April 20

The recount for the last of three open seats on the Oshkosh Common Council ended in a tie with 5,490 votes each for candidates Tom Pech, Jr. and Jef Hall. The two drew playing cards to determine who would assume the two-year term in office, with Pech choosing the winning card. Unofficial results from the April 5 general election had Pech 14 votes in the lead, prompting the recount request from Hall.

April 26

A to Z Machine Company in Appleton was awarded $88,000 in Economic Development Tax Credits from the state Department of Commerce to help construct and equip a 41,000-sq. ft. plant addition. The new addition will allow the machine shop to add welding, assembly, painting and blasting operations. The company is expected to add 16 jobs as a result of the expansion, which would place its workforce near 95 employees.

April 26

A report released by The Pew Center indicated Wisconsin and New York were the only two states in the nation to fully fund public employee pensions in 2009. Overall, the report found there was at least a $1.26 trillion gap in 2009 between what 48 other states have promised in public employee retirement benefits and what they have set aside. 

April 27

A prospective buyer for the former NewPage mill in Kimberly backed out of negotiations to potentially purchase the idle manufacturing facility after a feasibility study determined the plant could not cost effectively be converted to support its intended use. The name of the prospective buyer had not been disclosed during closed-door discussions with village and Outagamie County officials. Both the village and the county had pledged to spend $50,000 toward the cost of the feasibility study, but the buyer took responsibility for all of the costs. 

April 27

The Federal Reserve Board voted to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent. In making its decision, the board acknowledged the economic recovery is proceeding at a moderate pace and labor market conditions are improving gradually. The board said household spending and business investment in equipment and software continue to expand, though it said commercial and industrial construction is weak and the housing sector remains depressed. Increases in energy and other commodity prices have pushed up inflation in recent months.

April 28

Recall papers were filed with the state Government Accountability Board for state Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay), making a total of nine recall petitions filed against senators statewide in the aftermath of the budget repair bill discussions. Other senators from northeast Wisconsin facing recall elections on July 12 include Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay), Sen. Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) and Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon).

May 2

The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau reported visitor spending in 2010 increased 1.2 percent to $363.5 million. The annual economic impact study from Davidson-Peterson Associates of Maine indicated visitor spending supported an estimated 5,613 jobs and nearly $102 million in payroll for Fox Cities residents.

May 2

The Kaukauna Area School District Board of Education voted to lay off 14.5 teaching positions for the 2011-12 school year to help meet a projected $2.99 million budget deficit. District officials had also given consideration to closing down Park Elementary School, but the board decided to keep the school open at least one more year after hearing from several parents. Closing the school would have saved the district $253,000, while the teacher layoffs are expected to save $1.5 million. The district is also considering $1 million in administrative cuts.

May 2

The City of Menasha Common Council approved a measure allowing Green Bay-based Greenwood Fuels to conduct a feasibility study to potentially use the defunct Menasha Utilities steam plant which closed in October 2009. Greenwood Fuels plans to determine if it can efficiently convert the facility to generate electricity by burning pellets the company already makes from paper sludge at its Green Bay facility. The study is expected to be complete sometime in July.

May 3

Bemis Company Foundation in Neenah made more than $343,000 in donations to several Fox Valley organizations, including: $105,000 to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh; $62,000 to United Way Fox Cities; $50,000 to the education series at the Fox Cities PAC; $41,000 to the Oshkosh Area United Way; and $20,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Appleton.

May 4

The Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh announced a $7.5 million expansion plan for the historic property which includes a 2,000-sq. ft. glass-roofed conservatory, a new grand garden, a new parking lot, as well as key preservation and accessibility projects. Officials for the cultural institution plan to complete most of projects over the next three years. A total of $4.5 million has already been secured to fund the projects, and the organization plans to raise the additional $3 million as the work unfolds.

May 4

The board of Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac voted to eliminate 20 staff positions and suspend its engine research and development technician and veterinary technician degree programs, as well as its steamfitter and plumbing apprenticeships, in an effort to meet a projected $3.1 million shortfall in its 2011-12 budget. The specific program cuts were determined based on student enrollment, retention, number of graduates, and available employment opportunities.

May 5

Fortune magazine’s Fortune 500 list for 2011 ranked Oshkosh Corp. at No. 252 with revenues of $9.84 billion and Bemis Company Inc. of Neenah at No. 462 with 2010 sales of $4.89 billion. Seven other Wisconsin-based firms made the list of the nation’s largest publicly-traded companies: Johnson Controls, Milwaukee, No. 76; Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, No. 112; Manpower, Milwaukee, No. 138; Kohl’s, Menomonee Falls, No. 142; American Family Insurance Group, Madison, No. 358; Harley-Davidson, Milwaukee, No. 458; and Rockwell Automation, Milwaukee, No. 466.

