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This is your WGBW Daily News Roundup for the talk of Green Bay, 97.9 FM and 50.90 AM.
For 97.9 WGBW News, I'm Lisa Hale.
An arrest warrant has been issued for 40-year-old Gary Day of Cabot Arkansas in connection to the abduction of 16-year-old Sophia Franklin, who is the subject of an amber alert.
Day faces two counts of abduction of a child and two counts of child enticement causing mental or bodily harm.
Counting crime alert network released that day's 2014 Black Buick LaCrosse has been seen with both Arkansas and Pennsylvania license plates.
Yesterday, Governor Tony Evers announced his plans to invest over $145 million to address PFAS contamination across Wisconsin as part of his new biennial budget.
The plan would help municipalities and private well owners with assistance with testing and eliminating PFAS from drinking water.
PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals used in products like nonstick cookware, food wrappers, and even firefighting foam.
The EPA estimates more than 6,800 cancer cases every year are related to PFAS and drinking water.
Nine of the 11 WAPOM prison employees placed on leave during a federal investigation into smuggling have been terminated.
The remaining two have resigned. Stuart J. Wattles has more about the DOC investigation.
Nine of the 11 WAPOM prison employees placed on leave during a federal investigation into smuggling have been terminated.
The other two have resigned. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections says while all were initially removed from their duties at the start of the investigation,
not all were directly linked to the smuggling allegations.
A former maintenance worker in WAPOM has pleaded guilty after admitting to accepting bribes for smuggling contraband into the prison.
Working from home could be a thing at the past for state employees if Wisconsin Republicans have their way.
They've introduced legislation that would require state employees to return to their offices.
The bill would require all state employees and workers at the universities of Wisconsin system to return to the office by July as many continue to work from home.
Governor Tony Evers has expressed opposition to forcing a return to the office, saying remote work allows state agencies to hire the best candidates from anywhere.
In Wisconsin, employees who were allowed to work from home before the pandemic would still be allowed to do so.
Shanties are going up on the ice and anglers are getting ready.
Sturgeon spirit season gets underway in Northeast Wisconsin Saturday.
Last year's season wasn't that good due to warm weather and bad ice conditions.
This year's season looks to be better as a couple of cold snaps helped make ice.
However, last week's warm up caused some cracking and some sinkholes.
Officials advise checking with local fishing clubs for ice conditions before going out on the ice.
Watch out for Christmas trees and other markers that indicate dangerous areas or open water.
And while some places have 16 to 18 inches of ice, which is sufficient for vehicles to travel on,
officials say no ice is 100% safe.
It's flood insurance awareness week in Wisconsin.
A meteorologist Brittany Merlot reminds us of the importance of the increasing risk and the appropriate coverage needed.
Flood insurance is an important tool to prevent financial vulnerability from flooding.
And most homeowners and renters insurance policies do not cover flood damage.
All it takes is one inch of water to cause around $25,000 in damage.
And this can be devastating if you don't have the right insurance.
And Wisconsinites are eligible to purchase federal flood insurance.
Even for properties not in designated special flood hazard areas.
On average, 40% of national flood insurance program claims happen outside of those zones.
Homeowners and renters can purchase a private flood insurance policy to protect their homes and belongings,
if your agent sells flood coverage.
Otherwise, visit floodsmart.gov to learn more.
And there's usually a 30 day waiting period before NFIP policies go into effect.
So signing up now ensures that you'll have coverage by the time the spring showers start to hit the state.
Thursday, February 13th is the last day for most voters to request an absentee ballot by mail, online, e-mail, or fax for the February 18th spring primary.
In practical terms, though, that results in an unrealistic timeframe for the voter to receive the ballot, complete it, and return it to their clerk by election day.
Voters who still need to request an absentee ballot by mail should act immediately, said Megan Wolfe, administrator of the WEC and the state's chief election official.
Registered voters can make their requests online at myvote.wi.gov.
Voters faced with tight deadlines for absentee voting by mail have the option of using the in-person absentee voter process between now and February 16th.
Check with your local clerk to confirm the process.
After the spread of election fraud falsehoods, more people became interested in observing the Wisconsin election process.
Clerks welcomed more people to watch it all for themselves, but there weren't a ton of rules in place.
That may soon change. Savannah, Tomay Olsen reports.
After nearly two years of public meetings, collecting comments and often heated discussion, the bipartisan commission agreed on some ground rules.
Ultimately, these new rules require that observers show ID, make clear when they're allowed to start watching for the day and where they need to be in terms of closeness to voters, and guarantee access to disability accommodations and restrooms.
Wisconsin Elections Commission Chair Anne Jacobs, a Democrat.
The key is it guarantees observation at the time the zero tabulation is run that morning.
