Wednesday, 2.26
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Daniel Rottier, a Madison trial lawyer with a national reputation, was arrested on Feb. 7 on charges that he hit his wife with a cane. He later pleads guilty to battery, apologizes to his family, and says he was drinking to cope with a cancer diagnosis. "It's my hope and intent to work through this in my remaining days in an appropriate manner," he tells Dane County Circuit Judge William Hanrahan.
Friday, 2.28
Gov. Scott Walker releases a letter, co-signed by the Menominee tribe, to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs asking for six more months to make a decision on whether to grant the tribe permission for a Kenosha casino. If the request is approved, Walker would have until after the election to decide.
Monday, 3.3
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) releases a 200-page report, The War on Poverty: 50 Years Later, that critiques the federal programs aimed at alleviating poverty and recommends a sweeping overhaul. Ryan -- who once benefited from welfare programs -- tells The Washington Post: "There are nearly 100 programs at the federal level that are meant to help, but they have actually created a poverty trap."
Kaleem Caire announces he will step down at the end of the month as president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison, a job he has held for four years. Caire says in a news release he is resigning "to pursue other opportunities." The Wisconsin State Journal later reports that the job was taking a toll on Caire's health and that board members raised concerns about his use of the organization's credit cards.
Fredrica L. Hanger, 33, is shot and killed in the 1300 block of East Wilson Street. Police later take Hanger's brother, Bonnell Hanger, into custody on a tentative charge of being a felon in possession of a gun.
Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who led the Milwaukee Bucks to its only NBA championship in 1971, returns to Wisconsin to promote a series of commercials he stars in for the state Department of Tourism. The commercials also feature Robert Hays, who co-starred with Abdul-Jabbar in the movie Airplane!, showing the two back in the cockpit flying over Wisconsin.
Tuesday, 3.4
Habib Amim, 81, who beat his wife to death in 1990 and served 12 years for the crime, is charged with stalking his ex-girlfriend, allegedly driving past her home repeatedly and tailing her car.
The state Legislature holds a public hearing on a bill that would limit the ability of local municipalities to regulate sand mining. See Mary Sussman's report.
