The Olympics are in full swing. The Major League Baseball trade deadline has passed. Summer is peaking. That must mean…The Wisconsin State Fair begins tomorrow.
We are huge fans of this annual event, held every August in West Allis. The food, the bands, the people watching. It’s all great. We’re especially fond of the animals and the kids who are so dedicated to their care. It looks like it’s going to be a hot start, so let’s hope they keep the animals comfortable and guests keep themselves (responsibly) hydrated.
With that, let’s get to todays Key Reads.
First time death threat writer, long time listener.
Jail time for man who threatened to shoot Wisconsin lawmakers | The Center Square
A man who threatened to take a rifle to the Wisconsin Capitol and shoot lawmakers has been sentenced to jail, but he won’t go behind bars.
A Fond du Lac County judge sentenced 75-year-old James Stearns to a week in jail and a $500 fine after Stearns sent emails where he threatened to kill lawmakers and a local radio host.
“Political violence has no place in society and threats to murder legislators for doing the work of the people is a threat to democracy and must never be tolerated. Political disagreement is healthy, but it must be done civilly and peacefully,” Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney said after the sentence.
Toney’s case was based on Stearns’ words in his emails in 2022.
“Should the lawmakers of the State of Wisconsin ever vote to arm the public school teachers and/or administrators in Wisconsin, the following will happen! James R. Stearns at N8218 Ashberry Avenue in FDL, WI. Will purchase a gun, the most powerful I can purchase, and go to Madison and shoot as many of the people who vote for this law as I can before someone shoots me,” Stearns wrote.
Stearns was upset with the idea of arming teachers after the shooting at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
“Arming the teachers and administrators would be the worst possible thing our country/state would ever see, and I am more than willing to go down in a blaze of glory. Check me out to see that presently, and the first 72 years of my life, I have never broken a law, or been involved in the legal system in virtually any way. Outside of a few traffic tickets, my record is as clean as anyone walking the streets of Wisconsin. Do Not consider this a THREAT, but rather a PROMISE !!!,” Stearns added.
Steans wrote another email, where he made more threats against lawmakers.
“Do you not value the lives of your family, yourself and your fellow legislators? If you pass legislation to arm teachers, administrators and other staff people in the Wisconsin public schools, you’ll be a dead man in 60 days of passing that legislation. Does this make sense to you? People will hunt you down and your family like animals. This would be the worst and the last legislation you get passed in Wisconsin,” Stearns wrote in his second email.
Stearns will not spend any new time in jail, however. The judge determined that Stearns had already served his seven-day sentence.
The EAA Air Venture was a massive hit.
EAA AirVenture reports record numbers for 2024 | WBAY
Approximately 686,000 people came to AirVenture this year, according to a news release from EAA.
The event featured 2,846 showplanes, including 1,200 vintage aircraft, 975 homebuilt aircraft, 337 warbirds, 154 ultralights and light planes, 82 aerobatic aircraft, 65 seaplanes and amphibians, 23 rotorcraft, and 10 balloons.
There were also 861 exhibitors, which EAA says is a record number.
A total of 2,581 attendees registered at the International Visitors Tent from a record-setting 98 countries outside the U.S., a 9 percent increase over 2023. As a significant number of international visitors do not officially register at the tent when they arrive, EAA says the actual international visitor total is much higher.
This press release caught our attention, But the product isn’t very sophisticated or user friendly. It’s basically a spreadsheet. DATCP should take it over and do it right.
State launches investment scam tracker | Dairyland Sentinel
The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) today announced that it has launched an investment scam tracker to help Wisconsinites spot and avoid financial investment scams, including cryptocurrency scams. These scams, frequently called “pig-butchering” or “financial grooming” due to the amount of time the perpetrators are willing to invest in gaining the investor’s trust, are devastating – between January 2022 and June 2024, $3,540,878 in losses were reported to the DFI from financial grooming and cryptocurrency fraud.
“Scammers are in the shadows using the public’s interest in crypto assets to take advantage of the most vulnerable Wisconsinites,” said DFI Secretary Cheryll Olson-Collins. “Through our new investment scam tracker, combined with rigorous enforcement efforts, the DFI is committed to shining a light on these ruthless predators and protecting consumers and investors.”
The investment scam tracker includes descriptions of fraudulent or deceptive scams, based on consumer complaints, reported to the DFI. The factual details and losses reported by complainants have not been verified by DFI, but they are being shared in the tracker to alert the public to potential threats and make it harder for perpetrators to deceive more investors. As new investment scams emerge, the DFI will update the tracker on an ongoing basis. The investment scam tracker is searchable by company name, scam type, or keyword, and it includes a list of frequently asked questions, a glossary of common investment scam related terms, and links to additional investor resources.
“Wisconsin residents should exercise extreme caution before responding to any solicitation offering investment or financial services, especially if it involves cryptocurrency. Keep in mind, cryptocurrency transfers may be untraceable and irreversible. Often, consumers only discover they have been scammed when they attempt to withdraw their invested funds. Neither the FDIC nor any other governmental agency insures deposits in cryptocurrency interest-bearing accounts,” said DFI Secretary Olson-Collins. “To be safe, do not give money to anyone you meet online, or allow them access to your bank account or digital wallet. Do not transfer money on their behalf, do not invest your own money on their advice, and do not take out a loan for them. If you follow these rules, you are less likely to be a victim of a cryptocurrency investment scam.”
Imposter scams are among the most reported and often the most difficult for consumers to detect. With these scams, unlicensed or fictitious companies lure unsuspecting individuals to their websites using names that sound similar to those of other legitimate companies or websites in the marketplace. When companies or websites (fake or not) have look- or sound-alike names, the potential confusion created for consumers is real. Attempting to take advantage of such confusion is a tactic employed by some bad actors looking to profit from unsuspecting consumers. The best way to avoid falling victim to a phony company or website is to do research on the company starting with a trusted government source or government website before investing money.
If you hear of an investment scam that is not listed on the investment scam tracker, please notify the DFI by filing a complaint. If you believe you have been a victim of investment fraud, please report it to the DFI’s Division of Securities by emailing [email protected] or calling (608) 266-2139. Do not be ashamed. Anyone can be the victim of fraud.
Some of the finalists sound fantastic. Others are a hard pass.
These are the 2024 Wisconsin State Fair Sporkies & Drinkies winners | Wisconsin State Fair
Sporkies
First Place: Deep-Fried Lemonade Bites from Saz’s BBQ
Second Place: Hot Ham & Glazers from Bud Pavilion
Third Place: Rise & Swine from Camp Bar
Drinkies
First Place: Fairway Fusion from Old Fashioned Sipper Club
Hot Ham & Glazers? We imagine that will be a Kwik Trip staple by next week…
