1410 WIZM

Wisconsin lawmakers will be asked to limit increases in U-W tuition and most student fees to four-percent a year. The proposal comes from the incoming chairman of the Assembly Colleges Committee, Whitewater Republican Steve Nass. Aide Mike Mikalsen said Nass realizes that the U-W is trying to get more students to graduate – and that why he proposed a fee cap that’s twice the inflation rate.

The four-percent figure is smaller than any of the annual tuition-and-fee increases since at least 2001. U-W officials say they need higher tuition revenues to make up for losses in the state’s support.

Mikalsen said if the U-W proposes its own ideas for budget cuts, it will be helpful.........but if they come to the table saying ‘We’re the economic engine for the state and you need to give us more money,’ then it’s going to be a difficult time in the next two years.

Candidates for Wisconsin’s spring elections can start circulating nomination papers on Wednesday.

Numerous local government and school board seats will be up throughout the state next spring. Locally, there are 9 positions up for re-election on the Lacrosse City Council, including the District 7 position which is currently empty. Interviews will be conducted this week to fill the slot and whomever gets it will have to run for the spot in the spring. There are 3 spots up for grabs on the Lacrosse School Board.

There’s one statewide race next year. Supreme Court Justice David Prosser has two announced challengers so far – Madison attorney Joel Winnig and Marla Stephens of the state public defender’s office. If all three file, a February primary will narrow the field to two.

Candidates have until January fourth to file their papers and get on the ballot. Primaries will take place February 15th, and general elections will be on April fifth.

Nothing says, "get your drunk on" like a holiday week-end. Certainly not to guys like the 22 year-old college student corralled by La Crosse police reserves in Riverside Park very early Sunday morning. Good and drunk, say cops. And just visiting from out of town. He was pretty aware of his surroundings but, probably by the virtue of being in the park, lost and drunk, collected a public intoxication warning. And then threw up all the way to De-tox.

Tis the season. For fraud.

 

 

Certainly's looking that way from the perspective of La Crosse police after collecting a couple of reports of significant fraud in just the last few days. There's the one guy who appears to be out three grand after buying an ATV with a snowplow on Craigslist from Montana for a "too good to be true" price. The ATV, of course, never showed up. And then the owner of a recycling company in La Crosse who shipped ten thousand dollars worth of computer parts to a place in West Bend only to get, in return, partial payment in the form of a bounced check. Both are still under investigation.