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Justin Shaughnessy

Star 97.7 FM — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 19:00:40 +0000

Justin Shaughnessy, 36, of Chetek, passed away on January 22.
He is survived by his wife, Kristy Swanson; children, Reagan; Jameson and Arden; parents, Joseph and Lucy Shaughnessy; and brother, Ryan Shaughnessy.
The funeral service for Justin Shaughnessy will be held at Appleyard’s Home for Funerals, in Rice Lake, on Saturday at 11 a.m., followed by a gathering at the Rice Lake Elk’s Lodge.
Visitation is 10 until 11 a.m. on Friday at the funeral home.

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Tiffany: contact his office if you have Veterans Affairs benefit problems

Star 97.7 FM — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 18:01:55 +0000

RICE LAKE, Wis. (WJMC) — At a listening session on Monday afternoon in Rice Lake, a resident told Congressman Tom Tiffany he was having difficulty getting Veterans Affairs disability benefits and compensation.

The man said his and family member’s service-related injuries were being denied or not compensated at an adequate level. Tiffany urged the man and anyone else facing similar problems, to reach out to his office.

“You want to contact my office in regards to these veterans issues,” Tiffany said. “We deal with them all the time. As well as if you have IRS issues, passport issues. We are ready to serve people.”

Tiffany also heard residents’ concerns, asking him to keep the Social Security Trust Fund solvent, to support patients’ rights to see caregivers, continue federal funding for programs helping older Americans; and to keep the Department of Education, which he said is duplicative.

Others spoke against a lead-shot ban for hunting; pardons for people who destroyed property or assaulted officers on January 6, 2021; Xcel Energy’s proposed solar panel project in St. Croix County, and a proposal to make the Apostle Islands a National Park.

Contact Tiffany’s office through his website, Tiffany.house.gov.

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PM NEWSCAST – Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025

Star 97.7 FM — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 18:00:46 +0000

https://wjmcradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-01-29-Wednesday-Local-News-PM.mp3

This afternoon’s top stories from the Northwest Wisconsin News Center:

— Wisconsin’s governor and attorney general push back on federal funding freezes;

— Sean Duffy confirmed by the Senate to be the new Transportation Secretary;

— A proposed bill gives school districts authority to ban phones in the classroom.

— and in Wisconsin, lung cancer rates decline.

These stories and more on today’s local newscast.

The post PM NEWSCAST – Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.

Evers pens letter to Trump on loan and grant freezes

Star 97.7 FM — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:05:39 +0000

MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — Governor Tony Evers is urging President Donald Trump to reconsider pausing federal grants and loans.

In a letter to Trump Evers says with very few details and specifics available, virtually no time for ample review and consideration, and no direct communication to date, states are left to plan for the worst, and Wisconsinites and millions of Americans who are rightfully alarmed and concerned by this unprecedented decision are left scrambling. Evers also says he’s concerned the actions could have disastrous consequences for the people of Wisconsin.

According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, Wisconsin is receiving more than $28 billion in federal assistance within the current two-year budget. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the freezes.

Wisconsin is one of 23 states suing to block implementation of the freeze. The states’ attorneys general are seeking a temporary restraining order to block the action from taking effect, warning of immediate harm to their states.

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Wisconsin Republicans target governor’s uniquely broad partial veto powers

Star 97.7 FM — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:04:06 +0000

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans want voters to curb the uniquely expansive partial veto powers that Wisconsin governors from both parties have enjoyed for nearly a century.

Wisconsin is the only state where governors can partially veto spending bills by striking words, numbers and punctuation to create new meaning or spending amounts. In most states, governors can only eliminate or reduce spending amounts.

Republican state lawmakers on Monday took the latest swing at reducing the veto powers, proposing a constitutional amendment that would eliminate a governor’s powers to delete words and rework sentences in bills that spend taxpayer money.

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Duffy confirmed as Transportation Secretary

Star 97.7 FM — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:03:53 +0000

WASHINGTON, Wis. (WRN) — The U.S. Senate confirms Sean Duffy to be President Trump’s Secretary of Transportation.

Tuesday’s vote in the full Senate was 77-22, with all no votes from Democrats.

Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin voted for Duffy, saying on Monday that she’d support the former 7th District Congressman to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation and it’s more than 58,000 employees.

“Now I have looked at all of Trump’s nominees through the lens of how will they impact Wisconsinites and in this case, I feel confident that Sean Duffy is a good choice for this position,” Baldwin said.

Other Democrats, including Senators who’d previously supported Duffy, apparently voted no to protest recent Trump directives for federal agencies, including Transportation, to pause spending.

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Bill looks to give state schools authority to ban phones in classrooms

Star 97.7 FM — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:02:24 +0000

MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature look to give schools the authority to ban phones and other electronic devices in classrooms.

The measure introduced earlier this month would require local school districts to create their own policies banning the devices during instructional time with exceptions for electronics used for educational and emergency. Some schools in the state have instituted phone bans but have had to back off them after students and parents backlash.

Bans of this sort introduced by both Democrats and Republicans have been signed into law in least eight other states nationwide.

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Data shows lung cancer rates declining in WI

Star 97.7 FM — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:01:44 +0000

MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — New data from the Wisconsin Cancer Collaborative shows lung cancer rates in the state are declining.

The report says declining smoking rates, effective tobacco control policies and regulations, earlier diagnosis, and improved treatments are responsible for the decline.

In Wisconsin, lung cancer deaths still outnumbered all prostate, breast, and colon cancer deaths combined. The five-year relative survival rate for lung cancer in Wisconsin is 29.4%.

In Wisconsin, the majority of people with lung cancer are between the ages of 70-79.

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AM NEWSCAST – Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025

Star 97.7 FM — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:00:11 +0000

https://wjmcradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-01-29-Wednesday-Local-News-AM.mp3

This morning’s top stories from the Northwest Wisconsin News Center:

— Congressman Tom Tiffany supports President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs;

— Wisconsin’s governor and attorney general push back on federal funding freezes;

— Sean Duffy confirmed by the Senate to be the new Transportation Secretary;

— and in Wisconsin, lung cancer rates decline.

These stories and more on today’s latest newscast.

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Robert “Bob” Johnson

Star 97.7 FM — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 22:22:02 +0000

Robert “Bob” Johnson, 98, of Rice Lake, passed away on January 26.
He is survived by his children, Rick Johnson, Lori Englund and Wendy Markgren.
The funeral service for Robert Johnson will be held at Bethany Lutheran Church, in Rice Lake, on Friday at 11 a.m.
Visitation is Thursday, from 4 until 6 p.m., with an Elks Memorial Service at 5:45 p.m., at Appleyard’s Home for Funerals, in Rice Lake, and from 10 until 11 a.m. on Friday at the church.

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