Wisconsin K-12 education has lost out in the race to the top for a second time. Wisconsin is one of 35 states that applied for phase two Race to the Top education reform money provided through the U.S. Department of Education. President Barack Obama announced the competition, which rewards states for having comprehensive, state-supported school reform plans, during a visit to Wisconsin in November, 2009. State officials here were initially optimistic about Wisconsin’s chances, but Federal education officials announced Tuesday that the Badger State is not among the 19 finalists that will advance towards $3.4 billion in education funding. Wisconsin also failed to make the cut in phase one of the Race to the Top competition. [Read more...]
Carroll hires former baseball standout as its new coach
July 27, 2010 By
Carroll University in Waukesha has named Menasha native and former Pioneer standout Derek Hassell as the schools new baseball coach. Hassell played at Carroll from 1998 through 2001.
Hassell hit .415 in 2001, collecting a school record 56 hits that season. He takes over a program that has posted just three winning seasons since 1960.
Hassell spent one year as an assistant with the Pioneers once his playing career was over. From there, he worked on coaching staffs at Pomona-Pitzer College, Gardner Webb, Charleston Southern, Texas Christian and Furman.
Three Brewer minor leaguers suspended
July 27, 2010 By
Three members of the Milwaukee Brewers’ Dominican Summer League team have been hit with 50-game suspensions after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that the Major League Baseball Commissioner’s office says outfielder Erickson Salaya and 3rd baseman Alixon Cequea tested positive for metabolites of Nandrolone, and pitcher Leonard Lorenzo tested positive for Boldenone.
No smoke tipster hotline is pretty quiet
July 27, 2010 By
Tipster hotline to report violators of Wisconsin’s three-week old smoking ban remains pretty quiet.
Wisconsin Health Department spokesperson Seth Boffeli says other states with smoking bans also use some sort of compliance hot line. “These compliance lines are an important tool,” he says, “Essentially it gives the public an avenue if, for instance, they’re at an establishment and don’t feel comfortable speaking up.” [Read more...]
Rallies for and against gay marriage
July 27, 2010 By
Gay marriage opponents and supporters rally in Madison today.
The National Organization for Marriage stops in Madison during its 23-city, 19-state bus tour, before it wraps things up with a rally in the nation’s capitol on August 15th. The so-called “Summer for Marriage, One Man – One Woman Tour” covers many key battleground states in the ongoing fight to preserve marriage as that between one man and one woman.
Katie Belanger heads Fair Wisconsin, a gay and lesbian rights group. She says hundreds of gay rights advocates are expected in Madison today to call for the repeal of the state’s constitutional ban on same sex marriage. [Read more...]
