As the face of Wisconsin changes, so does its language. The number of Hispanics has risen dramatically and a thousand more Hmong are expected in the state by summer. Immigrants sometimes encounter language barriers; the most difficult to surmount are often in the courts. To address that, the state now has its first official court interpreters. Shamane Mills reports...

Some cash-strapped school districts have found a partnership with the cellphone industry can help raise money to make ends meet. In Madison, the school board is on the verge of leasing land for a cell phone tower. Gil Halsted has more...

The sixty year old Coast Guard cutter Sundrew has been decomissioned. Last week's ceremony in Duluth marked the end of its tour of duty. Kate Houlihan reports that 400 people turned out.

Health officials say it's very likely 70 students sent home from a grade school in south-central Wisconsin have the Norwalk virus. Brian Bull reports...

Wisconsin's jobless rate improved last month...from more than 6-percent in March to 5-percent in April. But as Mike Simonson reports from Superior, one northern county is heading in the opposite direction...

A state audit shows lottery ticket sales didn't go up as much as the Wisconsin Department of Revenue hoped. Sales of online and instant tickets went up nearly 2 percent. That's less than estimated. And lottery EXPENSES went up; because of more prize money paid out. Shamane Mills reports...

One of the states' laregest paper companies is the target of an international price fixing investigation. Gil Halsted reports...

A factory in the Green Bay area is expanding, and the company wants Iraq war veterans to share in the benefits. Terry Bell reports...

Knight-Ridder Newspaper has bought out its competition in the Duluth-Superior market. Mike Simonson reports that includes purchasing a 112 year-old daily paper in Superior.

The owner of the Dairyland Greyhound park wants the courts to stall Governor Jim Doyle's efforts to negotiate new tribal casino compacts. But the Kenosha dog track owners says he's NOT out to shut down Indian gaming in the state. Gil Halsted reports...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday it's gearing up to test more than two hundred thousand animals for BSE or mad cow disease starting June 1. More than 20 thousand might be tested in Wisconsin. Mary Jo Wagner has more...

Wells Fargo has bought a Wisconsin company caught up in widespread investigation of mutual fund abuses across the country. The San Fransisco company's purchase of Strong Financial could affect Wisconsin's College Savings program. Shamane Mills reports...

Get a bunch of people together to talk about pigs and jokes are almost inevitable. That's what happened at recent legislative hearing to discuss damage done by feral pigs. But the smiles and laughter eventually gave way to serious discussion on the best way to control an omnivore that's overtaken states like Florida and Texas. Shamane Mills reports...

Thousands of SBC workers in Wisconsin and a dozen other states are back on the job. A tenative contract agreement was reached late Monday, ending a planned four day strike. Shamane Mills reports...

Many Wisconsin residents can expect to get an early morning wake-up call over the next two weeks as the Department of Natural Resources once again tries to beat back the population of dangerous tree-munching moth. Catherine Brand reports...

Organizers of a gas price protest at a Madison service station today/ yesterday blame the spike in prices on President Bush. The group "America Coming Together" want voters to think about the price at the pumps when they go the polls in November. Gil Halsted reports...

Fourth graders are doing better on statewide tests. The scores on tests taken by Wisconsin students in grades four, eight and 10 are out. They also show more disappointing results for eighth and tenth graders. Mary Jo Wagner has more...

Proposed cuts in a federally subsidized rent program could put serious holes in family budgets in the Fox Valley. The Bush Administration's budget suggests cutting the Section 8 program that helps families make rent payments each month. That topic will be on the agenda at a meeting dubbed the "Housing Huddle." It will bring government and business leaders together to talk about the Fox Valley's affordable housing dilemma. Patty Murray has more...

Federal health officials are launching a three-year campaign to fight the stigma surrounding people diagnosed with a mental illness. Wisconsin is the main focus of the project. Brian Bull reports...

