Saturday, November 8, 2025
Wisconsin FoodShare recipients received full benefits overnight, Evers administration says
Molly Beck
MADISON - Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents received full food benefits overnight after state officials moved to release the funding late Thursday before the Trump administration sought to block the payments, according to the Evers administration.
More than $104 million in benefits were paid to 337,000 households atgover midnight, a spokeswoman for Gov. Tony Evers said Friday, Nov. 7. The federal funding was distributed after the Evers administration made a request late Thursday.
Federal subsidies for meals have become a flashpoint in the fight between Democrats and Republicans who have been unable to agree on a new bill to fund the government, leading to a federal government shutdown now in its 38th day.
Should the federal shutdown continue into December, Wisconsin and other states will again be facing an end to food assistance payments.
Thursday's release of benefits for recipients of FoodShare, Wisconsin's food assistance program under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the latest development in the saga that has landed in two federal courts.
Funding for SNAP benefits, known as FoodShare in Wisconsin, expired Nov. 1.
Two federal judges issued orders last week to compel the Trump administration to tap into contingency funds to keep SNAP payments moving, but the Trump administration said it would fund only a portion of the benefits.
Doing so would cause long delays, because the systems set up to distribute benefits would need to be overhauled to release a smaller amount.
“The defendants failed to consider the practical consequences associated with this decision to only partially fund SNAP,” U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island said in a Nov. 6 court hearing responding to the Trump administration before ordering the full payments.
“They knew that there would be a long delay in paying partial SNAP payments and failed to consider the harms individuals who rely on those benefits would suffer."
The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to block the order. It's unclear whether the Trump administration could pull back benefits that have already been paid.
The Trump administration said it does not have enough funds to pay full benefits.
"This is a crisis, to be sure, but it is a crisis occasioned by congressional failure, and that can only be solved by congressional action," Trump administration wrote in a court filing seeking the emergency stay.
“This Court should allow USDA to continue with the partial payment and not compel the agency to transfer billions of dollars from another safety net program with no certainty of their replenishment."
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Milwaukee police announce death of beloved retired police dog
Kelli Arseneau
The Milwaukee Police Department announced the death of a beloved retired police dog, Rocky.
"Rocky was a triple threat K9, who was trained in apprehension, narcotics, and firearms detection," a Nov. 7 post on Facebook and X from the Milwaukee Police Department reads. "Rocky enjoyed being around everyone and was often a fan favorite at many of the MPDK9 Foundation events. He loved to 'lean' into anyone that was petting him but was always ready and excited to go to work."
Rocky died Nov. 7, at the age of 14. He was born on March 12, 2011, in Germany, and worked with the Milwaukee Police Department for nearly eight years, from June 2012 through January 2020, according to the department's social media post.
Rocky became the family dog for the family of his handler, Officer Shawn Burger.
"He enjoyed his days dancing with his human brother, splashing in his pool and laying in the sun in the backyard," the post reads.
"We wanted to spend the rest of our lives with you, but instead we are deeply honored knowing you spent the rest of your life with us," a statement from Burger and his family reads.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.
First snow of the season expected Southeast Wisconsin this weekend
Milana Doné
RACINE — Racine can expect a taste of winter this weekend as the first snowfall and freezing temperatures of the season move into the area.
Michaela Heeren, a National Weather Service meteorologist at the Milwaukee/Sullivan station, said a trail of potential snowfall will travel from southern Minnesota through southern Wisconsin and possibly stretch into parts of northern Illinois.
Southeast Wisconsin will start to see snowflakes Saturday evening, which will last into Sunday morning. The initial stages will be a mix of rain and snow.
Then, as temperatures fall overnight, the mix will transition into snowfall.
Snowfall totals are expected to range between a trace and a couple hundredths of an inch, Heeren said.
“We’re not really looking at anything sticking on roads or anything impactful necessarily,” Heeren said. “It’s mainly going to be grassy and elevated surfaces because we have had such warm conditions up until this point.”
Heeren said she doesn’t expect roads to be icy because ground surface temperatures will still be in the mid-30s.
While the snowfall won’t be substantial, Heeren does recommend taking precautions.
“If you have some travel plans during the overnight hours on Saturday, you might see some visibility decreases,” she said. “Definitely take extra caution when you’re going over bridges … because those do freeze before the roads.”
Although this is the first wintery weather the area has seen this season, Heeren said things will warm up again next week with highs in the 40s and maybe low 50s.
This is definitely a very typical Wisconsin late fall, early winter snowfall, she said.
Friday, November 7, 2025
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Legislature launches audit of DPI licensing processes following criticism
KIMBERLY WETHAL
Lawmakers will audit the state Department of Public Instruction’s process for granting and revoking licenses for educators as the criticism over how the agency investigates cases of teacher misconduct continues.
