MADISON, Wis. – This evening, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction in the Department of Labor Overtime Rule case, enjoining the enforcement of the rule. In September, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel joined a bipartisan coalition of 21 states in asking the Court to prevent implementation of the Rule on December 1, 2016.
“I’m incredibly happy the Court agreed the rule should be put on hold,” said Attorney General Schimel. “There’s no greater honor than representing millions of Wisconsinites in the continuous fight for the return of power to our citizens, away from an out-of-control federal bureaucracy in Washington D.C. Wisconsin must have the ability to set its own priorities and policies.”
The new Rule doubles the salary-level threshold for employees to be exempt from overtime, regardless of whether they perform executive, administrative, or professional duties. Beginning December 1, 2016, all employees would be entitled to overtime if they earn less than $47,476 a year, including state and local government employees. Additionally, the new rule contains a ratcheting mechanism to automatically increase the salary-level threshold every three years without going through the standard rule-making process required by federal law.
Month: November 2016
UK To Capture and Store Citizens’ Internet History
by Owen | 2001, 22 Nov 1616 | Foreign Affairs, Politics, Technology | 0 Comments
Sounds like something North Korea or Iran would do.
Internet providers will soon be required to record which services their customers’ devices connect to – including websites and messaging apps.
The Home Office says it will help combat terrorism, but critics have described it as a “snoopers’ charter”.
Critics of the law have said hackers could get access to the records.
“It only takes one bad actor to go in there and get the entire database,” said James Blessing, chairman of the Internet Service Providers’ Association (Ispa), which represents BT, Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and others.
“You can try every conceivable thing in the entire world to [protect it] but somebody will still outsmart you.
“Mistakes will happen. It’s a question of when. Hopefully it’s in tens or maybe a hundred years. But it might be next week.”
The Investigatory Powers Bill was approved by the House of Lords on 19 November and is due to become law before the end of 2016.
West Bend Loses Community Leaders
by Owen | 1922, 22 Nov 1616 | Off-Duty | 0 Comments
Nov. 22, 2016 – West Bend, WI – It’s like a one-two punch with a final cross hook as neighbors in West Bend learn of the death of three community leaders.
Tom Strachota, Doug Devenport and Dan Fuge have died.
Strachota was a strong community servant and the General Manager of the family business Dairyland Seed. Strachota died Monday evening following a heart attack. He was 64.
Doug Devenport, 81, also died Monday; he had been fighting cancer for a period of time. Devenport was president of Level Valley Dairy Company in West Bend since 1959.
Dan Fuge owner of Fuge Heating & Air Conditioning has died.
WashingtonCountyInsider.com will bring your more information as it becomes available.
Trump Won’t Push for Prosecution of Clinton
by Owen | 0735, 22 Nov 1616 | Law, Politics | 1 Comment
(CNN)President-elect Donald Trump’s administration will break a campaign promise and not pursue further investigations of Hillary Clinton related to her private email server or the Clinton Foundation, Trump’s former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Tuesday.
“I think when the President-elect, who’s also the head of your party, tells you before he’s even inaugurated that he doesn’t wish to pursue these charges, it sends a very strong message, tone, and content” to fellow Republicans, Conway said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”Trump’s decision represents a significant break from a major campaign promise — at the second presidential debate in early October, Trump threatened Clinton, saying that “if I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation.”
This is a political decision. One can see Trump’s advisers telling him, “she won the popular vote and angering her supporters will make it difficult for you to get things done.” But one of the reasons Trump won was the palpable disgust that many Americans have for the Two Americas where the rules don’t apply to the rich and powerful. Clinton needs to be prosecuted for the simple reason that she is a crook and we live in a nation of laws. Or, at least, we used to.
Nebraska Requires Conviction for Forfeitures
by Owen | 0705, 22 Nov 1616 | Law, Politics | 0 Comments
Good for Nebraska. Can we bring this reform to Wisconsin?
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a bill on Tuesday that eliminates civil forfeiture, which allows law enforcement to seize and keep property without filing charges or securing criminal convictions. The bill, LB 1106, passed the unicameral legislature last week by a vote of 38 to 8.
Civil forfeiture has ensnared a wide swath of victims in Nebraska. A Peruvian pastor once had $14,000 seized during a traffic stop. Only after the local chapter of the ACLU intervened was he able to recover his cash. Last year, a federal appellate court upheld forfeiting more than $63,000 in savings from a decorated Air Force veteran, even though he was never charged with a crime.
