The Kenosha Transit Commission voted this evening to recommend approval of bus service cuts needed to live under budget constraints handed down from city administration.

But the committee also passed a second motion, urging for the City Council to find a way to fund two bus lines that are slated for closure and to scrap planned furloughs that would leave the area without bus service on five Mondays in July and August.

That was after about two dozen speakers addressed the commission in a late-afternoon public hearing, imploring the city to retain service on the No. 6 and 36 bus lines and to avoid the furloughs.

The commission passed the motion recommending the cuts, with Chairman Donald Holland noting the body’s responsibility to develop a service plan under the budget provided by administration.

The council’s Finance Committee will take up the matter, along with other budget provisions at 5 p.m. Monday in Room 202 of the Kenosha Municipal Building, 625 52nd St.

MADISON (AP) — Marquette held Menomonee Falls to 51 total offensive yards and scored a lone touchdown on its way to a 7-0 win in the WIAA Division 1 state football championship Friday.

En route to the title, Marquette ousted Bradford 35-28 in the quarterfinal on Nov. 7 at Indian Trail Stadium.

The Hilltoppers (14-0) held Indians leading rusher Cole Myhra to 23 carries for 76 net yards. Myhra, who had 283 carries and 1,689 yards on the season, came into the state championship averaging 129.9 yards per game.

Max Poeske had 10 carries on a negative loss of 35 yards for Menomonee Falls.

Marquette benefited from the return of senior Brock LaFace, who missed a semifinal game and part of a quarterfinal with a shoulder injury. Their only touchdown came on a 13-play, 49-yard drive in the first quarter.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued an air quality advisory for particle pollution effective tonight to noon Saturday for Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, St. Croix and Taylor counties.

The index is at orange for the air quality and has been issued because of persistent elevated levels of fine particles in the air. The particles come primarily from combustion sources, such as power plants, factories and other industrial sources, vehicle exhaust, and wood burning.

The orange level index advises those in sensitive groups to reschedule or cut back on strenuous activities for the duration. Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, asthma, older adults and children. People who are at risk are particularly vulnerable after several days of high particle pollution exposure.

The department also issued an air quality watch for particle pollution effective 12:30 a.m. Saturday to 11:59 p.m. Monday. The watch means levels could reach orange during the period.

The watch includes several counties including those in southeast Wisconsin. Among them are Milwaukee, Kenosha, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha counties.

For additional information go to http://dnr.wi.gov/air/aq/health/status.asp#x78.

A Kenosha man is in jail tonight pending an indictment for possession of child pornography after investigators searched his apartment and found 100 DVDs filled with images of child porn.

Prosecutors expect Kevin Derks to be indicted Monday on at least 20 counts of possession of child pornography. Along with the pornography, investigators searching Derks apartment found child-sized and adult-sized mannikins placed in sexual poses, a leather restraint hanging in a closet, 21 firearms, some of them loaded, along with boxes of ammunition. In addition, investigators found DVDs labeled “Kenosha beaches.” Derks told investigators that for the last five years he has been taking photographs and videos of children playing on the city’s beaches.

Derks, 53, is being held pending $50,000 cash bond following a bond hearing Friday afternoon.

Bradford’s Mitchell Ziegler and Brad Slomkowski and Tremper’s Zac Epping were named first-team All-State, the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association announced Friday.

Epping, a senior bound for the University of Minnesota, was honored as both an offensive and defensive lineman. Slomkowski, a senior, made the team as an outside linebacker while Ziegler, a senior, made the team as a tight end.

Bradford junior running back Melvin Gordon and Bradford junior quarterback Gino DeBartolo received honorable mention.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are set to continue their slide as the dollar is strengthening, and after a week of mixed economic reports. Futures are modestly lower.

Overseas, Asian markets declined, but European markets rose modestly.

With little economic news to help sway the market today, the dollar is again pressuring stocks. A strengthening dollar drives down foreign demand for commodities and can depress U.S. exports.