The Legislature’s joint audit committee voted unanimously Wednesday to task the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau with investigating nearly a dozen aspects of DPI’s licensing process, including how it investigates allegations of educator misconduct, the steps it takes to revoke or suspend licenses and if the department is following its state laws and its own policies as it does so.
The audit follows an October investigative report by The Cap Times that found that, between 2018 and 2023, DPI investigated about 200 public school teachers, substitutes, aides and administrators for alleged sexual misconduct or grooming behaviors toward students.
Republican lawmakers in particular have homed in on the report, stating DPI’s offers of voluntary revocation early in the investigation process is evidence they don’t investigate incidents fully.
DPI officials, including State Superintendent Jill Underly, said the license investigation process is transparent and the agency does not seek to hide any information from the public. Rather, DPI officials argue, there’s gaps in state law making it harder to hold accountable the people who are "grooming” children, widely known as courting a child’s favor and affection for eventual sexual gain, as well as other legal limitations the agency faces in investigating accused staffers.
Underly said Tuesday there’s room for improvement, though, and said the agency is working on creating a specific database where the public can search for suspended or revoked licenses. Future iterations could include reasons why an educator had their license revoked.
Underly told lawmakers Wednesday she thinks the department could supply all of the data the audit bureau will be seeking.
Earlier this week, lawmakers introduced two bills that would define an umbrella of behaviors that constitute grooming and would require school boards to set limitations on how staff communicate with students.
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Teachers Gone Wild: Wisconsin legislation defines sexual grooming in wake of report on DPI's handling of teacher misconduct
Molly Beck
MADISON - The sexual grooming of children would be a felony crime in Wisconsin under a new bill from Republican lawmakers.
The proposal comes as State Superintendent Jill Underly is under scrutiny over how the state education department handles allegations of grooming and sexual misconduct by licensed school staff.
The focus comes after the Capital Times reported on 200 cases of such incidents since 2018, including instances of teachers who were able to later reapply for a license.
The details of the cases were not proactively made public beyond being made available for review for anyone who files a request under the state's public records law.
A new bill authored by Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, and Sen. Jesse James, R-Thorp, defines grooming in state law — a move law enforcement, Gov. Tony Evers and Department of Public Instruction officials have said would help to go after culprits.
"As a mom, I know the extent of trust that parents place in the people who care for their children," Nedweski said in a statement. "When that trust is betrayed and those adults prey on our children’s innocence, the consequences should be severe and certain."
The proposal bans anyone from engaging in "a course of conduct, pattern of behavior, or series of acts with the intention to condition, seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a child" for the purpose of engaging in sexual intercourse or sexual contact, or to create and distribute child pornography. The draft bill provides examples of such behavior that could constitute grooming, including "verbal comments, suggestions, or conversations of a sexual nature," "inappropriate or sexualized physical contact," or "written, electronic, or digital communications" aimed at seducing, soliciting, luring, enticing or isolating a child.
If convicted, a person could face between 10 and 25 years in prison, depending on who the person is to the child and whether the child has a disability, among other factors that could increase penalties. Those convicted of grooming would be required to register with the Department of Corrections as a sex offender.
According to an analysis from the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau, the crime does not apply to a person who is 18 or under if it involves a child who is not more than four years younger than the person unless theviolation involves force, coercion, or abuse of a position of trust or authority over the child.
James, a Cadott police officer, said the stories detailed in the Capital Times story prompted him to pursue the legislation.
"While I am proud to join my colleagues in authoring this bill, I am disgusted by the stories that have made legislation like this so necessary," he said.
Since the Capital Times story was published last month, Republican lawmakers have called on Underly to overhaul the DPI's approach to investigating teacher licensing to be more transparent. One Republican candidate for governor called on Underly to resign.
Underly has disputed some of the reporting and has asked the publication for a public correction.
Lawmakers on Oct. 23 held a public hearing in the state Capitol to hear testimony from Kenosha law enforcement officials about their experience with investigating such situations and to question DPI officials about their actions to keep dangerous teachers away from children.
Members of the committee from both political parties criticized Underly for choosing to accept an alumni award at Indiana University instead of appearing before the committee to answer questions about student safety for the public that have arisen because of the Capital Times reporting.
Chris Bucher, a spokesman for DPI, said in response to the criticism that Underly "takes the responsibility of protecting Wisconsin students seriously."
"She is willing to discuss licensing processes that protect students and to engage in constructive discussions on how to strengthen those protections further," Bucher said at the time.
Bucher did not immediately say whether Underly supported the new bill. A spokeswoman for Evers did not immediately say whether he would sign the proposal into law.
On Oct. 28, Evers told reporters a bill to define grooming in state law would help to deter offenders.
"(If) they come up with a way to define grooming that gives lawmakers or gives police officers and local people a way to (address it)? Well, that would be a huge thing," Evers said. "I don't think it exists in many places in the country, so we'll just continue to do the best we can to make sure that kids are taken care of. But this issue is really difficult because there's no really good definition of what's grooming, and that's the basis of it."
