The Milwaukee Post

Moratorium on cutting off heat ending Wisconsin utility companies can legally shut off heat to people who are behind on their payments starting April 16. State law prohibits disconnecting customers during the coldest part of the year between Nov. 1 and April 15. The state Public Service Commission is encouraging those who need assistance to contact their utility about getting on a payment plan or seeing if they qualify for financial assistance from the state. Help is available for people whose household income is at or below 60 percent of the state median income level. That is $47,485 for a family of four. People can apply for assistance through county social service offices, tribal govern- ments and private nonprofit agencies. Caterpillar lays off 60 workers at local plant Caterpillar Inc. has laid off about 60 employees at its South Milwaukee plant. The company is taking actions to reduce costs and better align its workforce with its business needs, according to a statement. As a result, the company has notified approximately 60 production employees that they will be placed on indefinite layoff, effective April 14. Caterpillar has its mining equipment divi- sion based in South Milwaukee. Last year, the company shut factories and cut its work- force worldwide, which included about 400 jobs in Milwaukee and South Milwaukee. "We know this is difficult for our employees and their families, but we must take steps to position the company for long-term success," Caterpillar said in a statement. Caterpillar is a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. www.caterpillar.com Johnson's office didn't contact police Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's office acknowledged last week that Johnson did not notify police three years ago after a then-aide told him state Rep. Bill Kramer, R-Town of Waukesha, had sexually assaulted her. But the statement from Johnson's office adds that his now former aide had asked the senator and his chief of staff, Tony Blando, not to approach police about the alleged incident. "Sen. Johnson and Mr. Blando conveyed their commitment to be 100 percent supportive of any actions she chose to pursue on the advice of her legal counsel – up to and including the filing of crim- inal charges," according to the statement. "She requested that Sen. Johnson and Mr. Blando keep the matter confidential and take no further action. Sen. Johnson and Mr. Blando fully honored her request," according to the statement. In March, Johnson's former aide, in the wake of additional sto- ries about Kramer allegedly mistreating other women, told law enforcement about his alleged assault against her, leading to charges of second-degree sexual assault being filed against Kramer. Ex-MSOE dean sentenced for drunken driving Patrick Coffey, former dean of students at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, will serve a year in jail with work release privileges for drunkenly driving the wrong way down Interstate 94 last summer. At an April 3 hearing, Coffey, 70, of New Berlin, was sentenced to 30 months' initial confinement, but the judge stayed the sentence in favor of four years' probation. As part of the probation, Coffey must serve 12 months in either the House of Correction in Franklin or the Waukesha County Jail, with Huber privileges for work, med- ical appointments and community service – all conditional on absolute sobriety. Coffey abruptly retired in August after the drunken driving charge, his third, came to light. He formerly served as MSOE's vice president for student life and dean of students. According to court documents, on Aug. 15, Coffey drove his car in the wrong lane for at least 10 miles on I-94 in Milwaukee and Racine counties. He blew a 0.19 on the pre- liminary breath test. Charges filed in Milwaukee County Aug. 19 included third-offense drunken driving, third-offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration and second-degree recklessly endangering safety. He pleaded guilty to second-degree recklessly endangering safety and OWI, and the prohibited alcohol concentration charge was dismissed. 4 • Milwaukee County Post • April 11, 2014 2 WEEK IN REVIEW STATE AND LOCAL STORIES OF INTEREST 1 6 5 TOPS Club gives $205K for obesity research The Milwaukee-based, international weight loss organization TOPS Club, Inc. has donated $205,000 to support research in obesity and metabolic disor- ders at the Medical College of Wisconsin, according to a news release. Faculty at the MCW TOPS Obesity and Metabolic Research Center are conducting research on the genetics of obesity, as well as obesity's effect on overall health. Members of TOPS have provided not only monetary support of the research, but have also pro- vided generations of genetic data for investigators to study the causes of obesity in fam- ilies. The work continues the legacy of the late Ahmed Kissebah, a longtime MCW fac- ulty member who founded the TOPS Research Center and made significant discoveries related to the genetics of obesity. TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly. "The contributions TOPS members have made toward our understanding of obesity have been not only generous from a monetary standpoint, but their willingness to share their own family histories have allowed us to make tremendous leaps in the field. We are grateful for their unflagging support," said Sherry Zhang, assistant professor of medi- cine at MCW and a researcher in the TOPS Center. "TOPS Club Inc. is proud to add this contribution from our membership to aid in the discovery of effective treatments, potential cures and continuing support of the scien- tific study of all obesity-related health issues through the TOPS Laboratory at MCW," said Barbara Cady, the president of TOPS Club, Inc. Founded in 1948, TOPS has donated more than $8.2 million to MCW research. 3 Milwaukee woman allegedly stole from residents A Milwaukee woman faces felony charges for allegedly using credit cards that belonged to several patients at a New Berlin assisted living facility. Jamiella Miller, 31, was charged Friday with three felony counts of identity theft and one misdemeanor count of possession of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. According to the complaint, police were first alerted on Oct. 6, 2013, when a woman said that someone stole a credit card from her father's room at Heritage at Deer Creek on July 31, 2013. The woman said her father told her someone from the facility told him to contact his credit card company and get his credit limit raised, or he'd be kicked out of the facility. According to the complaint, staff at Heritage at Deer Creek told police two other resi- dents had had their credit cards taken as well, and a total of almost $1,000 was spent in August 2013 at Milwaukee County retailers including Auto Zone, Dollar Tree, Rocky Rococo Pizza, TJ Maxx and more. The complaint states that Miller admitted to the thefts. She is due in court Monday. 4 Coffey Johnson Traffic crashes killed 33 in March A total of 33 people died in 30 traffic crashes in Wisconsin last month, which was two fewer fatalities than March 2013 and four more than the five- year average for the month of March, according to preliminary statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. In terms of traffic deaths, last month was tied for the sixth safest month of March since the end of World War II when the modern highway transportation system was born. The safest month of March occurred in 2010 with 23 fatalities, and the deadliest month of March was in 1970 with 99 fatalities. As of March 31, a total of 89 people have died in Wisconsin traffic crashes during 2014 including 14 pedestrians. Traffic deaths through the end of March were 15 fewer than during the same period in 2013 and six fewer than the five-year average. In coming months, drivers will routinely encounter orange barrels, cones and signs designating work zones for road construction and maintenance. Last year, there were nearly 1,600 work zone crashes in Wisconsin that caused nine deaths and 624 injuries, according to WisDOT statistics. 7

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