Hoff reports (MP3 :60)

Janet Hoff-WRJN and John Colbert-WIBA contributed to this report

Filed Under: Economy

Flu symptoms cause shut down of Dells schools

October 7, 2009 By

An unexpected break for students in the Wisconsin Dells School District as it becomes the first in the state to completely shut down to due flu like symptoms. District Administrator Charles Whitsell says all classes and sporting events have been cancelled, after one third of the schools population stayed home sick on Monday.  It’s not known if this is from H1N1 but officials don’t want to take chances.

Classes will resume Monday. Meanwhile school offices remain open, and healthy teachers can work in their classrooms. The missed days won’t have to be made up at the end of the year, because the closure was ordered by a county health department.

AUDIO: Chandra Lynn (MP3 :32)

Chandra Lynn-WIBA contributed to this report

Filed Under: Education, Health & Medicine

Prayer death parents learn their fate

October 7, 2009 By

The Weston prayer death parents will spend 10 years on probation, but they’ll also spend some time in jail. Marathon County Judge Vincent Howard sentenced Dale and Leilani Neumann to serve a month in jail for the first six years of probation. 

The couple was convicted of reckless homicide for choosing prayer over medical attention as their daughter died from complications of diabetes last spring. Howard called the Neumanns very good people who made a bad decision and they made their 11-year-old daughter Kara a “martyr to their faith.”

The sentences will be staggered so one parent is always at home with the three surviving teenage children.  Howard also ordered those children to get a quarterly medical checkup and told the Neumanns they had to take the children to a doctor if they became critically ill.

Prosecutor Lamont Jacobson said justice was served, but he was disappointed that the couple was never sorry for what happened.

At yesterday’s sentencing, 47-year-old Dale Neumann read from the Bible, and said he loved his daughter.

AUDIO: Matt Lehman reports (MP3 :33)

Matt Lehman-WSAU contributed to this report

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Bullying curriculum goes statewide

October 7, 2009 By

The widow of a slain high school principal speaks in favor of anti-bullying guidelines.

Sue Klang’s husband Weston High School Principal John Klang was murdered three years ago by a disgruntled student. Klang says if a curriculum like this had been in place years ago, her husband might be alive today — the bully might have had second thoughts, and those with knowledge of the bully might have stepped up.

“If we had it in schools and in place … there where several student that knew what Eric planned to do that day and said nothing.”

The gunman, 15-year-old Eric Hainstock, is currently serving a life sentence.

Fred Evert, Executive Director of the W-E-A Trust, says his insurance group is happy to be a part of the call to action to help prevent bullying.

“We believe that bullying is a serious public health issue. To be healthy schools, schools must be safe.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education

Public opinion sought on elections

October 7, 2009 By

A ‘clean elections tour’ is being touted by Democrats in the legislature. It’s the proposal of state Representative Jeff Smith, an Eau Claire Democrat who promises this will be a case of politicians listening to the public.

AUDIO: Rep. Jeff Smith (:20 MP3)

Smith says the state’s current campaign financing system – based on a one dollar state income tax checkoff – is poorly supported by the public. But Mark Jefferson, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, suggests the public ought to beware of any promise of reform by Democrats

AUDIO: Mark Jefferson (:20 MP3)

Jefferson says he hopes Democrats will take the opportunity to talk about fair and clean elections, with things like photo ID to vote and an investigation of ACORN. Smith says the Assembly Committee on Elections and Campaign Reform will hold hearings in Madison and Green Bay, the Milwaukee area, and Eau Claire.

Filed Under: Politics & Government
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