NEWS 

KUWS News Archive - 2004
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The late Great Empire Builder train chugs back to the Depot

(06/01/2004) The Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth is celebrating the 75th anniversary of one of the great trains of the railroad era.

On June 10th 1929 the Empire Builder left Chicago bound for Seattle. 75 years later an anniversary trip will run along the North Shore Scenic Railroad. Lake Superior Railroad Museum Director Ken Buehler says will be several events along the original trail from Chicago to Seattle but Duluth’s event is different “As far as I know, ours is the only train ride of its kind in the entire country that will be commemorating the Empire Builder on its 75th anniversary so it is quite unique to Duluth and to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.” The Lake Superior Railroad Museum and the North Shore Scenic Railroad is taking cars from their current collection. “We have the longest train of Great Northern livery cars and engine anyplace in the country. We’ve got 2 passenger coaches a Dining car that actually came off that empire builder a baggage car and a locomotive all in this same livery or color scheme.” So on June 10 the museum’s cars in the classic Great Northern paint scheme of Pullman green, orange yellow and a silver stripe will leave the Depot in downtown Duluth and travel round-trip to Marbles Junction near Two Harbors. Passengers in coach will receive a box lunch while passengers in the dining car will receive a meal from the menu of the original Empire Builder. Tickets are 35 dollars for coach and $110 for the dining car. For more information call (218) 722 1273.

Dueling signs part of dispute over testing swimming areas

(05/31/2004) Beach testing on Lakes Michigan and Superior resumes in June. As Mike Simonson reports from Superior, some tourism officials think the signs posted on beaches are too scary and drive away business.

Last year was the first time beaches were tested on Lake Superior, and when high levels of e-coli were found in some spots, it forced beaches to close. That surprised health officials as much as it surprised visitors who rely on Lake Superior's clean water reputation. Each time a beach was closed, a sign would be posted. Even when the beach was fine for swimming, Project Coordinator Ben Vail says a sign was erected letting people know about the monitoring program. Vail says this summer, that sign will be seen in Douglas County, but officials in Iron, Ashland and Bayfield Counties will only allow a sign if conditions are unsafe. "What the Douglas County Health Director told me is that she thinks the more information they can get out there the better. Whereas the Bayfield County Health Director seemed to prefer to have as little information out there as possible." Bayfield Chamber of Commerce's Sarah Alquist says the monitoring program is fine, but the signs are alarmist. She says it sounds like there is a chronic beach pollution problem when in fact having a beach closed is rare along Lake Superior's South Shore. It caused some people to cancel vacations in Bayfield last year. "Words like 'e-coli' in red stand out to people and they run away." The source of the e-coli is believed to be seagull and goose poop, which run into the water from beaches after heavy rains.

Iron County battles state's highest jobless rate

(5/30/2004) Wisconsin's jobless rate improved last month from more than 6% in March to 5% in April. But as Mike Simonson reports from Superior, one northern county is heading in the opposite direction.

Consider Dane County has the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 2.5%. Then consider Iron County's rate increased almost two percent to 12.6%. This county on Lake Superior's South Shore snowbelt is heavily dependent on winter tourism. So now when other counties are seeing increases in construction and service industries, Iron County is struggling with lay-offs. Even so, Will Andreson with U-W-Extension in Hurley says they're trying to diversify the economy by building industrial parks in Hurley and Mercer. He says they're also working on attracting ATV users by developing trails. "For the most part, they're very optimistic about the future. They enjoy living here so much that it is an optimistic community." But the reality is, in spite of its many lakes and scenic winding forest roads, Iron County can be a tough place to live. Louise Minnisan runs the Mercer Food Pantry that helps unemployed and low-income people get by. She says people are trying to make it the best they can. "They can do better or move up. There's many people moving to this area but when they come, they're not of skilled labor either. Why they want to move to Mercer is beyond me sometimes, but they do come." Two major lumber related businesses will start hiring for the summer months. Minnisan says that's the cycle of hiring and lay-offs they're used to in Iron County.

Murphy Oil fined $250,000 by EPA and DNR

(05/03/2004) The state and federal governments are slapping Murphy Oil Refinery in Superior with a quarter of a million dollar fine for air emission violations last year. Mike Simonson reports.

State Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager says the DNR and U.S. EPA decided on the $250,000 fine for what it calls numerous excess emissions of sulfur dioxide at the Superior refinery last year. Laughtenschlager says the violations came in spite of new air pollution control devices installed at Murphy Oil in 2002. The fine will be evenly split between the federal and state governments.

Big ticket outdoor items a hot commodity at area stores

Could be economy, could be terrorism effects 4/30/2004
Outdoor recreational sales are spiking at dealerships, signaling the new fishing season, or perhaps a reflection on the economy and high gas prices. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

When the weather gets warmer, people's fancies often turn to outdoor recreation: camping, watercraft, biking. Mike Olson at the Brule Sports Shop says this is one of the best springs he's had in a long time. He says it might be the economy recovering and people with more disposable income, or it might be spring fever. "Right now ATV sales are going real, real good for us. Watercraft is a little slower but is starting to come into play real nice. Definitely temperature related. Nobody wants to stand out in 35 degree weather to shop for a watercraft or ATV so." Olson says financing is easier too with lower interest rates. 

Len Paske at Northwest Outlet in Superior is seeing the best demand for big ticket items in awhile, especially motorboats. "Everything we've got in so far is spoken for and everything we got coming is spoken for, now it's going to be a question if we can get more to satisfy the market." UW-Superior Economist Robert Beam suspects consumer confidence is rebounding. He also says the high price of gas might be keeping people closer to home. Beam says another possibility is that the fear of terrorism is still keeping some people from flying, and instead, sailing.

Park Service gives Duluth to Wausau power line tentative okay

Public comment period now open 4/28/2004
One of the proposals for the Duluth to Wausau transmission line is leaning in favor of building the line. Mike Simonson has the story. 

The National Park Service is recommending that American Transmission Company be allowed to cross the Namakagon River near Hayward. The Namakagon River is part of the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, a pristine, undeveloped area. Even so, National Park Service Planning Specialist Jill Medland says several pipelines, bridges and power lines already cross the Saint Croix riverway. So the Park Service staff is recommending the high-powered transmission line cross where a lower powered line already exists. 

The public has until the beginning of June to comment on the proposal. She says about a dozen comments are against the plan. "Oh, they're just opposed to the project in general and to its impact on the environment. They are also making some comments about the impacts on the river itself." 

One group is the River Alliance of Wisconsin. Alliance Director Denny Canneff prefers the line not cross the Namakagon because it is a national scenic riverway. But he says using an existing crossing is his second choice. "Yeah, that would be as acceptable as a bad thing could get. It just cheapens that designation. I mean wild and scenic is supposed to mean it." American Transmission Company would set the power poles back out of view from the river and pay the National Park Service between two and four million dollars as an impact fee.

Fish stocking to be cut by 25% in Wisconsin lakes

Anglers feel the budget cuts this year 4/28/2004
The Department of Natural Resources is cutting back on stocking fish in lakes and streams. Mike Simonson reports that some anglers will feel the impact of budget cuts by coming home empty handed.

Call it "empty net syndrome". About a fourth of lakes and streams will be cut from the annual stocking of yearling and fingerling fish. DNR Fisheries Specialist Larry Nelson says they'll keep stocking lakes where fish can't naturally reproduce... so-called "put and take" lakes. Other waterways will have to do without. "People are going to notice it because there are a number of fisherman out there that rely on the 'put and take' trout fishery and go to their certain stream every opening day and hopefully catch their limit of trout and go home with them." 

Nelson says at the top of the stocking priority list are children's trout ponds. All of those will be stocked. "We don't want to deter stocking any place that's going to hurt the kids. We're trying to bring kids up into the sport of hunting and fishing. If we delete the stocking of some of these lakes and ponds for the kids, it's going to deter their interest in the sport." Nelson says the state usually stocks about 1.7 million baby fish a year, but will stock about 1.2 million instead.

This stinky house: One of Superior's worst to be torn down this week

Part of effort to remove neighborhood blight 4/25/2004
One of the worst houses in Superior will be torn down Tuesday. Reporters Kate Houlihan and Tom Mahlen toured this “horrible house”…to get an idea of what city building inspectors want to stamp out.

With peeling green paint and rotting windowsills, from the outside the 100 year old house looks similar to many in Superior. But the true horror of 706 Grand Avenue lies within its crumbling walls. Deep in cat feces and a bathroom with makeshift toilets overflowing in human excrement, City Building Inspector Dan Hawkin had to plow through the trash inside. 

SFX: Sound of us and Dan plowing through trash “We’ve got inches of litter, cat droppings, and debris all over the stairs. If we go upstairs, the bedroom floor is under three to six inches of garbage and debris. Mattresses are indescribable. Peanut butter jars – remember what I said? Directly proportionate to number of peanut butter jars. There’s all the garbage containers and things from all the foodstuff. Why people have egg crates and egg cartons in the bathroom is beyond me.” Hawkin sees houses like this too often. He says nothing shocks him anymore, but even the house on Grand rates high on his list. Surprisingly, it’s not the worst. “If you had a scale, how does this compare to other bad ones?” -Tom; "This is real bad." – Dan “Scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, can you put it numerically?” – Kate “This would be a nine.” - Dan 

Neighbor Lloyd Vandenberg has lived next door to 706 Grand since 1951. He says in the last ten years the house has taken a turn for the worse. “You couldn’t eat outside if the wind was right. You couldn’t sit outside – the chimney, everything was falling apart on down on ya. It’s been terrible.” The house, which was occupied until last summer until the city evicted her, is scheduled for demolition soon. But this is one old house no one will miss. “Did you see any squirrels inside? It’s loaded with them. I didn’t know how they can stand it!”

Doonesbury get moved and bleeped in area papers

Editors think D.B.'s SOB should have been on the QT 4/24/2004
The "Doonesbury" comic strip is catching flack from some newspaper editors after a character swears when part of his leg is blown off while on duty in Iraq. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

The "Doonesbury" comic strip is catching flack from some newspaper editors after one of its characters swears when part of his leg is blown off while on duty in Iraq. Mike Simonson reports from Superior. Gary Trudeau's "Doonesbury" strip is no stranger to controversy. Now, he's running a series about character 'D-B' who's a soldier in Iraq. Half of D.B.’s leg is blown off in an attack. After coming to, his first words are "son of a bitch". 

Green Bay News-Chronicle Editor Tom Brooker says those four words cross the line even for a political comic strip. So he edited the offending word, spelling it "b-dash-dash-dash-h". "I'm not a stick in the mud. I'm not a prude by any means. We've printed 'son of a bitch' in the paper when it's been a direct quote and we thought the direct quote had absolute meaning, that it was necessary to show somebody's level of passion." Brooker says B. D. is fictitious, so it got bleeped. Duluth News Tribune Publisher Marti Buscaglia decided to move "Doonesbury" out of the comics section to the editorial page. She says the newsroom had a lively discussion. “It was mixed. It was pretty much 50-50. Some people thought we shouldn't run the cartoon at all. I disagree with that. Gary Trudeau has a very good reason for writing it the way he did and I don't want to play censor." She denies she moved the strip because of its political overtones. Buscaglia says more people read the editorial page then the comics, so SOB is actually a promotion of sorts for "Doonsebury". So far, she says reader calls and e-mails are in favor of the move.

Task force created to make Twin Ports more efficient with iron ore

Competition from Taconite Harbor seen as grave threat to Duluth and Superior 4/23/2004
A blue-ribbon task force will meet for the first time this morning to find a way to keep Superior competitive in shipping iron ore. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

Mayor Dave Ross says an effort by Hibbing Taconite to ship ore through Taconite Harbor on the North Shore threatens the future of ore docks in Duluth and Superior, and could force BNSF ore docks to close in three years. Taconite Harbor is closer to Iron Range mines and a possible $40-million federal loan could make Taconite Harbor more efficient than the Twin Ports. Ross says he realizes it makes the Iron Range and Taconite Harbor more competitive with less shipping distance than the Twin Ports, so he’s creating a task force to look at making Twin Ports ore docks more efficient. But he says the loss of 90 jobs and a tax base of $3-million would be one of the most serious challenges ever to face Superior. The task force includes people from Burlington Northern/Santa Fe, the Superior/ Douglas County Development Association, the offices of Senator Herb Kohl and Dave Obey and city lobbyist Bill McKoshen.

The secret to retiring and not dying: All in your Sing Lin

Seminar at UWS looks at both issues 4/22/2004
There is a connection between retiring and dying. Kate Houlihan reports on a seminar today at UW-Superior.

UWS Economics Professor Robert Beam says when he put together his study, he had four main points: whether there was a relationship between when people retired and how long they lived after that point, what factors influenced retirement, what things influenced quality of life in later years, and what studies confirmed the Sing-Lin hypothesis. Beam says Sing-Lin is what got him interested. “The conclusion that he reached was that every year you worked beyond 55 you lose a life span of about 1.6 years off your life. For every year you work beyond 55. Now, I have a friend who came over, and he’s about 55. And he was waving this study at me saying ‘Look at this! You gotta look at this!’ He says, ‘I have been looking for a reason to retire, and now I’ve found one.’” 

