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• Smoking ban delayed at UW-Stevens Point; more state briefs

STEVENS POINT -- A proposal for a sweeping smoking ban on the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point campus has been put on hold after running into resistance.

The smoking ban was proposed by Dick Bartos (BAR-tohsh), UWSP's environmental, health and safety officer, who says it's disappointing to see anybody smoke. He proposed that smoking not be allowed anywhere on campus, including not just in buildings, but on the grounds and everywhere outside.

Bartos' idea was all but extinguished by the school's University Affairs Committee. It's chairman, Gerry Ring, says all nine members couldn't see how the measure could be enforced, since smokers could still legally light up on public sidewalks. He says the committee viewed the plan negatively and found no support for it. Ring says committee members felt it couldn't be enforced, and would "drive people literally onto the sidewalks."

Bartos says he's giving up on the smoking ban for now, at least until the school chooses a new chancellor this summer.

The proposed UW-Stevens Point smoking ban would have been enacted on July 5, the same day the state's ban on indoor smoking goes into effect.

-- Glen Moberg, WPR

State traffic deaths down overall, but still an issue for rural areas

MADISON -- The state Department of Transportation (DOT) says in 2009, the number of deaths on all of Wisconsin's roads fell to one of its lowest rates since World War II. But in twelve of the state's most rural counties -- including Buffalo and Green Lake -- traffic deaths exceeded their annual average of the past five years.

Dennis Hughes is the chief of safety programs for the Wisconsin DOT. He says compared to urban areas, it's still significantly more dangerous to drive in rural counties, where people die in crashes at an increasingly high rate. Hughes says driving a car in largely rural areas is probably the most dangerous thing people can do, with cars approaching each other in opposite directions at 60 miles per hour on a two lane rural highway. While it didn't exceed its annual average, Menomonie County remains the deadliest overall for drivers. People there are nearly eight times as likely to die in a crash as opposed to La Crosse County, the state's safest.

Transportation officials say simple improvements, like guard rails and wider shoulders, coupled with public education and faster emergency response times, could save lives at a relatively low cost.

Under a federal program aimed at making rural roads safer, Wisconsin received $1.7 million dollars last year.

Editor's note: This story was produced in collaboration with the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. More information can be seen at its website, wisconsinwatch.org.

-- Kirk Carapezza, WPR

UW-Madison gets high marks for improving minority performance rates

MADISON -- The University of Wisconsin-Madison appears twice in a national report that highlights colleges and universities that have improved graduation rates, and tightened achievement gaps for minorities.

The UW-Madison is the only Wisconsin school to appear on the Education Trust's latest "Top Gainers" and "Top Closers" lists. The report says since 2002, the UW saw its graduation rate gap between minorities and whites shrink by nearly nine points. And in that same time, it improved its graduation rate for minorities to its current level of 60.4 percent.

Damon Williams, Vice-Provost for Diversity and Climate at the UW-Madison, says diversity initiatives are behind the gains. These include programs that recruit and train gifted minority students in their senior year of high school. The UW will hold a retreat later this month on further narrowing the 20-point graduation rate gap between students of color and white students. Nearly 100 faculty, staff, and students are already signed on for the event, and they'll be asked how to increase the graduation rate by another 10-percent in the next five to seven years.

Williams says if UW-Madison can accomplish that increase, it would be one of the strongest schools for minority graduate rates in the country.

At the same time, Williams acknowledges that many students and administrators want the UW-Madison to become more diverse. Currently, minorities make up 12.5-percent of the student body. Chancellor Biddy Martin has asked Williams to look at improving the numbers, by convincing Wisconsin minorities to consider going to school in-state.

-- Brian Bull, WPR

Race matters in child health

A report on children's health disparity in Wisconsin says there have been notable efforts in addressing lead poisoning, infant mortality and dental care, although the health gap among whites and blacks remains.

Good or bad health in children tends to break down along racial lines. According to the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families (WCCF) children of color in Wisconsin were nearly 5 times as likely as white children to be living with less according to 2007 data. The organization has been looking at why the health of children of different races is so lopsided.

The state of Wisconsin has expanded health insurance for the poor through BadgerCare. However, the WCCF's Martha Cranley says the problem is more complex than just be able to find or afford health care. She says the reason for the health disparities, and the reason why they're so difficult to get a handle on, is because they're based on the conditions in which people are living and growing up.

