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NewsWatch: A Weblog of Today's Local News

• Beasties Boys' voter tour to play Arena
  Even by Rock the Vote standards, it's an eclectic coalition: The Beastie Boys, Crosby and Nash, Ben Harper and Tenacious D will perform Nov. 2 at the U.S. Cellular Arena as part of the Beasties' voter awareness tour. Both reserved and floor general admission tickets for the show are $37 excluding fees, and will go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at Bank robbery suspect sought
  Police said Friday they are looking for man who was wearing a black wig when he robbed the Maritime Savings Bank at 140 S. 1st St. Thursday morning. The man implied he had a gun and produced a demand note, said Sgt. Mark Stanmeyer. The man is described as an Asian in his mid-20s and wearing a black wig. He is about 5' 7", weighing 150 pounds, wearing glasses and dressed in a black fleece jacket, black pants and black boots.
• Discovery of body turns into murder probe
  When police found the body of a 44-year-old Milwaukee man on the street in the 2000 block of W. Clarke St. they thought he had died of natural causes. But upon further investigation, police discovered that James W. Parish had actually died of a gunshot wound to the right flank, Sgt. Mark Stanmeyer said Friday. Parish becomes the city's 59th homicide of the year. That compares with 80 for the same period last year, he said. The death remains under investigation, he said.
• McGee objects to presentence report
  Facing sentencing in two weeks, former Milwaukee Ald. Michael McGee has again gone around his attorney and filed documents directly with the judge, this time objecting to the presentence investigation. McGee, who was convicted in federal court of taking bribes and other crimes, asked U.S. District Charles Clevert to delay the sentencing and give him an additional 20 days to respond to the presentence report. Sentencing guidelines call for McGee to receive 6 to 10 years in prison on Oct. 24. In the handwritten letters, McGee says he wants the sentencing to go ahead but he is worried all his objections to the report cannot be filed by the deadline, which is today. McGee also writes that he "is not confident current counsel will meet the deadline." Calvin Malone, of the federal public defender's office, continues to represent McGee. He declined today to comment on McGee's filings. The presentence report, which summarizes a defendant's life for a judge, is not open to the public and objections are not always open either. If Malone did file objections, it was not on the publicly available court file as of noon today. In 14 pages, McGee dissects the presentence report, saying he was entrapped, assailing witnesses who testified against him during the trial or taking aim at those who may take the stand during his sentencing. Also included in the McGee file are numerous letters of support for the former alderman, which say he was a strong advocate for constituents and a positive influence on young people. It is highly unusual for a defendant who is still represented by an attorney to file his own motions directly with the judge. McGee also did this in August, filing a motion with Clevert seeking release from jail. He said he needed to help his wife and prepare for state charges that he plotted to have a man beaten, election-related offenses and other crimes. He is set to go to trial in state court Dec. 1. Clevert denied that request. McGee has been held without bail since July 2007 after a different federal judge found he had attempted to contact witnesses from behind bars. Clevert and the prosecution have not responded to McGee's latest request to delay sentencing.
• CWD reported at Portage County game farm
  A state official reported this morning that a white-tailed deer on a Portage County hunting preserve has tested positive for chronic wasting disease. State Veterinarian Robert Ehlenfeldt announced that a 7 1/2 year old doe owned by Alligator Creek Whitetails had test results that showed she had the disease. The doe is one of 150 deer on the 119-acre game farm near Junction City. The deer was killed on Sept. 20. To date, no wild deer have tested positive for the disease in Portage County. This is the first new report of a CWD-infected deer herd in Wisconsin since January 2005, according to the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
• 250 CO alarms donated to city
  First Alert, a manufacturer of home-safety products, will donate 250 carbon monoxide alarms to the Milwaukee Fire Department for distribution to local residents. The department will distribute the CO alarms in areas of the city where the fire loss rate is "abnormally high." They will conduct a door-to-door campaign to promote fire safety. The work is being done through the department's FOCUS program, which stands for Firefighters Out Creating Urban Safety. During FOCUS, Oct. 13 to 31, firefighters will also distribute smoke detectors and batteries to residents at no cost. The First Alert donation comes shortly after a new Wisconsin carbon monoxide law that took effect on Oct. 1. It requires CO alarms to be installed in most new residential buildings with fuel-burning appliances. The department expects to receive the donation on Monday, according to information released today.
• Charges filed in death of Racine toddler
  Charges have been filed against a mother of a 2-year-old Racine boy and her boyfriend after the child was found dead in his home last month in a case investigators are now calling a homicide, police announced today. Racine police released information today on the death of Brian E. Hawes, who was found dead by police in a home in the 3400 block of 17th St. on Sept. 22. The Racine County district attorney has issued felony charges against the boy's mother, Tisa Hawes, and her live-in boyfriend, Jessie M. Rodriguez, both 27, in connection with the child's death. Rodriguez faces charges of second-degree reckless homicide and two counts of physical abuse of a child. Hawes faces one count of failure to act to prevent bodily harm to a child, according to Racine police. Both defendants are expected to make their first court appearance on the charges on Monday.
• Walker's statement on Robinson
  Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker released a statement today on the community's loss of Jeannetta Robinson, the founder of Career Youth Development, who died at an agency meeting on Thursday. He wrote: "Jeannetta Robinson left us far too soon. She knew how to put love into action. Jeannetta often called me for help with a project or program and she was always looking out for someone else. She was a friend to me and a friend to my family. We will miss her and the work she did for this community. Our prayers go out to her family and her larger family at CYD. "
• Admirals announce promotional games
  The Milwaukee Admirals' FM106/Miller Lite Country Music Night will feature Phil Vassar, who will perform after the team's game against San Antonio Jan. 23 at the Bradley Center. The American Hockey League team, which opens its season Saturday in San Antonio, released its promotional schedule. Two other concerts will be held but have yet to be announced. The Admirals, along with Wispolitics.com, will conduct a presidential straw poll on Oct. 31. Fans will receive a mask with Barack Obama on one side and John McCain on the other. There will be three bobblehead games, starting with Cal O'Reilly Feb. 6. Former Admirals Shea Weber (March 20) and Fred Berry (April 5) are also part of the bobblehead promotion. A bobblefist for Admirals' tough-guy Kelsey Wilson will be given away on Feb. 27. New giveaways this season include mouse pads (Oct. 24), winter gloves (Jan. 30), stuffed Roscoe doll (Feb. 8), pet bowls (Feb. 15) and retro Admirals' T-shirts (Feb. 13). Milwaukee's fourth annual charitable game is March 1, as all 400-level seats are reduced to $3 and a portion of the proceeds, as well as from each full-priced 200-level seat, will be donated to the MACC Fund.
• McCain blisters Obama on taxes, character
  La Crosse -- At a rally here this morning, Republican John McCain hit opponent Barack Obama over taxes, spending and health care, and accused him of dodging "serious and legitimate questions" about his record. McCain called himself the "underdog" in the campaign, vowing to come from behind in the final weeks. "How many times, my friends, have the pundits written off the McCain campaign? We're going to fool 'em again my friend!" said McCain. McCain accused Obama of dodging questions about his record and his plans but did not raise an issue that is now the subject of TV ads by McCain and the GOP -- Obama's past association with William Ayers, a former 1960s radical who helped found the violent Weather Underground. McC