Beam says there is a price for leisure, just as there is a price for work. He says when people are young, they tend to want more things, therefore more income, resulting in up to 60-hour work weeks. “You want a big house? Do you want to have four kids? Do you want to have three cars, and a cabin, and a house, and all these other things that it takes money to buy? I have people who worked at the fiberboard plant. I worked at a lumber company. And when I was at this age, young age, all I could think about was the money I was going to make to buy that motorcycle . . . I dreamed about it . . . earning money.” Beam says as people get older, earning income takes a back seat to leisure. At that point, he says people begin to consider retirement. When that time comes, circumstances, lifestyle, and genetics become the “secret to longevity.” Among many things, he says getting exercise, managing stress, and maintaining caring relationships is key.

Superior officials fight to save local Veterans Clinic

Officials confront VA personnel officer Wed. morning 4/21/2004
The Veteran's Health Clinic in Superior could be privatized or closed by October first. The proposal is being met with anger and a resolve to fight back. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

It's not that the 15 year old Superior clinic isn't busy. It is. The staff of 43 federal health care workers handles 20-thousand visits a year from veterans in northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. But the VA's Linda Duffy in Minneapolis says they're considering a change because they can't find a director for that clinic. "There's no intention of not providing healthcare to veterans in that area.” That could eventually close this facility? "We will provide healthcare to the veterans in that area through some method and we don't know what that method is right now." A meeting this week with the VA's personnel director outlined workers severance pay. State Representative Frank Boyle serves on the Assembly Veterans Committee. He says it all points to closing the clinic. He says with a war going on in Iraq, and soldiers from Wisconsin being killed, the timing couldn't be worse. "We ask them to give the ultimate sacrifice as the young man in Milwaukee, 18 years old. We ask them for that sacrifice and yet we commit nothing to them. We treat them as yesterday's news, as dirty socks." Meanwhile, Wisconsin U.S. Senators Feingold and Kohl and northern Wisconsin Congressman Dave Obey are working together to find a way to save the Superior clinic. The nearest V-A clinic to Superior is in the Twin Cities.

Cruise ship to stop in Bayfield and Grand Marais

Bayfield Chamber has plans for passengers 4/19/2004
Great Lakes cruise ships will have a new destination this year when they visit Bayfield and Grand Marais. Kate Houlihan reports.

Bayfield Chamber Marketing Director Sarah Ahlquist says two ships will be coming through Bayfield this summer and fall. The American Canadian Caribbean Cruise Line of Canada is having a ship coming through this summer for the second year in a row. A German passenger ship will also make a stop in September. Ahlquist says anywhere from 75 to 200 people will be onboard. Ahlquist says the beauty of the area is one reason they stop. “It’s easy to stop here. For one thing, we can accept the larger vessels. For another thing, you can see the town in a day or two. Everything is easily accessible for passengers on foot. It doesn’t require the cruise companies to hire, you know, motor coaches or anything like that to get people ashore and around and to actually see things.” When passengers, arrive they are free to sightsee and explore. 

Ahlquist says this year is a first, though, in that Bayfield is working with the cruise companies to plan events for passengers. “Possibly a picnic on Madeline Island at Big Bay State Park. We may have an event over here in Bayfield. Like, I believe we have one ship coming during strawberry season, for instance. We’re looking at putting together a strawberry social, possibly with live entertainment at the Bayfield Pavilion.” Ahlquist says because the boats come from abroad, she sees it as increasing international interest in what the town has to offer. Meanwhile, the cruise ship Orion will make a stop in Grand Marais along the North Shore this summer.

Ashland doctor named president-elect of state board

Says rural doctors are in short supply 4/9/2004
The new president-elect of the Wisconsin Medical Society is a local doctor who sees the decline of the rural physician as the big issue. Kate Houlihan has the story. 

Dr. Mark Belknap has practiced in Ashland for 21 years. He sees keeping patient-doctor relationships free from interference as one of the most important issues facing doctors today. However, he is pleased to be serving as the next president of the Wisconsin Medical Society because of his concern with a declining number of rural doctors. “There was a task force that has just issued a report that was sponsored by the Wisconsin Medical Society and the Wisconsin Hospital Association which showed particularly in rural areas there is developing a shortage of physicians and this is going to escalate as the physicians, many of whom are in their fifties, are going to retire in the next few years and there will be no one to replace them.” 

Belknap says fewer doctors are practicing in rural areas because they don’t originally come from small towns. He also says rural areas tend to be poorer, with more people receiving Medicaid insurance. Belknap says the reimbursements from Medicaid aren’t enough to cover practice expenses and salaries. “We need to try to avoid any further erosion of payment by government programs because then there will not be doctors coming, and there won’t be doctors to serve people with other forms of insurance, in addition to Medicaid. And the other thing is to try to increase the number of physicians being trained, and try to train people from rural areas who are more likely to return to their rural roots.” Belknap says the last time a Wisconsin Medical Society president hailed from Bayfield or Ashland counties was in 1911. He says it was a good opportunity to represent the area.

Ashland hotel to build and indoor water park

Effort to make it a year-round family place 4/8/2004
There’s a big market for water parks…and now this region will get its first. Mike Simonson has the story. 

A multi-million dollar expansion of the AmericInn Hotel in Ashland may be the wave of the future for tourist hotels. The hotel…owned by Duluth-based Zenith Management…will build an indoor water park. Recreation Director Carrie Miller says they hope to have it up and running by mid-June. Miller says they’ll have fire hoses, water drop buckets, and even some outdoor inflatable water slides. She says this will be the first water park in the region…north of Wisconsin Dells. 

AmericInn will also add about 30 rooms and a new conference center. Miller says business travelers will be segregated from the sometimes noisy family areas, keeping them in a quieter part of the hotel. Meanwhile, the state has handed out tourism grants to several northern counties. The money will be used to hire consultants or do studies about ways to attract more tourists. Ashland County will get $8000, Bayfield and Washburn Counties will get $20,000 each.

Linton may oppose Sherman in Assembly race this fall

Says she might switch parties and run as a Republican 4/7/2004
A legislator who changed his vote in the conceal and carry of weapons debate may have a challenger. A long-time legislator says she may come out of retirement. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

Port Wing Democratic Representative Gary Sherman co-sponsored the bill that would have made conceal and carry of weapons legal in Wisconsin. He later voted to uphold Governor Doyle's veto. Now former legislator Barb Linton may challenge him. She says she's 99-percent sure she'll run. But she's not sure if she'll switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican ticket. "I could run as a Democrat, I could run as a Republican, I could run as a Libertarian. So I'm just going to run where I feel very comfortable. At this point in time I'm comfortable with the number of people in northern Wisconsin who are in the Republican Party." 

Linton was a popular legislator from the Lake Superior region's 74th district. She was often re-elected without opposition but quit six years ago. Sherman succeeded her in 1998 and has been re-elected easily since. But he says the National Rifle Association, of which he is a member, has told him they want him out of office. Sherman says that's no surprise after the last legislative session that also included a proposed ban on gay marriage. "We had a whole session about trying to divide people. Nothing but trying to trade on people's hate and fear in a desperate move from keeping this an overwhelmingly Democratic year." Sherman is a democratic floor leader in the Assembly, while Linton served on the powerful Joint Finance Committee.

Superior's deer herd reduced by more than 500

One more bowhunt set for this spring 4/6/2004
Superior’s deer herd is down by at least 500 from last summer. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

DNR Wildlife Biologist Fred Strand says that’s a significant dent in the deer population within and around city limits. 350 of the deer were killed by hunters during the regular hunting season, 86 were taken by volunteer bowhunters in so-called hot spots around the city…and more than 100 were killed in deer/ vehicle accidents over the winter. Even so, Strand says it’s hard to figure the size of the city herd. "No, we don't know, we'll have to gauge the number of complaints over the summer." The Superior City Council decided to ask for a special deer hunt by bow hunters to thin the herd, and reduce the number of nuisance deer cases and car-deer crashes.

Feingold: U.S. needs help with Iraq 

After weekend of violence 4/5/2004
A Wisconsin U.S Senator wants the Bush Administration to ask for international help to stop what he says might be a meltdown in the making. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

A weekend of violence in Iraq left nine soldiers dead...eight of them Americans and another three dozen wounded. U-S Senator Russ Feingold says that's a sign that the occupation of Iraq is nearing getting worse. "We do need to be more concerned. This is not more of the same. You have all these different things happening in Iraq because of the way we came in there. This is a situation that almost looks like a potential meltdown." 

The Democratic Feingold says the Bush Administration should ask for international help, and not think that things will get better when free elections are held in Iraq. "We need to get the United Nations or NATO in there to take over this operation. And that means that we shouldn’t just stay there. It also means we shouldn’t just pull out without any kind of alternatives. We certainly can't continue what we're doing now which is getting deeper and deeper into a situation where people are recommending just leveling Iraq basically. That is not in our interests or obviously the interests of the Iraqi people." The death of eight American soldiers in a firefight is the worst single day loss for American forces since Baghdad was captured a year ago.

Care givers conference to give families and professionals advice

At Northern Great lakes visitors Center Monday 4/4/2004
Ashland and Bayfield County residents will be meeting on Monday to discuss taking care of family members with special needs. Kate Houlihan has the story.

Ashland and Bayfield Counties caregiver support network member Deanna Yost says caregiving is caring for someone with special needs or chronic illnesses. She says it’s not just the elderly who require the care – children fit in the mold as well. Yost it’s not an easy job. “I’ve seen caregivers do just amazing things. I’ve seen caregivers need to run in-home machines for diabetes. Personal care, I’ve worked with a caregiver who, for fifteen years, has been helping her husband who had a stroke with all of his personal care needs. Sometimes, it’s just companionship and changing your whole environment for people with dementia and memory loss.” 

Yost says caregiving is increasing nationwide. She says the aging baby-boomer population and the preference of people to stay at home while receiving care fuels the increase. “There’s been a change in the whole trend on family caregiving because of, and the need for, more resources. Family members are no longer living in close proximity, sometimes living in the same household, more people are working. Sometimes you’re caring for your elderly parents, and you’re working, and you’re caring for your own children, and that’s what we call the sandwich generation.” She says the panel at the meeting will focus on five main areas, including caregivers’ stress and supports for caregivers. Yost says former First Lady Roselyn Carter’s view on the subject is their mantra. “Basically, caregiving is going to affect everyone at some point in their lives, because you are a caregiver, you will be a caregiver, or you will require care.” 

Yost says she hopes the meeting spurs further community involvement and understanding. The town-hall meeting will be at the Northern Great Lakes Visitors Center. Hors d’ouerves will be served at 5:00, followed by Senator Bob Jauch speaking on caregiving at 5:30. The panel discussion will start after.

Bayfield to get new mayor after Tuesday's election

Growth a big issue 4/3/2004
Voters in Bayfield will have a choice for mayor when they head to the polls on Tuesday. Kate Houlihan reports.

With long-time Bayfield Mayor Larry McDonald not running for re-election…both John-Eric Anderson and Daniel Curran have experience working in the community. Anderson, a resident since 2000, has been on the city council and planning council for a year. He also served for two years on the Parks and Rec Committee. Curran has called Bayfield his home e since 1994. He’s involved with the drafting of the Bayfield Comprehensive Plan and served on the historic preservation ordinance draft committee. He also worked on the fountain garden park. Although both see the economy as an issue, Curran says it’s not that cut and dried. “There’s no simple, one solution the way I see it. The economics, the economic development there, the lack of year-round businesses as opposed to seasonal businesses. Lack of affordable housing, lack of jobs that pay a living wage. They’re all tied together; they’re all working together. It makes it very difficult for a young family that has children to even consider buying a house in that town.” 

Anderson says marketing Bayfield is one way to help bolster growth. He wants to get a year-round economy going. He says searching for money outside of local taxes could be a start for dealing with water and sewer problems. “I think we’re going to go have to find funding like Washburn did in terms of grants, and things like that, because Bayfield can’t afford to replace the aging infrastructure. We’re just going to have to go research places to find funding, and do it over time.” For Curran, an economic development and housing commission would be a good place to start. He says matching state grants with Bayfield businesses could help create growth.

Say good riddance to army worms and friendly flies

The plague is over 3/29/2004
Roadways and trees won’t have a “covered in insects” look this year, thanks to a decrease in both tent caterpillars and its foe, the friendly fly. Kate Houlihan reports.

The forest tent caterpillar population peaked in northwest Wisconsin in 2001, and has been declining for the past two years. This year the population will fall even further. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources forest health coordinator Jane Cummings-Carlson says this is a natural cycle that occurs every eight to ten years. “The forest tent caterpillar is always with us at some population level. This year we’re expecting it to be quite low, so hardly noticeable across northern Wisconsin. Perhaps a little bit higher in the northeast in some small-scattered pockets. But yes, indeed, we never completely lose the insect from our native forests.” 

