The Daily Reporter articles from June 2008

The Daily Reporter archives from June 2008

Testing newswire DR MIL.
June 1, 2008... Byline: DM IT Testing newswire DR MIL

Door County water under microscope.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Dustin Block Contaminated water that led to an outbreak of norovirus at an Egg Harbor restaurant last June may not have come from the restaurant's broken septic system, according to a study released Friday. In all, 257 people...

Color guards in the construction industry.
June 3, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Michelle Swamp wants pink hard hats and construction gear tailored to women to break down the expectation that female workers should look and behave like men. But large contractors that mandate uniforms argue that...

State of Wisconsin seeks design balance for stations.
June 3, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The state's slow move toward more modern ranger station designs is meeting resistance from people like Terry McGuire who prefer the old-school look. McGuire, a member of the State Building Commission, said he prefers...

Madison grapples with green.
June 3, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Madison still can't bridge the gap between its green government and its goal of a green city. And that may be because the city needs to more clearly define its goals, said Steve Hiniker, executive director of 1000...

Oak Creek man seriously injured in fall.
June 3, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan There was no indication that a 41-year-old man from Oak Creek was wearing a safety harness prior to falling 30 feet at a Sussex construction site, said the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department. The man, whose name was...

Man seriously injured in fall.
June 3, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan There was no indication that a 41-year-old man from Oak Creek was wearing a safety harness prior to falling 30 feet at a Sussex construction site, said the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department. The man, whose name was...

Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling draws cheer.
June 4, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Keyes to Design Inc. didn't get what it wanted from the state Supreme Court, but its Tuesday decision was a gift to the construction industry. The owners of the La Crosse-based firm paid legal bills for five years...

Wheatland rebuilds in tornado's wake.
June 5, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Ken Kerkman's home-building company is rebuilding four Wheatland homes destroyed in a January tornado. But the silver lining of finding work in a housing construction slowdown wasn't worth the clouds, said Kerkman,...

Vote in Manitowoc can't stop city borrowing.
June 5, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Manitowoc likely will spend more for its 2008 street projects, and a swimming pool project took a hit after residents voted Tuesday on project borrowing referendums. But resident Arlene Knauer, who collected 1,475...

Not forgotten: President of Zoological Society of Milwaukee argues for funding for elephant habitat.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Robert Davis has heard people ask why they should donate money to animals when children are starving around the world. Davis, the president and chief executive of the Zoological Society of Milwaukee, argues the zoo...

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee picks Tosa for new campus.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is moving quickly to buy Milwaukee County's property in Wauwatosa for a new engineering campus, said Tom Luljak, vice chancellor of university relations and communications. ...

Wisconsin dam project puts homeowners at odds.
June 9, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan If Margaret E. Zerwekh takes down her Nemahbin Roller Mill Dam, Gayle Gaborsky will lose the millpond behind her house and probably $200,000 worth of value in her property. The Wisconsin Department of Natural...

Demolition contractor sues city of West Allis, Wisconsin.
June 9, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan After West Allis considered taking money from Champion Environmental Services Inc. to satisfy a claim from Advanced Waste Services Inc., Champion hit back with a $2.2 million claim against the city. Champion,...

Evansville lake on brink of becoming swampland if not dredged.
June 10, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Should Evansville's Lake Leota transform into a wetland, Alderman Tony Wyse said it could spark a new plan for the city and Leonard Leota Park. But that doesn't mean he wants to see it happen. When I was a kid,...

Fire station project ignites heated debate in Beloit.
June 10, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The town of Beloit needs a new fire station. That much officials can agree on. But determining when the station is needed and where it should go sparked a debate among town leaders that Town Administrator Robert...

Union in Milwaukee sticks to basics to keep edge.
June 10, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan While some unions accommodated employers' requests for more flexibility in their worker contracts, the Operating Engineers Local 139 was not among them. Flexibility in worker hours -- such as working four 10-hour days...

OSHA staff hammer at crane safety.
June 11, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan There's usually a silver lining: Recent tower crane accidents in New York and Miami provided fuel for industry groups' campaigns to improve crane safety and require certification of operators in Wisconsin. The...

