U.S. housing market improves

WASHINGTON (AP) - The housing market is flashing signs of health ahead of the spring-buying season.

Sales of previously occupied homes are at their highest level since May 2010. More first-time buyers are making purchases. And the supply of homes fell last month to its lowest point in nearly seven years, which could push home prices higher. See Thursday's Kenosha News for more details.

Bulls beat Bucks, 110-91

CHICAGO (AP) - Carlos Boozer scored 20 points, Derrick Rose and Luol Deng each added 16, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Milwaukee Bucks 110-91 on Wednesday night. For more, see Thursday's Kenosha News.

Romney, Santorum swap charges in GOP debate

MESA, Ariz. (AP) - Primed for a fight, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum traded fiery accusations about health care, spending earmarks and federal bailouts tonight in the 20th and possibly final debate of the roller-coaster race for the Republican presidential nomination. See Thursday's Kenosha News for more details.

Finley says he has new deal with Packers

GREEN BAY (AP) - Tight end Jermichael Finley says he has agreed to a new deal with the Green Bay Packers. Finley posted a message on his Twitter account Wednesday night appearing to confirm reports that he has agreed to return to the team. For more see Thursday's Kenosha News.

Girl, 8, wounded in Washington state school shooting

SEATTLE (AP) - An 8-year-old girl was in critical condition today after she was shot in the abdomen at her elementary school near Seattle, and one of her classmates was detained, authorities said.

The injured third-grader was airlifted to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center, where she underwent surgery this afternoon so doctors could assess her injuries, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.

Police said a third-grade boy was being questioned and a firearm was found in a classroom. The boy apparently shot the girl, though police provided no further details about the incident and said their investigation was just beginning.

Fire damages Oconto Falls school

OCONTO FALLS (AP) - Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says local authorities have taken a person into custody in a fire that caused extensive damage to a church school in Oconto Falls.

Van Hollen says the Division of Criminal Investigation is assisting, but an initial investigation indicates the fire at St. Anthony Parish School was not accidental.

The person's name was not released. No charges have been filed.

La Follette moves closer to run for governor

MADISON (AP) - Longtime Democratic Secretary of State Doug La Follette plans to file paperwork on Thursday that would allow him to run for governor if a recall election is ordered against Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

La Follette said today he still hasn't decided whether he will actually get into the race. But he says he wants to create a campaign committee so he can better gauge interest in him running and better determine if he would be a strong candidate.

Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout have announced they are running.

State's voter ID law poses few problems for officials

MADISON (AP) - The first elections under Wisconsin's new photo identification law went off relatively smoothly, with the few problems mostly due to voters showing up at the wrong polling sites because of recent redistricting, local election officials said today.

Voter ID has been a divisive issue nationwide, with supporters saying it helps prevent voter fraud and opponents arguing that it disenfranchises some voters. Republicans who control the Legislature passed a law last year requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, and the law went into effect with Tuesday's primary elections.

No statewide candidates were on the ballot but about 525 municipalities and several counties held primaries for city council and county supervisors.

Poll says state voters evenly split on Walker

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Wisconsin voters are about evenly split in their opinions of Republican Gov. Scott Walker, as an ongoing investigation into several of his former aides and associates appears to be muting tentative optimism over certain aspects of the state economy, according to poll results released today.

The Marquette University poll also hints at a challenge for Wisconsin Democrats, who have mounted an effort to recall Walker but who don't appear to have a solid candidate ready to challenge him.

Walker's approval and disapproval ratings both stood at 47 percent, down from a 51 percent approval rating that the same pollsters found last month. The current poll surveyed 716 Wisconsin residents who are registered to vote or said they plan to register. It was conducted from Thursday through Sunday, and had an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

Central approves one-to-one computer planhere

Incoming freshmen at Central High School will need to bring a laptop or tablet to school each day beginning next fall. The Central Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a one-to-one initiative requiring freshmen to have their own laptop or tablet with wireless access.

Man loses cash, jewelry in home break-in

A Kenosha home was burglarized Tuesday when someone apparently broke in the back door after removing the light on the porch.
The 77-year-old victim who lives in the 4800 block of 63rd Street arrived home just after 8 p.m. and found the back door broken. Missing were credit cards, jewelry and $200 cash.
The investigation continues.