A disappointing earnings report from computer maker Dell Inc. is also weighing on the market.

Dow Jones industrial average futures are down 36, or 0.4 percent, at 10,291. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures are down 4.20, or 0.4 percent, at 1,090.10, while Nasdaq 100 index futures are down 4.75, or 0.3 percent, at 1,765.50.

The Burlington Catholic Central football team topped McDonnell Central 27-15 for the WIAA Division-7 State championship Thursday morning in Madison.

The Hilltoppers won the title for the second consecutive year.

Listed on BCC’s roster are local residents Luke Wagner (senior, Salem), Sam Wagner (senior, Salem), Andrew Czarny (senior, Wheatland), Ryan Dillon (senior, Paddock Lake), T.J. Floyd (junior, Salem), Abel Wagner (sophomore, Salem) and T.J. Walkington (sophomore, Bristol).

See tomorrow’s Kenosha News for the full story.

A veteran Kenosha Police officer is being suspended five days and relieved from his role as a K-9 officer after investigations into a domestic incident at his home while he was on duty.

The officer, Willie Hamilton, 46, agreed on Thursday to the disciplinary actions in a meeting with Kenosha Police Chief John Morrissey. Hamilton is being suspended without pay and must also undergo an evaluation for conflict resolution through the Employee Assistance Program.

On Wednesday, as the District Attorney’s office completed its review of the case, Hamilton was ticketed for disorderly conduct.

According to reports, Hamilton’s wife called police at 9:38 p.m. on Sept. 21. She reported Hamilton, who was on duty and in uniform, had come home and the couple had an argument. Hamilton allegedly yelled at his wife and stomped on a cable box.

ATLANTA (AP) — A problem with the FAA system that collects airlines’ flight plans caused widespread flight cancellations and delays nationwide this morning.

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said she doesn’t know how many flights are being affected or when the problem will be resolved.

An AirTran Airways spokesman said there’s no danger to flights in the air, and flights are still taking off and landing.

However, spokesman Christopher White said flight plans are having to be loaded manually because of a malfunction with the automated system.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stock futures are pointing toward a lower opening today following the lead of overseas markets and ahead of a weekly report on unemployment.

Asian markets were mostly lower amid fresh worries about the financial sector as Japan’s biggest bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, said it plans to raise $11.2 billion to shore up its balance sheet. European markets were also lower.

Investors looking for a signs of an improving U.S. economy will focus today on the Labor Department’s weekly unemployment report. An unexpected drop in home construction kept investors on edge about a recovery and helped push U.S. stocks lower Wednesday.

Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 75, or 0.7 percent, to 10,329. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures declined 10.40, or 0.9 percent, to 1,098.10, while Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 13.00, or 0.7 percent, to 1,787.50.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Andrew Bogut and Carlos Delfino each scored 21 points, Bogut also grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the winless New Jersey Nets 99-85 on Wednesday night.

The short-handed Nets have lost 12 straight for their longest single-season losing streak in more than 19 years. This one was painful because Chris Douglas-Roberts scored a career-high 31 points and had 10 rebounds, but the Nets blew a 48-41 halftime lead by shooting 9 of 38 in the second half.

That made it easy for Bogut, Delfino and rookie Brandon Jennings, who had 19 points and eight assists in his second game since a 55-point night on Saturday.

Wednesday was the first day per Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association rules that girls high basketball teams could practice.

Shoreland Lutheran hit the floor with high expectations with a talented group returning from last year’s 21-2 team.

Pick up a copy of Thursday’s Kenosha News for a look at the team as it embarks on Coach Bruce Heckmann’s 27th season.

Starting Thursday, Kenosha police officers will strictly enforce traffic violations with the emphasis on those involving people who operate vehicles while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The enforcement project is being performed in conjunction with a Wisconsin Department of Transportation grant aimed at deterring drunken driving, driving under the influence of drugs and to reduce speeding violations, according to Sgt. Hugh Rafferty of the Kenosha Police Department.

