A military veteran in dire need of a kidney transplant has won a cool $14.3 million in Wisconsin’s Megabucks lottery. Napolean Elvord scooped the jackpot on January 14, yet didn’t realize he was a millionaire until several days after the draw had taken place.

Indeed, the winning $1 ticket was still on Elvord’s dining table when it was announced the winning ticket had been sold at a Wisconsin Mobil station. Elvord is a regular at said station, and it wasn’t until the manager there asked him if he had bought the winning ticket that he noticed his error: he had mixed up the dates of the draw that produced the Megabucks winner.

For almost a week, an eight-figure sum had been lying on Napolean Elvord’s table, yet he didn’t realize it.

Elvord didn’t celebrate when he checked the ticket, as he still wasn’t convinced he had won. However, a visit to the Wisconsin Lottery office confirmed his success, and he received a lump-sum payment of $10.2 million, or $6.87 million after taxes. He told the Wisconsin State Journal:

“It’s still going through my head. The first thing they asked me was, ‘Did you make up the ticket?’”

With his new-found fortune, Elvord plans to help those less fortunate than himself, especially those who have taken a hit in the shaky economy over the past few years. He told NBC15:

“I hadn’t really made any plans yet, but I do look at the economy and think about the people that have lost homes that had homes and had jobs. And I’m into construction. I like remodeling, fixing up things, and I’m looking at possibly doing something in that area to re-sell homes and bring people back into their housing area.”

However, he’ll be looking after himself as well – for the past five years Elvord has received kidney dialysis, so plans to return to his native Texas and put some of his windfall toward health insurance.

Military Vet Who Needs New Kidney Scoops $14m Lottery Jackpot is a post from: The Inquisitr

One million Wisconsin workers angered over the destruction of their collective bargaining rights agreements have signed a recall petition that will force Governor Scott Walker into a recall re-election scenario.

The petition nearly doubled the number of signatures required to begin the re-election process and the one million signatures are nearly the same number of votes the Governor received when he won the Wisconsin governor election in November 2010.

The signatures must now be verified by the state elections board, a process that could take several months to complete. It’s likely that after the signatures are verified a run-off election will occur in June or later.

In the meantime the group that started the petition has also announced that they will soon have enough signatures to also go after Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, along with the lieutenant governor who already has 305,000 signatures against his name and three other Republican state senators

“The collection of more than 1 million signatures is a crystal-clear indication of how strong the appetite is to stop the damage and turmoil that Gov. Walker has caused Wisconsin,” Ryan Lawler, United Wisconsin co-chairman told the Wisconsin State Journal. “In the dead of Wisconsin winter, an army of more than 30,000 Wisconsin-born and -bred volunteers took to the streets, the malls, the places of worship and dinner tables to take our state back.”

Do you believe the Wisconsin voter base made the right decision in collecting more than one million petitions signatures in an attempt to have Governor Scott Walker possibly removed from public office?

Wisconsin Voters Reach 1 Million Signatures, Force Scott Walker Into Recall Re-Election is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Oregon Ducks and their entire student base have reason to celebrate today after the Ducks defeated Wisconsin to claim their first Rose Bowl victory in 95 years.

The victory comes on the heals of Darron Thomas who passed for three touchdowns while De’Anthony Thomas scored on runs of 91 and 64 yards.

Ranked No. 6 heading into the match the Ducks (12-2) were led by coach Chip Kelly who held off Wisconsin for a 45-38 win, the highest score ever recorded during Rose Bowl play. The old high scoring record was held by Washington and Iowa during the 1991 Rose Bowl in which 80 points were tallied.

The victory even managed to come with its own momentary scare for the Ducks as the Wisconsin Badgers (11-3) had a final shot at a touchdown until referees on the field ruled that time ran out.

The Oregon Ducks were helped along by Lavasier Tuinei who caught eight passes during the game for 158 yards and two touchdowns.

The victory for Oregon not only cemented the teams place among modern day championship schools, it was also a satisfying victory for Chip Kelly who has led a wildly successful three-year tenure with the Ducks yet had no post-season victories to show for his efforts until the 98th Rose Bowl came to an end.

When all was said and done the Oregon Ducks accumulated 621 total yards, enough to call themselves champions.

When the current season began did you believe the Oregon Ducks would be holding the Rose Bowl trophy high above their heads after a 95 year drought?

On a completely separate note is it just me or is the Chicago Cubs World Series drought continuing to look more pathetic each day as other programs continue to conquer their bad luck?