High-speed chase ends in arrest

A high-speed chase on city streets ended in the arrest of a 20-year-old Pleasant Prairie man just before midnight last night.
A Kenosha Police officer on patrol saw Scott D. Pickerign driving south at an estimated speed of 65 to 70 mph in the 4500 block of 22nd Avenue, according to police reports.
Pickerign pulled over several blocks later and told officers he had too much to drink. Officers found a six pack of beer in his car, and his blood alcohol content was 0.20, two and a half times the legal limit.
He was arrested for operating while intoxicated, unreasonable and imprudent speed, and consumption/possession of alcohol by an underage person.

Feingold named as Obama campaign co-chair

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold is one of two Wisconsin residents who has been tapped to serve as national "co-chairs" for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign.

Feingold and Obama campaign volunteer Felesia Martin of Milwaukee were announced today as two of the 35 honorary campaign co-chairs.

Obama's campaign says the co-chairs will serve as ambassadors for the president, advise the campaign on key issues and help engage and mobilize voters across the country.

Other announced co-chairs include Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and actress Eva Longoria.

Pope marks Ash Wednesday

ROME (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI has led a solemn service to mark the start of the Lenten season of penitence, including the placement of ashes on the forehead of faithful.

Benedict wore purple-colored vestments as he celebrated Mass in the Basilica of Santa Sabina, an ancient church on Rome's Aventine Hill.
Although the 84-year-old pontiff has been using a wheeled platform to navigate the long aisle of St. Peter's Basilica to save energy, he walked unassisted into and out of Santa Sabina. In his homily, he noted that Ash Wednesday is a "day of penitence and fasting." Lent helps spiritually prepare Roman Catholics for Easter, which this year falls on April 8.

Benedict rubbed ashes on the foreheads of some faithful to symbolize mortality.

Court wants Wis. lawmakers to revisit election map

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Federal judges in a case involving Wisconsin's new election maps want attorneys for both sides to make one final request of lawmakers to draw new boundaries.

Lawmakers already said Tuesday they didn't think they could revisit the issue because state law only allows the maps to be drawn once every 10 years, after new U.S. Census numbers come out.

But the judges disagreed today, saying the law allows the maps to be modified at any point during the first two-year legislative session following the Census release. In this case, that legislative session is still ongoing.

The attorneys have until 2 today to report back. If they say lawmakers won't revisit the issue, a trial challenging the validity of the current maps will begin Thursday and likely end late Friday.

Storm watch in effect tomorrow

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Thursday, predicting three to six inches of snow, possibly up to eight inches in places.
Snow might cause low visibility and slick roads through the evening rush hour.

Check www.kenoshanews.com later and read the next day's Kenosha News for more details.

Argentine train slams into station, killing 49

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - A packed train slammed into the end of the line in Buenos Aires' busy Once station today, killing 49 people and injuring hundreds of morning commuters in Argentina's worst train accident in decades.

It's Argentina's highest death toll from a train accident since 1970, when 200 were killed in a train collision.

Wis. Senate passes abortion consent bill

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Wisconsin state Senate has passed a bill placing new requirements on doctors and women before abortions can be performed.

The Senate passed the bill today after Democratic opponents blocked a vote on Tuesday. It passed 17-15 on a party line vote.

The bill would require doctors be present when prescribing abortion-inducing drugs. It would ban the use of web cams to do that, a practice not currently done in Wisconsin.

The measure also would require doctors to inform a woman on her right to refuse or consent to an abortion. The doctor would be required to speak to the woman away from any partner or family member.

Republican supporters say the bill will protect girls and women from harm.

It now heads to the Assembly.

Wis. judges reconvene case over new election maps

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Federal judges in Milwaukee are reconvening in a case over whether the state's new election maps are constitutional.

The case was delayed Tuesday as lawyers prepared arguments about the degree to which one particular witness might have to testify. Jim Troupis helped produce the maps for Republican lawmakers, and has said much of his involvement is protected by attorney-client privilege.

The three-judge panel is expected to make a decision today.
Democrats and an immigrant-rights group want the maps thrown out and redone.

However, a separate issue was raised Tuesday over whether state law even allows the issue to be revisited. Republican lawmakers say the law only allows new maps to be drawn once every 10 years, but plaintiffs' attorneys say they just have to be completed in the first legislative session, which is still ongoing.

