Green Bay schools Superintendent Daniel Nerad has been chosen to succeed Art Rainwater as head of the Madison Metropolitan School District.
School Board President Arlene Silveira said Monday night that Nerad, 56, was the board’s unanimous top choice. She said they offered him the job on Saturday, following board interviews with finalists last week and deliberations on Saturday morning.
MADISON, Wis. — A proposed plan at the Capitol would help provide a college education by increasing financial aid, reported WISC-TV.
State Reps. Joe Parisi and Spencer Black want to require the state to match any increase in tuition with a dollar-for-dollar increase in aid.
“We view this as a vital component of any economic stimulus program, helping to relieve the debt people must incur, simply to attend college,” said Parisi.
More financial aid grants are proposed for Wisconsin college students. It’s a proposal from Madison Democrats, Representative Spencer Black, and Representative Joe Parisi: providing that any increase in tuition at UW or technical college campuses be matched dollar for dollar by increases in financial aid.
Despite single-digit temperatures and a long line for pizza, more than 200 students turned out Thursday night at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a meeting to kick off the semester for Students for Obama.
A report by the state Legislative Fiscal Bureau Thursday predicted a $300-to-$400 million budget shortfall in 2007-â??09, with uncertain implications for the UW System.
The big top hasn’t been set up yet, but there are growing signs that the traveling circus of presidential politics will make a stop in Wisconsin after all.
The state’s Feb. 19 presidential primary, which had threatened to be inconsequential in a year when many of the primaries have been pushed up, may still prove critical to both Republican and Democratic candidates.
There are two things the state of Wisconsin is known for: the dairy industry and stem-cell research. Today, the state of California has a higher-producing dairy industry and currently has more money to fund stem- cell research. If Wisconsin wants to keep up, it must pony up.
A new report on a projected state budget deficit indicates officials may have to cut spending by as much as $600 million over the next two years.
A day after Gov. Jim Doyle warned of a “very difficult fiscal situation” in his State of the State address, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau said that the budget is likely to be $300 million to $400 million in the red.
The bureau said Thursday the figures reflect “considerable weakness” in individual and corporate income tax and sales tax collections, which account for nearly all of the state’s $12 billion annual general fund budget. The bureau also cited economic forecasts that projected slower growth this year, reflecting the recent downturn in both U.S. and foreign markets.
A bill that didn’t even get a public hearing last legislative session when Republicans controlled both statehouses cleared its last real legislative hurdle Wednesday, setting up an expected signing by Gov. Jim Doyle.
The Republican-controlled state Assembly decisively approved a bill requiring all hospitals –including religiously-based institutions–to offer emergency contraception to rape victims. The bill passed 61-35, with 16 Republicans joining the entire Democratic caucus except for one member, Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc, in support.
The bill won’t move quickly to the governor’s desk, however, because the Assembly failed to muster the needed two-thirds vote to counter a move by Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, to prevent automatic transmission of the bill to the Senate. Instead, the bill will need to wait until the full Assembly meets next, which won’t be until February.
Representatives of Universal Studios will be in Madison Sunday, looking for classic 1930-1935 vehicles to be used in the forthcoming movie “Public Enemies,” which will star Johnny Depp as John Dillinger and be directed by UW-Madison alumnus Michael Mann.
Scott Robbe, executive director of Film Wisconsin, said the call for classic cars is “a strong indicator” that the movie will be filmed in Wisconsin, as has been rumored for several weeks.
Gov. Jim Doyle warned Wisconsin residents that â??challenging days are aheadâ? in his annual State of the State address held at the State Capitol Wednesday. These challenging days are in reference to the national state of economic crisis.
After a leading UW-Madison stem-cell researcher said Wisconsin needs to take serious steps to maintain leadership in the stem-cell field, many state dignitaries said the state funding is likely not feasible.
Gov. Jim Doyle faced a tremendous challenge as he prepared this year’s State of the State address. The stock market is on a roller-coaster ride that just about everyone thinks will end in some sort of crash. Each day brings new evidence that suggests the Bush-Cheney recession will be painful.
Gov. Jim Doyle told students across Wisconsin if they do their part, there is an opportunity for them all in higher education, highlighting educationâ??s role in the Grow Wisconsin strategy he introduced in his State of the State address Wednesday.
With stock markets plunging and a potential American recession on the horizon, Gov. Jim Doyle emphasized a promise of growth in his State of the State speech Wednesday.
