FRI AM News: WisBusiness: the Podcast with Scott Suder of the Wisconsin Paper Council; DOJ says state getting $2.4M from Intuit agreement

— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Scott Suder, president of the Wisconsin Paper Council. 

Suder provides an update on the council’s ongoing efforts to land an up to $100 million federal grant for the state’s paper industry. After being selected for a $500,000 grant for planning and other advance work, the council and other members of the grant coalition last month submitted an application for the next phase of the competition. 

“Our coalition has worked very, very hard to really put forward a proposal that is going to move Wisconsin’s paper and forestry industry into the next century,” he said. 

In an earlier report, the Paper Council-led coalition estimated 2,500 new jobs and $2 billion in new economic output would be created over the next decade if its proposal is funded and put into action. 

Suder said he’s hopeful the coalition will learn “sometime around August, maybe September,” which applicants have been awarded funding by the U.S. Economic Development Administration through the grant program. 

“It’s research and development, it’s innovation for future markets, it’s also R&D for Wisconsin’s forestry industries,” he said. “We have plans for a huge innovation center so we can do the research, some of the research at least, for the industry right here in Wisconsin.” 

Listen to the podcast here: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2022/wisbusiness-the-podcast-with-scott-suder-president-of-the-wisconsin-paper-council-2/ 

See a full list of WisBusiness.com podcasts: https://www.wisbusiness.com/category/podcast/ 

See an earlier related story: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2022/paper-council-leader-optimistic-about-federal-grant-proposal/ 

— The state Department of Justice says Wisconsin will receive about $2.4 million through a multistate agreement with Intuit Inc. 

According to a DOJ release, the agreement followed an investigation into deceptive marketing tactics related to the company’s TurboTax tax filing business. 

The release shows Intuit will be paying $141 million in restitution to “millions of consumers across the nation who were unfairly charged.” All 50 states and the District of Columbia have signed onto the agreement, per the release. The company will also have to suspend an ad campaign that promised customers free tax preparation services “only to deceive them into paying” for these services, the DOJ says. 

“More than 76,000 Wisconsinites ended up paying for tax preparation products that were marketed as being ‘free,’” Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a release. “It’s not right for a corporation to use deceptive tactics to profit from folks who are paying their taxes.” 

Customers covered under the agreement will get a direct payment by mail of about $30 for each year they were “deceived into paying” for tax filing services, the release shows. 

See the release: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2022/dept-of-justice-secures-2370000-for-wisconsin-consumers-deceived-by-turbo-tax/ 

— The number of fatal drug overdoses in Dane County continued to increase from 2019-2020, a report from county health officials shows. 

The age-adjusted rate of fatal drug overdoses in Dane County rose 11 percent during that time, according to the 2022 Dane County Overdose Fatality Review. Public Health Madison & Dane County found that rate increased from 22.8 to 25.2 overdose deaths per 100,000 population over the year. 

The report focused on overdose data between 2018-2020, the latest time frame for which “complete data” are available. During that period, 365 people in Dane County died from a drug overdose, the report shows. That’s up 43 percent from the previous study period of 2014-2016, in which 254 people died from overdoses. 

And the county saw over 758 opioid-related hospital visits in 2020 alone. 

Report authors say synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are causing a “steep increase” in overdose deaths in the county. Seventy percent of drug overdose deaths from 2018-2020 involved synthetic opioids. 

The spike in synthetic opioid-involved drug overdose deaths seen between 2014 and 2020 came as prescription opioid-related overdose deaths “leveled off” between 2011 and 2020, the report shows. 

Meanwhile, report authors say “there is some indication that heroin-involved death rates may be starting to decline” in the county. 

Still, they note the opioid-involved overdose mortality rate remains higher than overdose rates involving benzodiazepines, cocaine and other drugs such as amphetamines. But at the same time, the percentage of fatal overdoses involving multiple drugs has been increasing for the past two decades, reaching 44 percent from 2018-2020. 

See the full report: https://www.publichealthmdc.com/documents/overdose_fatality_review_2022.pdf 

<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i>

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— The Wisconsin State Building Commission has approved about $106 million in projects around the state, including a new solar array at UW-Parkside.

Approved projects also 

include a renovation of UW-Madison’s Agricultural Hall, the Sandburg Hall West Tower Renovation at UW-Milwaukee and a food service renovation at Mendota Mental Health Institute. 

Meanwhile, 24 maintenance and repair projects were approved for the departments of Corrections, Health Services, Military Affairs, and Natural Resources, as well as State Fair Park, Wisconsin Historical Society and the UW System. 

And the commission approved funding for the Beyond Vision visABILITY Center in West Allis, which will help identify careers and provide services for the state’s “blind and low-vision” community. 

