NORTHWOODS - Most Wisconsinites wished they saved more. Part of the problem is a lack of education about personal finance. But some local high schools are hoping to change that for the next generation.
Jake Richards teaches personal finance at Lakeland Union High School. He believes better technology has improved the curriculum, specifically the website "Next Gen Personal Finance". He loves it for its help inside and outside the classroom. Richards is hopeful new resources like Next Gen will help not just finance students, but also finance teachers.
"I think that as all the financial literacy teachers are able to build on each other [with Next Gen, financial literacy] will come to let's say a science or a math teacher," said Richards.
State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski said a reason for state financial literacy shortcomings is a lack of quality education in the past.
"One of the critical barriers for financial literacy in whether that elementary, middle, or high school is that teachers don't even feel comfortable teaching some of this stuff," said Godlewski.
Godlewski said a course for teaching teachers about personal finance could help. Northland Pines Principal Dan Marien would support Godlewski's course for teachers.
"If we do that through educating our staff members through professional development on financial literacy, I do believe that's going to have a positive impact on our students which is the ultimate reason why we're here," said Marien.
Lakeland teaches an eight-week course. At Northland Pines, the course is 18 weeks. Seven out of every ten school districts in Wisconsin require a personal finance class. That's up from 44 percent in 2013.
MERRILL - Strawberry farmers wait all year long for three weeks each summer when their crops will be ready to harvest. Bad weather across the Midwest this spring left those producers behind schedule.
Mike Matushak with Engelberry Farm in Merrill says the strawberry harvest in Southern Wisconsin usually come sooner than it does in the North. Producers a little further south in Waupaca already rang in their harvesting season with a strawberry festival Saturday.
MADISON - Madison police are investigating the death of a 60-year-old woman who fell into a pond.
Police Chief Mike Koval says the victim's boyfriend called around 8:30 Saturday night to report he was unable to pull her out of the pond. Rescuers arrived within minutes and gave the woman CPR, but could not revive her.
MADISON - Democratic legislators are complaining that their Republican colleagues didn't give advance notice to them or the Madison Police Department about a proposed security study of the state Capitol that would require the department's involvement.
The state's budget committee adopted the measure Tuesday along party lines. The full Legislature and governor haven't approved the study, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
WAUSAU - You might see softball, live music, and a polka-themed church service driving down Bridge Street in Wausau this weekend. The award-winning St Anne Fest is back in town.
"It's a big three day event," said John Lang, one of the organizers. "We have great music, good food, softball games, dart tournaments going on. We have all kinds of events that bring in the community."
The annual festival is famous for its egg rolls and fresh deep-fried cheese curds. Ten thousand dollars in cash prizes well be raffled off on Sunday.
Michele Norrbom said the event is really a celebration of everything Wausau.
EAGLE RIVER - Families shower dads with gifts, love and maybe even a surprise breakfast on Father's Day.
The Rock Mission Center in Eagle River combined all three off those for families in their community this morning.
"Can't think of a better thing to sell fathers than that love that you would have with your father on father's day at breakfast," event organizer Joe Jovanovic said.
The pancake spread was inspired by Cory Meyer who brought a special meaning to the meal.
"Pancakes are a big thing in my family," Meyer said. "My grandpa passed away back in 2010 and his last dinner was pancakes. That led to a poem 'Pancakes In Heaven' which is in honor of him that turned into a magazine which now goes to nursing home shut-ins, veterans and prisoners."
Meyer's poem motivated the Rock Center to find their own message for Father's this year.
"Mothers are the love and nurture in the home. I think the Fathers are the hope portion because when a child really needs something that a dad can give, it's hope," Jovanovic said.
Jovanovic shared his own personal connection to the meaning of hope.
"This is superman's family crest and on the planet Krypton this stands for hope. That's the rock, love and hope," Jovanovic said.
And to all the fathers out there...
"Thank you for everything, because that's exactly where it all comes from."
The Rock Mission Center hosts dozens of events every month.
MINOCQUA - Jacob Rademacher of Minocqua got his first dog, a chocolate lab, a little over a year ago.
"I told myself I would do competitions with her, but I just didn't know what," said Rademacher. "And when this came up I was like 'sure, let's do it'."
"This" being DockDogs - an aquatic sport for dogs with three disciplines, including Speed Retrieve.
"It's how fast they can run, jump and swim to the end of the pool and retrieve a bumper," said DockDogs announcer Jared McMahon.
Dozens of dog and handler teams competed in the timed event at Torpy Park Sunday, Rademacher and his dog Ky being one of them.
Kylan Juhl and her dog Etsy came from Iowa for DockDogs.
"It's a lot of fun for me and the dogs," said Juhl. "On hot days it provides a chance to kind of cool off. You also get to meet a bunch of new people."
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