News Briefs.
June 11, 2008... Doyle unsure when Lake Delton will be refilled, but says it's a priority Madison -- Gov. Jim Doyle said he doesn't know when Lake Delton will be refilled. Engineers are studying the lake near the Wisconsin Dells a day after it...

Work on Wisconsin biodiesel plant halts.
June 12, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Plans for a biodiesel plant in Evansville are no more. North Prairie Productions LLC informed Evansville's City Council on Tuesday night that it was terminating work on its $46 million biodiesel plant in the city....

Wisconsin's biggest cities hot on solar power.
June 12, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan and Paul Snyder Madison and Milwaukee are being proactive in pushing for solar energy, but some caution it's too soon to push too hard, especially for the price. It's a very dynamic market, very interesting said,...

Wisconsin power plant likely to get OK on pipe permit.
June 12, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Duane Schuettpelz said he can't base decisions on the legality of Oak Creek's Elm Road power plant water intake pipe on public opinion. Schuettpelz, Department of Natural Resources wastewater engineer, received 30 or...

Federal crisis squeezes road jobs in Wisconsin.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder If the federal Highway Trust Fund follows projections and dries up at the end of the year, it will mean trouble for Wisconsin. If you look at it, every road program in Wisconsin has a combination of state funds and...

Wet weather hampers storm recovery efforts in southwestern Wisconsin.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Southwestern Wisconsin is itching to start rebuilding after last weekend's storms, but Mother Nature isn't cooperating. The region came under more rainfall Thursday, postponing some initial cleanup efforts. ...

Milwaukee Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs promotes break for developers.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Cities selling land walk a fine line between cutting developers slack in a tough market and being pushovers, said Milwaukee Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs. Coggs wants to sell a city property at North Sixth and West Vine...

La Crosse school district hopes third time's a charm.
June 16, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder With less than a month until it has to present its recommendations on a new referendum to the School Board, the administrative team of the School District of La Crosse still doesn't know what it's going to say. ...

License is the key to employment with Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation.
June 16, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is recruiting people, especially minorities, to work on the Interstate 94 reconstruction project. But the recruits can't get to job sites without valid driver's licenses. ...

Diva's Salon in Janesville gets yet another 'do.
June 16, 2008... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff Report Diva's Salon in Janesville is not outfitted with a large magnet, but recent activity around the building seems to suggest otherwise. In the last nine weeks, three car crashes at the corner of...

Most dams in Wisconsin hold up under pressure.
June 16, 2008... Byline: Krista Ledbetter Too many dams, and not enough resources -- that's what it has come down to for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. State statute requires the DNR to inspect the state's large dams every 10 years. But...

Wanted: Good Samaritans: Contractors needed in Wisconsin to clean up storm damage.
June 16, 2008... Byline: Krista Ledbetter Cleaning up flooded and storm-damaged homes tops the list of priorities for residents in much of the state these days. That translates into work for contractors. A state of emergency was declared in Fond du Lac...

Village of Gays Mills: Sometimes it takes a flood to raise a village.
June 17, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The village of Gays Mills isn't disbanding, but it's considering relocating to drier land. The water's down, we've been declared an emergency area and we've started the cleanup process, said Village President Larry...

City of Waukesha walks fine aesthetic line.
June 17, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The challenge with setting high design expectations for housing developments is ensuring those expectations invite, rather than repel, developers, said Waukesha Alderwoman Joan Francoeur. The city already created...

Alliant opts for cleaner coal plan in Cassville.
June 17, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The timing of Alliant Energy's plans for expanding the Nelson Dewey Generating Station in Cassville seems a little suspect to one of the project's opponents. Katie Nekola, energy program director for Clean...

Floods force home demolitions statewide in Wisconsin.
June 17, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan When the flood waters recede and federal grants start pouring in, many Wisconsinites will ask the government to demolish their houses. Even homeowners who might otherwise be reluctant to sell their waterfront land may...

Countdown to Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation's crossovers on I-94.
June 18, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The contractors charged with building two Interstate 94 crossovers in Johnson Creek by noon Thursday wouldn't guess at whether it will be a money-making contract. The 48-hour countdown started at noon Tuesday, and the...