Oregon Ducks Claim First Rose Bowl Victory In 95 Years is a post from: The Inquisitr

GRAND CHUTE, WI – A crazy cheese head in Wisconsin was arrested on Sunday when she tried to strangle her 11-year-old daughter after the Green Bay Packers lost their first game of the season.

According to police the 36-year-old Grand Chute female tried to choke her 11-year-old daughter two times and at one point she could be heard screaming “do you want to die?” According to the girl her mom was drinking alcohol and became immediately upset when the Packers lost their first game in 14 outings. The girl said her mom choked her enough that she couldn’t breath.

When police arrived on the scene they saw red marks and scratches on the girl’s neck.

The woman’s husband says she also threw her dinner at him, broke a lamp in their home and attempted to drunkenly punch him int he face.

Police in Outagamie County on Monday charged the crazy fan with one count of felony child abuse and misdemeanor counts for bail jumping and disorderly conduct.

If convicted the mother could face up to 12.5 years in jail and a fine up to $25,000. She also faces nine months for bail jumping if convicted and up to 90 days on the disorderly conduct charge.

The name of the unruly Green Bay Packers fan is currently being held private by the city police department in order to protect the identity of the 11-year-old girl.

Do you think given the mothers actions she should receive the maximum amount of jail time allowed by law or should she at least be kept in jail until her daughter is of legal age?

Mom Tries To Kill Daughter After Green Bay Packers Fail To Clinch Perfect Season is a post from: The Inquisitr

Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson is set to announce his Senate bid today, though his choice of venue for the big reveal may raise eyebrows.

That’s because Thompson will be announcing his run at a company owned by one of 29 campaign donors who have been cited for allegedly exceeding the annual $10,000 limit on campaign contributions in 2010.

Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign produced a report targeting donors to both Democrats and Republicans. The organization alleges Weldall Manufacturing President David Bahl of Waukesha donated $11,580 to various campaigns. And guess where Thompson will be announcing his bid?

Since mid-November, when WDC released their report, ten of the donors mentioned have paid fines, a further 13 filed sworn affidavits stating campaign committees overstated their contributions, yet another four, including Thompson’s pal Bahl, have yet to see their cases resolved.

The report alleged that the bulk of Bahl’s contributions went to Republicans, though a $500 contribution was reportedly granted to Democrat Jeff Plale, who lost his re-election bid to the State Senate in 2010 for being “too conservative”.

In the current climate, deflecting attention on the corporate money-in-politics issue doesn’t seem that wise.

Doors for the Thompson announcement open at 5 p.m. He’ll be challenged for the Republican nominee by State Senator Frank Lasee, Mark Neumann, John Schiess, and State Representative Jeff Fitzgerald. At the time of writing, Tammy Baldwin is the only announced candidate for the Democratic ticket.

Tommy Thompson, Ex-Wisconsin Governor, Launches GOP Bid for Senate is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is under hot water once again but this time it’s not for killing collective bargaining or messing further with unions but rather for the mundane reason that he renamed the state capitol’s “Holiday Tree” as a “Christmas Tree.”

The rechristening occurred in the Wisconsin state capitol of Rotunda where the large fern had been called a Christmas tree from 1916 to 1985 before a more politically correct name was given to the tree.

According to The Blaze the Governor didn’t make a big deal out of the switch when in a press release he simple invited Wisconsin residents to come out and help “decorate the Capitol Christmas Tree.”

Speaking about why the name change occurred a spokesperson for the Governor’s office said:

“It’s a Christmas tree … In all honesty, I don’t know what more to say about it.”

Immediately following the announcement the Freedom From Religion Foundation released their own statement:

“The reason that it was turned into a holiday tree was to avoid this connotation that the governor chooses one religion over another,” and “It’s essentially a discourtesy by the governor to announce that. He intends that to be a slight and a snub to non-Christians, otherwise he would not do it.”

In the meantime the name “Christmas Tree” is remaining in place and since we already know that Scott Walker is not afraid to make controversial decisions and then stick to his guns I doubt the name will be changing anytime in the near future.

Do you care what they call the tree? I can’t help but think of every decorated tree I see during November and December as “Christmas Trees” and I’m not a religious person.

Scott Walker Renames “Holiday Tree” as “Christmas Tree” is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wisconsin Democrats on Monday announced that they will begin officially collecting recall signatures on November 15. Democrats must collect 540,206 signatures before they can demand a recall of the controversial Governor responsible for destroying collective bargaining for state employees.

If successful a recall vote could be on the ballot before Spring.

Speaking on behalf of those involved in the recall effort the Wisconsin Democratic Party chairman said on Monday:

“It has become clearer than ever that the people of Wisconsin—the traditions and institutions of our great state—cannot endure any more of Scott Walker’s abuses.”