The newly signed law provides sweeping reforms. First and foremost, Nebraska now requires a criminal conviction to forfeit property. The accused must be convicted of an offense involving illegal drugs, child pornography or illegal gambling to lose their cash, vehicles, firearms or real estate. Nebraska joins just nine other states that require a criminal conviction as a prerequisite for most or all forfeiture cases. Following North Carolina and New Mexico, Nebraska is now the third state largely without civil forfeiture. In addition to the criminal conviction requirement, LB 1106 also enacts new reporting requirements for seizures and forfeitures.
It’s Time for School Carry
by Owen | 0651, 22 Nov 1616 | Education, Firearms, Politics - Wisconsin | 0 Comments
My column for the West Bend Daily News is online. Here you go:
“An active response by potential victims affects the outcome.”
That is one conclusions in an extensive article for Concealed Carry Magazine by Michael Martin after he studied school shootings in the United States. It seems like an obvious conclusion, but it is one that is ignored in our schools.
An active response to an active shooter in a school may include running away, throwing things at the shooter, or barricading a door. One thing that it cannot include in most schools under current law is shooting back. That is one of the issues that folks discussed at a recent forum sponsored by the USCCA at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School.
Rep. Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) plans to reintroduce a bill in the next legislative session that would allow private schools to decide for themselves whether or not to allow firearms on school grounds. Kremer expects a sister bill to be introduced to allow the same thing for public schools, but his bill would only deal with private schools. A panel of eight members from law enforcement and education answered questions from the audience for two hours regarding the prospect of allowing firearms into schools and school safety in general.
One issue that Kremer’s bill would address would be to allow teachers and school staff to be armed in school. It would be left up to the school to determine the parameters, training requirements, etc. and to integrate an armed response into their overall school safety protocols.
Michael Mass, a teacher on the panel who is a licensed concealed carry permit holder and has completed some tactical training, shared that he takes his responsibility to care for the safety and wellbeing of the children in his charge very seriously. He said the baseball bat he armed himself during a lock down drill was insufficient if there was an actual active shooter.
Washington County Sheriff Dale Schmidt, who was on the panel, admitted that even if the police can respond quickly, they are faced with an unknown threat in a large building with several entrances. He said that the reality is that the most effective protection must come from inside the school.
It is clear that there is an evolving consensus regarding the most effective way to respond to an active shooter in a school. The old “lock down” drill is no longer considered adequate in most situations. For several of the most horrific school shootings in our history, all a lock down did was to congregate a lot of defenseless kids into one location for the killer to find. Instead of just a lock down, many modern school responses include fleeing the school, barricading, shouting, throwing, and, in some cases, an armed response. Anything that disrupts the fantasy playing out in a killer’s head is more effective than just crouching and waiting. The most effective response is going to vary by the physical layout of the school and other factors.
A second issue that Kremer’s bill seeks to address is the parents and other school visitors who are licensed to carry a concealed weapon in Wisconsin. Federal law does not outright prohibit firearms on school grounds, but state law does. Kremer’s bill would allow private schools to decide if they would allow people who are licensed to carry a concealed weapon to carry that weapon on school grounds.
There is no rational justification for continuing banning guns on school grounds. More than 300,000 Wisconsinites are licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Tens of thousands carry a weapon every day. Despite the dire warnings of opponents of the Second Amendment, Wisconsin has not turned into the Wild West and neither has any other state that permits concealed carry. In fact, many states saw a decrease in crime after concealed carry went into effect. The arguments are old and the evidence is overwhelming on the side of proponents of concealed carry that good Americans carrying firearms are a net benefit to society as a whole.
Banning the same people who safely carry a concealed weapon into grocery stores, banks, restaurants, parks and many other places from carrying that same weapon into a school is nonsensical. The ban is based on an irrational fear of guns that has been debunked everywhere else in society. And for many CCW parents, like me, it is ludicrous to disarm parents precisely at the time when they are with the people they most want to defend — their children.
Furthermore, as several people at the forum highlighted, it is actually less safe to require a person to unholster their weapon and store it before going to a school than it is for that same person to just carry it. Most firearm accidents occur during administrative handling of the weapon — not during the carrying or active use of it.
A child has not died in a fire at school in more than 50 years, yet we still do regular fire drills and evolve our responses to ensure that a child never does again die in a fire. We need to see the same vigilance and common sense responses to the threat of an active shooter in a school. Passing Kremer’s bill is a step in the right direction.
