Monthly Archives: April 2022

Milwaukee TV station CBS 58 (WDJT-TV) is launching a new initiative and on-air franchise titled “CBS 58 Hometowns” aimed at taking viewers to the unique towns and neighborhoods in the area.

The station will start with a list of 58 hometowns and neighborhoods from southeast Wisconsin. Every Monday, starting April 18, on the CBS 58 Morning News in the 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. hour, Nicole Koglin will draw two places randomly. On Tuesday Koglin will explore the chosen destination. The station will be asking viewers and social media followers for suggestions on where to go, fun things to do, and for the one-of-a-kind offerings that makes each place special.

Thursday, she’ll be headed to destination number two. On both days, she’ll be live throughout the day on social media, chatting with followers and taking them along for a real-time experience. And in every CBS 58 Newscast, she’ll showcase highlights from the day’s adventures.

“I’m thrilled to be exploring everything from Milwaukee neighborhoods to small towns, meeting amazing people and telling their stories along the way,” said Koglin.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter John Diedrich and Wisconsin State Journal State Politics Editor Matthew DeFour have been selected to receive the Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog Award, which recognizes an individual’s extraordinary contributions to open government or investigative journalism in Wisconsin. 

Diedrich was chosen as the 2022 winner, and DeFour is the 2020 winner. Because of the pandemic, no winner was chosen in 2021. Diedrich and DeFour will be honored at the 2022 Wisconsin Watchdog Awards reception and dinner on Thursday, April 21 at the Madison Club in downtown Madison. 

The public is invited. Registrations are accepted until 5 p.m. this Monday, April 11.

The award is presented jointly by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, the Madison Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, Wisconsin Broadcasters Association and University of Madison-Wisconsin School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

John Smalley, the now-retired editor of the Wisconsin State Journal, nominated DeFour for the 2020 honor, citing his tenacious reporting and “fearless” use of the state Public Records Law.

“His in-depth investigations and watchdog enterprise reporting have prompted change at all levels of government,” Smalley said, noting DeFour’s time covering Madison schools, Dane County and state government. 

Smalley highlighted DeFour’s 2008 coverage of the Dane County 911 Center’s mishandling of a phone call from homicide victim Brittany Zimmermann. The newspaper and other media organizations sued to force the county to turn over documents of the botched response. 

“The incident resulted in the county making several changes at the 911 center, including adding 11 operators, a new director and a renovated space with new equipment,” Smalley said.

DeFour also covered the Madison School District during the 2011 Act 10 protests and revealed through a public records lawsuit the identities of several doctors who had written sick notes to excuse teachers who skipped school to protest. The information resulted in disciplinary action against 11 doctors by the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board.

In 2015, DeFour’s effort to obtain text messages from top officials in Gov. Scott Walker’s administration hit a dead end after he was told there were no records to produce. But that didn’t stop him. It led DeFour to break the story that the administration had quietly changed state policy for retaining records so that certain “transitory records” such as text messages could be destroyed upon receipt. The administration later reversed that policy.

“Matthew DeFour has clearly established himself as one of the most consistent and credible watchdog journalists in the state,” Smalley said.

Diedrich was nominated for the 2022 award by Greg Borowski, a Journal Sentinel deputy editor who oversees news and formerly was the newspaper’s watchdog editor. Borowski described Diedrich as “methodical, disciplined, relentless.” 

“More so than any other reporter I have encountered, John often starts with a tip that others might ignore, overlook, or never even get,” Borowski wrote. “From there, his skills as an investigative reporter take over, as he digs in to patiently gather the documents and build the sources needed to shine a light on a problem.”

Among the many projects Diedrich has produced is Turned Away, a 2019 investigation into the little-known practice of “ambulance diversion,” by which hospitals are permitted to close their emergency rooms and send sick and distressed patients elsewhere. 

Acting on a vague tip that did not even include the victim’s name, Diedrich uncovered the saga of Tiffany Tate, who worked at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Tate had suffered a stroke while on the job, but paramedics declined to take her to the emergency room 350 feet away at Froedtert Hospital. She ultimately died because of delayed care.

