Liquor provision tucked into budget in 11th hour Shawn Johnson, Wisconsin Public Radio (MADISON) People could get free samples of liquor at Wisconsin grocery stores under a plan lawmakers from both parties quietly added to the state budget in its finishing stages last week. If this sounds familiar, it’s because a very similar proposal was tacked on to the last state budget. It was eventually vetoed by Governor Jim Doyle, who called it “absurd”. The issue surfaced again last Friday morning (5/29), near the end of an all-night session of the Joint Finance Committee. It passed without any discussion or debate. Grocers can already offer samples of wine and beer. The spirits industry has said it should be treated no differently. All 12 Democrats on the committee voted in favor of the liquor sample plan, along with two Assembly Republicans. It has to survive the full legislature and the Governor’s veto pen to become law. National health organization revises standards for weight gain during pregnancy Shamane Mills, Wisconsin Public Radio (UNDATED) America's obesity epidemic has prompted the Institute of Medicine to issue new guidelines for how much weight women should put on during pregnancy. Weight gain during pregnancy can be both good and bad. Too many pounds--or too few-- can put mother and/or the baby at risk. A report from The Institute of Medicine includes a new category for obese women in the U.S., and the recommendation is to limit pregnancy weight gain between 11 and 20 pounds. A woman with normal Body Mass Index (BMI) is still recommended to gain 25 to 35 pounds. Greg Bills, an associate professor at UW School of Medicine, says the bigger mom is, the more likely baby will be large. "To the mother there's definitely increased risk for caesarean delivery, probably increased risk for gestational hypertension,” explains Bills. “For the baby, there's increased risk of birth trauma, but there might also be a risk to child's future health….diabetes, hypertension and also cardiovascular disease." The Institute of Medicine's revised guidelines are directed specifically at American women, not those in underdeveloped countries where obstetric services are scarce and women may be thinner and shorter. The report says half the women in the U.S. of reproductive age are trying to lose weight, and the prevalence of attempted weight loss during pregnancy has doubled in the last 20 years. Northern pipeline projects could employ thousands Rich Kremer, Wisconsin Public Radio (SUPERIOR) The Alberta Clipper and Southern Lights pipeline projects will begin later than expected, but Enbridge Energy says it may hire more workers in Wisconsin and Minnesota than expected -- up to 3,000 people in the coming months. Still awaiting permits from the federal government and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Enbridge Energy hopes to begin hiring in July. Spokeswoman Denise Hamsher says additional construction and the late start will put more people on the job. “We added more crews so we can split up the pipeline segments and build them simultaneously. It could actually put up to 3,000 workers, is the best estimate, to work.” Laborers Local 1091 Business Manager Dan Olson says 50 to 75 people from the Superior and Duluth area will work on the pipeline. Olson says these projects couldn’t have come at a better time. “My particular trade right now has got 25-percent unemployment....I’ve got close to that number, matching it, that people don’t have health benefits right now. So, the pipeline that is coming through will be a good shot in the arm.” Duluth Plumbers and Steamfitters Business Manager Jeff Daveau says the work is badly needed. “It’s huge for us to get even 20 guys out right now. Work is so slow in the area right now we’ve still got about 30 to 35-percent of our members are off.” Work is already underway on the Canadian portion of the Alberta Clipper project. That pipeline will span 1,000 miles from Superior to the Alberta Oil sands. The Southern Lights pipeline will cover 674 miles from Chicago to Clearbrook in northwestern Minnesota. Lakes vigilance effort calls for more eyes on the water Mike Simonson, Wisconsin Public Radio (SUPERIOR) A neighborhood watch program of sorts for the Great Lakes is looking to recruit people. America's Waterway Watch is a four year-old program sponsored by the United States Coast Guard. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Specialist Frank Jennings says the program was inspired by the 9-11 terrorist attacks. He says it puts civilian eyes and ears to watch over the Great Lakes. "(For) suspicious activities, individuals hanging out around bridges, under bridges,” says Jennings. “Taking photographs in areas where folks wouldn't normally be taking photographs, especially around port facilities." This Waterways Watch program is loosely organized, often by Coast Guard Auxiliaries or local motorboat groups called “Power Squadrons”. "It's not a matter of being a member,” Jennings adds. “It's a matter of if you see something, you should call someone: See something, say something to let us know you're witnessing suspicious activity and then we can check it out." Jennings says it's hard to say if Waterways Watch has lead to any arrests or thwarted any sabotage or attacks. But he says since there have been no incidents on the Great Lakes since 9-11, maybe it is working. Wisconsin women becoming increasingly infected by HIV Mike Simonson, Wisconsin Public Radio (STATEWIDE) Women are the fastest growing group of people in Wisconsin becoming infected with the HIV virus. Although the number of new cases of HIV infection has plateaued over the past ten years in the state, the number of infected women keeps climbing. Last year, 391 people contracted HIV. State epidemiologist