Walden practiced in his normal starting outside linebacker position on Wednesday.

AUDIO: Mike McCarthy says Erik Walden will play :12

McCarthy wouldn’t say whether or not the Packers would discipline Walden.

The NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes fired coach Paul Maurice this morning.  They could announce Kirk Muller as their next coach as early as this evening.

Muller was an assistant with the Montreal Canadians in 2006.  He took over the Admirals this season after Lane Lambert was promoted to Nashville. 

Muller led the Admirals to a 10-6-0-1 record.  They’re in third place in the Midwest Division, seven points behind the Checkers.  He played 19 seasons in the NHL and was drafted second overall in 1984 by New Jersey after Mario Lemieux was taken first.

Muller finished his career with 357 goals and 602 assists.

Mason Crosby

goals in regular season play come to an end in Sunday’s 35-26 win over Tampa Bay.

Crosby’s 29 yard field goal try late in the game bounced off the right upright.

Crosby said he gave a little too
much credit to the wind from
that short of a distance and
needed to just bang it through.

Co-chair Ryan Lawler says they will have 60 days to collect over 540,000 signatures required by law. Although, he says they plan to aim much higher with a target of nearly 700,000 signatures. He admits that will be a difficult task, but they plan to work with several grassroots organizations, labor groups, and the state Democratic Party to help keep the campaign going.

Fellow co-chair Kevin Straka says there are many reasons to move ahead with the recall beyond the collective bargaining battle that unfolded at the Capitol earlier this year, which already resulted in recall campaigns over the summer against nine members of the state Senate. Straka says health care and education cuts, along with controversial Voter ID legislation, are also strong motivators behind the effort to recall Walker.

United Wisconsin says it remains unclear whether Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch will be included in the recall as well. The Government Accountability Board is currently awaiting an opinion from the attorney general on that issue. Once that’s in, Lawler says stake holders in the recall effort will decide if Kleefisch will be included.

The state Republican Party says Governor Walker has come through on his commitment to eliminate a $3.6-billion-dollar budget deficit and to cut local government and school district costs. An RPW spokeswoman says they welcome a comparison between Walker’s positive results and the failed policies of the past favored by recall supporters.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports 1:08

Also announcing an exploratory committee is Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald. Former congressman Mark Neumann and former Governor Tommy Thompson are announced Republican candidates. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is the only Democrat in the race thus far.

Brian Norton, WOMT

Yovani Gallardo

Divisional Series for the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.  Manager Ron Roenicke made the announcement on Tuesday.

In his last three starts, Gallardo has allowed just four earned runs in 20 1/3 innings with 36 strikeouts. 

Zach Greinke will start the season finale against the Pirates tonight and could still pitch game 2 of the playoffs on short rest on Sunday.  If Greinke doesn’t go in game 2, then Shaun Marcum will get the nod.

The Brewers need to win tonight or get Arizona to lose to lock up the #2 seed in the National League playoffs.

Most of us know the importance of guarding our personal information — name, address, phone number, mother’s maiden name, social security number, date of birth, etc. In the wrong hands, that information could financially ruin an individual and destroy one’s credit rating, so says Sandy Chalmers with Consumer Protection.

“The most common method identity thieves use is still the old-fashioned steeling your wallet or dumpster diving. It’s really important to have a shredder. If you don’t have one, that’s probably the most important step you can take to protect yourself.”

The Federal Trade Commission says young people, ages 20 to 29, are the most likely to become victims of identity theft. Chalmers says that’s because they do more of their business online. She urges college students to regularly balance bank accounts and watch for unauthorized charges. In fact, everyone should check their credit reports frequently.

Chalmers says we don’t have to be victims of identity theft. “The interesting thing about fraud is that it requires a willing victim. At some time you have to give the criminal some kind of information that allows him to take advantage of you.”

Chalmers also suggests you check your mail daily and shred items containing personal or financial information; and protect your computer and smartphone.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:33

The head of Renew Wisconsin, which authored the study, was surprised by the similarity. “We expected a bigger gap,” says Executive Director Michael Vickerman.

The group analyzed production figures from wind energy projects owned by Wisconsin utilities and found “no significant difference” comparing wind farms in the neighboring states.

Vickerman says Iowa’s reputation comes from a friendly industry climate toward wind energy, making it a “fairly easy” enterprise.  He says likewise the Badger State needs to develop statewide wind siting standards. Such rules have been proposed but rejected by Republican state leadership.

A shaky regulatory environment has resulted in more than one wind project changing their mind about setting up in Wisconsin.

AUDIO: Brian Moon reports (:60)

One issue Walker hopes can attract bipartisan support is the creation of a venture capital fund that new and expanding businesses can tap into. The governor says it’s a concept both sides of the aisle should be able to get on board with.

A first attempt at a venture capital bill earlier this summer got bogged down in controversy, largely over concerns that it sent money to out of state financial firms and did not allow the state to directly recoup money put into tax breaks.

Talks about a proposal to streamline the approval process for an iron ore mine in northwestern Wisconsin met with similar delays. The governor believes that concept will get another look as well this fall, because it could greatly benefit an area of the state with heavy unemployment. Walker says such a bill will need to conserve natural resources, while also benefitting workers.

Walker says his office has already been reaching out to Democratic state Senator Bob Jauch (D-Poplar), who represents the area. Jauch has said his district is hungry for jobs, but any mining proposal needs to carefully consider public input.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:09)

The move reverses action taken by former Democratic Governor Jim Doyle two years ago. The measure was supposed to save the state money by releasing non-violent offenders into extended supervision earlier.

Governor Walker said it has not worked as promised. “One, it didn’t work on the budget side because they didn’t get the kind of savings they thought; but more importantly, from a public safety standpoint … to make sure that when a judge hands down a sentence, that’s exactly what the sentence is.”

Governor Walker signed the bill during a closed ceremony at the Wisconsin State Patrol Eau Claire Post.

Dan Lea, WAYY reports :42