Budget Requests For Wisconsin State Agencies Don’t Add Up
by Owen | 2158, 21 Nov 1616 | Politics - Wisconsin | 0 Comments
The stage is set.
Wisconsin state revenues are projected to fall $693 million short of what state agencies have requested for the 2017-19 budget, Gov. Scott Walker’s administration said Monday.
The report from the Department of Administration is the first document to take into account budget requests submitted in September. Those requests will be scaled back when the governor releases his budget early next year, and further refined by the Legislature in the months that follow.
First, remember that the entire “shortfall” is because of the Department of Public Instruction’s request for a $707 million increase over the last budget. The DPI is an independent agency that does not report to the Governor.
Second, remember when the media and the Democrats, but I repeat myself, start screaming about Governor Walker “cutting” the budget, he is only cutting the increases. Much to my frustration, Governor Walker and the Republican legislature have not yet actually passed a budget decrease. Every budget has spent more than the previous one.
Obama’s Legacy
by Owen | 2040, 21 Nov 1616 | Politics | 0 Comments
Let’s hope this is part of the 20% of Obama’s legacy that he thinks Trump will reverse.
At Upper Cutz, a bustling barbershop in a green-trimmed wooden house, talk of politics inevitably comes back to one man: Barack Obama. Mr. Obama’s elections infused many here with a feeling of connection to national politics they had never before experienced. But their lives have not gotten appreciably better, and sourness has set in.
“We went to the beach,” said Maanaan Sabir, 38, owner of the Juice Kitchen, a brightly painted shop a few blocks down West North Avenue, using a metaphor to describe the emotion after Mr. Obama’s election. “And then eight years happened.”
All four barbers had voted for Mr. Obama. But only two could muster the enthusiasm to vote this time. And even then, it was a sort of protest. One wrote in Mrs. Clinton’s Democratic opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The other wrote in himself.
“I’m so numb,” said Jahn Toney, 45, who had written in Mr. Sanders. He said no president in his lifetime had done anything to improve the lives of black people, including Mr. Obama, whom he voted for twice. “It’s like I should have known this would happen. We’re worse off than before.”
[…]
“He was real, unlike a lot of liberal Democrats who are just as racist” but keep it hidden, he said, his jaw slathered with shaving cream. “You can reason with them all day long, but they think they know it all. They want to have control. That they know what’s best for ‘those people.’”
Federal Court Rules Redistricting Unconstitutional
by Owen | 2024, 21 Nov 1616 | Law | 2 Comments
This is a bad ruling.
Madison — Two weeks after a stunning election defeat, Wisconsin Democrats won an equally surprising legal victory Monday as a federal court struck down legislative maps drawn by Republicans in 2011.
The judges ruled 2-1 that the maps were unconstitutional because they were “intended to burden the representational rights of Democratic voters … by impeding their ability to translate their votes into legislative seats.”
Depending on the outcome of an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the case could have national implications because it includes a new method of determining whether legislative maps are drawn in a way that discriminates against voters of a particular party.
“We find that the discriminatory effect is not explained by the political geography of Wisconsin nor is it justified by a legitimate state interest. Consequently, Act 43 constitutes an unconstitutional political gerrymander,” the judges wrote in their 159-page decision.
The ruling focused on the state’s 99 Assembly seats, but redrawing those districts also would alter the state Senate map. That’s because each Senate district consists of three Assembly districts. The ruling does not affect congressional maps, which also were redrawn to benefit Republicans in 2011.
The judges did not determine how to fix the maps, writing that would be decided in the coming months after the state and the Democrats who brought the lawsuit offer proposals. It’s possible the judges would establish a new set of maps or require lawmakers to redraw them.
So two judges invent an entirely new standard that takes into account people’s political party – not a protected class – in order to find the redistricting unconstitutional. Riiiiight… Not to mention the fact that we have had three elections with these districts and the new ones will be drawn in five years. It took them a full five years to come up with this ruling and it will likely be years until they come up with a “solution.” Justice delayed is justice denied.
This is the judicial branch encroaching on the Legislature’s prerogative to advance a political agenda.
Trump Takes Media to Task
by Owen | 2013, 21 Nov 1616 | Culture, Politics | 0 Comments
Ouch.
Donald Trump scolded media big shots during an off-the-record Trump Tower sitdown on Monday, sources told The Post.
“It was like a f–ing firing squad,” one source said of the encounter.
