Green Bay News

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington National Cathedral has finished the first phase of work to repair damage from a 2011 earthquake, but the church must still raise $22 million to complete exterior repairs.

The iconic Episcopal cathedral in northwest Washington sustained some of the worst damage from the 5.8-magnitude earthquake. Officials say the total cost of repairs is estimated at $32 million, and that $10 million was spent on the first phase. Additional restoration work is expected to take years.

Preservation experts say the first phase of restoration focused on the cathedral’s interior. The work involved cleaning, resealing joints and repairing the ceiling and flying buttresses, some of the oldest elements.

Much work remains to repair intricate carvings on the exterior and central tower.

Construction of the church began in 1907 and finished in 1990.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is turning a historic South Side neighborhood in Chicago into a national monument Thursday, in a visit that also could provide a political lift to the city’s mayor.

Obama will formally designate the neighborhood where African-American railroad workers won a significant labor agreement in the 1930s as the Pullman National Monument. In the process, the president’s trip to his hometown could help boost turnout for his former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, who is up for re-election on Tuesday.

A Chicago Tribune columnist called the president’s announcement — commemorating African-Americans who served as porters, waiters and maids on the iconic Pullman sleeper cars — “a big fat presidential bro-hug” to Emanuel, the president’s “little buddy.”

The White House says Obama is focused on the historical designation, which honors the neighborhood built by industrialist George Pullman in the 19th century for workers to manufacture luxurious railroad sleeping cars.

The 203-acre Pullman site includes factories and buildings associated with the Pullman Palace Car Company, which was founded in 1867 and employed thousands of workers to construct and provide service on railroad cars. While the company employed a mostly white workforce to manufacture railroad passenger cars, it also hired former slaves to serve as porters, waiters and maids on its iconic sleeping cars.

The railroad industry — Pullman in particular — was one of the largest employers of African-Americans in the United States by the early 1900s. Pullman workers played a major role in the rise of the black middle class and, through a labor agreement won by the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, they helped launch the civil rights movement of the 20th century, the White House said.

Emanuel doesn’t have big-name challengers in his push for a second term, but he faces the possibility of a runoff election if he doesn’t get more than 50 percent of the vote Tuesday. A Tribune poll found he’s close to achieving that mark.

Before leaving Washington, Obama signed a proclamation in the Oval Office designating the Browns Canyon National Monument in Colorado, a 21,000-acre site along the Arkansas River popular for whitewater rafting. In Chicago, he was also expected to announce designation of the Honouliuli National Monument in Hawaii, the site of an internment camp where Japanese-American citizens and prisoners of war were held during World War II.

In his appearance before students at a South Side magnet school, Obama also will launch the “Every Kid in a Park” initiative to provide all fourth-grade students across the country and their families with free admission to national parks and other federal lands and waters for a year, the White House said. The program begins with the 2015-2016 school year, marking the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service next year.

The White House said the three new monuments “help tell the story of significant events in American history and protect unique natural resources for the benefit of all Americans.”

The new monuments will bring to 16 the number of national monuments Obama has created under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which grants presidents broad authority to protect historic or ecologically significant sites without congressional approval.

Some Republicans have complained that Obama has abused his authority, and they renewed their complaints over the new designations, especially the Colorado site, the largest in size by far among the three new monuments.

Obama should “cut it out,” said Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo. “He is not king. No more acting like King Barack.”

Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., said he was outraged by what he called “a top-down, big-government land grab by the president that disenfranchises the concerned citizens in the Browns Canyon region” in central Colorado, about 140 miles southwest of Denver.

Illinois’ two senators, Democrat Richard Durbin and Republican Mark Kirk, hailed the Pullman designation.

“As Chicago’s first national park, Pullman’s 135 years of civil rights and industrial history will be protected and enjoyed for generations to come,” Kirk said in a statement. “This new national park will breathe new economic life into this community, bringing up to 30,000 visitors and more than $40 million each year.”

