Nora Sheridan has been speaking out against gun violence in Milwaukee for years. Then she got the call all parents fear — that her 36-year-old son, Rainier Sheridan, had been murdered, in her own home.
Gov. Scott Walker proposed eliminating the forestry mill tax, a state-based property tax that funds forest management, preservation and fighting fires. Fred Clark of the Forest Stewards Guild and Tom Larson of the Wisconsin Realtors Association discuss its potential impacts.
UW-Extension entomologist PJ Liesch said Wisconsin is "one of the hot spots of tick activity in the U.S." But, he stresses it's still possible to enjoy the outdoors.
One enduring myth about ticks is that these little bloodsucking creatures hang around on tree branches and leaves, waiting to drop down on an unsuspecting feast. Ticks don't dive-bomb their intended meals, but they do engage in behavior called "questing."
While thoughts might be turning to filling the cooler with cold beverages and packing enough charcoal for the grill, there's another aspect to the season that demands attention: tiny ticks.
The Lyme disease incidence rate in Wisconsin has been well above the national average since at least 2005, and is rivaled by only a handful of other states. But these numbers don't represent a definitive count.
Law enforcement officers, emergency medical workers and lab technicians are trained to minimize their exposure to dangerous substances. The increasing use of powerful opioids — which are dangerous to inhale or even touch in very small amounts — is adding unpredictability to these risks.
The Monarch butterfly is a vital pollinator across much of North America. But the species is facing some of the same environmental pressures afflicting other insect pollinators, and the number of monarchs overwintering at sites in Mexico is declining precipitously.
Rural America and the issues faced by people who live in rural places are at the center of the national conversation. But once you go outside of our major cities, exactly what places are considered rural?