“Trump started with [CNN chief] Jeff Zucker and said ‘I hate your network, everyone at CNN is a liar and you should be ashamed,’ ” the source said.
“The meeting was a total disaster. The TV execs and anchors went in there thinking they would be discussing the access they would get to the Trump administration, but instead they got a Trump-style dressing down,” the source added.
A second source confirmed the fireworks.
“The meeting took place in a big board room and there were about 30 or 40 people, including the big news anchors from all the networks,” the other source said.
“Trump kept saying, ‘We’re in a room of liars, the deceitful dishonest media who got it all wrong.’ He addressed everyone in the room calling the media dishonest, deceitful liars. He called out Jeff Zucker by name and said everyone at CNN was a liar, and CNN was [a] network of liars,” the source said.
Good for him. The old media is so biased, and their unethical practices are so blatant, that it’s about time someone got up in their grill. As long as Trump doesn’t suggest any kind of governmental action against them, there’s nothing wrong with him lambasting them for their behavior.
Trump’s Strong Appointments
by Owen | 0700, 21 Nov 1616 | Politics | 1 Comment
So far I’m liking Trump’s appointments.
If there was any doubt about whether Donald Trump meant business with his hard-line campaign pronouncements on immigration, race, terrorism and more, the president-elect went a long way to dispel them Friday with his first appointments to his national security team and at the Justice Department.
Trump’s trifecta in selecting Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn for national security adviser and Rep. Mike Pompeo to lead the CIA sent a strong message that Americans are going to get what they voted for in electing a Republican whose campaign talk about national security matters largely toggled between tough and tougher.
If you ascribe to the notion that “policy is people,” Trump’s administration is shaping up to be one of the most conservative in a very long time- if ever. The question will be how much power these folks will have or if Trump will centralize decision making in the White House (or Trump Tower). But given Trump’s management style in the past, I expect him to delegate a lot of authority to his appointments.
Not Dead Yet
by Owen | 0651, 21 Nov 1616 | Off-Duty | 0 Comments
Ha!
Adams County Sheriff’s Department posted the incident the next morning on its Facebook page with a photo of actors Chris Farley and David Spade in a car in a scene from the movie “Tommy Boy” with a deer in their back seat.
So this happened last night …
“Caller states he hit a deer earlier and thought it was deceased. He states he put the deer into the back of his vehicle, but once he arrived home the deer was alive and kicking…”
(The deer refused to give a statement and ran into the woods.)
The Facebook page was updated a few hours later with the footage from Loewenhagen’s squad camera. Turns out Loewenhagen is no stranger to unusual calls.
You may remember our Deputy Brian Loewenhagen from previous posts. He was the Deputy who arrested the Intoxicated driver with the beer battered fish fry excuse.
Things are never boring when Brian is working.
Police Being Targeted
by Owen | 0647, 21 Nov 1616 | Culture, Politics | 0 Comments
In Texas, a San Antonio police officer was shot and killed sitting in a squad car during a routine traffic stop outside the city’s police headquarters on Sunday, authorities said.
The assailant stopped his car behind the parked police cruiser, walked to the patrol car and shot the officer in the head through the window as he was writing a ticket, Police Chief William McManus said.
The gunman then reached through the window, fired a second shot into the officer, returned to his vehicle and sped away. The slain officer was identified as Benjamin Marconi, 50, a 20-year veteran.
Hours later, a St. Louis policeman was shot in the face as he sat in his cruiser at an intersection, by someone in a car who pulled up beside the officer, opened fire and fled. St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said the wounded officer was conscious and able to speak after the attack.
There is a virulent subculture that is enabling this sort of abhorrent behavior. Unfortunately, it is a subculture that is being supported by some of the most prominent members of the liberal establishment.
Blue Lives Matter.
Madison Residents In Therapy
by Owen | 2145, 20 Nov 1616 | Culture, Politics - Wisconsin | 0 Comments
You people seriously need to get it together.
It’s been nearly two weeks, and many local voters are still in a state of shock — make that county of shock — over Donald Trump’s surprise win in the presidential election.
Some are in a psychological paralysis, with area therapists reporting their clients taking it hard, using valuable couch time to talk about their post-election stress, anxiety or depression. Yes, depression.
Because in politically active Dane County, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton crushed Trump 70 percent (217,526 votes) to 23 percent (71,279 votes). Most people didn’t expect the election to turn out the way it did and are overwhelmed mentally.
