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Category: State news

Donâ??t back down, Mr. Secretary

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Wisconsin State Journal

Dear Arne Duncan: You are off to a great start as President Barack Obamaâ??s high-impact education secretary. Keep on pushing Wisconsin and other states to improve and reform public education in bold ways. We welcome you back to Madison on Saturday for spring commencement ceremonies at UW-Madison, where youâ??ll deliver a morning address at the Kohl Center…Keep pressing for more accountability, higher standards and greater innovation in education here in Wisconsin and across the nation.

Wis. med schools vow to tighten conflict policies

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Madison.com

Wisconsinâ??s two medical schools will strengthen policies to avoid conflicts of interest in the way grants for health projects are awarded. The Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health will require members of grant committees to be absent during discussions of proposals in which they have a financial stake. The policies come in response to a Legislative Audit Bureau report that found some awards went to organizations affiliated with committee members or to researchers who were members.

Bud Jordahl: conservationist, environmentalist, mentor to Wisconsinâ??s green leaders

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Capital Times

When Bud Jordahl was inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame in 2005, a fellow member of the 1000 Friends of Wisconsin board, Steve Born, was asked to review the accomplishments of the former director of the agency that led to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Born did not have to wax poetic or pad the introduction of Jordahl, who has died in his 84th year. The basic details were more than sufficient to impress.

Campus Connection: Bogus degree mills a serious problem?

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Capital Times

A press release sent to my in-box Wednesday afternoon noted Gov. Jim Doyle signed Senate Bill 431 into law during a ceremony on the UW-Eau Claire campus.

The legislation, which prohibits the establishment of bogus degree mills or the use of false academic credentials in Wisconsin, was authored by Sen. Fred Risser D-Madison and Rep. Kim Hixson D-Whitewater.

“This legislation is designed to protect employers, consumers and the quality of higher education in the State of Wisconsin,” Hixson, a UW-Whitewater professor who serves as the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities, trumpeted in the release.

Vietnam vets to gather for â??welcome homeâ??: Are they ready to forgive?

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Capital Times

Youâ??ve got to understand what it was like here at home during the Vietnam War. How rapidly society was changing. How deep and broad opposition to the war grew and how sharp the backlash was. Soldiers returning from their time â??in countryâ? entered an altered landscape.

Quoted: UW-Madison professor of educational psychology Robert Enright, a pioneer in the study of forgiveness.

Campus Connection: State privates boast of decrease in ‘net tuition’

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Capital Times

Frustrated with the ever-increasing costs of a college education?

The folks at the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities passed along an interesting tidbit: The “net tuition” tuition minus financial aid to attend a WAICU institution actually went down for 2008-09, the most recent year for which federal figures are available.

DNA project finally clears name of wrongly imprisoned man

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Wisconsin State Journal

The stateâ??s effort to collect thousands of missing DNA profiles has paid off for a Milwaukee man who had been released â?? but not officially cleared â?? in a 1984 rape and murder. Another suspect was recently identified through DNA testing and has confessed to the crime for which Robert Lee Stinson spent 23 years in prison, Byron Lichstein, an attorney with the Wisconsin Innocence Project who represents Stinson, said Monday.

State tourism spending fell by $1 billion in 2009

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Wisconsin State Journal

There wasnâ??t as much fun in Wisconsin last year and â?? no surprise â?? the killjoy was the economy. Figures released Sunday by the state Department of Tourism show vacation, convention and other visitor spending was $12.1 billion in 2009, down by more than $1 billion, or 7.8 percent compared to 2008. â??The downturn we experienced was not as severe as seen in other areas,â? said Deb Archer, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau. â??We continue to attract visitors to our community through key drivers, such as the UW-Madison and convention, event and meeting attendance at our great facilities.â?

Spencer Black to retire from state Assembly

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Wisconsin State Journal

A progressive Madison institution is leaving the state Assembly.Democratic Rep. Spencer Black, who was first elected in 1984, told the Wisconsin State Journal on Sunday he will not seek re-election. Before serving in the Legislature, Black was a graduate student at UW-Madison, where he received masterâ??s degrees in urban and regional planning and public policy and administration.

