MADISON - More bad news for former Olympic track star Suzy Favor Hamilton. The Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday their female athlete of the year award will no longer be named after her.
In December, the Smoking Gun website first reported Suzy had worked as a $600-an-hour Las Vegas escort. She described it as a "coping mechanism" tied to depression and other issues.
Just days later, the Wisconsin Potato and Vegtable Growers Association dropped Favor Hamilton as their spokesperson.
Suzy, who is 44, competed in three Olympic games. She was also the Big Ten's female athlete of the year in 1988.
RHINELANDER - You’ll jump, twist, twirl, and for an entire hour you won't stop dancing.
“Once the music starts we all come alive and we just keep going until it ends again,” says instructor Val Foley.
Welcome to Val Foleys Zumba Class at the Northwoods YMCA. Where the energy is high, and the sweat keeps dripping.
“Definitely like the first couple of songs it’s just dripping off so its good, you don’t even really feel like you’re exercising which is good,” says class member Angela Kirkham.
Since the 90’s Zumba has evolved from a Latin dance into an exercise class.
“It just gets you going gets your blood pumping and you just we’re hooting and hollering and just kind of being ourselves,” says class member Veronika Baron.
It’s a good time, and it’s also a great workout.
“Just knowing that I’m doing something good for myself burning calories and keeping healthy,”says Baron.
If you’re interested in taking Val’s Zumba class you can stop by the YMCA of the Northwoods Friday mornings at 6 a.m.
MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill that would restrict public access to a potential iron mine site in northern Wisconsin.
Gogebic Taconite is looking to dig a 4{-mile long open-pit mine in the Penokee Hills east of Mellen. About 3,500 acres around the site in the Penokee Hills east of Mellen is open to the public through the state's managed forest program. The company fears protesters are taking advantage of that access to harass mine workers as they conduct mineral sampling and other tests.
The Republican bill creates 600-foot restricted zones around mining equipment and roads at the site.
Walker's office released a statement Thursday saying the governor had signed the measure. The statement said the bill focuses on the health and safety of site visitors and mine workers.
MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker has signed into law a bill that creates a new open crossbow season to run concurrently with the archery deer season.
Crossbow hunting had been allowed only for those over age 65 and those with physical disabilities. Under the new law, hunters of all legal ages and physical abilities can use crossbows to hunt deer and other smaller animals including rabbits and coyotes.
The crossbow season will be the same as the archery deer season, which runs from mid-September until the end of November or beginning of December, depending on the year.
Creating the new crossbow season ran into some opposition from traditional bow-and-arrow hunters who worried that allowing a crossbow would taint archery hunting. Walker signed the bill on Tuesday.
MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill aimed at curbing underage drinking.
The so-called ``Brown Jug bill'' creates an additional $1,000 fine for those under age 21 who buy or drink alcohol.
The measure gives bars the ability to report underage drinkers to police and then take them to court.
The underage drinker would be required to pay the business owner $1,000 if found guilty. The fine would be in addition to the $250 to $1,000 fine an underage drinker would receive from law enforcement.
The Capital Times (http://bit.ly/1dak7QJ ) reports the Tavern League of Wisconsin is pleased with Walker's decision to sign the bill.
Opponents say fines were already in place for underage drinkers.
The bill is named after an Alaskan bar that had a similar law passed.
PELICAN - Pelican Elementary school will close Friday because of sickness at the school.
The school made the announcement Thursday.
Kerri Schmidt, School Nurse for the School District of Rhinelander, says she's mostly seen vomiting, nausea and headaches.
But some of those affected are showing other flu like symptoms like high fever.
"It's been cold out, kids haven't been able to get out for recess and we had concerts here." Schmidt said. "So anytime you get a large number of people getting together and the right transmission takes place, you certainly can have the breeding grounds for illness."
The school started seeing lots of kids sick Wednesday. They decided to cancel school Friday because even more kids were getting sick Thursday. All co-curricular activities are canceled in conjunction with this school closure.
The decision was ultimately a joint decision between the School District of Rhinelander and the Oneida County Health Department.
"We try to keep the healthy kids at school and send the sick children home," Schmidt said. "But when your whole day becomes continue more sick kids going home, you know the transmission is still taking place."
The school hopes the three day weekend will help stop the spread of the sickness. About 30 percent of the school's 295 students are sick.
Parents should keep their kids home at least 48 hours after showing the first signs of symptoms.
This is the first time since 2002 that a Rhinelander school has shut down because of sickness.
To stop the spread of illness people should: • Drink plenty of liquid (juice, water) • Keep the sick person as comfortable as possible. Rest is important • For fever, sore throat and muscle aches, use ibuprofen (Motrin) or Acetaminophen (Tylenol). Do not use Aspirin with children or teenagers; it can cause Reye’s syndrome, a life-threatening illness. • Be sure everyone in your home washes their hands frequently. • Keep the people who are sick away from the people who are not sick.
For more information, call your healthcare provider or contact the Oneida County Health Department at 715-369-6111.
RHINELANDER - Many veterans are not eligible for full dental coverage.
But a new VA healthcare program is changing that.
Veterans who don’t have dental insurance can now join a new program that will give them coverage.
The VA partnered with insurance companies MetLife and Delta Dental.
Brad Nelson is the public information officer for the VA in Iron Mountain.
"About 90 percent of our veterans who are enrolled in VA healthcare, are not eligible for VA dental care directly, like we mentioned," said Nelson. "So that's why this insurance program would be a very good option for them if they don't already have dental insurance."
The new program allow veterans can work directly with the two insurance companies for the best coverage plans.
The closest full-care VA hospital is in Iron Mountain.
The program will cut down on travel time for veterans by helping them find a dentist who will accept their new insurance plan closer to home.
"Taking control of your healthcare is actually one of the messages that the VA wants to come across to our veterans, including dental care," said Nelson. "Again, we want recognize at the VA that oral health can impact a person's overall health."
The program will get vets a reduced monthly cost for the insurance.
Coverage goes into effect January 1st.
For additional information, visit the VA Healthcare website.
ACROSS WISCONSIN - Gov. Scott Walker has signed into law a Republican-sponsored bill that gives landlords more power over tenants.
The bill Walker signed privately Thursday allows landlords to dispose of any property an evicted tenant leaves behind, immediately tow parked vehicles and toss tenants out if a crime occurs on the property and the tenant was in a position to prevent it.
Democrats who opposed the measure argued that it strips tenants of their rights and limits local governments' control over property in their jurisdiction.
The bill was opposed by the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the cities of Milwaukee and Madison as well as the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and others.
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