Around the Bend by Judy Steffes
by Owen | 1857, 19 Nov 1616 | Off-Duty | 0 Comments
Bobcat sighting in Town of Farmington
This week WashingtonCountyInsider.com posted a video from a reader who spotted a bobcat while he was up north hunting in Oneida County.
That video prompted a comment about a person in West Bend who also saw a bobcat this week at Leonard J. Yahr County Park, 7999 Orchard Valley Road, in the Town of Farmington.
“It was sitting upright in the bend of the trail over there,” said Lana Alexandra of West Bend.
Alexandra bicycles through the park around 6:30 a.m. She said it was Tuesday, a little foggy but what she saw was definitely a bobcat.
“It was probably about three times the size of a big house cat,” she said. “It was sitting up and the ears were pretty big.”
Local DNR agent Tom Isaac said there very well could be bobcats in Washington County. “We had one up near Lomira the last year or the year before and one was spotted near Fond du Lac County,” said Isaac.
Sightings have been reported near the Jackson Marsh or the Colgate area. “Bobcats are in most counties,” Isaac said. “We even had a sighting November 5 and it was standing in the intersection of Highway 167 and Scenic Road in the Town of Richfield. It ran in front of a guy’s car and he got a real good look at it.”
The bobcat was described as weighing 30 pounds and with a short tail. “It also has short ear tufts,” he said. “They’re pretty much in their territory across Wisconsin.”
Chad Cook is the Washington County Parks Superintendent. “I had seen a black farm cat hanging out in the field by the park but this is the first I’ve heard of a sighting but it doesn’t surprise me,” he said.
Gearing up for Shop with a Cop in Washington County
Shop with a Cop in Washington County is Wednesday, Dec. 7 at West Bend Mutual’s Prairie Center.
The program is being organized by the Fraternal Order of Police along with local volunteers. Forty kids have been selected to participate in this year’s event and organizers are reaching out for a little help.
“We’re putting together gift baskets for the families and we’re hoping businesses in town can help supply items for children ages 8 – 12,” said volunteer Tina Beres. “We’re looking for thing like board games or something kids can play with their family.”
West Bend Police Lieutenant Matt Rohlinger said this is the first year the Fraternal Order of Police are running the event.
“When we heard the future of Washington County’s Shop with a Cop was at risk the executive board met and felt strongly we should keep it going,” Rohlinger said. “This is great interaction with the kids and in this current environment it’s critical to send a positive message.”
Rohlinger said one of the big changes will be the amount of support staff and officers involved. “We’re trying to recruit more officers so kids actually do shop with a cop,” he said.
This year’s event will include a shopping trip to Walmart, hot dogs at The Prairie Center, a rousing game of Bingo called by Police Chiefs Tom Bishop of Kewaskum and Jed Dolnick of Jackson, and a special visit from Santa.
Neighbors who would like to make donations to Shop with a Cop in Washington County can send a check to Shop with a Cop at PO Box 149, Kewaskum, WI 53040
Questions can be directed to Tina Beres at Cyberes@gmail.com
Amity Rolfs nativity
The life-size nativity display, a holiday hallmark for West Bend, was erected this week. Originally brought to the community by brothers Tom and Bob Rolfs, the pieces, handmade in Germany, were originally placed in front of the tower of the Amity building on Main Street. The nativity later moved to the front of the Amity Outlet on Highway 33 and in 2007 it was donated to the Downtown West Bend Association. From 2007 until 2014 the nativity was in front of Westbury Bank on S. Main Street.
On Thursday, volunteers with the Downtown West Bend Association and staffers from Bits ‘n’ Pieces Floral spent a couple hours assembling the nativity and a hat tip to West Bend Elevator donating the straw for the manger.
Search is on to replace WB city clerk
The city of West Bend has begun its search to fill the opening of West Bend City Clerk and assistant City Administrator as Amy Reuteman is leaving. “Amy has been a stalwart at the city and a confidant of mine the last six months as we’ve gone through some challenges but this is an exciting time for her and her husband to relocate to their vacation home,” said Mayor Kraig Sadownikow. “I certainly wish her well in her next endeavors.”
District 8 alderman Roger Kist said Reuteman is going to be hard to replace because everybody loves her and thinks a lot of her. “Amy brought a lot to the city and she has always been extremely helpful in many, many ways,” Kist said.
“Amy stepped up to the plate following the mess with T.J. Justice and she was so excited when we hired Jay (Shambeau) as the new city administrator.”