The proposal is being circulated among lawmakers for co-sponsorship and has not yet been formally introduced.
Nedweski and state Sen. Romaine Quinn, R-Birchwood, also have drafted a second proposal that would require school boards to develop policies on appropriate communication between students and school staff or school volunteers during the school day or outside of school hours.
Laura Schulte of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.
Drone technology helping MPPD operate faster, safer
Milana Doné
MOUNT PLEASANT — The Mount Pleasant Police Department has upgraded its drone program to facilitate speed and efficiency within the department.
In late 2024, Spectrum and local law enforcement agencies discussed the benefits of drones, including quickly and efficiently conducting search and rescue, locating missing persons, photographing and mapping crime scenes, providing situational awareness during special events and aiding in the apprehension of subjects.
Spectrum donated $11,600 to the department earlier this year for the purchase a drone for outdoor use.
The new drone, which replaced a first-generation model, features a wide-angle and zoom camera, as well as infrared and thermal imaging.
During a demonstration Oct. 29, Chief Robert Botsch cited the drone’s maximum speed of 51 mph.
“In public safety, seconds matter,” Botsch said. “Drones provide officers the ability to get immediate eyes on a problem or concern and provide instant feedback to the officers.”
The department also has two indoor drones, which were purchased over the summer.
The drones are used during special events, for locating a missing person and for clearing buildings prior to officers entering.
During the demonstration, the outdoor drone was able to find an actor in a nearby field using thermal imaging despite the person blending in with the tall grass.
An officer at the police department was able to see the image from the drone and communicate with an officer and K9 about the actor’s location.
A handful of MPPD officers are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate the outdoor drone and others are being trained. The department hopes to to have a dozen officers who are FAA certified.
The Racine County Sheriff’s Office and Caledonia Police Department also have the same model of outdoor drone, so the agencies can work together.
“When yours comes down, if you have a partnership with somebody else, theirs goes up and you overlap,” Botsch said. “We recently worked with Caledonia on that where I knew ours had to come down so Caledonia put theirs up about two minutes before ours came down, and we never lost coverage.”
Drones for interior use are much smaller, lighter and do not require FAA certification, so more officers will be trained to operate them.
Drones are an extension of the police, meaning officers still need consent or a search warrant to send a drone into a home, Botsch said.
“Using drones to enter uncleared, high-risk areas helps identify concealed threats in advance of police K9s and officers entering the room, minimizing risk,” Botsch said. “Bottom line: we can cover more ground from the air than we can with an officer on foot or in a car. This technology helps us to be faster, smarter and safer, which ultimately makes us better.”
Monday, November 3, 2025
Trump administration says it will restore partial SNAP funding for programs like Wisconsin's FoodShare
Molly Beck
MADISON - The Trump administration said Monday it would provide partial funding for food assistance programs that are set to go dormant while the federal government shutdown continues.
The administration reversed itself on whether to release the funding after two federal judges ruled it must use contingency funds to pay for benefits for food programs, including Wisconsin's FoodShare, while the government remains shut down.
It was not immediately clear how the partial payments would be distributed in Wisconsin. A spokeswoman for Gov. Tony Evers did not immediately return a phone call from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In Wisconsin, about 700,000 Wisconsinites receive benefits from the state program known as FoodShare. As of September, the benefits totaled $115.8 million. About 270,000 recipients are children.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture initially advised that $3 billion in contingency funding could be used for administrative costs and benefit payments in the event of a shutdown. But then on Oct. 24, the agency issued a new memo saying funding cannot legally be used for such purposes.
Attorneys general in 25 states, including Wisconsin, and a group of city officials and nonprofit groups filed two lawsuits to compel the Trump administration to use the available funding. The federal judges overseeing those lawsuits sided with the plaintiffs.
Evers on Friday declared a state of emergency in Wisconsin over the FoodShare funding lapse, directing state officials to police price gouging and to suspend state rules that he says would hinder the state's response.
Evers' office said that, unlike in other states, the Wisconsin governor cannot unilaterally spend state funds on federal programs that do not already have an appropriation.
State lawmakers must vote to create an appropriation to direct state funds to the program, or expand an existing appropriation, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Republican leaders of both legislative houses have indicated they are not supportive of the idea.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.
Racine police investigating two fatal weekend shootings
Milana Doné
RACINE — The Racine Police Department is investigating two homicides that occurred over the weekend.
About 4:17 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to the 400 block of 10th Street after a report of shots fired.
At the scene, officers learned that a 26-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound had arrived at Ascension All Saints Emergency Room.
The man died as a result of his injuries.
About 5:28 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to the 1100 block of Washington Avenue after a report of shots fired.
They found man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was taken to Ascension All Saints Emergency Room, where he died as a result of his injuries.
RPD is asking anyone with additional information about these incidents to call the Investigations Unit at 262-635-7756.
Those who wish to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers at 262-636-9330 or through the P3 Tips app.
Sunday, November 2, 2025
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