Police officers will patrol in areas of the city that have a high potential for driver-impaired related crashes. The “zero tolerance” enforcement crackdown applies not only to impaired drivers, but drivers and passengers who do not comply with seat belt and child restraint seat laws, according to authorities.

The Paddock Lake Village Board is cancelling its meeting Wednesday for a lack of quorum.

Clerk Emily Uhlenhake said three members of the six-member board are unable to attend the regular board meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. She said one member is ill, another has a family emergency, another had previously announced she would be absent.

Uhlenhake said the meeting would be rescheduled for next week.

MADISON (AP) — State health officials are confirming 11 more deaths related to the swine flu in Wisconsin, including one in Kenosha County.

The Department of Health Services said Wednesday the deaths were confirmed in the past week across the state, bringing to 31 the number of deaths statewide since last spring.

The new deaths includes two each in Dane and Portage counties, and single cases in Jefferson, Kenosha, Marathon, Oconto, Ozaukee, Racine and Waupaca counties. In Racine, the newly reported death is the county’s first.

Kenosha County reported its first H1N1 virus death late last month.

The department said swine flu cases are modestly decreasing across the state, but the presence of the virus still remains widespread.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stock futures are pointing to a modestly higher opening today as investors await a new report on the housing market and the dollar resumed its slide.

Overseas, Asian markets declined while European markets were trading higher.

Investors are setting their sights on the housing sector, after retailers took center stage the past two days. A new report on housing starts and building permits is due to be released at 7:30 a.m. Kenosha time.

Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 22, or 0.2 percent, to 10,420. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures rose 2.80, or 0.3 percent, to 1,110.20, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 4.00, or 0.2 percent, to 1.812.75.

The UW-Parkside men’s basketball team defeated Northland International 92-60 in a non-conference game at the DeSimone Gymnasium Tuesday night.

Jeremy Saffold led UWP with 20 points as the Rangers improved to 1-1.

The Carthage women’s basketball team won its opener by dominating host Monmouth (Ill.) 75-51.

Heather Gilmore and Dani Ripkey each had 16 points to lead the Reds.

PARIS -- Town officials approved Tuesday a $200,000 advance to Paris School.

The money will be deducted from the January 2010 tax payment the town would normally pay the school, Town Chairman Virgil Gentz said.

Payments of the school’s portion of local tax money are typically made in January and February, with property tax money town officials collect in December and January.

Last year, the January payment was $468,000. The February 2008 payment was $350,000 to $450,000, Town Clerk Linda Terry estimated.

Town Board members approved the early partial payment because of a letter from school officials asking for a $200,000 cash advance.

The advance would be in lieu of the $400,000 donation sought by the Paris School Foundation, an independent not-for-profit organization formed by Paris residents, asking for funding to help support the school.

The Kenosha County Board voted 27-1 tonight to uphold County Executive Jim Kreuser’s veto of an increase in supervisor health insurance benefits.

Board Chairman Joe Clark preceded the vote with a lengthy speech about the board’s positive accomplishments over the years.

“We are working, this county is working,” Clark said. “We have held the line. We have a proven record.”

Kreuser on Friday vetoed a budget amendment the board made last Tuesday, increasing the county’s subsidy of supervisor health insurance premiums to 100 percent. The veto restored the previously budgeted level of an 85 percent county subsidy and a 15 percent supervisor contribution.

Supervisor Shavonda Marks cast the lone vote to override Kreuser’s veto. She declined to comment on her vote after the meeting.

Carthage senior wide receiver Jeff Koeneman, junior kicker Tyler Funk and junior offensive lineman Terrance Clark were named first-team All-CCIW in football.

The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin revealed its all-league picks Tuesday.

Carthage quarterback Evan Jones and teammates Alex Annes, a senior defensive lineman, and Matt Favero, a senior offensive lineman, were named to the second team.