Outdoors and wildlife groups hailed the Browns Canyon designation, which they said would allow future generations to enjoy its spectacular landscapes, world-class whitewater rafting, hunting and fishing.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California health officials say six more cases of measles have been recorded since an outbreak that originated at Disneyland.

The California Department of Public Health said Wednesday there are 119 confirmed measles cases in the state. About two-thirds visited or worked at Disneyland in December when the outbreak began.

Five of the new infections had no Disneyland connection, but health officials count them as part of the outbreak because of the similar strain type. One of the new cases involved a person who had contact with a sick person who visited the theme park.

At least two dozen other measles cases in six states, Mexico and Canada have been traced to Disneyland.

Authorities say the virus appears similar to the one circulating in the Philippines, though the source is unknown.

(CNN) – Chicago-based R.S. Owens has been in charge of creating Oscar statues for over 30 years.

Here’s a look at how the company transforms 780-degree molten pewter alloy into a shiny, 80.5-pound Oscar.

Watch the video above to see Design Engineer Joseph Petrie lead a tour of the process of creating the Academy Awards statues. The Oscars in the video will be on stage next month.

In the hand-casting department, the process starts with a bare metal and melts it between 500-600 degrees. A worker ladles each one individually into a steel mold.

The next process in manufacturing the Oscar is where R.S. Owens removes the gate used for casting. The company was started in 1938, and it has been producing its own molds for casting since then.

The next step in refining the Oscar statuette is removing all the parting lines from the molding process. This allows workers to refine the surface to ensure he looks as perfect as possible.

In the polishing department, employees take statues that have been sanded and ground and bring them to a mirror finish.

Everything they do with Oscar is done entirely by hand.

In the engraving department, Louise White, who’s been engraving Oscars since the early ‘80s, actually puts a serial number on every one of them.

Workers take Oscar from his raw state where he’s been polished to a mirror finish and electroplate him through five different baths, bringing him to a 24-carat gold finish.

Then the statue goes to final assembly, where Oscar gets assembled before he’s finally shipped out.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Republican state lawmaker working on reorganizing the nonpartisan board that oversees elections and ethics laws in Wisconsin says he hopes to have a proposal ready for debate by April.

Rep. Dean Knudson, of Hudson, tells The Associated Press on Thursday that he’s still working with Republicans in the Senate on how to reconfigure the Government Accountability Board.

It currently consists of retired judges. Knudson says he supports including some partisan appointees.

He says he hopes to have a proposal ready to introduce “sometime soon,” hopefully by April.

Debate over the makeup of the board comes at the same time the Legislature is looking at updating Wisconsin’s campaign finance laws that the board enforces in light of a variety of rulings striking down key provisions.

LA CROSSE (AP) – A Minnesota man accused of causing the death of his 3-year-old daughter in Wisconsin has agreed to extradition.

Thirty-year-old Dylan Bartsch, of Altura, Minnesota, is charged with child neglect resulting in death and physical abuse of a child, both counts as party to the crime.

Bartsch and his girlfriend, 24-year-old Jaymie Rundle, of Holmen, are accused of causing the death of Audryna Grace Bartsch last October. Prosecutors say the toddler suffered physical injuries, malnutrition and dehydration and may have been forced to ingest salt.

The La Crosse Tribune says Bartsch and Rundle have four children together, who have been placed with family members. Rundle is facing the same charges and is due in court next Wednesday.

Take an interactive look at the season’s first race and the Daytona International Speedway.

INDIANAPOLIS — De Pere native John Schneider had plenty of friends and family at the NFC Championship Game. The Seahawks GM was thrilled to dispatch his hometown team and former employer in such dramatic fashion. He talked about that at the NFL Scouting Combine, and also touched on his first employer, Ron Wolf, now heading for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Was cold-calling Wolf to ask for a job his favorite memory of Wolf?
There’s a bunch of them, but yeah, the fact he picked up the phone. Once he picked it up, I was like, ‘now what am I supposed to do?’

