UNDATED (WRN)   Furnaces have been working overtime during the cold snap, and We Energies customers set a record for natural gas use, earlier this week. Spokesman Brian Manthey says totals from Monday morning to Tuesday morning beat the previous mark by seven percent. He says during that time, it cost $7 to heat the typical home. He says it costs $4 on a normal January day.

Manthey says bills will be higher this month, because of usage, and not natural prices. He says prices may only climb slightly because of the increased demand.

RHINELANDER, Wis. (WXPR) -- An Elkhorn, Wisconsin woman charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle has been bound over for trial.

50-year-old Lynette Haman was arrested after a September 13, 2013 traffic incident with another motorcyclist. The incident happened on Oneida County Highway L and Prairie Rapids Road, nine miles north of Tomahawk. Deputies say Haman was traveling south when her motorcycle veered in front of another motorcycle driven by 50-year-old Benjamin Guite of Merrill. Both drivers were taken to hospitals in Marshfield and Wausau. Guite died from his injuries in Wausau.

In Oneida County Circuit Court, Haman stood mute and pleas of not guilty were entered for her on both counts. She's also charged with homicide by use of a motor vehicle with a prohibited blood alcohol content. Judge Patrick O'Melia found enough evidence to bind Haman over for trial on both high felony counts. A pre­trial conference was set for April 8.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) -- The man convicted of murdering a Wausau woman fourteen years ago has appealed and lost, again. 

James Emerson was found guilty of luring Rhonda Mertes to a secluded Wausau site and killing her back in 1999. The case took ten years to solve and prosecute. Emerson appealed the conviction, claiming ineffective counsel, and inadequate communication with his attorney. That was rejected by a three judge panel in 2012.

Then, Emerson appealed on grounds that Judge Greg Grau allowed improper testimony and that the Iowa County jury was prejudiced against him for being black. That argument didn’t work, either.

Emerson appealed to the State Supreme Court to try once more to have the conviction overturned. On Friday, the State Supreme Court declined to take the case, meaning the lower court ruling will stand.

That means Emerson will remain in prison for the rest of his life with no chance of parole.

MOSINEE, Wis. (WSAU) -- Governor Scott Walker was back in central Wisconsin Friday afternoon. Walker visited with employees of Greenheck Fan’s Mosinee plant as part of his Brown Bag Tour of businesses.

The Governor covered familiar ground on the issues of unemployment, recruiting businesses to Wisconsin, job creation, and efforts underway at the state level to help in these areas.

Walker also explained how a new business tax credit program will help businesses reinvest in themselves, which creates jobs and is a win-win for the business and the state.  "That 7 1/2 percent tax credit will wipe out almost all of that taxable liability, and that means when you see equipment like you see behind us here today, that really makes a difference because they can take that money and, instead of paying it in higher taxes to the state, they can reinvest that in new equipment, and new equipment is what overwhelmingly puts people to work."

The Governor acknowledges there have been discussions about how to make Wisconsin’s tax climate better. He says eliminating the income tax has been talked about, but so have many other ideas.  "Discussions we've had thus far, and continue to have throughout this year, are preparations for the 2015 budget.  (It's) not only cutting taxes, providing tax relief, but what's the best way to do it, looking at tax reform.  What's the most effective way to do that in terms of improving the economy and putting incentives for adding more jobs and adding more prosperity in the state."

Walker says his administration does not yet have a final plan for how to cut taxes, but he knows cutting taxes every year is part of his goal.  "The only tax plan I've layed out is I want to cut taxes every year I'm in office.  How we do that, whether it's through the income tax, the property tax, some other form, is really something we hope to have an ongoing dialogue over the next year on."

While at Greenheck Fan, CEO Jim McIntyre thanked Walker for his efforts last spring during a trade mission to China. During that trip, Walker helped Greenheck Fan secure a deal worth over six hundred thousand dollars in sales for a skyscraper project. McIntyre referred to the Governor as, “the company’s top international sales associate for April of 2013” for helping to close that deal.

WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) The man who led UW-Marathon County from 2000-2007 has died of cancer in Texas. Jim Veninga was living near Austin. He was 69.

One of his proudest achievements at UWMC was the development of the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy & Service. The UW Center for Civic Engagement was built as part of that plan.

Veninga had a masters degree from the Harvard Divinity School and a doctorate in history and religious studies from Rice.

A memorial service will be held in Wausau at a later date.

MARSHFIELD, Wis. (WSAU) -- Marshfield Clinic is launching an educational program to help diabetic patients understand the importance of oral health care.

The health care provider says excercise, diet, and sticking to your medication plan are the key to controlling diabetes. Now, they are teaming up with Boston based DentaQuest Foundation on a pilot program. DentaQuest has provided a one year grant of $186,000 to support the education, plus research and integration of medical and dental records.

Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation Dr. Amit Acharya says controlling oral inflammation see improvements in other areas, like skin ulcers and foot problems. He says oral inflammation also triggers increased blood sugar levels, which can lead to more swelling in the gums.

Diabetics are encouraged to see their dentist every six months to keep plaque controlled. The grant program will also help with educating patients at Marshfield Clinic’s nine dental centers.

MARSHFIELD, Wis. (WSAU) --  Another case filed in court alleging mistreatment of a dog. 27-year-old Michael G. Loftus of Marshfield is accused of breaking a dog’s neck, leaving it in a wooded area, and sending a picture of the dead dog to a relative. The complaint against Loftus was filed Friday in Wood County court, charging him with animal mistreatment causing death.

Court documents claim Loftus told investigators he broke the dog's neck, but there’s no mention of why he did it.

Lofthus will make an initial appearance on the charges February 3rd.

CATAWBA, Wis. (WSAU) -- A Saturday morning crash involving a train and an LP gas truck is under investigation. It happened at 10:53 a.m. in the Town of Knox in Price County. The truck was tipped over from the crash, and a damaged valve allowed some LP gas to leak at the crash site.

Investigators have not released the name of the truck driver, but confirm he is hospitalized.

The Price County Sheriff's Department was assisted by the Lincoln County deputies, firefighters from Prentice, Tomahawk, and Catawba, and representatives from Wisconsin Central Limited and the trucking company.

PHILLIPS, Wis. (WSAU) -- Another snowmobiler has died on Wisconsin’s trails. Price County Sheriff’s deputies say a 70-year-old female died after crashing on a trail in the Town of Worcester not far from Phillips.

The crash happened shortly after 3:00 p.m. Saturday. Investigators say the snowmobile hit a wire and then a tree. The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of relatives.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) -- Motorists in the Wausau area can expect to find some highway workers making repairs today. Department of Transportation representative Kristin McHugh says you will need to watch out for emergency vehicles and maintenance trucks along Highway 51 as crews take care of some routine repairs. “Motorists can expect to see some northbound and southbound lane closures in the Wausau area on US 51. The reason for those closures is so that crews can replace some damaged beam guard that has occurred throughout the last couple of weeks.”

McHugh says it is not unusual to make these kind of repairs during the winter, because of people sliding off the roads. “This is routine work that occurs, and as long as it’s safe for us to do so, we’ll close those lanes down and get those repaired as quickly as possible.”

The areas to expect maintenance workers are in the southbound lanes between Highway WW and County Highway U, and both the northbound and southbound lanes between Bridge Street and Stewart Avenue.

McHugh says you should be driving safely in construction zones, especially in the winter. Watch for slow moving vehicles and lane closures in the work zones.

MOSINEE, Wis. (WSAU) -- The recent cold weather has slowed down winter construction projects. One of them is the terminal construction at Central Wisconsin Airport. Airport Manager Tony Yaron says the foundation work on the new east portion of the terminal is behind schedule. “There’s concrete that cannot be poured, certainly during 20 to 24 below zero. That makes working conditions very rough. We’ve had that situation compounded with some bad soils we’ve got here. We’ve needed to excavate below subgrade and replace that with suitable materials.”

