Governor Candidates Make Final Push Across Wisconsin (UNDATED)
With Election Day a week away, Wisconsin’s candidates for governor are making their final push across the state. Democrat David Crowley rallied supporters in Milwaukee alongside former Vice President Kamala Harris, while Republican Tom Tiffany campaigned in Kenosha. Crowley touted plans to lower costs, expand health care and increase school funding. Tiffany pledged more money for K-12 classrooms and higher teacher pay. Both campaigns are ramping up appearances as voters prepare to head to the polls next Tuesday.
8th & 12 OWI offenders are recent arrests (UNDATED)
Two recent arrests highlight the issue of repeat drunk drivers. In Wisconsin, the only state where a first offense OWI is a misdemeanor, it’s not unusual to see reports of drivers with multiple instances of drunk driving. Consider the case of 49-year-old Daniel E. Stuckrath. Reedsburg police stopped him for speeding on East Main Street Sunday night and arrested him on an eighth operating while intoxicated offense, along with operating after revocation and failure to install ignition interlock device. And last Wednesday at 9:15 in the morning, police in Fond du Lac arrested 61-year-old Steve Johnson following a crash with another vehicle. He’s charged with a 12th OWI.
Teacher detained by ICE faces deportation (OSHKOSH)
An Oshkosh teacher has been arrested by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Wendy Mendez, a Spanish teacher at Vel Phillips Middle School, was taken into custody on October 14 and is in the process of being deported after not showing up for an immigration hearing. According to ICE, Mendez is an illegal immigrant from Costa Rica. The Oshkosh Area School District says it does not comment on personnel matters, but it did say that Mendez “is an employee in good standing who has been placed on an unpaid leave of absence due to unforeseen circumstances.” A source claiming to be a friend of Mendez says the missed court appearance was due to a mailing error, and the notice about the hearing was sent to the wrong address. That claim has not been officially verified.