What it was like working for Ron Wolf
We just had a blast. He taught us to stay true to your conviction, work your tail off and try to figure out the best way you can possibly solve problems. He was awesome. I joke with him now, like, ‘you were pretty intimidating, I was 20 years old at the time!’ I did an internship then went back to school to finish my senior year. I’m like, ‘you were pretty intimidating,’ he’s like, ‘no I wasn’t.’ He forgets what he paid us, too.

On the NFC Championship game win
That was one of the most intense games I’ve ever been a part of, because I was going through, obviously having a bunch of family come in from Wisconsin and Minnesota for that game, just for me personally it was really intense because I was preparing for what I was going to say to all the players and coaches because it looked like our season was over. I was getting myself mentally prepared for that. Things just kind of started steamrolling right at the end with like 4 minutes left in the game. I’ve never been a part of something like that.

Having De Pere native Drew Nowak, an offensive lineman, on Seattle’s practice squad.
We had fun at the Super Bowl, we tweeted out a picture. He’s doing a great job, playing a little guard and center, too. Left-handed center which is a little unique. Drew’s doing a great job. Hopefully he has a great offseaosn and is one of those guys who is ready to come in and perform for us next year.

Was he scouting Nowak at the Lee Remmel Awards last summer, where both were honored.
No, I wasn’t. That’s funny you mention that, though.

The Green Bay Area Public District is now offering an ‘opt out’ form for parents who do not want their mailing address released to a group planning a mailing about school choice.

One form must be filled out for each child. If you do so, it will only apply to the request by School Choice Wisconsin. It does not opt you out of other uses of directory data, such as the yearbook, playbills, honor lists, etc.

For the form, click here.

Families have until Thursday, March 5 to complete the opt out form. No extensions will be granted. If you have questions regarding your right to opt out, you can contact Ellen Krueger at (920) 448-2284.

Find the form to fill out for the Green Bay Area Public School District.

APPLETON – A Fox Valley blood bank says it’s in dire need of type O blood.

The Community Blood Center says cold weather, the flu and decreased donor turnout have all contributed to the shortage. Although the blood supply usually drops during the holidays and rebounds in January, that did not happen this year, according to blood bank managers.

As of Wednesday morning, the supply of type O-negative blood was down about 75 percent from its target level. O-negative is the “universal” blood type, used most often in trauma situations and when the patient’s blood type is not known. About eight percent of the population has this blood type, according to the blood bank.

“Due to the low blood supply, we are encouraging people to give blood in the next 5 days. If you already have a donation appointment in the next few weeks, please don’t reschedule it. But if you haven’t donated in the past eight weeks and don’t have any appointments planned, we encourage you to give blood,” said John Hagins, Community Blood Center president and CEO, said in a news release.

Donation appointments can be scheduled by phone at 1-800-280-4102 or online.

CHICAGO (AP) – A federal judge has denied a request from rooftop clubs overlooking Chicago’s Wrigley Field to temporarily halt installation of signs they say will block their view and violate a contract they have with the Cubs.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall ruled Thursday that the “vague possibility” the rooftops could be injured wasn’t enough to grant a restraining order. The ruling means the Cubs will avoid a setback as they renovate the historic ballpark.

During a hearing on Wednesday, lawyers for two of the rooftop businesses said the Cubs’ plans violate federal antitrust law and a revenue-sharing agreement the team signed with the rooftop owners.

Cubs’ lawyers said the team has the right to install the signs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki will become President Barack Obama’s new communications director, filling a key slot as Obama embarks on the final two years of his presidency, White House officials said Thursday.

She replaces veteran Democratic media strategist Jennifer Palmieri, who is leaving the White House to join Hillary Rodham Clinton’s likely presidential campaign. Psaki will step into her new role April 1.

In a statement, Obama embraced Palmieri as a “good friend” and praised her as a “brilliant and effective communications director and trusted adviser.”