The contractors have been working weekends when the weather is favorable to try to catch up. “(It was) the second consecutive Saturday that they’ve been working, and they’re hoping to make that up. Now, we’re probable back, on paper, about a month.”

Overall, Yaron says 2013 was a busier year for Central Wisconsin Airport, as more passengers utilized the facility. “Last year (2012) was a bad year, but this year, we closed out with emplainments jumping by 7.5%. December really helped out in that regard with over 18% traffic increase over December of 2012.”

Yaron has meetings planned with the three airlines serving CWA later this month to see if they can make service improvements such as using larger planes, or more frequent flights to improve service and cut down on the number of passengers asked to take later flights.

(Our interview with Tony Yaron can be heard on our website, here.)

WESTON, Wis. (WSAU) -- When it comes to babysitting, the more you know, the safer the baby and the sitter will be. There’s a class designed to teach 11-to-13 year-olds what they need to know to be a safe babysitter. Nurse Michelle Pagel is with Ministry St. Claire’s Hospital, which is offering the one day Safe Sitter program. She says they spend time with their students showing them important skills they might not learn on the job. “We’re not teaching them just babysitting, we’re teaching them life skills, and some of the life skills that we include (are) choking for a child and an infant rescue.”

Pagel says it’s important for babysitters to learn how babysitting is a business, and there are situations they need to be prepared for. She says it’s important to learn good safety practices and how to handle emergencies because injuries are the leading cause of death for children under five. “There’s an increase in SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), and taking care of them, and there’s different safety things that parents aren’t aware of, so we’re teaching our sitters, so when they go there, they can identify the risks that the home might have, or the risks of taking a babysitting job.”

Babysitters need to know what each job involves, and Pagel says they need to evaluate the potential babysitting job before accepting it. “We help them choose the correct and take the correct babysitting jobs, so we don’t want them to take just any job offered to them, we want them to choose and make sure they’re safe as well.”

Pagel says the knowledge and skills young people learn in the Safe Sitter class are skills they are likely to need later in life. “The Safe Sitters logo is better sitters today, better parents tomorrow, so again, we’re just really focusing on teaching them more than just babysitting, we’re teaching them life skills that they’re going to use forever.” Safe Sitter Classes will be held on January 24, February 17, March 31, April 4 and April 21st at Saint Clare’s Hospital. Cost for the class is $50 and includes a student handbook. Advanced registration is requested and space is limited.

For registration information, please contact Michelle Pagel at 715.393.3046 or email michelle.pagel@ministryhealth.org

(Our interview with Michelle Pagel can be heard on our website, here.)

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) -- Wausau police continue to investigate prostitution activities in the city. 

Police are investigating what’s called “adult escort services.” Many of them are listed at a site called Backpage.com, which has a Wausau area page.

The website has legal services like rentals and items for sale, but it is commonly used to promote prostitution.

Several arrests have been made over the past four months. The most recent involves a woman named Tamara Predzik, who was advertising her “time and companionship” at the site just three days after getting out of jail on a signature bond for a prostitution charge.

Police are also tracing the customers that seek these services.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAU) -- Sure, it’s been cold, but that’s not enough to keep all of the snowmobile trails open. The warm weekend coupled with the lack of heavy, wet snow has most Portage County snowmobile trails closed.

There has been nearly 20 inches of snow in the region so far this winter, but much of the snow was the light and fluffy variety which doesn’t last.

 Many of the area snowmobile clubs that maintain the trails are hoping for 4-6 inches of new, heavy snow.  The forecast, so far, doesn't look good for snowmobilers in Portage County.

KRONENWETTER, Wis. (WSAU) -- One of the 29 Kronenwetter residents that sued the Village Board over groundwater special assessments is running for a seat on the board.

Elizabeth Messner in the only challenger among the field of incumbents for the April 1st election. Messner’s home has not had flooding issues, but she was levied the maximum amount of over 21-hundred dollars to help the village deal with the isolated flooding issues in two subdivisions.

