Investigative Reporter
Recent Stories
Legislative audit finds nearly $1B DOT accounting error
Lawmakers call for more auditors amid ongoing deficiencies
Wisconsin’s annual audit of state finances has revealed a nearly $1 billion accounting error at the Department of Transportation, as well as ongoing information technology security deficiencies and statutory noncompliance at the Department of Administration.
Federal jury convicts Dugan in immigration case
Milwaukee judge could get 5 years on felony conviction
A federal jury has convicted Milwaukee County circuit judge Hannah Dugan of felony obstruction of federal immigration agents. Authorities accused Dugan of interfering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they attempted to arrest an illegal immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, at the Milwaukee County courthouse. Flores-Ruiz has since been deported.
Zoning committee votes to extend permits to three years
Supervisors would tighten rules on outstanding violations
The Oneida County planning and development committee has voted unanimously to change the county’s zoning ordinance to address practical delays faced by property owners during construction, as well as to tighten rules that enable zoning scofflaws to continue obtaining zoning permits.
Zoning committee votes to extend permits to three years
Supervisors would tighten rules on outstanding zoning violations
The Oneida County planning and development committee has voted unanimously to change the county’s zoning ordinance to address practical delays faced by property owners during construction, as well as to tighten rules that enable zoning scofflaws to continue obtaining zoning permits.
Evers vetoes bill to allow new cigar bars
Supporters: Ban on new lounges is a state-sanctioned monopoly
Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed a bill that would have allowed new cigar and pipe-smoking lounges to open in Wisconsin for the first time since the state’s indoor smoking ban took effect almost 17 years ago.
WisconsinEye warns of shutdown without emergency aid
Nonpartisan network is a victim of plummeting philanthropic giving
It’s an unusual display of bipartisan agreement, but in Wisconsin both conservatives and progressives have, over the years, heaped generous helpings of praise on WisconsinEye, the state’s nonpartisan public-affairs network that has provided unfiltered coverage of state government for nearly two decades.
Corruption of science, or return to scientific inquiry?
Johnson hearing probes suppression of vaccine studies
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s shift in vaccine guidance has renewed a national debate over the degradation of scientific integrity, but the core charge itself — that science has been corrupted by special interests — has been made for years by vaccine skeptics and other opponents of the scientific establishment, albeit with far less media attention.
County under fire for delayed plowing after holiday snow
Hegeman blames equipment failure, inexperience, scheduling decisions
A Thanksgiving snowfall that many area residents viewed initially as a “winter wonderland” quickly turned into countywide frustration and anger as many county roads remained unplowed well into Friday after a snowfall that dumped about 7.2 inches on the Minocqua area Wednesday evening and Thursday, Nov. 26 and 27.
Assembly advances school consolidation package
GOP says plan addresses declining enrollment
The state Assembly approved this week a package of bills aimed at incentivizing school district consolidation. In deliberations, Republican supporters argued that the measures give districts new tools to address long-term enrollment declines, while Democratic lawmakers criticized the bills as a push to close public schools.
Oneida County reports low turnover rates
Human Services gets help amid ongoing software problems
Oneida County’s personnel ledger has been steady as she goes in 2025, with a relatively high employee retention rate and a low turnover rate, even as the county’s Human Services Department sought approval for additional limited-term employee hours to address continuing problems with its electronic health records system.