Girl lives dream; bride dies on way to reception; pizza trumps civic duty

Legislators want to revoke drunken drivers' licenses

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Repeat drunken drivers would lose their licenses for at least a decade under a bill backed by a rare bipartisan coalition of Wisconsin lawmakers.

The measure is designed to send a message that legislators won't tolerate repeat offenders, said Rep. Eric Genrich, D-Green Bay, one of the proposal's chief authors.

"We see these habitually drunk drivers appearing in the paper and the TV news over and over again," Genrich said. "This is our response, saying enough is enough."

The Wisconsin Tavern League, the state's powerful alcohol lobby, supports the measure as a way to keep repeat offenders off the road, said the league's lobbyist, Scott Stenger. The Wisconsin Professional Police Association, the state's largest police union, also backs the legislation as a way to deter repeat offenders without adding financial strains for the criminal justice system, WPPA Executive Director Jim Palmer said.

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, however, has asked lawmakers to change the bill to force repeat offenders to use ignition interlocks for a decade rather than take away their licenses. The group feels that revocation won't stop people from getting behind the wheel, MADD lobbyist Frank Harris said.

"On paper, this looks fantastic," Harris said of the bill. "But in reality it will not stop somebody (from driving drunk). It's just taking away a magical piece of paper."

Right now, the state Department of Transportation can revoke licenses for drunken driving for up to a year. People who lose their licenses can apply for occupational licenses, which allow them to drive limited hours.

The bill would require the DOT to permanently revoke the license of anyone who has committed five or more operating while intoxicated offenses. The agency also would have to permanently revoke the license of anyone with three or more OWI offenses and two or more so-called qualifying convictions for serious crimes involving a motor vehicle, such as homicide using a motor vehicle. In either case, the person wouldn't be eligible for an occupational license.

Driving after revocation currently carries a maximum sentence of $2,500 and a year behind bars. Under the bill, anyone caught driving after permanent revocation for multiple drunken driving offenses for a second time or more would face $10,000 in fines and a year in prison.

Offenders could apply to get their license back after 10 years. The DOT could choose to reinstate their licenses if they haven't been convicted of a crime over that decade, they submit to an alcohol assessment and develop a driver safety plan.

Genrich acknowledged MADD's concerns but said he's wary of the potential costs of ignition interlock devices and who would bear that burden. He insisted revocation can be an effective deterrent to drunken driving.

"There are all sorts of other ideas and this is not a silver bullet, but that's not a reason for inaction," Genrich said. "We need to be doing all sorts of things to prevent this kind of behavior. This is just one thing I have to offer."

The bill's chances are unclear. Spokeswomen for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, didn't immediately return an email message inquiring about the proposal's prospects.

But nearly a dozen Republicans across both houses have signed onto the bill as co-sponsors. The Assembly's judiciary committee has scheduled a public hearing on the bill for Thursday, a move that's typically the precursor for a committee vote that would clear the way for a full vote on the Assembly floor when the Legislature reconvenes next year.

One of the bill's co-sponsors includes Rep. Josh Zepnick, a Milwaukee Democrat who lost his sister to a drunken driver in 1990 and was arrested himself for first-offense drunken driving last month. He didn't immediately return a message left at his office Tuesday.

Wisconsin is the only state that treats first-offense drunken driving as a civil violation rather than a crime.

____

Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond1

Bull attacks, kills 60-year-old man on western Michigan farm

ALGOMA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A 60-year-old man has been attacked and killed by a bull on a western Michigan farm.

The Kent County sheriff's office reports that the man was in a barn late Tuesday morning on the farm in Algoma Township as workers were trying to load the bull into a trailer outside.

The bull broke free and ran into the barn where it slammed its head into the man's chest several times.

Workers were able to separate the bull from the man and remove the man from the garage, but he was later pronounced dead at the scene.

The man's name was not immediately released.

County animal control officers responded to the farm north of Grand Rapids and found no violations.

Jury finds Flint Councilman Mays guilty of impaired driving

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A jury has found Flint Councilman Eric Mays guilty of misdemeanor impaired driving and not guilty of failing to report a traffic accident.

The Flint Journal reports that the jury deliberated about an hour Tuesday before returning its verdict.

Mays says he plans to file an appeal. This was his second trial in the case.

He was arrested in 2013 after police say they found Mays on Interstate 475 standing outside a vehicle with missing and damaged tires.

The first jury convicted him on an impaired driving charge. A judge overturned it and ordered a new trial after Mays appealed.

Mays represented himself in the case and said Tuesday that he's had the majority of charges against him dropped.

Police: Teachers rescued SD student from being abducted

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Court documents in an attempted kidnapping case against a homeless man show police are crediting three teachers with rescuing a 6-year-old student from an alleged abductor.

