• WED., DECEMBER 24, 2014 • VOLUME 82 • NO. 19 • 2 SECTIONS Fat bike racers open season
2014: A look back part 1
Sports section
CURRENTS
Leader INTER-COUNTY
*HUPDQ\¡V Christmas markets A feast for the senses
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),567 5($' STATEWIDE - A preliminary monthly estimate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Wisconsin added 16,500 private-sector jobs last month and that the state’s unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent. Department of Revenue Chief Economist John Koskinen said one of the biggest takeaways from the monthly survey is a strong showing in what’s called the goods-producing category. “The big gain is actually on construction and manufacturing side. Relative to where they’re at, the goods-producing sector gained 5,100 jobs. We’re also seeing some lift now in professional business services as well but that’s where the big gains have been.â€? Koskinen said Wisconsin added 51,000 jobs between November of 2013 and November of this year. Separate quarterly numbers from the BLS, however, has Wisconsin ranked 32nd in the nation in terms of job growth. - Rich Kremer | WPR News ••• STATEWIDE - AAA is predicting record travel on the nation’s highways for this holiday season. The organization has tracked holiday travel since 2001, and expects this year to be the busiest since then. It estimates that 98.6 million people will travel 50 miles or more over the next couple of weeks. Nick Jarmusz, a spokesman for AAA Wisconsin, said 90 percent of those people will drive. Jarmusz said relatively low gas prices are a factor, as are improving job numbers and rising consumer conĂ€GHQFH 1HYHUWKHOHVV KH VDLG WKH FDOHQGDU LV WKH PDLQ LQFHQWLYH ´$Q\WLPH WKDW Christmas and New Year’s fall on a Thursday, it increases the travel window to include two full weekends of travel. So that gives more people the opportunity to PDNH WUDYHO DUUDQJHPHQWV Âľ VDLG -DUPXV] $$$ GHĂ€QHV WKH KROLGD\ WUDYHO VHDVRQ DV running from Dec. 23 to Jan. 4. - Patty Murray | WPR News ••• MADISON - The proposed Department of Transportation budget has already UHFHLYHG D ORW RI Ă DN IRU SURYLVLRQV OLNH VXJJHVWHG IHHV RQ K\EULG FDUV DQG DQ LQcrease in the gas tax. Now, a group that advocates for the elderly is saying that the proposal doesn’t include enough funding for a transportation assistance program. Gov. Scott Walker has urged more employment opportunities for people with disabilities, but groups like the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources say the DOT budget could hinder that initiative. Janet Zander with GWAAR said the the budget’s proposed 1-percent increase in transportation assistance for the elderly and disabled is not enough, given the governor’s initiative for the disabled and the state’s graying population. “If we’re going to have this statewide initiative to have people with disabilities obtain competitive employment, they’re going to have to get to work,â€? she said. GWAAR and other groups in the Wisconsin Aging Advocacy Network are also concerned about a proposal to use general purpose revenue to fund transportation. - Shamane Mills | WPR News
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