This is your WFHR Daily News Roundup, for locally grown radio 97.5 FM and 1320 AM, and
WISC country 105.5 FM WIRI in Wisconsin Rapids.
For WFHR and WIRI News, I'm Melissa K. A majority of school districts across Wisconsin
are getting less funding from the state this year, Savannah Tome Olsen reports.
70 percent of school districts are facing a drop in general state aid, according to
full data from the Department of Public Instruction.
For years, teachers and administrators have advocated for more money and for updates to the
state funding formula.
The Wisconsin policy forums is per pupil spending and Wisconsin has lagged behind inflation
and behind the national average.
Their researchers credit a 2011 change that dropped school revenue limits by 5.5 percent.
A Republican-authored bill that became law under Governor Scott Walker.
As they've been in charge of the legislature, Republicans have also focused on lowering
property taxes.
However, so many school districts are struggling to make ends meet that we're seeing record
numbers of referendums on the ballot.
Residents are often choosing to raise their own property taxes just to fund their schools.
State Senator Jodi Havish Sinekin, a Democrat from the 8th Senate District.
Due to the legislature's failure to fund our schools, Wisconsin already has one of
the highest property tax rates in the country.
And if our communities continue to be forced to referendum, those tax rates will continue
to rise, making our state even more expensive than it already is.
Last year, there were 241 school referendums held across Wisconsin the most ever.
For civic media news, I'm Savannah Tomay Olsen.
In our listening area, the majority of school districts are seeing a cut in funding, among
those with the highest cuts, include Adam's friendship with a loss of 16 percent, Nasida,
losing more than 17 percent of their funding.
And the highest cut is to Nikusa, with a loss of over 18 percent of state funding.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is working to get back unemployment benefits
to applicants following a federal court ruling, Lisa Hale reports.
The Department announced Tuesday a recent order will allow people to get both unemployment
benefits and Social Security disability payments.
A 2013 law passed under then Governor Scott Walker prevented Wisconsinites from getting
both benefits at the same time.
But the August ruling found that to be unconstitutional under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
DWD is reaching out to people who may be affected, including those who were denied unemployment
because of disability benefits or had it terminated because they went on to benefits.
How did Wisconsin end fiscal year 2025?
Joanne Krulotz has the answer.
The Evers Administration has announced the state ended fiscal year 2025 with a positive ending
balance of $4.6 billion in the general fund.
The state's main checking account exceeding previous estimates by over $265 million.
Additionally, the state's rainy day fund, also known as the budget stabilization fund,
increased to approximately $2 billion.
This is the largest balance in the rainy day fund in state history, which has grown by
over $1.6 billion under Governor Evers leadership more than six times what it was at the end
of fiscal year 2018.
According to the Department of Administration, notably the six largest ending general
fund balances in state history have all occurred in the six full fiscal years that Governor
Evers has been in office.
The new Annual Fiscal Report released by DOA, which covers fiscal year 2025, that ended
on June 30th, is available on the DOA's website.
The Wisconsin State Legislature has approved a proposed bill that would require public school
boards to generally ban students from using cell phones during the school day.
The state assembly passed the bill in February, and on Tuesday the state senate voted nearly
unanimously in favor of passing the legislation and sending it to Governor Tony Evers for consideration.
The Wisconsin State Assembly passed a number of proposed bills covering a wide variety
of topics on Tuesday.
Among those bills is a measure that would limit the ability of judges to pursue charges against
a law enforcement officer involved in someone's death if a district's attorney has declined
to pursue charges.
Other bills passed on Tuesday include one that would make it a felony for people to impersonate
law enforcement officers, firefighters, or emergency medical providers, and a measure
to increase criminal penalties related to human trafficking.
There's free vehicle winterization and carpet inspections on Saturday in Stevens Point.
10 years and adults with disabilities are eligible for this free service.
They'll check your tire pressure and fluid levels and let you know if they find an issue
you need to worry about.
This is from 10-2 on October 18th at the Lincoln Center in Stevens Point.
You can schedule an appointment by calling the ADRC of Portage County that number is 715-346-1409.
The historic Point Boss is holding their first spirit walk of the season this Saturday.
You can enjoy an evening of haunted history, storytelling, and guided lantern tours
learn from the individual citizens of Point Boss as they emerge from the darkness to tell
you about themselves and the lives they lived in the past, that Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m.
on 364 WAKELY ROAD.
I'm Melissa K.
The Brewers fall again.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with sports, baseball.
The Brewers lost again to the Dodgers.
3-1.
They tried to rally in the 9th, but came up empty and struggled to see the ball.
While at bat due to some shadows at Dodgers Stadium, according to the manager Pat Murphy.
We had a man and second nobody out at the end and our heart has hit her up and he couldn't
get him over.
Those types of things happen, your offense isn't going to click.
We did some good things, but didn't get the big hit and a bunch of strikeouts when it
was very difficult to see.
With a win tonight in game 4, the Dodgers would be the first team in 16 years to return
to the World Series back-to-back manager Dave Roberts.
I think the thing about our guys is they're battle tested and they know that I've never
lost faith in them.
College football, the Wisconsin Badgers host the Ohio State Buck guys, the number one
ranked team in the nation kick off 2-30 tomorrow afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium, the
Buck guys are 26-point favorites with sports on Mike Clemens.