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Local News 05/31/2011 09:22 PM
05/31/2011 09:22 PM Local And Regional News
05/19/2012 09:43 AM Students seek answers as early, absentee voting starts in recall election Starting next week, Wisconsin voters can begin casting ballots in next month's recall election. While voting early or by absentee ballot will begin on Monday, many University of Wisconsin-Madison students are wondering where they can vote. Elections officials said that answers to those questions depend on where the students live and if they're registered to vote. With this semester is almost history, many students said that they're turning their attention to the recall election -- touted to be one for the history books. "It's going to be a very big election and all the votes that count, it's going to basically come down to the turnout, I think," said student Ryan Gaab, of Middleton. The state's voter ID law, which passed the state Legislature last spring, changed the residency requirement from 10 days to 28 days to be eligible to vote. Kevin Kennedy, director of the Government Accountability Board, said that the change will have an impact. "In order to vote in Wisconsin, you have to live at the location for at least 28 consecutive days. And when you have a transient population like students, that can be a challenge because 10 (days) is a fairly quick time to establish residency, whereas 28 is much more of a challenge," he said. With dorm housing contracts ending on May 20, it leaves some students with very little time to establish residency before the election. Despite this, Kennedy said that many students would still be able to cast a ballot. "People who lived on campus, who've left temporarily going home for the summer, working on an internship or a summer job, are still entitled to vote from the last residence they established. And that's where they should vote," he said. Another potential option for many is to vote absentee. Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said they've seen an increased interest in voting early. VIDEO "The volume of absentee requests (that) we've received is very similar to a presidential election," she said. Witzel-Behl said her office has already received more than 4,000 requests for absentee ballots, and they expect that number to jump significantly this weekend. "We've received a lot of requests from students," she said. "For students, they decide where their residence is for voting purposes. It could be where they are attending school or it could be their parents' address." She said there has been a lot of activity on campus to educate students about the rules. Some students said that they feel prepared to cast their vote. "They did a really great job registering all of us. They had people all over here so it was super simple to register. They instructed you how to do it," said Sam Turkbas, who is originally from Minneapolis. "I'm registered back home so I'm going to go back home and vote in my district," said student David Karst, of Greenfield. Students that have questions are encouraged to call the city clerk's office and to go to the Government Accountability Board's website. Meanwhile, officials with the Madison city clerk's office will be extending hours so residents can vote early or by absentee ballot in the June 5 recall election. Voters will also be able to cast their ballots on the weekends, and even during the Memorial Day holiday. The clerk's office will be open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. leading up to the recall. Officials said that Friday, June 1, is the last day to cast an absentee ballot.
05/19/2012 01:35 AM Milwaukee woman, 82, ordered to retake driver's test An 82-year-old driver has been ordered to take her driver's test after police stopped her for driving the wrong way on I-94. The Milwaukee woman drove almost four miles in the wrong direction, investigators said. Another driver was almost hit after he jumped out of his car to try and stop the elderly woman. She was not ticketed.
05/19/2012 12:53 AM Walker, Barrett continue sparring over jobs Gov. Scott Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett are continuing to spar over how many jobs have been created or lost in Wisconsin. As the date of the June 5 recall election nears, both candidates are trumpeting different messages about job growth in the state over the last year. A new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released Friday showed Wisconsin lost more jobs than any other state between April 2011 and last month. The federal report said the state has lost more than 21,000 jobs in the last 12 months. However, Walker said that figure should be ignored because of more comprehensive survey of employers actually shows a 23,300 job gain in 2011 versus a nearly 34,000 loss. During an appearance on Madison's East Side on Friday, Walker lauded 125 new jobs that a local company had added. He also defended his record on job creation, which was a cornerstone of his campaign in 2010. "You still have a net gain," said Walker. "(There are) 33,000 jobs since I've taken office if you take the actual numbers from 2011 and add them to the numbers this year." The governor released those figures before they had been vetted by the BLS -- a move Barrett said makes them unreliable and unbelievable. Walker argued that the numbers are legitimate. He said that he believes there will be little if any variance in the final numbers. "They are actual numbers required by law. They're not something we created," said Walker. "These are numbers we don't get to make up. They're not estimates." Barrett, however, continued to cast doubt on the numbers. "Now, we have the new April numbers out. They once again show there's a net job loss of 5,900 jobs," said Barrett, referring to the numbers for the month of April. "He can't defend that." The Democratic candidate said that while Walker's numbers could be correct, federal officials use census data to revise the monthly numbers. "You won't know whether they're right until after the election," he said. Officials said that census data lags by about five months, and the BLS's official release of the figures will come out June 28.
05/19/2012 12:42 AM Monona residents ready for city-wide garage sale Monona residents and thrift shoppers alike are prepping for the community's city-wide garage sale. The sale will be held rain or shine on Sat. May 19 and Sun. May 20. The event is in its 20th year, according to the Monona Chamber of Commerce. Deals can be found at homes and churches, as well as neighborhood organizations beginning at 8 a.m. For a list of participating addresses, visit the chamber's website.
05/19/2012 12:42 AM Officers gather at Capitol to honor fallen comrades Hundreds of law enforcement officers gathered at the state Capitol on Friday to remember officers who have fallen in the line of duty. The annual Law Enforcement Memorial Service remembered Fond du Lac Officer Craig Birkholz, an Iraq War veteran who was killed last year during a standoff, and Beloit Police Officer Frederick Samp, who was killed in the line of duty on back in 1935. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said that he hopes the sense of appreciation extends to all those who serve. "I just pray, that all of you, like I try to do, will remember more than just once a year and will honor them by remembering and thanking those law enforcement officers here today and around the state and around the union and those in the fire services and those in the armed services who are going above and beyond to protect our freedoms and liberties at every level every day," he said. This year's event also included a tribute acknowledging the passing of volunteer firefighter Jamison Kampmeyer, who died fighting an Abbotsford fire. He was also a marathon county sheriff's deputy.
Local News 05/31/2011...
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