New sex crime charges against former Madison area priest (WAUSAU)
Bond is set at 15-thousand dollars for a former Madison-area priest accused of new sex crimes. Andrew Showers was in Marathon County Court Monday where he was charged with attempted grooming of a child and bail jumping. Showers allegedly started an online relationship with who he thought was a 15-year-old girl, but it was actually an undercover cop. According to the complaint, this summer Showers sent at least three photos of his genitals, and asked detailed questions about the teen’s breasts. A year ago, Showers was arrested in eastern Wisconsin after arranging a meeting with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl. Again, it was an undercover officer. Showers was dismissed from the ministry earlier this summer
New names for three elementary schools (MADISON)
New names for three Madison elementary schools. The Madison school board approved the new names on Monday night. The former Elvehjem (ell-vee-em) school will be Ada Deer elementary, in honor of the Wisconsin native who led the US Bureau of Indian Affairs. Elvehjem was a famed biochemist and former UW Madison president. Records revealed that he signed and supported a property covenant in a Madison neighborhood that barred Black people from owning or renting homes. Charles Lindbergh Elementary will become Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Elementary. Erglanger was a disability rights activist from Madison. Lindbergh was a famed aviator rebuked for his views concerning Jews and Nazi Germany. Chavez Elementary was named for Cesar Chavez — the labor leader whose legacy is tarnished by claims of sexual abuse against many girls and women. It’s now Roberto G Sanchez elementary. Sanchez was a UW professor who created a scholarship program for bilingual youth and first-generation students.
Sheriff’s office EpiPens credited with possibly saving a life (STEVENS POINT)
Just two months after receiving grant funding that equipped patrol officers with them, Portage County Sheriff Mike Lukas says an EpiPen helped save a life. Lukas says the 69-year-old man was stung by a bee, and deputies arrived just in time. Others tried to administer medication at the scene but weren’t sure if they’d done so correctly. Lukas says that’s why officers were trained after receiving the grant. Lukas says the pens are something every department should have, but not all can afford. A grant from the Andrew Mueller Memorial Fund covered costs. Mueller died in 2024 from an undiagnosed peanut allergy and his family established the fund to provide officers with EpiPens and training.
Menasha elementary school not ready to open next week (MENASHA)
A Menasha school district building won’t be ready for students next week. District officials announced this week that Gegan (GEE-gan) Elementary remains too damaged to start the school year. That damages includes holes in the roof and broken windows which still need replacement from an EF 3 tornado struck the Fox Cities last month. Students who would be attending Gegan will instead be sent to two neighboring schools. District officials hope to have the building open next year.
Alumni group sends $27 million to UW-Madison for high tech research (MADISON)
UW-Madison gets fresh funding for fusion technology. The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation is issuing 27-million dollars in grants to the university to fund studies in nuclear fusion as well as quantum computing, national security and psychoactive medicines. This gift is separate from the standard annual investments W A R F offers. UW-Madison announced one major goal is to find materials that can withstand the conditions required to create nuclear fusion, the same process that powers the Sun.