Fox Valley copes with new water woes.
June 18, 2008... Byline: Krista Ledbetter The Fox Valley's underground aquifer is rebounding, but the rising water carries with it a greater chance of arsenic contamination. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, said Eric Fowle,...

Magnolia Township ordinance likely to be blown away.
June 18, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Even though EcoEnergy Engineering LLC may not have to abide by a Magnolia Township ordinance on wind-farm development, town officials are determined to speak up on behalf of their residents. And they have a lot to...

Wisconsin freight lanes hit congestion of bureaucracy.
June 18, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan As trucking companies warm to the idea of paying extra for dedicated highway freight lanes, the plan lacks the momentum it needs to get rolling. The federal government and Wisconsin Department of Transportation are...

Flooded Wisconsin village looks at relocating vs. salvaging.
June 19, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The flooded village of Gays Mills will wait a little longer before making a call on its next move. Village President Larry McCarn said mixed feelings were apparent at a packed public meeting Tuesday night that was...

Hybrid trucks try to gain traction in Wisconsin.
June 19, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Convincing private companies to pay more for a hybrid utility truck with the promise of saving money in the long run is proving to be a tough sell. Lakeside International Trucks heard from the city of Milwaukee and...

Madison weans self from coal.
June 19, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder To many in Madison, a shift away from coal-fired energy at the city's heating and cooling plants seems inevitable. But the change is likely to be gradual, especially outside the capital city. Last year when the...

Wisconsin broker deals with arrested development.
June 19, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan A three-acre property set up for a large house on County Line Road isn't attracting buyers, but that's the only structure Oak Creek will allow on the site. The owner of the property decided to subdivide the lot and...

Landfill loss dumps bill on city of Milwaukee.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee will pay roughly $500,000 more per year to dispose of dirt from its projects once the Hartung landfill closes and becomes a park. The city has dumped clean fill and asphalt from public works jobs in the...

Deja vu: Clingan runs for head of Madison Dept. of Planning, Community, and Economic Development.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Bill Clingan is back as a candidate as Madison reorganizes its Department of Planning, Community and Economic Development, even though he withdrew from similar consideration last fall. People are surprised I'm back,...

I-94 crossovers barely miss WisDOT deadline.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Brian Aebly, vice president for Hoffman Construction Co., said his crews came close to meeting the noon deadline on the Interstate 94 crossover Thursday. At 12:15 p.m. Thursday he said the crossovers would open to...

Wisconsin school district pushes for proactive referendum.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The Clinton Community School District doesn't need $10 million this year, but it's going to ask for it this fall anyway. We looked at (a referendum) and said we could wait, said School Board President Randy...

Fox Valley Builders Exchange to open new plan room in Milwaukee.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Linda Voster will open a new plan room in Milwaukee this month, and, despite the rise of online builders exchanges, she sees a bright future. Her competition in Milwaukee, the Associated General Contractors of...

State of Wisconsin tries to get more of the lead out.
June 23, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The state is investigating if it can lower standards for when it should force property owners to remove lead hazards from their houses. The shift would drum up more work for lead-abatement contractors, but Milwaukee...

Wisconsin residents rail against train idea.
June 23, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Dane County is closing in on a commuter rail line, but some residents still question its need and its multimillion dollar price tag. Windsor residents want to see the details, said Town Chairman Alan Harvey. We're...

Janesville flooding puts parks in peril.
June 23, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Janesville needs all the volunteer time and material donations it can get for its flooded parks. Local builders can offer time but not much else. As far as materials or anything cost-related goes, I wouldn't...

Glendale developer deals with illegal dumping.
June 23, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Somebody illegally dumped 350 cubic yards of contaminated fill onto developer David Cunningham's Glendale property, and now he's stuck getting rid of it. Cunningham, managing member of Canterbury Court LLC, said it...

Superior struggles with PLA mandate.
June 24, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Organized labor in Superior says project-labor agreements will open up more jobs for city residents, but opponents argue the PLAs will lead to higher spending. Even if both sides are right, the question becomes...

