State tax credits for Foxconn (MOUNT PLEASANT)
Taiwan based Foxconn Technology Group has been approved for eight and $3.75 in annual state tax credits for employing 1114 full time workers and investing just over 24 and a half million dollars at its Racine County operations in 2023. That’s according to a report from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, in 2023 Foxconn received just over $6 million in tax credits for employing 1029 full time workers and investing more than $26 million at its Mount Pleasant facilities.
A Ron Johnson tapped to serve a U.S. Ambassador to Mexico (UNDATED)
A familiar name tapped for key ambassadorship. President Elect Donald Trump has selected Ron Johnson as US Ambassador to Mexico. However, it’s not the same Ron Johnson who serves as Wisconsin’s Republican US Senator. Trump said in a statement that his selection for the post was previously US Ambassador to El Salvador during his first term. And also served in the CIA and the US Army on the social media platform X Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson said there are a few of us Ron Johnson’s out there, including a former NFL player and a JC Penney CEO
Obstruction charges for man who faked drowning, fled the country (GREEN LAKE)
A man accused of faking his drowning and traveling to eastern Europe is back in Wisconsin and facing charges. 45-year-old Ryan Borgwardt was charged with misdemeanor obstruction in Green Lake County court. Prior to his Tuesday court appearance, Sheriff Mark Podoll wouldn’t say what brought Borgwardt back. Borgwardt is now free on a signature bond. County officials may seek 40-thousand dollars in restitution to cover the costs for a lengthy search of Green Lake, where Borgwardt faked his drowning while kayaking in August.
Madison city council shelves plan for paid parking at city parks (MADISON)
Madison city leaders are walking back a pilot plan of paid parking at parks. The city council asked the parks department to explore the plan last month, with the hopes of rolling it out in 2025. A public pushback at the plan tied up parks employees who were forced to respond to complaints and stifled the planning before it even started. For now, the city council wants parks workers to explore other ways to generate revenue from the parking lots.
Funeral urn intentionally left at movie theatre (BELOIT)
The woman who did so says she has no plans to pick up the urn at the Beloit Police Department. The woman, who wants to remain anonymous says the remains were those of her father who she had no relationship with. She left the urn in the theatre during a screening of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in October because she didn’t want his presence inside of her house. The woman told Rockford TV station WREX that she left the urn in a specific location thinking she would never really hear about it. The theater turned in the urn to police after waiting a few weeks for someone to come back for it.
DNR releases annual air quality report (UNDATED)
More info is now available from the DNR on how the Canadian wildfires of 2023 impacted Wisconsin. The DNR says five percent of the entire Canadian forest burned last year, and during the multi-day air quality advisory in late June of 2023, the agency’s air monitoring network measured some of the highest small particle concentrations ever in the state. The DNR issued 15 air quality advisories in 2023, which is almost five times higher than the average over the previous 12 years. Those advisories are issued when air quality has reached or is expected to reach the unhealthy for sensitive groups level on the Air Quality Index.