Cummings-Carlson says springs that are cool and moist help reduce the caterpillar population. The friendly fly, which peaked right after the caterpillar did, also reduces the population. The fly lays maggots on the cocoons, which then feed on the growing caterpillar. Cummings-Carlson says during its reign, the caterpillars made their mark. “The forest tent caterpillar defoliated several million acres across all of northern Wisconsin. Some of the highest populations were in north central Wisconsin, where the caterpillars were so frequent that they covered the highways and caused some kind of dangerous or slippery driving conditions.” Because of the decline in population, noticeable defoliation due to the caterpillar’s appetite is not expected this year.

In case of the unthinkable: Superior Fire Department given anti-terrorism grant

To be used if a building is blown up in Superior 3/28/2004
A federal terrorism grant for equipment will help prepare the Superior fire department in emergencies. Kate Houlihan has the story.

The $278,000 equipment grant will allow the fire department to purchase new equipment that could be used if a building were to collapse. Superior Fire Chief Steve Gotelaere says the equipment will help the staff, making them an urban search and rescue team. He says the highly-specialized equipment requires study. “It takes a 120 hours to get the basic level of training for an urban search and rescue team, and then another 120 hours for specialized training.” Gotelaere says the state wants various urban search and rescue teams positioned throughout the state. If an emergency were to occur in any part of Wisconsin, the team could be called to assist. 

Gotelaere says the variety of equipment needed to do a search and rescue in a collapse building is vast. “In order to get into a collapsed building you have to shore it up, make it safe. You have to remove the debris that is around the building. You’d have to be able to cut through concrete to get into all those spots that may be there. You’d need specialized listening devices to hear anyone, and so you can hear sounds in a hollow spot. Or perhaps specialized cameras that could get into an area a human couldn’t get into.” Gotelaere says the grant covers Douglas County. The team will eventually cover Ashland, Bayfield, Washburn, Burnett, Iron, and Sawyer counties.

International ballast water agreement could end exotic species in the Great Lakes

Technology still years away though 3/26/2004
There's a new international agreement to rid the Great Lakes of new invasive species. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

The International Maritime Organization has a plan to end these exotic species from hitching a ride in the ballast water of ships. The effort was lead by U.S. and Canadian delegations of the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations group that is responsible for prevention of pollution by cargo ships. This is something the International Joint Commission has been working on for seven years. IJC U.S. Chairman Dennis Schornack says exotic species are more dangerous than water pollution to the Great Lakes. "If you're really looking at threats today, biodiversity is very important. The greatest threat to biodiversity in the Great Lakes is invasive species. Just look at the damage that one of the invaders has done in the form of the zebra mussel. Many more invasions could result in an ecological collapse of catastrophic proportions." 

This agreement requires all international ships heading to the Great Lakes to exchange ballast water in the ocean before entering the Great Lakes system, and develop a filtration system or biocide to kill all foreign organisms. Duluth-Superior Port Authority Captain Ray Skelton says the maritime industry is onboard with this agreement, but since this filter or biocide doesn't exist yet, it's not clear when this would kick in. "It's impossible to say that. New technologies that are unproven are just that. That means research and you can't predict the outcome of research." Schornack says part of the solution would be Congressional passage of the National Aquatics Invasive Species Act, which is languishing in a committee. He says this agreement could give it the momentum it needs to move forward.

Budworm to attack jackpines in northern Wisconsin this year

Two year peak begins, the first in 11 years 3/25/2004
A forest pest is returning to the northwoods this year and next. Kate Houlihan has the story about the jackpine budworm.

The jack pine budworm is native to the Wisconsin. Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Coordinator Jane Cummings-Carlson says the budworm population will stay low for a while, rise up and peak, then dip back down. She says the cycle takes six to ten years. This year and next are expected to be peak years. Cummings-Carlson says the budworm’s eating habits cause problems. “It feeds primarily on the flowers of jack pine, although it will also clip the needles off a little bit later in its feeding cycle, and that gives the appearance that the insect actually is eating the needles. And it turns the foliage on the jack pine brown.” 

Cummings-Carlson says the last peak in budworm population was in 1993. She says the expected increase for this year is not out of the norm. “It probably has sufficient food available. It has appropriate weather for the larvae to hatch and build and that would be dry springs helps the young larvae develop. And if the weather is good and there’s enough foliage for it to feed and the populations to build and produce a lot of eggs then the population will increase.” Cummings-Carlson says this pest isn’t all bad. She says the worm preys on older jack pine trees. If the trees die and a fire ravages them, heat will release seeds from the cones. She says in this way, the worm can help regenerate the jack pine tree.

An acre of SOUL to fight 240 mile transmission line

Battle of Midway continues 3/24/2004
Opponents of a power line project between Duluth and Wausau may have found a way to slow the construction process. Chuck Quirmbach reports.

The tactic involves adding many more landowners to the powerline's potential right-of-way. The so-called Arrowhead-Weston power line project would include a stretch of land southwest of Duluth. Two local landowners have sold or given small portions of property to about twenty powerline opponents, some of whom belong to the group SOUL or Save Our Unique Lands. The move comes as powerline developers have started construction and still need easements from several people. The more landowners there are, the more people the developers have to contact. but landowners attorney Jim Boos says powerline opponents are not trying to gum up the construction process. 

"I would characterIze this as an effort to raise awareness and participation and give people more of a concrete, give them meaningful participation in a civil action, cause any owner of the property will be made a party to any condemnation proceeding or any other action affecting this transmission line." Boose says any landowner must receive notice from the utility with authority of eminent domain. that's Minnesota Power, whose vice president for marketing David McMillan, claims the move by the Arrowhead-Weston opponents is not a big burden. McMillan acknowledges the new group of twenty landowners does not want to grant easements. "We are in the process of responding to soul, that they'll use in negotiations with people we are seeking easements with. We remain open to executing easements that reflect full fmv of all of the land affected." 

The eventual operator of the power line, Pewaukee-based American Transmission Company takes an even tougher stance. Company executive Mark Williamson says it's illegal under Minnesota law to subdivide land without taking more legal steps. He also warns Wisconsin powerline opponents to not take similar steps. But so far, the opponents are holding their ground no matter how small the square footage.

Whittlesee Wildlife Refuge mimicked at indoor exhibit

To open on Monday 3/13/2004
A new wildlife refuge exhibit at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center will offer interactive fun. Kate Houlihan has the story.

The exhibit is modeled after the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Refuge Fish and Wildlife Service education coordinator Katie Goodwin says it’s a replica of what people would see in the refuge. “You can come in, and you can see a cross-section of what the creek would look like and what the fish would be doing in it, what other organisms in the river would be doing. You can also see the area around the creek, the different types of trees, the different animals that would actually be out on the refuge and that you could possibly see if you were actually out there.” 

Goodwin says the main focus of the exhibit is the coaster brook trout, which is being restored in the western part of Lake Superior. She says interactive features are key. “There are a couple other interpretative and educational panels that children of all ages can actually use. You can do some track etching, find out about living creatures that are smaller than you normally would notice, and where they would be found. There’s also a video kiosk that you can press buttons to choose to hear and see and learn more about the refuge system.” 

Goodwin says she hopes people learn more about species, such as the coaster brook trout, that are struggling to survive. She also hopes people walk away knowing it’s important to preserve wildlife for future generations. The grand opening of the exhibit will be on Monday, March 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center.

Rothbauer wants to go another round against Obey

Says this time, he'll win 3/12/2004
Wisconsin's senior member of Congress will face a challenge from a young northern Wisconsin businessman. Mike Simonson reports from Superior. 

Joe Rothbauer wasn't even born when Democratic Congressman Dave Obey took office in 1969, but the 30-year-old retailer from Bloomer isn't deterred. This will be Rothbauer's second challenge, having lost to Obey two years ago by 64 to 36 percent. "If I didn't think I could win, I wouldn't be running. We took a hard look at the campaign last time, the mistakes we made, things that we could have done better, things we did right. There's a lot of areas to improve. If there wasn't a chance of victory, I wouldn't be doing it." 

Rothbauer is the first republican to have formed a campaign committee to run against Obey this year. He says he's a conservative who would like to simplify and overhaul the tax code. He also thinks gay marriage is an issue. Not that he's opposed to it, but he doesn't like they way it's happening now. "When we're doing things like having judges throwing out laws that were legally passed and we have mayors marrying couples against the law because they believe that in that special situation the law shouldn't apply. That's not right." Obey was about Rothbauer's age when he defeated long-time republican Congressman Alvin "Okay" O'Konski in 1968.

Mayors get together to save the Depot

Campaign goal at all-time high 3/11/2004
The annual Depot “506 Fund”-raiser is about to kick off, with the mayors of Duluth and Superior as honorary co-chairs. Kate Houlihan reports.

The six-week fundraiser will benefit the nine organizations that live in the Depot, which includes the Duluth Playhouse, and Children’s Museum. Co-chair Ken Buehler says last year’s goal of $75,000 was exceeded by $400. This year they hope to raise $100,000. Superior mayor Dave Ross says the Depot does a lot for not only Duluth, but Superior. “The Depot certainly has a great Superior connection. Many members of the, not only the Duluth/Superior symphony, which, by the way, have included my own sisters at one time, have had the pleasure to play in that marvelous orchestra. So these efforts which benefit these kind of not only city-wide, but community-wide activities – I certainly want to be here, and I certainly want to support them.” 

Duluth mayor Herb Bergson says the Depot provides more than 200 jobs. He says the Depot is not just trains. “I hadn’t been through the entire children’s museum until two weeks ago. It’s incredible what there is to see there. I was wishing I was ten-years-old again, because they’ve got so many neat things to do.” Buehler says money raised will help collaborations form among the organizations. Ross says the work of the Depot is important. “What would life be without attending a play? What would life be without going to a beautiful orchestra event, or to view beautiful art being done by the hands of a painter? The quality of life – we talk about necessities, which is the things we need, clothes, and roof over our head – and then we get into the things that really bring quality to life. And the arts really bring quality to our lives.” Around 6,050 households will receive campaign mailings starting Monday.

Summer outdoors sales reported way up 

Twin Cities Boat Show is first indicator 3/10/2004
A local outdoor store is recording big increases in sales, thanks to an improving economy. Kate Houlihan reports from Superior.

Ted Sellers is the Fishing/Hunting Buyer for Northwest Outlet in Superior. He says their fall season was one of the best yet. Spring and summer fishing sales look to be promising. “As a matter of fact, I’m doing just as much summer gear right now as I am winter fishing gear, matter of fact more of the summer gear. So it’s been real good.” Sellers says the Minneapolis Sport Show is an indicator for how much they’ll sell. He says the ten percent increase in outdoor gear and big-ticket items like boats sold at the show can mean good news for Northwest. Fishing basics are flying off the shelves. “Buckets, nets, tackle boxes, all that kind of stuff. Guys are gearing up for the opener, and for vacation season. They have Canada trips planned, or whatever. That business is pretty good right now. Guys get cabin fever, and you’re not able to go out and do much this time of year, so they end up shopping a lot.” 

Sellers says because fishing and hunting are pastimes, even a poor economy won’t stop people from buying equipment. However, he says the economic upswing is bringing a resurgence of people buying more expensive items. “Big ticket items a couple of years ago, after 9/11, that kind of thing, three, four hundred dollar fish locators and underwater cameras, things like that, were a little soft. Now we’re selling the big ticket items as well as anytime I’ve been in retail.” Sellers says overall sales are above-average in any given day.

Womens shelter seeks to educate about date rape at event

"Consensual Sex Party" set for Thursday in Superior 3/9/2004
A “Consensual Sex Party” is set in Superior for Thursday. It’s sponsored by the Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse . Mike Simonson reports.

The Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse or CASDA will be at Norm's Beer and Brats passing out literature and date rape drug test strips. CASDA’s Kelly Kurtz says she's seeing more cases of date rape, but she thinks it's because there's more awareness by hospitals and law enforcement. "So now it's becoming more out in the open so it's a question that is asked when a sexual assault happens. Now they're being tested for these kind of drugs so they can tell if it was a drug facilitated rape." 

She says the timing is critical, since many colleges are about to go on spring break. Norm’s Beer and Brats Owner Kevin Gunderson says the more people know about date rape, the less chance it will happen. "I don't see it here, but I've seen it in other places around town that I've been to. I've heard some horror stories too, so.” Kurtz says date rape drugs and alcohol make people vulnerable to rape, often times victims have no memory of the crime. The party will be Thursday night starting at 9 o'clock.

Ashland Superfund site to get closer look by EPA and community

They'll meet sometime in April about the future of the waterfront 3/8/2004
An upcoming meeting is one way in which Ashland folks can get involved with plans for the Ashland waterfront superfund site. Kate Houlihan reports.

