A look back at the people and events that made news the past week.
Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...


HEROES OF THE WEEK


New Yorkers, and the woman they tried to save.


The amazing Michael Phelps.


Let's not forget Jason Lezak......and all our Olympic athletes.


Ted Nugent



VILLAINS OF THE WEEK


Jeff Pelo


Tom Anderson.......ABC Video interview.


Vandals in Sheboygan


Whoever was behind this.



QUOTES OF THE WEEK


"Dream as big as you can dream and anything is possible. I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real."
U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, after winning his 7^th gold medal at the Olympics.


"It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time. He's the greatest racer who ever walked the planet."
1972 U.S. Olympian Mark Spitz, on Phelps.


"At this time we would like to declare an emergency and also have CFR [crash equipment] standing by in St. Louis."
Just 41 seconds after discovering he no longer had full control of the plane's up and down movements, a pilot talking to an FAA air traffic controller. The campaign plane carrying Barack Obama last month was owned by Midwest Airlines. According to FAA tapes released this week, the incident was more serious than originally thought. At the time, an FAA spokesperson said the pilot did not declare an emergency and Midwest Airlines said safety  "was never an issue."


"Russia rolls over Georgia, Hillary Clinton does the same to Barack Obama. Now we know who's boss. Obama blinked and stands guilty of appeasing Clinton by agreeing to a roll call vote for her nomination. . . . It was supposed to be his party. Now it's theirs. His and hers."
Michael Goodwin in his New York Daily News column


"What if you have an 18-year-old daughter who has a breakdown in one of these dark zones?"
Jay Sorensen, a Shorewood resident who noticed burned out lights one night in February as he drove home from the airport. The Journal sentinel reported, “Nearly four out of every 10 streetlights along I-794 and the Lake Parkway are burned out, leaving motorists to drive without the guidance of that familiar orange glow spilling down from above as they cruise the expressway late at night.”


"You tell your kids not to jump into a stranger's car alone and why that's dangerous; tell them why they shouldn't travel the Internet highway alone and why it is dangerous."
Wisconsin State Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen said his office has identified approximately 15,000 computers in the state that are being used by sexual predators to exchange child porn and sexually explicit chat rooms.


“Of course, the Democratic Party is breathing a giant sigh of relief. What if Edwards had won the nomination? They’d be looking at the prospect of their nominee engulfed in a sexual scandal that makes Bill Clinton look like a prude. Since Edwards didn’t win, the only harm to the Democrats is that yet another one of their heroes has been exposed as a lying lout. He joins a large club.”
WISN talk show host Mark Belling in his weekly column.


“I am vetoing this proposal because it is unfair to raise the vehicle registration fee from $75 to $95 for only City of Milwaukee residents. At a time when residents are already grappling with increases in food and fuel prices, a 26% increase in the vehicle registration fee and a complete elimination of the responsibility of other property owners is not the road to go down.”
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett vetoing the proposed city of Milwaukee wheel tax.


"If Milwaukee dramatically increases the number of kids who take the ACT, we'll no longer be in the number one or two in the country. We're going to drop. If the state of Wisconsin wants to be one or two in the ACT, they're going to have to figure out ways to help Milwaukee kids do better."
MPS board member Terry Falk. Wait a minute. Terry, you’re on the school board. Figuring out ways to make Milwaukee kids do better…isn’t that your job?


"Here we are in 2008 and it's early August, and we're already seeing problems I'm very concerned that we're going to see more problems throughout 2008."
Mark Jefferson, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. The liberal group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) fired about a dozen of its Milwaukee election registration canvassers for registering voters multiple times as a way to avoid having to actually register new voters to reach their performance goal of 20 voters a day.


"This is the very reason I have fought for photo ID in order to receive a ballot. We have added more names on the voter rolls, and we still have no idea if the person that is handed the ballot is truly that person.”
State Representative Jeff Stone (R-Greenfield)


“Unfortunately, the GOP will use any excuse to call for the use of voter ID. If it rains too hard, they'll say it's because people aren't required to show their driver's licenses when they vote."
State Representative Joe Parisi, a Democrat from Madison, throwing his hat into the ring for dumbest quotes of the year.


