1410 WIZM

After a disaster, the Red Cross is always there to help. Probably sensing a level of gratitude in the community for the local chapter's help after Sunday's storm, somebody is apparently going door to door locally soliciting donations in the name of the Red Cross. The only problem is, the Scenic Bluffs chapter of the Red Cross hasn't sanctioned any fundraising effort on the heels of the storm and is warning against giving money to anyone who claims to be representing the Red Cross. However, the group asks anyone who wants to do a fundraiser to please call the local chapter first.

Five UW-La Crosse students were silent as they drove into the neighborhoods of Tuscaloosa, Ala. earlier this May. They saw leveled homes, roofs stripped from buildings and uprooted trees. UW-L student Emily Masters said it looked like a house was put in a blender and dumped back out and the destruction was unlike anything I’d ever seen".

The five took a road trip May 16th-21st to Tuscaloosa to help with relief efforts after the city was struck by a mile-wide tornado April 27th — one of many southern cities to suffer destruction and death from the storms. Student Hannah Mixdorf had the idea and connections to Tuscaloosa from previous service work in the city.

Throughout the week they helped with distribution of goods at a church and warehouse; and helped clean up damaged neighborhoods.

The students had just wrapped up classes and hadn’t yet started summer jobs. Student Betsy Collins had planned to return home to Janesville, but changed her mind when she heard a fellow student talking about helping out tornado-ravaged Tuscaloosa.

The students say seeing that type of destruction puts things in perspective.

Kale Kvistad and Connie DeGeorge, both of Sparta, were shot and killed on Easter Sunday 2002 by 42 year Larry Schaeffer of Neilsville. That's what Larry's sister testified in Monroe County this morning. Eunice Shaeffer told the court that she was with her brother and ex-husband, Troy Hogan, the night they picked the couple up and drove them to a wooded area near Cataract. The woman stated that her brother shot and killed both of them. But she says Larry raped DeGeorge before killing her.

This is the first testimony heard since the couple was murdered in 2002 and Schaeffer was arrested last year. During a 2005 interview, Eunice Schaeffer told police she knew nothing of the murders but when re-interviewed a couple of months ago, she told police her brother threatend to kill her if she ever told anyone about the murders. D.A. Dan Cary says he has a strong case against Schaeffer, even though the murders occurred 9 years ago.

Schaeffer is currently in an Oshkosh prison serving 3 years on a different matter. Judge David Rice ordered that Schaeffer be moved to Monroe County where his lawyer can have closer contact with his client. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to two counts of intentional homicide and hiding a corpse.

A Wisconsin judge has struck down a law taking away nearly all collective bargaining rights from most state workers.

Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi ruled Thursday that Republican legislators violated Wisconsin's open meetings law during the run up to passage. She says that renders the law void.

The law pushed by Gov. Scott Walker takes away all bargaining rights except over base salary for teachers and other public workers.

The decision is not the end of the legal fight. The state Supreme Court has scheduled arguments for June 6 to determine whether it will take the same case.

Lawmakers could also pass the law again in order to nullify open meeting concerns that led to the judge's ruling Thursday.