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• Free H1N1 shots in Ellsworth today
• Teen smoking declines, Holstein group supports milk quotas; more briefs
• DNR will cut walk-in service 14 hours/week Jan. 4th
• Winter's Christmas present? Another blast of snow

Pierce County residents can receive an H1N1 vaccination at no charge by visiting one of two clinics scheduled in Ellsworth today -- Dec. 21st -- or on Dec. 30th.

The sessions, sponsored by Pierce County Public Health Department, will be held at the Public Health office on second floor of the Pierce County Office Building in Ellsworth.

Vaccinations will be offered from 2-4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 21, and from 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 30 at the same location.

More vaccination opportunities will be announced via the Pierce County web site at http://www.co.pierce.wi.us/.

MADISON -- Wisconsin high school students are smoking less-- a lot less.

A survey done by the Department Public Instruction indicates 17 percent of students smoked a cigarette in the last 30 days. That's down from 21 percent in 2007. Maureen Busalacchi of Smoke Free Wisconsin says this shows deterrence measures are taking hold. She says a 20 percent decrease in youth smoking in one year "is incredible."

Several studies have indicated increased cigarette taxes have more of an impact on younger smokers. They tend to have less disposable income and are more price-sensitive than adults. Busalacchi says the state's $1 increase needs to be coupled with other measures such as smoke-free laws and prevention. The state goes smoke free in July of 2010. However, the legislature cut the state's tobacco control program 50 percent. Busalacchi is concerned this may cause teen smoking to go up again.

-- Shamane Mills, WPR

Farm group supports regulating milk supply

MADISON -- A National group's plan to keep the dairy industry from producing too much milk has the support of one Wisconsin farm organization.

The dairy industry has long suffered from severe price swings. Currently, prices are extremely low, because there is too much supply, and not enough demand. Vermont-based Holstein USA spokesman Lucas Sjostrom says when milk prices are high and supply is low, farmers tend to expand business as fast as they can. That reaction leads to too much supply and not enough demand.

Sjostrom says to help keep supply in check, Holstein USA has proposed a program where each licensed dairy farmer would operate towards a specific production goal designed for the size of their operation. Those farmers who expand beyond their production goal would pay a fee. The money would go to producers who don't expand beyond their goal. Wisconsin Holstein Association board president Mark Gilbertson says this is the only program that anyone has come forward with that works for all producers, large and small.

Holstein USA's Sjostrom says Congress is likely going to take up the proposed plan in the spring. Gilbertson says he's a little apprehensive about the government being too involved in such a program.

-- Steve Roisum, WPR

Veteran suicide rate is high

MADISON -- A new study shows Wisconsin veterans make up a high percentage of recorded suicides in Wisconsin.

Findings show approximately 20.8 percent of suicides in the state were committed by veterans, even though as a group, they make up just 8 percent of Wisconsin's population.

The state Department of Health Services, the Injury Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, and the group Mental Health America did the study. It was presented at a recent meeting of the Board of Veterans Affairs.

Marvin Freedman chairs that board. He wants the VA to appoint a staff member to address the latest report. Freedman calls the report "very troubling." He says the suicide rate among veterans is "very significantly above the rate for non-veterans.

Kenneth Black is the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. He says he was not surprised by the study because the issue of veterans suicide has been an ongoing concern for his department.

While suicides among veterans are difficult to track, Black says his office sees it as a growing problem for soldiers, many who've had multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. VA officials hope to meet with the authors of the study at its next board meeting in January.

-- Kirk Carapezza, WPR

Rock County starts state's first veteran's court

JANESVILLE -- A Rock County judge has launched Wisconsin's first veteran's court. He says the key to its success is matching veteran offenders with their comrades- in -arms to help them get back on the straight and narrow.

Founders of the first successful veterans court in Buffalo, New York found that veterans who have served in the same war as an offender make the best mentors for soldiers who get in trouble with the law after they get home from the battlefield. Judge James Daley says he's finding it's even better when the judge is also a veteran. Daley says he left Vietnam after a fire fight in 1968, and 72 hours later he was sitting in the Milwaukee airport with "no decompression". He says he knows what veterans are going through.

The veteran's court in Janesville is just barely off the ground. So far only two veterans, one who served in Iraq, and the other a Vietnam veteran, have taken advantage of the program. It allows veterans to plead guilty, usually to a domestic violence or drug charge and then sign a contract to undergo treatment to clean up their lives. Judge

Daley says the idea behind veteran's court is to reawaken the self awareness of a person's self discipline that they had at one time as soldiers completing a mission.

And it's other veterans like Rory McGarry acting as mentors that help the veteran offender through that process. McGarry says a veteran in the program almost feels ashamed if they let the veteran who is mentoring them down, because they know the mentor has had similar experiences.

The veteran's court is partnering with local social service agencies and the Veterans Administration. The goal is to have several courts up and running by the time 3,500 National Guard troops come home from Iraq in February.

-- Gil Halsted, WPR

Rural health providers concerned about looming Medicaid cuts

MADISON -- As the economy has worsened more people have relied on Medicaid, putting strain on a program that could have a billion dollar shortfall if cuts aren't made. Rural health care providers worry they could be hit especially hard.