The nation's top educator is responding to Wisconsin criticism of the No Child Left Behind Act. Education Secretary Rod Paige took on an opnion from state Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, when Paige was in Milwaukee Monday . Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Wisconsin's elderly drivers may be able to stay on the road longer through a new state grant program. Steve Roisum reports...

Lawmakers, veterans and state officials gathered Friday in Chippewa Falls to get an update on the new Veterans campus. It's uses space at the Northern Wisconsin Center for the Developmentally Disabled that's being downsized. Mary Jo Wagner has more...

Wisconsin Republicans meeting in La Crosse through Sunday expect to stir up momentum to ensure a Bush victory and to maintain a Republican majority in the Wisconsin statehouse. Sandra Harris reports...

Frustration over a lack of funding and other provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act brought two Democratic members of Congress to Eau Claire this afternoon. Mary Jo Wagner has more on the conference at the school district's administration building...

Several thousand Wisconsin workers at S-B-C Communications are off the job Friday....as what could be a four-day walkout began early in the morning. S-B-C contends telephone customers are not being affected. But there are some signs of service delays and state officials promise to help resolve any emergencies. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

For a small group of Cistercian monks living in an abbey near Sparta, life used to be relatively quiet and obscure. But an unorthodox business venture has catapulted the holy men into the international spotlight. Brian Bull has more...

The Potawatomi Tribe and other nations are debating whether to continue making multi-million dollar payments to the state. This follows the State Supreme Court's ruling on gaming compacts. Brian Bull reports...

A Civil engineering professor at U-W Madison is leading an effort to provide clean water to a remote African vilage. The project is one of several that was featured at the annual meeting of the United Nations Association in Madison over the weekend. Gil Halsted reports...

A state legislator wants to know if Wisconsin has a pig problem. Representative DeWayne Johnsrud is holding a hearing this week about wild boars. Farmers say the feral pigs are eating up their crops; natural resource officials are concerned about the possible spread of disease. Shamane Mills reports...

Young people across the state are expected to benefit from the biggest single donation ever given to the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Terry Bell explains...

Several protest groups say their first amendment rights were violated bv La Crosse police during a campaign rally for President Bush. Sandra Harris reports...

Schools in many parts of Wisconsin are gearing up for an influx next fall of more than a thousand new Hmong students from a refugee camp in Thailand. Teachers from some of the schools will travel to Thailand this summer to learn more about the lives and needs of their future students. Gil Halsted reports...

State Republicans are trying to draw more attention to their U-S Senate primary. One possible attention-getter is an unusual endorsement vote scheduled for this weekend's GOP convention in LaCrosse. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

A leading Wisconsin investment company has settled a case of civil fraud for 175 million dollars. And the founder of Strong Financial has apologized to shareholders for trading mutual funds in a way they couldn't. Shamane Mills reports...

As violence in the Gaza strip escalates, a verbal battle is underway in Madison over a proposed sister city in the region. Gil Halsted reports on the debate over proposed ties with the embattled city of Rafah...

State legislators who want UW-Madison teaching assistants punished for an illegal strike can't do anything; its up to other agencies. But they're torn over what to do. Shamane Mills reports on a labor committee hearing where legislators heard from the state's bargaining officials and representatives from the UW-Madison...

The state elections board has voted down a new rule to regulate political advertising. Groups that usually bank roll campaign ads are calling the vote a victory for the first amendment . But election watchdog groups say the rule is needed to prevent special interest money from controlling elections. Gil Halsted reports...

Calls are still coming in to a Social Security investigator's office in Milwaukee. Reports about a telephone scam targeting senior citizens have poured in since last month. Mary Jo Wagner reports...

More than six-thousand Wisconsin employees of the telecommunications company SBC could join a nationwide walkout early Friday morning. Nationally, one-hundred thousand members of the Communications Workers of America could walk off the job. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

The state senate and assembly are gettting ready to take up a bill giving them a say over Native American gaming compacts. A key committee approved the measure earlier today. Shamane Mills reports...

Department of agriculture experts are trying hard to keep a fungus with the potential to devastate red oak forests out of Wisconsin. Sandra Harris reports...

