Operations Migration Making It Final Flight
1/23/16 “That’s all she wrote.” An update from Saturday on the Operation Migration website regarding the end of the program reads (quote), “There are no words to express our gratitude to all of those who supported [the program] over the last fifteen years.” The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision was made late Friday in Baraboo at a meeting of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership and puts an end to the use of ultralight aircraft in the migration of whooping cranes. That means the ultralight-guided flight that originated in Green Lake County in October and is currently en route to the Gulf Coast of Florida will be the final journey with human intervention. The effort began in 2001 with the goal of reintroducing the endangered birds to the eastern portion of the United States. The non-profit group Operation Migration has led the birds from Wisconsin to Florida each year for the past 15 years. Pete Fassbender of the Fish and Wildlife Service – who has oversight responsibility for the flock in the eastern seaboard – says the decision was (quote) “in the best interest of the birds.” Fassbender says the decision was based on the cranes poor success in producing chicks and raising them in the wild. Since 2001, around 250 whooping cranes have been released in Wisconsin. There are currently 93 alive however, the Fish and Wild Service says only 10 chicks have survived to fledge. The update on the Operation Migration website reads (quote), “We proposed to the Fish and Wildlife Service that no major changes in release methods should be considered until [data] can be corrected and an evaluation conducted. However, even without an accurate database, it is fairly easy to see that we have released a lot of birds for only ten chicks to survive to fledging age.” The post concluded by saying there are one hundred birds in the eastern migratory population that would not be there without [the public’s] support and (quote) “now we need to teach the birds to be good parents.”
Bill Endorsed To Remove Grey Wolf From Endangered List
1/24/16 – The U-S Senate Environment and Public Work Committee has endorsed a bill which would remove gray wolves from the federal Endangered Species Act protection list. The gray wolves in Wisconsin and three other states would come under the control of those states. The U-S House of Representatives has passed a similar measure. The committee is asking the full Senate to add that proposal to a broader sportsmen’s act. An effort to add it to a budget bill was defeated.
DNR Seeking Rule Change For Overnight Tree Stands
1/24/16 – D-N-R officials plan to ask the Natural Resources Board to let them start working on a new rule which would allow hunters to leave their tree stands on state-managed lands overnight. The prohibition is in place to keep people from staking out a location. Now, the D-N-R says making the change could be more convenient for older hunters and the same courtesy is permitted on other public lands. The topic will be brought up at a Wednesday meeting. It is possible there could be a trial period for the new rule.
Fond du Lac County Clerk Clarifies Photo ID Confusion
1/24/16 – Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg says there is some confusion over using photo ID at the polls. Voters will have to use it for the primary election on Tuesday, February 16th. Freiberg says people get confused when they hear about the federal Real ID program, but your state driver’s license or state photo ID will suffice. She says election workers will be checking for three things when they look at your photo ID. She says those things are your photo, your name, and the expiration date on your driver’s license.
Noll Seeking Historical Beaver Dam Footage
1/24/16 – Footage is needed for part of Beaver Dam’s 175th Anniversary celebration next year. Beaver Dam Historian Roger Noll is assembling both a film and a documentary to help mark the milestone. Noll says the film will feature footage from the city’s 100th, 125th, and 150th anniversary celebrations. He says the 150th portion will feature a play the community theatre put on during that celebration that covered Beaver Dam’s first century and a half’s worth of history. Noll expects the film to be on display at the Beaver Dam Area Community Theatre in late summer. He says the documentary will be shown in late 2016 and will feature Beaver Dam and its ties to World War II. Anyone who has footage from the earlier celebrations should get in touch with Noll at 344-9204.
Home Building In Milwaukee Metro Dips
1/24/16 – Home building activity has dropped slightly in Wisconsin’s largest metro area. M-T-D Marketing Services of Neenah says 12-hundred-25 building permits were issued in 2015 for new houses in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, and Ozaukee counties. That’s down one-percent from the previous year. However, there appears to be a growing interest in buying new — especially as the price gap narrows between new and existing homes. The Metropolitan Builders Association says the crowds at its building-and-remodeling show last weekend were 45-percent higher than the previous year, and many people were more serious about building new homes instead of just thinking about it.
Neenah, Winnebago County Lawsuit Settled
1/24/16 – A 50 million dollar civil rights lawsuit against the city of Neenah and Winnebago County has been dismissed. The federal judge also ruled the owners of Eagle Nation Cycles can’t refile their suit. They had argued their civil rights were violated during the execution of a search warrant a little over three years ago. The owner of the bike shop had also criticized the way Neenah police handled a standoff last month when 60-year-old Michael Funk was shot by police officers. Neenah Police Chief Kevin Wilkinson said the dismissal shows the original lawsuit lacked credibility.
Lincoln Hills Staffers Fired
1/24/16 – State officials say one Lincoln Hills School employee has been fired and three others put on paid leave as a result of the investigation into reports of prisoner abuse, child neglect and sexual assault at the secure facility. Three other workers on paid leave quit earlier last week. So far, 19 employees at the juvenile facility have been put on leave. Travis Taves, the employee who was fired Friday, was involved in an incident where a juvenile’s arm was broken. The Wisconsin Department of Justice has been investigating Lincoln Hills for about one year.
New Berlin Teacher On Unpaid Leave
1/24/16 – The New Berlin School District has reportedly put a 28-year-old teacher on unpaid leave due to allegations she had a sexual relationship with a male student. The sexual contact reportedly happened off school property. School officials thanked the community for its patience while they work with New Berlin police on the investigation. The teacher wasn’t named and few details were released about the allegations. No charges have been filed.
DOT Warns Motorists Of Slide-Offs
1/24/16 – When a vehicle breaks down or slides-off a highway, stranded motorists sometimes get out of their vehicle to survey their surroundings. But that can be dangerous, as people out and walking around a highway risk being injured or killed by passing vehicles. Larry Corsi is with the Wisconsin DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Safety: “Our message to drivers, who either go off the road or experience vehicle problems, stay inside your vehicle when it’s safe to do so. If you find yourself stranded or in the ditch, call 911 and wait for emergency responders to assist you in a safer manner.” Another winter traffic safety concern is winter clothing that can interfere with a person’s vision whether they’re driving or trying to cross the street as a pedestrian. Corsi says to stay warm, but also, stay safe.
MPTC Offering Opportunity To “Discover” Campuses In February
1/24/16 – Area residents will have the opportunity to Discover Moraine Park next month. MPTC Vice President of Academic Affairs Jim Eden says they will have tours on their three main campuses for high school students, displaced workers, and people looking to change their career to find out more about MPTC. “Discover Moraine Park ” will be held from 4:30pm to 6pm on Tuesday, February 9th at the West Bend campus; Wednesday, February 10th at the Fond du Lac campus; and Thursday, February 11th at the Beaver Dam campus.
