Category: State news

There’s a new management team at WisconsinEye, which has struggled for years to sign on as Wisconsin’s C-SPAN network and cover Capitol hearings, legislative sessions and Supreme Court arguments.

Out as president of the proposed cable channel is former Capitol radio reporter Jeff Roberts, who will continue with the organization as chief operating officer; in as acting president is board member Tom Loftus, the former state Assembly speaker. Loftus has quite a resume, having been the American ambassor to Norway, and then a World Health Organization official, since losing as the Democratic nominee for governor in 1990. Loftus took a big step in becoming a political power in Wisconsin again when Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle named him to the Board of Regents.

Getting a collection online begins on the System campuses, where faculty members and researchers are encouraged to pitch ideas based on their work and certain guidelines. Possible projects are vetted through a committee and the accepted ones are then shaped into a usable collection.
That editorial process is at least as, if not more, important than the actual technical work that goes on once the materials are physically transported to UW-Madison, said Pat Wilkinson, co-director of the digital library.

On the fourth floor of UW- Madison’s Memorial Library, the center uses scanning equipment and data-entry software to publish and promote the university’s research and resources beyond geographic boundaries. Using a special Internet site, the digital library brings together photos, maps, diaries, artwork, rare books, manuscripts, audio clips, video strips and more from collections held throughout the University of Wisconsin System and by public libraries and agencies throughout the state.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and State Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, ardently attempted to convince the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents not to accept UW-Madisonââ?¬â?¢s request to rename its medical school the ââ?¬Å?UW School of Medicine & Public Healthââ?¬Â and expand the school to include a public health component Thursday.

All 33,000 employees of the 26-campus University of Wisconsin System would have to get a doctor’s note for sick leaves longer than five days and the System would pump up the powers of its internal auditor under changes approved Thursday by a committee of the UW Board of Regents.

MADISON � Four of the University of Wisconsin System�s 13 four-year campuses have no auditors on their payrolls and two others have only part-time financial watchdogs, according to the UW System.

Local state representatives proposed an amendment to the Wisconsin State Constitution last week to limit the governor’s veto power. For over 30 years, each Wisconsin governor has enjoyed what is nationally known as the most extensive veto power of all governors in the United States.

Most students would agree that one’s pants is not a good place to store something worth $5,000. Nevertheless, Matthew Brooke, 36, allegedly did so Thursday, Sept. 27, when he attempted to steal a rare book from the Wisconsin Historical Society, 701 State St., according to police.

University officials tried to cover up improprieties within the handling of the Paul Barrows case, according to state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, who hopes to investigate public UW-Madison misconduct in an Oct. 12 public hearing.

In Wisconsin, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is also stepping up its efforts to reach out and assist Latino consumers in the state. The department has hired a University of Wisconsin-Madison bilingual student, Sol Carbonell, from Argentina. She’s received a fellowship to work with state and local Latino agencies on consumer outreach and to translate consumer brochures into Spanish.

The newest incarnation of a legal battle dating as far back as 1999 could have severe implications on academic freedoms of University of Wisconsin professors.

MADISON, Wis. ââ?¬â? University of Wisconsin regents violated the due process of a professor when they fired him without allowing him a chance to defend himself, the man’s attorney argued Tuesday before the state Supreme Court.

Chancellor John Wiley addressed possibly the most prominent concerns on faculty’s minds-sexual harassment, sick leave and vacation policy-in his State of the University address at Monday’s Faculty Senate meeting.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced an update to a plan to boost the state�s economic growth in several cities Monday.

In the wake of the release of the Paul Barrows investigation last week, Chancellor John Wiley expressed a need to review and repudiate certain University of Wisconsin employment policies regarding disciplinary and paid leave issues at a Faculty Senate meeting Monday.

Former Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Paul Barrows returned to the University of Wisconsin after a highly scrutinized leave of absence Monday. Barrows� return comes just four days after UW System President Kevin Reilly announced his decision that there were not grounds to fire Barrows based on attorney Susan Steingass� internal investigative report.