(Beaver Dam) The founder of the Patriot Tour says his first effort to raise money for veterans by riding all 48 contiguous states by himself failed but, in that failure, he found the recipe for success. Bill Sherer with the Nation of Patriots says he did not make it east of the Mississippi a decade ago, collecting only $2100, far short of his $1-million-dollar goal. But when he split the money with the families of veterans, and saw that it made an impact, it set off a “fury of intent to recreate the Patriot Tour in a manner that worked.” When he decided to replace his (quote) “ugly mug” with an American flag, and tap others to escort the flag, the Patriot Tour took off, raising over $900-thousand dollars to date. The three-month journey kicks off from its new home-base in Beaver Dam on Saturday, May 18.
(Beaver Dam) Congressman Glenn Grothman says he is eying two fixes to help address the student loan problem. Grothman, who sits on the Education and Labor Committee, says higher education facilities once had the ability to sign-off on student loans but the federal Education Department changed policy. He says reinstating that authority would be a step in the right direction which could help institutions guide students to loans that better fit their needs. Grothman told us recently on WBEV’s Community Comment that the inability to refinance student loans also needs to be addressed. He says the government has very little reason to change the law because they make money off student loan debt. Grothman is optimistic the legislation will gain bi-partisan support.
(Madison) In a victory for Republicans, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has restored 82 of former Republican Governor Scott Walker’s appointments to state positions. It was a split vote of 4-to-3. Democratic Governor Tony Evers had argued the appointments were not valid because the lame-duck session was ruled unconstitutional. Republicans had argued that the appointees were confirmed legally.
(Madison) The state’s high court has ruled that a firearms website is not responsible for a 2012 mass shooting in Brookfield. Radcliffe Haughton illegally purchased the weapon he used in the spa shooting on armslist-dot-com. Haughton killed his wife, two co-workers and wounded four before turning the gun on himself. The state Supreme Court ruled yesterday (Tuesday) that the website cannot be sued over the incident. The majority said federal law protects website operators from liability stemming from the design and functions of their web pages. The ruling reverses an appeals court decision that federal law only grants website operators immunity from lawsuits challenging site content provided by others.
(Juneau) The governor signed a bill yesterday (Tuesday) authored by two Dodge County Republicans that removes sensitive wording from state administrative code. The legislation from Representative John Jagler of Watertown and Senator Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau replaces the “r-word” with the phrase “intellectual disability.” Fitzgerald says he is glad that the Governor Evers decided to sign the bill and offered his appreciation to Jagler for his work on the effort.
(Herman) A two-day jury trial starting September 12 was scheduled yesterday (Tuesday) for a Chicago man facing charges in Dodge County for burglarizing a Town of Herman home with a loaded handgun. Travis White is facing one felony count of Armed Burglary with a Dangerous Weapon. The 28-year-old reportedly told investigators that a family member needed money to clear a debt. 47-year-old Robert Couch is also charged, facing felony Armed Burglary as a Party to a Crime. If convicted, White faces no more than 15 years in prison.
(Waupun) A two-day jury trial starting August 7 was added the court calendar yesterday for a former Waupun correctional officer accused of bringing marijuana and pornography into the prison. An inmate told investigators that Mose Rice of Janesville smuggled the contraband to pay back gambling debts. Rice claims he did it out of fear of retribution from a street gang that had ties to the inmate. If convicted, the 41-year-old faces no more than three-and-half-years in prison.
(Campbellsport) A Campbellsport man was arrested for tenth offense Operating While Intoxicated over the weekend. The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s office says Timothy Mills was taken into custody Saturday after his boat struck and destroyed a pier on Long Lake. The 49-year-old allegedly loaded his boat on a trailer and drove away without reporting the accident. Court records indicate that Mills last OWI conviction was in Waukesha County in August of 2008.