A meeting next month with the U-S Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Natural Resources will let the public know what’s going on with the Ashland superfund site. DNR Northern Remediation John Robinson says the meeting will let people know will be done in the future. He says it’s important people get involved. “Community involvement and community participation is an important step in the process of coming up with the final remedy. It’s important to learn what people’s concerns are, both in terms of what do we need to look at in terms of scope of the investigation as well. And finally, what are their concerns about the site in terms of the reuse of the property after the site is cleaned up.” 

Robinson says the EPA is conducting a series of 25 interviews with Ashland residents to shape a ‘community participation plan.’ “The purpose of this is to get a global perspective of how good of a job the department and the EPA have done in the past of getting the word out, in terms of what the knowledge is of the site and looking for suggestions on what the best mechanism to get the word out is in the future, whether it’s through newsletters, public meetings, or some other mechanism.” Robinson says he hopes people get involved so any plans they make for getting information to the community will truly reflect what people want.

Brit diplomat to Uncle Sam: Learn to play well with others

To speak at UMD ballroom Monday night 3/7/2004
A former British diplomat speaking in Duluth says American expectations for Iraq are setting people up for a big disappointment, even if democracy takes hold there. Mike Simonson reports.

For almost 20 years, Shaun Riordan worked in the British Diplomatic Service from Peking to Bosnia. Included was work in counter-terrorism. He says even if all the ifs work out and Iraq has peaceful elections, Americans will probably be disappointed. "What you're not going to get is a western style democratic state in Iraq, in western style secular parties. It's simply not one of the options. The impact could be negative by encouraging Islamic movements throughout the Middle East which are not in Western interests." 

Riordan doesn't think an Islamic government in Iraq would be extreme like Iran. He also says much of the world understands the U.S. fight against international terrorism, but he warns that Americans need to learn to work with the world. He says terrorism isn't the only global threat. "Threats of epidemic diseases. We've already seen the consequences of AIDS on the African political economy. The threat of avian flu. We look at the threats of environmental degradation combined with the threat of terrorism. The United States alone simply doesn't have the resources to take on all of those problems." Riordan says the world is a tough place to try and go it alone.

Enhanced 911 on its way to Bayfield County

Will assist emergency response 3/6/2004
Starting April first, Enhanced 911 Service will be available in Bayfield County. Tom Mahlen reports from Superior.

Bayfield County Emergency Management Coordinator Jan Victorson says the service will make it easier for emergency dispatchers to locate a 911 caller. She says it is important that dispatchers know where the caller is so the closest emergency department can be contacted. “Right now when an individual dials 911 in Bayfield County all we know is that it comes in on our 373-6120 number. We have no information that comes with that. We might have caller ID information if that is not blocked from the individual phone, but we do not have any location or response information associated with that.” 

Victorson says Douglas and Sawyer Counties already have the enhanced service. Victorson says they have been working on the program since the late 1990’s. She says the hardest part was associating each part of the county with an exact location. Victorson says callers will notice a difference when they call 911. She says the process of assembling the information may add seven to ten seconds to a call before it begins to ring. Victorson says it is important callers stay on the line.

Power line substation in Stone Lake may become permanent

Duluth to Wausau transmission line's only direct link with the north 3/5/2004
The $50-million temporary substation in Washburn County may not be temporary after all. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

American Transmission Company’s Mark Williamson says they are negotiating with Xcel Energy to use the $50-million Stone Lake substation. "We hope to make it a permanent substation.” This would be the first link northwestern Wisconsin would have with the Duluth to Wausau transmission line. Williamson says that would be proof people up north would benefit from the line. Meanwhile, he says survey crews are busy staking out the line’s path. Williamson hopes to begin construction of the line in Wisconsin next fall, and has begun in Hermantown and Midway Township.

Off-season no snoozer for Bayfield restaurant

Maggie's pins hopes on locals and winter events 3/4/2004
Maggie’s Restaurant is known around the Bayfield area as the home of the pink flamingos. Even in the winter. Kate Houlihan reports.

Running a year-round restaurant in a town of about 700 people might seem difficult. Flamingos Up North office manager Heidi Nelson says Maggie’s Restaurant pares down its menu in the off-season. However, Nelson says a few of those months are some of the best for locals to grab a bite to eat. “We have our regulars in Bayfield, and the regulars in the Washburn, Bayfield and South Shore area. The community supports us really well. Actually, we hear a lot in the winter that it’s their favorite time because they can get in and there isn’t a waiting list. The winter time is when the locals really come through for us.” 

Nelson says thanks to winter events around Bayfield, they’re able to keep people coming in the door. “The ski hill being open is beneficial for us, and the Chamber does some wonderful February events – the Run on Water, and the dog sled races, and the Blue Moon Ball. Actually, January and February are good months for us.” Nelson says business begins to pick up again by Memorial Day. She says it’s “full-speed ahead” by mid-June, with July’s Race Week being their busiest time.

A great winter is turning into slush

Hold your nose: Skunks are out too 3/3/2004
The “Ice Road Closed” sign is up on Lake Superior between Bayfield and Madeline Island. Mike Simonson reports that the warm weather is changing life up north.

Ron Nelson of Nelson Brothers on Madeline Island says it went up on Monday. “It’s isn’t dangerous, but it’s rough and full of pot holes. It’s pretty scary for some people probably.” The Nelson’s operate the wind sled that takes people across the water after the ice road closes and when the ferry isn’t running. But Nelson says they’re using a heavy-duty van for now. This is early for the ice road to close, but Nelson says it could re-open if temperatures drop below freezing for awhile. 

All this warm weather in early March is causing some havoc. The DNR is Hayward, Spooner, Brule, and Ashland all report snow depths are shrinking fast. In Sawyer County, deer are on the move with the better weather, and look like they’ve survived the winter in good shape. Jim Bishop with the DNR in Spooner says snowmobile trails are in poor to fair condition. “It’s been a great winter, but now temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s are changing that.” Bishop says the weather has been too good, with lots of snowmobile activity last weekend putting a strain on trails. Bishop says lake ice is becoming downright hazardous by being slushy. This is the most snow we’ve had since the winter of 1996-1997. And in what may be one of the surer signs of spring: The Brule DNR reports that skunks and raccoons are leaving their dens.

Lt. Governor: Wisconsin's economy hurt by glass ceiling

Women have much to contribute in boardrooms 3/2/2004
The glass ceiling is stopping many women in Wisconsin from moving ahead and Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton says it’s hurting the state’s economy. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

Lawton held a forum in Superior last night, one of ten she’s holding around the state to gets answers from women to breaking through sexist barriers. "Oh yes. There's a glass ceiling and we can demonstrate statistically. What we're learning, I've held six forums across the state, is that sometimes attitudes and perceptions become very real obstacles. In one county in Wisconsin they have only had one woman ever serve on their county board. She served for one term and then left because she was excluded from decision making conversations and invited to pour coffee and found it to be frustrating and at times a demeaning experience." 

Lawton says some of the solutions are no-brainers for companies: hire more women, promote them and give them equal pay. Other solutions include better childcare and publishing a women-owned business list statewide. 70% of women work in Wisconsin, the third highest percentage of women in the workforce of any state in the union.

Old law banning snowmobiles around Apostle Islands now enforced

Park Service criticized by anglers 3/1/2004
A 1980’s regulation prohibiting motorized vehicles from coming within a quarter mile of the Apostle Islands is causing the fur to fly. Tom Mahlen reports.

Although the rules haven't been enforced for years, National Park Service Chief of Protection Greg Zeman in Bayfield says they need to enforce it now. He says the regulation is being enforced to avoid being taken to court by environmental groups. “They’re actually being taken to court for not enforcing the regulations that are on the books. And we’re gonna try to avoid that. If we can keep this here within the Apostle Islands and get peoples’ support and cooperation for it we think this would be a relatively minor process, although it’s gonna be an inconvenience for some.” Zeman says snowmobilers who travel within the boundaries will be warned, but repeat offenders could be fined two hundred dollars. 

Zeman says no citations have been issued since mid January, when the park service began enforcing the rule. Zeman says under dangerous circumstances, such as snowstorms, snowmobilers will not be cited for crossing the boundaries. “There are pressure ridges, there are ice cracks, there are a lot of safety hazards which people that use snowmobiles have to be able to go around. So there are going to be times they need to pass within the park boundary whether it’s legal or illegal to avoid these hazards on the ice.” 17 Craig Putshank operates Outdoor Lure Sportshop and Guide Service in Washburn. He says the regulation will make it hard for anglers to catch some fish. “You can catch Lake Trout in any of the deeper water farther out, but there are some Lake Trout spots that are in close, and all of the spots that you want to go to if you want to catch Whitefish, or Brown Trout, or Splake are right next to the islands. And so it effectively has eliminated fishing for those species in the islands right now.” 

Putschank says that if Park Service officials start handing out tickets, anglers will stop coming. Zeman says the park service will pursue a special regulation that will allow snowmobiles on the ice surrounding the islands. He says this may take up to four years. “Right now we have to ask for everybody’s support, cooperation, and compliance with the law. As the park rangers we have a responsibility to enforce the laws of the National Park Service. And by doing so we’re going to do that at the lowest possible level, we’ll do that so that we can achieve compliance. And if it’s just the matter of fact of talking with people, that’s the lowest level of enforcement.” Zeman says the prohibited area will not be marked.

Power line opponents to rally at Midway Township Sunday

Hope to stop the line there 2/28/2004
Opponents of the Duluth to Wausau transmission line are calling on people in Wisconsin to head to Minnesota Sunday. Mike Simonson reports opponents hope to stop the line before it gets to Wisconsin.

This week construction on the 220 mile high-voltage line began along a 12 mile Minnesota segment in a small township called Midway. Even as at least one property stopped a bulldozing crew from entering his land, others are allowing 40-foot holes to be dug and concrete poured for tower footings. Powerline opponent Save Our Unique Lands President Tom Kreager is calling an emergency rally at Midway Township Sunday. He says Midway is a good place to stop construction. "Any individual piece of the puzzle could be the death sentence to the Arrowhead-Weston transmission line. Midway in its own unique way is every bit as important as any other part of the transmission line as things progress." 

But contractors for Minnesota Power are busy working around the landowners against the line. Minnesota Power's Margaret Hodnick refuses to say how many people have not given their approval, but she says that isn't relevant. "We live in a country where people can have freedom of expression so they can certainly express their opinions. We started construction this week, we poured three foundations and we'll be progressing with that next week. So we're moving ahead." While this $420-million project is due to be completed in four years, Minnesota Power and American Transmission Company have yet to get approval from several Wisconsin counties and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Battle of Midway is first over Duluth to Wausau transmission line

Property owners tell construction crews to go home 2/24/2004
Efforts to begin construction of the Duluth to Wausau transmission line came to a sudden halt Monday in Midway Township near Duluth. Mike Simonson reports.

The first face to face confrontation between landowner and bulldozer over this 220 mile long high-powered transmission line began Monday. It happened on the 12 mile Minnesota leg. Property owner Al Haugsand told a Minnesota Power crew they couldn’t plow snow or dig holes for tower construction. "So they were asked to leave. I politely asked them to leave and they were of the property, they waived at the bulldozer. I'm sure the contractor didn't want to be sued on behalf of Minnesota Power so they were off the land in about two minutes.” 

Monday's confrontation began when Save Our Unique Lands Board, or SOUL, served a legal notice to Minnesota Power and American Transmission Company. SOUL Board member Mark Liebaert says the utilities need permission from land owners before moving ahead. "This is probably the first shot in a long process that we'll be involved in all the way to the end. There are landowners who are watching this." Although Minnesota Power is building the line, American Transmission Company is overseeing the process. ATC’s Mark Williamson says this opposition won’t stop the transmission line. "I'm expecting with as much concern as the SOUL people ginned up with just a couple of people that there may be a couple of people who are inviting condemnation but those procedures are pretty cut and dry. It goes back 150 years to the days of the railroad and really don't impose a hurdle to construction.” 

Four property owners hired Duluth attorney James Boos to send the legal notice. Boos says Minnesota Power hasn’t gotten the permission it needs to build on all private land. "The statement that because the activity is inconsistent with the use specified in the previous easements that it in fact amounts to trespass.” A Minnesota Power spokeswoman says they hope to meet with land owners who oppose the line later this week.

Superior Days meeting today: Help Shell Lake ease flood problems

Begins a series of reports from Madison by KUWS Reporter Kate Houlihan 2/23/2004
Superior Days delegates are in Madison today. One issue that popped up in Madison yesterday is Shell Lake getting much needed attention. Kate Houlihan reports from Madison.

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Deputy Secretary Judy Ziewacz met with delegates to the 19th annual Superior Days. On the agenda was restoration of the Shell Lake shoreline. People who own homes on the lake have had problems with flooding in the past few years. Washburn County Administrative Coordinator says the time to act is now. “Unfortunately, it’s not so much when we’re going to want to start, it’s when the property owners are going to want to start. When you’ve got people that have been dealing with water in, or under, or around their properties for, in some cases, four or five years, they’re not going to be in the mood to wait for very long.” 