figures show that’s slightly down from the average 400 people over the past decade. But Aids Resource Center of Wisconsin Chief Operating Officer Mike Gifford says 21-percent of new infections are women. That compares with 16-percent in the 1990’s and 6-percent in the 1980’s. Gifford says women need better information. "As an example, there's not a statewide requirement for HIV prevention in the school so while we're training our people very well in math and reading and other things, unfortunately they're not getting the HIV education they need. Secondly, women may not understand the risks that they're at." AIDS Resource Center Associate Director of Prevention, Christina Colon, says they are targeting women's health fairs to get the word out. "The biggest thing that we talk about is condom negotiation and using protection at all times. Sometimes women find it difficult to talk about using condoms or they may find it more difficult to say 'no'". Colon says women understand they are vulnerable to HIV but need to protect themselves better than they have in the past two decades. Northern tribe begins project to preserve voices and faces of elders Brian Bull, Wisconsin Public Radio (BOWLER) The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans is launching a new oral history project today (6/1). Organizers plan to interview 40 tribal elders on camera, in the pilot phase of what could eventually create a large, digitized archive. Nathalee [NATH-uh-lee] Kristiansen is museum manager at the Arvid E. Miller Library and Museum, in Bowler. She says this first session is for elders in their 70s, or older. She says their reflections on the Great Depression, World War II, and the Indian Relocation Act – where the government transplanted thousands of Indians into major U.S. cities -- are things that other tribal members can enjoy. Kristiansen says preserving these interviews on DVD will also create a lasting record that’ll be much more personal than an archived document. “Sometimes we have visitors that come in and they’ll ask if we have a file on their Grandmother, that they’ve never met. And they’ll be so touched to see a letter that she’s written, or her obituary. I think it’d be much better to have something that you can see and hear them talk, and we respect our elders and want to know their stories.” Kristiansen says the Stockbridge Munsee tribal council is sponsoring this first phase. She’s writing a federal grant proposal to support further tapings, likely with elders in their 50s and 60s. She says being largely an oral tradition, storytelling and personal narratives are greatly lacking in many native communities. Indians also have shorter life expectancies than other groups, so capturing tribal elders on DVD is important while they’re still around. UW Madison launches compost initiative Christina Clarkson, Wisconsin Public Radio (MADISON) UW-Madison has launched a new recycling initiative aimed at leftover food. That's because decomposing food releases the potent greenhouse gas methane. To curb those emissions, the University is collecting and composting food waste that is then being used by local farmers to improve their soil. The University’s We Conserve campaign is spearheading the project. Director Farmarz (Far-MARZ) Vakili ( Vuh-KEY-lee) says they started collecting food waste at Memorial Union’s food services about a month ago. He says in the first week they collected 200 pounds. Vakili says they plan to expand the project to residential and athletic dining services. “And I hope in the next 6 months the majority of the food waste from the campus will be composted.” Vakili estimates when the program's fully implemented, they will collect between 300 and 400 tons of food waste per year. Anxiety and frustration mount over dam-repair funding plan Steve Roisum, Wisconsin Public Radio (WESTBY) The Vernon County Board of Supervisors says progress isn’t happening fast enough to get a half-cent sales tax passed to pay for costly dam repairs. Vernon County voters passed an advisory referendum last November to issue a half cent sales tax to pay for damage many of the dams suffered due to heavy rains in 2007 and 2008. Before the tax can become a reality, lawmakers and the governor must sign off on it. But, 96th District Republican Representative lee Nerison of Westby says any legislation proposing new taxes could be a hard sell. “With the economy the way it is, and with all the new taxes, and fee increases that are going into the budget……even the governor said the other day he didn’t want to look into any new taxing,” he says. Nerison says he hasn’t written up a bill yet to push the proposed tax through the legislature. Nerison says such a sales tax could pass in better economic times. That’s not good enough for Phil Hahn, who serves as Vernon County’s resources conservationist. He says dam repairs need to be done as soon as possible. “We’re under orders from the DNR to that, we have a legal responsibility for the public safety to everyone below these dams otherwise we wouldn’t have been put under orders from the DNR. It’s not just a matter of there isn’t enough money, we don’t know where to find it. We have too.” Hahn says Wisconsin attorney general’s office could prosecute Vernon County officials if the dams aren’t fixed in a timely matter. And in an effort to speed things along, the Vernon County Board voted to ask the Wisconsin Counties Association to lobby on their behalf. Nerison says there are other options if the half-cent sales tax does pass this time. There’s $3-million in bonding for dam safety grants. But Nerison says that may not make it into the final budget. Stimulus money for infrastructure is another possibility. But it’s too soon to know if Vernon County qualifies for any. |
