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Alec Cook gets three years prison time

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A former UW student has been sentenced to 3 years in prison, for campus sexual assaults. A Dane County judge also sentenced 22-year-old Alec Cook to 5 years extended supervision for those crimes, plus 3 additional years of probation for other felonies.

He must also register as a sex offender for 15 years after prison and probation. Prosecutors had recommended 19 1/2 years in prison, 20 years probation, and a lifetime sexual offender registration.

Cook pleaded guilty earlier this year to third-degree sexual assault, strangulation and stalking. Eleven women were alleged victims of the Edina, Minnesota native.

 

Prosecutors want maximum sentence for Alec Cook

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State prosecutors want the maximum sentence for a sexually violent former University of Wisconsin student.  Calling him “a dangerous man,” they’re recommending 19 1/2 years in prison for 22-year-old Alec Cook, who pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual assault, strangulation and stalking.

Eleven women were alleged victims of sexual assault or harassment by Cook, and Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke can consider that at his sentencing, set for Thursday.

Prosecutors also want 20 years extended supervision and lifetime placement on the sexual offenders registry for Cook. His parents in Minnesota say they believe the women, but ask for “redemption” for their son.

Sterling Brown files suit over tasering, arrest

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The Milwaukee Bucks Sterling Brown is suing the city of Milwaukee and its police department, over his arrest and tasering. Attorney Mark Thomsen says Brown was “set up, circled and attacked” by MPD officers, after illegally parking in a disabled spot outside a Walgreens on Januay 26.

“Twelve minutes he was left sitting or laying on the ground, after being abused. This kind of conduct must stop.”

Thomsen says Brown, who was also tased, hopes the city will take action. “And that when he hits the floor this next season, in our new stadium, that we celebrate and that Milwaukee is an example to the country of what a city can do to turn itself around.”

According to the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, one of the eight officers involved later took to Twitter to mock Brown. Three officers were disciplined, with suspensions ranging from two to 15 days. Eight other officers were ordered to undergo remedial training. Police Chief Alfonso Morales apologized to Brown after body cam video of the arrest was released last month.

Schimel announces more school safety grants

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Attorney General Brad Schimel has announced more school safety grants. In the Dells Wednesday for the announcement, Schimel said the grant submissions from 20 districts and private schools had several things in common. “We got the grants from these districts in very quickly, we were able to start processing them even before the closing of the deadline,” he said. “Their applications were put together in a way that we were able to move very quickly.”

More than $1.3 million will be distributed to this latest round of recipients, and another round may be announced.

  • Barneveld School District, $38,949
    Benton School District, $57,975
    Big Foot Unified High School District, $13,975
    Bristol #1 School District, $22,925
    Crivitz School District, $20,000
    Kettle Moraine School District, $190,395
    Kewaskum School District, $106,347
    La Farge School District, $53,352
    Luck School District, $39,516
    Mauston School District, $188,275
    Prentice School District, $81,272
    Randall J1 School District, $21,935
    River Ridge School District, $55,000
    Rock County Christian School, $39,951
    St. Joseph School; $20,750
    Stevens Point Area Public School District, $279,827
    Trinity Evangelical Lutheran School, $18,334
    Union Grove J1 School District, $19,872
    Wautoma Area School District, $84,435
    Williams Bay School District, $28,960

The Kenosha Unified School District was the first to receive a School Safety Grant, in the program put into place after the shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Dems, GOP split special elections wins

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Voters have decided a pair of closely watched special elections for the Wisconsin legislature. Assembly Republicans fended off – for now – concerns of a “blue wave,” as Town of Lodi Supervisor Jon Plumer defeated Lodi Common Council member Ann Groves Lloyd, with 53 percent of the vote in the 42nd District.

But in the 1st state Senate District, Democrat Caleb Frostman, who heads the Door County Economic Corporation, defeated state Representative Andre Jacque of DePere, by about 800 votes. Frostman’s win narrows the GOP Senate majority to just three seats.

Advocate says coordinated effort needed to address suicide

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A Wisconsin advocate says that addressing rising suicide rates will require a coordinated effort. Recent numbers from the Centers for Disease Control show 49 states including Wisconsin saw an increase in suicide. Shel Gross is Director of Public Policy for Mental Health America of Wisconsin.

“Many people who are suicidal touch the health care system,” Gross said. “But many don’t. So other parts of the community need to educated and trained, to recognize and know what to do when someone they’re in contact with may be suicidal.”

Gross said unfortunately, most Wisconsin counties suffer from a shortage of mental health professionals. “Access to treatment is really problematic in most of the state.”

Gross said there’s still a good deal of stigma attached to suicide. “Part of the reason we have people acting ‘impulsively’ is they may be struggling, but they may not be comfortable letting people know that they’re struggling.”

Special elections in 1st Senate and 42nd Assembly Districts

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Voters head to the polls on Tuesday, in two Wisconsin legislative districts. Special elections in state Senate District 1 in northeast Wisconsin and Assembly District 42 in south central Wisconsin will fill the seats vacated by Senator Frank Lasee and Representative Keith Ripp, both of whom resigned to take jobs with the Walker administration.

In the 1st, Republican state Representative Andre Jacque of DePere faces Democrat, Door County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Caleb Frostman of Sturgeon Bay. In the 42nd, Lodi Common Council member Ann Groves Lloyd, a Democrat, faces Republican Town of Lodi Supervisor Jon Plumer.

You can find out if you live in a district with a special election at the MyVote Wisconsin website and see what’s on your ballot.

Victims identified in Dane County head-on crash

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The Dane County Medical Examiner has released names of three people killed in a head-on crash. Twenty-one year-old Thomas G. Westrich of Waunakee was driving a Mercedes Benz sedan.

Sixty-four year-old Lorraine Fundingsland and 68-year-old Frank Lee Fundingsland of Pardeeville were in a Chrysler minivan.

It happened Friday morning on State Highway 19 near Waunakee. Investigators say the Mercedes was seen driving recklessly, passing vehicles on the shoulder, and that lost control and crossed the centerline.

 

Federal highway grant less than requested by Wisconsin

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A federal highway grant has fallen short of what was requested. Last fall, the state of Wisconsin applied for $246 million, from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant program.

That would have been enough to pay for half the remaining costs of the big Interstate-94 project south of Milwaukee.


On Wednesday, Governor Scott Walker and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin announced the state will receive only about 65 percent of the requested amount – $160 million. Still, that’s the biggest federal highway grant ever for Wisconsin, and Walker said work on the I-94 project will be done, by 2021.

Four candidate Dem debate prompts blowback

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A debate featuring some but not all of the Democratic candidates for governor generated some controversy on Monday. There are 10 candidates, but the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association announced that the top four finishers in the Marquette Law School Poll closest to the July 27 debate in Madison will be “considered as significant candidates.”


“We’re hoping that the Democratic candidates absolutely, 100 percent boycott this,” said Scot Ross with the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, who also hopes another organization will host a debate.


And in fact, “WisPolitics.com” is organizing a debate for July 12 in Milwaukee, with at least 9 Democratic candidates. And, Marquette Law School Poll pollster Charles Franklin said he does not support the WBA using poll numbers poll to determine debate participants.


The WBA released a statement after concerns were raised by Ross’ and some of the Democratic candidates, stating that “in order to have a lively exchange of ideas,” in the hour-long debate, only four candidates could be accommodated.

On Tuesday, Wisconsin 2nd District Congressman Mark Pocan also called on WBA to reverse course and allow all ten candidates on stage.