Watch for slick roads tomorrow; Woman dies of injuries suffered in ambulance; Fight breaks out in courthouse after sentencing; more briefs

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Things could get slippery in Wisconsin late tonight and tomorrow. The National Weather Service says light freezing drizzle is in the statewide forecast after midnight when a cold front is due in from the north.

The freezing rain might stick around Friday in central and northern Wisconsin where light snow could be mixed in.

Rain is in the statewide forecast for Saturday. It’s supposed to dry up on Sunday, with another chance of rain on Monday as a new front moves in.

Meanwhile, a slight warm-up is predicted for today, with highs around 30 in the north and the upper 40’s in the south. By Saturday, forecasters say highs will be in the 40’s and 50’s statewide, and southern Wisconsin might even see 60 on Sunday before a slight cool-down on Monday.

Normal highs for this time of year are about 30 in northern Wisconsin and 40 in the south.

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Woman dies of injuries suffered in ambulance

An 85-year-old Madison woman has died after she banged her head in an ambulance that slammed on the brakes while transporting her husband to a hospice facility.

Laurel Huibregtse died at University of Wisconsin Hospital just hours before her husband Donald, 85, passed away at the hospice home where he was taken in Fitchburg. Both died on Tuesday, a day after the mishap.

Fitchburg police said the ambulance driver suddenly hit the brakes to avoid hitting a vehicle that was stopped behind another vehicle that was waiting to make a U-turn.

Lt. Chad Brecklin said there was not a collision, but the impact of the braking forced Laurel Huibregtse to slide off her seat in the back of the ambulance and hit her head.

Brecklin said the matter is still being investigated, but he does not expect criminal charges to be filed. He calls it a tragic accident.

The ambulance driver and an attendant were not injured.

A relative said Donald Huibregtse died after a long battle with cancer. He’s a former publisher of the Monona Community Herald and McFarland Community Life.

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Fight breaks out in courthouse after sentencing

As soon as Dedrick Ashford was sentenced to a year in prison for killing a six-year-old boy with his car, relatives of the victim stood and walked out into a hallway in the Milwaukee County Courthouse and a fight broke out.

Christopher Wade Jr.’s family was visibly emotional, screaming that Ashford was a murderer and should have been given a harsher sentence.

The two families ended up in a brawl, and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department made three arrests, saying there could be more.

While sentencing Ashford the judge said he knew the defendant hadn’t killed the boy on purpose, but the defendant got jail time because he was knowingly driving without a driver’s license.

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Walker might include toll roads in next state budget

Gov. Scott Walker said he’s reluctant to propose toll roads to help pay for Wisconsin’s most pressing highway projects. But he told reporters Wednesday that he’s not ruling out toll booths as he develops a state budget plan to be submitted to the Legislature in February.

After speaking at the Governor’s Freight Industry Summit in Madison, Walker said he didn’t want to burden state residents who must travel short distances. But he noted that tolls might be feasible if they a bigger impact on out-of-state drivers.

That comment was similar to what new Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said a week ago. The Racine County Republican said he wanted tolls on multi-lane highways that are used the most by out-of-staters. That includes his own area, where Illinois drivers use I-94 for free while many of Vos’ own constituents use the Illinois Tollway to get to work each day.

The Department of Transportation said more transportation revenue would be needed to avoid delays in expansions of Milwaukee’s Zoo Interchange and I-39 south of Madison.

Walker said he was against those delays, and he remains against raising the gas tax to provide the extra revenue. On Monday, Walker said he might consider his earlier idea to create toll express lanes on the Milwaukee freeways.

The federal government would have to approve any proposal for tolls.

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Walker hopes to lure taconite company to Wisconsin

Gov. Scott Walker says he’s confident that Gogebic Taconite would come back to Wisconsin if lawmakers pass a bill that makes it easier for the company to run an iron ore mine.

The governor spoke to the state’s largest business group in Madison Wednesday. Members of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce applauded when he said there’s a need to pass a mining incentive package to bring thousands of jobs to the Ashland area.

That’s where Gogebic was planning a project last year before lawmakers failed to approve a faster process for getting state mining permits, including fewer environmental protections and less public input into the permitting process.

Gogebic left the state after lawmakers adjourned for the year. But Walker believes the firm would come back if a bill is passed similar to last year’s version – a package that Democrats have rejected and even Republicans have said might have to be softened up.

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Walker aide’s embezzlement case may settle today

Former Milwaukee County Walker aide Tim Russell is expected to settle his embezzlement case this afternoon.

Prosecutors announced a plea deal on Monday, and we could find out the details after Russell makes his court appearance at 1:30 p.m.

Russell, 49, is charged with three counts of theft from a business setting. Two of those charges are felonies. The plea deal averts a trial that had been scheduled to begin next Monday.

Russell is accused of stealing $21,000 from an annual program at the Milwaukee County Zoo that honors Wisconsin veterans. He’s also accused of taking campaign funds from two Milwaukee County Board candidates. Prosecutors said he used the stolen money to take exotic vacations.

Russell was the first of five ex-Walker aides and associates to be charged. All had either worked for Walker or was appointed by him during his time as the Milwaukee County executive.

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Supreme Court justice seeks reelection

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Pat Roggensack has announced that she’ll run for a second 10-year term next spring.

She’s part of the court’s four-member conservative majority.

Roggensack says she has “called the balls and strikes” as each case requires. And she points out that she’s the only justice who has previous experience as an appellate court judge.

Lemon law attorney Vince Megna of Milwaukee has said he’ll run against Roggensack. Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi and Marquette law professor Ed Fallone have said they’re considering possible candidacies.

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Arizona, Missouri players split $587 million jackpot

Wisconsinites were shut out of the super big money last night as players in Arizona and Missouri split a Powerball jackpot that grew to $587.5 million dollars at the last minute.

Wisconsin did have a $1 million winner. A ticket sold at a Speedway station in West Allis matched all five regular numbers but not the Powerball to win the game’s second prize.

Ten other people won at least $10,000 by matching four regular numbers plus the Powerball. Those tickets were sold in Appleton, Cross Plains, Fond du Lac, Grand Marsh, Kenosha, Janesville, Marinette, Milwaukee, Montello and Superior.

One of those tickets won $40,000 because it had the Power Play option. But the lottery won’t know where that one came from until later today.

Over 188,000 Wisconsin players won smaller prizes. Almost 865 of those people won $100 and another 45 won $200 each. Over 99,000 Wisconsinites won $4 just by matching the Powerball.

Last night’s numbers were 5, 16, 22, 23 and 29. The Powerball was 6.

Nationally, 25 players won $1 million each, and seven others won $2 million as ticket sales mushroomed over the last three days.

The Powerball jackpot goes back to $40 million for the next drawing Saturday night.

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New Legislature will be sworn in Jan. 7

Twenty-five newly elected state representatives will take their first oaths of office Jan. 7 -- along with a trio of first-time senators.

Both houses of the Legislature will begin their two-year session on Jan. 7.

Assembly leaders said they’ve invited the 10 most recent speakers back as part of their ceremony.

Majority Republican leaders have vowed to get Democrats more involved this time, but the GOP has the votes to ram through what it wants with little chance that their party’s governor will object. That’s how they got the state budget, public union bargaining limits and the voter ID law passed in the last session.

Republicans hold a 60-39 majority in the Assembly.

Waukesha County Republican Paul Farrow is unopposed for an open Senate seat in a special election next Tuesday. Once he’s elected, the GOP will have an 18-15 majority in the Senate.

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