“We don’t make this deployment lightly.  We know that our first obligation is to the citizens of the city of Milwaukee. I understand my responsibilities to my city, but . . . none of us can handle national security events alone.”
Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn explaining why he wants to send 36 officers to St. Paul to assist with security at the Republican National Convention.

“I’m not sure we can afford, from a manpower standpoint, to send 36 officers to St. Paul.”
Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman



OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK


A police chief's #1 prirority is to serve and protect his community. Then why does Milwaukee Police Chief want to put the city in jeopardy while he sends 36 officers to essentially patrol streets and guard doors and keep an eye on dignitaries at the Republican National Convention?



MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK


The mainstream media refuses to report how dangerous their anointed one, Barack Obama, really is.



MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK


Michael Phelps.............deservedly so.



STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK


Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us. Just pass the soap.


Could you two keep it down, We're trying to get some sleep.


Special delivery.


The USC football team can beat a lot of opponents, but what about this?



REMEMBER: Your suggestions/nominations for any of these categories every week are welcome, especially for HEROES OF THE WEEK. If you know of anyone in the community deserving of recognition, please e-mail me.

A look back at the people and events that made news the past week.
Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...


HEROES OF THE WEEK


Keela Carr


Dana Hussein


Johnson Controls


Dolphins at Seaquarium



VILLAINS OF THE WEEK


John Edwards


Jon Phillips and Sarah Berry


Gina Conteh


The EPA


ACORN voter registration workers


Viroqua vandals


The DNR


Police officer Barbara Nevers


Tyson Foods plant in Tennessee


SF Mayor


And of course, Green Bay Packer GM Ted Thompson, the man who traded Brett Favre



QUOTES OF THE WEEK


"I am not a traitor."
Brett Favre


"I will always be a Packer."
Brett Favre


“I don’t think anybody would be comfortable with that.”
Packer GM Ted Thompson on his legacy that will include trading Favre.


“When the trade papers actually came and I was going to sign it, which would be my job, I almost wanted someone else to sign it, yes. Despite opinions to the contrary, I like Brett a lot. I’d love to see him have the time of his life. I think all football fans want to see him do well, and we pray he will.”
Ted Thompson


Brett Favre’s life did a 180 late Wednesday night, and it happened because Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson didn’t trust Favre, and Favre didn’t trust Thompson. Drag a razor across this controversy’s beard and that’s what you’ll find under the stubble: distrust, too much scar tissue and the simple yet mind-boggling fact that Packers management thinks Favre isn’t good enough to win. If it thought otherwise, Favre wouldn’t be the quarterback of the New York Jets today."
Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com


"Two years ago I made a very serious mistake, a mistake that I am responsible for and no one else. In 2006, I told Elizabeth about the mistake, asked her for her forgiveness, asked God for his forgiveness. And we have kept this within our family since that time."
John Edwards admitting  to ABC News that he had an affair.


 "I saw bodies lying on the streets, around ruined buildings, in cars.It's impossible to count them now. There is hardly a single building left undamaged."
Lyudmila Ostayeva, 50, a wirtness to the fighting between Russia and Georgia. She had fled with her family to Dzhava, a village near the border with Russia.


"We want you to win as many golds as you possibly can. Go forth, give it all you got."
An excited President Bush, speaking to American athletes at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.


"Let people say what they think."
President Bush, prodding Chinese leaders, in a reference to the country's pre-Olympic roundup of dissidents and censoring of the Internet during the games.


"Barack has not closed the deal yet. As long as he has not closed the deal after all the love affair that you the press has given him, and he still hasn't put it away, that's a pretty good indication there are lot of undecideds and a lot of people are still making up their minds about him. That's going to be to McCain's benefit."
Former Governor Tommy Thompson, an honorary chairman of the McCain campaign in Wisconsin.


