The La Crosse Tribune has the details.

     Wednesday morning, 32-year-old Eric Harding walked into a La Crosse credit union and withdrew $600 from his account.  When he entered the building, Harding was wearing a skeleton sweatshirt with a hood that completely covered his face.  Another customer in the drive-through saw him and called the police.

     You can hear a recording of the 9-1-1 call by clicking here.

      According to Harding, he unzipped the hood once he got into the bank.

     After Harding withdrew his funds, he rode off on his bike.  Police, responding to the 9-1-1 call, stopped him a few blocks from the bank.  He was handcuffed and placed in the back of a squad car while things were sorted out.   According to authorities, he was "belligerent and uncooperative".

     Once it was determined that he didn't actually rob the bank, Harding was released.  He was however given a $96 disorderly conduct citation for entering the bank while masked.

     For his part, Harding says "The way I was treated was crap".  He plans to contest the ticket.

     Later this morning, we'll discuss whether the police in La Crosse overreacted?

The panel discusses the hottest topics of the day.

     It's that time of year again.  The "no consumer fireworks" folks are back - and they've given the police authority to write some pretty expensive tickets.

     The law in Wisconsin when it comes to fireworks is, in words of one syllable, a mess.  Despite the fact that fireworks stands dot the roadsides, it's basically illegal to shoot off anything that either flies or explodes.  Some communities have ordinances that go even farther.

     For example, in the City of Milwaukee, it's also against the law to use anything that sparkles.  That's right, light that sparkler and you could be looking at a $675 citation.  Give your child a sparkler and get ready to call your lawyer.

     Many of you probably note the irony of cracking down on sparklers in a city where 77 year old storeowners are executed by young thugs toting shotguns.

     Beyond this though, how far do we really want the Nanny State to go in regulating actions which are, in large measure, benign?

     After mocking the sparkler ban on my radio program this afternoon, I received an impassioned e-mail from an official at a local Fire Department who was appalled that anyone would defend the use of fireworks of any kind.  I won't embarass this person by naming him/her, but here's a portion of the e-mail:    

     "I was listening ton your radio program and cannot believe that you would advocate for the use of fireworks of any type.  I have attached some very graphic pictures of persons hurt and killed by fireworks.  The Fire Service across the country has been advocating for the ban of consumer fireworks.

     Would you say a child hurt or injured by sparklers or any other fireworks product is an accident, tragedy or is it criminal?  If the law prohibits the use, the actions by anyone who violates the law is criminal and they should be charged accordingly.  Did you know that sparklers burn at almost 1200 degrees F.?  Are children (and parents) aware of how easily hair could be caught on fire, hands or any other exposed body part could be burned and even worse their clothes caught on fire? ...

     What is the liklihood that anyone will be injured, hurt or killed?  It is significant enough risk that the majority of all fireworks are illlegal.  It is irresponsible for someone as knowledgeable in the law to openly discount efforts by anyone, in this case a municipality to help prevent or eliminate anyone personally or their property from being involved in a preventable event. ...

     Fireworks are truly dangerous and should be left in the hands of professionals to shoot. ... "

     Can you say "over the top"?

     I'm actually not a big fireworks aficionado so, in many respects, I don't have a dog in this fight.  I also understand that shooting bottle rockets and lighting roman candles in an urban area can cause an assortment of problems.  That said, it's nothing short of insane to ban sparklers.

     I concede that if someone mishandles a sparkler, there is the possibility of getting burned.  The same thing is true of an assortment of objects though ranging from outdoor grills to scented candles.  We haven't banned any of these - at least not yet.

     I guess it's true that you can "prevent" all fireworks-related injuries by banning fireworks.    By this logic though, we should ban all automobiles in order to prevent automobile-related injuries.

    Too extreme an example?  Fine.  How about banning baseball games in order to prevent injuries from foul balls?

     Don't misunderstand.  I'm not suggesting hat parents should give their four-year olds a cigarette lighter and a box of sparklers and send them running into the warm July night.  At the same time, if adults or appropriately supervised youngsters want to light some sparklers, I don't think the world is going to come to an end.

     The City of Milwaukee doesn't agree with me though.  Shootings, teenage pregnancy, drug use, high unemployment, high taxes, poor schools? All problems that can wait for another day.

     However this Independence Day, be careful.  The sparkler police will be out in full force! 

Every day on Live at 3:00, we have a segment called "Sound Off," where you can give us your take on a topic.

Wednesday's Sound Off Question:  Are Milwaukee's penalties for setting off fireworks too high?

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Click the video link to watch today's segment.

       I know a lot of people, particularly women, who absolutely adore the movie "Pretty Woman". 

     You remember the film?  It was a classic "Cinderella" story where a prostitute played by Julia Roberts meets and falls in love with billionaire Richard Gere.  At the end, the two drive off into the sunset and presumably live happily ever after.

     As a movie, "Pretty Woman" is moderately entertaining.  However "Pretty Woman" is to prostitution like a frying pan is to the space shuttle.  In other words, the two have no connection.

     In highlighting efforts by law enforcement to crack down on prostitution, The Knoxville News just published the mug shots of the some of the most prolific prostitutes in Knox County, Tennessee.  There's not too many Julia Roberts look-alikes in this bunch.  It would seem that prostitution is hardly the glamorous endeavor that Hollywood painted it as.

      Gee, a case where life doesn't imitate art.  It doesn't seem like being a prostitute is quite the path to happiness that  the conclusion of "Pretty Woman'" implied it was.  Who could have guessed?