The project would work to restore a native buffer on the lake shoreline. The native buffer would prevent erosion and the introduction of exotic species to Shell Lake. Miller says it’s important for locals to be involved. “They want to get the local lake residents and the seasonal residents involved as well, because obviously that’s going to have an effect.” Miller says the only thing needed to make the project a reality is state funding. Ziewacz says she will take this issue to the department secretary, Rod Nilsesten.

Superior Days delegates head to Madison this week

Highway 2 widening a top agenda item 2/22/2004
It’s back on the Superior Days issue list – the expansion of U.S. Highway 2 and the renaming of Highway 2 after America’s “Ace of Aces”. Kate Houlihan has the story.

Highway 2 is the only major east/west highway in northwestern Wisconsin. Stretching from Ironwood and beyond, the need to expand it to four lanes is a top priority. Superior Days Coordinator Geof Wendorf says it can be done. Highway 53 is proof of that. “We started talking about Highway 53 expansion about 25 years ago, and it took us 20 years to get there. And when we first started it was fairly widely concluded that that was never going to happen. We’re doing the same thing with Highway 2. Eventually, and we know that it won’t happen in the near future, but we want them to know that eventually we’d like to see that expanded to a four lane highway like Highway 53 was.” 

Wendorf says it is important to have a four-lane highway to control traffic flow and to encourage business to grow along the highway. He says it is also important to use the highway to remember a very significant local figure. “Of course we all know who Ira Bong was, he was the World War II pilot that we’ve designated a heritage center after here in Superior, and we felt it would be appropriate to name Highway 2 after him.” Wendorf says he is fairly confident the highway renaming will occur, possibly within the next few years.

Obey says drug lobby using money to influence Congress

Rep. Tauzin offered big job by pharmaceutical lobby 2/21/2004
Wisconsin's senior member of Congress says a colleague is caving into special interests of the drug lobby. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

This comes after the Washington Post reports that a Congressman who pushed the Medicare prescription drug bill has been offered a million dollar a year job by the pharmaceutical lobby. Republican Congressman Billy Tauzen of Louisiana is chairman of the Commerce Committee which designed the legislation. The Post says he’s expected to take the high-paying job. Democratic Congressman Dave Obey of northern Wisconsin says that’s outrageous. "First they use him to nail in all these special provisions that benefit the drug companies. Now they're trying to hire him in order to keep them nailed in to the law. This incident is a spectacular example of how Washington should not work.” 

Obey says the Medicare prescription drug bill will cost more than $400-billion over the next 10 years. He says this kind of influence peddling is why regular people feel like the deck is stacked against them. "The bill itself is a rip-off. The job offer coming on top of that is a disgrace.” Obey is holding forums around his district about Medicare reform and prescription benefits.

Saxon Harbor in line for major improvements for private and commercial vessels

Superior Days is making it a priority 2/20/2004
One Lake Superior harbor is getting a lot of attention at the 19th annual Superior Days in Madison. Kate Houlihan reports.

Saxon Harbor keeps Iron County connected to Lake Superior. Both recreational and commercial boats call the harbor home. A high demand for boat slips at the harbor is making expansion necessary. Iron County Community Resource Development Agent Will Andresen says this project fits perfectly with Superior Days. “It’s the first year we’ve ever brought this project before. We’ve been actively pursuing the project through various grant programs, but this is the first time we’ve included it as part of Superior Days.” The expansion would add a second harbor basin and 42 new mooring slips. It would also ensure the entire area was ADA (what is ADA?) compliant. The project would also reduce flooding by controlling the height of waves entering the harbor. 

Andresen says they have a good chance of getting what they want. “We’re really looking for a relatively small amount compared to what we already have, and I think that makes it a little bit easier, so when you can go to the funding agency and say ‘we already have this much money and we only need this much more’.” The expansion would cost $1,090,000, some of it from federal funding. Superior Days delegates will ask for the last $220,500 from the Department of Natural Resources to make the project a reality.

Check fraud ring busted/Largest case of its kind in the Twin Ports

Using payroll and American Express look-alike checks 2/19/2004
A wave of fraud is sweeping through Duluth-Superior and northern Minnesota, and police are urging people to be wary. Kate Houlihan has the story.

Counterfeit American Express travelers’ checks, counterfeit payroll and cashiers checks are circulating around the region. The payroll checks use the names Merrill Lynch, Days Inn, McLeod USA, and Mr. Fixit All Brand. The cashiers’ checks came from the North Shore Bank of Commerce. Three arrests were made in the American Express scam, and six have been made in the payroll scam. More arrests are expected. 

Superior Police Department Detective Bill Andrews says people need to be careful. “Look the check over, take another second to look it over and check the routing number on the bottom. Make sure it starts with 0-9. Just examine the document. If things are out of place, for example, the North Shore Bank of Commerce – that’s their title. On one series of the checks it was just ‘North Shore Commerce’ – just little things of that nature.” Andrews says it’s easy for counterfeiters to get away with this because checks take about two weeks to be routed through a bank. He says identity theft plays a big part in this. “It becomes a nightmare for a victim. These victims that sold the cars to these individuals with the counterfeit checks, what happens is that generally your insurance company will still cover you for 30 days after you sell your vehicle, there’s the vehicles have been damaged, the insurance goes, well, the car’s not in your name now, etc, etc, and now you have an identity theft.” 

The payroll checks were used to purchase cars and drugs. The American Express check scam has been going on for years. It involves amounts of $100. Checks are also being passed in the Twin Cities area. The payroll scam has been going on since the end of January, and Andrews says it’s one of the biggest cases this area has ever seen.

Barker's Island in line for federal redevelopment money

Would boost development, starting this year 2/18/2004
Federal money to fix up Barker’s Island remains intact and stands a good chance of staying in the budget. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

The Congressional budget bill waiting for the signature of President Bush has $841,000 earmarked for Barker’s Island. Superior Mayor Dave Ross says that’s the jump start needed for development. "With this we can meet our timetable and finish in one year.” Ross says this money serves a great public need, but already it’s being called wasteful by some critics. "I wasn't very happy when one downstate newspaper called this pork. Communities like Superior need to have their fair share of federal money. I'm just glad it survived the budget hearings.” 

Money will be used for a new band shell, parking lot, and utility hook-ups. Ross says this will mean major changes and new public/private development on Barker’s Island. The bill still needs the signature of President Bush.

Superior Days youth to lobby against exotic species in lakes

They want money from Madison to get results 2/17/2004
You might not believe it, but invasive species are on the minds of Superior kids as they head to Madison for the 19th annual Superior Days. Kate Houlihan has the story.

Invasive species are not naturally found in Lake Superior. Mike Kroenke of the UW Extension says often the invaders come from not just other lakes, but also other countries. He says Lake Superior has its share. “Zebra mussels are one that are advancing from Lake Michigan and are moving into the ports. The lamprey eel has cost millions of dollars of control, with some success. Lake trout are beginning to come back, but now that they are established within Lake Superior, they are almost impossible to eradicate completely.” 

Kroenke says this issue affects people in the Lake Superior region as well as inland lakes. “It costs the taxpayers virtually millions of dollars in remediation in trying to prevent and control the spread of invasive species.” This year the 70 member Superior Days youth delegation has made stopping the spread of invasive species its top priority. Kroenke says he’s proud kids have stepped up to the cause. “They’re very aware, and they’re very progressive, and they’re very concerned about the environment. They’re learning to become leaders and how to affect change in Northwest Wisconsin.” Kroenke says the kids and a few adults will ask the Department of Natural Resources and legislators for more money to educate people on stopping the spread of invasive species. Part of that money would pay for an intern who would visit docks on Wisconsin lakes to inform boaters about the invaders.

Civil rights photo display shows 1960's struggles in Mississippi

Exhibit begins at UW-Superior 2/16/2004
A Duluth photographer is bringing her story of life in 1960’s Mississippi to the UW-Superior. Kate Houlihan reports on how Sue Sojourner dealt with life during the Civil Rights movement.

Sue Sojourner and her husband Henry Lorenzi moved to Holmes County, Mississippi during turbulent times. Having white people help the black community was not the norm in 1964, but Sojourner says it’s what she had to do. “I had heard that there were all kinds of things going on. Terrible things in Mississippi and Alabama. Birmingham – the four little girls got bombed. That was a very important milestone. It just was too much. I was there ‘cause I couldn’t just get a regular job and go on with life without trying to do something.” 

Sojourner says moving to Holmes County meant danger at every turn. She says it was both uplifting and scary every day. “We had local farmers who came and every single night for the first year we lived there, they guarded the building we were sleeping in. They guarded it, every single night with guns, in this – what is it? A nonviolent movement. (laughs) But on the other hand, it was self defense.” Sojourner says the decision to pick up a camera and document the lives of the people around her was not a hard. She says people she lived around were amazing in their own right. Sojourner says the movement was much more than just the marches. “It was listening to people. It was finding out and trying to help them organize themselves. Going to meetings, it was talking – listening.” 

Sojourner’s display has traveled around the country since 1999, including back to where it all started – Holmes County. Sojourner’s exhibit, titled “The Some People of that Place” is on display now until the end of March at the UWS multicultural center. An opening reception will be held Wednesday, February 25 at 7 p.m. in the same place.

Deer oh deer, what to do with the deer

Meetings next week to look at the problem and solutions 2/13/2004
The DNR is hosting deer herd meetings throughout northern Wisconsin. Tom Mahlen reports that there may be serious changes made to the deer hunting season this fall.

DNR Wildlife Biologist Todd Naas is organizing the meeting for Bayfield and Ashland county. Naas says the meetings are held each year to discuss the effects of the previous year’s hunt, and how the deer population is doing. “Basically what we’ll be discussing at these meetings are what our preliminary estimates are of the population, what we anticipate the population will be like prior to the hunt next year, and the resulting, or the likely resulting, season structure for the next year’s deer season.” 

Naas says one topic that will be discussed at the meetings is whether or not the Earn-A-Buck program will be used in the area next season. Naas says the current T-Zone hunting program, which allows hunters to shoot a doe as well as a buck, is not doing enough to decrease the deer herd. If the Earn-A-Buck program is used, hunters will be required to shoot an antler-less deer before they can shoot a buck. Naas says this may not be popular with all hunters. “There’s people out there who enjoy harvesting does so it probably doesn’t matter a lot to them, but in all, I think nobody really wants to have to harvest a doe. Obviously if a large buck came by while somebody was hunting they’d like the ability to harvest that deer.” 

Naas says it is important that community members attend the meetings and voice their opinions. Naas says information will be available at the meetings about the current state of Chronic Wasting Disease. The Ashland-Bayfield meeting will take place at the Ashland Agricultural Research Station on February eighteenth from 6 until 8 PM. The Douglas County meeting will also be on February eighteenth from six until eight at the Superior Public Library.

Wal-Mart poised to build a super store in Superior this spring

Zoning already in place 2/12/2004
Wal-Mart wants to build a “super-store” in Superior and it appears they have the zoning they need to begin construction this spring. Mike Simonson reports from Superior. 

Superior Planning Director Jason Serck says they’re planning the expansion by their current Tower Avenue store which is zoned for retail. He says that means there won’t be a lot the public can say about it. “No. There will be permits needed but that’s all. I realize these stores have been controversial in other communities.” The knock against Wal-Mart Superstores is that they drive competing grocery stores out of business. Super stores carry groceries and a deli. But Serck says Superior shoppers seem to be loyal and he thinks they’ll remain loyal to local merchants. He also says several grocery stores have been fixing up their stores anticipating the arrival of the Wal_mart super store. 

Serck says Wal-Mart will not have to go before city council for approval, just before the planning department to get building permits. Serck expects construction to begin this spring and last one year. Wal-Mart has not applied for building permits yet, but they have been in negotiation with the city and indicate they will begin the paperwork soon.

Senator Kerry will sidestep Superior

Campaign will concentrate on Milwaukee, Madison not upper Wisconsin 2/11/2004
Speculation that Senator John Kerry would make a campaign swing through Superior ended today. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

Senator Kerry’s Douglas County Coordinator Dan Hannula says he got word this morning that Kerry would not be coming to northern Wisconsin. "He's got to be everywhere now.” Hannula says with a visit to this area would help his chances here, but not make a difference statewide. "(Former Vermont Governor Howard) Dean will probably take Douglas County. But Kerry will win statewide.” Hannula says they had hoped to get the leading Democratic presidential candidate here for a skate around Wessman Arena. Kerry is a former college hockey player. 

General Wesley Clark and Governor Howard Dean have held rallies in Superior. This week Clark suspended his campaign for president. Congressman Dennis Kucinich will appear on the Duke Skorich Radio Show tonight at 5 o’clock. Wisconsin's primary is next Tuesday, February 17.

Dean urges Superior audience to vote their conscience, not polls

Appeared this morning at Superior Middle School 2/10/2004
Governor Howard Dean came to Superior Middle School this morning and charged up Wisconsin voters for the upcoming primary. Kate Houlihan and Tom Mahlen have this team report.

