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Juneteenth flag will fly over Wisconsin Capitol

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The Evers administration is making more flag news. Governor Tony Evers announced Wednesday that the Juneteenth flag will fly at the State Capitol Friday.

Juneteenth is marked annually on June 19 and commemorates the end of slavery in America on that date in 1865.

This will be the first time the Juneteenth flag has flown at the Capitol. It will temporarily replace the Pride flag, which Evers last year ordered to be flown over the East Wing, below the U.S. flag and Wisconsin flags.

‘It doesn’t have to be brutality to feel abusive’ – cops meet people at Marshfield rally (AUDIO)

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WDLB photo

Reactions to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police continue to spread across Wisconsin. Marshfield police officers met with people at a downtown cookout and rally Thursday, including Police Chief Rick Gramza.

“We solve problems better together than apart. The goal was just to have some tough conversations, be vulnerable. And we weren’t here as much to talk as we are to listen and learn.”

LISTEN RickGramza :40

Echo Means of Marshfield shared some of her concerns and past experiences with law enforcement in the city, after moving there from Milwaukee

“It doesn’t have to be brutality to feel abusive. Probably the first five years we lived up here was very abusive.”

LISTEN Echo Means :54

Local businesses donated food to feed the rally. Several hundred people attended, many carrying signs in support for George Floyd. Local businesses donated food to feed the rally.

WDLB

Coronavirus pandemic forces cancellation of World Dairy Expo

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Another major Wisconsin event is cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic — World Dairy Expo in Madison. Dairy Expo General Manager Scott Bentley, in an announcement posted to YouTube Thursday afternoon

“We had every intention of adhering to our initial communication timeline of July 1st. But an abundance of clarity has been obtained through the public health order Forward Dane, released on May 22, and we have been left with no viable options.”

The announcement said World Dairy Expo “remains committed to issuing full refunds for all payments made for the 2020 show.”

Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman said the decision was not what they had hoped to announce.

“However, unwaveringly we recognize our responsibility is to maintain the health of our community, and the safety of all of you as exhibitors, attendees, volunteers and staff, and to adhere to the orders dictated by Dane County through the Forward Dane public health plan, and Emergency Order Number Three.”

World Dairy Expo was scheduled for September 30 through October 3, at Madison’s Alliant Energy Center. The expo annually brings upwards of 50,000 people to the Madison metro area, with an economic impact for the region in the tens of millions of dollars.

Evers pushes for bill on police use of force procedures in wake of George Floyd protests

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Governor Tony Evers wants to take action to help Black Wisconsinites in the wake of a weekend’s worth of protests. 

Evers says that while these particular protests were sparked by the death of George Floyd, Wisconsin has its own cases to consider. 

“We hear the echo of the words of Eric Garner. We relive the pain of the death of Black Wisconsinites like Dontre Hamilton, Sylville Smith, Ernest Lacy, and Tony Robinson.”

Evers is backing a bill that would require police departments to be trained on de-escalation tactics and to prioritize saving lives in critical situations instead of resorting to force. He says efforts must be made to start undoing generations of oppression. 

“We must be willing to face it, with clear eyes and open hearts, recognizing that folks who look like me have been part of creating, exacerbating, and benefiting from the systems that we must now turn to dismantle.”

“We must condemn all those who encourage violence against Black lives. We must offer our compassion, we must offer our support, but most of all, we must offer our action.”

The bill has already stalled once in the Republican controlled legislature, and it’s unclear if leadership will meet to discuss the issue while already on recess. 

No cream puffs: 2020 Wisconsin State Fair cancelled

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Cream puff (PHOTO: Wisconsin State Fair)

The Wisconsin State Fair has been officially called off due to COVID-19.  This is the first time in 75 years that the fair will not be happening.

The decision was made on Thursday by Fair Board chairman John Yingling. In a statement, Yingling says the decision was not made lightly, and that he’s got everyone’s safety in mind.

The Fair attracts over a million visitors every year and organizers said it would be impossible to enforce social distancing on the grounds. The other issue would be putting on the fair only for no one to show up due to fears over COVID-19.