Gov. Jim Doyle called for new tax breaks Wednesday to create the next generation of high-tech jobs but warned that a stalling economy threatens state government’s ability to pay its current bills.
Warning that “challenging days are ahead,” Gov. Jim Doyle said Wednesday that Wisconsin must face a national economic downturn by cutting state spending, boosting businesses and remaking the way individuals and small companies buy health insurance.
WISCONSIN DELLS — Of all of the birds that spend part of their lives in Wisconsin, the group that needs the most help are grassland birds. Their populations, along with their habitat, are in decline.
That is one of the reasons why the Department of Natural Resources held a statewide Grassland Bird Symposium last week, bringing together state and federal wildlife managers and researchers, and land managers from (non-governmental conservation organizations.
UW-Madison wildlife ecology research associate Kevin Ellison and the UW Arboretum are mentioned.)
UW-Madison stem cell research leader James Thomson said Tuesday that Wisconsin would have to invest $50 million a year in stem cell research to compete with California’s $3 billion investment.
The result would be high-paying jobs for the state and continued recruitment of top scientific minds to the University of Wisconsin, he predicted.
When Gov. Jim Doyle delivers his annual State of the State speech tonight, he’ll receive the requisite applause and standing ovations from lawmakers as he lays out his vision for the coming year.
But once the applause dies down and the chambers empty, Doyle may face some tough sledding in the remaining few months before lawmakers adjourn for the year and head for the campaign trail.
With the news that Chancellor John Wiley will step down next September it seems the future of UW-Madison is at a crossroads. In a presentation given to the UW System Board of Regents last Friday, Provost Patrick Farrell said, while UW-Madison has been an extremely successful university, that success is not guaranteed to continue. Farrell is right, but his solutionâ??to increase tuitionâ??is dead wrong.
Job shield for state workers sought
A state lawmaker wants to restore federal job protection laws for more than 60,000 state and University of Wisconsin employees that he contends have been eroded by a series of U.S. Supreme Court rulings.
Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, said Monday that he is seeking co-sponsors for the bill, which would expressly grant the workers protections accorded under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and anti-age discrimination laws.
MADISON, Wis. — To mark Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, a state lawmaker said on Monday that he intends to introduce a bill in the state Legislature that will extend several key federal civil rights protections to state employees, including University of Wisconsin workers
A state lawmaker wants to restore civil rights protections for UW and state employees.
State Representative Cory Mason (D-Racine) says US Supreme Court decisions over the past decade have eroded protections for employees of the state and UW system. Mason says the state’s sovereign immunity not to be sued by individuals now trumps the equal protection granted under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As a result, Mason says many state employees are unable to take action in federal court if laws are violated.
It was unsettling that the e-mail addresses, phone numbers and Social Security-based campus ID numbers of more than 200 University of Wisconsin faculty and staff members had been accessible on a campus Internet site. It was even more unsettling that the UW waited more than a month to advise the victims of a breach of their personal security.
Older livestock farmers remember the days when most rural towns had a veterinarian.
….Old “Doc” has long ago retired from the rural scene, but animal care is still number one in most dairy farmers’ minds. There are concerns that food animal veterinarians will be in short supply in coming years — currently 30 percent of the graduating class at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine has expressed interest in food animal-large animal practice.
The outrage should ring loud and clear in the ears of the Doyle administration.
For the third time in just over a year, Wisconsin residents ‘ Social Security numbers have been mistakenly revealed on information from the state sent through the mail.
A Mount Horeb woman who admitted to drinking cognac and using cocaine before a crash on the interstate that killed a UW-Whitewater professor last June entered a no-contest plea today and was found guilty of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.
Samantha J. Young, who turned 20 last Saturday, was northbound on I-90-39 near Edgerton in southern Dane County, driving at speeds estimated by witnesses to be up to 120 miles per hour, when her car rear-ended a northbound vehicle driven by UW-Whitewater professor of psychology Paula Poorman, 56, of Madison.
People with criminal pasts will be red-flagged if theyâ??re applying for work on UW campuses. A year after the UW Board of Regents approved giving virtually every new hire a background check, UW campuses are starting that practice. Mike Simonson reports from Superiorâ?¦(Audio.)
The state Senate has passed a bill that would raise Wisconsin’s minimum wage.