Governor Howard Dean came to Superior Middle School this morning and charged up Wisconsin voters for the upcoming primary.  State Representative Frank Boyle introduced Howard Dean to the crowd as the “next president of the United States” Governor Howard Dean is in Wisconsin with a message – vote the way you want, not the way the primaries are turning out. 

Dean says Wisconsin has the power to keep the dream of change alive. “Wisconsin knows that Lafollette’s legacy is worth fighting for. Wisconsin knows that what is on the line in the primary is the very heart and soul of the Democratic Party and the very heart and soul of this country.” Dean says he’ll focus on health care in the first 100 days as president. He says there is a need for every American to have health care. “Surely the most powerful nation on the face of the Earth can join the British, the French, the Germans, the Japanese, the Irish, the Italians, the Israelis, the Canadians, the Dutch, the Danes, the Swedes, even in Costa Rica they have health insurance for all their people and so should we.” 

Dean’s other focus was on education and the “No Child Left Behind Act.” He says he’d start funding public schools. “They have no understanding about what it is to live in a community like Superior and have to put up with unfunded mandates, teaching to the test, and larger class size.” Dean says balancing the national budget and bringing back jobs would be a top priority for him. Dean says it’s time to leave future generations with the kind of hope he had when he was young.

Dean presidential campaign to Superior

Rally at new Middle School at 9:15 2/9/2004
A national presidential campaign will be landing in Duluth tonight…with a rally tomorrow morning. Mike Simonson reports.

Governor Howard Dean will be at Superior Middle School on Hammond Avenue tomorrow in what local organizer Frank Boyle says will be a good old fashioned political rally. Boyle says bringing his national campaign to Superior shows how important this area is for Wisconsin’s primary. "People vote here and they vote often. This region swung the state by 6000 votes to win the state for Al Gore in 2000." Boyle says Dean brings with him a huge entourage. "He comes in a large plane with at least 15 national journalists. It's great that Superior can host it.” The Dean rally begins at 9:15 at Superior Middle School and is open to the public. The venue seats 1250 people. Wisconsin's primary is February 17.

DNR to put gobble back in Douglas County by reintroducing turkeys

Could have a turkey hunt in the next year or two 2/6/2004
The Department of Natural Resources hopes to bring turkeys back to Douglas County. But a cold snowy winter may make it hard for the birds to survive. Tom Mahlen reports.

Wildlife biologist Greg Kessler in Brule says about 75 turkeys will be released in Douglas County around the beginning of March.. Turkeys caught in Lincoln and Langlade Counties will be hauled up to three sites along Douglas County’s eastern border. Kessler is unsure if the birds will survive. “Our understanding is not entirely complete on what turkeys can survive, and that’s part of the reason we’re doing this release is to kind of test, can they survive our winters, and is there adequate habitat here to support them.” 

Kessler says unregulated hunting by early settlers may have wiped out the turkey population in northern Wisconsin. He says it seems turkeys are making their way back up north. “We do have birds just immediately south of us down in Burnett and Washburn counties. They showed up maybe half a dozen to a dozen years ago, and even to the point that they’ve been touching the southern borders of Douglas county down in the township of Wascott.” Kessler says timing for this project is crucial--there must be enough snow on the ground to keep turkeys coming back to traps, but it must be warm enough for them to find food in their new habitat. “If we released them right now it would make it awful tough on them. If you release them during a very cold and deep snow year when they don’t have time to acclimate to the local area that mortality of that first year is very high—eighty or ninety percent that first year.” Kessler says a hunting season next year or the year after for the turkeys would be created if they survive this winter’s weather.

Superior Days delegates to work for new lock at the Soo

Delegates get their issues ready for meeting at UWS Thursday night 2/4/2004
Superior Days delegates want a new lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan…and they want the state to pay their share. Kate Houlihan has the story.

While some Great Lakes states are chipping in to build a new lock at the Soo, Wisconsin hasn’t committed to it. Development Association Director Andy Lisak wants to change that. He says replacing one of the Soo locks is more important than ever. Thousand foot Super-carriers use the locks to get to Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Lisak says 70 percent of lakers are thousand footers. “With the Poe lock being the only thousand-foot capable lock, if something should happen to that lock, it would almost shut down the port of Duluth/Superior.” 

Replacement of the locks would cost 225 million dollars. Each of the 8 Great Lakes states is supposed to pay part of that cost. Lisak says Wisconsin’s share is 5.8 million. Lisak says legislators from Milwaukee and Green Bay will also understand. “There’s a major project, transportation project, happening in southeastern Wisconsin. It’s called the Marquette Interchange, takes place in Milwaukee. This is our Marquette Interchange, the Soo locks.” Lisak says a breakdown in the locks could cost 200 million dollars per year to the Twin Ports. He also says 2000 jobs are at risk. The next Superior Days meeting is Thursday night at 5 o'clock at the Rothwell Student Center on the UWS campus.

Legal action over power line could begin in Midway Township

SOUL gets some land in power line's path 2/3/2004
The cat and mouse game of legal challenges over the proposed Duluth to Wausau transmission line has a new twist. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

Opposition group SOUL has acquired a small piece of land along the Minnesota path of the line which may force the first legal action over eminent domain. Call it a delaying tactic, but SOUL has a 3/4 acre piece of land in Midway Township near Duluth, smack dab in the transmission line's path. Mark Liebeart of SOUL, which is short for Save Our Unique Lands, says this will force a legal showdown with the builders of the line. "With SOUL owning this, we're guaranteeing it because in no way, shape, or form will SOUL sell a voluntary easement to Minnesota Power, ATC or whoever they're claiming is going to own it. SOUL will make sure we go to court, and make sure that these questions are actually answered." 

Wisconsin-based American Transmission Company along with Minnesota Power in Duluth will build this line. Minnesota Power's Margaret Hudnick doesn't see a problem condemning land for the line. "They can have their contention but our view is that we will be able to do that. That's been our plan for some time. They have their point of view and we've got ours." While ATC hopes to begin building the line in Minnesota this month, Liebeart hopes this small patch of land will be a big pain for the utility. "I don't want to add too much to where it is Mike. We don't know if they've even found it. It could take them several weeks to find it." A court win or loss in this case could set the precedent to what are expected to be many property challenges in northern Wisconsin.

Conceal and carry showdown Tuesday/e-mail threat resolved

Jauch says rhetoric over the top/blames fellow senator 2/2/2004
Rhetoric over the conceal and carry weapons bill is at the boiling point. Mike Simonson reports on one out-of-state e-mail that was turned over to Capital Police.

The e-mail was from Kevin Corbin of Pennsylvania to Democratic State Senator Bob Jauch of Poplar. Jauch is leading the effort to defeat the conceal and carry bill. He says this went over the line. Corbin wrote that Jauch was quoting now "an enemy of the state...a marked man" unquote because of his opposition. Jauch turned the e-mail over to police. "It really became in my estimation the poster child to be opposed to the legislation because if people can be reckless with their rhetoric, they certainly can be reckless with a weapon." 

Jauch called Corbin and got an apology. But he blames his Republican colleague State Senator Dave Zien of Eau Claire for banging the war drum too loudly. "He should be paying attention to the people who live in Wisconsin, 65% of whom oppose this legislation. He should be listening to law enforcement officials, 80% in the state of Wisconsin who oppose the legislation then trying to incite some emotional hype from people who live around the country." For Zien's part, he says in a written statement that the e-mail was not a threat and that Corbin was only talking in common political terms. Capital Police say the e-mail doesn't rise to the criteria of a crime.

Port Wing lawmaker target of gun legislation

Gary Sherman is "under the gun" as a swing vote 1/30/2004
Supporters of Conceal and Carry will try to override a veto Tuesday in the Assembly. That means more non-stop phone calls to one man who many consider a swing vote. Mike Simonson reports.

The office staff at Representative Gary Sherman's office is stressed. The phone is ringing off the hook, voice mail is full, and 500 to 600 e-mails arrive every day from people for and against conceal and carry of weapons. The Port Wing Democrat voted for the bill but won't say how he'll vote when the override attempt hits the Assembly. He says all the attention has not changed his decision. "I'm not being pressured by any public officials. I'm not being pressured by the governor. I'm not being pressured by the NRA. They've never called me, there's just all this e-mail. This has nothing to do with being pressured or anybody directly trying to influence me. I haven't been offered anything. I haven't been threatened." 

One e-mail did get wide circulation among legislators. That was turned over to local police. "Which said 'You understand that if this bill passes, you will be more likely to be assassinated.' Now, I didn't take that as a person telling me that they were likely to assassinate me. I think they were just saying that their perception of the environment was a freer opportunity to carry concealed weapons would expose me to that danger, which I don't believe." Sherman is in the assembly democratic caucus leadership and two months ago said he would not vote to override the governor's veto.

School snow days used up by closings this week

Only two allotted a year in Superior 1/29/2004
Between winter snow and arctic cold, some schools have been closed at least twice this week. Kate Houlihan reports on just what missing all those lessons can mean.

Students have had plenty of time to play this week. Superior School District Transportation Director Thomas Geisler says there are two days built into the school calendar for cancellations. Any other days have to be made up in June. “You know, people complain that we do or do not have school on days like this, and then, at the end of the year we have complaints on how come school runs so late. There is, what you make on one end, you have to make up on the other.” Geisler says last week’s cold temperatures made the district step back and think. Geisler says most of the students didn’t show up last week when excused absences were allowed. This helped spur this week’s decision. 

“We actually visited today’s morning yesterday around noon when we got together and said ‘okay,’ we looked at the weather forecast and we said, ‘okay, let’s visit this for sure.” Geisler says they consider both those students who walk and those students who are bussed when they cancel class. He says even big school busses could keep kids toasty warm. “I have done routes myself and it gets to be comfortably warm with, you know, heaters and students on the bus.” Geisler says each decision to cancel school is made on a case-by-case basis.

Jobless rate jumps in northwestern Wisconsin in December

But there are signs of improvement 1/27/2004
The cold winter months are more severe for folks who lost their jobs in December. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

The unemployment rate for northwestern Wisconsin jumped from 5.1% to 6.3% in December, typical for this time of year. The good news is that jobless numbers are better this year than last year. Douglas County, with the lowest rate in December at 5.4% saw a gain of 450 jobs from a year ago, most from telemarketing, construction and leisure industries. But manufacturing and government jobs are down across the region. Ashland County’s rate of 6.7% rose from November, but is not as high as a year ago when it was 8%. But it’s also no longer among the worst among the northwestern counties. Bayfield, Iron, and Washburn Counties all had higher rates, between 7 and 8 percent jobless. Burnett County had a 5.6% rate, while Sawyer County’s figure was 6.3 in December.

Wrecking ball taken to Superior's Old Central High School

The walls of the former summer White House of Calvin Collidge are coming down 1/23/2004
The demolition of Superior's Old Central High School has begun on its outside. Cold weather is slowing the work, but everything else is on schedule. Kate Houlihan reports.

Bitterly cold temperatures are causing some problems. Superior Schools Director of Buildings Dave Korhonen says the subzero weather means outdoor work can't go on, because of the need to "water." "To keep dust down there's a city requirement that you have the dust kept to a minimum through watering - spraying. Obvious when it's below zero out you're not going to have people working outside." Before the leveling could begin, interior issues had to be dealt with. Korhonen says dealing with the asbestos in the building and mercury in the light fixtures was a matter of logistics. "Mercury is in every florescent light fixture, it's standard. There wasn't any problems. We hired a consultant and did a specification. Put the project out for bid, and both the asbestos and the lamps and ballasts have all been removed." Korhonen says he doesn't for see any other problems that could keep Old Central standing any longer. All work being done during this cold snap is interior.

Folks chip in to help shovel walks in Ashland

Call for help went out, and people answered 1/22/2004
Just in time for this cold snap, a volunteer group in Ashland is helping out senior citizens by shoveling the snow from their sidewalks for free. Tom Mahlen reports.

Clearing a sidewalk after a big snowstorm can be a heavy burden for many senior citizens. That’s why the City of Ashland is helping the elderly by recruiting volunteers to clean up their walkways free of charge. Ashland Director of Public Works Jim Struck says there are many residents who need the service. This is an old community, and there’s a lot of residents that have lived here all their life, and want to stay here. Struck says Ashland has recruited people to shovel walkways in the past. He says this usually happens in March. 

But with a foot of snow already on the ground, the city is starting early. "For the past three years or more, we’ve had very little snow, especially this time of year. We would get hit maybe in late winter, March, April, and then it would start to disappear. So, our snow cover is more at this period of this year than it has been in the past years." Struck says older citizens are very appreciative of the service. He believes the city will continue the service in years to come. Struck says residents who need help shoveling their sidewalks may contact the Public Works Department, or the Ashland senior center. 

Virtual charter school to hold meeting in Superior

Boasts specialty programs for special students 1/21/2004
Area parents may soon have a new way to educate their kids. Kate Houlihan reports on the Wisconsin Connections Academy informational hearing set for Thursday in Superior. 

