FREE WHITEWATER

Education, Press

Update: Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism: For-Profit College Accused of Operating Illegally in Wisconsin

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There’s an update on an August story from the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism about a for-profit college in Wisconsin. Reporter Kate Golden, in For-profit college accused of operating illegally in Wisconsin, described the shady practices of Westwood College. (See, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism: For-Profit College Accused of Operating Illegally in Wisconsin.)

In Westwood temporarily halts Wisconsin enrollments, reporter Kate Golden reports on new details about Westwood:

Westwood College Online has temporarily stopped enrolling Wisconsin students, but maintains it doesn’t need approval from the Wisconsin agency that sent it a cease-and-desist letter.

Westwood College Senior Vice President William Ojile said in his Sept. 30 response to the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board that Wisconsin has no authority over Westwood, which is owned by Denver-based Alta College Inc.

Despite Westwood’s position, the school has stopped enrolling new students anyway as “purely a good-faith precautionary measure,” Ojile wrote.

The EAB said in a Sept. 16 letter to Westwood that an article in the Wisconsin State Journal and the complaint of a Westwood student who withdrew after reading the article “make clear that the risk exposure to Wisconsin residents warrants our attention,” and ordered the school to stop enrolling Wisconsin students. The article was produced by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.

With the letter, the EAB entered the national fray over for-profit higher education and became the second state to act against Westwood College Online.

There are sure to be additional developments about Westwood’s practices.

Uncategorized

Daily Bread for Whitewater, Wisconsin: 10-7-10

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Good morning,

Whitewater’s forecast calls for a sunny day, with a high temperature of seventy-two degrees.

The Wisconsin Historical Society recalls a odd moment in Wisconsin’s history, on this day in 1774:

1774 – Wisconsin Becomes Part of Quebec

On this date Britain passed the Quebec Act, making Wisconsin part of the province of Quebec. Enacted by George III, the act restored the French form of civil law to the region. The Thirteen Colonies considered the Quebec Act as one of the “Intolerable Acts,” as it nullified Western claims of the coast colonies by extending the boundaries of the province of Quebec to the Ohio River on the south and to the Mississippi River on the west. [Source: Avalon Project at the Yale Law School]



School District

Lewis Black on the Education Crisis in America

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From The Daily Show, here’s a clip of Lewis Black remarking on the education crisis in America. It’s all very bristly, of course, but that’s the style of Black’s sharp humor. For it all, the brief scenes that Black includes about students’ desperation to attend a charter school (from the film Waiting for Superman) are poignant.



(h/t to the Huffington Post for the link.) more >>

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for Whitewater, Wisconsin: 10-6-10

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Good morning,

Whitewater’s forecast is for a sunny day with a high temperature of seventy-three degrees.

Whitewater’s Landmarks Commission will meet tonight from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The agenda is available online.

It’s Homecoming Week here in the Whippet City, and today’s activities include a Canned Food Drive this morning, a Lip Sync competition tonight at 7 p.m. at the high school, and the traditional Burning of the W outside the high school tonight at 8:30 p.m.

The Wisconsin Historical Society recalls a famous defense of free speech from our past, from this day in 1917:

1917 – Robert La Follette Supports Free Speech in Wartime

On this date Senator Robert La Follette gave what may have been the most famous speech of his Senate career when he responded to charges of treason with a three hour defense of free speech in wartime.

La Follette had voted against a declaration of war as well as several initiatives seen as essential to the war effort by those that supported U.S. involvement in the first World War. His resistance was met with a petition to the Committee on Privileges and Elections that called for La Follette’s expulsion from the Senate. The charges were investigated, but La Follette was cleared of any wrong doing by the committee on January 16, 1919. [Source: United States Senate]

Freedom of Speech, Laws/Regulations, Liberty, Politics

Camp Politics: Training the Next Generation of Censors Since 1974!

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The Institute for Justice has a very sharp parody of incumbents’ tricks to retain office, entitled, Camp Politics: Training the Next Generation of Censors.

Here’s a description of the summer camp, where young people can learn how to stifle free expression, and retain power:

An Important Message From The Staff of Camp Politics:

Our mission is to train your son or daughter to win political office and then stay there – mainly by using campaign finance laws to suppress political speech that threatens their reelection.

But, unfortunately, many in the public have the absurd idea that free speech should receive the full protection of the First Amendment. One of the chief proponents of this view is the Institute for Justice. It just launched its “Citizen Speech Campaign,” which it calls “a multi-state effort to restore full protection to political speech about candidates and ballot issues.” If you truly care about your children’s future as successful incumbent politicians, please do not allow the Institute to dissuade you from sending them to Camp Politics.

Learn more about the Institute for Justice’s Citizen Speech Campaign.

http://www.CampPolitics.org.

Buy your Camp Politics T-shirt today: http://iam.ij.org/bTNbXY.

Cast:
Narrator: Steve Izant
Counselor: Nick Hanson
Kids: Sophia Cabana, Zachary Cabana, Nicky McBroom, Sam McBroom, Julia
Simpson, Kate Simpson, Natalie Simpson

Enjoy a clever, and sadly true, description of America’s contemporary political culture:


more >>

Official Misconduct

Official’s Misconduct: Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz’s Treatment of a Crime Victim (Update 7)

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There’s a story in the Post Crescent about the aftermath of Calumet County D.A. Ken Kratz’s resignation, entitled, Resignation may not be the end of Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz’s woes.

The resignation put an end to Gov. Jim Doyle’s efforts to remove him from office….