The measure, written by Democrats, would boost the wage from $6.50 to $7.25 an hour. Then it would increase annually based on inflation.
The next chancellor of UW-Madison will represent and deal with a broad spectrum of interests, and so should those who are involved in the selection process, says University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly.
The federal government wants more specifics built into a proposed settlement between the Sierra Club and the state intended to clean up emissions from a coal-burning power plant on the UW-Madison campus.
If Plymouth High School freshman Marcus Gamoke can keep up a B average throughout high school, he’s likely to be assured a spot in whatever college, university or technical school he wants to attend. So why would the 15-year-old care whether he’s officially a Wisconsin Cove-nant scholar?
“I think it’s a good idea,” Gamoke said. “There’s a lot of extra stuff.”
Gamoke was one of 16 Plymouth High freshmen who visited with Wisconsin first lady Jessica Doyle Monday and talked about the merits of the brand-new Wisconsin Covenant program, which aims to make it easier for students to get into college.
Women are still underrepresented in American boardrooms and they still earn less than men, but U.S. census figures released Thursday show they continue to outnumber men in college classrooms and on commencement day – a trend some call troubling.
About 33% of women ages 25 to 29 had a bachelor’s degree or more education in 2007, compared with 26% of their male counterparts.
Gov. Jim Doyle’s administration said today the state is still negotiating to bring a new film starring actor Johnny Depp to Wisconsin.
Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton had planned to announce this morning that NBC Universal had committed to Wisconsin as the scene for parts of “Public Enemies,” with Depp playing Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger. Earlier news accounts today said parts of the film would definitely be shot here, but the announcement was canceled at the last minute.
Doyle’s spokesman Matt Canter said the state Department of Commerce was still working out final details of an incentive package with the company.
(The film will be directed by UW-Madison alumnus Michael Mann, who also wrote the screenplay.)
Charlie Berens, a UW-Madison junior, got his start in campus politics working to start a recycling and conservation program for the Kohl Center and Camp Randall Stadium. This week, he ‘s in New York, training for a different type of political involvement.
Actor Johnny Depp, the biggest moneymaker for theaters the past two years, will soon be in Wisconsin portraying Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger, Gov. Jim Doyle said today, confirming a new film will have major parts shot in the state.
Doyle said NBC Universal committed to Wisconsin as the scene for parts of “Public Enemies,” with Depp playing the robber whose Midwest crime spree ended when FBI agents shot him to death in Chicago in July 1934.
It’s the first major production to come to Wisconsin since new tax incentives for the film industry took effect Jan. 1.
(UW alumnus Michael Mann wrote the screenplay and will direct the film.)
In Chancellor Carlos Santiago’s vision, Innovation Park would be a place where engineers from companies such as Rockwell Automation work together in the same building with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee scientists and students to generate research dollars and spin off new companies.
Describing that vision of the proposed Wauwatosa research park to the Wisconsin Technology Council board Tuesday, Santiago issued a challenge to businesses: open locations in the park and supply them with engineers and equipment.
With Iowa done, New Hampshire next week and Super Tuesday coming up, Wisconsin will have to follow some very big events before the February 19th primary.
Local political analysts say that doesn’t mean the Dairy State’s primary is a mere side-show. In fact, UW Professor David Canon says there’s a 50/50 chance our state could play a pivotal role in the selection of candidates.
Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus, 81, of Waukesha, died peacefully Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008, at his home.
Governor Dreyfus received his BA, MA and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point from 1967 until 1978, was elected Governor, State of Wisconsin, from 1979 until 1983, and served as President of Sentry Insurance from 1983 until 1984. From 1984 until his retirement he was a National/International Speaker.
“He was everybody’s grandfather, just so personable,” said Dennis Dresang, a UW-Madison political science professor. “There’s no way in the world you could get angry with this guy.”
Thursday’s strong showings by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mike Huckabee could breathe new life into Wisconsin’s Feb. 19 presidential primary.
“It’s still a longshot” that the nominations will still be in play by then, “but last night was probably the optimal outcome for us,” University of Wisconsin-Madison political science Professor Charles Franklin said this morning.
Lee Sherman Dreyfus didn’t need his signature red vest to stand out. With his flamboyant personality and gift for gab, he would have been the center of attention even in a gray flannel suit.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Former Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus, who signed the nation’s first statewide gay rights law in 1982, died Wednesday at his Waukesha home. He was 81.