May 5

The Wisconsin Jobs Act, a bill to create two investment funds totaling $400 million under the umbrella of a new Wisconsin Venture Capital Authority, was introduced by Sen. Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) and Rep. Gary Tauchen (R-Bonduel). The first fund, called the Jobs Now Fund, would be a rapid-response fund issuing $200 million in tax credits to insurance companies for investments in certified capital funds. The tax credits would be for 80 percent of the value of the investments, and could not be claimed for a minimum of five years. The second fund, referred to as the Badger Jobs Fund, would solicit as much as $200 million from the sale of bonds, then invest the money in qualified venture capital funds, with no more than 15 percent in any single fund. For every $1 a venture fund received, it would need to raise $3 from other sources.

May 6

The U.S. Department of Labor reported 244,000 jobs were created in April, and the national unemployment rate edged up from 8.8 to 9.0 percent. Job gains occurred in several service industries, manufacturing and mining.

May 9

The Appleton Area School District Board of Education approved final layoff notices for 10 teachers, or the equivalent of 7.7 positions, for the coming school year, less than the 12 teachers and 9.9 positions who received preliminary layoff notices in March. The district is facing 89 retirements this year – an amount that’s higher than usual – which helped to minimize the number of layoffs the district needed to issue.

May 9

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation began work on the $15 million West Pioneer Road project in Fond du Lac to replace the deteriorating bridge, relocate deep underground utilities, and add two roundabouts and a railroad underpass. Demolition of the bridge is expected in July. Most of the project construction is scheduled for 2012.

May 10

Both houses of Wisconsin’s legislature approved a bill to increase the number of enterprise zones in the state from 12 to 20, which will expand the opportunity for businesses to become eligible for a range of tax incentives for creating jobs in targeted areas. Employers locating or expanding in enterprise zones can earn tax breaks by creating jobs, with greater benefits for jobs created in economically distressed areas.

May 10

The Greater Green Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau reported visitor spending in Brown County in 2010 increased 1.9 percent to $498 million. Tourism officials said about 40 percent of travel to the area was for business, 37 percent was for leisure travel, while the remaining 23 percent was accounted for through meetings and conventions.

May 10

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. informed employees it plans to shut down operations at its Ahnaip Street book printing and bindery plant in Menasha by July. About 25 employees who work in book binding will be transferred to the company’s Midway Road plant in Menasha, while about 14 employees who work in printing will be laid off and offered severance packages. Company officials indicated decreasing demand for print copies of books is presenting challenges for the entire printing industry, which contributed to the decision to close the facility.

May 10

The Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau received a $37,150 Joint Effort Marketing grant from the state Department of Tourism to promote summer and fall travel throughout Winnebago County. The Oshkosh CVB will match the grant funds with an advertising campaign using billboard, Trip Advisor and mobile applications, public relations and other print media.

May 11

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary Manny Perez abruptly resigned his post just four months into his role to go back to the private sector. Deputy Sec. Scott Baumbach assumed the role as the interim secretary.

May 12

The Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau reported visitor spending in Winnebago County in 2010 increased 1.6 percent to $198.7 million. The annual economic impact study from Davidson-Peterson Associates of Maine indicated visitor spending supported 4,700 jobs and nearly $123 million in wages and salaries in the county.

May 13

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation approved a $1.05 million project at Outagamie County Regional Airport in Greenville to update and replace runway and taxiway guide signs on the airfield and to install runway guard lights where taxiways and runways intersect. The Federal Aviation Administration is providing just shy of $1 million toward the project, while both the state and Outagamie County will contribute slightly more than $26,000 each. The projects should be completed this fall.

May 13

Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) announced he won’t seek a fifth term in 2012 elections. Kohl was first elected to the seat in 1988 and has been re-elected three times since. Kohl is the fifth Democrat in the U.S. Senate to announce retirement ahead of the 2012 election.

May 17

The Fond du Lac County Board of Supervisors decided to expand the size of the board from 18 to 25 seats, adding seven supervisory districts as part of the reapportionment process conducted every 10 years to reflect population changes through the 2010 U.S. Census.

May 18

The Brown County Board of Supervisors voted to expand the size of the board from 26 to 29 seats, adding three supervisory districts as part of the reapportionment process conducted every 10 years to reflect the increase in the county’s population by more than 20,000 residents between the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Censuses.