Borowski also cited Diedrich’s uncovering of a botched U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives undercover gun-buying sting in which agents let dangerous felons leave the store with guns. Diedrich co-reported the Backfire series with his wife, Journal Sentinel investigative journalist Raquel Rutledge, who won the Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog award in 2018. 

Diedrich’s most recent work includes Wires and Fires, an investigation with Rutledge, reporter Daphne Chen and intern Tamia Fowlkes into deadly electrical fires in impoverished Milwaukee neighborhoods, which was a finalist for the prestigious Goldsmith Award for Investigative Reporting and received other national recognition. 

The April 21 event also will feature the annual Opee Awards, bestowed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council to recognize outstanding efforts to protect the state’s tradition of open government — and highlight some threats to it. Other highlights include a reception (cash bar) at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m., followed by the awards program. Proceeds benefit the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, participation of young journalists in the event and online investigative journalism training sessions for Wisconsin journalists.

DeFour and Diedrich join the list of Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog Award recipients, which includes: 

2011: Dave Zweifel, editor emeritus of The Capital Times and a founder of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council.

2012: The late Dick Wheeler, founder of the Wheeler Report, a go-to source for information on state government and officials.

2013: U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, the chief author of Wisconsin’s Open Records Law.

2014: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigative reporter Dave Umhoefer, a Pulitzer Prize winner for stories exposing the Milwaukee County pension scandal. 

2015: Journal Sentinel investigative health reporter Meg Kissinger, for her investigations into Wisconsin’s troubled mental health system.

2016: Madison attorney Robert J. Dreps, a champion of open government for three decades. 

2017: Gilman Halsted, a retired Wisconsin Public Radio reporter who produced award-winning examinations of the state’s criminal justice system.

2018: Raquel Rutledge, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter at the Journal Sentinel who exposed fraud and abuse in a child-care program for low-wage working parents. 

2019: Jessica Arp, former assistant news director for News 3 Now and Channel3000.com, for fearless political reporting including the Reality Check fact-checking series.

Dario Melendez is joining WISN-TV in Milwaukee as sports director effective April 18. He will serve as the anchor of sports coverage at 6 p.m., WISN 12 News at 9 p.m., WISN 12 News at 10 p.m., and during Big 12 Sports Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. He replaces long-time Sports Director Dan Needles, who retired last month after 32 years with the station.

Melendez previously worked as a weekend sports anchor and reporter for WISN-TV.

“Dario was part of Big 12 Sports a few years ago,” said Jan Wade, president and general manager of WISN-TV. “So viewers are welcoming back a familiar face. He and his wife met here, and are raising their family here now. We are very excited to have him back.”

“I’ve been fortunate to live and work in some of the top markets in the country and I can say, without hesitation, that Wisconsin sports fans are some of the most passionate and knowledgeable I’ve ever been around,” Melendez said.

In addition to his anchor duties, Melendez will lead WISN-TV’s sports programming involving the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers, and other sports and teams at the local and state levels. This includes Big 12 Sports specials on topics like the NFL Draft, pre and post-game coverage, playoff and championship runs, as well as significant interviews with the most renowned names in sports.

“He brings a wide breadth of sports experience to Big 12 Sports,” Wade said. “And viewers will also benefit from his depth and knowledge of Wisconsin teams.”

Most recently, he served as an anchor and reporter for Bally Sports Wisconsin covering the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Before that he held the anchor and reporter roles for New York 1 in New York City, and for ESPN’s SportsCenter in Bristol, Connecticut. Prior to his last position at WISN-TV, Melendez worked his way up through the industry and held sports broadcasting anchor, reporter, and hosting roles for both television and radio stations in Wisconsin, Florida, and Connecticut.

“The WISN 12 Sports Director role is one of the most coveted jobs in the industry,” Melendez said. “Only two people have held the title over the last 41 years. To be able to continue the legacies left by Tom Sutton and Dan Needles – my personal mentor and someone I learned so much from – is an honor. The chance to connect these fans to their favorite teams and bring them the best coverage in our great state is a role I am thrilled to accept.”

Andrea Williams is bringing her vast broadcasting experience to TMJ4 News in Milwaukee as a specialty reporter.