See the release: https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/gov-evers-announces-state-building-commission-approves-more-than-106-million-in-projects-across-wisconsin/ 

#TOP STORIES#

# Lawsuits against US Postal Service aim to alter Oshkosh Defense production plans

https://www.wpr.org/lawsuits-against-us-postal-service-aim-alter-oshkosh-defense-production-plans

# Latino Chamber of Commerce plans move, $5M renovation of Verona Road building

https://madison.com/business/latino-chamber-of-commerce-plans-move-5m-renovation-of-verona-road-building/article_1ea81a9b-efb9-5124-adc1-1e69ec47260a.html

# Kenosha’s former Chrysler plant is slated to become an innovation district

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/05/05/kenosha-innovation-neighborhood.html

#TOPICS#

# AGRIBUSINESS 

– Wisconsin cheese production fell in March

http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=457&yr=2022

– April Class III milk price rises to near record $24.42

http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=456&yr=2022

# CONSTRUCTION 

– Ogden plans to replace mini-golf center on Layton with 257 apartments

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/05/05/ogden-proposes-257-apartments-on-layton.html

# EDUCATION 

– Facing declining enrollment and stagnant revenue, some Wisconsin schools are cutting staff

https://www.wpr.org/facing-declining-enrollment-and-stagnant-revenue-some-wisconsin-schools-are-cutting-staff

– Mount Mary University names Isabelle Cherney as next president

– Goodwill Industries chief communications and diversity officer appointed by Evers to UW Board of Regents

# FINANCIAL SERVICES 

– Northwestern Mutual investing $5 million to boost Black-owned businesses in Milwaukee

# FOOD AND BEVERAGE

– Sargento Foods to acquire Baker cheese factory

http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=455&yr=2022

– Restaurant review: Irish food works on more than just one day in March

https://madison.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/restaurant-review-irish-food-works-on-more-than-just-one-day-in-march/article_c197df63-ae43-501a-8310-73f5969cea84.html

# HEALTH CARE 

– State data: About 6,400 abortions were performed in Wisconsin in 2020

https://www.wpr.org/state-data-about-6-400-abortions-were-performed-wisconsin-2020

– We asked 100 Wisconsinites about abortion access. Here’s what they said.

https://captimes.com/news/government/we-asked-100-wisconsinites-about-abortion-access-here-s-what-they-said/article_a26f65ba-b08f-5de5-9342-7636fcc882fc.html

– If Roe falls, Illinois abortion providers plan for 20,000 to 30,000 more patients a year

https://madison.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/if-roe-falls-illinois-abortion-providers-plan-for-20-000-to-30-000-more-patients/article_89d7dee8-447a-5a89-b1b9-4634ce4f89bb.html

– Froedtert names new chief strategy and transformation officer

# INSURANCE 

– Northwestern Mutual names chief information officer

# INVESTING 

– $5M from Northwestern Mutual will seed loan fund for Milwaukee minority businesses

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/05/05/northwestern-mutual-5m-milwaukee-black-businesses.html

# LEGAL 

– Former Mercyhealth hospital executive sentenced to 3.5 years for fraud

https://www.wpr.org/former-mercyhealth-hospital-executive-sentenced-3-5-years-fraud

# MANAGEMENT 

– Autism awareness nonprofit Good Friend names new executive director

# MANUFACTURING 

– Indiana manufacturer expanding into former Vollrath Co. facility in Menomonee Falls

# MEDIA 

– Lee Enterprises reports digital growth in second quarter

https://madison.com/business/local/lee-enterprises-reports-digital-growth-in-second-quarter/article_e2b5f9f1-daff-5d11-8c94-933e06585b2a.html

# REAL ESTATE 

– Ansay, Pat Connaughton’s group aim for fall start on big Saukville project

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/05/05/ansay-connaughton-firm-saukville-development.html

– Real estate developer to move its headquarters back to Wauwatosa

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/05/05/irgens-moving-its-hq-to-wauwatosa.html

# SPORTS 

– CrossFit Games returning to Madison in 2023

https://madison.com/news/local/events/crossfit-games-returning-to-madison-in-2023/article_b39c3ab7-5924-595e-9555-63b71e06da30.html

# TECHNOLOGY

– Meet the startups selected for the 2022 Summerfest Tech Pitch Competition

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/inno/stories/news/2022/05/05/summerfest-tech-pitch-competition-2022-startups.html

# TRANSPORTATION 

– WisDOT to study options for rebuilding Stadium Freeway North in Milwaukee

# UTILITIES 

– HGA to perform energy assessment for Dane County

# PRESS RELEASES

<i>See these and other press releases: 

https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>

Dept. of Justice: Secures $2,370,000 for Wisconsin consumers deceived by Turbo Tax

Xcel Energy: Urges safety near dams