DNA project finally clears name of wrongly imprisoned man

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

The stateâ??s effort to collect thousands of missing DNA profiles has paid off for a Milwaukee man who had been released â?? but not officially cleared â?? in a 1984 rape and murder. The perpetrator was recently identified and has confessed to the crime for which Robert Lee Stinson spent 23 years in prison, said Byron Lichstein, an attorney with the Wisconsin Innocence Project who represents Stinson.

Wisconsin senate leader intervenes in son’s cause

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Madison.com

Intervening in a matter of intense interest to his son, Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker has asked legislative auditors to review whether student government at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has been given enough power. After receiving Deckerâ??s request by telephone, the Legislative Audit Bureau has started an inquiry into whether the school has complied with state law and UW policy on student control and oversight of fee budgets. Deckerâ??s son Jeffrey Decker, a former student senator, has spent years accusing UW-Stevens Point employees of reducing the role of students in deciding how their fees are spent.

Rail to stop near Madison’s Monona Terrace

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Madison.com

A high-speed rail line connecting Wisconsinâ??s two largest cities will make its Madison stop near the Capitol at Monona Terrace, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Thursday. The convention center stop was chosen over three other Madison locations: the airport, the Kohl Center on the University of Wisconsin campus and a site just east of downtown.

Madison depot site chosen

Posted on
Wisconsin Radio Network

The Doyle Depot? Madison will have a new high speed rail station downtown, and if the cityâ??s Mayor has his way, it will be named after Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.

University disputes attorney general on abortion

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Madison.com

The University of Wisconsinâ??s health system denied Wednesday that it was dropping plans to offer abortions at a Madison clinic, contradicting what a state Justice Department attorney said in a letter last week. Abortion foes have vociferously opposed the plan to offer second-term abortions at the university clinic in Madison, and they were the first Wednesday to circulate the letter from the attorney generalâ??s office indicating the plans had been abandoned. But a statement from University of Wisconsin Health issued hours after the letter was made public said it was untrue.

University disputes attorney general on abortion (AP)

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WKOW-TV 27

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – University of Wisconsin Health is denying that it is dropping plans to offer abortions at a Madison clinic.

A letter sent Friday from an attorney with the state Department of Justice says that UW had abandoned its controversial plan to offer second-trimester abortions at the clinic. But on Wednesday, UW Health issued a statement saying that was not true. The statement says “UW Health remains strongly committed to a comprehensive womenâ??s reproduction health service that includes this important procedure.”

The board that oversees the clinic approved a plan to begin offering abortions there back in February 2009 but the services have not begun.

AGâ??s office says plans to offer second-trimester abortions at UW are off

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Capital Times

The attorney generalâ??s office is claiming that the UW has abandoned its plans to offer second-trimester abortions at the Madison Surgery Center.

UW Health officials would not comment verbally but have promised a written response by early afternoon Wednesday.

In an April 30 letter to Eau Claire attorney Karen Mueller, Assistant Attorney General Kevin Potter would not be pursuing a requested investigation into the surgery centerâ??s plan to offer abortions because of the facilityâ??s own change in plans.

Biotech industry provides almost 25,000 jobs in state, report says

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Wisconsin State Journal

Wisconsin is not one of the biggest centers for biotechnology in the U.S., but the state does rank in the upper 40 percent of all states in terms of companies and jobs in bioscience, a new report says. Wisconsin Commerce Secretary Aaron Olver said he is trying to â??meet as many companies and investors as possible and tell them about some of the great things going on in Wisconsinâ? â?? from the UW-Madisonâ??s Institutes for Discovery to the tax credits for investors in young technology companies.

Doyle: New UW research center to open in December

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Madison.com

Gov. Jim Doyle says two cutting-edge research centers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will open in December. Doyle announced at a biotechnology conference in Chicago on Tuesday the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery will open its doors just before he leaves office in January. The centers — one public, one private — are designed as a way to bring researchers together from across campus to tackle some of the most pressing issues in science and medicine.

