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This is your WFHR Daily News Roundup for locally grown radio 97.5 FM and 13.20 AM
and WISC country 105.5 FM WIRI in Wisconsin Rapids.
For WFHR and WIRI News, I'm Melissa Kaye.
The lights of love, tree lighting ceremony took place at a Spiro's Riverview hospital last night in Wisconsin Rapids.
A large crowd gathered in the snow and cold for this beautiful ceremony, honoring those in our community
who are struggling with their health and in remembrance of those we have lost.
Sixth grade students from Rams shared poems and essays they wrote and the third through fifth grade choir from Grove Elementary saying Christmas songs.
The program contained messages of hope and inspiration.
The crowd counted down together to light the trees at a Spiro's that will stay lit now through the holiday season.
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gabelman faces a disciplinary complaint from the state office of lawyer regulation.
It's in regards to alleged misconduct during his 2020 election investigation.
The ten count complaint accuses Gabelman of ethical violations, including filing false statements and disobeying court orders.
It stems from his work as special counsel for the Wisconsin State Assembly. Jeff Mandel from law forward talk to Armageddon.
Mr. Gabelman broke more ethics laws and rules than he followed.
He took on from the beginning a matter that was beyond his competency and knowledge.
He violated his duties to his client.
He lied to courts in two different counties and actually multiple courts in Dane County.
He mistreated and lied to opposing counsel.
He lied to the public and misled them.
He told his client one thing and then testified in the legislature to the exact opposite.
The filing seeks sanctions and possible fines from the state Supreme Court against Gabelman.
The complaint notes that Gabelman was paid $11,000 monthly for his four month investigation that yielded no results.
Flags across the state will be at half staff today in remembrance of what happened in Waukesha three years ago.
Here's Stuart J. Wattles.
On the third anniversary of the Waukesha Christmas parade attack, Governor Tony Evers has directed that flags be flown at half staff throughout the state.
A Thursday observance will honor the six lives lost in the dozens injured in the 2021 attack.
In Waukesha, they'll be opening a new memorial in Greedy Park.
The centerpiece of the $1.5 million memorial is a six-sided heart sculpture symbolizing the six lives lost.
The Wisconsin DNR is asking for public input on their statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan or SCORP.
The SCORP looks at why people enjoy recreation in Wisconsin and also asks what barriers people have that may prevent them from participating.
States are required to complete SCORP's every five years to be eligible for participation in the Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program.
You have until December 15th to submit comments online by mail, phone or email. Find out more at DNR.wi.gov.
Firefighters work hard to keep our community safe. Now they're also working to keep people fed this holiday season.
The Wisconsin Rapids and Port Edwards Firefighters, along with the Saratoga First Responders, are raising funds for their Christmas meal basket food project.
The funds will help many underprivileged families have a great Christmas meal.
Solaris just donated $500 to help purchase food for baskets to be delivered December 21st and 22nd.
They're accepting donations until November 30th at any of the organizations involved.
The Mayor of Marshfield is looking for someone to fill a vacancy on the Parks Recreation and Forestry Committee, if you're interested, submit a letter to the Office of the Mayor by Wednesday, December 4th.
Childcare has never been more expensive. During the pandemic, Wisconsin gave extra funding to childcare providers, which helped them increase pay and stay open. But that funding ended last year.
One economist says lawmakers could use our huge budget surplus to help an industry that really needs it. Here's Savannah Tome Olsen.
One of the biggest tasks for the state's new legislature is to write the next biennial budget, and they've got a lot to work with. Wisconsin currently has a $4.6 billion budget surplus.
Republicans have said they want to give a lot of that back to taxpayers, while Democrats want to see it spent on things like properly funding the state schools.
One place they might be able to meet in the middle is property tax relief. But experts say making childcare more affordable would make a huge impact for families.
Dale Nap, Director of Research for Forward Analytics says childcare is one of the unique sectors that could really use more government intervention.
The challenge with childcare is you think about who that market is. The market is young families who are just beginning on their career that who don't have a lot of money.
And yet it costs a lot for two kids. It can be up to 30, 35 percent of income. The childcare workers, it's not like they're making a lot of money.
There are some of the lowest paid workers that we have. So private market in and of itself can't solve this. A lot of times we want the market to solve this.
But I think this is one case where the public sector has to come in.
He says lightning that childcare burden would impact to everybody whether they have kids or not. If parents of young kids have more cash on hand, they have more to contribute to the economy, whether that's spending at a small business donating money to good causes or being able to buy a home if they've only been able to rent.
The new legislature gets sworn in January 6th.
Getting rid of robocalls is an effort the state AG is working on. Here's Stuart J. Wattles.
A statement says attorney general Josh call is joining forces with 46 other state attorney generals. They're calling for improvements to the FCC's robocall mitigation database.
The coalition is pushing for more vetting of phone providers and harsher consequences for those submitting false information.
Thousands of complaints about unwanted calls and related scams have been filed in Wisconsin in the past year.
If you need to take a snowmobile safety class this year, you can register now for classes with the Portage County Sheriff's Office.