"We have made the deepest cuts of any administration ever, and not only do we make the cuts but we are stopping the growth."
Governor Doyle reacting to an update on progress toward his 2002 campaign promise to cut 10,000 state jobs by 2010. Doyle said his original intention was to "stop this runaway growth in state government that was underway ... and I've never said that there's some magic number that when you say you hit it, you've done it."


"The idea that we're going to reduce the burden of government for taxpayers or the head count so we can reduce the cost -- it just simply hasn't happened."
State Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield), ripping Doyle's job cut record.



OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK


The Brett Favre trade, and the shabby way the Packer organization treated this future Hall of Famer.



MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK


Lost in the media frenzy Thursday over Brett Favre's trade to the New York Jets was the fact that it was Purple Heart day in Wisconsin and elsewhere around the country. Some very deserving people got little attention.Here's the story on the Wisconsin ceremony, held in La crosse.



MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK


The media's love affair with Barack Obama. The public is starting to notice.According to the Pew Research Center, 48 percent of Americans say they have been hearing too much lately about Obama. Only 26 percent say the same about his Republican opponent, John McCain.



STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK


Higher gas prices=more bottles of urine on the highway.


Letter carrier wants an unusual change in the dress code.


Murderer's plea agreement includes feast of chicken, calzones, pizza and ice cream.


And my personal favorite.......crazy eight's.



REMEMBER: Your suggestions/nominations for any of these categories every week are welcome, especially for HEROES OF THE WEEK. If you know of anyone in the community deserving of recognition, please e-mail me.

A look back at the people and events that made news the past week.
Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...



HEROES OF THE WEEK


Greg McKendry


Lisa Alberte


Tom Barrett


John Wallen


Charles Durning


The North family of Franklin



VILLAINS OF THE WEEK


Former Commerce Secretary Jack Fischer (no relation)


Kuddle Kare Day Kare



QUOTES OF THE WEEK


"I asked Ted, 'Am I welcome in the building if I report?' and Ted was just about shattered. He said, 'Brett, you can't do that — you'll get me fired.' I told him I'm not trying to get anybody fired. So Ted asked me to let the guys report and let's try to resolve this over the next two or three days."
Brett Favre in an interview with ESPN, relating a conversation he had with Packers GM Ted Thompson.


“They played a great four games; they beat us. We got schooled. They played a lot better than we did. We haven’t done anything right in four days.”
Brewer relief pitcher Eric Gagne after the Chicago Cubs swept a four-game series against Milwaukee at Miller Park.


“We don’t like the fact that we allowed their fans to come into our park and have a four-day party. But that’s our fault.”
Brewer manager Ned Yost


“That's just pathetic. I certainly hope that the word has gone forth to all secretaries that you've got to really ratchet this down. It's not time to be trying to impress people with rented limousines.”
State Senator Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay), reacting to the news that  former Commerce Secretary Jack Fischer, who resigned last week, spent $561 to hire a limo to drive between meetings in the Twin Cities on January 9.


“We're keenly aware of the fact that six months of crime progress can be undermined by a couple of bad days of crime news. ... But I think the city deserves, given its investment in us, to get some positive news out of us.”
Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn on figures showing violent crime in Milwaukee dropped 19 percent in the first six months of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007.


“It was a great act of courage since she happened to be a Democrat. Perhaps your reward will be in heaven, not here on Earth.”
John McCain talking about his meeting with recently ousted Democratic National Convention delegate Debra Bartoshevich. McCain spoke at a town hall meeting in Racine.


“He thanked me for supporting my country over my party.”
Debra Bartoshevich after meeting McCain before his town hall meeting.


“He's the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead?”
From a John McCain ad comparing Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.


"It's getting a lot of attention, which is exactly what it was designed to do. Everybody's talking about it, and we're having a great time with it."
John McCain campaign manager Rick Davis defending a McCain ad featuring Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.


