Wisconsin Fall Election Preview: Senate District 15

Open seat.  Tim Cullen (D-Janesville) is not running for re-election.

Janis Ringhand, Democratic candidate

• Campaign website
• Facebook (493 likes) 
• Twitter  (57 followers)
• Wisconsin Eye interview (6/24/2014)
• Cash on hand (as of 8/12/2014):   $28,102.93

Brian Fitzgerald, Republican candidate

• Campaign website
• Facebook (385 likes) 
• LinkedIn 
• Wisconsin Eye interview (8/26/2014) 
• Cash on hand (as of 8/18/2014): $14,963.48

Ringhand won a competitive August 12 Democratic primary.

15th Senate District

Public libraries in the 15th Senate District

Albertson Memorial Library, Albany 

Beloit Public Library

Brodhead Memorial Public Library

Eager Free Public Library, Evansville

Edgerton Public Library
Hedberg Public Library, Janesville
Irwin L. Young Memorial Library, Whitewater
Milton Public Library
Oregon Public Library (service area)

Orfordville Public Library

Academic libraries

Beloit College Library

University of Wisconsin - Rock County

Related posts and notes:

1st Senate District  (9/6/2014)

• 1st Assembly District.  (8/26/2014)
• 2nd Assembly District.  2-term Republican Andre Jacque (De Pere) is running unopposed.
• 3rd Assembly District.  14-term Republican Al Ott (Forest Junction) is running unopposed.

2nd Senate District.  7-term Republican Rob Cowles (Green Bay) is not up for re-election this year.   Cowles also served in the Assembly from 1982 to 1987.

• 4th Assembly District.  (8/27/2014)
• 5th Assembly District.  (8/29/2014)
• 6th Assembly District.  4-term Republican Gary Tauchen (Bonduel) is running unopposed.

3rd Senate District:  3-term Democrat Tim Carpenter (Milwaukee) is running unopposed.

• 7th Assembly District. (9/2/2014)
• 8th Assembly District.  (9/3/2014)
• 9th Assembly District. 6-term Democrat Josh Zepnick (Milwaukee) is running unopposed.

4th Senate District.  Three-term Democrat Lena Taylor (Milwaukee) is not up for re-election this year.

• 10th Assembly District.  Democratic newcomer David Bowen (Milwaukee) won a 4-way Democratic primary and is running unopposed.
• 11th Assembly District.  Freshman Democrat Mandela Barnes (Milwaukee) is running unopposed.
• 12th Assembly District.   (9/4/2014)

5th Senate District (9/8/2014)

• 13th Assembly District.  Freshman Republican Rob Hutton (Brookfield) is running unopposed.
• 14th Assembly District.  2-term Republican Dale Kooyenga (Brookfield) is running unopposed. 
• 15th Assembly District. (9/5/2014)

6th Senate District.  Freshman Democrat Nikiya Harris Dodd (Milwaukee) is not up for re-election this year.

• 16th Assembly District.  11-term Democrat Leon Young (Milwaukee) is running unopposed.
• 17th Assembly District (sorry, somehow got lost in the shuffle; need to re-do)
• 18th Assembly District.  Freshman Democrat Evan Goyke (Milwaukee) is running unopposed.

7th Senate District.  (9/9/2014)

• 19th Assembly District (9/12/2014)
• 20th Assembly District (9/13/2014)
• 21st Assembly District.  Freshman Republican Jessie Rodriguez (Franklin) is running unopposed

8th Senate District.  6-term Republican Alberta Darling (River Hills) is not up for re-election this year.   Darling also served 2 1/2 years in the Assembly (May 1990-January 1993)

• 22nd Assembly District.  (9/14/2014) 
• 23rd Assembly District.  (9/16/2014)
• 24th Assembly District.  3-term Republican Dan Knodl (Germantown) is running unopposed.

