News 04.12.17
12 April 2017 News
A fire at an apartment complex in Beaver Dam sends at least seven people to the hospital. Officials say eight others were treated at the scene of the fire on Lakecrest Drive, which broke out just after midnight Tuesday. Officials say the fire was contained to one apartment, but smoke damage rendered the whole complex inhabitable. Firefighters rescued several people from second floor windows. Two dozen families have been displaced by the fire. The Red Cross is assisting.
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The estranged stepfather of a Wisconsin man suspected of stealing guns and threatening attacks in an anti-government manifesto for the White House is desperate for the fugitive to surrender. Don McLean repeatedly pleaded Tuesday for Joseph Jakubowski to give himself up, saying he and his mother “would rather have him alive.” Authorities have been searching for Jakubowski since April 4, when authorities believe he stole 18 firearms from a gun store in Janesville, Wisconsin, about 70 miles southwest of Milwaukee. Rock County Sheriff Robert Spoden says Jakubowski threatened to attack schools and public officials in the 161-page manifesto that he mailed to President Donald Trump. More than 150 state and federal law enforcement officers are searching for the 32-year-old man.
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A state appellate judge rules baiting deer is permissible as long as the bait isn’t intended for hunting. The case involves John Walker, who was cited in 2015 for placing corn and pumpkins near his deer stands on his Washburn County property. Department of Natural Resources rules prohibit placing, using or hunting over bait or feed material for the purpose of hunting or training dogs and baiting and feeding deer in CWD-affected areas like Washburn County. A circuit judge tossed the citation, finding there wasn’t any evidence Walker intended to hunt over the food. Prosecutors say Walker was prohibited from even placing the bait on the ground. 3rd District Appeals Court Judge Thomas Hruz ruled Tuesday that people can place bait as long as it’s not used for hunting.
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Social workers, lawyers and a nonprofit focused on ending hunger are among the groups opposing a bill in the Wisconsin Legislature that would take away food stamps from parents who miss child support payments. The proposal from Republican Rep. Joe Sanfelippo had a public hearing Tuesday with the Assembly Committee on Public Benefit Reform. Under the proposal, parents who refuse to acknowledge paternity or are late on child support payments wouldn’t be eligible for FoodShare benefits. FoodShare is a federally funded food stamp program for low-income households. The National Association of Social Workers, the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Hunger Task Force oppose the measure. Wisconsin Family Action, an anti-abortion organization that promotes marriage, is the only group registered in support of the measure.
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Republican lawmakers say they want to combat a rapidly declining bee population by giving Wisconsin beekeepers tax exemptions. Rep. Amy Loudenbeck said in a memo Tuesday she and Sen. Steve Nass are seeking co-sponsors on a bill that would define beekeeping in state law. It would also extend to beekeepers sales and use tax exemptions on certain items and services sold to farming and agriculture business that already exist for others. The memo says bees are disappearing at an alarming rate due to pesticides, parasites and habitat loss. It included a hashtag, “#BringBackTheBees.” Loudenbeck says bees are vital to Wisconsin’s agricultural industry and pollinate many common food crops including cranberries, broccoli and apples. Loudenbeck and a spokesman for Nass didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking more details.
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