"They ran a ridiculous ad that's insulting not to us, but to the American people, he said. "This is beneath him. It's beneath Sen. McCain.. . . . “
Barack Obama strategist David Axelrod


"For a week he's (Obama) been on defense. It's the first time in a while -- and he doesn't like it."
Republican consultant Phil Musser


And this beauty...inflate your tires:

OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK


Remember when the Democrats took over control of the House in November of 2006? Nancy Pelosi promised to bring civility and bipartisanship to Congress? On Friday, House Democrats, not interested in solutions to big gas prices,  shut down the House session, preventing a vote on an energy bill.



MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK


The "Berlin Bounce" the mainstream media was banking on didn't work out so well.

Read...



MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK


That was a crucial series between the Brewers and Cubs this week at Miller Park. Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Jay Mariotti argued on ESPN that Brewers vs. Cubs has turned into a great rivalry.

No way.

Ten games does not a rivalry make.

Yankees-Red Sox

Packers-Bears

Lakers-Celtics

Those are great rivalries that have endured for many, many years. Brewers vs.Cubs matchup is just out of the starting gate.

And by the way, those four losses.......not the end of the world. Get a grip.



STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK


It was occupado alright.


Woman stuck on toilet seat: UPDATE.



REMEMBER: Your suggestions/nominations for any of these categories every week are welcome, especially for HEROES OF THE WEEK. If you know of anyone in the community deserving of recognition, please e-mail me.

A look back at the people and events that made news the past week.
Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...



HEROES OF THE WEEK


Joseph Dwyer


Brookfield officers


Faith Mondry


My friend and colleague, state Representtaive Jim Ott


Franklin Little Leaguers


To  a certain lion, these folks.



VILLAINS OF THE WEEK


Jose Carman Gonzalez-Ricardo


Edwin Ramos


Milton Thomas........caught on video.


Barack Obama



QUOTES OF THE WEEK


“I like to be an informed voter ... I want to take the time to make an informed decision.”
Debra Bartoshevich, the Waterford resident who was stripped of her delegate status Friday by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Bartoshevich said following Hillary Clinton's departure from the White House race that she would vote for John McCain instead of Barack Obama.


“You’re saying you can’t flip a switch and jump to Senator Obama, but you certainly were able to flip a switch and jump to Senator McCain. I find that to be a very serious flaw in your argument.”
Les Nakamoto, the Democrat Party’s 5^th Congressional District Chair.


“I’m done. I will never support the Democrat Party again. Not after how they treated me ... If you don’t drink the Kool-Aid, I guess you can’t be a Democrat.”
Bartoshevich in an interview with Wispolitics.com.


“My opponent likes to tell people she is ‘out knocking on doors.’ But the voters know the difference between riding in a car watching staff drop off taxpayer-funded road maps that people did not even ask for and actually knocking on doors and talking to people.”
State Representative Sheldon Wasserman (D-Milwaukee), once again criticizing the health of his opponent for the 8th District Senate seat, Alberta Darling (R-River Hills).


“I take great offense to Sheldon Wasserman’s false accusation that I am not actually knocking on voters’ doors, and his continued insinuation that I am too sick to run for office and restricted to campaigning from a car.”
Senator Darling’s response.


“Consumers should be irate. It shouldn't be the government's job to make sure that they're paying more for gas.”
Christian Schneider, author of a Wisconsin Policy Research Institute study on the state’s minimum markup law. The study argues gas markups cost state drivers at least $267 million annually.



OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK


Sex offenders living .............in nursing homes.

Read more.



MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK


Property taxes just keep going up, and up, and up, and up, and  up.....



MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK


Barack Obama's trip overseas. One gigantic news media lovefest.



STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK


Guys who dump woman at the altar, BEWARE!


Mystery noise in Green Bay


Cable repairman taken for ride


Black and white twins.


They named their kid....WHAT???



REMEMBER: Your suggestions/nominations for any of these categories every week are welcome, especially for HEROES OF THE WEEK. If you know of anyone in the community deserving of recognition, please e-mail me.

A look back at the people and events that made news the past week.
Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...



HEROES OF THE WEEK


Freedom Honor Flight Inc.


