SSM St. Mary’s nurses seeking union (MADISON)
Citing staffing and retention concerns and a lack of support from upper management, nurses at SSM St. Mary’s Hospital are asking for a union. They rallied outside the Madison hospital on Thursday. Nurses say SSM executives in St. Louis don’t see what nurses and patients need, and that they are “are vastly undercompensated compared to the union nurses at Meriter Hospital and UW Health in Madison. They were joined by representatives of the SEIU union and 2nd District Congressman Mark Pocan.
Nurses fled paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board this month to hold a union election to be held in early June. St. Mary’s has 870 full and part-time nurses. According to the SIEU, Saint Louis University Hospital is the only SSM hospital with a nurses union.
Former principal to plead no contest in connection to sexual-abuse case (MADISON)
A former Sun Prairie West High School principal charged in connection with a sexual-abuse investigation will plead no contest. The State Journal reports that Jennifer Ploeger intends to plead no contest to three misdemeanor counts of failing to report child abuse or neglect. Two of the charges stem from alleged failure to inform police or child welfare officials about allegations against former Dean of Students Robert Gilkey-Meisegeier. Ploeger’s attorney filed a letter with the court saying his client was being prescreened for the Dane County DA’s Deferred Prosecution Program. Ploeger, who resigned in December, will enter her plea on June 25. Gilkey-Meisegeier was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after pleading guilty in February
Fond Du Lac County DA Toney files nomination papers for AGs race in 2026 (MADISON)
A former candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General is now formally back in the race. Republican Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney submitted his nomination papers to the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Thursday. Candidates for all state offices have until Monday to do so. Toney lost to current AG Josh Kaul in 2022 by about 35-thousand votes. Toney says he’s been working to improve efforts to protect children online and increase pay for public defenders. If no other attorney general candidates register, the November election will be a rematch between Toney and Kaul.
Kaukauna School Board fires teacher who posted online joke about assassination attempt on President Trump (KAUKAUNA)
A Kaukauna teacher who mocked an assassination attempt against the President on social media has been fired. The Kaukauna School Board on Wednesday voted 6 to 1 to fire high school social studies teacher Patrick Meyer. Last month, Meyer posted on social media that multiple attacks against President Trump have failed and that assassins need to do better. This was a reference to the failed attack at the White House Correspondents Dinner in April. The district states that the post “created material disruption to school operations” in its cause to fire Meyer. Meyer had been on leave for several weeks while the board decided his fate.
Free summer meals available for kids through DPI program (UNDATED)
Free summer meals are available for Wisconsin kids through a Department of Public Instruction program. Across Wisconsin, more than 3 million meals are served each summer through the Summer Food Service Program, helping kids stay fed when school is out. The federally funded program offers free meals to anyone 18 and under at more than 900 sites statewide, including schools, camps, and community organizations. To qualify, sites must be in areas with higher levels of low-income families, and all meals must meet federal nutrition standards. A full list of locations is available on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website.
New ATV/UTV laws go into effect Monday (UNDATED)
New safety laws for ATV and UTV riders take effect Monday across Wisconsin. The Department of Natural Resources says one major change now requires everyone in a UTV, including the driver, to wear a seatbelt. Officials say many recent injuries and fatalities are linked to riders not buckling up. UTVs are also growing in popularity, with registration numbers, and crashes, on the rise. Other new rules include limits on tinted windows and a ban on towing objects on trails. The DNR is also reminding riders to avoid alcohol, wear helmets, and consider taking a safety course as the summer riding season gets underway.