Former Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus, the red-vested former chancellor of UW-Stevens Point who waged an outsider campaign for governor as a Republican in 1978 and won, has died. He was 81.
Dreyfus, who had been ill for some time, died Wednesday evening from “respiratory failure relative to a heart issue” at his home in Waukesha, his son Lee Dreyfus Jr. said this morning.
….Born in Milwaukee, Dreyfus served in World War II in the U.S. Navy and then received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He taught in the communications department at UW-Madison and then became the chancellor of UW-Stevens Point in 1972. He held that post until he was elected governor.
Former Gov. Lee Dreyfus died Wednesday night. He was 81.
Lee Dreyfus Jr. said this morning that his father died of “respiratory failure relative to a heart issue” at his home in Waukesha.
….Born in Milwaukee, Dreyfus served in World War II in the U.S. Navy and then received bachelor’s, masters and doctorate degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He became the chancellor of UW-Stevens Point in 1972 and held that post until he ran for governor.
Former Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus, who served one term starting in 1979, died at his Waukesha home last night, his son said Thursday. He was 81.
BARABOO IS buzzing with the news that a big-budget movie, starring Johnny Depp and directed by UW-Madison graduate Michael Mann, may film in the city. The movie is about 1930s gangster John Dillinger, who used to wind down from the stress of robbing banks and killing people by relaxing at a northern Wisconsin resort known as Little Bohemia.
MILWAUKEE — Diane Grezenski grew up a city girl but is now one of a growing number of women playing significant roles in agriculture.
She and her husband of 21 years operate a dairy farm outside of Stevens Point, and she has taken on more and more of the farm work over the years.
Close collaboration between business, labor, education and government is a must to ensure that the public’s money is spent prudently.
Professor Arnold Alanen sees the world through different eyes.
Where most people see a grassy mall on campus, he sees the history of agriculture and science at UW-Madison.
Starting today, Wisconsin smokers who want to quit can get extra help: two weeks of free medication and a Web coaching service that supplements the state ‘s Tobacco Quit Line.
The incentives are part of the same budget measure that is increasing the state ‘s cigarette tax today by $1 per pack, to $1.77.
Low water levels. Invasive species. Global warming.
Faced with those kinds of challenges, you’d figure the Great Lakes are in trouble, big trouble. But scientists say the lakes are actually in pretty good shape and have been improving since 1969….
(Quoted: Phil Keillor, a coastal engineer with the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute)
Wisconsin high school students got a great Christmas gift last week in the form of a $175 million scholarship endowment from John and Tashia Morgridge.
Their generosity and foresight will enable about 2,000 to 3,000 mainly low-income youth to attend college or technical school through grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 from the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars.
Wisconsin policymakers ought to confront the following question with a new sense of urgency:
How will the state ‘s economy generate the high-paying jobs to keep the next generation prosperous?
Gov. Jim Doyle’s signing of the state cable franchising bill isn’t likely to mean AT&T — a leading backer of the bill — will bring its U-verse TV service to the Madison area anytime soon, one prominent observer said.
“I don’t see it in Madison in any widespread way in 2008,” said Barry Orton, a UW-Madison professor of telecommunications who has advised many communities in their dealings with cable companies.
Orton noted that AT&T has been reducing its rollout projections for U-verse in recent announcements.
Mentions that nearly 500 graduates from universities or colleges in Wisconsin, predominantly the University of Wisconsin-Madison, are among more than 12,000 people who have worked for Teach for America.
Quoted: Barry Orton, a University of Wisconsin-Madison telecommunications professor and consultant to local governments.
BEREA, Ohio — Across a crowded banquet room filled with some of Cleveland’s biggest sports celebrities, Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, a Hall of Famer himself, stood at the dais and singled out the one person he wanted to meet.
Joe Thomas was caught off guard.
“That was pretty cool,” Cleveland’s left tackle said Wednesday. “I didn’t expect it. I was kind of surprised.” It may be the only time Thomas has been shocked by anything all season.
Wisconsinites want the government to stay out of the ongoing dispute between cable companies and the NFL Network.
That’s according to a new poll paid for by the cable industry, which found that 85 percent of Wisconsin adults who pay for video service from a cable or satellite company don’t want government involvement in the dispute, with 72 percent feeling strongly for this position and just 12 percent disagreeing.
