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On Jan. 7, Leah Gustafson, 29, was brutally murdered after allegedly letting Jason Borelli, 32, into her Superior apartment. Friends say had she known the past history of this neighbor from across the street, she probably would not have opened the door. Borelli, who is accused of murdering Gustafson, has a long record of violent offenses, including the brutal beating of a Rice Lake woman and an assault on his mother. His trial in the Gustafson murder is scheduled to begin Monday, Oct.
Habitat restoration in the Mississippi River near Alma will be delayed because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has suspended the drawdown of Pool 5 which began in June. The Corps made the move after a tugboat was grounded and a channel in the river closed earlier this month. In a release the Corps said the grounding was not because of the drawdown which was going on at the time. According to the Corps, water levels were near normal at the time of the grounding. The channel was dredged and the river was reopened to commercial navigation.
GREEN BAY -- Georgia-Pacific is backing off a proposal to dump contaminated river sediment in a landfill it owns in Green Bay. The company says local opposition led to the decision. But cleanup of the Fox River remains on schedule and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the PCBs will have to go somewhere. Georgia-Pacific is one of seven paper companies that must pay to remove PCBs from the river.
PALMYRA - The U.S. Department of Agriculture says corn prices have reached ten-year highs, which should be a boon to farmers across the Midwest. But some agricultural advocates are cautious about the news. Season average prices for corn are between $2.25 and $2.65 per bushel, a range not seen since 1996. Analysts say recent drought conditions and increased demand for corn-based ethanol are two key factors.
Targeting working adults, specifically those with degrees from one of Wisconsin's technical colleges, the University of Wisconsin-Stout plans to offer a new degree program in information and communication technologies. Campus officials say the new degree should be available in the spring 2007 term. "The apparel and communication technologies department is excited to help the university strengthen our relationship to the Wisconsin Technical College System in creating more opportunities for Wisconsin residents to complete a four-year degree," said Len Bogner, assistant professor of apparel and
The Democrat challenger for secretary of state says Wisconsin's current system of regulating elections is wrong because it does not answer to voters. Scot Ross will run against fellow Democrat and incumbent Doug La Follette who was first elected to the post in 1974. A Pittsburgh, Pa.-native, Ross says he believes the secretary of state should be responsible for election oversight in the state and not the State Elections Board.
Restoring and expanding military pay state tax deductions is just one of the items Mark Green has said he wants to do to help give back to Wisconsin veterans. Green, who is the Republican candidate for governor, says that prior to 1985 the first $1,000 of military pay was deductible from state income taxes. He now wants to restore the exemption and raise it to $5,000. "The commitment and dedication our brave veterans have shown to our country, to our state and to our way of life must never be forgotten," said Green. He also wants to expand a state health care aid grant to more needy vetera
An alarming 53 million Americans claimed to be victims of fraud and identity theft last year, racking up an annual bill of $570 million in Wisconsin alone. In response, Gov. Jim Doyle has directed state officials to take action. That action is both informational and local. State Department of Financial Institutions Cabinet Secretary Lorrie Keating Heinemann was at the Riverview Manor apartment complex in River Falls last Thursday to discuss the topic with residents.
SHEBOYGAN -- Next month, world-class eaters will be converging on Sheboygan to compete in the Johnsonville Brat-Eating World Championship. Sports cable giant ESPN will even produce its first-ever one hour special on the event. Cory Bouck, the brand manager of fresh brats for Johnsonville, says this year's competition may be the best yet because of several well-known competitors. He says last year there was only one "real marquee name:" a woman named Sonya Thomas, also known as the black widow.
The Great Lakes shipping industry is stepping forward to find a way to kill invasive species hitchhiking from foreign ports in the ballast water of ocean ships. Ports from all Great Lakes states and provinces have signed on. The goal is to find a way to stop things like zebra mussels or round gobeys or other exotic fish and plants from clogging up Great Lakes waterways. The shipping industry and port cities, relying on multi-million dollar trade from overseas have been stung by proposals from states to ban foreign ships that don't have zero discharge from their ballast water.