The Argus Leader reports an affidavit shows Lowell Elementary School teachers in Sioux Falls noticed 26-year-old Jamal Terry leading the boy away from the school last month. The document shows one teacher ran up to Terry and the boy to stop them, while two other teachers followed Terry until they lost him.

Terry was later arrested on another charge. The affidavit shows that's when he requested to speak with an officer so that his "name could be cleared." He told the officer the boy had followed him.

Terry has been charged with attempted kidnapping to take or entice away a child and second-degree kidnapping. It wasn't immediately clear if he has an attorney.

Pizza party pre-empts public comment at city council meeting

GARDEN CITY, Mich. (AP) — Seven homeowners waiting to plead their eviction plight to Garden City officials were turned away because the City Council had hot pizza waiting.

A pizza party was scheduled immediately after Monday night's swearing-in ceremony and councilmembers in the community west of Detroit walked out before residents could speak, The Detroit News reported Tuesday.

"It's a happy occasion," Mayor Randy Walker told the newspaper.

Walker, a part-time mayor, was one of the officials recently re-elected to office.

"We had food waiting. We had pizza coming out of the oven," he said, adding that public comment typically is not held at swear-ins.

But the law requires some form of public comment at public meetings, according to University of Michigan law professor Leonard Niehoff.

Tarek Baydoun, an attorney representing the homeowners who have had their properties foreclosed on, said he plans to file an Open Meetings Act violation complaint with the state.

Garden City and some other Wayne County communities acquired tax-foreclosed houses this year from the county. Garden City has sold its homes to a developer.

Residents being foreclosed on "can come to the next council meeting" to speak, Walker said.

"The houses were foreclosed by the county," he said. "We are not the property owner anymore. It's out of our hands."

Cheryl Deanda said she was ready to pay the $16,000 owed in taxes on her home, but she didn't get a chance to tell that to the council.

"Apparently, they'd rather take an investor's money than mine," Deanda said.

Ex-Ohio lawmaker with felony conviction to run for US House

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former lawmaker removed from the Ohio House of Representatives following a felony theft conviction says he'll make a run at a U.S. House seat in northern Ohio.

Sandusky real estate agent and auctioneer Steve Kraus says he'll seek the Republican nomination in Ohio's ninth district to run against U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur.

The district stretches along the Lake Erie shoreline from Toledo to East Cleveland.

An Ottawa County jury in July found Kraus guilty of taking antiques from a home without the owner's permission. An appeal of the conviction is pending.

Kraus maintains his innocence and says he believes the conviction was "retribution" for his surprise victory in the 2014 election.

A felony conviction doesn't prevent a candidate from running for Congress.

Prosecutors indict 36 in alleged insurance fraud scheme

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Federal prosecutors have indicted 36 people in an insurance fraud scheme alleging that they staged car crashes and filed false insurance claims.

The indictment alleges 56-year-old Michael W. Burris Sr., his 53-year-old wife, Lisa, and others planned a series of automobile crashes in the Evansville area.

U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler says the Burrises allegedly recruited people to participate in crashes and file false police reports and false insurance claims for self-inflicted or fabricated injuries.

Court documents say Michael Burris Sr. and his alleged conspirators punched the crash victims in the face and used a razor blade and wire brush to make it appear they had crash injuries.

The 36 suspects arrested Tuesday face wire fraud, mail fraud and other charges.

Michigan lawmaker arrested for drunken driving near Lansing

MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — A lawmaker from Michigan's Upper Peninsula says he was arrested for drunken driving in the Lansing area and is seeking treatment.

Democratic Rep. John Kivela of Marquette said in a statement Tuesday that he was arrested late Monday for "operating under the influence" outside Lansing, but did not say in which community.

Kivela's spokesman Joshua Pugh declined to say where the arrest happened or provide further comment beyond the statement.

Kivela apologized to his family and constituents and says he has "battled alcoholism" for most of his adult life. He adds that "alcohol has become a problem" for him and seeks professional treatment.

Kivela is serving his second term in the House. He was Marquette mayor from 2008 to 2012 and served as general manager of a used car dealership.

7-year-old Moline girl lives firefighter dream

By DAWN NEUSES

The (Moline) Dispatch

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Monse Villagomez isn't shy about telling people her plan to be a firefighter someday.

The 7-year-old likes the heavy protective gear firefighters wear, loves the idea of racing down the street in a bright red fire engine, and, most of all, she said, "I want to help people and make them safe. I want to be a helper."

On Monday, part of her dream came true when she left her wheelchair inside Moline's Central Fire Station and rode away in the front passenger seat of fire engine No. 11.

The second-grader at Hamilton Elementary in Moline took the morning off from school to tour the station and its living quarters and eat lunch with the firefighters.

Alderman Quentin Rodriguez, 1st Ward, coordinated the tour for Monse after he met her in late October and heard of her dreams. At the station Monday, he stood back and watched as firefighters showed her the equipment they carry in the fire engine and ambulance, and told her when and how all of it's used.