This is an official DNR training program taught by certified sheriff's deputies and other highly skilled volunteers in December.
It gives the fundamentals unsafe and legal operations of snowmobiles. Classes are scheduled for December 9th, 10th and 12th.
They're held at the Portage County Sheriff's Office training room on Strong's Avenue from 4 to 7 p.m.
Space is limited and you'll need to register at gowild.wi.gov.
A random audit of voting equipment will happen next week in Portage County. Derek Tretz has the story.
Voting equipment in the town of Belmont, the town of Clover and the city of Stevens Point will be audited on November 25th at the Portage County Courthouse.
The reporting units being audited include the town of Belmont Ward 1, the town of Clover Ward 1 through 3 and the city of Stevens Point Ward 16 through 18.
The reporting units were randomly selected by the Wisconsin Selections Commission in accordance with Wisconsin Statute Chapter 7 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002.
There's a community Thanksgiving dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, November 25th in Wisconsin Rapids.
It's hosted by the Wisconsin Rapids Elks Lodge, number 693.
It's free for anyone attending.
I'm Melissa K for WFHR and WIRI News.
The Bucks get another win.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with sports. The Bucks beat the Bulls 122 to 106.
Milwaukee is now on four their last five games.
Doc Rivers says they're playing better defense.
We've had the ability to get a timely stops and good stops like and we got to keep doing that.
We just got to play defense with a sense of urgency for 48 minutes.
And because unlike a speed, we have to have better focus.
And that's what we're starting to do.
High school football state championship games are underway at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
In Division 1, Green Bay's Bayport High School will face off tomorrow against Muskego.
And I felt the Packers host the 49ers Sunday kickoff at 325.
The 49ers defense led by veteran linebacker Fred Warner, quarterback Jordan Love.
With Fred is definitely his athleticism.
Obviously, I think he does a great job.
Like you said, dissecting plays and he's usually in the right spot.
But he's a guy that flies around the field.
He's an aggressive player. He tackles well.
So there's just not a lot of things he doesn't do well.
But he's really just a great athlete out there and he's all over the place.
That's Packers quarterback Jordan Love with sports. I'm Mike Clemens.
On your entertainment beat, I'm Pete Schwabba.
This weekend kicks off the unofficial holiday box office season.
And by all accounts, it will not disappoint.
Every so often, two huge blockbusters are released at the same time.
That includes this weekend with a release of Wicked and Gladiator 2.
Wicked tells the story of the two witches from the Wizard of Oz and is based on the smash Broadway musical.
The film stars Arianna Grande and is pulling a 92% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 99% from audiences.
Gladiator 2 is Ridley Scott's follow-up to the 2000 film starring Russell Crowe.
The film stars Paul Maskell, Pedro Pascal, Connie Neelson and Denzel Washington,
whose performance is getting rave reviews from critics.
The film is drawing 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, just a few points lower than its predecessor,
but with no audience scores available yet.
If you can wait just a few days, you can take the kids to see Moana 2.
The follow-up to the wildly successful 2016 film opens the day before Thanksgiving
and is also reviewing incredibly well at 95%.
Let's go to the movies.
Denzel Washington told Esquire Magazine recently he was bitter when he did not win the Oscar for best actor.
For the hurricane in 2000, the Oscar went to Kevin Spacey for his performance in American beauty.
Washington said at that point he stopped caring and started having his wife cast his vote for the Academy.
Washington won his first best actor Oscar two years later for training day.
Washington has four more nominations since then and there's a buzz he'll be nominated in the best supporting category for Gladiator 2.
Elizabeth Olson is returning to the MCU.
Olson, whose character is Scarlet Witch, will play a derivation of the role in the upcoming series Marvel Zombies.
Could God seriously?
Marvel Zombies will actually be a spin-off of the Disney series What If in which Olson voiced Scarlet Witch before transforming into zombie Scarlet Witch.
If you're looking for an excuse not to watch, you've got time.
Marvel Zombies drops in October 2025.
Variety reports Anne Hathaway has signed on to the new thriller Verity.
The film is based on the Colleen Hoover novel of the same name.
Hoover's book It Ends With Us was also adapted for the big screen.
Hathaway plays an author injured in a car accident preventing her from finishing her novel.
A ghostwriter is hired and uncovers family secrets.
In Breaking Radiant Skin News, Selma Hayek has the secret to Ageless Skin.
You might think it was just because she has gobs of money, but no.
Yahoo Entertainment reports that the 58-year-old actress swears by a new product that contains bark from a Mexican tree that regenerates the skin.
Even better thanks to Hayek, you don't have to find the tree and scrape the bark off yourself.
Hayek found a way to put the tree bark in cream form and she selling it for just 10 bucks.
That's a deal.
For more showbiz fond tune in tonight light with me, Peach Waba.
Weeknights from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Cloudy and windy today with scattered rain showers likely are high near 40 this afternoon.
The wind will be north gusting to between 35 and 45.
Tonight, windy 35 tomorrow cloudy with a high of 45.
I'm meteorologist Sean Cable.
Outside now it's 33.
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