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NEWS FOR FRIDAY, MAY 9TH, 2008
A NEW REPORT CONFIRMS OFF DUTY OFFICER TYLER PETERSON KILLED HIMSELF AFTER SHOOTING SIX OTHERS DEAD IN CRANDON LAST FALL. QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN RAISED FOR MONTHS ABOUT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S FINDING THAT PETERSON SHOT HIMSELF IN THE HEAD THREE TIMES BEFORE DYING. BUT A NEW SUMMARY OF PETERSON’S AUTOPSY SAID ONLY ONE OF THE SHOTS DAMAGED THE OFFICER’S BRAIN. IT SAID SOOT RINGS WERE SPOTTED AROUND THE ENTRANCE WOUNDS. THAT INDICATED THE SHOTS WERE FIRED AT CLOSE RANGE. THE 20-YEAR-OLD PETERSON KILLED HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND AND FIVE OTHERS AT A HOMECOMING PARTY. ANOTHER PERSON WAS SHOT BUT SURVIVED WITH SEVERE INJURIES. PETERSON LATER KILLED HIMSELF, AS LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS CLOSING IN ON HIM. |
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THE Y.M.C.A. OF THE NORTHWOODS HAS LAUNCHED ITS STRONG KIDS CAMPAIGN. Y SPOKESPERSON MEL DAVIDSON SAYS THE GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO RAISE 100-THOUSAND DOLLARS. MONEY RAISED WILL BE USED TO SUBSIDIZE THE COST FOR MEMBERSHIPS OR PROGRAMS FOR THOSE WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEM. EXPECT TO HEAR FROM THE Y BY MAIL OR PHONE OVER THE NEXT SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS, OR CONTACT THE Y TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE STRONG KIDS CAMPAIGN. THE YMCA OF THE NORTHWOODS IS A NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION, WITH ABOUT 1 IN FIVE MEMBERS RECEIVING SOME SORT OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. |
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TRIPLE-A WISCONSIN SAYS FAMILY VACATION COSTS IN WISCONSIN ARE BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. PAM MOEN OF TRIPLE-A WISCONSIN SAYS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE DAILY COST FOR FOOD AND LODGING FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR IS 244-DOLLARS. IN WISCONSIN, THAT AVERAGE DAILY COST WAS ONLY 206 DOLLARS. ALTHOUGH GAS PRICES ARE IN RECORD TERRITORY, MOEN SAYS MANY PEOPLE STILL WANT TO TAKE A FAMILY VACATION THIS SUMMER. SHE HOPED THOSE LOOKING TO STAY CLOSER TO HOME AND SAVE MONEY IN THE MIDWEST WOULD TRAVEL TO WISCONSIN. MOEN SAYS THERE LIKELY WILL NOT BE A BIG INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAVELING, BUT PEOPLE ARE NOT WILLING TO GIVE UP THEIR FAMILY VACATIONS ALTOGETHER. |
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THOSE WITH OLD MEDICINES THEY WANT TO GET RID OF CAN DO SO TOMORROW(SATURDAY) IN WOODRUFF. ONEIDA COUNTY SOLID WASTE ADMINISTRATOR BART SEXTON SAYS AWARENESS IS BUILDING ABOUT PHARMACEUTICAL COLLECTIONS. THEY CAN NOT TAKE CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS OR SHARPS. OTHERWISE, SEXTON SAYS YOU CAN BRING IN OLD OVER THE COUNTER OR PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS. LEAVE THEM IN THEIR ORIGINAL CONTAINER, AND BLOCK OUT THE PATIENTS NAME. THERE IS A CHARGE OF ONE DOLLAR A POUND. TOMORROW’S COLLECTION IS FROM TEN UNTIL NOON AT THE LAKELAND SENIOR CENTER IN WOODRUFF. MEANWHILE, VILAS AND ONEIDA COUNTIES JUST RECEIVED A 5-THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE STATE TO HELP WITH THE COST OF PHARMACEUTICAL COLLECTIONS. |
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SEVEN YEARS AGO, THE STATE BEGAN REVISING THE DECADES-OLD LAW REGULATING SHORELAND DEVELOPMENT. THIS WEEK, A REPORT SURFACE THAT THE DNR HAD DECIDED NOT TO MOVE THE NR115 REVISIONS TO THE NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD. HOWEVER, A DNR ADMINISTRATOR FLATLY DENIES THAT IS THE CASE. TODD AMBS, DNR WATER DIVSION ADMINISTRATOR...SAYS THEY'RE FINISHING DISCUSSIONS WITH VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS. AMBS SAYS SEVERAL HOT-TOPIC ITEMS THAT NEEDED DECISIONS SOONER WILL APPEAR BEFORE THE NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD BEFORE THE VOLUMINOUS NR115 INFORMATION WILL BE PRESENTED. THE RULES CURRENTLY BEING USED WERE FIRST DRAWN UP IN THE LATE 1960'S. |
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MAY IS TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION MONTH. HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE HOPING TO CONTINUE A DOWNWARD TREND IN THE NUMBER OF TEEN BIRTHS. ONEIDA COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CHRYSTAL WOLLER SAYS THE EFFORT IS TO HELP TEENS DEVELOP RESPONSIBLE POSITIVE BEHAVIORS REGARDING SEXUALITY. WOLLER SAYS A 15 YEAR-LONG STUDY ON TEENS SHOWED SOME POSITIVE TRENDS. WOLLER SAYS PARENTS PLAY A KEY ROLE. WOLLER SAYS OPEN PARENT-TEEN COMMUNICATION WILL HELP TEENS TO MAKE HEALTHY DECISIONS AND AVOID UNWANTED PREGNANCIES. WOLLER SAYS TEENS NEED TO KNOW THEY HAVE OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE. |
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SCHNEIDER NATIONAL OF GREEN BAY SAYS IT WILL SAVE ALMOST FOUR-MILLION GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL A YEAR BY SLOWING ITS TRUCKS TO 60-MILES-AN-HOUR. COMPANY PRESIDENT CHRIS LOFGREN ANNOUNCED THE MOVE YESTERDAY IN WASHINGTON – WHERE HIS LOBBYING GROUP PUSHED FOR HEAVIER AND FEWER TRAILERS, AND A NATIONWIDE SPEED LIMIT OF 65. ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF STATES LET DRIVERS GO 70-OR-FASTER. WISCONSIN IS NOT AMONG THEM. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS, BIG RIGS BURN 27-PERCENT MORE FUEL AT 75-MILES-AN-HOUR THAN AT 65. SCHNEIDER’S 10-THOUSAND-PLUS VEHICLES HAD ALREADY BEEN LIMITED TO 63 WHILE CRUISING. GOING DOWN TO 60 MEANS LONGER WORK DAYS FOR DRIVERS, WITHOUT A RAISE SINCE THEY GET PAID BY THE MILE. BUT SCHNEIDER SAYS IT WILL NOT HAVE A BIG EFFECT. IT TESTED SEVERAL HUNDRED TRUCKS AT 60 LAST YEAR – AND THEY SAID THE AVERAGE WORKDAY WAS ONLY 12-TO-20-MINUTES LONGER. THE WEIGHT PROPOSAL GENERATED A DEBATE ABOUT SAFETY. BY ALLOWING HEAVIER LOADS, SAFETY GROUPS SAY THERE WOULD BE A BIGGER RISK OF FATAL ACCIDENTS. BUT TRUCKING COMPANIES SAY IT WOULD ACTUALLY IMPROVE SAFETY, BY REDUCING THE TOTAL NUMBERS OF RIGS ON THE ROADS. |