Monse asked questions, giggled with delight, told them red is her favorite color, pointed out how big the tires are on the fire engine and more than a few times exclaimed "Mamma Mia" to express her awe.

Her mother, Cecilia Gomez, said Monse was very excited and emotional about having the chance to tour the station with the crew that works and lives there. Monse always is saying she wants to be a firefighter, she wants to be a firefighter, she wants to be ..., Ms. Gomez said with a smile.

Monse uses a motorized wheelchair because her hip and legs are underdeveloped.

"Yet, she has no limits," said MaryAnn Garcia, a volunteer with Palomares Social Justice Center in Moline.

Ms. Garcia credit's Monse's go-getter attitude to her parents. "They treat her like she has four limbs, and that is how she thrives, by being treated like any other kid."

As the fire engine returned to the station after a trip around the block, engineer Kris Johnson announced their arrival with flashing lights and a couple beeps of the horn.

In the front seat, Monse waved ecstatically to those who waited for her at the station, her face filled with a joyous smile.

___

Source: The (Moline) Dispatch, http://bit.ly/1Mm8sPJ

___

Information from: The Dispatch, http://www.qconline.com

Epworth students learn about poverty through simulation

EPWORTH, Iowa (AP) — Students at Western Dubuque High School in Epworth recently learned about hunger through a simulation that determined their status in society.

The Telegraph Herald reports the Western Dubuque Hunger Banquet held Monday was a student-led school assembly to increase local and global awareness about poverty issues. More than 900 students participated.

Half of the students received a "low class" card, given one-fourth of a graham cracker and were told to sit on the floor. Thirty percent of students received a "middle class" card, received half of a frosted graham cracker and sat on the bleachers of the gymnasium. The remaining students were presented with "high class" cards and ate ice cream sundaes at tables.

Sophomore Jaydee Curtis said "Today, we saw it up close, and we realized how much poverty there is in the world."

Another sophomore, Samantha O'Dell, said she was overwhelmed with guilt when she received her ice cream sundae.

"I felt bad walking by my friends who were middle class or low class," she said.

The banquet, modeled after the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet, kicked off the school National Honor Society's annual food drive. The assembly also included videos, stories of poverty and speakers from Dubuque Rescue Mission.

Senior Alyssa Dougherty, who helped organize the school's first school-wide hunger banquet, said they wanted to bring it to all students and hoped they would be more willing to donate food items if they understood poverty better.

The national organization hopes to raise 2,500 pounds of food for Dubuque Rescue Mission. Last year, less than 1,500 pounds was donated.

___

Information from: Telegraph Herald, http://www.thonline.com

Man accused of bilking $3.9M from investors, including Amish

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Federal officials are suing a northern Indiana man, saying he bilked $3.9 million from at least 70 novice investors, including many who are Amish.

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed the federal lawsuit against 36-year-old Earl Miller of Goshen last week, The Elkhart Truth reports. The SEC accuses Miller of persuading people to invest in two companies he owned dealing with real estate and green product investments, and then repeatedly lying about how the money was used.

"Miller encouraged people who trusted him to invest their money with 5 Star Commercial and 5 Star Capital," the complaint says. "Many of Miller's investors are financial novices."

Miller also recruited investors from the local Amish community, advertising in Amish newspapers and at community meetings, according to the complaint. Investors were given a promissory note, the complaint says, with a fixed-rate of return of 8 percent to 12 percent.

The complaint says Miller took $1 million from 5 Star Commercial for personal use, despite telling investors he wouldn't get paid for managing the fund. He also told investors that money would go exclusively toward real estate, but he transferred more than $390,000 into speculative companies supposedly making green products, according to the complaint.

The SEC also accuses Miller of lying about 5 Star Capital having patents on many green products that he would invest in, when it owned no such patents. The company invested in several companies supposedly developing products, but most investments failed almost as soon as they were made, according to the complaint.

The Indiana Securities Division recently accused Miller of selling promissory notes to at least 37 investors totaling more than $1 million. He entered into an agreement with the agency in April and agreed to a civil penalty of $5,000.

Miller's attorney, Joseph Dever, said he was aware of the SEC's lawsuit but declined to comment.

___

Information from: The Elkhart Truth, http://www.elkharttruth.com

Laser into cockpit of plane traced to Christmas display

PERE MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say a Christmas display is to blame for a laser being shined into the cockpit of a plane approaching a western Michigan airport.

The Ludington Daily News reports the laser was reported starting last week on approach to the Mason County Airport in Pere Marquette Township near Ludington. The Muskegon Chronicle reports there were several other reports of a laser being pointed at planes in the same area.

Deputies determined that the pilot was seeing a green light from a laser projector pointed at a Sherman Township barn that was reflected into the sky. The woman with the display has since unplugged it.

