A Wisconsin Dells man was sentenced Friday to serve 60 days in jail and four years of probation Friday for delivering marijuana to an undercover Wisconsin Dells police officer last year.

Nathan Beal, 31, was arrested July 12 and charged with delivery of marijuana, maintaining a drug trafficking place and delivery of drug paraphernalia. He pleaded no contest to the delivery charge Friday. As part of the plea agreement, the other charges were dismissed. He also was ordered to pay $539 in fines.

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Appearing without a lawyer, Jeanna Fandrich avoided prison at a court hearing Wednesday, closing the final legal door on a criminal case involving the deaths of her husband and two robbers at her rural Blanchardville home last year.

Fandrich, who has changed her last name to Jones, was placed on two years of probation by Lafayette County Circuit Court Judge William Johnston, who withheld sentencing and added a host of conditions, one of which limits her involvement in "romantic relationships."

Fandrich survived a drug-related break-in in March 2006 that left three men dead. One of the three was her husband, Brad, who committed suicide while under questioning from police for shooting and killing two men who had broken into the home. It was Jeanna Fandrich who made the call that alerted the Sheriff's Office to the shootings of the two men.

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Convicted drug dealers should not be eligible to receive student financial aid from the state, according to state Rep. Eugene Hahn, R-Cambria, who sponsored a bill being considered by the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities this week.

The bill, which mirrors a federal law on federal aid, would prevent a college student convicted of possessing drugs with the intent to sell ineligible for state, loan or work assistance. The restriction would be lifted after a two-year suspension or if the student completes a drug rehabilitation program.

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The intent of Madison voters, established by referendum three decades ago this spring, is that individuals should not be prosecuted for possessing small amounts of marijuana intended for personal use.

By and large, local officials respect that intent. Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard's office no longer files criminal charges against individuals possessing less than 25 grams of marijuana - - roughly an ounce. For the most part, local police officers understand that it is neither necessary nor practical to go after recreational or medical users of the substance.

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Last week marked the 30th anniversary of Madison's ordinance that legalized the possession of small amounts of pot or hash in a private residence. This rule conflicts with state and federal laws, but the Madison ordinance was influential in relaxing marijuana laws around the nation.

Hopefully, Wisconsin will legalize medical marijuana sometime soon, as roughly 80% of Wisconsin residents would like to see happen. But Rep. Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa), head of the Assembly Committee on Health and Health Care Reform, isn't so compassionate. "This is nothing more than a backdoor attempt to legalize marijuana, which is not going to happen on my watch," she told a Madison paper.

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Rolling Papers Are Drug Paraphernalia, They Say

Bruce Cameron never looked twice at the cognac- and strawberry-flavored rolling papers at corner store counters near his northwest Milwaukee home.

But after attending a community meeting at his local police station nearly a year ago, the Enderis Park homeowner decided that the sheets of pressed tobacco pulp, commonly called "blunt wraps," deserved his attention.

"I think the world's divided into those who know what these products are and those who don't," said Cameron, executive director of the Enderis Park Neighborhood Association.

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SPARTA, Wis. -- Parents of middle and high school students in Sparta may test their kids for drugs and alcohol at home under an agreement the district entered into with a national drug-testing company late last month. It allows parents to order testing kits anonymously from the company's Web site -- www.testmyteen.com -- and test their kids without the school district's knowledge.

The first 250 Sparta parents get the first kit free under an offer the company extends to districts that join. After that, the most common test costs $18.99 plus shipping and handling (about $9). Each kit is single-use. Parents in other districts may order testing kits, but they won't get the first kit free.

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Four liberal Dane County Board members are questioning the district attorney's decision to pursue a felony drug charge against a Madison man who declined a deal to plead guilty or no contest to misdemeanor marijuana possession.

In a letter to Democratic District Attorney Brian Blanchard, the board members note the county's top prosecutor recently raised concerns about budget constraints and asked county officials for more staff.

The letter - signed by Progressive Dane Sups. Ashok Kumar, Al Matano, Kyle Richmond and Barbara Vedder - criticizes Blanchard's office for filing a felony charge against a county resident who allegedly "handed a marijuana cigarette to a colleague during a demonstration in favor of relaxation of anti-marijuana law in Downtown Madison."

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MADISON - Thirty years ago, Madison was at the forefront of the effort to bring the nation's marijuana laws in line with growing public opinion that, among adults, smoking a joint is akin to drinking a beer.