The Doyle Administration has put forth a plan to trim Medicaid. Some of those affected don't like it. Rural hospitals are bracing for a 10 percent cut in Medicaid reimbursement. Eric Borgerding, with the Wisconsin Hospital Association, says small rural hospitals provide an array of services beyond their walls, like nursing homes, hospice programs and assisted living, services that would be diminished with less state money.

The administration's plan is to cut $600 million from Medicaid through various means, including the use of cheaper generic drugs and lower payments to rural hospitals. Phil Montgomery is skeptical that cost savings will be enough to cover the shortfall. The Republican from Ashwaubenon also notes that Wisconsin's Medicaid budget has gone up more than other Midwestern states. He says Medicaid spending is much lower in Michigan and Minnesota. He questions whether Gov. Jim Doyle has bitten off too much in expanding the program.

After the new year, the administration plans to appoint a panel to look at further Medicaid cuts to the program known as BadgerCare Plus .

-- Shamane Mills, WPR

Congressional group wants tough controls on Asian Carp

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Fifty members of Congress are asking federal agencies to consider stronger ways to keep Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes, including possible closing of locks near Chicago.

Last week, the Obama administration pledged $13 million to the fight against Asian Carp. Much of that money may go to build an earthen wall to keep the invasive carp from moving from the Desplaines River into a Chicago shipping canal during a flood, upstream of electric barriers. But 50 Midwest members of Congress say the EPA, Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies should also consider additional controls. Wisconsin Rep. Thomas Petri says if the carp start disrupting the food chain in Lake Michigan, the fishing industry may suffer.

Petri says the federal agencies should start making plans for their next budget cycle. He says the agencies should consider major steps like ending diversion of Lake Michigan water through the shipping canal, or closing of locks in the Chicago waterway system if there's reasonable likelihood the Asian Carp are above two electric barriers. But Rep. Petri says he's not out to stop shipping in the canal.

Petri says perhaps fish could be shocked or poisoned before barges come through the locks. Others want more underwater electric barriers installed. 9 of 10 members of Wisconsin's congressional delegation have signed the letter to the federal agencies. Rep. David Obey did not sign the document.

-- Chuck Quirmbach, WPR

Eau Claire parents near goal of raising money for field trips

EAU CLAIRE -- It was a harder job than they thought - but parent groups raising money for school field trips in Eau Claire are now close to reaching their goal.

After the $70,000 budget for field trips in the Eau Claire School district was cut for lack of funds, parent and teacher organizations joined forces to raise the money so students in the district wouldn't miss out on science, music and cultural experiences that have always been part of their education. Darlene Willer is chair of the Eau Claire United PTA-PTO. She says the group had no idea back in May how hard the project would be. Willer says when the fundraising started, it was only going to last a month, and they are still at it.

Willer says many individuals and businesses, including Burger King and Taco Johns, stepped up to hold events and on Saturday (12/19) Charter Bank presented a $10,000 check to bring the field trip fund up to $64,000. Willer says hopefully a middle school environmental science field trip that was cancelled due to lack of funds in the fall can be re-scheduled in the spring. She says "these are learning field trips."

Diane Willer hopes the school district will be able to fund half of the field trip budget next year because her group is burned out and will likely be ending its efforts this month.

-- Mary Jo Wagner, WPR

BALDWIN - The state Department of Natural Resources office here will be open to the public just 14 hours weekly, beginning Jan. 4th.

Similar reductions will occur at all 30 service centers statewide.

Effective Monday, Jan. 4 the DNR service center in Baldwin, at 890 Spruce St., will offer counter service on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

Anyone wishing to meet with a DNR staff member at Baldwin on any other day of the work week is encouraged to plan ahead and make an appointment. A list of DNR staff phone numbers and e-mail addresses is available on-line at dnr.wi.gov. Also, service center staff can assist with appointments during office hours Wednesday and Friday. The number is 715-684-2914.

While service center hours are being reduced, the DNR says it has "beefed up" customer service on-line, through local license vendors and its toll free call center.

"Staying in touch with customers is important to us," said Diane Brookbank, director of DNR customer service and licensing at the Baldwin office, via a press release.

"Between our customer service specialists in the toll free call center, on-line chats and our local license vendors, we offer Baldwin area customers many ways to buy a license or get questions answered at convenient times and locations."

The reductions are a result of expense cuts mandated in the state budget. All service centers will remain available to local walk-in customers at least one day per week.

Call center personnnel can answer a question on rules, regulations, or other DNR program, seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 1-888-WDNRInfo (1-888-936-7463). Hmong and Spanish-speaking representatives are available.

A winter storm watch is in effect for St. Croix County from Wednesday evening through Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities.

A winter storm watch means there is a potential for significant snow, sleet, or ice accumulations that may impact travel.

With the Christmas travel rush approaching, officials recommend that travelers continue to monitor the latest forecasts as the storms approach.

NWS officials say that several periods of snow are expected from Wednesday evening through Friday afternoon, with periods of heavy snow possible as the storm intensifies Thursday and Friday.

Visibility on the roadways will be significantly reduced as the wind increases to 20 to 30 mph.