WCA principal Nichole Schweitzer says the virtual charter school helps kids learn at their own pace with the help of a parent or other adult. She says all types of children fit the mold of this online program. “We have gymnasts, we have actors, we have models, that enjoy this school because the parents know the child is getting a quality education. They know the curriculum is standard based. They know there’s accountability. They have a structured setting, and yet, they can take the curriculum and port it with them as they go to different competitions or different modeling assignments." 

Schweitzer says this school is also good for kids with illnesses, who might not be able to handle a normal school day. An Appleton school district teacher helps each family with the child’s lessons. A computer and internet access fees are provided. Schweitzer doesn’t see this type of school as competing with public schools. She sees them working together. “The charter school fits a specific need. Do some people see the public and the charter as adversaries? Certainly. As more and more school districts look to the formation of charter schools for funding purposes, for need purposes, I think you’re going to see that the public, the traditional public, and the charter schools will become much more of a partnership.” Schweitzer says because the school is so individualized, parents must be willing to invest time and effort in making sure their child does the work. People interested in learning more can attend an information session on Thursday, January 22 from 6:30–8:15 p.m. on the Superior WITC campus.

Extended season going tough: The Speer is stuck in ice

10 other ships backed up on the St. Mary's River 1/20/2004
The 10 day extension of the shipping season has a price: One supercarrier is stuck along the Saint Mary's River. That's backing up 10 other lakers who are also ice bound now. Mike Simonson reports.

The thousand-footer Edgar B. Speer has been ice bound since Sunday night, although the Coast Guard hopes to free her at any time. Vessel Traffic Manager Mark Gill at Sault Saint Marie says up to three feet of broken ice has jammed up the Speer. "Brought in commercial assistance with the Purvis Marine tug "Reliance", Great Lakes Tugs have brought one of their tugs into play. They'll be on scene here very shortly so we're throwing everything we have at it." Sub-zero weather is causing what Gill calls "brash ice" to form after Coast Guard cutters have broken a path for shipping. "It's a daiquiri or slurpee-type consistency of ice, which is very difficult for ship traffic. And that varies in consistency 12 to 36 inches in spots, which make it very, very difficult to navigate." 

Normally the Soo Locks close on January 15 but this year it has been extended 10 days so more iron ore and coal can be shipped to the lower lakes from Duluth-Superior. Gill says this is a good example of why they don't like to run beyond the 15th. "We tried to test Mother Nature and she let us know very quickly when it's time to put it to bed, it's time to put it to bed." Of the 13 ships in the channel, four must continue downbound, drop off their loads, and make it back to Duluth/Superior by next Sunday, when the locks close until late March.

Millions to be paid to local governments from power line

ATC will pay one time fee, then lesser amounts annually 1/19/2004
The builders of the proposed Duluth to Wausau transmission line will pay eight counties and dozens of small towns more than $17 million to use land for the line. Mike Simonson reports.

Since last month's approval by the state Public Service Commission, Mark Williamson of American Transmission Company has been putting on a lot of miles negotiating with local governments. "We need to answer specific questions. They all want maps, now it's time to talk turkey. We'll start negotiations as soon as we get out the information that everybody's asked me for over the next month or two." 

Williamson comes bearing gifts: $17.4 million to counties and local governments. Douglas County will get the most, splitting $3.6 million with nine localities, while Marathon County will get almost $3 million, Rusk County $2.25 million, Sawyer and Clark Counties just under $2 million, with $1.463 million to Washburn County, $1.6 million for Taylor, and $200,000 to Chippewa County. 

Williamson thinks this will ease some of the opposition among county and local boards. "It does. I also think that it's money that's sorely needed by local municipalities so their much appreciative for that part of the statute." But Save Our Unique Lands Board Member Mark Liebeart says these one-time fees shouldn't detract from the other issues in this case. "It is the only incentive for counties. Remember, the counties need money. So how do you make somebody take something that they really wouldn't take? You put a little sugar on it, and that's what they're after on it. They're counting on us to be a little greedy, maybe a little foolish. To think that that money has no strings attached. It does." 

Liebeart says the strings mean reduced property values, less taxable land for counties, so fewer taxes are collected. He says American Transmission Company will recoup its payments from rate payers statewide. "It'll be the entire state will pay a 1% surcharge to build Arrowhead/Weston. If you take that, then put a 1% surcharge on that, you'll come up with $400,000 that will disappear from the (Douglas) county's coffers." 

Meanwhile, American Transmission Company plans to start construction of the line from Duluth to Douglas County later this month. Williamson hopes construction in Wisconsin will begin next fall. Liebaert says if counties deny access as they have in the past, the line will never be built.

Northern Wisconsin astronaut says to keep space exploration

Exclusive interview from Johnson Space Center in Houston 1/15/2004
The Mars rover is sending back clear color pictures of Mars, and President Bush gave his vision for the future of space travel Wednesday. Mike Simonson talked with this region's astronaut.

A new Associated Press Poll says about half of Americans aren't in favor of expensive space stations on the moon or Mars. With the loss of Wisconsin astronaut Laurel Clark onboard the space shuttle Columbia last year, Jeffrey Williams is the state's lone astronaut. Born and raised in Winter, a small town near Hayward, he says it's hard to say what the Mars rover will find. "Or we expect to learn some things and we learn a complete other category of things. There are many cases in history where that has been a turning point in human history." 

Seeing the pictures from Mars gives him mixed feelings. He had hoped to one day go to Mars. "It's going to be the next generation of astronauts who get to do that unfortunately. But it still doesn't diminish the excitement that I share with everybody as I watch these events unfold." Williams is training for a 6-month space shuttle mission to the international space station. Since the space shuttle explosion, Williams says astronauts remain determined to move forward in exploring beyond our planet. "It sort of resets the resolve to go about the business that we've been tasked by our country to do in human exploration of space and doing it safely." 

Williams will be commander of the long duration space station mission, with one of the three crew members a Russian cosmonaut. He expects to go up about a year or so after the next shuttle mission. The next mission hasn't been scheduled yet, but it could come as soon as September.

Governor's town meeting in Superior gets more questions than statements

Small business healthcare was a big topic 1/14/2004
The fourth of seven Governor's Town Meetings around Wisconsin went off with a few hitches in Superior today. Mike Simonson reports that the governor answered more questions than heard proposals.

A packed room of 125 people waited 40 minutes as the governor's plane arrived late. But Superior Mayor Dave Ross wanted to make the trip worthwhile. "Normally cities give gifts to visiting dignitaries and as you know we didn't have any spending increase in the city of Superior." Ross gave Governor Doyle a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss. Healthcare is a vital issue small business owner Scott Carlson of Superior asking for help. Doyle says he'd like small businesses to be able to tap into the large state employees health system to get lower rates. "Huge issue. I mean health insurance for everybody is a huge issue but for many small businesses it's the difference right now with rising healthcare costs of either being profitable or not providing healthcare." 

Doyle says another solution is simple and could bring immediate savings. "Let us buy prescription drugs from Canada (applause)". Doyle says for now, the federal government is fighting his efforts to set up a statewide system to buy prescription drugs from Canada. Doyle is holding these town meetings to get a feel for the state of the state, before he gives his address next week.

Extended shipping season encountering plenty of ice around the Soo

Ice breakers keeping busy on eastern Lake Superior 1/13/2004
A rare extension of the shipping season through the Soo Locks is encountering challenges but ships continue to plow their way from Lake Superior ports to the lower Great Lakes. Mike Simonson reports.

An unusually high demand for domestic iron ore from northern Minnesota and western coal from Montana and Wyoming through Superior caused the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to keep the Soo Locks open an extra ten days... until January 25th. Lake Carriers Association's Glen Nekvasil in Cleveland says this won't become an annual extension. "This is a one-time request. The steel industry had a late surge in 2003, especially seeing the imports on tariffs are gone, take a chance on letting that momentum slip away because 2004 is a whole new ballpark for them. We got to start out with every advantage we can." 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality all had to agree to the extension, since plowing ice flows can cause environmental damage. Neckvasil says ships are encountering plenty of ice with below normal temperatures this month. "Mother Nature has set in. It's definitely winter up there but we have adequate Coast Guard icebreaking resources and the vessels have the hull strength and the horsepower to get through ice. We are hopeful that this extension will enable us to meet the needs of steel producers and power generation." 

The Soo Locks are only used by ships coming to and from Lake Superior. Lake Michigan traffic doesn't need to use the locks to connect with the lower Great Lakes, and runs limited shipping year round.

Beach testing will resume this spring - Aim to find out cause of pollution

Second year of federally funded program may bring answers 1/12/2004
Health officials are wondering how area beaches were contaminated with E. Coli over the summer. The hardest hit of the Lake Superior southshore was Douglas County. Tom Mahlen reports.

Some beaches had to be closed as a result of high levels of the bacteria, but Douglas County health officials say the reason still isn’t clear. Although beaches were monitored in Iron, Ashland, and Bayfield County last spring and summer, Douglas County had the most problems along with Duluth beaches. 

Douglas County Public Health Specialist Vicki Drake and her staff spent the summer studying bacteria levels on 13 beaches along Douglas County’s Lake Superior coast. “We were testing for E. Coli. E. Coli is basically an indicator, that if it is present something disease-causing very easily could be present, and so we did find that in a number of our beaches. We had, I believe, ten closures, and seventeen advisories for the 13 beaches.” 

Drake says the “baseline study” is important because until this year, the beaches haven’t been monitored. “See we never had any numbers to go by—what is normal? We didn’t know what those numbers were. Now what you can do with this year coming up, you can take the first year numbers and compare them with your second year numbers and then start seeing if you can establish patterns.” Drake says the first step in cleaning up the beaches is finding out how they are being contaminated by E. Coli. She says this could be due to people bringing their animals to the beach, runoff from area farms, or people using “cheat pipes.” “We have some individuals who, what they will do, is they will take their septic tank and they’ll put a hole in the end of it, and then they will allow the liquids from that to flow down—put a pipe on it, and then they let it flow down into a creek or ravine. We call those ‘cheat pipes,’ because then you don’t have to worry about pumping out your tank because you’ve just dumped everything down the hillside.” 

Drake says there are still many septic systems in rural Douglas county. She says that when the systems get old they may corrode or crack, allowing sewage to seep out. Drake hopes that next year’s study provides more details as to how E. Coli is reaching the beaches.

Elder abuse often takes the form of theft

Underreported crime is trying to come out of the closet 1/9/2004
Abuse of older people is a problem often swept aside, but more people are now working to prevent this type of abuse from happening. Kate Houlihan reports.

Elder abuse is physical, material, neglect, and self-neglect. Douglas County Aging Resources Center Director Brad Beckman says he’s seeing material abuse, especially when it comes to money. “A lot of the areas we see is a lot of financial exploitation or grandchildren living at their grandparents house, and the abuse that way. Taking money, and things like that.” Beckman says education is critical, and that places like the Aging Resources Center provide that tool. “We get out and have different preventatives at our nutrition sites, we bring it up, we put newspaper articles in, and different commentaries like this explaining to people if they feel there is any abuse going on with their neighbors or family members to get a hold of us and let them know, it’ll be all confidential, and that we will deal with it. We definitely try to make more people aware of it, because no one should be abused.” 

Signs of elder abuse can include withdrawing from groups, not breaking up old routines with activity, and being held back from community participation. Beckman says that it’s hard to deal with this because family can be involved. “It’s a very hard thing to deal with your family, if you feel one of your own family members is taking money from you or taking money from your checking account. So it’s really a hard issue to deal with, and it’s a very hard thing to admit.” Anyone with questions or concerns about elder abuse, or to report cases of abuse, can call the Aging Resources Center at 394-3611.

Schools in Ashland/Bayfield Counties put cops in schools

Battery and drug complaints down 60% 1/8/2004
Local schools are putting police officers in the hallways and students seem to like it. Kate Houlihan reports on the “Cops in Schools” program in Ashland.

For the past eight years, the Ashland school district has had a police officer in its middle and high schools. Sergeant Robert Moore is in his third year as the high school liaison officer. He says the program serves a lot of purposes. “School personnel love it, just for the fact that we’re able to deal with the at-risk kids and build a repartee with them, which carries out onto the street, which makes them feel more comfortable around police officers. And then we also go into the classrooms, like the driver’s ed class, and talk to them about driving citations, safety, and behavior, and the health classes, and drug and alcohol, and both myself and the middle school officer, we teach DARE.” 

Moore says the amount of battery and drug complaints at Ashland High are down 60% over the past eight years. While Moore says it isn’t all due to the presence of police officers, the ability to crack down on problems does help. “The teachers aren’t really able to go hands on with the kids, if they’re out of control, but I can. If they misbehave, if they walk away, I can say ‘No, you’re not walking away from me,’ but the teacher has to call the principal or whatever to deal with the child after the behavior starts.” Moore says kids are enjoying his presence, and they use him for everything from homework to a friendly ear to listen. “When they have to do reports, they come up here and ask me to do the reports with them, if it has to do with law enforcement. They do movies for classes. I’ve gone through pulling kids over in a parking lot being taped and pretending to arrest them. I have an open door policy, and if they just want to come in and talk about anything and everything, they do.” 