“I’d say Jen is irreplaceable — if Jen Psaki hadn’t agreed to step in,” Obama said. “I fully trust Jen — and I am thrilled she’s agreed to come back to the White House as communications director.”

Psaki will be returning to the White House where she helped craft Obama’s message during the president’s first term. She has been part of Obama’s team since 2007, when she was traveling press secretary during his first presidential campaign.

The move allows Obama to replace a senior adviser with a familiar aide who is already steeped in issues confronting the White House.

Psaki has become a frequent face of the State Department as spokeswoman for Secretary of State John Kerry, often traveling the world.

Despite occasional contentious exchanges in on-camera briefings, Psaki was well-regarded by the State Department press corps. And although she came from the Obama camp, she was seen as close to Kerry and accurate in conveying his policy positions.

A White House official said Psaki informed Obama and White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough that she is expecting a baby in July. The official said Obama and McDonough made a commitment to Psaki to find flexible ways to make her new post work.

Psaki will serve as an assistant to the president, the same status as White House press secretary Josh Earnest.

Psaki will rejoin deputy communications director Amy Brundage, with whom she worked during the 2008 campaign and in 2010 when they undertook the media strategy for Obama’s economic agenda.

Obama’s communications team has been focused on pushing the domestic policy ideas he spelled out in his State of the Union speech. But Psaki would no doubt also be involved in helping shape the White House message on the myriad international issues confronting the president, including Ukraine, Israel, Iran and the Islamic State militants.

Palmieri is part of a White House exodus of top advisers. John Podesta, who served as counselor to the president, also stepped aside to take a senior role in Clinton’s expected campaign. And senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer, an Obama veteran from his first presidential campaign, has announced he is leaving.

Obama replaced Podesta with Brian Deese, a veteran White House aide and a deputy director in his budget office. With Deese and Psaki, Obama is signaling that he wants to rely on known insiders to advise him during what he has called the “fourth quarter” of his presidency.

STEVENS POINT – It’s unlikely a person suspected of having measles in Portage County actually has the disease, health officials say.

Test results are still not back, but authorities say the person’s signs and symptoms do not fit the clinical definition of a measles case. In addition, the person has not traveled to a place with measles cases.

Two people in Portage County were isolated last week with suspected measles cases. One person was cleared on Monday after test results came back negative for measles. Officials have not released the age or sex of either person.

There are no confirmed cases of measles anywhere in Wisconsin.

MADISON (AP) – Assembly Republicans are backing off their original plan to force failing public schools to be converted into independent charter schools.

The idea ran into opposition from Gov. Scott Walker and Senate Republicans, both of whom are advocating for no sanctions.

Assembly Education Committee Chair Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt tells The Associated Press on Thursday that he’s re-working his proposal to still include sanctions, but forced closure wouldn’t be the sole penalty.

Thiesfeldt says the new version would require school boards at failing schools to pick from a variety of sanctions, one of which would be converting to a charter with an option of reverting back to a public school. He says another option could be firing teachers and administrators.

Thiesfeldt says he hopes to vote on the bill within a month.

MADISON (AP) – Former Republican state Sen. Joe Leibham has been hired by the Wisconsin chamber of commerce to lobby the Legislature on right to work.

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce announced Thursday that Leibham was hired to push for the Legislature to pass a right-to-work law. Leibham, of Sheboygan, lost in a Republican primary last year for Congress.

Passing a right-to-work law is a priority for WMC and Republican leaders in the Legislature. Gov. Scott Walker is a longtime supporter, but he has urged lawmakers not to take it up before his state budget is passed later this spring.

WMC lobbyist Scott Manley calls Leibham a “consensus builder who will help foster a meaningful discussion about the positive benefits” of passing a right-to-work law.

MADISON (AP) – A state appeals court says a portion of a law that gives the governor the power to block new education rules is unconstitutional.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker signed a law in 2011 that requires state agencies to get gubernatorial approval before drafting new administrative rules that create policy.