The case is pending in Marathon County court. Marathon County Judge Greg Huber will hold a hearing on the case in March.

AMHERST JUNCTION, Wis. (WSAU) -- Sheriff’s investigators are hoping someone saw a hit-and-run incident in Amherst Junction Saturday night.

A parked vehicle at the Whitetail Lanes parking lot was hit by another vehicle, and has over $3,200 in damages. Based on the parts left behind, deputies believe the suspect was driving a Mercury Mountaineer SUV made between 1998 and 2001, and will have damage in the left-front corner.

Anyone with information about the crash or the whereabouts of the suspect and vehicle is encouraged to contact law enforcement.

The anonymous Portage County Crimestoppers number is 888-346-6600, or you may contact the Sheriff’s Department at 715-346-1400.

LESSOR, Wis (WSAU)   A home in Shawano County is a total loss after a fire early Sunday morning. It was reported around 6am in the Town of Lessor.

A sheriffs deputy was the first to arrive on the scene. The home was already fully engulfed when firefighters got there. Flames were coming out of the windows, and had spread to the exterior walls and roof.

A single family lived in the home. No one was inside when the fire broke out.

Firefighters from Navarino, Bonduel, Pulaski, Nichols, and Black Creek assisted in putting the fire out. The cause hasn't been determined.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAU) -- A man accused of killing his mother’s dog was back in Portage County court Monday. 35-year-old Todd Boaz made an initial appearance on charges of mistreating an animal resulting in death and causing mental harm to a child. The mental harm charges stem from causing harm to his son by killing the dog, drug-induced actions, and other acts.

The incident happened on or about December 19th at an apartment complex on Bush Street in Stevens Point. The complaint says Boaz stabbed and killed his mother’s Boston Terrier named Lucky. Boaz told officers he was either going to kill the dog or kill himself.

Court documents say Boaz has a history of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and may have other mental health issues. He admitted to officers he was not taking his medication.

Stevens Point police found the dog in a garbage bag in a nearby wooded area, and evidence of cleaning up after the act, including bloody carpet, the knife used to kill the dog, and cleaning chemicals used in the apartment.

Boaz remains in jail on a $2,500 cash bond. He will be back before judge Thomas Flugar for a preliminary hearing January 21st.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAU) -- Recommendations from Stevens Point’s wage study are being implemented now, but not without some expected appeals. The recommendations from consultants at Carlson-Dettman were adopted just over a month ago. Mayor Andrew Halverson says he is reviewing over twenty city employee appeals, and he will go over them with Charlie Carlson January 23rd to rule on the appeals. “I will either grant them or deny them based on the research that he and I have done, and the objective review of the appeals, and if the appellate wishes to move on to have their appeal in front of the Personnel Committee, they’ll have that opportunity as well.

Halverson says many of the employees that filed an appeal because their wage was reduced. “Many of them, however, that I’m reviewing are speaking more towards wage and steps within a grade, and the appeal process is really about the grade of a position in particular, meaning what job responsibilities does a job have, what requirements and technical detail does an employee need to possess in order to do that well?”

Halverson says he expected there would be several appeals filed. He says there’s about an equal number of hourly employees and salaried employees that filed appeals.

MADISON, Wis (WRN)  The Wisconsin state Assembly is set to vote Tuesday on a package of bills designed to combat what’s been called a statewide heroin epidemic. All four are authored by Marinette Republican John Nygren, whose own daughter has struggled with a heroin addiction.

Nygren hopes the legislation will help families and those dealing with the addiction. “None of these – and I said this over and over again – none of these are silver bullets that are going to stop the problem that we face,” Nygren said.

Two of the bills deal specifically with prescription drugs, since addiction to prescription painkillers often leads to heroin addiction. One would require people show identification when picking up prescriptions from a pharmacy. The other makes it easier to establish drop off centers for prescription drugs. Another bill will allow first responders to give the antidote drug Narcan people who are overdosing, and the fourth measure provide immunity for many people reporting overdoses to 911.