Similar programs are in the Bayfield, Butternut-Glidden, and Park Falls school districts. Moore says with concerns over school violence on the increase, more and more schools are turning to cops as part of the answer.

Superior Central grads remember Coolidge and dear old high

Memories still clear of the 1920's 1/7/2004
With the fate of Superior’s old Central High School apparently sealed, two of the school’s graduates remember the days Calvin Coolidge spent there in 1928. Tom Mahlen reports.

Signe Haagenson Larson grew up on a farm in Hawthorne. Her parents were Norwegian immigrants who “learned to speak English by reading the newspaper.” Larson moved to Superior to attend Central High School in 1925, graduating from Central in 1929. “I should have graduated in ’28 because my picture is in there but in April I got scarlet fever and I had to go to the pest house as they called it, and I spent five weeks there.” 

Contrary to what some might think today, the 94 year-old Larson says students in the Roarin’ 20’s weren’t afraid to take a stand on things. “One year, and that was in the spring of the year, we had a walk-out, the students. Because they had elected a woman superintendent and she, evidently, did not get along with the most-loved teacher Lou Lou Dickenson. So she fired her. And everybody went out on strike.” She never met President Coolidge while he spent 100 days here in the summer of ’28. But she did meet some of his security detail. She says they would attend some of the high school dances that summer. 

Larson remembers the day in 1927 when her biology teacher interrupted class to announce that Charles Lindbergh had landed in Paris. “He had a former pupil of his, who also graduated from Central - Leonard Wilson, he brought his pet snakes - aghh! I stood as far away from those as I possibly could. Some kids were holding them. I think there was a boa constrictor—I remember a very big snake.” 

Warren Raaflaub is also 94 years old and as he says, he’s “Worn-out”. Raafflab was married to Larson’s sister Dagne and graduated from Central in 1928. He says the mathematics teacher would use the cathedral being built next to Central in arithmetic exercises. Raaflaub says Superior was the place to be in the roaring twenties. “Superior was very busy. They had, in Allouez, about 700 workin’ on the ore docks. And most of them were farmers from Maple I guess. There was always a job. Well starting first of March you could get a job anywhere in town. Now you can’t find one.” 

Raaflaub recalls his chance encounter with President Coolidge in 1928. “Calvin Coolidge saluted me. In the Boy Scouts I was an instructor that year, I got my Eagle Badge in ’27, and they put me out in charge of the highway at Itasca. And I wandered over to the Depot there and the train stopped, and Calvin Coolidge was on the back platform, saw me in my Boy Scout uniform and he saluted me. So then I saluted him!” Raaflaub says “Silent Cal” was “well-liked” and “generous.” He says Coolidge spent that summer fishing on the Brule River. Both Larson and Raaflaub say they are sad to see Central go. But even so, their memories of their school years will live on.

Circle Wisconsin to advertise for winter tourism up north

New plan ranges from Bayfield to Twin Ports to Hayward 1/6/2004
Chambers of Commerce around northwestern Wisconsin have an idea to promote winter tourism: Make the summer “Circle Wisconsin Tour” a winter attraction too. Mike Simonson reports.

Bayfield Chamber’s Sarah Ahlquist says they’re working with Cable, Madeline Island, Superior, Ashland, Hayward and Rice Lake to get this tour going this winter. Ahlquist says a winter tour may reap many benefits. Circle Wisconsin is a big success in the summer. Ahlquist says Circle Wisconsin offers tours for motorcoach companies around an eight state region attracting empty nesters 45 to 65 years old. 

The much-maligned winter tourism could get a boost this year in northern Wisconsin. Tourist promoters will send off itineraries to motorcoach companies to make the Circle Wisconsin tour more than a summertime event. Ahlquist says they hope to get some of that success this winter, which already needs help for lack of snow in many parts of upper Wisconsin. Ahlquist says the summer northern Circle Wisconsin brings up to seven busloads of people to Bayfield every month with people from all over the country. The northern part of Circle Wisconsin includes Bayfield, Madeline Island, Ashland, Superior, Cable, Hayward, and Rice Lake.

Bergson says Duluth and Superior need to help each other to prosper

Sees cooperation in development, tourism, crime fighting 1/5/2004
For the first time in Wisconsin and perhaps the first time in the nation, one person will be the mayor of two cities in two different states. Mike Simonson reports on new Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson.

It's unusual enough that Detective Herb Bergson will go from his Superior Police squad today to his swearing in across the bridge in Duluth on the same day. But it's even more unusual that he's also the former two-term mayor of Superior serving from 1987 to 1995. Bergson sees this as a chance for two cities that share the same port to put aside long-standing rivalries and work together. "No, we won't go on any raiding missions to Superior/Douglas County. We'll plan on working together with Superior and Douglas County officials." 

In fact, Bergson says he plans to go to Madison for Superior Days in February and meet with Governor Jim Doyle. "Great opportunity for Wisconsin and Minnesota to prove that two cities from two states can and will work together to have regional success." Bergson says the success can include regional economic development and eco-tourism. Already thousands of people who work in Duluth live in Superior and vice-versa. He also hopes Doyle will be a partner in establishing a financial crimes task force to stop identity theft, forgery and fraud. That's a pet project of his. "I guarantee you that we will take a significant bite out of financial crimes in the Twin Ports. There will be some tremendous arrests. There will be great strides made in prevention of fraud crimes in the next year. I absolutely promise it." Bergson says what's good for the people of Duluth is good for the people of Superior.

Sailors get shore leave despite Homeland Security worries

Some concern that seafarers wouldn't be able to leave ships in Twin Ports 1/2/2004
There's concern that new security for ports will mean seafarers may not be able to take shore leave. But the Coast Guard is trying to work out a compromise with dock operators. Mike Simonson reports.

Dock operators had until the end of 2003 to submit security plans to the Coast Guard. With that there's concern by unions, seafarers clergy and clubs that the plans will keep sailors from taking shore leave. But Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Lieutenant Mike Farrell in Duluth says they're encouraging dock operators to coordinate shore leave. "We don't want to infringe on individual's rights but at the same time there may be a certain opportunity in where labor organization reps need to go on board the vessel, seafarers do need to get off and have some quality time ashore to get a break from the vessel." 

That's a relief to The Center for Seafarers' Rights Director Doug Stevenson in New York. "This isn't rocket science. I mean you're working on a ship, you need to get off every once in awhile. It's a very confined close environment and their physical, spiritual, psychological health requires that they get off every once in awhile." Stevenson says sailors can help the Coast Guard keep a watch out for suspicious or terrorist activity, but they need to be treated with respect. "The United States law, international law puts a great deal of emphasis on ships' crews being a vital element on maritime security. Yet when they come to the United States, if they're treated like potential terrorists, then it's kind of discouraging for them to act as they're supposed to in their security responsibilities." Plans submitted by dock operators must be approved by the Coast Guard, and go into effect July first.

Happy 2004 and best wishes from the KUWS Radio News Department

(01/01/2004) Happy New Year to you and your family from the Josh Weir, Kate Houlihan, Tom Mahlen and Mike Simonson. Thanks for your support in the past and the future.

Heightened alert in Duluth-Superior port

More ships to be boarded and inspected by the Coast Guard 12/31/2003
The nation's heightened alert means more patrols by the Coast Guard in Duluth/Superior and less access for people who want to do a little waterfront sight-seeing. Mike Simonson reports. 

Getting port officials or the Coast Guard to talk about security plans is harder than squeezing a secret recipe out of Aunt Alice. Marine Safety Office Lieutenant Mike Farrell in Duluth says more areas are off-limits to the public and the Coast Guard is inspecting and boarding more ships. "We're going through a specific targeting regimen on the vessels entering and also departing the ports of Duluth and Superior. 

Simonson: "How do you target a vessel?"

Lieutenant Farrell: "Well, (hehehe) that information is of a classified nature."

Wisconsin ports generally ship low risk cargo like taconite, coal, grain, and stone. Even so, Duluth-Superior Port's Lisa Marciniak says they have 40 miles of waterfront and 30 docks to make secure. "It's a huge task and especially if you consider that the cargo that moves through the port is low risk but yet because of the new measures that are put into place we will be required to comply with all of those regulations." 

Duluth-Superior and Milwaukee have gotten government grants of $400,000 and $250,000 respectively to shore up their shores. Milwaukee Port Marketing Director Eric Reinelt says that will pay for more gates, fences, lights, guards, surveillance cameras, and less public access. "The details of that still haven't been worked out but it will be a new world for people that want to tour the port anywhere in Wisconsin. They will not have the access they once enjoyed." All U.S. ports have until July to comply with Homeland Security regulations.

Midwest Energy Coal Facility in Superior plans expansion

DNR public hearing set for January 13 12/30/2003
Superior’s large coal facility Midwest Energy is applying for a $2-million expansion. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.

Midwest Energy President Fred Shusterich says they are already operating at its 18-million ton annual capacity. The DNR‘s Mike Ross says the hearing will cover both the construction and operating permits. Ross expects this permit approval to be smooth, since Midwest Energy appears to be meeting all pollution requirements. Midwest Energy has been setting coal shipping records the past few years, but is at its operating capacity. So Shustarich says they need to expand their annual capacity from 18 to 25 million tons of coal a year. 

Midwest Energy hopes to finish its expansion in February. Shusterich says the structure itself won’t be enlarged, and he’s not sure if it’ll mean additional jobs. The hearing is set for January 13 at 6 o’clock at the Douglas County Courthouse.

Generous deer donations in Ashland County by hunters 

Donations go to needy families 12/29/2003
People in Ashland are helping the needy by giving out ground venison. Tom Mahlen reports.

The folks at Pearce’s Sausage Kitchen in Ashland area putting in 12 hour days lately as hunters leave off their deer for processing. A portion of their time is going to help the needy - Pearce’s makes hamburger out of donated deer that will be given out to area food shelves. Owner Gina Pearce says they’ve processed 75 deer for the program. “We’ve probably doubled what we did last year. They’re still coming in for donations because people still have been able to muzzleload. And then they’ll be able to still archery, and we can still take them in until about the end of December.” 

The Bad River Elderly Program is distributing ground venison to elders. 63 year-old elder Clarence Crow volunteers in the program. “You know I think it’s a pretty good program for the elderly people. They eat that deer meat almost all their life you know. And they can’t get out to hunt now, and they make use of it. I ate it all my life. I remember times when we didn’t have nothing to eat and had to go out and get one.” 

Commander of the Ashland VFW Bob Cameron says they have also been giving out the meat to “anyone who needs it.” He believes the need is greater this year than it was last year. “Anyone can come and pick it up at the Veterans Center—it’s open to anybody that has a need.” “They really appreciate it, really appreciate it. Particularly I’ve had a few people that have had heart problems and so forth, you know and this is a very lean meat and it’s great.”

Top regional story of 2003: The Powerline Controversy: KUWS Special tonight: The Top Stories

Starts at 5 o'clock on 91.3FM KUWS 12/26/2003
Special holiday weekend programming continues from the KUWS Radio News Department. The Top Stories of 2003 will air at 5 o'clock this evening, followed by a special edition of "Radio Superior 1939".

At 5:33, a new episode of "Radio Superior 1939" will air. Hosted by Jack McKenna, Lew Martin and Ray Paulsen, "Radio Superior" presents an hour-long special with the top news stories of 1939 and the top sports stories of the 1930's, plus the top nine big band songs of 1939, including the first hits from the Glenn Miller Orchestra. 

Also, top news and feature stories of the year as covered by the KUWS Radio News Department will air weeknights for the next two weeks during 91 Jazz Street at 7:55 and 9:55 p.m. Finally, the most interesting stories of 2003 will air next Friday (Jan. 2) at 5 p.m. in place of the regularly scheduled "Final Edition". Take a look back and enjoy.

Merry Christmas and holiday wishes from the news staff at KUWS 12/25/2003

The best to you and your family this Christmas season. May the spirit of the holiday stay with all of us. From the KUWS News Team: Kate Houlihan, Josh Weir, Tom Mahlen, and Mike Simonson.

Mike Simonson, pictured here with his wife Jennifer, is the KUWS News Director and WPR northern bureau correspondent. He's won more awards than we can fit in our trophy case, the most prestigious being the Edward R. Murrow award for his documentary "Secret Suffering." You can hear his newscasts weekday mornings at 6:30AM and 7:30AM, during the News at Noon, weekday afternoons at 4:30 during Kathleen Dunn's show & 5:00PM during the Duke Skorich Show and on the News at Nine during 91 Jazz St.

Simonson received the Edward R. Murrow award from the hands of veteran newsman, Walter Cronkite in New Orleans. The award is displayed in at WPR headquarters in Vilas Hall, Madison.  Several of Mike's other awards are also displayed there.

"There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities..." -- Edward R. Murrow