Wisconsin submits proposal to reopen Janesville plant making GM’s new smaller cars

JANESVILLE, Wis. — Wisconsin has submitted a proposal to General Motors Corp. to reopen its Janesville factory to make the company’s new small car.

Road trip for Irish family living in Wisconsin ends tragically in fatal wreck killing parents

MADISON, Wis. — A two-week road trip planned by an Irish family living in Wisconsin came to a sudden and tragic end when their van flipped over on a rural highway.

Wis. Democrats elect 30-year-old as nation’s youngest state chairman in either party

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Wisconsin’s Democratic Party says it now has the nation’s youngest state chairman in either party.

Obama counters critics on health care plans, says inaction on overhaul is not acceptable

GREEN BAY, Wis. — President Barack Obama challenged Republican critics Thursday to offer alternative plans for overhauling U.S. health care, declaring he’s “happy to steal people’s ideas” but that doing nothing about out-of-reach costs and uninsured Americans is not an option.

Presidential pardon: Obama writes Wisconsin girl a note for missing last day of school

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Ten-year-old Kennedy Corpus has a rock-solid excuse for missing the last day of school: a personal note to her teacher from President Barack Obama.

Obama challenges Republican critics to put forward their own plan on health care reform

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Undertaking a new and aggressive push to enact health reform this year, President Barack Obama bluntly challenged Republican critics on Thursday to put forward their own plan to expand coverage to the uninsured and help struggling families afford care. “To those who criticize our efforts, I ask them, ‘What’s the alternative?’” Obama said at a town hall-style meeting, surrounded by supportive citizens in the heartland.

Thief in northern Wisconsin has taste for finer things, taking wine, large cheesecake, arugula

WASHBURN, Wis. — A thief who broke into a northern Wisconsin restaurant apparently has refined culinary tastes. The co-owner of DaLou’s Bistro said someone broke into her Washburn restaurant Tuesday and stole several bottles of wine, a large Italian ricotta cheesecake and a bag of arugula. Lois Stensvad said she found the thefts “bizarre.” She said her waitress joked that the thief was probably stocking up for a nice dinner party.

President Obama says he won’t push health care plan on Congress, ready to hear other proposals

GREEN BAY, Wis. — President Barack Obama is vowing that he won’t run roughshod over Congress in putting together legislation overhauling the country’s health care system.

Obama, facing challenge to health overhaul, calls on Congress to move quickly on complex issue

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Undertaking a new and aggressive push to enact health reform this year, President Barack Obama bluntly challenged Republican critics on Thursday to put forward their own plan to expand coverage to the uninsured and help struggling families afford care.

But mom, I was hungry: Wisconsin bear cub freed from bird feeder stuck on its head

GRANTSBURG, Wis. — It was no honey pot like in “Winnie the Pooh” but a bear cub in Wisconsin was spotted with a bird feeder stuck on its head.

State and tribal agents overcome mistrust, jurisdictions to attack crime on reservation

LAC DU FLAMBEAU, Wis. — The two law officers meeting over breakfast at the Lake of the Torches Casino had not gone there looking for trouble. But they found it when they walked out into the sunshine and saw two teenagers flashing bills in the parking lot.

Wisconsin man convicted of kidnapping, sexual assaults of 2 men he chained at his home

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. — A Wisconsin man has pleaded no contest to charges he kidnapped and sexually assaulted two young men who were held captive in chains at his home.

Crash in qualifying will put Castroneves last on Milwaukee Mile starting grid

WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves has crashed in qualifying at the Milwaukee Mile.

Turkey crashes through window of Wis. home; leaves behind feathers, blood and broken glass

MISHICOT, Wis. — A Wisconsin woman and her 5-year-old daughter got a fowl visitor when an unwelcome wild turkey crashed through a bedroom window.

US judge declines to dismiss lawsuit that claims National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional

MADISON, Wis. — A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit that claims the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.