Lasers can temporarily blind pilots and it's a federal crime to point lasers at planes. In this case, there's no indication it was intentional.

New bride dies in motorcycle crash on way to reception

BUCKNER, Ill. (AP) — A 40-year-old southern Illinois newlywed is dead after the motorcycle her new husband was operating crashed on the way to the couple's reception.

The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports that Jana Miles-Burnett of Whittington died Saturday night following a wedding ceremony in a Buckner city park. She and husband William Burnett were headed to a reception at a bar in Christopher, a three-mile trip.

Illinois State Police report that Burnett struck a deer that had darted onto the rural highway. Miles-Burnett, whose identity was confirmed to the newspaper by family members and a funeral home, was thrown off the motorcycle after the collision. Her husband was not seriously injured. The couple dated for only a few months before marrying.

Miles-Burnett worked as an emergency dispatcher for Franklin County.

Judge: Hospital not liable for worker's Facebook post

CINCINNATI (AP) — A judge has found that a Cincinnati hospital is not liable after an employee posted a screenshot of a patient's private medical records on Facebook.

The former University of Cincinnati Medical Center employee posted records in 2013 on a Facebook group with a name that includes a derogatory name for women considered promiscuous. The records listed the woman's diagnosis as "maternal syphilis." She also was pregnant.

The woman sued the hospital, her former boyfriend, and the former employee last year.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports a Hamilton County Common Pleas Court judge on Monday found that the employee was not acting within the scope of her employment, and that the hospital needs to be dropped from the lawsuit.

The Confederate flag to fly no longer in Wichita Park

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita Park Board members have voted to keep the Confederate flag from flying at Veterans Memorial Park.

The Wichita Eagle reports that Mayor Jeff Longwell ordered the flag removed in July after acknowledging community feedback to a June shooting in a Charleston, South Carolina, church. The accused shooter in that incident posted photos with the flag on social media.

The Park Board on Monday recommended the flag be replaced with the Kansas flag. They also approved a Reconciliation Memorial to address the diverse sides of the Civil War.

Board members say the conference-room meeting was standing room only. They say there was heated debate between those on both sides of the issue.

The Confederate flag had been in the park near downtown since 1976.

Police: 8-year-old girl tried to smoke pot at Ohio school

PATASKALA, Ohio (AP) — Police in central Ohio say an 8-year-old girl was caught trying to smoke marijuana by lighting a plastic baggie of it in a restroom at her elementary school, and they're working to determine where she got it.

Police in Pataskala, east of Columbus, report the girl tried to discard the marijuana in a trash can and toilet when a school employee found her last week. Investigators recovered some of the discarded marijuana and a lighter but no drug paraphernalia.

The girl was suspended, and children's services officials got involved in the case.

Pataskala police Chief Bruce Brooks tells The Advocate newspaper in nearby Newark that it's fortunate the girl didn't really understand how to light and smoke the marijuana.

The superintendent says the school district is working with police.

Region women stitch together humor in sewing project

By MARC CHASE

The Times

SCHERERVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Singer sewing machines hummed as women of the self-dubbed United Nations Sewing Club stitched together holiday cheer for veterans and joked about the need for 60-something single men to pay them a visit.

It's all the laborious fruit of eight Region women who stitch away every week on hundreds of fabric holiday stockings and cloth goody bags — mostly intended for veterans, active duty military personnel and VA hospital patients — in the cavernous Schererville basement of Barb Thompson, 73.

It started three years ago with a challenge from Thompson to seven friends in her health club swimming group. She had been sewing for such volunteer causes on a smaller scale and wanted to expand.

It has morphed over the years into an eight-strong band of sister-seamstresses who jokingly dub their group the United Nations Sewing Club because of the many ethnic groups — Japanese, Korean, Italian, Polish and German — represented in their circle of good will.

The eight women range in age from 52 to 77 and hail from Schererville, Highland, Crown Point, Munster and St. John.

Each Tuesday, beginning in spring and leading up the holidays, the women gather in Thompson's basement and create scores of stockings and goody bags out of reams of donated fabric and hundreds of spools of thread. Most of their material brightens the lives of soldiers and veterans through the VFW, Operation Care Package and the Adam Benjamin Jr. VA Clinic in Crown Point.

But some of the stockings and bags also provide holiday cheer to region children's shelters and others in need of a smile.

Last year, the sewing crew produced 2,100 stockings, Thompson said. This year, as of three weeks ago, they were already at 2,060 and going strong. They're also on track to produce about 500 cloth goody bags.

On a recent Tuesday morning, Thompson's basement more closely resembled a fabric supply outlet, with bolts of donated cloth in piles throughout the room.

"This is our sweat shop," said group participant Nancy Kraus, 77, of Highland, as she sorted stockings last month in the basement where it all happens. "Please let the eligible elderly men know we're down here."