ELECTION 2020-AUDITS-WISCONSIN

Wisconsin’s largest cities targeted in 2020 election probe

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The mayors of Wisconsin’s five largest and most Democratic cities are starting to receive subpoenas as part of a Republican-ordered investigation into the 2020 presidential election being led by a retired state Supreme Court justice. Attorney Michael Gableman issued his first round of subpoenas last week to the Wisconsin Elections Commission and officials in the cities of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine and Kenosha. Gableman also subpoenaed the mayors of those five cities on Tuesday and Wednesday. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Gableman also admitted to not understanding how elections work. 

OFFICER SHOT-RACINE

Shooter who wounded agent has taken own life, officials say

RACINE, Wis. (AP) — The U.S. Marshals Service says a person who shot and wounded a federal agent in Racine has apparently taken his own life. Officials say U.S. Marshals Service-led task force was attempted to serve a warrant Wednesday morning when an individual opened fire and one officer was struck. The Marshals Service says the officer sustained non-life threatening injuries. A statement from the federal agency said “members of the task force did not fire, but the subject apparently took his own life.” Racine police say the federal agent was participating in a “multi-jurisdictional” operation. 

AP-US-AMERICAN-RESCUE-PLAN-ROCKFORD

With windfall, city tries to reach kids trapped in violence

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — The money flowing to cities and states from the American Rescue Plan is so substantial and can be used for so many purposes that communities across the U.S. are trying out new, longer-term ways to fix what’s broken in their cities. In Rockford, Illinois, that means a new approach to addressing violent crime in a city that has struggled with violence for years, especially during the pandemic. Rockford’s first investment of nearly $2 million will go toward programs to help juveniles. There is no guarantee any of the experiments will work. And in Rockford’s case, it will be years before anyone can say for certain. 

SUITCASE REMAINS-WISCONSIN

Remains in suitcase in Wisconsin identified as missing woman

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say human remains found in a suitcase last year in western Wisconsin have been identified as those of a woman reported missing after working in a popular tourist area in the state. Authorities say DNA was used to identify Rosaly Cindy Chavarria Rodriguez, who was 25 at the time she was reported missing in July 2020. The native of Peru was living in Reedsburg, about 15 miles southwest of the Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton tourist area. Sheriff’s officials say that on Oct. 14, 2020, a woman’s heavily decomposed remains were found stuffed in a purple suitcase at an abandoned farmhouse in the Chippewa County town of Wheaton, which is about 150 miles northwest of the Dells area.

AP-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SCHOOL-FUNDING-SPORTS

Flush with COVID-19 aid, schools steer funding to sports

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A growing number of school districts in the U.S. are using federal pandemic funding on athletics projects. One school district in Iowa is spending $100,000 on a weight room renovation, while another in Wisconsin is spending $1.6 million on new synthetic turf fields. School officials argue the projects support students’ physical and mental health, but critics tell The Associated Press the spending clashes with the intent of the pandemic relief. Education experts say the funding should go toward tutoring and other costs to help students recover learning loss. Some critics blame state and federal officials for failing to make sure the money is used appropriately.

HOMICIDE-YOUNG CHILD

Milwaukee police investigating death of infant as homicide

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee police say they are investigating the death of 1-year-old child as a homicide. Police say they responded last Thursday to a report of child abuse and discovered that the boy was unresponsive. He died from his injuries on Monday. WDJT-TV reports that a 32-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man were arrested in connection with the homicide. The cause of death has not been released. Police say criminal charges are likely to be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

UW-MADISON-COUNSELORS

UW says complaint over counselors based on outdated info

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A conservative legal group has threatened legal action against the University of Wisconsin-Madison for allegedly hiring three mental health providers to serve only students of color. UW-Madison spokeswoman Meredith McGlone said Wednesday that the original announcement of the hires cited in the complaint was inaccurate and has been updated. She says “mental health providers at University Health Services are not assigned based on a student’s race nor are they limited in which students they serve based on race.” The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty threatened a lawsuit in its Wednesday letter, saying the jobs as originally described would violate state and federal racial discrimination laws. 

TRAIL ASSAULT-MOTHER-BABY

Mother out for a walk with baby attacked on De Pere trail

DE PERE, Wis. (AP) — De Pere police are looking for the assailant who attacked a mother out for a walk on a suburban trail with her baby. Officers were called late Tuesday morning by the woman’s husband who became concerned when her walk seemed to be taking longer than expected. Police say the husband found the baby in a grassy area along the East River Trail, but couldn’t find his wife. Officers arrived and found the woman about 40 to 50 yards away from the baby. There is no word on the woman’s condition. Police say the baby was not seriously injured.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.