News from around Wisconsin at 6:58 p.m. CDT
The center, located in Mauston about 75 miles northwest of
Madison, houses 270 sex offenders who are deemed too dangerous to
be released from state custody after finishing prison terms.
Watters said the center has told the Higher Educational Aids
Board not to send room and board expenses to its address anymore.
He said the center has also required six patients who are taking
distance courses to deposit their financial aid for tuition into
accounts that can be monitored by staff.
“We’ve told them we are not going to allow you to spend this on
non-educational activities anymore,” Watters said. “We wanted to
get control of it before it got out of hand and we were
successful.”
Watters spoke hours after Connie Hutchison, executive secretary
of the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board, downplayed the
scope of the problem in an interview with The Associated Press.
——
More families file claims in Crandon shootings
CRANDON, Wis. (AP) — An off-duty sheriff’s deputy who gunned
down six young people at a late-night party before killing himself
boasted, “I am the cops,” before the rampage, according to claims
seeking millions of dollars in damages filed Monday.
Forest County Clerk Ann Mihalko said 12 notices of claim were
filed with her office — the first step in a possible civil wrongful
death lawsuit alleging negligence by Tyler Peterson’s employers
contributed to the tragedy last October.
Four victims’ estates or parents are seeking money from the
county for their deaths, and the lone survivor is seeking
compensation for his injuries.
Crandon City Attorney Lindsay Erickson said similar claims were
filed with the city.
The local governments can either allow or disallow the claims,
she said. If they are denied, the next step under Wisconsin law
would be a civil lawsuit.
The claims, which named Crandon Police Chief John Dennee and
Forest County Sheriff Keith Van Cleve as defendants, seek a total
of more than $5 million in damages, with several seeking $500,000
plus $5,000 for funeral and burial costs.
The parents seek the money for the loss of their child and
unspecified “emotional and financial harm,” the claims said.
——
Forget polls, buy a mask and predict the election
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Put down the ballot and put on a mask.
A leading costume supply company is selling masks of
presidential candidates, the sales of which it says accurately
predict actual voting results.
BuyCostumes.com released its straw polls — and sales — for the
primaries on Monday. That’s just a day ahead of the Super Tuesday
elections being held in 22 states.
The company, which is considered the leading online-only
retailer of costumes and accessories, started selling eight paper
masks for 99 cents each last week. Each mask sale is tallied as one
vote.
As of late Monday, mask sales for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama
were leading New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s masks 50
percent to 46 percent on the Democratic side. That race, in the
real voting world, is considered a tight one.
For Republican mask sales, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, considered a
longshot in the real race, had 56 percent of sales. Arizona Sen.
John McCain, who has been building political momentum, followed
with 21 percent. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had 13
percent and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee had 5 percent.
Two candidates who dropped out of the race last week –
Republican Rudy Giuliani and Democrat John Edwards — had 5 percent
and 4 percent, respectively.
——
Doyle campaigns for Obama in Kansas
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Jim Doyle is campaigning for Barack
Obama in Kansas along with Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
Doyle participated in stops across the state on Monday in
support of Obama, the Illinois senator running for president
against New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Doyle’s stops included events in Kansas City and Lawrence and
rallies at Kansas University and Washburn College.
The campaign trip comes the day before Super Tuesday, when
primaries and caucuses will be held in more than 20 states,
including Kansas. Wisconsin’s primary is two weeks away on Feb. 19.
Both Doyle and Sebelius have endorsed Obama. Wisconsin Lt. Gov.
Barbara Lawton supports Clinton and is a co-chair of her midwest
campaign.
