The state budget goes into effect on Friday. Secretary of State Doug LaFollette, who waited the maximum allowable ten days before publishing a law restricting the collective bargaining rights of public employees, published the budget just four days after it was signed. “I determined in thinking about it that it made really good sense to have it take effect on July 1st, the start of the fiscal year,” said LaFollette. “Because the budget effects the fiscal year situation, it made sense to me to get it published on July 1.” Governor Scott Walker signed the $66 billion two year spending plan Sunday in Green Bay. [Read more...]
Drivers nod off after shooting up
June 30, 2011 By
Another threat on the roads besides drunk and texting drivers. A Wednesday crash on Madison’s east side is the second this week being attributed to drivers injecting drugs while behind the wheel. A Baroboo man, 29 year-old Todd Anderson, reportedly passed out after using heroin while driving. Two other passengers in the car, 23 year-old Maggie Busjahn and 23 year-old Abigail Sawyer, were unable prevent the vehicle from striking a pole at the entrance to a gas station. All face charges. On Tuesday, a 29 year-old Madison man, Thebang Lowe, was charged with third offense operating under the influence after he passed out at the wheel of a Lincoln Continental on the Beltline Highway. Lowe and a passenger, who was able to bring the vehicle to a halt, had just injected heroin. Officers recovered syringes inside the car. [Read more...]
Massive MPS layoffs
June 30, 2011 By
Layoffs are going out to more than 500 staffers in the Milwaukee Public Schools. Superintendent Gregory Thornton announced the layoffs, after his request for pension contributions of up to 5.8 percent were turned down by the teachers union. “I asked for the opportunity to begin to have a conversation around what it could take to mitigate the layoffs that are out there,” said Thornton. “A 5.8 percent contribution on the part of unions would put us the neighborhood of somewhere around $200 million, and that would basically reduce our layoffs by approximately 200 people.” [Read more...]
Smoky fire snarls Madison
June 30, 2011 By
Downtown streets were smoky PHOTO: WRN
It remains a smoky mess in downtown Madison as firefighters battle the blaze at the Capitol Hill Apartments on Mifflin and Webster Streets. Lori Wirth with the Madison Fire Department said it’s a very stubborn blaze, “Fire is still burning. It’s gotten into the roofing materials which are several layers thick and into a space just below the roof and above the living areas. It’s really hard for us to get to it simply because we have no way to get close to it. We’ve had to pull our firefighters out for the second time.” Wirth added that smoke continues to billow and advised residents in the area to shut windows and, of course, motorists are still advised to stay away from the east side of the Capitol Square. That could be the case into rush hour this afternoon.
Bucks exercise contract options
June 30, 2011 By
The Milwaukee Bucks exercised the fourth-year contract option on guard Brandon Jennings and the third-year contract option on forward Larry Sanders.
The 21-year-old Jennings appeared in 63 games last season, averaging 16.2 points, 4.8 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals a game.
Sanders, 22, played in 60 games last season, averaging 4.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game..