But after three decades, Madison's historic ordinance permitting possession of small amounts of marijuana remains at odds with state and federal laws, putting city police in a difficult position.

And Madison advocates are still pushing for Wisconsin to join other states that have relaxed their laws against pot.

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Thirty years ago, Madison was at the forefront of the effort to bring the nation's marijuana laws in line with growing public opinion that, among adults, smoking a joint is akin to drinking a beer.

But after three decades, Madison's historic ordinance permitting possession of small amounts of marijuana remains at odds with state and federal laws, putting city police in a difficult position.

And Madison advocates are still pushing for Wisconsin to join other states that have relaxed their laws against pot.

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The trial for Robert Steed, accused of providing the heroin that killed Elise Schnitzler last spring, got under way Monday despite the adamant opposition of the defense, which insisted that a delay was needed.

Defense attorney Yolanda Lehner argued before jury selection began that she could not adequately represent Steed if the trial went ahead as scheduled this week, saying she has not had enough time to review all the evidence in the case. Steed also asked that the trial be delayed.

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School Officials To Host Forums, Research Civil Rights Implications And Talk To Police

CEDARBURG - Despite claims by a parent at last week's Cedarburg School Board meeting, district officials say they are nowhere near implementing a program to randomly test high school students for drugs.

Parent David Kukla said he "sensed that the administrators and participants have already reached a conclusion and are shopping for that outside testing firm."

But Cedarburg School Superintendent Daryl Herrick said this week the district is only at the point of collecting parent surveys designed to get input on the idea.

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A student was "officially" excused from school along with his classmates. The student moved off the school grounds and onto a public access sidewalk. As I see this, the school was not formally in session (for that student at that time) and the student was not on school property when he was approached by the principal.

As a result, the student was not formally a student at the time. Thus, the school had no jurisdiction over the child at that time. This seems to be a no-brainer.

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In a Sunday Forum column, Kenneth W. Starr states "illegal drugs and the glorification of the drug culture are profoundly serious problems for our nation."

It is legal for businesses to sell bongs because the intent is to inhale tobacco smoke. There is no direct reference to the use of illegal drugs on the banner "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." No matter what connection Starr made between "bong" and "marijuana," it is not a legal connection. I think Starr is playing with people's emotions and social awareness that drugs are bad.

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Dear Editor: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's plans to sign a state medical marijuana bill put him head and shoulders above the front-running candidates for U.S. president in 2008.

While most other candidates refuse to show any support for suffering patients who need medical cannabis today, Richardson has aligned himself with the overwhelming majority of Americans who believe the sick should have legal access if their doctors concur.

Madison

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APPLETON - U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen's son paid a $186 fine to avoid a Monday trial on a municipal drug paraphernalia offense.

Tommy J. Kagen, 21, was scheduled to appear for trial before Judge Joseph Troy in Outagamie County Circuit Court, but paid his ticket instead.

The trial cancellation was announced just before the case was to be called.

Kagen was fined on Nov. 8, just one day after his father won a hotly contested race for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Regarding your March 8 editorial, Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard clearly has his priorities in order. Prosecuting marijuana possession offenses is a senseless waste of scarce resources. The deterrent value of punitive marijuana laws is grossly overrated. The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future Study reports that lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the United States than any European country, yet America is one of the few Western countries that uses its criminal justice system to punish citizens who prefer marijuana to martinis.

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At the age of 19, I was arrested with marijuana and sent to prison. I was sentenced in 1998 to 3 1/2 years.

The possibility of an early release from that living hell so motivated me that I took on everything within my limited power to improve myself.

I began attending weekly groups that supported my recovery from drugs and alcohol. I had a full-time job in the prison's library.

I also petitioned to receive the requisite course materials from the UW-Extension so that I could work towards my bachelor's degree.

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First Amendment Case Sparks Unexpected Alliances

Banner Prompts First Big Free Speech Case In Years

The First Amendment has a way of inspiring unexpected alliances. A case the Supreme Court began debating Monday, Morse v. Frederick, is providing just that inspiration.

The case is one of the first substantial challenges to student free speech rights in more than 20 years, and it is one which both of our organizations -- the Center for Individual Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union -- consider vitally important.

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It's OK to push the envelope, provided something important is inside.

I'm not sure "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" qualifies. That's the wisdom one Alaskan high school student imparted on a banner during a field trip a few years ago, picking a fight that's now in the U.S. Supreme Court's lap.

I bet student protesters never expected their right to free speech would hang on a decision like this. How will the history books look back and summarize the landmark case of Messiah v. Munchies?

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