Good Samaritans


Maine fisherman


Johnny Depp


Still a hero



VILLAINS OF THE WEEK


Indra Book


Daniel Allen Everett


Andrea Curry-Demus


Waukesha County



QUOTES OF THE WEEK


“The reality is, this is a $130 million tax increase.At a time when food and fuel costs are so high here in Wisconsin and across the country, the last thing we need is a $130 million tax increase."
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, on the County Board's proposed sales tax increase referendum


"We could take off our gas tax, but I believe the oil companies simply would make more profits. They would continue to price gasoline at the same level. Second, we need those funds to make sure we have good roads and that our bridges are secure. The big problem with a gasoline tax holiday, which (Sen. John) McCain (of Arizona) talked about, is that it would only save families on average about 30 cents a day or $30 a month. I think the oil companies simply would continue to charge the same price and pocket the additional profit."
Governor Jim Doyle


"It has become increasingly difficult to carry out the mission of the Department, and I do not want to stand in the way of continuing progress; because of that, I am resigning."
Jack Fischer, outgoing Wisconin Commerce secretary, in his resignation letter to Governor Jim Doyle. Fischer resigned following reports of questionable foreign trade trip spending while the state was under travel restrictions. Fischer served only eight months on the job.


"I am grateful for Jack Fischer’s service to the state of Wisconsin. He brought valuable experience from the private sector to the role of commerce secretary, and I thank him for all his work to promote Wisconsin businesses"
Doyle’s response to Fischer’s departure.


"I'm going to be a lot more reluctant with my vote for nominees with this governor."
State Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield).


"I think Milwaukee is a great place to do business. This doesn’t reflect in any way on the city of Milwaukee or the state of Wisconsin."
MillerCoors President Tom Long, saying that the decision to move the corporate HQ to Chicago came from a desire to pick a neutral location for the headquarters.


"Whether you are for or against raising the sales tax to provide funding for property tax relief, parks, transit and EMS, you should be in favor of an advisory referendum on the issue."
Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway on the sales tax increase referendum.


"It does not speak well of a public official who would claim to be a member of one party in order to lure its members into assisting with his campaign effort -- be it with volunteer efforts or financial contributions -- then direct those contributions toward a completely different ideological movement."
Republican Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Mark Jefferson in a letter to State Representative Jeff Wood (I-Chetek) who left the party last week. Wood was aksed to return a total of $1,225 in conduit donations he received this campaign cycle while a member of the party.


"I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured and I assure them as their pastor that I too share in their suffering.Those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice."
The Pope during an address at a Mass at the church's World Youth Day in Sydney, apologizing to victims of clergy abuse.


"Violent crime in the city of Chicago is out of control. I'm offering resources of the state to the city to work in a constructive way with Mayor Daley to do everything we can possibly do to help stop this violence."
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, suggesting he might bring in state troopers or the National Guard to fight crime in Chicago.


"Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, or as she is called on the Big Dogs blog, 'the worst speaker in the history of Congress,'explained the cause of high oil prices back in 2006: 'We have two oilmen in the White House. The logical follow-up from that is $3-a-gallon gasoline. It is no accident. It is a cause and effect. A cause and effect.' Yes, that would explain why the price of oral sex, cigars and Hustler magazine skyrocketed during the Clinton years. Also, I note that Speaker Pelosi is a hotelier ... and the price of a hotel room in New York is $1,000 a night! I think she might be onto something."
Ann Coulter



OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK


Indra Book's horrible choice.



MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK


A janitor at a university is accused of racial harassment because........he was reading.

This Wall Street Journal column captures how institutions of higher learning have become hypersensitive.



MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK


Is Heath Ledger really that good in the new Batman movie?



STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK


Police officer fired over free coffee.


You can buy just about anything on ebay.


You may never want to do laundry again.


Is the city of Denver trying to hide its homeless?



REMEMBER: Your suggestions/nominations for any of these categories every week are welcome, especially for HEROES OF THE WEEK. If you know of anyone in the community deserving of recognition, please e-mail me.