Tourism officials say this will be another $200 million loss to Milwaukee and the suburbs, but that they’re hoping more summer events will be happening to help ease the financial impact.

Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down Tony Evers’ Safer at Home order

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has struck down Governor Tony Evers’ Safer at Home order. The Republican controlled state legislature had sued over the order, contending it was a constitutional overreach by the Democratic governor’s administration.

Four of the court’s conservative justices sided with Republican legislators against the order. That will require Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm and Evers to instead use the rulemaking process to manage the state’s pandemic response going forward.

That means the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee with its Republican majority will have input – as well as authority for a potential veto – over any plan Evers’ DHS puts forward.

It’s unclear what immediate impact this ruling will have.  The court provided little guidance on the matter. The state is already on track to reopen under Evers’ Badger Bounce Back plan, and Safer at Home expires in less than two weeks, on May 26.

READ: Wisconsin Supreme Court decision

Packers unveil 2020 NFL Schedule

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The Green Bay Packers will open the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 13 with a noon kickoff against the NFC North Division rival Minnesota Vikings.  The Packers will close the season with a January 3rd noon kick at Chicago and play five times in prime time in between.

The Packers home opener comes in week two of the regular season, Sunday, Sept. 20 (noon) against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.

They’ll play their first prime time match-up the following Sunday night (Sept. 27) against the Saints in New Orleans.

The Packers return home in week four, facing the Atlanta Falcons in a Monday night game on October 5th at Lambeau Field. [Read more…]

Brett Favre goes off on Packers over 2020 draft (AUDIO)

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Aaron Rodgers & Brett Favre. (Photo Courtesy of Mike Clemens)

Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre thinks Aaron Rodgers will end up finishing his career elsewhere, just like he did.

Favre appeared as a guest on the Rich Eisen Show on the NBC Sports Network on Wednesday.

Favre said he talked with Rodgers since the Packers traded up four spots to pick Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick in the draft last Thursday.  Favre said he was surprised the Packers went in the direction that they did.

The Packers have been criticized for not only taking a quarterback in the first round, but not doing more offensively to help the Packers out offensively.

Rodgers has four years left on the $134 million extension that he signed in 2018.  From a salary cap standpoint, it would be next to impossible for the Packers to part with Rodgers for at least the first two years.  But after that, who knows.

“I think he’ll play somewhere else,” Favre told Rich Eisen.  “My gut tells me now.  I don’t know this for certain, but I guarantee you, it’s got the wheels turning in Aaron’s mind.  If that’s the case, then that means there’s a chip on his [Read more…]

Wisconsin COVID-19 deaths reach 300

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Wisconsin’s reported COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday increased by 19 since Monday. That’s the largest one-day increase since April 4, and brings total statewide deaths to 300.

One of those deaths was in Brown County, where the state’s fastest-growing coronavirus outbreak is linked to three meatpacking plants. Wisconsin Department of Health Services numbers also include the first death from Monroe County.


There have been 6,289 positive test results and 1,456 hospitalizations. The largest numbers of deaths and confirmed cases – 174 and 2,722 – have been in Milwaukee County.

As of Monday, there are 48 active labs running tests throughout the state, with the daily testing capacity at nearly 11,000, according to DHS.

 

 

Wisconsin’s Taylor goes to Indianapolis in Round 2 of NFL Draft

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Jonathan Taylor

Two-time Doak Walker award winner Jonathan Taylor is the third running back off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft.  The former Wisconsin Badger was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the ninth pick in the second round, 41st overall.  The Colts traded up to select Taylor, sending a fourth round pick to Cleveland for the rights to the selection.

Taylor became the first FBS player to rush for at least 6,000 yards in just three seasons.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire of LSU was the first running back off the board, with the final pick of the first round to the Kansas City Chiefs.  The Detroit Lions made De’Andre Swift of Georgia the second running back off the board with the 3rd pick in round two, 35th overall.

Taylor averaged 6.3 yards per carry last season, racking up 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns.  For the first time in his career, Taylor became a part of the Badgers passing game out of the backfield, catching 26 passes for 252 yards and five touchdowns.

Taylor finished his career in Madison with 6,174 yards and 50 rushing touchdowns in his three seasons.