The Daily Reporter articles from February 2007

The Daily Reporter archives from February 2007

Marquette University in Milwaukee receives $5M gift.
February 1, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Marquette University's new construction engineering management program received a generous helping hand Tuesday. Jim and Kelly McShane of Chicago, both Marquette grads from 1968, donated $5 million to establish an...

North Freedom community center receives grant.
February 1, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle The village of North Freedom will receive a $225,000 state grant to upgrade and renovate its community center. The $887,300 project will expand the building, making it possible for the Sauk County village to operate...

Increased rental car tax for Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter system proposed.
February 1, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority's recommended $13 tax increase on rental cars to fund the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail system has its share of detractors. The Wisconsin Car Rental...

Gov. Jim Doyle delivers the State of the State address.
February 1, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Gov. Jim Doyle's perennial topics of health care, tobacco and education were all on the table at Tuesday's State of the State address in Madison. But so too were the topics of job creation, environmental protection...

Green design/build leader Hoffman LLC relocates headquarters to Appleton.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle Green design/build leader Hoffman LLC plans to relocate its headquarters from the outskirts of Appleton to downtown later this year. Formed in 1982, the company built its sustainable office building in 1999 at...

Cashton, Wisconsin, to get biodiesel plant.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Construction is under way in Cashton on a biodiesel plant that will generate 8 million gallons of biodiesel fuel from soybean oil per year. The plant will be one of the first biodiesel plants the state has to offer,...

Northwest Milwaukee-based general contractor Jansen Group undergoes restructuring.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle Northwest Milwaukee-based general contractor Jansen Group is consolidating its four construction divisions down to two. Three of the divisions -- flagship J.P. Jansen Co., construction manager CMA of Milwaukee Inc. and...

Milwaukee considers buying residents cameras to photograph crimes or bad property management.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan Since safety is the foundation of any neighborhood revitalization, Milwaukee is considering spending $5,000 to buy residents cameras to photograph crimes or bad property management. Unless you have that (safety), it's...

Are coal-fired power plants becoming obsolete?
February 5, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder The traditional coal-fired power plants' days could be numbered -- provided the state can find a place to put carbon dioxide, find a means to get it there and find a means of funding the plants' replacements. The...

Milwaukee Alderman Michael Murphy opposes New Berlin water park.
February 5, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle Like a landlord whose tenant takes three showers a day, a proposed water park and hotel development in the city of New Berlin has a Milwaukee alderman up in arms. Milwaukee Alderman Michael Murphy believes approving...

Milwaukee County panel to consider Midwest Airlines stock purchase.
February 5, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan The three pension funds Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway said could purchase Midwest Airlines stock are governed by rules that, to varying degrees, would impede the acquisition. Legally, we have no basis...

Town of Delafield condo project halted.
February 6, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle A permit to raze buildings does not necessarily include trees surrounding them, at least when it concerns shoreland property in Waukesha County. Waukesha County and the town of Delafield obtained a temporary...

Public Service Commission of Wisconsin may add new phone numbers to add travelers.
February 6, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin is reviewing the addition of two new phone numbers to Wisconsin's directory. Don't worry - they should be easy to remember. The PSC will be reviewing comments until Feb. 13...

Wisconsin Gov. Doyle's training proposal's a start.
February 7, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder With Gov. Jim Doyle's address concerning the next biennial budget less than a week away, a lot of state officials are wondering what money will go where. Doyle touched on a few major points at last week's State of...

Cold temps can take toll on health.
February 7, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle One only needs to have spent a moment outside to know how cold it's been this week. But children at bus stops and the elderly aren't the only people who can overestimate their bodies' resistance to dangerous...

Milwaukee Common Council opposes KRM funding plan.
February 7, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan The Milwaukee Common Council Tuesday said it wouldn't support any funding plan for the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee train service unless it also includes dollars for local busing. "You fix something that is challenged...

Madison, Wisconsin, decides against streetcar vote.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Whether or not the people of Madison are behind the idea of streetcars, they'll have to wait to have their say. The Madison Common Council voted 16-1 Tuesday night against including a referendum on the April 3...

Wisconsin's governor unveils $100M Milwaukee investment plan.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan Declaring Milwaukee the cornerstone of a healthy Wisconsin, Gov. Jim Doyle rolled out a more than $100 million plan to improve the city's schools, workers and businesses. "The future of the entire state of Wisconsin...

Families of workers killed in Falk Corp. explosion target Milwaukee mechanical contractor.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle The families of three workers killed in the Dec. 6 propane explosion at the Falk Corp. plant have sued Milwaukee mechanical contractor J.M. Brennan Inc. for negligence. Robert Habush, attorney for the families of...

New Berlin water park, hotel OK'd.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle A 405-room hotel and indoor water park proposed by developer Don Kitten was approved Monday by the city of New Berlin Plan Commission. The $50 million, seven-story Deer Creek Inn and Conference Center at the...