Teachers and parents filed a lawsuit in 2011 alleging the law was unconstitutional as applied to the state Department of Public Instruction, arguing it gives other state officers more power than the elected DPI superintendent.

A Madison judge in 2012 found the law unconstitutional as applied to DPI. The 4th District Court of Appeals upheld that ruling Thursday.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Justice, which is representing the governor’s office, says the agency may appeal to the state Supreme Court.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is spending $1 billion to make changes to how it pays and trains U.S. hourly workers as the embattled retailer tries to reshape the image that its stores offer dead-end jobs.

As part of its biggest investment in worker training and pay ever, Wal-Mart told The Associated Press that within the next six months it will give raises to about 500,000 workers, or nearly 40 percent of its 1.3 million U.S. employees. Wal-Mart follows other retailers that have boosted hourly pay recently, but because it’s the nation’s largest private employer, the impact of its move will be more closely watched.

In addition to raises, Wal-Mart said it plans to make changes to how workers are scheduled and add training programs for sales staff so that employees can more easily map out their future at the company.

“We are trying to create a meritocracy where you can start somewhere and end up just as high as your hard work and your capacity will enable you to go,” CEO Doug McMillon told the AP during an interview this week at the company’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Wal-Mart President and Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon speaks during an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, in Bentonville, Ark. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is spending $1 billion to change how it pays and trains hourly staff in a move it hopes will help reshape the image that it only offers dead-end jobs. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

The changes, which Wal-Mart announced Thursday as it reported stronger-than-expected fourth quarter results, come at a time when there’s growing concern for the plight of the nation’s hourly workers.

• Click here to read McMillon’s letter to employees

Thousands of U.S. hourly workers and their supporters have staged protests across the country in the past couple of years to call attention to their financial struggles. Business groups and politicians have jumped into the fray, debating a proposal by President Obama to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. And a new Associated Press-GfK poll found that most Americans support increasing the minimum wage.

At the same time, competition for retail workers is becoming increasingly stiff. As shoppers get more mobile savvy, retailers are seeking sales staff that’s more skilled at customer service. But in the improving economy, the most desirable retail workers feel more confident in hopping from job to job.

Wal-Mart, which has struggled for two years with sluggish sales, follows other big retailers that have announced plans to increase pay for its workers. Swedish home furnishings retailer Ikea this year gave thousands of workers at its U.S. division a 17 percent average raise to $10.76 an hour. And clothing chain Gap Inc. raised its minimum hourly wage to $9 last year and to $10 this year.

Because of its massive size and impact, Wal-Mart has faced outsized pressure by organized labor groups to raise its starting hourly wages to $15 and provide workers with more consistent hours. With its new changes, the company’s average full-time wage will be $13 an hour, up from $12.85. For part-time workers, the hourly wage will be $10, up from $9.48.

That’s below the $14.65 average that hourly retail workers in a non-supervisory role earn, according to government data that includes people who work at auto dealers and other outlets that would likely pay more than discounters like Wal-Mart. But it’s above the $9.93 average hourly pay for cashiers and low level retail sales staff, according to Hay Group’s survey of 140 retailers with annual sales of $500 million.

Ed Lazear, a Stanford University economics professor who served as an informal adviser to Wal-Mart during the past year for the program, applauded Wal-Mart’s moves.

“It’s positioning itself to be competitive,” he said. “This is a step in the right direction.”

Here’s a breakdown of some of Wal-Mart’s plans:

— Start raising entry level wages to at least $9 an hour in April and to at least $10 an hour by February of next year. That includes the less than 6,000 workers who make the federal minimum wage. Sam’s Club locations will offer a starting hourly wage of at least $9.50 or higher in all markets, and at least $10.50 by next year.

— Raise the floor and ceiling of its pay range for each position in most stores. For example, the pay range for cashiers is $7.65 to $16. The new range will be $9.00 to $17.55.

