You don’t need to be a meteorologist or a parenting expert to realize much of Wisconsin is experiencing the kind of weather that is difficult for young parents. Sure, the kids can leave the house today with a spring jacket. But then good luck getting them to put on the hat, gloves and winter coat tomorrow, regardless of the temperature.
In all seriousness, heads up to all for any severe storms that could accompany the drastic swings in temperature today…
One other thing this unseasonably warm weather has done, is put much of the state in the high danger zone for forest fires.
The DNR has issued warnings across almost all of Wisconsin
Wisconsin DNR warns of high fire danger in 69 counties amid dry winter– WBAY
The DNR has suspended burn permits in 38 counties where it has jurisdiction:
Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Douglas, Eau Claire, Florence, Forest, Grant, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Juneau, Langlade, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Monroe, Oconto, Polk, Portage, Price, Richland, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Washburn, Waupaca, Waushara, and Wood counties.
Unlike state-paid ‘experts’ who fleeced Wisconsin for only a few day of intimidating ‘work,’ please don’t go around burning your fellow Wisconsinites, ok?
Those ‘experts’ hauled down $450 an hour to lavish praise on the maps submitted by the side that hired them and criticized their political opponents. The did not actually analyze census data and create a map.
Nice gig. Where do we sign up?
Redistricting experts submit $128K bill for review of Wisconsin legislative maps – Associated Press
The contract had allowed for the consultants to be paid up to $100,000 each. They said in their report that more work could be done to improve the maps under review by the court, but Evers signed the new maps into law in the meantime.
Evers has asked the state Supreme Court to clarify whether the maps will be in effect for any special elections prior to the November election.
Democrats have also asked the court to take up a challenge to the state’s congressional district lines. The lawsuit argues that the court’s decision to order new state legislative maps opens the door to challenging the congressional map. Republicans hold six of the state’s eight congressional seats.
The Governor won’t have ‘expert consultants’ to hide behind when he makes this decision, whether or not to veto this common sense proposal falls solely on him.
Expansion of teacher apprenticeship program awaits Evers’ decision – The Center Square
Only nine technical colleges and one university offer apprenticeship programs. It’s small and Assembly Bill 1005 adds to it. The Institute for Reforming Government says regions like Milwaukee, Madison and rural western and central Wisconsin are cut off from the teacher apprenticeship supply.
Rep. William Penterman, R-Columbus, says the proposal combats teacher shortages through a “2+2” model
“This creative approach combines two years of teaching preparation coursework with two years of hands-on student teaching, ensuring that educators are well-prepared for the challenges of the classroom,” Penterman said.
Teacher shortages can be defined as not enough for a given discipline, or as a numeric whole. The Department of Public Instruction does not say how it is short.
Three years ago, a department report said math, English, English as a second language, special education, and art teachers were the most in demand.
The report said not enough college students were enrolling to become teachers. It identified only 54% of prospective teachers able to pass the required Foundations of Reading Test.
The Wisconsin REALTORS® Association is out with a report on January home sales and it’s optimistic. – WRA
- Wisconsin existing home sales jumped 7.4% in January 2024 compared to their January 2023 levels. This is the first annualized monthly increase in home sales since December 2021, and this increase is in stark contrast to the 17.4% decline in Wisconsin sales for all of 2023 compared to 2022.
- The January 2024 median price rose 6% to $265,000 relative to that same month in 2023.
- Both new listings and total listings saw improvement in January. New listings were up 10.1% in January 2024 compared to January 2023, and this helped to drive total listings up 2% over that same period.
- Even with more homes finding their way onto the market, there continues to be a significant seller’s advantage with just 2.5 months of inventory in January. A balanced market would have approximately six months of supply.
- Statewide months of supply did improve 19% over the past 12 months, rising from 2.1 months of supply in January 2023 to 2.5 months in January 2024. Inventory levels were slightly higher in rural counties, at 3.4 months, compared to urban counties. Specifically, large metropolitan areas, which are those with a population of 50,000 and larger, had 2.2 months of supply in January; and smaller micropolitan areas, which have populations between 10,000 to 49,999, had 2.6 months of supply.
- Although the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has receded from its peak of 7.79% at the end of October 2023, the average January 2024 rate was 6.64%, which is 37 basis points higher than the January 2023 level of 6.27%.
- Even though there was a modest 2% improvement in estimated median family income over the last year, the combination of higher mortgage rates and higher prices has pushed affordability down. The Wisconsin Housing Affordability Index fell 7.1% between January 2023 and January 2024.
And finally, we can’t pay you $450, but you can be an expert today. The Wisconsin Beef Council is looking for the best burger in the state, and they’re taking nominations. With all the bull we’ve been fed from politicians over the years, even the vegans among us can be experts…
Wisconsin’s Best Burger Contest – Wisconsin Beef Council
If you’re a beef burger lover, you’re in the right spot. We’re looking for the best burger in Wisconsin, so nominate your favorite restaurant here. Please only nominate one restaurant in one city.
