Editor’s note: Wausau Pilot & Review gladly publishes commentary from readers, residents and candidates for local offices. The views of readers and columnists are independent of this newspaper and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wausau Pilot & Review. To submit, email editor@wausaupilotandreview.com or mail to 500 N. Third St., Suite 208-8, Wausau, Wis. 54403. Dear editor, On this day two years ago, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked and women across Wisconsin learned that they would be left with fewer rights than the generations that came before th ..read more

By Beatrice Lawrence | Wisconsin Public Radio After years of bees dying off by the millions, the most recent U.S. Census of Agriculture indicates that America’s domestic honey bee population is at an all-time high. But those honey bees are just part of the story of pollinator health.  Susan Carpenter, native plant garden curator and gardener at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, told WPR’s “Central Time” that Wisconsin’s native bees have different ecological functions and needs than domesticated honey bees. “Everybody loves bees and wants to help them,” Carpenter said. “But i ..read more

By The Associated Press Today’s Highlight in History: On April 28, 1967, heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali was stripped of his title after he refused to be inducted into the armed forces. On this date: In 1788, Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the Constitution of the United States. In 1919, American stuntman and parachute developer Leslie Irvin (23) makes first premeditated free-fall parachute jump from a plane above US the Army Air Service’s McCook Field near Dayton, Ohio. In 1945, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were executed by Italian p ..read more

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers added plenty of new faces to a defense that has a new coordinator and a new scheme this year. After departing from their usual strategy by taking an offensive player in the first round, the Packers focused on defense with five of their next seven picks in the NFL draft that concluded Saturday. The Packers are switching from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 scheme under new coordinator Jeff Hafley, the former Boston College coach who took over for the fired Joe Barry. “The physicality that these guys showed on tape, their ab ..read more

Find More Donation + Volunteer Opportunities. Go to the United Way Volunteer Connection volunteer website at unitedwaymc.galaxydigital.com. Team Opportunity. Each week of the growing season (starting May 14), the United Way’s Hunger Coalition buys produce from local farms to distribute to nonprofit agencies in Marathon County. Your group will help pack the fresh produce into boxes. Pick your team of 3-5 people, pick a Tuesday morning (10 a.m. – noon), and go to https://www.unitedwaymc.org/volunteer to sign up. Student Internship Opportunity. GiGi’s Playhouse is a nonprofit providing free educ ..read more

Wausau Pilot & Review Today Showers, mainly after noon. Patchy fog after 2pm. Temperature falling to around 44 by 4pm. East northeast wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Tonight Showers and thunderstorms before 4am, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 4am. Patchy fog after 8pm. Temperature rising to around 47 by 4am. East wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of a ..read more

By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review A decision to rename Monk Botanical Gardens has sparked enormous public outrage, with hundreds of people signing a petition that asks for reconsideration. Monk Botanical Gardens will become Wausau Botanic Gardens, according to a news release issued Friday. The petition to reverse that decision, launched by Kolton Heldt, garnered more than 360 signatures in a 24-hour span. Reaction to the name change was swift and severe on social media. More than 350 people posted comments on Wausau Pilot & Review’s Facebook page in response to the decision ..read more

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Damian Lillard underwent an MRI to determine the severity of his Achilles tendon injury, and the Milwaukee Bucks could be without the star guard for Game 4 of their playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, coach Doc Rivers said Saturday. Lillard greeted reporters as he strolled through an Indianapolis hotel wearing a walking boot on his right foot, but he did not take questions. Officially, Lillard and two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo are both listed as doubtful for Sunday. “We don’t know yet. Not looking great but we don’t know ..read more

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man has been convicted in the sexual assault and killing of a 20-month-old girl and abusing the child’s mother, who then was his girlfriend. Marshawn Giles booking photo. Courtesy of Dane County A jury on Friday found Marshawn Giles guilty of 15 charges including first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree child sexual assault resulting in great bodily harm and second-degree sexual assault. Giles had faced 18 criminal counts, but three were dropped. Authorities have said the toddler died in 2022 in Madison from blunt force injuries to her head, leaving her ..read more

By JIM HOEHN Associated Press MILWAUKEE (AP) — Carlos Rodón pitched two-hit, one-run ball through six innings and the New York Yankees hit four home runs in a 15-3 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night. Alex Verdugo had a three-run homer in the first inning. Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo added two-run shots in the sixth that put New York up 11-1. It was Judge’s fifth homer of the season and Rizzo’s fourth. Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer, his sixth, in the ninth off infielder Owen Weaver, who pitched the final two innings. Rodón (2-1) allowed a solo homer in the first to Rhy ..read more