In true political fashion the state’s GOP chief said he will gladly compare Walker’s successes with the “failed policies of the past.”

If Scott Walker is recalled by Wisconsin voters it would be only the third time in US history that a gubernatorial recall was successful. The first successful recall occurred in 1921 when the socialist-leaning Governor Lynn Frazier was recalled, the second was Gray Davis of California in 2003, David was replaced by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Do you believe that based on Scott Walker’s voting record the citizen’s of Wisconsin will successful vote to have him removed from office or will he serve out his full term before leaving office?

Wisconsin Democrats Announce Start Of Scott Walker Recall is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Eau Claire public library in Wisconsin has taken library checkouts in the 21st century by providing users with the ability to check out iPads for reading purposes.

According to the library each of their 44 available iPad rentals are stocked full with 1,000 books, ten audio books and various apps for reading and user enjoyment purposes.

Other libraries around the country have rolled out Amazon Kindle and other e-reader programs however this library is believed to be the first to offer such a program on a large scale and with Apple based products. Kindle still has a rather large advantage over this Apple iPad project, providing Kindle e-book rentals to more than 11,000 libraries around the country.

To qualify for the iPad rental patrons must have a library card to verify their residence and they must have less than $10 in overdue book fines.

For users toying with the idea of buying one of the Apple tablets it could be a great testing ground and heading on vacation with a few good books can be a lot easier thanks to the program.

What do you think about the new iPad library rental program?

Wisconsin Library Starts Providing iPad Checkouts For e-Book Reading is a post from: The Inquisitr

A forest fire that is blazing in Minnesota is causing air to become unsafe for people in Wisconsin according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

After examining the area the Wisconsin DNR raised the air quality index to red on Wednesday and extended that index into Waukesha, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenhosa counties until 11 p.m.

Officials say that “fine particles” in the area  are responsible for the raised air level.

According to DNR spokesman Bill Cosh the “red index” is “rare” and the last time it was raised to that level was in the same area on December 20, 2007.

Cosh also revealed that weather conditions in the area are improving which should lower the index sooner rather than later.

The forest fire ignited in northeastern Minnesota on August 18 and the U.S. Forest Service says calming winds could slow the growth of the blaze which has already engulfed more than 100,000 acres, while traveling more than 160 square miles along the Minnesota-Canada border. The fire started with a lightning strike on August 18 and picked up earlier this week when 30 mph wind gusts caused the fire to spread east.

Kris Reichenbach, a spokeswoman for the Superior National Forest tells the Wall Street Journal that the fire had “unprecedented growth.”

At this time 200 highly experienced firefighters from federal and state agencies are arriving Wednesday and Thursday from all over to help get the blaze under control.

If you live in the affected area feel free to leave us a comment explaining how air quality is in your specific area.

Minnesota Fire Causes Air Quality Index Warning To Hit “Red” Status In Wisconsin is a post from: The Inquisitr

Following Gov. Scott Walker’s bill which took away a large portion of a teacher’s collective bargaining rights in the state of Wisconsin, while making them pay more for benefits, a record number of Wisoncin teacher’s have chosen to retire this year, nearly double the normal amount the state typically receives.

Reports show that teachers began filing for retirement weeks before the Republican bill was set to take effect, a time when various top level public officials also decided to accept their pensions and exit the public services field.

One teacher, Ginny Fleck of Green Bay said that after 30 years teaching she left because:

“It wouldn’t make sense for me to teach one more year and basically lose $8,000.”

If Ginny had continued to teach she would have taken an $8,000 hit to her salary under the new agreement.

Ginny is one of nearly 5,000 teachers who decided to call it quits, causing a huge experience drain on the state.

The University of Wisconsin System has also witnessed a doubling of retirements from 480 last year to 1,091 through the first half of 2011.

When all is said and done, 9,933 public workers left their posts through June 2011, while retirements for all of 2010 were just 4,876.

With so many retirements occurring at one time the Governor’s plan to cut educational expenses in the state appears to be working, the Beloit school district alone has saved in the vicinity of $920,000 from retirements, but at what cost? Class sizes will need to increase dramatically until new teachers are hired, if they’re hired at all and the drain from experienced educators can already be felt across the state.

While Wisconsin teachers have been jumping ship at record numbers, other state employees have also been tossing in the towel and calling it quits with State agency retirements nearly tripling from 747 in 2010 to 1,966 from January through June 2011.

What do you think about the number of teacher’s who chose retirement in the state?

Record Number Of Wisconsin Teachers Retire is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker won’t talk to Democratic senators in his state about the ongoing battle over union rights in Wisconsin.