Madison revamps TIF policy.
June 24, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Madison soon could change how it doles out tax-incremental finance money. Developers hope it doesn't make an already difficult process even worse, while city officials hope it puts them back in the driver's seat....

Bliss Road repair leaves La Crosse on edge.
June 24, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The success of La Crosse's long-awaited Bliss Road repair project rests with bidders and their July 8 bid date as the city bets on an estimated $1.8 million price tag. We don't have unlimited resources, said Tony...

Edgerton could erase district lines.
June 25, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The days of aldermanic districts in Edgerton could be numbered, but that does not sit well with residents concerned about having the interests of their sides of town fairly represented. I think you need to have...

Mercury-emissions debate heats up in Wisconsin.
June 25, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Debates between business groups and environmental advocates over the state's proposed mercury-emissions rule are ready to jump from the courtroom to the Capitol. Dane County Circuit Court judge Steven Ebert on Monday...

Development challenges Delafield's city zoning.
June 25, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan MLG Communities wants Delafield to deviate from its 1991 master plan for the Colonies of Delafield development so the project meets market demands. Mayor Ed McAleer said the project, if approved, would mark the...

La Crosse house buy raises eyebrows.
June 25, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder A run-down, slanted house filled with animal droppings may not sound like the ideal fixer-upper, but the city of La Crosse could soon spend $22,000 for it. Some question the sale of the house -- the value of which...

Wisconsin schools question green cash giveaway.
June 26, 2008... Byline: Krista Ledbetter The federal government might soon send cash to school districts for green upgrades, but some superintendents are looking for strings and questioning the amount. If a proposed bill passes the U.S. Senate and is...

Wisconsin cities seek better safety standards.
June 26, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Cities, insurers and contractors can't agree on the most accurate method to check contractors' safety records before hiring them. And even if they find common ground, the best method is likely to be the most...

Wisconsin counties keep prison project cash locked up.
June 26, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder After nearly 20 years of debate, Monroe County is ready to build a $30 million jail and justice center. Sheriff Dennis Pederson said the expansion talk had better start now. We can't look at this as a be-all,...

State of Wisconsin braces for pond scum escalation.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan There will be a lot of muck coming out of Wisconsin's storm-water retention ponds in coming years, and the state is trying to figure out the best way to deal with it. Wisconsin requires developers build ponds because...

Wisconsin appellate court rules Mathy Construction immune in fatal accident.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Krista Ledbetter An appeals court Thursday granted immunity to a road contractor in a case involving the death of a woman and her young daughter in a 2002 accident on a bridge. At least one construction attorney viewed the...

Milwaukee's City Hall contractors to cover damages.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee's City Hall contractors will pay the bill to repair between $5,000 and $10,000 in roof damage caused by Wednesday's fire. Milwaukee Police Department detectives Thursday told the city the fire on the...

Eau Claire County borrows to fix its roads.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The Eau Claire County Highway Department for the first time is borrowing money for projects, and it's likely the agency will keep asking for more. It'd be difficult not to borrow again, said Highway Commissioner...

Pantry project in Madison proceeds despite money shortage.
June 30, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The Society of St. Vincent de Paul doesn't have enough cash to construct a new food pantry, but the organization is going to build one anyway. The 24,000-square-foot project is estimated at about $4 million, and...

Urban boarding school in Milwaukee faces financial hurdles.
June 30, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Before The SEED Foundation begins building a Milwaukee boarding school that could cost $40 million, it must convince state legislators to OK $10 million annually for operations costs. Those legislators are likely to...

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse leans on donors again.
June 30, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Neither the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Foundation nor the multiple banks it's dealing with are worried about finding $3 million in donations for a new academic building by the end of August. But the...

Minority developers in Wisconsin find market niche.
June 30, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Dustin Bowie, a black man trying to make it as a developer, said he thinks minorities perceive a wall blocking their path into the business. But that's a misperception, said Bowie, who is the second minority developer...

Milwaukee Industrial Trade Center targets terminal for Tower site.
June 30, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee Industrial Trade Center LLC announced Friday it wants to use the former Tower Automotive site as a railroad terminal to transfer freight from trucks to trains. If the business plan comes to fruition, the...