Wisconsin News and Sports
Organizers of Madison’s pride parade are not going to allow police to participate. The board of directors of the OutReach LGBT Community Center are withdrawing applications from the Madison Police Department, the UW-Madison Police Department, and Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney to march in the parade.
The action is in response to concerns among the LGBTQ community regarding police presence in the parade. Police will still be on hand for security. The parade is August 19.
WIBA
A weak tornado hit Deerfield, in Dane County on Thursday. National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Halbach says the EF-0zero twister hit without warning just before 4:00 in the afternoon.
“These weaker ones that are shorter lived are very hard for us to pick up,” he said. “When we do get some kind of signature on radar, a lot of times by the time we get a warning out, the tornado’s already gone.”
Official details from the Village of Deerfield tornado survey: https://t.co/sN2dbeYdb6 pic.twitter.com/YlFjjVL2cT
— NWS Milwaukee (@NWSMKX) August 10, 2018
The area had been under a severe thunderstorm warning, but Halbach says the tornado wasn’t part of that system, but rather storms that were moving through to the south. The tornado has been ranked EF-0 but still did significant damage to a business, International Machinery Exchange. No one was injured.
WIBA
Some 200 FBI agents and other law enforcement personnel took part in simultaneous raids in Milwaukee and Ozaukee Counties Wednesday. Seven people were arrested.
The FBI’s Jason Soule said the raids targeted the top heroin distributors in southeast Wisconsin — the local subset of a national gang known as the Vice Lords.
“This particular group deals in heroin. We significantly disrupted them today. Did we stop it? No, but we’re going to continue to investigate this group,” Soule said. “Their levels of violence ranges from homicides to non-fatal shootings, carjackings, armed robberies.”
The raids followed a year-long investigation of the Vice Lords gang. Two more suspects are still being sought.
Marcus Theatres locations in Madison and Sun Prairie do not plan to show the upcoming “Slender Man” movie, according to movie listings on its website.
Earlier this week a company spokesperson confirmed that the movie would not be shown at Marcus Theatres in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.
The movie is about girls driven to kill on behalf of the online ghoul and is set to open in select theaters this weekend.
Two girls from Waukesha, Anissa Weir, and Morgan Geyser, said the fictional character was behind their May 2014 attack of classmate Payton Leutner. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier urged her on, according to investigators. A passing bicyclist found Leutner, who barely survived her wounds.
“Like many people across the United States, Marcus Theatres was deeply concerned and saddened when the Slender Man phenomenon touched Southeastern Wisconsin in such a profound way, changing the lives of many families forever,” a statement said. “After careful consideration, and out of respect for those who were impacted, we have decided not to play the upcoming Slender Man movie in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. We will show the film at select other Marcus Theatres locations.”
Slender Man is a fictional character created by a then-28-year-old Floridian named Eric Knudsen. Slender Man first appeared on an Internet forum called “Something Awful” in 2009.
WIBA
With just days to go before Tuesday’s partisan primary elections, seven of the eight Democratic candidates running for governor squared off at Madison’s Central Library. The room was packed with a majority of undecided voters listening to why the candidates say they should become governor, no matter their differences.
“No matter how much we disagree, we need to bring civility back to politics,” said State Senator Kathleen Vinehout. All candidates besides Mike McCabe said they will ultimately support whoever the nominee is if they don’t win next week.
“That’s one thing I think that’s been great about this race, we’ve been able to talk about our differences while keeping our eye on the ball to defeat Scott Walker,” said Kelda Roys.
One topic that many candidates weighed in on was reducing the prison population. This comes a day after incumbent Republican Governor Scott Walker criticized the candidates who say they want to reduce the prison population by releasing some inmates early. Walker said two thirds of criminals are violent criminals, meaning releasing thousands to reach that goal.
Vinehout challenged that claim and said those statistics are outdated. She and others would like to see a non-partisan study conducted by Department of Justice proving hundreds of inmates could be released.
“Every prisoner’s record has to be reviewed, the times they’ve been incarcerated, the nature of the accused offense, as well as if there was a plea agreement,” said Madison’s Mayor Paul Soglin.
