Flags at Wisconsin National Guard armories, air bases and other facilities across the state will fly at half-staff Saturday in honor of Army Spc. Nickolas Mueller of Little Chute, who died Oct. 26 of injuries received when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan.

The National Guard will render these honors in accordance with an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Doyle.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Carlos Gomez.

The move, announced today, relieves a crowded outfield for the Twins, who also have Delmon Young, Denard Span and Michael Cuddyer.

The 27-year-old Hardy batted .229 with 11 home runs and 47 RBI in 115 games for the Brewers in 2009. A 2007 All-Star, he is just the third shortstop in Brewers’ history to hit more than 20 home runs in a season twice (Robin Yount and Jose Hernandez).

He has a career batting average of .262 with 75 home runs and 265 RBI in 571 games.

The 23-year-old Gomez was acquired by the Twins from the New York Mets last year. He batted .229 with three home runs and 28 RBI in 137 games with the Twins last season.

Plenty of tickets are still available for Bradford’s WIAA State quarterfinal game on Saturday, the school says.

Bradford High School athletic director Steve Knecht said about 1,000 tickets had been sold as of this morning. He added the stadium holds about 3,100 people and with the surrounding hills, as many as 7,000 could attend the game.

“Until every sardine has gotten in that can, we’ll be selling,” Knecht said.

Tickets can be purchased from noon to 3 p.m. today at the school’s welcome center, 3700 Washington Road, or online until game time at http://bradford.safesportzone.com. Tickets also will be available at the stadium gates.

Tickets are $4 for adults and students, and $1 for children 6 and under who are accompanied by an adult.

The Red Devils will play Marquette at 6 p.m. Saturday at Indian Trail Stadium, 6800 60th St.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The unemployment rate has surpassed 10 percent for the first time since 1983 — and is likely to go higher.

Nearly 16 million people can’t find jobs even though the worst recession since the Great Depression has apparently ended. The Labor Department said Friday that the economy shed a net total of 190,000 jobs in October, less than the downwardly revised 219,000 lost in September. August job losses were also revised lower, to 154,000 from 201,000.

But the loss of jobs last month exceeded economists’ estimates. It’s the 22nd straight month the U.S. economy has shed jobs, the longest on records dating back 70 years.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stock futures are holding steady as investors await the government’s report on October employment.

The report from the Labor Department is considered a key gauge of the health of consumer spending, a major component of economic activity. So long as consumers are worried about losing their jobs, they will continue to clamp down on spending.

Economists forecast a decline of around 175,000 jobs during October. The unemployment rate is expected to rise to 9.9 percent. If the report is better than expected, stocks could add to the big gains logged Thursday, when the Dow Jones industrial average soared 203 points on a string of good economic news. A disappointing report, however, could shatter the market’s confidence.

Ahead of the market’s open, Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 5, or 0.1 percent, to 9,959. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures rose 0.50, or 0.1 percent, to 1,063.70, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 2.25, or 0.1 percent, to 1,721.50.

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — Military officials were starting Friday to piece together what may have pushed an Army psychiatrist trained to help soldiers in distress to turn on his comrades in a shooting rampage that killed 13 people and wounded 30 in Texas.

The suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was on a ventilator and unconscious in a hospital after being shot four times during the shootings at the Army’s sprawling Fort Hood, post officials said. In the early chaos after the shootings, authorities believed they had killed him, only to discover later that he had survived.

In Washington, a senior U.S. official said authorities at Fort Hood initially thought one of the victims who had been shot and killed was the shooter. The mistake resulted in a delay of several hours in identifying Hasan as the alleged assailant.

Authorities have not ruled out that Hasan was acting on behalf of some unidentified radical group, the official said. He would not say whether any evidence had come to light to support that theory.

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post on Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 12 people and left 31 wounded, Army officials said.

Authorities said immediately after the shootings that they had killed the suspected shooter, but later in the evening they recanted and said that he was alive and in stable condition at a hospital, watched by a guard.

“His death is not imminent,” said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. He offered little explanation for the mistake, other than to say there was confusion at the hospital.

A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

Central lost a WIAA boys volleyball sectional final to Middleton 25-13, 25-16 and 25-21 Thursday at Burlington.

Central finished 27-7-2.

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Army says 12 people have been killed and 31 wounded in a shooting rampage on the Fort Hood Army base in Texas.

Lt. Gen Bob Cone said at a news conference that one shooter has been killed and two suspects were apprehended on Thursday. He says they are all U.S. soldiers.

The shooting began around 1:30 p.m. Cone says that all the casualties took place at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening.

He says the primary shooter used two handguns in the attack.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Productivity surged in the third quarter at the fastest pace in six years while labor costs continued to drop sharply, a combination that will bolster companies’ profits but leave workers with stagnant incomes.

The Labor Department said Thursday that productivity, the amount of output per hour of work, was rising at an annual rate of 9.5 percent in the July-September quarter, much better than the 6.4 percent gain economists had expected. Unit labor costs fell at a 5.2 percent rate.

It is typical for productivity to soar in the early stages of an economic recovery as businesses continue to aggressively cut costs even as output rebounds. However, the concern is that the continued squeeze on workers’ incomes will depress consumer spending in the months ahead, putting the economic recovery at risk.

The third quarter productivity rise reflected the fact that the overall economy, as measured by the gross domestic product, grew for the first time in a year, expanding at an annual rate of 3.5 percent. The higher output came as companies continued to lay off workers, meaning there was more output with fewer employees which translates into higher productivity and lower unit labor costs.