—Raise the starting wage for some department managers to at least $13 an hour by this summer and at least $15 an hour by early next year.

— Give newly hired workers a $9 per hour training wage and when they successfully complete the six-month training program, raise it to $10 an hour. Those workers can pursue one of three career paths: hourly supervisor, a specialty path like working in a bakery or deli or expand their skills in their current role.

— Give hourly workers hands-on training in areas including teamwork, merchandising, retail fundamentals and communications. Store leaders like hourly supervisors will get refresher training on people leadership skills so that they can help workers grow and advance.

— Roll out a program that offers some workers fixed schedules so they can be able to choose the same hours each week. The program is being tested in Wichita, Kansas.

— Team up with its nonprofit, Walmart Foundation, to invest a total of $100 million spread over the next five years to support programs that help advance careers for entry level workers in the industry.

McMillon, whose first job at Wal-Mart was an hourly position loading trucks during college, said the company is making the changes in both wages and training because it realizes it needs to do more than just pay more. In a survey Wal-Mart conducted of 24,000 workers, it found that many don’t know how to move up at Wal-Mart.

McMillon, who became CEO last year, said he’s hoping that if the company invests in its workers, they will provide better customer service. And ultimately, he hopes that will encourage shoppers to spend more.

“We want to make it really clear that working at Wal-Mart is a great opportunity,” he said. “Time will tell what the significance of the decisions will be.”

TOMAH (AP) – A congressional hearing into reports of overmedication at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah will be held locally.

The chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Rep. Jeff Miller, says the hearing will be in Tomah, but no date has been set yet.

Several members of Congress have asked for a hearing into allegations of overprescribed medication. The nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting recently reported the number of opiates prescribed at the center quintupled between 2004 and 2012, even as the number of patients declined.

The medical center already under investigation by the VA’s Office of the Inspector General and the Veterans Affairs Secretary of Health.

INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL Combine is best known for what veterans of the event often call “The Underwear Olympics” — players, dressed not in pads but in UnderArmour workout gear, running the 40-yard dash, going through position drills, bench pressing 225 pounds and more. Players, coaches and team officials, however, say the most important elements of the Combine take place away from the Lucas Oil Stadium field.

“The best thing about the combine is when you get to meet the players,” said new Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan.

Each team can conduct formal 15-minute interviews with up to 60 players at the Combine. They can also meet informally with as many players as they’d like throughout the event. The interviews take place largely in the evening.

“I think the interviews [are the most important thing], how you present yourself to the coaches,” said Arizona State offensive lineman Jamil Douglas, who said he met informally with the Packers already. “They want to see if you handle yourself like a professional.

“[The Packers] picked my brain, put me on pen and paper, wanted me to draw up my favorite run play, pass play. It went good overall.”

Often, like Douglas, teams test your football IQ — ask you about plays you ran in college or even show you yourself on film and ask about certain, specific things. The questions can also be more personal in nature.

“Kind of if you have a girlfriend, are you married, kids, when do you graduate?” said Prairie View A&M quarterback Jerry Lovelock. “I’m not sure [what it has to do with anything], but I don’t mind answering it.

Teams have always been interested in getting to know players, of course, but the emphasis may be higher now with recent scandals in the NFL and heightened punishments for the players involved.

“They players coming out have to realize they’re going to be scrutinized even more because of the environment that we’re in right now,” said Vikings general manager Rick Spielman.

Still, the Combine interviews are just a small part of how teams get to know players. It’s a face-to-face, which is important, but they also talk to friends, teammates, dig into social media and more.

“You only have 15 minutes here, in 15 minutes, how much can you gather?” said 49ers GM and Rosendale, Wisconsin native Trent Baalke. “How good a tell can you get on a guy in 15 minutes, meeting them? They’re so well prepared for these now, it’s not like 10 or 15 years ago when I first was involved because they have coaches now to walk them through everything. There’s a lot more digging that has to take place.”