MADISON - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials plan to ask their board for permission to tighten restrictions on firewood movement.
Current DNR rules prohibit people from bringing firewood onto state property that isn't certified as treated for disease, came from outside the state or came from further than 25 miles away.
DNR foresters now want to amend those rules to ban firewood from further than 10 miles away and lift the out-of-state prohibition.
They say the 10-mile boundary will slow the spread of invasive species such as the emerald ash borer and make the out-of-state ban unnecessary.
DNR officials plan to ask the Natural Resources Board at an Oct. 24 meeting in Madison for permission to draft the new regulations.
(Copyright 2012 Associated Press - All Rights Reserved)
LAC DU FLAMBEAU - People from all over the Northwoods celebrated Earth Day today. Students at Lac du Flambeau school participated in a natural resources fair today.
Classes, groups and individual students submitted projects to be judged. By doing the projects they learned the importance of Earth Day.
“Polluting could harm the earth and if that harms the earth later on we won't have a better earth to do stuff on like camping, or fishing, hiking and taking walks,” says Sky Risingsun, a Lac du Flambeau student.
35 projects were judged in the science competition. Each student was given a white spruce seed to take home and plant in their own yard.
“It's a white spruce which is a native tree to this area,” says Bryan Hoover, Lac du Flambeau Energy and Air Quality Coordinator. “We've got almost 500 of them and every student is going to take one home so that they can pick a spot in their yard to plant the new tree and watch that tree grow as it matures.”
MERRILL - A Merrill man will face charges in connection to his daughter’s false cancer claim.
Police believe 57-year-old Edmund Winchell took advantage of businesses by asking for donations and putting out collection containers at their stores.
His daughter 19-year-old Celina Winchell posted statuses on Facebook late last year saying she had cancer.
A pizzeria employee in Wausau saw the post and offered to put a donation jar at the store. The problem is Winchell never had cancer. She faces two charges in Marathon County.
Her father Edmund Winchell now faces 18 charges including obstructing an officer and false representation.
The criminal complaint shows the family was having financial problems.
MADISON - An aide to a Wisconsin lawmaker says Gov. Scott Walker intends to sign a bill that would put outside agencies in charge of investigating officer-involved deaths.
Craig Trost, an aide to Rep. Chris Taylor, says in an email that Walker's office notified Taylor's office that he plans to sign the bill Wednesday.
Taylor, a Madison Democrat, and Rep. Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay, developed the legislation in response to three high-profile deaths in the last 10 years. None of those incidents resulted in criminal charges.
Supporters say the new requirements will counter claims that police protect their own from consequences of using deadly force. But police observers say the bill could create conflict and confusion for Wisconsin agencies that have traditionally done the investigations themselves.
The bill passed the Legislature earlier this year.
Cooking for people with multiple, chronic health conditions
Submitted: 04/22/2014
MINOCQUA - For people struggling with chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease, cooking can be a challenge.
But being careful with how you cook doesn't mean your meal has to be bland.
One dietician teaches the "Cooking for Multiple Diseases" class at Nicolet College in Minocqua.
People taking her class need help finding the best recipes for their conditions.
"Maybe they have diabetes and their spouse has heart disease. Or other people in the family may have a different disease," said Mary Sikora-Petersen, a Registered dietician. "They want to know, how [to] cook a meal that's going to be for everybody in the family."
Petersen also stresses the importance of using healthier ingredients without losing flavor. One way to do that is by using seed-based seasonings and avoiding too much salt.
"[Add] flavors to food without adding salt. Certainly, salt adds flavor," said Petersen. "But there are other ways to add flavor, such as adding ground seasonings, adding fresh herbs to the foods."
Petersen also recommends using light olive oils and whole wheat products.
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