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• Thompson will not run for governor
• Monday morning accident on HWY 35 in Pierce County injures two
• Names of victims from Monday morning HWY 35 accident released

By Wheeler News Service

Former Governor Tommy Thompson will not try to get his old job back this fall.

He announced yesterday his family is unanimously against another campaign and he's convinced that Congressman Mark Green is the right person to lead the Republicans.

Green said Thompson would serve as his honorary campaign chairman.

Thompson did not address the possibility of running for U-S Senate against Democrat Herb Kohl.

A former chief-of-staff, Bob Wood, says that's still possible and he'll make a decision before this weekend's state G-O-P convention in Appleton.

But's that not likely, considering that a recent independent poll had him leading Kohl by only four percentage points.

The same poll said Thompson would crush both Green and Democratic Governor Jim Doyle in huge land-slides.

That had the 64-year-old Thompson licking his chops, after saying for some time that he has missed public life. Green said Thompson took on the Madison establishment and special interests in his first campaign for governor in 1986, and he promised to do the same this fall.

"Today, Jim Doyle has our state pointed in the wrong direction. He trusts the special interests instead of the people, and he is holding Wisconsin back. I'm honored to have Tommy Thompson's support and, as the honorary chairman of my campaign, he'll be helping us to again retake our government for all the people of this great state," Green said.

Doyle's campaign spokesman Anson Kaye said Thompson left a lot of Republicans disappointed because of growing misgivings about Green and now they're, quote, "stuck with him." Thompson held the governor's office for 14 years before serving another four as President Bush's health secretary.

Two vehicles block HWY 35 in Pierce County following a Monday morning accident. The accident resulted in two people being taken to hospitals. Photo by Brady Bautch
 
A two-vehicle accident at the intersection of HWY 35 and CTH C in Trenton Township resulted in two people being hospitalized.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred at approximately 9:40 a.m. Monday when a pickup truck heading northbound on HWY 35 and a Buick sedan with Minnesota license plates heading southbound collided.

Ellsworth firefighters responded from their southern station, only a mile away at the Red Wing Airport.

One of the victims became entrapped in his vehicle. Once freed by emergency responders he was medevaced to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

The second victim was transported to Fairview Medical Center in Red Wing, Minn., by the Red Wing ambulance service.

Because of the accident, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department closed HWY 35 in both directions and detoured northbound traffic on Hwy 35 west onto 135th Avenue for a time.

Two tow trucks were called to the scene at approximately 11 a.m. to clear the road.

The names and conditions of the victims were not immediately available and RiverTowns.net will provide additional information when it becomes available.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department has released the names of the two victims from the two-vehicle accident which occurred approximately 9:40 a.m. Monday.

The accident occurred on HWY 35 at the intersection of CTH C in Isabelle Township when a southbound Buick sedan driven by Lonnie Larson, 39, Bay City, crossed the centerline and struck a northbound truck driven by Roger T. Roberts, 32, Maiden Rock.

Larson was transported to Fairview Medical Center in Red Wing, Minn., by the Red Wing Ambulance where he was treated and released.

Roberts was medevaced by Life Link helicopter to Regions Hospital in St. Paul where he is listed in fair condition.

Pierce County Sheriff's Department had to close both lanes of the highway because of the accident. Northbound traffic was detoured onto detoured west onto 135th Avenue until the scene was cleared.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

The Ellsworth Fire Department also assisted at the scene.