1410 WIZM

Oktoberfest is marking its 50th year in La Crosse...and the new Mrs. Oktoberfest has been associated with U-W-L for almost 40 of those years.

Karla Stanek came to the university as a student from Independence in 1971. Shortly after graduation, she went to work in the Career Services office on campus, and now runs that department. Unlike other royalty at the fest, who learn about the honor after being chosen, Stanek says she was surprised to be approached as a candidate for Mrs. Oktoberfest.

Karla and her husband John were guests of honor at the Mrs. Oktoberfest banquet last night, on the U-W-L campus. This year's Festmaster will be introduced tomorrow night at the Festmaster's Ball.

The third Friday count has come and gone. But the numbers still aren't clear. School districts in Wisconsin have been approving budgets this month. Those budgets depend on plenty of variables. Variables that don't have exact numbers at this point. One of the questions districts like La Crosse are waiting on is how many kids are actually sitting in seats in classrooms. An official count was made this past Friday; the third Friday in September. While those numbers are being compiled, La Crosse school district business manager, Janet Rosseter says final count numbers won't be available until sometime October. Final hit to taxpayers won't be known until December.

Getting closer to the season of freezing temps. Which will inevitably provide relief from mosquitoes. Just in time for those watching some of the diseases transmitted by the whining little buggers. Wisconsin's department of health says the state has its first case of West Nile Virus. The case popped up in a blood donation in Washington county. There's been other evidence of West Nile in the state this year but this is the first confirmed case of the mosquito borne illness in a human being.

They say Steven Hanifl is known to fight with cops.

 

He didn't do anything to diminish that reputation yesterday. Police say the 32 year old was making a bit of a disturbance at the southside La Crosse Walgreen's yesterday morning. Enough of a disturbance for cops to track him down. They found him just a few blocks away. Hanifl didn't do himself any favors when he threw some red liquid into an officer's face and went down swinging. They had to taze Hanifl several times. One cop has multiple scrapes over the ordeal and Hanifl faces a police battery charge,.