So who is he taking phone calls from? I hesitated to post this because it seemed so juicily scandalicious I thought it couldn’t possibly be real. Apparently, a blogger punked Walker in a phone call, pretending to be David Koch and having a lengthy conversation with the much-maligned governor about how to best thwart the rabble seeking to protect collective bargaining rights. (Koch is a very deep-pocketed conservative donor who was described along with his brother as the “Tea Party’s wallet” in a recent New Yorker profile.)

Walker’s office confirms the governor fell for the hoax hook, line and sinker. Walker spends most of the call casually detailing how he wants to strip workers in the state of rights, although he pauses to agree that Mika Brzezinski is a “real piece of ass.” (Walker: “Oh, yeah.”)

State Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca is trying to get the full Democratic caucus to listen to the call, and Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Mike Tate commented on the brouhaha, saying:

“Scott Walker won’t listen to Senate Democrats, or the hundreds of thousands of average Wisconsinites who are speaking up against his divisive power grab. But an oil billionaire from Kansas gets his full attention. It is a damning, embarrassing and possibly illegal admission that Scott Walker has put Wisconsin up for sale.”

Pretty gross, huh?

Wis. Governor Walker Breitbarted by fake Koch brother on recorded call is a post from: The Inquisitr

Been following the protests in Wisconsin? The internet has been, too- here are five meme-tastic signs from the rallies, courtesy of Buzzfeed.

The internet shows up to Wisconsin protests is a post from: The Inquisitr

Although the Amish in America tend to keep their bonnets down and their plows out of “English” trouble, two young men in a Lancaster, Wisconsin Amish family have been charged with incest and bestiality in a case the Grant County Sheriff’s department says is one of the most “strange” and “disturbing” they’ve ever seen.

19-year-old Christian G. Stolzfus and 18-year-old Dannie G. Stolzfus, both of Fennimore, face 400 and 90 years respectively in jail for the alleged sexual abuse of animals and unidentified human victims ranging in age from five to 16. Despite the hefty jail terms on the table, both young men have been released on their own recognizance pending trial. Local media detailed the charges against the two men:

Christian Stolzfus is charged with repeated sexual assault of a child, four counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 without great bodily harm; attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 without great bodily harm; two counts of incest; exposing genitals or pubic area; and two counts of sexual gratification with an animal. Authorities said that they believe these incidents occurred during a four-year period.

The crimes are said to have occurred on a farm in Mount Ida, and the bestiality related crimes are believed to involve a cow and a horse. Authorities say family members of the men bucked tradition of not involving the outside community in Amish affairs and relatives of the young men contacted social services to report the incidents.

“The age of (the victims) is a concern to us,” Grant County Sheriff Keith Govier said. “There was also some developmental issues with some of the victims. And hopefully their work with Social Services will address those things.”

Law enforcement officials investigated the reports for three months before finally arresting the two. No court dates have yet been set in the case.

[Channel 3000 via Fark, Image]

Two Amish men charged with incest and bestiality in Wisconsin is a post from: The Inquisitr

14 skiiers were injured Thursday night at the Devil’s Head Resort in Wisconsin when a crowded ski lift malfunctioned.

Initial reports indicate that a full chair lift suddenly stopped and began moving backwards at a high rate of speed. Riders began jumping from the lift, and accounts of what happened during the incident vary. One rider said:

“We were like 20 feet away from getting off the lift and the lift started going backward pretty fast,” said Amir Shadlu, a Madison resident who jumped off the lift. “We saw a lot of people jump from farther and they didn’t even take their boards off, so I don’t know how they made it, but we made it out okay.”

Another who was about to board the chair lift described a flare or spark sort that may have caused the accident:

“Something happened and it looked like it was going backwards. It was like a fire spark everywhere and all the seats are off the track and it’s going backwards and people are jumping, and everyone is like, ‘Just jump, jump, jump,’ and people are jumping off the chair.”

The accident occurred during a promotion last night featuring a discount on lift tickets. Three of the fourteen injured skiiers sustained “serious” but not critical injuries, and three had minor injuries including a fractured ankle. The state Department of Commerce is investigating the incident.

14 hurt in Wisconsin’s Devil’s Head ski lift accident is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Milwaukee teacher has been charged with disorderly conduct and fined $175 after she cut the hair of a 7-year-old girl to punish the child for playing with it.

7-year-old Lamya Cammon says the teacher cut off one of her braids in front of the class, and described the incident:

“I went to my desk and cried. And they was laughing,” Cammon said. “She threw it away, and she said, ‘Now what you gonna go home and say to your momma? ‘ And I said, ‘That you cut off my hair,’” Cammon said.