The federal government allows people to stash away money for health expenses, tax- free. Now Wisconsin is considering similar tax breaks for those who have health savings acccounts. Shamane Mills reports...

On the heels of a favorable supreme court ruling, leaders of the majority party are once again asking for some say in Native American gaming compacts. They plan to take up a bill that gives them a role in approving such agreements. The bill was considered on Wednesday. Shamane Mills reports...

Wisconsin Dairy farmers say a lot of good meat is going to waste because of a new federal ban on slaughtering injured animals. But supporters of the ban say it's one of many safeguards needed to keep Mad Cow disease out of the food supply. Gil Halsted has more...

President Bush has created a task force to oversee clean-up of the Great Lakes. Critics call the move a delay in attacking some of the lakes' problems and want more money instead. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Supporters of Gay marriage in Wisconsin are cheering as officials in Massachussetts this week begin issuing the first ever state sanctioned marriage licences to same sex couples. But they're also gearing up for a second round of debates on a Constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage in the next legislative session. Gil Halsted reports...

A celebration of the Brown versus Board [of Education] Supreme Court ruling on segregation is also a preview of a fight over education funding in Wisconsin. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Disabled persons have won a big victory from the U-S supreme court....in a case which involves access to public buildings. The decision comes after a string of other defeats . However, advocates for the disabled are not ready to say the tide has turned for a high court that has repeatedly limited the effect of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Shamane mills reports...

American consumers aren’t just cursing high prices at the gas station. Many are also sour over the rising cost of milk, which is nearing four dollars a gallon in some areas. Industry experts say smaller herds, costly feed prices, and high demand are behind the spike – which could last through summer. Brian Bull reports...

Tribal leaders across the state are trying to sort out how the State Supreme Court's ruling on the Potwatomi casino compact will affect their gaming operations. Many say it will sour relations between the state and tribal governments. Gil Halsted reports...

With gasoline prices at record highs, bicycling advocates are pushing for you to bike to work, school or other destinations. More money for Wisconsin bicycling programs is currently waiting for a green light from Congress and the Bush Administration. Chuck Quirmbach reports....

The state is promoting a special golf event for Wisconsin families this weekend. Environmental groups are divided on whether that's a "fair way" to go. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

State workers who serve in the national guard or reserves often take a pay cut. Wisconsin has been helping to close the financial gap. But that benefit has run out for some who are serving longer than expected. So Governor Doyle is extending the length of time soldiers get a paycheck comparable to what they would recieve at their state jobs. Shamane Mills reports...

A new business group has formed to encourage more Wisconsin companies to get involved in international trade. One of its goals is to change the public perception that when a company goes global it will move its jobs overseas. Gil Halsted reports...

Lyme Disease has increased to its highest recorded level in the United States. An area expert says part of the reason is the tick which carries the disease to humans is thriving. Sandra Harris reports...

The Wisconsin historical society is seeking answers to one little question: What is the most important event in the state's history? Brian Bull reports...

"Diversity Day" is back on at Viroqua High School. The event had been canceled due to public opposition about plans for a gay and lesbian speaker. But as Terry Bell reports, students persuaded the school board to reverse course...

The Veterans Administration has backed off a proposal to privatize or close a VA health clinic in Superior. Mike Simonson reports that there's jubilation among veterans in northern Wisconsin...

The dance community in Madison is in the midst of a swirling controversy over a proposed new school for advanced students. Madison Ballet wants to create a pre-professional academy that would open in 2005. But other local dance studios oppose the project. Even regular collaborators of the organization, known for its annual Nutcracker, are worried. Mathilde Riffault reports...

Traffic deaths on Wisconsin’s highways have dipped sharply from recent years. That’s according to transportation and law enforcement officials, who want to keep the trend going strong as summer tourism season approaches. Brian Bull reports...

Tribal leaders across the state are trying to sort out how the State Supreme Court's ruling on the Potwatomi casino compact will affect their gaming operations. Many say it will sour relations between the state, and tribal governments. Gil Halsted reports...

