First Big Brush With Winter For Northeast Wisconsin

After a mild and near snowless November and December it appears all good things must come to an end.  From the National Weather Service:

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 301 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012 …SNOW EXPECTED TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT TRAVEL CONDITIONS THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS… .A COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION TONIGHT. SNOW FROM THE STORM WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA FROM WEST TO EAST TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING…AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.THE SNOW WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING. WIZ022-038>040-048>050-073-074-120515- /O.UPG.KGRB.WS.A.0001.120112T1200Z-120113T1200Z/ /O.NEW.KGRB.WW.Y.0002.120112T1500Z-120113T1500Z/ DOOR-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE-WINNEBAGO-CALUMET-MANITOWOC- SOUTHERN MARINETTE-SOUTHERN OCONTO- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…STURGEON BAY…APPLETON…GREEN BAY… ALGOMA…OSHKOSH…CHILTON…TWO RIVERS…CRIVITZ 301 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012 …WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 9 AM CST FRIDAY… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREEN BAY HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 9 AM CST FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * SNOW WILL BEGIN THURSDAY MORNING AND CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY MORNING. * 5 TO 7 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. * THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS WILL LEAD TO POOR ROAD CONDITIONS AND HAZARDOUS TRAVEL.

Rep. Nygren to serve on JFC

Congrats to Rep. John Nygren of Marinette.

Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette) was appointed today to serve on the 2011-12 Wisconsin State Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance. Speaker-Elect Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) chose John to be one of six Assembly Republicans to serve on the sixteen member committee.

“I am honored to have been selected to serve on the Joint Committee on Finance,” Nygren said. “This committee faces a difficult task of balancing a state budget with a structural deficit approaching $3 billion. The job is humbling, but I am excited for the opportunity to serve and to meet this challenge head on.”

“I have owned or operated a small business for over three decades and will bring this valuable job creating experience to the committee,” Nygren said. “Serving on the Joint Committee on Finance is a great opportunity and I appreciate the Assembly Speaker-Elect’s willingness to offer me this post. The people of Wisconsin have sent a clear message that they want Wisconsin’s fiscal house in order. I look forward to accomplishing this goal.”

“During the economic downturn, families all across Wisconsin have made hard decisions to balance their own family budgets,” Fitzgerald said. “They expect the state to balance its budget in the same way. I am confident that with his experience as a small business owner Representative Nygren can bring this type of fiscal responsibility to the Joint Committee on Finance.”

Representative Nygren was originally elected to the Assembly in 2006. Prior to being elected, John operated a small business for nearly two decades and currently owns a financial consulting firm in Marinette, Wisconsin. Nygren represents the 89th Assembly District that includes portions of Marinette, Oconto, Brown, and Shawano Counties.

A daunting task and a great responsibility to get the fiscal house in order.  To accomplish it tough decisions need to be made and those start in the state legislature in the JFC.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Onramp gates installed on highways

As part of a statewide plan to increase safety during traffic emergencies, onramp gates are popping up on roadways across Northeastern Wisconsin. The white and orange striped gates — similar to those at railroad crossings — are manually operated and light up when lowered. The gates block ramps during traffic crashes or hazardous weather conditions.

“It’s a simple, quick and efficient way for the highway department or law enforcement to close the highway,” said Kim Rudat, regional spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

“It prevents motorists from entering the highway into a more dangerous situation,” Rudat said.

Before gates were installed in recent years, officers would close offramps with a squad car, use barricades or direct traffic themselves, Rudat said. Now those officers will be free to respond to the emergency.

Each gate costs about $14,000, and the department plans to install 69 gates on major roadways across Northeastern Wisconsin. So far, nearly half are set up, and all should be completed within two years, Rudat said. (Source: Green Bay Press Gazette)

What a tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars at a time Wisconsin is facing a huge deficit.  Not to mention the money could be better spent on stuff like road repair.

How often will they actually be used?  And how exactly is it more efficient when you still need to MANUALLY lower and raise the gates.  All these gates do is move the traffic backups elsewhere.

Powered by ScribeFire.