9th Senate District.  (9/15/2014)

• 25th Assembly District.  Freshman Republican Paul Tittl (Manitowoc) is running unopposed. 
• 26th Assembly District.  (9/16/2014) 
• 27th Assembly District.  (9/18/2014) 

10th Senate District.  4-term Republican Sheila Harsdorf (River Falls) is not up for re-election this year.  Harsdorf also served 12 years in the Assembly (1989-2001)

• 28th Assembly District.  (9/19/2014)
• 29th Assembly District.   4-term Republican John Murtha (R-Baldwin) is running unopposed.
• 30th Assembly District.   (9/20/2014) 

11th Senate District.  (9/22/2014)

• 31st Assembly District.  2-term Republican Amy Loudenbeck (Clinton) is running unopposed. 
• 32nd Assembly District.  (9/21/2014)
• 33rd Assembly District.  Republican candidate Cody Horlacker (Mukwanago) is running unopposed.

12th Senate District.  First-term Republican Tom Tiffany (Town  of Little Rice) is not up for re-election this year.  (Tiffany also served in the Assembly for 2 years -- 2011-2013.)

• 34th Assembly District.  Freshman Republican Rob Swearingen (Rhinelander) is running opposed.
• 35th Assembly District.  Freshman Republican Mary Czaja (Irma) is running unopposed.
• 36th Assembly District.  5-term Republican Jeff Mursau (Crivitz) is running unopposed.

13th Senate District.  (9/23/2014)

• 37th Assembly District.  (9/24/2014) 
• 38th Assembly District.  (9/25/2014) 
• 39th Assembly District.  (9/26/2014) 

14th Senate District.  3-term Republican Luther Olsen (Ripon) is not up for re-election this year.  (Olsen also served 10 years in the Assembly, first elected in 1994.)

• 40th Assembly District.  4-term Republican Keith Peterson (Waupaca) is running unopposed.
• 41st Assembly District.  (9/27/2014) 
• 42nd Assembly District.  (9/28/2014) 

Juneau County: Public Library Circulation and Program Attendance, 1996-2013

2010 population: 26,664

Public libraries in Juneau County

• Elroy Public Library
• Hatch Public Library, Mauston
• Necedah Community Siegler Memorial Library
• New Lisbon Memorial Library
• Wonewoc Public Library

Winding Rivers Library System

% change (1996-2013)

• Circulation:  41.9%
• Program attendance:  166% 
  

Line graphs data source:  Wisconsin Public Library Service Data

Related posts: (with 1996-2013 % changes)

Adams County.  (9/1/2014)

• Circulation:  320%
• Program attendance:  132%

Ashland County (9/2/2014)

• Circulation:  13.5%
• Program attendance:  116%

Barron County  (9/3/2014)

• Circulation:  32.1%
• Program attendance:   237%

Bayfield County (9/4/2014)

• Circulation:  127%
• Program attendance:   (7.2%)

Brown County (9/5/2014)

• Circulation:  35.2%
• Program attendance:   (22.3%)

Buffalo County (9/6/2014)

• Circulation:  1.9%
• Program attendance:  812%

Burnett County (9/7/2014)

• Circulation:  104%
• Program attendance  466%

Calumet County (9/8/2014)

• Circulation: (32.7%)
• Program attendance  20.0%

Chippewa County (9/9/2014)

• Circulation: 24.6%
• Program attendance  28.8%

Clark County (9/10/2014)

• Circulation: 21.6%
• Program attendance  86.5%
  

Columbia County (9/11/2014)

• Circulation: 40.5%
• Program attendance  84.2%

Crawford  County (9/12/2014)

• Circulation: 58.1%
• Program attendance  (28.3%)

Dane County (9/13/2014)

• Circulation: 83.0%
• Program attendance  246%

Dodge County (9/14/2014)

• Circulation: 53.9%
• Program attendance  186%

Door County (9/15/2014)

• Circulation: 23.2%
• Program attendance  (7.1%)

Douglas County (9/16/2014)

• Circulation: 81.1%
• Program attendance:  33.9% 

Dunn County (9/17/2014)

• Circulation: 14.2%
• Program attendance:  178% 

Eau Claire County (9/18/2014)

