For the first time in a decade, the state taxes paid by Wisconsin residents and businesses in 2021 grew as a share of income in the state. Yet the historically low levels of federal and local taxes in recent years have meant that the overall tax burden – and related spending on public services – have kept dropping for Wisconsinites.
Somewhat lost in a revived debate involving the rights of the accused and protecting the public: Wisconsin’s cash bail system wasn’t created to protect public safety.
Apparently, there’s nothing like a cold-weather story to warm up memories from folks in Wisconsin.
In advance of a public hearing Wednesday for the WNA's advertising tax credit bill, publishers are strongly encouraged to call members of the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means and request they support the passage of Assembly Bill 762. The bill aims to give financial relief to news organizations and small businesses by providing a 50% tax credit to advertise in local media.
The hearing is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in Room 225 Northwest of the state Capitol. Industry representatives testifying on behalf of the bill for the WNA include Richard Lee, Inter-County Cooperative Publishing Association, Mike Hollihan, Multi Media Channels, WNA President Gregg Walker, The (Minocqua) Lakeland Times, and WNA executive director Beth Bennett.
In response to response to "continued rapid shifts toward digital news consumption," Gannett is eliminating the Saturday print editions for many of its newspapers effective March 12, the company announced Thursday.
The change will not impact the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel or The (Fond du Lac) Reporter, which had ceased Saturday publication previously. Saturday papers will remain available as e-editions for The (Appleton) Post Crescent, Green Bay Press-Gazette, (Manitowoc) Herald Times Reporter, Oshkosh Northwestern, The Sheboygan Press and Wausau Daily Herald. For three central Wisconsin newspapers — the Marshfield News-Herald, Stevens Point Journal and (Wisconsin Rapids) Daily Tribune — the issues will be replaced by Sunday editions.
John David Adams II, a baptist minister-turned-journalist who was known for innovation and mentorship, died Thursday, Jan. 13, at his sister's home in Paloma, Ill. He was 46 and had been diagnosed in 2018 with stage 4 cancer.
After college, Adams worked for several years as a youth pastor before returning to school in 2008 and to earn his master's degree in journalism. In 2016, he was named deputy editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where he worked until moving to Phoenix in 2018 to join The Arizona Republic. Prior to moving to Milwaukee, Adams worked at the Los Angeles Times, where he won a Pulitzer Prize as part of the newspaper's team that covered the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif.
Mary Marik, a longtime contributor and former managing editor of the Washington Island Observer, died Monday, Dec. 27, at her home in Chicago. She was 76.
Mary and her husband, Warren, moved to Washington Island in 2008, and were involved for many years with the Observer. Following the 2012 sale of the newspaper to a group of 15 families, she was named managing editor and Warren served on the newspaper's board of directors.
She served in the role for a year before stepping down in 2013, but she continued to contribute to the newspaper and served on its board. The obituary credited her as being "instrumental in developing the Observer into the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and state-recognized official paper it is today."
The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, a nonprofit group that works to protect access to public meetings and records, is now accepting nominations for its annual Openness in Government Awards, or Opees.
Nominations and supporting documentation should be submitted by Wednesday, Feb. 2, to FOIC president Bill Lueders at blueders@gmail.com. The winners will be selected by a Council committee, as in past years. The Council reserves the right to issue special awards or to not give an award in a particular category.
In a review of its work over the past year, the Wisconsin Policy Forum summarizes its top five research findings of 2021.
Veteran newspaper executive Ross McDuffie has been named president of Madison Media Partners, the parent company of the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times that was formerly known as Capital Newspapers.
McDuffie joined the company in August 2020, as vice president of sales and marketing. In his new role, he will serve as the senior operational leader and chief revenue executive. McDuffie previously held roles with Rome, Georgia-based News Publishing Company and McClatchy.
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