Take a peek at new UW science facilities

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Wisconsin State Journal

If youâ??ve driven past Campus Drive and University Avenue lately, you likely noticed the exterior of the wedge-shaped Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery is nearly complete. The buildingâ??s twin institutes â?? the publicly funded Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and the private Morgridge Institute for Research â?? will house scientists doing research designed to improve human health. On Thursday, the public can visit Memorial Union to see a preview of the Town Center, or the first floor of the new building.

State’s biotech industry growth kept pace with U.S.

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsinâ??s biotech industry held its own during the first year of the recession, a new report shows. The stateâ??s bioscience sector grew at about the same pace as that of the rest of the country, according to the Battelle/BIO State Bioscience Initiatives 2010 report, which was released Monday by the consulting firm Battelle and the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

On Campus: Last gasp for veterans tuition bill

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Wisconsin State Journal

A bill that would restore some college tuition benefits to Wisconsin veterans died in the Legislature last week, but some legislators want to revive it. Members of the Assembly Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs on Thursday sent a letter to Gov. Jim Doyle urging him to call the Legislature into a special session to act on the bill, which would allow some veterans to take more semesters of college tuition-free.

Burning waste outside is a health and forest fire threat

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Capital Times

A common way for rural Wisconsin residents to get rid of trash and wood is to burn it, either in open burn piles or in barrels.

That practice is not good for health, the environment or our stateâ??s millions of acres of forests, so the UW-Extension is working with two state agencies to educate residents about the dangers of trash burning. The UW-Extension Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center (SHWEC) has joined with the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Health Services to get the message out to reduce open burning in Wisconsin.

Pharmacy school could ease shortage

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Wisconsin State Journal

“Itâ??s hard to get students interested in rural areas,” said David Mott, an associate professor at the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy, where a survey showed that 14 percent of graduates work in rural communities.

Harley, Cheese Microbe Honors Will Have To Wait

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WISC-TV 3

Itâ??s tough all over when cheese and Harleyâ??s canâ??t even get some love from the Wisconsin Legislature. Bills that would have named Harley-Davidson Wisconsinâ??s official motorcycle and the bacterium that converts milk into cheese the official state microbe appear to be dead this year.

John Janty: Young people are good antidote to tea party

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Capital Times

….I saw young children sprawled on the Capitol lawn. Judging by the school buses parked in the area, it appeared that these young people had traveled from rural areas of Wisconsin to visit, perhaps for the first time, our grand Capitol and to develop a patriotic sense of democracy. Their smiles and enthusiasm were indeed a heart-lifting scene in contrast to the bitterness and hatred on the other side of the building.

Continuing down State Street and through campus, I saw hundreds more people, mostly young, optimistic students, hurrying off to classes and choosing not to participate in destructive rhetoric, but instead choosing to enjoy the day by pursuing the truth through education and civil conversation. They too were a refreshing contrast to the depressing gathering on the other end of State Street.

Charles J. Czuprynski: Science shows no benefit in raw milk

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Wisconsin State Journal

Perhaps legalizing the sale of raw milk is a bad idea whose time has come. But I believe itâ??s a mistake from a food safety and public health perspective at a time when Wisconsin is moving assertively in other directions to protect and promote the health of its citizens. â?? Charles J. Czuprynski, director, Food Research Institute, and professor, UW-Madison Department of Pathobiological Sciences

Doyle signs bill designed to help rural hospitals

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Madison.com

Gov. Jim Doyle has signed a bill into law that imposes a tax on rural hospitals in order to generate more federal money. Doyle says the bill he signed on Monday ensures that 59 communities across the state served by rural hospitals that are open 24 hours but have fewer than 25 inpatient beds can leverage additional resources and federal funding. It also directs the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health to create family medicine residency programs at rural hospitals.

Meteorite hunters flock to southwest Wisconsin

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Wisconsin State Journal

When Ruben Garcia saw video of the meteorite that streaked across the Wisconsin sky on Wednesday night, it might as well have been the Bat-Signal. The professional meteorite hunter, known to many as Mr. Meteorite, was in his car the next day, driving from his home in Phoenix, bound for Iowa County to look for every chunk of that meteorite he could find.