• Circulation: 23.7%
• Program attendance:  86.6% 

Florence County (9/19/2014)

• Circulation: 251%
• Program attendance:  195% 

Fond du Lac County (9/20/2014)

• Circulation: 24.2%
• Program attendance:  72.6% 

Forest County (9/21/2014)

• Circulation: 68.4%
• Program attendance:  261% 

Grant County (9/22/2014)

• Circulation: 44.3%
• Program attendance:  87.9%

Green County (9/23/2014)

• Circulation:  14.4%
• Program attendance:  111% 

Green Lake County (9/24/2014)

• Circulation:  33.8%
• Program attendance:  125%

Iowa County (9/25/2014)

• Circulation:  39.8%
• Program attendance:  122% 

Iron County (9/26/2014)

• Circulation:  5.4%
• Program attendance:  121% 

Jackson County (9/27/2014)

• Circulation:  57.3%
• Program attendance:  52.3%

Jefferson County (9/28/2014)

• Circulation:  19.9%
• Program attendance:  68.3% 
  

UPDATE: From Celebration to Self-Examination in Less Than 9 Months

Corinne Hill: LJ’s 2014 Librarian of the Year. (Library Journal, 1/7/2014)

Burnishing.    

Hill’s career has climaxed in Chattanooga, where she has transformed what consultants June Garcia and Susan Kent called the “ugly, irrelevant, and mismanaged” public libraries of Hamilton County, TN, into the new and vibrant CPL. “She has fostered a culture of change and innovation that has affected nearly every aspect of the library,” says an August report in the Chattanooga Times/Free Press.

Tarnishing.

The executive director was identified in the report for taking unearned leave. Her travel reimbursements were also questioned. But she did not offer, nor was she asked for, her resignation during the meeting. The board agreed to form a special committee to review the library's governance and operations. (9/8/2014)

As reported by the Chattanooga Times Free Press:

Chattanooga Public Library leaders reported to the state for suspected fraud.  (8/28/2014)

Double-dipping.

City Auditor Stan Sewell’s reports shows that Assistant Library Director Nate Hill and System Administrator Meg Backus were reported to the state comptroller’s office after they took multiple paid speaking and consultant jobs while being paid by the library. When questioned, the audit says, Backus reportedly made false statements to auditors and destroyed relevant documents.

Auditor: Thousands misspent at Chattanooga Public Library as Director, top aides cited in report.  (8/29/2014)

Overlooking the basics. 

Sewell also found that the library lacks substantive travel policies and procedures and that the library’s governing board — formed in 2011 when the library came fully under city control — lacks checks and balances and doesn’t have any bylaws on the books.

Chattanooga Library official resigns, another suspended after audit findings. (9/5/2014)

Paying back the excess.

City Auditor Stan Sewell’s report also found that Corinne Hill kept excess reimbursements for worldwide trips, including extra hotel nights on personal time, but she told the board she has paid back the expenses.

Changes promised at Chattanooga Public Library following critical audit.  (9/6/2014)

Moving on.

Corinne Hill said she will suspend Assistant Director Nate Hill (no relation) and that Systems Administrator Meg Backus will resign at the end of October. City Auditor Stan Sewell's audit report said both employees were reported to the state for possible fraud.

But Corinne Hill told the board she has repaid her own overcharges and cleared her name.

"This happened on my watch and it is time for us to move on, which means I am fully prepared and committed to improving the daily operations of this library," she told the board.

Trips taken by Chattanooga Public Library director, top aides took them across U.S., globe.  (9/28/2014) 

Itemizing travel.

A look at their travels for the last two fiscal years shows that Hill and her two top staffers -- Assistant Director Nate Hill and former systems administrator Meg Backus -- went on at least 25 trips to places such as Seattle, Las Vegas, Miami, Singapore and Denmark for professional development conferences, running a tab of nearly $40,000 to taxpayers.

That's more than double the amount of money the library budgets for travel for all employees -- $8,828 per year, or $17,656 over two years.