How vacant state legislative seats get filled seems to have long been a hairy question — that is, when people think much about it at all.

Scientists may have settled a debate between anglers and fishery managers over the future of the lake trout in the Great Lakes.

An investigation of 105 special elections in Wisconsin since 1971, as well as 45 legislative vacancies not filled through special elections over the same time period, indicates that it's pretty normal for governors to call them swiftly and without much fuss. But Gov. Scott Walker is challenging that norm with a recent decision.

As Wisconsinites push through a hard flu season, public-health officials are following a distinct mix of influenza strains and worrying about the effectiveness of this year's vaccines, but they're also thinking a lot about an intricate disease-tracking network that's been built up over time.