For instance, older housing may have lead paint, which can cause poisoning in children. Another factor is available healthy food: the WCCF report says white Americans are more likely than blacks to live in a neighborhood with a supermarket.

-- Shamane Mills, WPR

Sheridan's relationship with payday lobbyist raises questions

MADISON -- Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan told his home town newspaper over the weekend that he's dating a lobbyist for the payday loan industry. Sheridan's admission comes as the legislature is considering whether to regulate payday loans.

Sheridan would not address rumors of the relationship when asked about it directly by capitol reporters last Thursday. (1/28) But he told the Janesville Gazette the next day that he has, "dated a gal who's a lobbyist."

Sheridan added that he knew his integrity was being questioned at this point, but that his relationship with this lobbyist was not a conflict. He did allude to that perception last week, and at the time stressed that a working group of Democratic lawmakers would decide the final form of any payday loan legislation. He says part of the reason this is an issue is the payday loan industry is concerned that it will be "a strong bill".

When Sheridan was a rank-and-file lawmaker last session, he co-sponsored a plan to cap payday loan interest rates at 36-percent. But since becoming Speaker, he's said that rate cap goes too far. That's significant because Sheridan's position gives him a huge say in deciding which bills make it to the Assembly floor for a vote.

-- Shawn Johnson, WPR

Poll shows more people identifying with GOP

At least three Democratically-held seats in southwestern Wisconsin are being contested for this year's mid-term elections. Meanwhile, a new study shows party support nationwide shifting to the right.

The Gallup findings say around 48 percent of 7,900 people surveyed in Wisconsin supported Democrats in 2009 while 36 percent favored Republicans. That's a six percent drop in Democratic support from 2008.

Republican State Sen. Dan Kapanke of La Crosse says it's a sign people are looking for change at the state and federal level. He's running against Democratic Congressman Ron Kind this fall. He says people are frustrated Congress spent last year on healthcare reform, and that the priorities have to be addressing people's needs and fiscal responsibility.

Ed Thompson, a Republican running for Democratic State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout's seat, agrees. Thompson says it's the economy, less taxes and more jobs.

However, Dems like Kind and State Rep. Mark Radcliffe -- who's also being challenged by Republicans this fall -- say they've been working on just that. But, they say the parties aren't playing fair. Kind hopes the policy of obstruction isn't a short-term political strategy because a working partnership is needed.

Radcliffe is in his first term, and says he came into office "at a very difficult time" for the state of Wisconsin. He says blaming problems on who was in power is a waste of energy.

All agree there needs to be less bickering and more listening among state and federal lawmakers.

-- Danielle Kaeding, WPR

Bill aims to boost weatherization projects

MADISON -- A state lawmaker wants to help get loans to homeowners, to make energy efficiency improvements. Homeowners can get some help with weatherization and renewable energy projects from the state's Focus on Energy program. The money for that program comes from utility ratepayers. State Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine) says more weatherization work could be done if utilities and cities were allowed to loan energy improvement funds to homeowners, and let people repay the money over time on their property tax bills. Mason says the utilities could get a nice return on their money.

Mason adds that his bill would also create more job training for weatherization companies, but require them to use a percentage of local workers who are unemployed or low-income.

The state AFL-CIO says it supports Mason's bill. But some businesses have traditionally resisted the idea of regulations spelling out types of people they have to hire.

-- Chuck Quirmbach, WPR

Wisconsin man's body recovered in Haiti

LA CROSSE -- The body of Ben Larson -- a Lutheran seminary student from La Crosse killed in the Haiti earthquake -- has been recovered.

Larson's father, Pastor Judd Larson of Duluth, says it was a long shot to recover the body of his son in the devastation of Port-au-Prince, but with the help of the Haitian people they were able to make it happen. He says being able to have an internment and burial for him is an important step for the family.

Ben Larson's wife, Renee, narrowly escaped the same building that trapped and killed him. Larson's mother, former La Crosse Evangelical Lutheran Church Bishop April Larson, says the trauma is hard to comprehend.

Larson's remains are currently at the Dover Air Force Base. It's expected to take several days to process his body before returning it to Minneapolis. His family say he'll be buried near his seminary school in Decorah, Iowa. He was 25 years old.

-- Mike Simonson, WPR