Panel: Seniors should get whooping cough shots

ATLANTA (AP) - A federal advisory panel is recommending that all Americans age 65 and older get vaccinated against whooping cough.

Health officials believe whooping cough is underreported in older adults. But a goal of today's recommendation is to prevent older adults from spreading the disease to infants, who are most vulnerable.

Recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are usually adopted by the government, which sends the guidance out to doctors.

Syria shelling of Homs kills 2 Western journalists

BEIRUT (AP) - A French photojournalist and a prominent American war correspondent working for a British newspaper were killed today as Syrian forces intensely shelled the opposition stronghold of Homs. President Bashar Assad's regime also escalated attacks on rebel bases elsewhere, with helicopter gunships strafing areas in the northwest, activists said.

Weeks of withering barrages on the central city of Homs have failed to drive out opposition factions that include rebel soldiers who fled Assad's forces. Hundreds have died in the siege and the latest deaths further galvanized international pressure on Assad, who appears intent on widening his military crackdowns despite the risk of pushing Syria into full-scale civil war.

French spokeswoman Valerie Pecresse identified those killed as French photojournalist Remi Ochlik, 28, and American reporter Marie Colvin, who was working for Britain's Sunday Times.

Weekday Report special

Check out the Weekday Report special, providing election results from Tuesday's primaries. Go to the Kenosha News home page and click on the Weekday Report botton on the upper right hand corner of the site.

Tauscher backs concussion bill in Legislature

Longtime Green Bay Packer offensive lineman Mark Tauscher is throwing his support behind a bill in the Wisconsin Legislature designed to reduce youth concussions. Medical professionals, a lobbyist for the National Football League and the bill sponsors also planned to attend a news conference today along with Tauscher. The bill has passed the Assembly but stalled in the Senate. The measure would require that young athletes who suffer what appears to be a concussion or head injury would have to be immediately removed from the activity and not be allowed to return until examined by a health care provider and given written clearance.

Poll shows Obama beating challengers in Wis.

A new poll shows President Barack Obama easily leading each of his four Republican rivals in Wisconsin. A Marquette University Law School poll released today shows Obama leading former Sen. Rick Santorum, 51 percent to 40 percent, and leading former Gov. Mitt Romney, 53 percent to 38 percent. Against Rep. Ron Paul, the poll shows Obama leading 52 percent to 36 percent, and the president holds a lead over former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, 56 percent to 33 percent. Wisconsin's presidential primary is April 3.

Walker favorability slips

A new poll says Gov. Scott Walker's favorability rating has dipped in the past month. The Marquette University Law School poll released today says 46 percent have a favorable opinion of him compared with 48 percent unfavorable. Last month, his favorable rating was 50 percent with 45 percent unfavorable. One reason might be an ongoing John Doe investigation into several former Walker aides and associates. The poll says 52 percent of respondents aware of the investigation believe it's "really something serious" while 40 percent say it's "just more politics."

Light rain possible

Scattered sprinkles possible after noon with a high near 42 and a west wind between 5 and 10 mph. There is a 40 percent chance of snow after midnight with a low around 29. Rain is possible Thursday morning with a high near 41.

Spa shooting leaves 5 dead in Georgia

NORCROSS, Ga. (AP) - Authorities say five people are dead in an apparent murder-suicide at a suburban Atlanta spa.

Norcross police spokesman Capt. Brian Harr said officers found the bodies after responding to a call of a person shot tonight at the Su Jung Health Sauna.

Harr said a preliminary investigation indicates the person who did the shooting was among the dead. He was unable to release the identification of the dead and did not immediately know the relationships between the person who did the shooting and the victims.

Sheboygan mayor defeated in recall election

SHEBOYGAN (AP) - Voters in Sheboygan removed Mayor Bob Ryan from office in this eastern Wisconsin city's first-ever mayoral recall election

Unofficial results in today's recall election showed former state Rep. Terry Van Akkeren defeated Ryan by 53 percent to 46 percent with all precincts reporting.

The recall resulted largely from Ryan's problems with alcohol, including fallout from a three-day drinking binge in Elkhart Lake last July. Ryan had acknowledged that he's an alcoholic and says he's received treatment.