Quite a few people connected with City Hall in West Bend have expressed disbelief when told of Reuteman’s departure. Former Dist. 7 alderman Terry Vrana said Reuteman is irreplaceable and a very stabilizing force.
“I was an alderman when Amy first came to the city and she was impressive then,” he said. “She’s a rare find.”
Reuteman started as an assistant to then city Clerk Barb Barringer. “She was always a high-quality person and got along with everybody and very smart and she fit the job perfectly. That’s going to be a huge loss for the city,” said Vrana. “I always really enjoyed working with her because she was so good at what she did; such a good person and good with everybody.”
John Kleinmaus is one of Reuteman’s trusty poll workers during elections. Kleinmaus was bowled over by the news. “Wow,” he said. “You’re kidding. I wish her well but wow.”
Kleinmaus said, when it came to elections Reuteman knew her stuff. “If I ever had to call her with a question she was always right there on top of it,” he said. “Her job was very stressful but she handled it in a very cool and professional way. I don’t ever remember seeing her get mad; she was always there to help and we could always count on her.”
Kist read from an email that detailed Reuteman leaving for a position up north. “Her last day will be December 1,” said Kist. Reuteman is currently taking some post-election time off and she is unavailable for comment.
No confidence vote moves forward on County Treasurer
The Washington County Executive Committee held a lengthy discussion this week regarding a proposal to pass a ‘vote of no confidence’ for County Treasurer Jane Merten.
The proposal stems from an incident June 1, 2016 when Merten sent two separate wire transfers to fraudulent accounts. The total was $87,760, although the Washington County Sheriff said half of that never went through.
District 1 County Supervisor Kris Deiss felt the public should be the one to determine how the issue is dealt with. “It’s not our job as a supervisor to issue a vote of no confidence, the public can do that at the ballot box,” said Deiss.
Merten was just reelected to her position as County Treasurer during the Nov. 8 election. She received 62,455 votes or 98.90%. Merten ran uncontested.
District 21 Supervisor Donald Kriefall initiated the resolution for a ‘no confidence’ vote. He said, “We’re limited on our actions and to take a vote of no confidence is similar to putting a notice in her file. This is the smallest thing we can do.”
Deiss was adamant it was still up to the voters of this county. “They had plenty of time to decide,” she said.
District 5 Supervisor Mike Bassill asked if there was a way to make the county treasurer post a “non-elected position.” That question was quickly dismissed as it is state statue that the post be elected.
District 20 Supervisor Mark McCune asked if Merten even apologized and to that Dist. 15 Supervisor Marilyn Merten answered from the audience that County Board Chairman Rick Gundrum had received a letter from Jane Merten.
“Isn’t it true you did get a letter from the treasurer,” said Marilyn Merten.
Gundrum said he had not but he would double check his email.
District 17 Supervisor Tim Michalak said if this had happened at a company with a comptroller then that person would be out of work. “I’m not asking for a resolution for resignation but a letter in the file,” he said.
Supervisor Kriefall is now working on a resolution to bring to committee.
Washington Co. parts ways with County Attorney Kim Nass
A unanimous decision this week by the Washington County Executive Committee to enter into a separation agreement with Washington County Attorney Kim Nass.
The committee met in closed session for more than an hour. Once it reconvened the question was called and the decision was made final in less than two minutes. Nass had been on an unconfirmed administrative leave since Oct. 20.
As per direction from the executive committee the County Administrator Joshua Schoemann must provide a summary report to the full county board at the December 2016 meeting.
Schoemann said there are still several steps that have to be completed before this decision is finalized. Questioned about Nass’s last day on the job Schoemann said that had yet to be determined.
Schoemann confirmed the county does have attorneys on staff however he acknowledged they do have a large workload. He said the county will be exploring various options on how to fill the post moving forward.
County board chairman Rick Gundrum praised the staff in the county attorney’s office for the job they’ve been doing. Gundrum refused to disclose the reason for the separation with Nass citing “closed session and a personnel matter.”
Former county board chairman Herb Tennies attended the committee meeting. He said Nass had always been professional while he was on the board. He praised her work with the county.
Nass was not in attendance at this week’s meeting.
Lights by Meijer
The streetscape has changed on South Main Street and Humar Street as new traffic lights have been installed. The lights are part of the Meijer grocery development.
The 192,940-square-foot Meijer is under construction on the 32-acre lot that used to be home to Northfield Block and prior to that Bend Industries. Visible from Parkway Drive is the 31,000-square-foot outdoor garden center on the north side of the building; there will also be parking for 970 vehicles.
