97.5 W F H R and 105.5 W I R I. Your Wisconsin Rapids Home or locally grown radio. Here's
your Daily News Roundup.
Pacific Media News I'm Sholly Pittman. It's that time when tax statements arrive in the
mailbox, and paperwork starts to add up. And this year there's a change for retirees.
Tom could owe less in state income taxes when they've filed this year. State representative
Tony Kurtz, a Republican from Waniwak.
Anybody over the age of 67, if they have retirement income that could be from a 401k, that
could be from an IRA, it could be if they retired from Shriver or Rockwell Automation,
up for a single filer, it's up to 24,000, and for a dual couple, up to $48,000 of that
retirement income now will be tax exempt.
There's another change that affects just about everyone. In the last state budget, lawmakers
also lowered one of Wisconsin's income tax brackets. Senator Howard Marklein, a Republican
from Springgreen and a co-chair of the state's budget writing committee.
Also the second tax bracket, we lowered that rate by almost 1%. So these are everybody
that works, basically, is in that second tax bracket. Even if you make 200,000 a year,
it goes through that bracket anyways.
While income taxes are taking down, property tax bills are growing through the highest
they've been since 2018, according to an analysis from the Wisconsin policy forum. It's
driven by an increase in student spending and voter referendums, while state spending
on education has remained mostly flat.
New estimates show Wisconsin could end the budget cycle with roughly $2.5 billion left
over. Driven by stronger than expected tax collections, Republicans on the Joint Finance
Committee are warning against committing that savings to ongoing spending. The governor
and Democratic lawmakers, though, say the surplus should be used to ease costs for Wisconsin
nights, including on property tax relief.
For civic media news, I'm Shalee Pittman.
The second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration by the Ashkash Area School District
at Vell Phillips Middle School was more than a celebration of the Civil Rights Activist
and History Maker. The event marked a torch beam passed from one generation to the next.
The event featured music, essays written by Ashkash students, and a keynote speech from
a high school freshman that pulled no punches on the current state of race relations in the
community.
I was trying to create the tension to make space for the presence of justice, and the
same way Dr. King created tension by speaking uncomfortable truths, I chose to speak things
that might make people uncomfortable, but it's the truth. Like they need to know so that
the presence of justice can be there.
Minutes before he gave his speech, his father, Mouche Sabuwa, the executive director of
SEPO, and an advocate for inclusivity and immigrants in the community, was honored as
one of the dozen torchbearers by the Ashkash Civility Project. Mouche Sabuwa says he is
proud of his son.
I've seen me public speak, criticize whatever I need to criticize, but trying to change
the system, so he's been following the footsteps, but to actually see him leading now, I guess
I should retire.
Anthony Miller is the director of community engagement and equity in Ashkash schools.
He was the force behind starting the MLK Day celebration.
This is a great way to start the year all, bringing community members together, regardless
of what parts of the city people are from, to get students together to honor Dr. King's
legacy, I think it's invaluable to our community.
On a day meant to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King, the event featured the next generation
looking forward.
For civic media news, I'm Lisa Hale.
Lieutenant Governor Sarah Rodriguez is calling for Wisconsin lawmakers to pursue new laws,
restricting the operations of immigration and customs enforcement agents in the state.
Last Monday, Lieutenant Governor Rodriguez proposed new laws that would ban federal officers
from making arrests in community spaces like schools and courthouses, prevent them from
covering their faces during raids, and require them to display their badges and wear body
cameras.
She also noted that those proposals are unlikely to come to fruition under the current
Republican-controlled state legislature.
Average gasoline prices fell 3.8 cents over the last week, landing at an average of 247
on Monday.
This is 0.7 cents lower than a month ago, and well over 45 cents per gallon lower than
this time last year.
Prices at gas stations across the state differ by as much as 81 cents per gallon, with the
lowest being 218 and the highest at 299.
Prices at gas buddies say California will start to transition to summer gasoline soon,
and the rest of the country will follow around a month later.
In the weeks ahead, we could see localized discounts as winter fuel is cleared after
large inventory increases in recent weeks.
As below freezing temperatures roll into the area this week, the Wisconsin Department
of Transportation reminds residents to follow some important tips for driving in cold
weather.
Keep your tires properly inflated.
Keep an emergency kit stocked with extra food and warm clothing.
Keep your fuel tank at least half full, and if you slide off the road or get stranded,
stay buckled in your vehicle and call for help.
Getting out can be dangerous, especially in freezing temperatures.
Jeff Hathley to Miami, Kaya Mike Clemens with sports NFL.
After two years in Green Bay, defensive coordinator Jeff Hathley is the new head coach of the Miami
Dolphins.
Meanwhile Packers tied in Tucker Kraft, recovering from ACL surgery, talked about what he and
Micah Parsons are going through before the surgery and something Micah is going through
right now.
Like it is very painful.
I don't wish upon anyone that the first three weeks post surgery is just, yeah, it's
tough.
College football Indiana celebrating their first national championship, beating Miami
27-21 NBA.
The Bucks at home tomorrow night against the Thunder, they beat the Hawks in Atlanta,
112-110, Marquette winning in overtime over Providence, 105-104, freshman Nigel James
with a season I 38 points, not everybody's made for, you know, that role to be the floor
leader, the guy that's attacking the guy that's got the ball in his hands when it matters
most.
MJ is made for that.
That's Golden Eagles coach Shaka Smart with sports on Mike Clemens.
I'm meteorologist, Mace Michaels, increasing clouds for today, a high in the mid teens, scattered
flurries and snow showers tonight and tomorrow.
News tonight fall to around 5-10 above, high tomorrow, low 20s and breezy, bitter cold
temperatures return for the rest of the week.