Cammon’s mother is furious. She went to the school and confronted the teacher.

“I said, ‘Well, you know, you cut a lot of her hair off.’ And she was like, ‘Well, I do apologize.’ She said, ‘But I was frustrated,’” Cammon’s mother, Helen Cunningham, said.

Surprisingly, Cammon’s teacher remains at her post, though Layla has been moved to another class. Cammon’s mother doesn’t believe the teacher belongs in the classroom anymore, and the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association pushed an unrelated agenda declined comment on the specific incident in which Layla Cammon lost a braid. They did, however, indicate budget constraints may be causing a higher stress level among Milwaukee teachers. The teacher, who has not been identified, has also declined to comment.

Regardless of the stresses faced by elementary school teachers on a daily basis, how would you feel about an educator who believes this course of action is appropriate behavior spending hours with your child every day?

Teacher cuts girl’s hair as punishment is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Milwaukee Army Reservist got a pleasant surprise during a mugging, when the four men who accosted him had a change of heart.

The men singled out the 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student as he was walking home at around 1:15 am on Tuesday. The student, whose identity has not been released, said the four men dragged him into an alley and forced him to lay facedown with a gun to his neck. The men then emptied the young man’s pockets, swiping a wallet, his keys, a cell phone, $16 and oddly, a PowerBar wrapper.

The thieves then rifled through the man’s belongings, and discovered an Army Reservist card. One of the men, who the victim described as the “leader,” decided to return the items. The burglar in charge repeatedly apologized, thanking the young man for his service and reiterating his “respect” for the victim. As the men left the scene, one reportedly returned to give the victim a “fist bump.” The reservist doesn’t wish to be named in the media because he later realized the robbers still have his keys.

Police say the man’s story is not only credible, but that two other men were approached in a short period of time in the same area, presumably by the same four muggers. One other mugging attempt was unsuccessful, with the victim running away screaming. The other involved a convicted burglar with a Department of Corrections ID in his wallet, and inspired no sympathy on behalf of the muggers.

Happy Veteran’s Day- your mugging is canceled! is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Wisconsin court has found that cheerleading is a contact sport, as part of a hearing into a damages claim.

Brittany Noffke was practicing a stunt for the first time before a basketball game in 2004 when she fell backward off the shoulders of another cheerleader and suffered a severe head injury. She sued 16-year-old teammate, Kevin Bakke, who was supposed to be her spotter but failed to catch her, the school district and its insurer

The court ruled that Noffke cannot sue a teammate who failed to catch her while practicing a stunt under a Wiscosin law that prevents participants in recreational contact sports from suing each other for unintentional injuries. The problem with the law is that it doesn’t define was a contact sport is, hence the interest in ruling.

Cheerleading groups welcomed the decision as Wisconsin cheerleaders will no longer have to worry about getting sued.

(via)

Court rules that cheerleading is a contact sport is a post from: The Inquisitr

Three men accused of trying to dig up a grave in Wisconsin in order to have sex with a dead woman entered not guilty pleas this week.

The twin brothers, Alex and Nicholas Grunke, and Dustin Radke (all pictured) are alleged to have attempted to remove the body of a 20 year-old woman killed a week previously in a motorcycle crash. The three decided on the woman after seeing her photo in an obituary in the local newspaper.

Stranger still perhaps is the legal argument leading to the point. The case in the courts so far hasn’t been whether the three were guilty or not, but whether necrophilia was illegal in Wisconsin or not. A lower court originally found that there was nothing in the state that banned the boys having their way with the corpse, but the State Supreme Court over-ruled that decision in July. The fact that the three brought condoms to the scene to protect themselves was not taken into account by the court.

(via Channel 3000)

Men to face charge after court finds necrophilia is illegal in Wisconsin even when using a condom is a post from: The Inquisitr

Think that Jessica Simpson overshared as she professed her undying love for Tony Romo? That People interview’s nothing when we look at her most recent concert whoopsie: the Niagra Falls Review reports that her concert at the Avalon unraveled into her talking about being gassy:

“Unlike her tour opener in Wisconsin, where she was booed opening for Sara Evans, this crowd was here only for her. And they paid $70 a ticket for the privilege. Armed with that confidence, Simpson opened up about God, divorce and, um, flatulence. ‘I do pass gas a lot,’ she said. ‘I guarantee it smells like roses.’”

This is the sign of someone who thinks they’re too cute. Erm, not so much.

Image: WireImage

Oldie-But-Goody: Jessica Simpson Goes TMI Again is a post from: The Inquisitr