News – November 9, 2016

Trump First Republican Since Reagan To Win Wisconsin

 

11/9/16 – Donald Trump pulls off a stunning upset by winning the presidency and becoming the first Republican since 1984 to carry Wisconsin. The businessman got 49-percent of the state’s popular vote to 46 for Democrat Hillary Clinton — and it capped off a big night for state Republicans as they kept a U-S Senate seat and its current House majorities, and strengthened their already large dominance of the state Legislature. Trump won even though he never led all year in the statewide Marquette poll. Clinton never campaigned in Wisconsin after the primary, while Trump’s repeated visits paid off as exit polls showed that he did well with white factory workers and “non-college men.” Trump beat Clinton by 29 points in rural areas where Democrat Barack Obama prevailed in both of his victories — and Clinton carried just 13 of the 72 counties including Milwaukee — five counties around Madison — counties with U-W campuses in La Crosse, Eau Claire, Stevens Point, and Superior as well as Madison — and the home of the Menominee Indian reservation.

 

GOP Retains Control Of Both Houses In Congress

 

11/9/16 – Republicans will keep control of both houses in Congress as Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson won for the second straight time against the man he unseated in 2010, Democrat Russ Feingold. Johnson got 50-percent of Tuesday’s vote to 47-percent for Feingold. It helped the G-O-P win at least five of eight contests that Democrats were hoping would help them regain the Senate’s majority and create a split in power on Capitol Hill. Feingold entered the race last year with a sizable lead in the polls — but Johnson caught up in the final weeks, and many pundits considered the race a tossup at the end. Because of the national significance of the race, it was also an expensive one, as Johnson and Feingold raised a combined 40-million dollars and special interest groups spent millions more for their own ads.

 

Wisconsin Keeps 5-3 House GOP Majority

 

11/9/16 – Wisconsin’s U-S House delegation will keep its 5-3 G-O-P majority, after Green Bay Republican Mike Gallagher won the state’s only open seat on Tuesday. The former Marine got 64-percent of the vote against Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, to keep the Eighth District seat in Republican hands as incumbent Reid Ribble steps down in January. In southern Wisconsin’s First District, G-O-P House Speaker Paul Ryan picked up 67-percent of the vote in defeating Democrat Ryan Solen — and Ryan’s chances of keeping his speaker’s post grew with big G-O-P sweeps for both Congress and the White House. Wisconsin’s other House incumbents won, as Republicans Sean Duffy, Glenn Grothman, and Jim Sensenbrenner and Democrats Mark Pocan and Gwen Moore all had between 58-and-75-percent of the vote in their contests. La Crosse Democrat Ron Kind was unopposed.

 

Born Wins Third Term In State Assembly

 

11/9/16 – Representative Mark Born has been elected to a third term in the state assembly.  The Beaver Dam Republican won roughly 72-percent of the vote in his contest with Democratic challenger Jim Zahn of rural Juneau.  Once the race was called, Born told us his goals for the upcoming legislative session include building on legislation to combat the state’s opiate drug problem and find ways to invest in the state’s infrastructure and K-12 education.  Born says he also wants to build on an effort from last session where he and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau led the charge to alter regulations for placing dangerous sex offenders near houses with children or places where children frequently congregate.

 

Republicans Dominate Local State Legislative Races

 

11/9/16 – Two other local assembly Republicans were successful in their re-election bids yesterday.  In District 37, John Jagler of Watertown defeated Democratic challenger Jordan Turner of Watertown by roughly 7,000 votes.  For a second straight general election, Keith Ripp of Dane defeated Democratic challenger George Ferriter of Doylestown to hold onto his 42nd district seat.  In the state senate, Republican incumbent Luther Olsen of District 14 defeated Democratic challenger Brian Smith.  Republican Dan Feyen defeated Democrat Mark Harris to win the District 18 seat previously held by the late Rick Gudex.

 

Sensenbrenner, Grothman Hold Onto Congressional Seats

 

11/9/16 – Two local Congressmen held onto their seats.  In District Five, Republican Jim Sensenbrenner, who has been serving since 1979, defeated Democrat Khary Penebaker.  In District Six, Glenn Grothman withstood a challenge from Democrat Sarah Lloyd and Independent Jeff Dahlke to win a second term.