Zielinski urges fair trade purchases for Milwaukee businesses.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan Alderman Tony Zielinski wants to send a message to Milwaukee businesses: Fair trade is the future. And to set a good example for the city's coffee shops and purveyors of tea, chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice and...

Wisconsin's infrastructure not making the grade.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Wisconsin's infrastructure is only pulling a low C average, which means it's time for a call to the parents. The American Society of Civil Engineers held a press conference at the State Capitol in Madison Thursday...

Green Bay to consider $69M school.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle Voters in the Green Bay Area Public School District will decide on Feb. 20 whether or not to add a fifth high school. A $69 million referendum question asks voters to approve building a 361,929-square-foot high...

Retired Wisconsin electrician offers powerful gift.
February 12, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Doing electrical work is just like riding a bicycle, says Bud Sabel. You never really forget how to do it. So even though Sabel retired three years ago after 40 years in the business, he's been able to help out his...

Milwaukee County House of Correction: From Welding To Working.(Correction notice)
February 12, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan A student wearing a hospital green shirt and blaze orange pants shouted over the static popping of welding torches to get instructor Jeff Bohmann's attention. "Hey, Jeff, I think I'm ready." He handed Bohmann an...

Milwaukee Brewers' new Club on the Club nearly complete.
February 12, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle Hunzinger Construction Co. finished building Miller Park in 2001 but has since remained involved in minor renovations at the $400 million stadium. Currently, the Brookfield-based firm is nearing completion on a...

Milwaukee Mayor Barrett proposes job-training office.
February 13, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett wants to create a city office to handle job training and fund it using state and federal dollars that currently go to the Private Industry Council of Milwaukee County. "We need to implement...

Madison's Department of Planning and Development has new name.
February 13, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder It may be a little long winded, but at least it's not an unpronounceable symbol or the Department Formerly Known as Madison's Department of Planning and Development. Instead, it will now go by the name of the...

Greater Milwaukee Committee backs commuter rail line.
February 13, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle The Greater Milwaukee Committee touted last year's accomplishments and announced its plans for 2007 at its annual meeting, held Monday at the University Club downtown. First and foremost on the GMC's plate is to...

U.S. Rep. Baldwin of Wisconsin backs Beloit Casino Complex.
February 14, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder A decision on the proposed Beloit Casino Complex is now in the hands of those in Washington, D.C. Tammy Baldwin says she wants it to be a timely one. U.S. Rep. Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, is the latest person to chime in...

Eau Claire plans $180M worth of projects.
February 14, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle Eau Claire residents are facing significant looming tax hikes due to $180 million worth of projects proposed by three separate taxing entities. The city is reviewing a $32.4 million upgrade to its wastewater...

Pipeline projects could drain labor pool in Wisconsin.
February 15, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle With the largest construction project in state history in high gear and the largest pipeline project about to embark, the supply of Wisconsin's skilled tradesman could soon be all used up. Houston-based Enbridge...

Retraining grants awarded to Calumet County.
February 15, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle A rash of manufacturing plant closings in Calumet County has resulted in $1.2 million in federal funding for retraining more than 400 laid-off workers. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development will receive...

SFAA president to present surety update in Milwaukee.
February 15, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle A nationally known surety expert will present an update on the surety industry to local contractors and their chief financial officers March 15 in Milwaukee. The Surety Association of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee...

Wisconsin Gov. Doyle's budget address turns cheese-y.
February 15, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder If one thing was to be taken from Gov. Jim Doyle's 2007 budget address in Madison Tuesday night, it might just be how unifying cheese is to the state of Wisconsin. There weren't a lot of issues that Doyle touched on...

Consensus on funding bus system lacking in Milwaukee County.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan Amid a report that the Milwaukee County Transit System is approaching the end of the line, local officials continue to lack consensus over how to fund it. The debate, which also involves funding a proposed rail line...

Waukesha home building shows no sign of slowing.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle The residential building market may have slowed, but it has hardly come to a full stop. The Waukesha Plan Commission approved one subdivision for the southwest side of the city and tabled two other proposals...

Transportation leaders weigh in on Gov. Doyle budget.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Wisconsin's transportation leaders face a strong if not strange dichotomy as they peruse Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed 2007-09 budget. On one hand, Doyle's addressing the needs of the state's transportation structure...

Schmidt Industrial Truck Inc. in Racine receives loan to expand.
February 19, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle Schmidt Industrial Truck Inc. received a $200,000 loan Thursday to expand its Racine facility. The loan was funded by a public-private partnership that included the city of Racine, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic...

Minnesota becomes first state to sign water compact.
February 19, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder And the ball is rolling. The Minnesota Legislature became the first of the eight Great Lakes states to pass the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact into law. State Rep. Jon Richards,...

Milwaukee City Hall fire under investigation.
February 19, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle A small fire broke out on Milwaukee City Hall's eighth floor Friday morning when insulation underneath a window frame caught fire while contractors worked on the building's gutters. The general contractor on the...

