Wisconsin News

MADD Gives Wisconsin Failing Grade in OWI Efforts

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is giving Wisconsin a failing grade, saying the state doesn’t do enough to deter people from driving drunk or to clamp down on people with repeated offenses. The anti-drinking group gave Wisconsin a 2-out-of-5 score in …

Wisconsin Traffic Deaths Dropped 12% in 2013

Traffic deaths in Wisconsin fell 12 percent last year, a drop that state transportation officials partly credit to safety and awareness programs that resonate with younger drivers. There were 530 road fatalities last year, down from 601 road deaths the …

Wisconsin Workplace Fatalities Rise 28 percent

The number of Wisconsin workers killed on the job increased 28 percent last year, in part because of an increase in workplace shootings, according to federal statistics released Wednesday. A report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed 114 fatal …

Wisconsin Legislation Seeks Cell Phone Ban in Construction Zones

Drivers would be barred from talking on their cellphones while in a construction zone under a bill being circulated in the Wisconsin state Legislature. Republican Sen. Jerry Petrowski, of Marathon, emailed the bill on Friday seeking co-sponsors. The ban would …

Jury Awards $39M in Fatal Wisconsin Garage Panel Fall

A jury Thursday found manufacturer Advance Cast Stone mainly responsible for the collapse of a Milwaukee parking garage panel that killed a teenager and injured two others in 2010 and awarded $39 million in damages. The civil jury also found …

Deer Falls Into Wisconsin Church Basement

A six-point buck smashed through a window of a Janesville church over the weekend, fell into the basement and scrambled wildly to escape, as children attended Sunday school classes in nearby rooms. No one was hurt, but the deer had …

Wisconsin Police See Rash of Catalytic Converter Thefts

Smaller communities in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley have seen an unusual rash of catalytic converter thefts because thieves can scrape out and sell precious metals contained in the parts, police said. Jason Weber, community liaison officer for the Town of Menasha …

No Charges in Wisconsin Skydiving Death

A skydiving death in Winnebago County this summer is being blamed on weather conditions and communication problems. An Oshkosh Northwestern Media report says the case was referred to prosecutors but no criminal charges were filed. Fifty-five-year-old jump instructor Paul Olsen …

Asbestos Fiber Found in Rock at Proposed Mine Site

Asbestos mineral fibers have been found in a rock sample from Gogebic Taconite’s proposed iron ore mine site in northern Wisconsin, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. But the extent of the mineral, known as grunerite, at the …

Wisconsin Lawmakers Want to Boost Wrongful Conviction Compensation

Wisconsin lawmakers are working on a pair of bipartisan bills that would boost compensation for a man who spent more than two decades behind bars for a homicide he didn’t commit as well as for all wrongful convictions. The Wisconsin …