News Stories - WJMC 96.1 FM

‘Irresponsible spending’ – JFC co-chairs react to Evers’ $4.3 billion capitol budget plan

Carl Cooley — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:05:54 +0000

MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — Governor Tony Evers unveils a capital budget he calls a critical step to address aging infrastructure.

With a $4.3 billion price tag, the Democratic governor’s proposal includes nearly $1.6 billion for projects on Universities of Wisconsin campuses and more than $493 million for costs of his previously announced plan to overhaul Wisconsin’s Corrections system.

Evers warned putting off the projects could drive up the final costs amid President Donald Trump’s push for tariffs, but the Republican co-chairs of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, Senator Howard Marklein and Representative Mark Born quickly called the plan another example of Evers’ “irresponsible spending.”

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Van Orden urges Musk to spare vets, farmers from federal cuts

Carl Cooley — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:04:15 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WRN) — A Wisconsin congressman urges Elon Musk to spare veterans and farmers from federal cuts.

3rd Congressional District Republican Representative Derrick Van Orden says he spoke with the billionaire last week and that Musk assured him the Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE, will be more refined in its recommendations, to ensure veterans and farmers are not harmed by federal budget cuts.

Van Orden says he’ll raise farm and veterans issues when he meets with DOGE staff and that federal benefits to vets and farmers won’t be interrupted.

The federal Department of Veteran Affairs employs almost 500,000 people with more than 25% of them being veterans, and the Associated Press reported last week that there are plans to cut over 80,000 jobs at the department.

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Wisconsin AG blasts conservative state Supreme Court candidate for being too slow to test rape kits

Carl Cooley — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:03:27 +0000

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul is wading into the state Supreme Court race by renewing an old feud with conservative candidate Brad Schimel.

Kaul on Monday mentioned delays in testing sexual assault evidence kits when Schimel was attorney general. Kaul ousted Schimel from that post in the 2018 elections. Kaul relentlessly criticized Schimel during the campaign for taking over two years to test about 4,000 kits.

Kaul on Monday accused Schimel of not paying attention to the project and declaring it completed prematurely while leaving hundreds of kits for his administration to finish testing. The Schimel campaign said that he voluntarily took the initiative in leading the response to the untested kits.

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Participants sought for cancer study

Carl Cooley — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:02:35 +0000

RICE LAKE, Wis. (WJMC) — Volunteers are sought to participate in a long-term cancer research study with the National Cancer Institute and Marshfield Clinic Health System.

The Connect for Cancer Prevention Study will have participants give samples and every few years and answer online health surveys a few times a year. It aims to research factors that affect cancer risk, ways to prevent cancer, methods to detect it sooner and improve health of cancer survivors.

Marshfield is recruiting 11,000 people for the study, between the ages of 30 and 70, with no personal history of cancer.

At Marshfield Clinic in Rice Lake, people can enroll in the study, March 11-12 or on April 23 and 24, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.

For more information on the study, go online to cancer.gov/connectstudy.

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Wisconsin DNR request public’s help in tracking black bear dens

Carl Cooley — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:01:11 +0000

MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — Help the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with black bear research.

The agency is asking the public to submit information about the location of black bear dens found across the state. The Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey will help produce new estimates of reproductive rates within each bear management zone, and better specify population models used to manage them.

If you locate a den, you’re asked to provide a photo and description of the den and its surrounding area, and describe bear activity near the site.

Keeping approximately 30 yards away from the den is advised for safety.

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Two traffic stops bust drugs with help of K9s

Carl Cooley — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:04:21 +0000

RICE LAKE, and CONRATH, Wis. (WJMC) — Two separate traffic stops last week recovered illegal drugs and several dangerous weapons.

Rice Lake Police said a K9 detected drugs during a traffic stop Thursday evening. In the vehicle police found methamphetamine, prescription drugs, drug paraphernalia, a riot gas grenade, a loaded pistol and demolition detonation caps. The driver was also charged with OWI, fifth offense.

Early Friday morning, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a vehicle near Conrath and a K9 detected drugs in that vehicle. Inside, police found a large amount of marijuana, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a fake pistol. The driver, 50-year-old Patrick Buswell, of Holcombe, was charged with driving with a controlled substance, sixth offense.

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Grassmann appointed as next Rusk County Sheriff

Carl Cooley — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:03:35 +0000

LADYSMITH, Wis. (WJMC) — Rusk County’s chief deputy has been appointed by the governor to lead the sheriff’s office.

On Friday, Gov. Tony Evers named Phil Grassmann as the next sheriff, following the retirement of current sheriff Jeffery Wallace. He retires April 1, and Grassmann will serve the remainder of the term through January 2027.

Grassmann has more than 20 years experience in law enforcement and has been the chief deputy since 2015.

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USDA releases dairy innovation grants paused by DOGE

Carl Cooley — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:02:10 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WRN) — The Trump administration walks back cuts to a dairy funding program.

Dairy farmers and processors in Wisconsin and across the US will receive promised reimbursements under the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative grant program. The funding held up by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has been released after intervention by groups including the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association, which called on members of Congress to release the funds they’d voted to approve.

According to a release from the office of 3rd District Congressman Derrick Van Orden the funding was released by the USDA Friday afternoon. The pause to the program, which helps businesses use targeted grants to grow and develop new products, had caused uncertainty to 420 grant applicants.

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Brewers will honor Uecker throughout season

Carl Cooley — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:01:26 +0000

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WRN) — Paying tribute to “Mr. Baseball.”

The Milwaukee Brewers will salute longtime broadcaster Bob Uecker at their home opener against the Kansas City Royals. Here is Brewers Chief Operating Officer Marti Wronski.

“We’re gonna have Bob’s autograph across the outfield for certain. We’re absolutely going to have a moment of silence so we all tip our hats and hearts to Bob and really have that moment to honor him,” Wronski said.

Brewer players will also wear a uniform patch honoring Uecker throughout the coming season. A celebration of Uecker’s life will take place adjacent to an August game at American Family Field. Uecker died in January at age 90.

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Hudson homicide suspect named, charged in court

Carl Cooley — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 12:05:18 +0000

HUDSON, Wis. (WJMC) — The man accused of killing a woman and involved in a three-hour standoff with police in Hudson on Sunday has been named.

54-year-old Chad A. Haworth was named as the suspect by Hudson police. Authorities said officers were called to his apartment on Sunday afternoon for a welfare check and he made comments about someone being danger. Haworth refused to come out of the residence and standoff ensued.

It ended with him walking out and taken into custody without further incident. Inside the apartment building, police found a shotgun and a woman deceased. She has not been named.

Haworth was charged in St. Croix County Court with felony charges of first-degree homicide, mayhem and aggravated domestic battery intending great bodily harm, all involving the use of a dangerous weapon. A one million dollar cash bond was set.

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