Kohl’s 1st-quarter profit slips 11 percent as same-store sales decline 4.2 percent

MILWAUKEE — The cutback in consumer spending pushed Kohl’s Corp.’s earnings down 11 percent in its fiscal first quarter. But the department store chain’s results beat expectations and it said it expects to keep gaining market share from competitors.

Gun rights advocate hosts open carry firearms picnic at park in La Crosse County

TOWN OF ONALASKA, Wis. — A picnic open to the public at a park in La Crosse County will offer free brats and hamburgers and an invitation to bring your gun. Organizer Hubert Hoffman said Sunday’s picnic at Marvin Gardens Park in the Town of Onalaska celebrates a recent opinion from state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen that citizens who openly carry firearms should not be cited for disorderly conduct.

DA: Baby rescued from gasoline-soaked Wis. home where mother, siblings were slain is doing OK

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — The infant daughter of a Wisconsin man accused of killing her mother and two siblings is doing fine after her rescue from a gasoline-soaked home, officials said Tuesday.

Fire continues overnight at chemical plant in Wisconsin, about 140 residents evacuated

COLUMBUS, Wis. — A fire at a chemical plant that triggered explosions and forced the evacuation of about 140 homes was burning itself out Tuesday and residents were allowed to go home.

Prosecutor: Wisconsin man charged with intentional homicide in deaths of woman, 2 children

MADISON, Wis. — A central Wisconsin man killed his estranged girlfriend and shot their two small children in the head after she lost her job and their relationship crumbled, says a criminal complaint filed Monday.

Wis. man found in gas-soaked home charged in slayings of estranged girlfriend, their 2 kids

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — A Wisconsin man found inside his gasoline-soaked home with his infant daughter has been charged with killing his estranged girlfriend and their two other children.

Why? Why? Alleged liquor thief fills out raffle ticket on way out of store

HARTFORD, Wis. — An alleged shoplifter with a bottle of whiskey in his pants decided to take one more gamble before leaving a Washington County liquor store: filling out a raffle ticket. But the gamble led police right to him. The man was charged Thursday with misdemeanor retail theft, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct.

Wis. man, 81, cited for nudging pedestrian with vehicle because she walked too slowly

LA CROSSE, Wis. — An elderly driver was cited after a pedestrian said he nudged her twice with his vehicle for walking too slowly. The 81-year-old man was cited Thursday for hit-and-run causing injury. He’s scheduled to appear in La Crosse County Circuit Court on June 4.

Kohl’s same-store sales better-than-expected in April; retailer raises guidance

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s Corp. said Thursday that its same-store sales fell 6.2 percent in April, which was less than expected, and the company boosted its quarterly guidance as a result.

Wisconsin judge sets $500G bail for man accused of killing girlfriend and 2 of their kids

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — A judge in Wisconsin has set bail at $500,000 for a man accused of killing his girlfriend and two of their children at their home in Nelsonville.

Wis. coroner: 2 toddlers found dead in gas soaked home were shot in head with mother

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — A Wisconsin coroner says two toddlers found dead in their gasoline-soaked home last week were shot in the head and their mother was the victim of a complex homicide.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig to deliver commencement speech at University of Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig will give the commencement address to University of Wisconsin graduates later this month.

Authorities say woman found dead in Wisconsin home with 2 kids was leaving children’s father

WAUSAU, Wis. — Investigators say a Wisconsin woman found dead with two of her children was ending a relationship with the children’s father.

Furnace repairman accused of poking holes in bathroom wall to peep at showering woman

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — A furnace repairman was accused of poking holes in a bathroom wall where he was working in order to invade a woman’s privacy. The thirty-five-year-old man was charged with disorderly conduct and invasion of privacy.

Sound bites shrink to 140 characters as politicians get a taste of the tweet life

MADISON, Wis. — Waiting for the Legislature’s budget committee to start its work, state Rep. Robin Vos lacked the power of the majority party, but he did have the power of the tweet.