Larry Gallup, Your Right to Know, open records

Your Right to Know: Bar lawmakers from destroying records

In the latest “Your Right to Know” column, Larry Gallup argues it makes no sense that public records retention requirements apply to your local parks and recreation department but not to the positions in our state government that are most susceptible to corruption.

capitol report, wispolitics

UW tuition freeze may be ending after 8 years

The University of Wisconsin tuition freeze that’s been in place for the past eight years would expire under a Republican motion the Joint Finance Committee approved in late May.

laurie van dyke

Laurie Van Dyke, former Milwaukee Press Club president, dies at 93

Laurie Van Dyke, who worked more than 30 years at the Milwaukee Sentinel and served as Milwaukee Press Club president in the mid-1980s, died Tuesday, May 18, in Denton, Texas. She was 93.

After graduating from Drake University, Van Dyke began her career in Iowa with roles at the Fort Dodge Messenger and Cedar Rapids Gazette

In 1960, she joined the women’s news department of The Milwaukee Journal, moving to the Milwaukee Sentinel two years later, after the Journal bought the Sentinel. Starting out as a reporter, she climbed the ranks within the newsroom, eventually becoming the newspaper's first female assistant city editor. She later served as day city editor and assistant managing editor.

jay stahl

Jay Stahl joins Wausau Daily Herald as business reporting intern

Jay Stahl has joined the reporting staff of the Wausau Daily Herald as a summer intern.

A Wausau native, Stahl introduced himself to readers in a column. He will cover local business news as the newspaper’s "Streetwise" reporter. His focus will be on openings and closings, while also writing regular features on local businesses. Stahl is a senior at UW-Milwaukee and will graduate with his journalism degree in the fall. He has written for both The UWM Post and Media Milwaukee student news publications.

Sophia Voight

The Green Laker adds Sophia Voight as reporting intern

Sophia Voight will serve as a reporter for The Green Laker through an internship with the Ripon Commonwealth Press this summer.

Voight, a senior at UW-Oshkosh, will graduate in June with her bachelor’s degree in journalism. While in college, she has served as a reporter and news editor for the Advance-Titan student newspaper. Her work recently earned three awards in the 2020 WNA Foundation Collegiate Better Newspaper Contest, including second place for public affairs reporting.

madeline westberg

Madeline Westberg named managing editor of Herald-Independent and McFarland Thistle

Adams Publishing Group has named Madeline Westberg managing editor of The (Cottage Grove / Monona) Herald-Independent and McFarland Thistle.

Since October 2018, Westberg had served as associate editor of the Cambridge News & Deerfield Independent, another newspaper in APG’s southern Wisconsin group. Prior to her time with APG, she was a summer intern for Unified Newspaper Group and a news reporter UW-Madison's Badger Herald student newspaper.

U.S. Postal Service announces starkly higher postage rates

The United States Postal Service today announced a planned adjustment of postage rates for the public and commercial mail users, the National Newspaper Association announced. For community newspapers using periodicals mail to reach readers, the average rate increase will be nearly 9%, effective August 29. The first-class stamp will move from 55 to 58 cents.

The rate increase is part of a new USPS business plan that also includes a weakening of service standards for mail that is moving across the country.

Evers signs bill advancing state’s public notice laws

Gov. Tony Evers last week signed into law legislation that further ensures our industry’s role in the continued publication of public notices.

Each amendment aims to cement the position of community newspapers as papers of record, while also promoting ease of access and increased readership of legal notices. The legislation does not change the eligibility status of newspapers currently certified to publish legal notices.

Wisconsin Newspaper Association