Expected gambling revenue from indian casinos is in limbo because Vegas-style games have been curbed and tribal agreements with the state shortened. All because of a controversial state supreme court decision handed down yesterday. Shamane Mills reports...

President George W. Bush is due back in Wisconsin today. He'll give a commencement address at a Lutheran university near Milwaukee. He'll also be the target of criticism about his record on education issues. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

New research done in Wisconsin suggests smokers are growing more open to their doctors' advice when it comes to quitting. Terry Bell reports...

Most people don't know how to prevent stroke or limit its effects with medication. That's according to many doctors who work with stroke victims. And worst of all, many victims don't know they having a stroke, so they don't get help before damage is done. Now there's a statewide education effort to change that. It's called Wisconsin Stroke Alert. Shamane Mills reports...

Governor Jim Doyle is renewing his call to legalize the re-importation of prespcrition drugs from Canada. This week he and five other governor's sent a letter to President Bush demanding he act on the issue before the November election. Gil Halsted reports...

Supporters of the arts gathered recently at the Grace Chosy Gallery in Madison, to view eleven violins that will never play another note. James Mills reports...

The DNR says businesses are starting to show interest in a new state program that could mean less oversight for firms. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

The Rock Island Lighthouse at the tip of the Door County peninsula is newly renovated and will open to the public this weekend. The red-roofed stone building sat empty for decades until a private group stepped up to oversee the project. Patty Murray has more...

The state senate has signed off on a couple of state contracts which make workers pay for part of their health insurance. Union leaders aren't happy about that...or the lack of domestic partnership benefits in the agreement. State negotiators say they are committed to offering health benefits to domestic partners of state workers, but Wisconsin can't afford it right now. And Republican leaders aren't too keen on the concept. Shamane Mills reports...

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is pleased that there's a plan to restore the Mississippi river, but some say the funding falls short of what's needed to do the job. Sandra Harris reports...

If your travel plans take you along I-90 near Sparta this summer, you’ll be participating in a road test of sorts. CB reports...

A state wide family planning group is using a toll free hot line to promote the use of an emergency contraceptive known as the morning after pill. The hot line is a direct response to a federal ruling last week barring over the counter sales of the high dose hormone pill called "Plan B". Gil Halsted reports...

A federal rule to greatly reduce air pollution from off-road diesel engines could help Wisconsin in its fight against smog and soot. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Hundreds of veterans and their supporters rallied outside the Veterans Outpatient Clinic in Superior yesterday. As Mike Simonson reports, they hope to save the clinic from being closed...

Gas prices have hit a record high in Wisconsin. But tourism officials say fuel costs haven't affected leisure travel --- at least not yet. Tourism brings in more than 11-billion dollars to communities across the state, so it is a concern. Shamane Mills reports...

Wisconsin is better than most states when it comes to the number of people without health insurance. Wisconsin ranks third. But those who tout universal health plans and other reforms say the state should do more. They want Wisconsin to ensure adequate coverage and reduce costs for businesses. Shamane Mills reports...

Advocates of prison reform are praising state efforts to cut the state corrections budget. But some say more needs to be done to help people readjust to the community after they're released from prison. Gil Halsted reports...

Researchers at UW-Madison are hoping President Bush will respond to pressure from Congress and lift restrictions on federal funding for new stem cell lines. A congressional delgation plans to meet with adminstration officials this week. Gil Halsted reports...

The DNR has signed off on a deal between developers and environmentalists involving the moving of earth along Wisconsin streams and lakes. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Two Wisconsin river mussels are one step closer to being listed as endangered species. The mussels are native to Midwestern states, including Wisconsin. Their numbers are believed to be shrinking significantly. Patty Murray has more...

A monthly political magazine with deep roots in Wisconsin celebrated its 95th birthday this past weekend. When Senator Bob La Follette founded The Progressive in 1909, he used its pages to lobby fiercely against American involvement in World War I. Gil Halsted has more...