Kratz’s resignation followed more than two weeks of pressure that swelled after news reports detailed 30 text messages Kratz. 50, sent to domestic violence victim Stephanie Van Groll, who was 25 at the time. Kratz was prosecuting Van Groll’s ex-boyfriend at the time.

Van Groll’s attorney, Michael Fox, said last week he’s weighing whether to file a civil lawsuit seeking damages from Kratz….

The state Office of Lawyer Regulation, meanwhile, re-opened its file on Kratz after other women came forward with reports of inappropriate advances….

….Spokesman Bill Cosh confirmed Monday that the Department of Justice continues to seek information from anyone who knows of misconduct by Kratz.

And on Monday, the Calumet County District Attorney’s Office declined a Post-Crescent request for information under the state’s Open Records laws citing an exemption for open cases. “This office has confirmed with the State Attorney General’s Office that there is an ongoing investigation concerning Mr. Kratz,” wrote Assistant Dist. Atty. Jeffrey Froehlich, who is running the prosecutor’s office.

For prior posts, see Official’s Misconduct: Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz’s Treatment of a Crime Victim, Official’s Misconduct: Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz’s Treatment of a Crime Victim (Update), Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Update 5, and Update 6.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for Whitewater, Wisconsin: 10-5-10

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Good morning,

Whitewater’s forecast for Tuesday calls for a sunny day with a high temperature of sixty-seven degrees.

There will be a meeting of Whitewater’s Common Council tonight at 6:30 p.m. The meeting agenda is available online.

At Lakeview School, there will be a 6 p.m. P.T.A. Meeting.

The Wisconsin Historical Society recalls that on this day in 1846,

First State Constitutional Convention Meets

On this date Wisconsin’s first state Constitutional Convention met in Madison. The Convention sat until December 16,1846. The Convention was attended by 103 Democrats and 18 Whigs. The proposed constitution failed when voters refused to accept several controversial issues: an anti-banking article, a homestead exemption (which gave $1000 exemption to any debtor), providing women with property rights, and black suffrage. The following convention, the Second Constitutional Convention of Wisconsin in 1847-48, produced and passed a constitution that Wisconsin still very much follows today. [Source: The Convention of 1846 edited Milo M. Quaife]

Laws/Regulations

Reason.tv: Nanny of the Month for September 2010 – Busted for Growing Veggies!

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Reason presents the Nanny of the Month for September 2010. While America thinks of new ways to live a truly green lifestyle, including eating locally-grown produce, in DeKalb County, Georgia officials want to fine a man for growing too many vegetables.



Here’s the description accompanying the video:

Nanny of the Month turns one-year-old this month, and it seems that public officials’ obsession with minding other people’s business has only intensified over the past 12 months.

We’ve exposed meddlers who want to squash other people’s right to do everything from sing karaoke, to drink raw milk, and bust a move at ladies night.

What could possibly top all that? How about the “Greenest County in America” suing a man for growing too many vegetables in his garden?

Presenting Reason.tv’s Nanny of the Month for September 2010: DeKalb County, Georgia CEO Burrell Ellis!

Approximately 1:20 minutes. more >>

Official Misconduct

Official’s Misconduct: Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz’s Treatment of a Crime Victim (Update 6)

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Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz, accused of sending vulgar and propositioning text messages to a domestic abuse victim while he prosecuted her attacker, has resigned his office.

See, It’s official: Embattled DA Kratz resigns.

The Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation’s dismissal of a professional misconduct grievance against Kratz, regarding the messages he sent to the domestic abuse victim, is a source continuing controversy.

For prior posts, see Official’s Misconduct: Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz’s Treatment of a Crime Victim, Official’s Misconduct: Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz’s Treatment of a Crime Victim (Update), Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, and Update 5.

Science/Nature

NASA: A Simulated Alien’s Eye View of Our Solar System

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Today’s posts bring two outer space topics. Earlier today I embedded a video from father-son team about their launch of a balloon and video camera about nineteen miles above the earth’s surface.

Over at Physics Buzz, from PhysicsCentral there is a recent post about a simulated alien’s eye view of our solar system. See, An alien’s eye view of the solar system (w/ video).

With help from a supercomputer capable of 67 trillion calculations per second, astronomers at NASA Goddard have determined what our solar system would look like to an alien astronomer. The simulations track the interactions of 75,000 dust grains in the Kuiper Belt, which is an icy region out beyond Neptune where millions of small bodies (including Pluto) orbit the sun.

Here’s what NASA scientists think extraterrestrials (if there are any) might see if they looked in our direction —



Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op1mSSfLbiY more >>

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for Whitewater, Wisconsin: 10-4-10

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Good morning,

Whitewater’s forecast for today calls for a sunny day, with a high temperature of sixty degrees.

In the City of Whitewater today there will be a meeting of the Parks & Recreation Board at 4 p.m. The agenda is available online.

On this day in 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into orbit. Sputnik was about the weight of an average man, and completed roughly fifteen orbits of the earth each day. The New York Times reported on Sputnik is a story entitled, “Soviet Fires Earth Satellite Into Space; It Is Circling the Globe at 18,000 M.P.H.’ Sphere Tracked in 4 Crossings Over U.S.”

Decades later, the Soviets are gone, but the fascination with space exploration continues. An American father-and-son team from Park Slope, New York recently launched their own camera into space, to a height of nineteen miles, carried aloft on a helium balloon. A balloon, an iPod, an HD camera, and a parachute: they’re the ingredients of a remarkable story of ingenuity. They have a video recording of their balloon’s preparation and flight:


Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

Link: http://vimeo.com/15091562.

Simply remarkable.