The beginning of the open elections process, and it guarantees that observers have the right to be there.
And that's an important part of the process.
People want to make sure that the voting machines are showing a zero.
That begins the time at which observers have a right to be present, even if it's before polls open at seven.
Fellow Commissioner and Republican, Don Millis.
The other thing is, sometimes roses when the commissioners meet.
We have very heated arguments, and so we had some disagreements about some of the things that we talked about.
But at the end of the day, we felt that it was more important to have a rule than not to have a rule.
Their point is that if three Republicans and three Democrats on the Wisconsin Elections Commission all agree that this is the best way forward, they hope Wisconsinites and lawmakers get on board too.
The commission would like to have this rule in place for the 2026 elections.
For civic media news, I'm Savannah Tome Olsen.
I'm Lisa Hale, 97.9 WGBW News.
For news anytime, log on to WGBW.FM.
The badgers roll past Indiana.
I am Mike Clemens with sports Wisconsin with another win over the Hoosiers.
In Madison, 76 to 64, the badgers jumping out to a 26 to 4 lead early in the contest had coach Greg Gard.
Scores that we can put on the floor from a variety of positions helps us.
Defense has to make a decision. Who are they going to take away?
And the unselfishness of this group, how it moves.
I mean, you have 13 assists on 26 baskets and clothesmen with six assists.
That just shows me the unselfishness of this group, and that's important for a really good offense.
You have to be unselfish in a willing passer, and they just want to find who's open from Wisconsin.
That's the mission.
Marquette with another loss, this time on the road against St. John, 70 to 64.
In front of 16,000 fans at Madison Square Garden, Rick Patino turning that program around.
NFL, place kicker Mason Crosby announcing his retirement from football, 16 years with the Packers,
before brief stints with the Rams, and the Giants, with sports on Mike Clemens.
On your entertainment beat, I'm Pete Schwabba.
Here's one of Pete's picks. It's actually more like a half pick as I sort of enjoyed the film, Amelia Perez.
The musical crime drama, yes you heard that right, has 13 Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture.
The story is about a ruthless drug cartel boss, who hires a lawyer, played by Zoe Saldana,
to help him through the gender transitioning process and to help him disappear afterwards.
The logline really grabbed me, but I thought it started slow and didn't like the look of it.
It did pick up steam and provided some gripping and tense moments.
Ultimately, it's a little unsatisfying in my opinion, and I tend to agree with the reviews it received on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film got a 73% fresh rating from critics, which is good, but a little lower than you'd expect for a film nominated for 13 Oscars.
Only 18% of audiences like the film.
Having said that, it still might be worth a watch as you don't see many musical crime thrillers where cartel bosses have sex change operations.
The film is free to view on Netflix.
A new reboot is on the way, which is not a surprise, as Hollywood seems determined to remake everything it's ever done.
This time, it's a new iteration of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The part of the original Sarah Michelle Geller will be part of the cast, but not the central focus.
This is the second attempt at a reboot.
One in 2018 did not quite make it to the little screen.
When and if the show drops, it will premiere on Hulu.
During a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, actress Nicole Kidman told the host about her favorite keepsake.
The handwritten lyrics to Elton John's famous song, Your Song.
Kidman was one of the stars of Mulan Rouge in which the song was featured and sang by you and McGregor.
Your song has been covered many times over the years.
Great tune.
Ted Danson and Kelsey Grammer had a feud that not many people knew about dating back to the show Cheers.
On a recent episode of the where everybody knows your name podcast, hosted by Danson and Woody Harrelson,
Grammer says the feud started when Danson accused him of not always showing up ready to work.
Grammer says he owned it and added that he was drinking too much back then.
No fists thrown, curses exchanged, or hitting on each other's wives?
That's barely a grudge.
Sometimes it just takes a little convincing from someone like Stephen Spielberg for an actor to take a role in a film.
An actor Kiwi Han says he was offered the lead role as an action star in the film Love Hurts.
The star of everything all at once and the goonies told director at Jonathan Yusebio,
no, three times because he wasn't feeling it.
That is until Spielberg convinced him he didn't need to look like Sylvester Stallone to be a hero.
If Steve Spielberg gives you advice, probably best to take it.
Love Hurts opens this weekend.
For more showbiz fond tune into Nightlight with me, Peach Waba.
Weeknights from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Civic Media, radio network.
Cloudy today with a high of 29 this afternoon.
Tonight, light snow with some freezing drizzle.
It could get a half inch to an inch with a low of 24.
And that freezing drizzle couldn't make things a little slick tomorrow morning.
We will clear out.
It will be windy with a high tomorrow near 34.
I'm meteorologist Sean Cable.
Outside now it's four above.
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