Candidate Matt Flynn called out Walker for never visiting a state prison after he said even if re-elected he doesn’t see “a value” in doing so.
“We need a hands on governor who will go to the prisons to make sure the guards are protected and the inmates are protected,” said Flynn.
All candidates agreed on legalizing marijuana for recreational use and investing more money in public schools.
“I’m in favor ending taxpayer subsidizing for private schooling, which is taking resources away from private schools and putting that money back into community schools,” said Mike McCabe.
All would like to see a repeal of right to work laws for unions and requiring background checks for gun sales.
“Universal background checks, waiting periods and making sure the people that shouldn’t have guns – don’t have guns,” said Tony Evers.
The only candidate who did not make it to the debate was Mahlon Mitchell. He was in Seattle for a meeting of the International Firefighters Union. His spokeswoman said his return flight was delayed.
That event was hosted by the Isthmus newspaper and WORT radio in Madison.
Headstones at Madison’s historic Forest Hill Cemetery have been vandalized. An employee notified police Wednesday after finding 36 toppled headstones.
About a dozen, many dating to the late 1800s or early 20th century, were cracked or shattered.
Police spokesman Joel DeSpain said the damage appears random. Graves in the Jewish area of the cemetery, and of Confederate prisoners of war, were untouched.
This was the second act of vandalism at a Wisconsin cemetery in recent weeks. Over 100 stones were damaged over the last weekend in July, at St. Francis Cemetery in Merrill.
Mayor Tom Barrett acknowledges there’s a violent crime problem in Milwaukee. Speaking at a “National Night Out” event Tuesday night, Barrett pointed out that four shooting deaths on Monday began with arguments between people with guns.
“When you have four individuals who have all died in a 24 hour period, and there’s guns involved everywhere, it tells you there’s a problem,” Barett said.
“You are out of your mind if you think using a gun to resolve your dispute is going to do anything other than create more violence,” the mayor said. Barrett spoke at a park where four men were shot and wounded while playing basketball last Saturday.
Milwaukee police said a 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy were fatally shot during a Monday night confrontation at an east side park. Swing Park, under the Holton Street Bridge, is a popular daytime attraction, but residents say things frequently get out of hand at night.
Two other men, ages 40 and 23, where shot and killed earlier Monday.
Two men have been convicted in the death of a man who died during a holdup at a Madison restaurant. Court records show Nicholas Ivy and Xavier Fleming both pleaded guilty to being party to felony murder. Other charges against each of the suspects were dismissed but read in.
Ivy and Fleming were arrested in the death of Chris Kneubuehl. Police say Kneubuehl was working at the Culver’s off Todd Drive with other contractors in June of 2017 when Ivy and Fleming robbed the business. Officers say Kneubuehl had a heart attack during the crime and the suspects let him die.
Sentencing for each man is set for November.
WIBA
DeForest’s police chief will be subject to a complaint from the village board. After hearing concerns from community members, the board voted 4-2 Tuesday to file the complaint with the village police commission.
Daniel Furseth is on administraive leave. He revealed a years-old video in which he made derogatory comments about a group of Black men.
The police commission has authority to fire him, but his lawyer tells 27 News that Furseth wants to keep his job, and “to go back to work.”
WIBA
Shots were fired inside a downtown Madison radio station early Sunday. A WORT D-J was hit in the buttocks and will be okay. WORT board president David Devereaux-Weber told WKOW-TV that it seemed like a targeted attack. “Someboy who had a beef about something, and we’re not quite sure it it’s a personal issue or a music issue.” Weber said.
There was a shooting in our station this morning. A DJ was hurt but is OK and recovering. We were off the air briefly during the police investigation. We’re back on the air now. https://t.co/qGm2ZE2MSx
— WORT News (@WORTnews) August 5, 2018
Station employees say a masked and hooded man got inside the community-based station at 3:00 a.m. and opened fire. No arrests have been made. A code is needed to enter the building, and Weber said the station is in the process of getting security cameras, but those had not yet been installed.