There will be an exit onto Parkway Drive and another onto S. Main with traffic signals at Humar Street. Construction on Meijer should be completed in March or April of 2017.
Judy Etta enters 4-H Hall of Fame
4-H volunteer Judy Etta of Kewaskum has been inducted into the Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development Hall of Fame. Etta has been a 4-H Club leader for 39 years; she was recognized for outstanding service. Etta helped establish the 4-H American Spirit Experience, taking 4-H members from Wisconsin to historic sites in the eastern United States, to increase their knowledge, and appreciation of America’s heritage. Etta has been a chaperone/coordinator for Citizen Washington Focus, co-chairs the County 4-H Achievement and Recognition Committee and interviews youth for awards, experiences, and scholarships throughout the year.
Updates & tidbits
–Members of the West Bend Professional Firefighters Union will be distributing coats to students in the West Bend School District on Monday. This is the third year for Operation Warm where firefighters provide coats to needy children. About 200 coats will be donated this year.
– A major remodel is underway in downtown West Bend at the space above The Exclusive Company. Boss Realty owner Tom Zernia has cleaned up the space for a new business location. Zernia also plans on renting out space.
– Rick Takacs at Meadowbrook Farm in West Bend has Christmas trees from the same vendor in Oconto County, Dave and Mary Vander Velden’s Whispering Pines Tree Farm, who is supplying the tree to the White House in Washington D.C.
– The Downtown West Bend Association is making a list and checking it twice as it prepares for the annual Winter on Main on Dec. 9 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. The family-friendly event includes a special tree-lighting ceremony at Old Settler’s Park along with ornament decorating for the kids and a special visit from Santa.
–Max Stowers, 16, a junior at Kewaskum High School is this year’s winner of the Brenda Oelhafen Award which was presented Oct. 15 as Washington County 4-H held its Achievement and Recognition Banquet at the Washington County Fair Park. The Oelhafen family present the award each year in memory of their daughter who was an active member of the Wayne Crusaders 4-H Club and won the Grand Champion Beef Dairy at the County Fair in 1985.
–Santa will land at the West Bend Airport again this year but he’s on an earlier flight. Santa plans to arrive at 8:30 a.m. so he can greet more children and take note of items on their wish list. The event sponsored by EAA Kettle Moraine Chapter 1158.
– Saint Frances Cabrini Parish will be hosting an evening of Advent Taizé Prayer on Tuesday, Nov. 29 from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Taizé is an ecumenical prayer based on the pillars of scriptures, song, intercessions and silence.
– Help is available to families in Washington County that need assistance with winter heating bills. Contact Kay Lucas with the Washington County Human Services Department which oversees the Energy Assistance Program. The number is 262-335-4677.
Letter to the Editor – Man fights for reimbursement after Daily News cancels e-edition
Letter to the Editor from Terry Wentz. I had a bit of a surprise Monday when I went to the West Bend Daily News website to read my Monday online edition; only Saturday’s paper was available. I called their local office and was told they no longer publish the Monday paper. I explained that I have always had an E-newspaper on Mondays and was unaware it had been discontinued. I was assured of a return phone call with an answer to my question.
When I received the call, I was told by the Daily News staff that they no longer offer an e-edition; it had been discontinued. When I asked why it was discontinued, the person I spoke with told me that it appeared the Daily News did not feel the e-edition was worth anything and also appeared to think subscribers would most likely not care about it. I told them I cared about paying for something I will not get. I asked if I would receive credit for those Monday editions that I had pre-paid with my subscription. In the end, I was offered a 4-week extension on my subscription; we settled on 5. I think there are a lot of people who will not get any compensation if they do not call the West Bend Daily News and ask. I’m afraid the Daily News is hoping to keep the money paid and try to forget about it. Terry Wentz, West Bend
EDITOR’S NOTE: On Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2016, the West Bend Daily News posted the following notice to their subscribers via email: “To our readers, We are ending publication of our Monday e-edition to refocus resources on our other products. The last Monday e-edition will be published Nov. 7. We will continue to publish e-editions Tuesday through Saturday.”
Vos Open to Repealing Prevailing Wage for State Projects
by Owen | 2048, 18 Nov 1616 | Politics - Wisconsin | 0 Comments
Instead of just being open to it, he should be pushing it… hard.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, says he’s open to a repeal of the prevailing wage for state projects if it’s part of a larger transportation package.
