MADISON - The state Supreme Court says government entities can't charge the public for redacting confidential information from records.
The ruling settles a dispute between the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper and the Milwaukee Police Department.
The newspaper sued the department after the agency charged it thousands of dollars to cover staff time spent redacting information from hundreds of reports the newspaper had requested.
Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson wrote in a ruling released Wednesday that charging such fees equates to denying access to government records.
She went on to say Wisconsin's open records law allows record custodians to charge for reproducing, photographing, locating and shipping records.
Redacting information doesn't fit into any of those categories.
A message left at the Milwaukee city attorney's office wasn't immediately returned.
(Copyright 2012 Associated Press - All Rights Reserved)
MADISON - Governor Walker hopes greater walleye numbers can help boost state tourism.
Walker announced a nearly 13-million dollar effort to boost walleye production.
The plan would allow the state to borrow millions to expand hatcheries.
It would also give several million in grants for private walleye production plants.
The plan also includes money for aquaculture work, buying fingerlings from private vendors, and expanding a program that gives tribal youth jobs on natural resources-related projects.
EAGLE RIVER - The initiative will help to rebound what's thought of as a suffering walleye population by adding hundreds of thousands of the fish to Wisconsin lakes.
The project could improve fishing for the state's most popular game fish and tourism in the state. George Langely, a local fishing guide at Eagle Sports bait shop in Eagle River, says walleye fishing isn't what it used to be.
"The walleye population has pretty much suffered in the last twenty years and it's really nice to see Madison recognizing that and taking some steps to do something about it. It will take a while but it's a great start."
DNR raises bag limits on hundreds of northern Wisconsin lakes
Submitted: 05/23/2013
MADISON - Wildlife officials have increased daily walleye bag limits for anglers as Wisconsin Chippewa spearfishing winds down.
The state Department of Natural Resources has raised limits on 423 lakes in the ceded territory, a swath of northern Wisconsin the tribes gave to the government more than a century ago. The rules include a five-walleye limit on 289 lakes, a four-walleye limit on three lakes, and a three-walleye limit on 131 lakes.
RHINELANDER - Rhinelander needs new businesses to fill empty stores downtown.
This past weekend 26 properties had an open house. It was organized by Downtown Rhinelander, Inc. (DRI) and Flanders Reality Group. Finding the right home for a business can be hard. But the event tried to help those on the hunt.
"This way, you know, your here, you look, your able to talk to someone who knows the property. And you can really make a really good decision right now today," said Maggie Steffen, DRI Executive Director.
WAUSAU - If you drink and drive, don't expect to get away with it. Especially when you've already been caught seven other times. A Weston man is facing his eighth drunken driving charge.
Twenty-nine year-old Cole Knapp appeared in Marathon County Court today. Prosecutors say an officer tried to pull Knapp over for a traffic violation May 11 when Knapp took off.
Knapp eventually stopped and got out of his vehicle with his hands in the air.
During a background check, Knapp fled on foot and was arrested a short time. He has seven previous OWI convictions dating back to 2002 in Bayfield, Ashland, Lincoln and Marathon counties.
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