Upcoming Kenosha County Job Fair

The next Kenosha County Job Fair will be held on Thursday, February 2. The fair will run from 12:30-3:30 pm at Gateway Technical College- Madrigrano Auditorium, 3520 30th Ave, Kenosha. The fair is sponsored by the Kenosha County Job Center. For more information, visit the job center's website.

Eagle Scouts Shaun Maiter and Hector Acuna

This past week, I was invited to attend Court of Honor ceremonies for Boy Scouts Shaun Maiter and Hector Acuna. The boys are both members of Troop 328 in Salem. At the ceremonies, they were each officially awarded the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable through the Boy Scouts of America. Congratulations Shaun and Hector!

Rep. Kerkman with Eagle Scout, Shaun Maiter, his brothers, Ryan and Kevin, and their parents, Leslee and Tim		Rep. Kerkman with Eagle Scout, Hector Acuna, and his brother Tony. Their mother is Mary Acuna.

Family Care Public Hearing

This past Wednesday, the Joint Audit Committee, on which I serve as co-chair, held a public hearing on the results of the 2011 audit of the Family Care program. The committee heard testimony from the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau, the Secretary of the Department of Health Services (DHS) that administers the program, and from Wisconsin citizens who have a stake in Family Care. The hearing provided an excellent in-depth discussion of the results of the audit report and of the response submitted last September by the Department. DHS Secretary Smith assured the committee that the Department will be able to fully fund the program through the end of this biennium after the enrollment caps are lifted. However, the co-chairs of the Committee sent a letter to Secretary Smith outlining some of their concerns about Family Care funding for the long term. The Audit Committee will continue to closely monitor the progress of Family Care over the next year. DHS will continue to report back to the Committee with the requested information about different aspects of the program.

Constituents Visit the Capitol

I recently received a visit from the Gumbinger family of Kenosha at my Madison office. We went on a tour of the Capitol and sat in on a committee hearing. It was a great experience.

Rep. Kerkman with Keith, Carol, and Kristin Gumbinger in the Assembly Chamber

Tour of Uline

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful new corporate headquarters of Uline in Pleasant Prairie. Phil Hunt, Vice President of Materials Management at the company, gave me a tour of the complex. Uline is a family-owned business and the top distributor of shipping, industrial, and packaging materials in North America. I was very impressed by their Pleasant Prairie headquarters, which features a one million square foot distribution center.

Rep. Kerkman with Phil Hunt at Uline

Snowshoe Rental at Pringle Nature Center

Pringle Nature Center has snowshoes for the public to rent and use at Bristol Woods County Park. Snowshoeing is a great outdoor winter activity that allows participants to explore the natural beauty of the park. Patrons can rent snowshoes for $5 per pair and poles for $2 per pair Tuesday-Saturday 9:00am-3:00pm, and Sunday 12:00pm-3:00pm. There must be at least 3 inches of snow on the ground to use the snowshoes. Pringle will also offer guided snowshoe hikes and other events throughout the season. To learn more, visit the Pringle Nature Center online.

A Visit with New Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Jason Rossell

The Honorable Jason Rossell is the newest judge on the Circuit Court bench in Kenosha County. Judge Rossell was sworn in last month following his appointment to the post by Governor Walker. Judge Rossell is a lifelong resident of our area. He has served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office and has worked in private practice. He is an expert in computer crimes against children and has served as a Guardian Ad Litem in Kenosha County representing the best interests of children and adults in need of protection.

Rep. Kerkman with Judge Jason Rossell

If you are interested in tracking the progress of legislation introduced this session, please visit http://legis.wisconsin.gov/ and click on the Notification Service link found on the homepage.