Many analysts expect the jobless rate could rise as high as 10.5 percent before the recovery gains enough steam to start pushing it down next summer. The concern is that consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of economic activity, could falter in coming months if households continue to be squeezed by layoffs, stagnant wages and depleted savings.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock futures reversed an early slide and moved slightly higher Thursday ahead of more data on consumer spending and jobs, two of the market’s biggest concerns.

Overseas, Asian markets fell overnight, while European shares were slightly lower in afternoon trading there after central banks left their interest rates unchanged. The Bank of England also said it would pump more money into the economy after news last week that the country remains in recession.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday said it would keep its own interest rates low for “an extended period.” The statement accompanying the central bank’s rate decision noted that housing activity has picked up in recent months and that consumer spending appears to be growing, albeit slowly.

Later this morning, the Labor Department will issue its weekly report on the number of workers filing for unemployment benefits for the first time. That report will come a day ahead of the department’s key report on monthly job losses. Investors are worried that so long as unemployment remains high, consumer spending will be sluggish and lead to slower economic growth.

Mixed data have made it difficult for investors to come to a conclusive decision on where the economy is headed. Areas like manufacturing and housing have shown improvements, but consumer spending continues to lag as job losses remain high.

NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s retailers are reporting mixed sales results for October. Shoppers, enticed by cooler weather and holiday discounts, opened their wallets a bit more but were still restrained from splurging on apparel amid tight credit and a weak job market.

As merchants report their figures Thursday, Costco Wholesale Corp.’s sales at stores open at least a year rose 5 percent. Children’s Place Retail Stores and Stage Stores Inc. are reporting declines.

Limited Brands Inc. is reporting a bigger-than-expected sales drop.

The figures are based on sales at stores open at least a year and are considered a key indicator of a retailer’s health.

The state has confirmed the first death related to the H1N1 virus in Kenosha County.

The state Department of Health Services confirmed this afternoon that a death last week in Kenosha County was related to the H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as swine flu. That death was first suspected to be related to the virus last week by local health officials before further testing proved the presence and effect of the virus.

The death is the first H1N1-related death in Kenosha County and, along with a death last week in Rock County that the state also confirmed today, the 16th in the state.

The Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the person whose death was being investigated as a male in his 20s with significant pre-existing health conditions.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stock futures are indicating a higher opening Wednesday on Wall Street as investors await the Federal Reserve’s latest assessment of the economy.

Policy makers aren’t expected to increase the central bank’s benchmark interest rate at the conclusion of a two-day meeting Wednesday afternoon, hoping to encourage an economic turnaround with record-low rates. But investors will be looking for the Fed’s view of the 3.5 percent growth in the economy during the third quarter and whether such growth will be sustainable. The market would also like more guidance on how the Fed plans to withdraw its stimulus programs without threatening the recovery.

Additionally, investors will be focused on a private group’s report on October employment, a precursor to the government’s jobs report due Friday. A reading on the service sector from the Institute for Supply Management is also expected.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — State justice officials want to hear from the public on a new rule that calls for police to collect racial data during traffic stops.

Beginning in January 2011, all Wisconsin police will have to collect data to determine whether they stop minorities too often. The Office of Justice Assistance and the Traffic Stop Data Collection Advisory Committee are preparing an administrative rule to set up the data collection.

Listening sessions are scheduled across the state, including in Milwaukee on Nov. 18.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Barack Obama will be making his second appearance in Wisconsin since winning election when he appears at a Madison middle school today.

His first visit was in June when Obama traveled to Green Bay to talk about health care.

He’s coming to friendly territory. Not only did Wisconsin as a state vote for Obama, 73 percent of voters in the county where Madison is located voted for Obama.

The visit comes as Wisconsin state lawmakers are considering numerous education reforms to improve the state’s chances of qualifying for about $4.5 billion in federal stimulus money under the Race to the Top program. Obama is appearing along with Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

The Central boys volleyball team swept Burlington, 25-21, 26-24 and 25-20 on Tuesday night in a WIAA Division-1 sectional semifinal in Paddock Lake.

The Falcons will play Middleton 7 p.m. Thursday in Burlington for a trip to the State Tournament.

The Kenosha Unified School Board Tuesday night approved a two-year contract for teachers that would increase their pay by 2 percent in the first year, and 2.5 percent the second year.

The new pact reflects a 3.38 increase in salaries and benefits in the first year and a 4.12 percent increase in the second year, according Bill Johnston, the district’s finance director. Figures for the total package expenses in each year of the contract were not immediately available.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement which covers 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, the teachers would keep the Wisconsin Education Association Trust as their health insurance carrier. Deductibles for their health care also would increase in the second year of the contract.

While the board approved the contract, the teachers have yet to formally ratify it. Teachers began voting Monday, but absentee ballots still had not be counted. The results are expected by Wednesday.

BRISTOL — Residents voted 295 to 269 today in favor of incorporating the central core of the town as a village, creating a nine-square-mile village of Bristol inside the boundaries of the town of Bristol.

With 564 votes cast — there were approximately 1,750 eligible voters — it was a somewhat higher turnout than local officials had expected.

“I’m very pleased with the outcome," said Richard Gossling, the town chairman. “More importantly I”m pleased that it went before the electorate and they decided.”

Gossling, who will no longer be town chairman because he lives within the boundaries of the new village, said the vote must now be certified. After that certification, a special election will be called to elect a village board.

Incorporation supporters like Gossling believe creating a village will give Bristol more control over its future. Voters questioned after casting their votes said they were swayed by that argument.

Voters approved an $11.4 million addition to Trevor School by a 231-219 in a referendum vote today.

The district hopes to take advantage of a no-interest stimulus-backed financing program to help offset construction costs associated with adding enough space to bring all students in the newly combined district under one roof.