 

BDUSD Referendum Successful

 

11/9/16 – Beaver Dam voters approved the school referendum question on yesterday’s ballot.  It asked for $48.9-million dollars to make a number of improvements at the high school as well as create safe, secure entrances in all district buildings.  After learning the referendum passed by a 68-32 margin, Vessey called this a “once in a lifetime opportunity” that will create new opportunities for high school students, especially through the expansion of the school’s career-readiness program.  Vessey says planning will begin immediately with the goal of wrapping up the project by the start of the 2018-19 school year.

 

Hustisford School Referendum Fails, Waupun Successful

 

11/9/16 – Mixed results on the other local school referendums.  Voters in the Hustisford School District shut down a $5.6-million-dollar question that sought to make a number of improvements to John Hustis Elementary School.  The referendum failed by 80 votes, 915 to 835.  Better results for officials in the Waupun and Campbellsport school districts.  Waupun’s $36-million-dollar referendum passed 4,648 votes to 2,481.  It proposed to make a number of improvements throughout the district such as improving educational environments, address aging infrastructure, and create secure entrances at all four district buildings.  Campbellsport’s $23.4-million-dollar referendum passed 3,234 to 2,342.  Its main goal is to replace portions of the 80-year-old high school building.

 

Mixed Results On Municipal Referenda Questions

 

11/9/16 – There were a couple municipal referenda questions on local ballots yesterday.  By just over 600 votes, Watertown residents approved a question that allows the city to cover up to $4.4-million dollars of a $7.3-million-dollar library renovation.  In the Town of Westford, voters by over a 60-40 margin shut down a question that suggested the township adopt Dodge County zoning.

 

Dodge County Voter Turnout Down From 2012

 

11/9/16 – Voter turnout yesterday was slightly lower though in-line with the 2012 presidential election. Dodge County Clerk Karen Gibson says there were 43,759 votes cast yesterday 772 less than four years ago. Gibson says everything went smoothly yesterday in Dodge County thanks to the professionalism of municipal clerks and election workers.

 

Horicon Man Killed In Motorcycle Accident

 

11/9/16 – A Horicon man was killed Monday in a motorcycle accident in Columbia County. Anton A. Salaks Sr. was operating a bike on Highway 33 at Saddle Ridge in the Town of Pacific when the 76-year-old apparently hit a deer. Sheriff Dennis Richards says dispatch received a call around 3pm reporting that the driver was lying in the road. Salaks was not wearing a helmet and the initial report was that the driver was unconscious and seriously injured.  Richards says two deputies were on scene within four minutes followed by rescue personnel and paramedics who, along with citizens in the area, provided medical care. The sheriff says the motorcycle was eastbound when a deer ran out in front of it. The deer was killed by the motorcycle and Salaks was ejected. He was flown from the scene by MedFlight to UW Hospital in Madison where he died late Monday evening.

 

Suspect Taken Into Custody For Green Lake County Fire

 

11/9/16 – Green Lake County sheriff’s deputies say they found the woman suspected of setting fires in her father’s home, apparently to try and kill him. Deputies say 57-year-old Cynthia Stark-Griffin of Elizabethtown, Kentucky was taken into custody without incident yesterday in West Bend after a sales clerk recognized her from information given in a press release and called police. Officials say Stark-Griffin could face charges of attempted homicide and arson, after she allegedly set fires to a home early Sunday in the town of Marquette on the southwest corner of Big Green Lake. Nobody was injured in the incident.

 

Beaver Dam Woman Guilty Of Trespassing

 

11/9/16 – A Beaver Dam woman will be sentenced later this month for a March altercation with another woman in her apartment complex.  Eva Loskot pled no contest yesterday to amended misdemeanor charges of Criminal Trespassing and Disorderly Conduct while three other counts were dismissed but read into the record.  The 28-year-old broke into her downstairs neighbor’s unit, who Loskot believed had called the police on her boyfriend, who was just arrested.  The victim said Loskot punched her in the head multiple times.  Loskot will be sentenced November 21.