New Homeland Security rules may prevent a Palestinian Fulbright Scholar from completing his research at UW Eau Claire. Gil Halsted reports...

A court ruling against one of the state's largest health care clinics could mean less money for schools in the clinic's home town. Gil Halsted explains...

Two financial reviews of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball club show the team is piling on more debt. But state lawmakers say the reviews clear team owners of trying to improperly make themselves richer. Chuck Qurimbach reports...

A student government election at the University of Wisconsin-Superior has been marred by allegations of stuffed ballot boxes and missing ballots. But Mike Simonson reports that the students and university have settled the controversy without the angst that followed the 2000 presidential race between Al Gore and George Bush...

Superior is one of the first communities in Wisconsin to regulate new pay day and title loan stores. Mike Simonson reports that the city council's vote is trying to limit new loan stores from opening...

Sister City projects are supposed to promote international friendship . But efforts in Madison to forge ties with a city on the Gaza Strip have done just the opposite. The proposed Rafah sister city project has ignited a local debate about anti Semitism and support for terrorists. Gil Halsted reports...

The Racine County Sheriff’s Department is denying a newspaper columnist’s claim that Illinois drivers are singled out for speeding. Brian Bull reports...

The University of Wisconsin is suing to defend its patent on a special semiconductor process. The lawsuit is targeted against Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest maker of computer memory chips. Brian Bull reports...

The PSC and Wisconsin's largest electric utility say there should be enough electricity generated in the state this summer. But transmission of all the power remains an issue. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

The new CEO of Wisconsin's largest power company says it's full speed ahead for a re-licensing application for the Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant. That's despite another recently disclosed problem at the Manitowoc County facility. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

The city of La Crosse is already preparing for the president's visit at the end of the week. But police say they know the routine. Sandra Harris Reports...

For the last decade, couples who use in vitro fertilization to produce a baby have found comfort in science. Screening for genetic disease before implantation allows couples to know if their baby will be healthy. Now that same genetic screening is being used to help couples have babies who are better stem cell donors for sick siblings. Shamane Mills explains...

A northwoods restaurant and former inn that once hosted one of America’s most wanted gangsters is up for sale --- sporting a lakeside view, acres of forestland, and bullet-holes. Brian Bull reports...

The Forest Service and environmental groups are battling over a newly released management plan for the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Northern Wisconsin. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Governor Doyle says there are some things the state can do this year to help foster care and child welfare programs. But the Governor's plans for both this year and next will depend on the state's budget picture. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Governor Jim Doyle wants to use an incentive system to improve the quality of child care centers in the state . He also wants to pump more money into 4-year-old Kindergarten programs. The initiatives annouced today/yesterday are the first in a series of early childhood education programs the Governor is annoucing this week. Gil Halsted reports...

A Republican candidate for US Senate in Wisconsin has launched the latest controversial attack on Democrat incumbent Russ Feingold. One analyst says the four GOP Senate candidates are trying to see who can be tougher on the two-term Senator. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

For the first time in Wisconsin, a Boys and Girls Club will be inside a state juvenile institution. Governor Doyle and other officials will dedicate the collaboration today. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

When skies around Wisconsin turn dark and foreboding, meteoroligists aren't the only ones tracking the course of the weather. As Catherine Brand reports, thousands of volunteers across the state use short wave radio signals to send storm observations to the National Weather Service...

A federal appeals court ruling last week reaffirms the power of state governors to block new tribal casinos. It's the latest in a long string of defeats for three Wisconsin Indian tribes seeking approval for a casino at a western Wisconsin Dog track. Gil Halsted reports...

An environment group will protest a proposed tire plant in southeastern Minnesota this weekend. The plant would be near the Wisconsin border. Minnesota opponents say people in Wisconsin should be worried as well. Sandra Harris reports...

Two state parties are issuing a joint resolution against the "USA Patriot Act." The Libertarians and the Green Party have different opinions on things like gun control...but they're joining forces to speak out against a federal law that gives the government widespread surveillance and detention powers. Patty Murray reports...