Williams worked as a radio personality during morning drive in Milwaukee for 25 years, 20 of them at Jammin’ 98.3 (WJMR-FM) where she also served as the News/Public Affairs Director for the Milwaukee Radio Group.

Williams’ focus will be finding those people in the community who don’t always make the news but have important stories to tell.

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Williams moved to Milwaukee in 1996 to work at V100.7 (WKKV-FM). In addition to her radio career, she spent 10 seasons as the Bucks original in-arena host. She also hosted and executive produced “Our Issues Milwaukee” and “Connect MKE” on Milwaukee’s CW 18 and My 24.

Williams received her bachelor’s degree in radio/TV communications from Central State University (Ohio) and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and the Wisconsin Chapter of NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists).

“I’ve had some amazing opportunities working in Milwaukee and joining the TMJ4 News team is definitely at the top of the list,” Williams said. “I plan to continue connecting with the good people of this city and look forward to telling their stories that shine a light on what truly makes Milwaukee great.”

“We feel very fortunate to bring someone with Andrea’s knowledge of the community and broadcasting experience to our newsroom,” TMJ4 News Director Tim Vetscher said. “She adds a different perspective and approach to storytelling and is very plugged in to what makes this city tick and where there is room for improvement.”

Williams joins TMJ4 in May and will begin on air in early June.

Anyone who doubts that secrecy in government breeds poor public policy should take a look at the launched by our Wisconsin Supreme Court. 

For the last five years, the project has granted large commercial interests outsized influence over our court system’s handling of their cases, exactly as intended. The business court pilot debuted in 2017 in Waukesha County and the 8th judicial district (encompassing Brown, Marinette, Kewaunee, Oconto, Door, Outagamie and Waupaca Counties). It was expanded to other districts and, in a surprise move, to Dane County in 2020.

Here’s how it works: the Chief Justice, currently Annette Ziegler, receives recommendations from big business and selects a limited number of business court judges. These hand-picked judges then receive training out-of-state from special interests aligned with big business. They follow court procedures drafted by big business lawyers.

The process largely bypasses the voter-controlled and otherwise random judicial assignment of cases. It creates a two-tiered court system — one controlled by business interests and one for everybody else. 

It began in September 2016, when then-Chief Justice Patience Roggensack formed the “Business Court Advisory Committee” to develop a specialty court proposed by big business, for big business. Ignoring the Supreme Court’s own internal operating procedures designed to promote transparency and diversity of opinion in appointing court committees, the chief justice stacked the committee with lawyers representing business interests. 

The committee included no labor or consumer advocates, no one representing the viewpoints of the public, and no one speaking for other stakeholders in our circuit court system.

Working privately, the advisory committee soon hatched a to establish and control the business court, which it filed with the Supreme Court on October 26, 2016. Less than two weeks later, the court the petition by a 5-2 vote, with no public hearing, no opportunity for public comment, and no public notice that the petition was even scheduled for a vote.

Thus, out of public view, our Supreme Court rapidly and fundamentally changed our circuit courts’ democratic structure for handling big business commercial litigation, simultaneously degrading judicial independence and corrupting a cardinal principle underpinning our court system—that everyone should be treated equally when he or she comes before the court. 

The business court model was forced on to the Dane County circuit court system beginning in July 2020. The Supreme Court is now weighing a to extend the pilot program, set to expire on June 30, 2022, for another two years.

The big business takeover of circuit court commercial litigation wasn’t the first time our Supreme Court displayed a penchant for secrecy.

For example, in 2012, the Supreme Court majority administrative rules conferences to the public, reversing an open meetings policy that had informed Wisconsin voters on important court matters for years. “To sit out here in public and philosophize,” said then-Justice Roggensack,”is really not the best use of our time.

A more transparent approach might have led to a different outcome on the Business Court pilot project. But it’s not too late to comment on the request to expand the project for another two years. Written comments can be submitted to Attorney Laura Brenner at lbrenner@reinhartlaw.com, and should be received by 4:30 p.m. on April 8.  

This time, transparency may produce a better result—a return to normalcy for our courts.

Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (), a group dedicated to open government. Attorney Richard G. Niess served as a Dane County Circuit Court judge from 2004 -2020, including 13 years as presiding judge of the civil division.