Jordy Nelson is officially retired from the NFL. The former Green Bay Packer wide receiver signed a one-day contract and retired in a Packers jersey this morning. He was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2008 draft out of Kansas State and played in 136 regular-season games over ten years in Green Bay. Nelson ranks second in touchdown receptions, third in overall receptions and fifth all-time in receiving yards for the franchise.
Read MoreWisconsin’s paper industry is booming. A study by UW-Stevens Point, funded by the Department of Economic Development, shows Wisconsin is tops in the country for the number of paper mills and for the number of employees statewide in the industry with 30-thousand. The paper industry has an economic output in the Badger State of over 18-billion-dollars.
Read MoreThe state fair continues in West Allis this week and that has officials rechecking security. In the aftermath of mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, authorities are reviewing security measures and feeling things are in order. The state fair has more than 100 officers on its own force and there are about 400 Public Safety officers on the grounds and manning metal detectors. There are also over 200 security cameras being monitored constantly.
Read MoreAs storms continue in our area, Governor Tony Evers wants the Federal Emergency Management Agency to look at damage across the state. Evers sent a request to FEMA earlier this week that covers 19 counties including Barron, Polk, Clark, and Rusk. These counties may be able to apply for federal disaster aid after FEMA reviews the damage.
Read MoreThe sheriff in Chippewa Falls says Laile Vang never met the man who shot and killed her. Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk said Ritchie German Jr sent Vang just four text messages before he went to her house, shot her parents, and then shot her in the head. The sheriff says Vang’s parents confirmed they never saw him before in their life. Investigators are still not 100-percent sure what German’s motives were.
Read MoreFuture retirees in Eau Claire are going to have to pay more for their health insurance and retiree benefits. The city’s school board last night voted to stop paying the health reimbursement deposit the first year after retirement to retirees. The district hopes to save about 150-thousand-dollars a year with the move. It’s just one of several tweaks Eau Claire School leaders are making to trim the school district’s deficit.
Read MoreAdd Wisconsin’s governor to the list of people calling for a red flag law and stricter background checks after the weekend shootings in El Paso and Dayton. Governor Tony Evers yesterday said the Republican controlled legislature need to do something after the latest mass shootings. The governor wants a way for judges to take guns away from people who are mentally unstable or who are shown to be a threat.
Read MoreDemocrats at the Capitol in Madison are ready to try again to add more people to the state’s healthcare system. State Senator Joe Erpenbach and state Rep. Daniel Riemer yesterday introduced a stand-alone package to expand Medicaid in the state. The two want to offer essentially free healthcare to people who make 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or about 27 thousand-dollars for a family of four. The Republicans who control the legislature say the state cannot afford the
Read MoreWestern Wisconsin is not done with thunderstorms. Forecasters say there is another chance for strong and maybe even severe storms tomorrow. A line of thunderstorms yesterday brought heavy rain, hail, high winds, and reports of a few funnel clouds to the western part of the state. There are no reports of any storm related injuries.
Read MoreSenator Tammy Baldwin says it’s time for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring gun safety reform to the Senate floor. The Wisconsin Democrat says today the House passed bipartisan legislation to expand federal background checks for all gun sales, which the American people overwhelmingly support. She says failure of Washington to act is a moral failure when a majority of Americans are demanding action. Baldwin says a vote is needed in order to start saving lives. In other political news: Sen. Johnson
Read More