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Boxer, Poker Player and Mayor, Ed Thompson, Dead at Age 66
Sunday, 23 October 2011 20:54 | 
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Ed Thompson, the younger brother of former Governor Tommy Thompson and a gubernatorial candidate himself, died Saturday at his home in Tomah after fighting pancreatic cancer. Thompson was 66. Thompson was mayor of Tomah from 2000 to 2002 and 2008 to 2010. He ran for governor as a Libertarian in 2002, touting himself as Wisconsin's version of then-Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura. He lost to Democrat Jim Doyle in a three-way race that included then-Governor Scott McCallum, a Republican. Thompson most recently ran as a Republican for the 31st District state Senate seat. He was in the middle of that campaign when he announced in September 2010 that he had cancer. He lost to incumbent Democrat Kathleen Vinehout less than two months later. Thompson was diagnosed with cancer after going in for an unrelated surgery. Told that he had only about six months to live, he decided to forge ahead with the campaign.
Thompson worked at various times as a professional poker player, a prison cook and on a railroad. He fought in boxing matches and broke his leg skydiving. He owned a supper club in Tomah called Mr. Ed's Tee Pee
Funeral services are at 10 a.m Monday at the St. Mary's Parish in Tomah with a memorial at the supper club in Tomah. He had requested that instead of flowers, anybody wishing to memorialize him could do so by making a contribution to the Community Thanksgiving Dinner he founded.
Brian Stanley Supreme CourtFriday, 21 October 2011 12:12 | | |
Bryan Stanley's whereabouts could become a public record, if the Wisconsin Supreme Court gets involved in his case. Stanley killed three men at an area church in 1985, and spent nearly 25 years in a state hospital until he was considered well enough to be released. But lower courts say Stanley's privacy is more important than the public's right to know where he's living. The La Crosse Tribune wants the files opened, and is hopeful about the possible appeal to the Supreme Court: First Flu Case in WisconsinFriday, 21 October 2011 10:37 | | |
First case of flu confirmed in Wisconsin. State health bosses today say an adult in Northeastern Wisconsin is the first case of influenza for the season. Perfect time, says state health officer Dr. Henry Anderson, to get you flu shot. Anderson says the flu shot remains the most effective way to avoid getting the flu. The state health department says this first case indicates an early start to flu season for Wisconsin that generally runs from November to March, with peak activity around late-January or February. Jobs Growth Only Moderate in Upper Midwest, Forecast ShowsFriday, 21 October 2011 10:36 | | |
Florida, Texas, Idaho, Utah and Arizona. Those states got it. Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin: Not so much. A study on potential for employment growth over the next six years show the first states with the highest rates of growth going forward. Annual gains in employment of over two percent. The IHS Global Insight analysis, however, shows Wisconsin and Minnesota with much more moderate growth of slightly less than one and a half percent over the next six years. And Iowa is lower than that. Less than 20 states have lower growth potential than Wisconsin, according to the study, over the next six years. Groups Cry Foul Over Tort Reform EffortsFriday, 21 October 2011 10:36 | | |
Discrimination under the guise of tort reform? New legislation certainly seems that way to a coalition in Wisconsin. A proposal in Madison would limit the interest rates that businesses pay on judgements paid to individuals. The idea is to cap the interest rate to prime plus on percent. Currently, 4.25 percent. A jobs creator, say supporters. But Wisconsin Association of Justice, a coalition of public interest groups in Wisconsin, say it's discriminatory because the interest rate that businesses can charge individuals for collections would remain at 12 percent. The tort reform bill is among those being considered by lawmakers as part of a special jobs session in Madison. |