Wisconsin Department of Commerce receives EPA grant.
February 20, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Region 5 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday an award of a $50,000 grant to the Wisconsin Department of Commerce for a project to cut emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks that operate in...

Hispanics working construction industry in has never been particularly easy.
February 20, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Ask Hispanics in the construction industry and they'll tell you it's the kind of work that's well suited to their collective ethic. "By nature, Hispanic people take a lot of pride and ownership in their work," said...

Metropolitan Builders Assn. holds seminar in Brookfield on job-site rules.
February 21, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan The Metropolitan Builders Association is hoping its Job-Site Regulatory Compliance event on Thursday will spark a dialogue between regulators and the regulated. "It's mainly about getting people to become comfortable...

Federal funds for Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail sought.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder If you never ask, as the saying goes, you'll never know. In almost 30 years of the Federal Transit Administration distributing its "new start" grant, Wisconsin has never been on the receiving end of it. Of course,...

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Ray Allen advance to general election.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder And then there were two. Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and former Madison School Board member Ray Allen emerged as the two frontrunners in the results for the city's 2007 primary elections Tuesday night. They will...

City of Milwaukee's tax base on rise.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee is riding a five-year wave of increasing tax base, and Department of City Development officials said they don't want their 2007 investments to rock the boat. The tax base has grown by $6 billion dollars...

Falk Manufacturing obtains building permit from city of Milwaukee.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle The structural damage to the Falk Corp. manufacturing plant suffered in a Dec. 6 propane explosion cannot be repaired overnight. Rexnord Corp., the owner of Falk, pulled a $250,000 construction permit from the city...

Wisconsin work force councils told to work together.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan Janet Sten, whose division at the U.S. Department of Labor dedicated up to $5 million to job-training efforts in southeastern Wisconsin, directed the region's three work force development councils to work together. ...

Wisconsin State Building Commission says window request unclear.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Every month, the State Building Commission approves a number of projects throughout Wisconsin, along with millions of dollars to purchase, lease or demolish buildings and land. And while it may seem like a routine...

Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, poised for commercial growth.
February 26, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle An ugly front hallway can suck the splendor out of a beautiful living room. With that in mind, the village of Mount Horeb invested about $5 million in 2006 to improve the infrastructure along County Highway ID, the...

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority targets black homebuyers.
February 26, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan Wisconsin's black homeownership rate is 40 percent lower than that of whites, so the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority is on a mission to finance 100 black home purchases by June. ...

Another study of Dane County transmission line requested.
February 26, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin's request box has already seen a few petitions and requests regarding transmission lines in Dane County, but they're still coming. Dane County and the city of Madison filed...

High school or middle school? Milton School Board needs referendum.
February 27, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle The Milton School Board will have some things going for it when it asks district voters to approve construction of a new school, possibly as early as this fall. First and foremost, the community generally accepts...

Madison developer can build in arboretum, Dane County board decides.
February 27, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder Darren Kittleson won a victory Thursday night, but he's still fighting. The Dane County Board of Adjustments awarded the Madison developer conditional approval to build two houses within the University of...

Wisc. Senator Feingold wants stronger affordable housing programs.
February 27, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee city officials and housing organizations gathered at the Highland Gardens public housing project to back Sen. Russ Feingold's plan to bolster federal affordable housing programs. The Wisconsin Democrat said...

Airport projects in Wisconsin receive funding.
February 28, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle Gov. Jim Doyle approved two rural airport projects totaling $500,000 on Feb. 20. A $316,000 project at the Waupaca Municipal Airport will install a new aviation fuel system. The state and city of Waupaca will each...

Milwaukee port receives state grant.
February 28, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle The city of Milwaukee received $1.2 million in state funds to reconstruct the liquid cargo dock at the Port of Milwaukee that handles clean petroleum, heavy oils and lubricants, liquid asphalt and vegetable oils. ...

EPA names top energy-saving buildings.
February 28, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday the 2006 totals for Midwest buildings that were awarded Energy Star status. Fifty-three office buildings, schools, hospitals, public buildings and college...

Homeless housing project in Green Bay receives grant.
February 28, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle A housing project for the homeless in Green Bay received a $156,988 federal grant Feb. 21. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the grant to Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin for its...

Homeowners want WisDOT to take homes in Milwaukee.
February 28, 2007... Byline: Sean Ryan In 2005, Milwaukee's 13th District prepared for a public policy war to stop the Department of Transportation from taking any houses for the Interstate 94 reconstruction. In 2007, the four homeowners facing possible...

Construction students tour Camp Randall at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
February 28, 2007... Byline: Paul Snyder A voice of experience is never a bad thing to have on a guided tour. It's not a knock on the University of Wisconsin-Madison's student staff, which gives tours of Camp Randall almost everyday and can tell you the...

Survey: Most school districts in Wisconsin delaying repairs.
February 28, 2007... Byline: Joe Grundle That one in four state school districts have considered consolidating or dissolving was not the only alarming number in survey results released Monday. More than 75 percent of school superintendents responding to...