The panel discusses the hottest topics of the day, including the latest on Michael Jackson and the opening of Public Enemies.

Every day on Live at 3:00, we have a segment called "Sound Off," where you can give us your take on a topic.

Tuesday's Sound Off Question:  Should employers be able to discriminate in order to achieve diversity?

Click here to read more about the story.

The panel discusses the hottest topics of the day!

     According to the criminal complaint, shortly after 5:00 p.m. on June 17th, Joevone Jordan entered the the "Odds and Ends" candy store on 83rd and Silver Spring through a rear door.  Johnson, armed with a 12 gauge shotgun, proceeded to try to rob the 77 year old store owner, Roland Haefner.  During the course of the robbery, Jordan allegedly fired the shotgun at Haefner striking him once (or twice) in the chest.  Haefner died at the scene.

     Jordan was arrested the following evening after a search of his bedroom uncovered the murder weapon and clothing containing what appears to be blood.  An acquaintance of Jordan's told authorities that Jordan said he warned "the old man" not to grab for Jordan's shotgun during the robbery.

     Jordan has now been charged with first degree intentional homicide in connection with the brutal murder of Roland Haefner.

     This story would be awful under any circumstances.  If possible though, it's made even worse because of the victim's backstory.

     Aftr he retired from Louis Allis, Roland Haefner opened up his candy store as a way to fill his time and offer a positive influence in the area.  Despite being robbed several times over the years, Haefner refused to quit on either the store or the community.  He was understandably beloved in the neighborhood.

     And now,  Mr. Haefner is dead.  And Mr. Haefner is dead because a guy who was convicted of his first felony at the age of 17 decided to execute him while robbing a neighborhood candy store.

     If convicted, Jordan will become the guest of the State for a long period of time.  During his incarceration, taxpayers will provide Jordan with television, exercise opportunities, three meals a day and educational opportunities (should he wish to pursue them).  Even if Jordan is sentenced to life in prison without the potential for parole, there's always the possibility that some progressively-minded legislators may turn him loose as part of the "Prison Overcrowding Relief Act of 2029".

     Meanwhile, Roland Haefner is dead and his family and friends will deal with the aftermath of this horrendous crime for the rest of their lives.

     Some people think the death penalty may deter monsters like Joevone Jordan from killing in the first place.  I don't know whether that's true or not? 

     I do know though that society has a right to punish those among us who commit crimes.  Life in prison (maybe) as a guest of the taxpayers just doesn't strike me as sufficient punishment for the murder of Roland Haefner.  It's a simple matter of justice!

     Tell me again why Wisconsin doesn't have the death penalty for crimes like this?

     With the possible exception of Mark Sanford, it's difficult to imagine a governor in the United States who has become more ineffectual than Jim Doyle.

     I'm not talking about "ineffectual" as it applies to getting his cronies in the State legislature to give him what he wants in terms of the monsterous budget that he's signing today.  I'm talking about ineffecutal when it comes to things that matter to everyday people - like saving their jobs!

     The statewide unemployment rate is 8.7 percent.  The unemployment rate is 9 percent in the Milwaukee area, 9.2 percent in Wausau, 9.5 percent in Sheboygan and a staggering 12.9 percent in Janesville.  Even in Madison, an area where employment is propped up by government jobs that almost never go away, the unemployment rate is 6.2 percent.

     To put this in perspective, the Milwaukee area alone lost nearly 45,000 jobs in the last year!

     The biggest problem though is that Doyle seems completely and totally unable to stop the job losses.

     First, there was the decision by Thomas Industries to move 400 good paying jobs from Sheboygan for Louisianna.  In this case, it appeared that Doyle couldn't even be bothered to intervene personally - choosing instead to watch high speed trains in Spain and high end golf at the Masters.

     Second, there was the decision by General Motors to bail on Janesville once and for all.  In contrast to the Thomas Industries debacle, Doyle did make an effort to save 1500 jobs in Janesville.  Unfortunately for Janesville, it seems that Doyle was used mostly as a bargaining chip by GM to extract more concessions from Michigan.

     Now comes the battle for Fond du Lac's largest employer, Mercury Marine. 

     Mercury, founded in 1939, employs about 1900 unionized workers.  Mercury also has a non-union facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma which currently employs 400 people.  Rumor has it that Mercury is looking to consolidate its operations in either Stillwater or Fond du Lac. The fear is, of course, that Mercury will pull a Thomas Industries and move from its larger facility in Wisconsin to a smaller facility elsewhere - taking the jobs with them.  If this happens, the unemployment rate in Fond du Lac will make Janesville look like a boom town.

     The truth is that Doyle has an uphill battle in trying to save private sector jobs.  Thanks in large measure to various proposals that he has championed, the business climate in this State is horrible.  Frankly, it's tough for Wisconsin to compete against other States that are trying to cherry pick Wisconsin's few remaining private sector job providers.   Talk about reaping what you've sowed.

     If we were bring new industries into Wisconsin, the job exodus by existing businesses wouldn't be as troubling.  "New jobs" and "Wisconsin" are however two terms which rarely surface within the same sentence.

     Last week, the Doyle-ie's were vigorously denying rumors that Doyle was going to sign the State budget and then parachute out of town.   Too bad.  It would be nice if he's just turn the State over to Scott Walker now instead of waiting until January 2011.  At least then, we might have a chance to save at least a few private sector jobs.