Republicans this session repealed the requirement for local projects, and some have called for doing the same with state work after the GOP won bigger majorities in both houses during this fall’s elections.
While he is open to the change, Vos said Thursday it alone wouldn’t be enough to address the state’s transportation funding needs.
MPS Continues to Fail Kids
by Owen | 1109, 18 Nov 1616 | Economy | 2 Comments
Ouch. That’s more kids in failing schools than there are people in my entire city.
MILWAUKEE – The new report cards on Wisconsin’s schools are out and there is more bad news for parents of students in Milwaukee Public Schools.
Of the 75,766 students in the district, more than half – 42,421 –are in schools rated as “fails to meet expectations” or “meets few expectations.” Forty-two schools serving 24,447 students are ranked as “fails to meet expectations.”
UW Intolerance
by Owen | 1106, 18 Nov 1616 | Education, Politics - Wisconsin | 2 Comments
UW Madison has to be one of the most intolerant places in America for different perspectives. Check out some of the video from MacIver.
Protesters at UW-Madison chanted and tried to block the stage at a speech by conservative Ben Shapiro on Wednesday on the UW-Madison campus, but ultimately Shapiro was able to deliver his remarks to a crowd of about 500 attendees.
The speech, entitled “Facts Don’t Care About Your Feelings,” was met with chants of “safety” and accusations that the speech itself was “violence” and made the demonstrators feel unsafe. Protesters moved to the front of the room and tried to block the view of Shapiro, who hundreds of students and members of the general public had come to hear deliver his remarks against safe spaces and speech codes.
The crowd waited the protesters out, but at times attendees yelled at the protesters to allow Shapiro to speak, breaking out in their own chants of “USA,” “Free Speech Matters,” and “decency.” Ultimately, the protesters retrenched to an adjoining hallway, where they continued their chants.
Kanye Would Have Voted for Trump
by Owen | 0648, 18 Nov 1616 | Culture, Politics | 2 Comments
What’s with all of these celebrities who are uber-political, but can’t be bothered to actually vote?
Hip hop superstar Kanye West, who famously declared his intention to run for President in 2020, told a shocked audience in California that he didn’t cast a vote in the presidential election earlier this month, but if he did, he “would have voted for Trump.”
Clarence Thomas MIA From New Museum
by Owen | 2135, 17 Nov 1616 | Culture | 0 Comments
What an insulting slight.
The recently-opened National Museum of African American History and Culture is a long overdue and highly anticipated addition to the preservation of our great nation’s history along our National Mall.
The museum is devoted to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. According to the museum, “it explores what it means to be an American and share how American values like resiliency, optimism, and spirituality are reflected in African American history and culture.”
It is troubling, however, that in telling this story the remarkable life of Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas is notably absent.
Justice Thomas grew up in the African American community of Pin Point near Savannah, Georgia in my district. Settled in 1896 by former slaves from Ossabaw, Green, and Skidaway Islands, the self-sustaining community created their own school and church and ran coastal industries including shrimping, crabbing, and oyster harvesting.
Pin Point was home to many from the Gullah-Geechee community, including Thomas. The Gullah and Geechee cultures in Coastal Georgia have preserved ethnic traditions from West Africa since the mid-1700s. In their home, Thomas’ family spoke Gullah, the language of their ancestors and the community.
The rich history of Pin Point and the Gullah-Geechee culture alone is worthy of inclusion in the museum.
Thomas did not let his humble and modest beginnings stand in the way of rising to the height of his profession. After briefly attending seminary, he went on to graduate from Yale University Law School where he established the school’s black student union. After law school, he embarked on a distinguished career of public service including serving as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education. In 1982, he earned an appointment by President Ronald Reagan to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). As Chairman of the EEOC, his work to end workplace discrimination led to one of the largest settlements in the agency’s history.
After the retirement of Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas was nominated to replace him by President George H.W. Bush. Since his confirmation to the Court in 1991, Thomas has heard approximately 2,000 oral arguments including landmark cases such as Bush v. Gore, NLRB v. Noel Canning, and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby.
Yet, in a museum which claims to highlight American values like resiliency and optimism, Justice Thomas has been awarded no more than one line in a prominent display of Anita Hill.
Absent is even the slightest mention of his remarkable story and critical contributions to the United States and our judicial system.
In a museum which is designed to “tell the American story through the lens of African American history and culture,” this omission is a tragedy.
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