Go West Happy Cow: Wisconsin-themed road trip film premiers Friday

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Wisconsin State Journal

One movie that will premier this weekend is not part of the Wisconsin Film Festival, but is very Wisconsin.

The first showing of the documentary “Go West Happy Cow” will be Friday at the Stadium Bar, followed by showings in a barn in Deerfield and a bar in Sheboygan. The 95-minute movie was filmed last fall during a nine-day, 2,200-mile trip through eight states from Wisconsin to California. It chronicles the adventures of two Wisconsinites, one dressed as a cow, promoting the contents of the 30-foot horse trailer they pulled behind their pickup truck.

Editorial: More graduates smart, but do it wisely

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Appleton Post-Crescent

Over the next 15 years, University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly wants to see 33,700 students graduate annually from the system of four-year and two-year colleges, up from 26,000 per year currently.

He says itâ??s a financial investment in the stateâ??s economic future.

Producing more college graduates is a laudable goal â?? and, yes, college degrees give adults an edge in the jobs market. How that growth is pursued will determine how effective such a plan will be.

Our view: Finally some ideas – and they’re yours (Wisconsin State Journal)

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The state of Wisconsin is finally at the brink of the crisis weâ??ve all seen coming for a long time.

As structural deficits increased each biennium the past many years – with no end in sight thanks to inexorable shifts in demographics and Wisconsin’s economy – blue-ribbon panels and special commissions have tried to come up with ideas that could right the ship of state.

Teege Mettille and Joe Yeado: 38 minutes not enough time to pick a college

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Capital Times

Dear Editor: This time of year, high school seniors across Wisconsin are making their decision about where to attend college. In the midst of all of this excitement, the story that is so often not discussed is that of the students whose options are limited due to a lack of time spent discussing their post-secondary opportunities.

Far too many students are unaware of their opportunities for financial aid and scholarships. Furthermore, the structure designed to give these students the information they need often leaves them with more questions than answers. Much of this is due to inadequate college counseling.

Biz Beat: What’s an aging rust belt state to do?

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Capital Times

The natural beauty of Wisconsin hides an ugly truth: This state is facing an aging population of non-working retirees while its best and brightest young people are leaving for greener pastures.

This scenario is played out in a new report from Wisconsin Way, a coalition of business, government and educational groups working on solutions to the stateâ??s biggest challenges.

In UW System’s bid for more graduates, UWM could lead charge

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

If a plan to boost the number of Wisconsin graduates gets a green light, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will have to do the heaviest lifting.

The university would award about 14,000 more degrees by 2025-â??26 than it would if the plan doesnâ??t get funding. Thatâ??s nearly three times the number of additional graduates that UW-Madison would produce under the plan, and more new graduates than any of the other UW campuses as well.

Chris Gegg: Donâ??t block public access to 911 calls

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Wisconsin State Journal

Wisconsin lawmakers are considering a bill to bar public access to recordings of 911 emergency calls. These audio recordings would be replaced with transcripts.

As a broadcast news professional, I understand that 911 calls may be painful for families of victims. Thatâ??s why a lot of thought already goes into deciding whether and how to use these recordings.

At WMTV-TV (Ch. 15) in Madison, where I work, these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. We do not sensationalize 911 calls. We do not air these recordings just because we have them.

Official: UW System Computer Project Still On Time (AP)

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WISC-TV 3

The University of Wisconsin Systemâ??s top financial official said an $81.4 million information technology project remains on time and budget. UW System senior vice president Tom Anderes told a Board of Regents committee on Thursday said some parts of the project to install the new payroll and benefits system might be slightly behind schedule because of vacant positions.

Editorial: UW System expansion a good investment

Posted on
Wausau Daily Herald

Education is economic development. Education achievement is linked to long-term economic success not only for individuals but also for much larger societal groups. Itâ??s education that helps to ensure that workers are skilled and able to adapt to a changing marketplace.