Wisconsin

Wisconsin Average Indemnity Benefit Up, Disability Duration Still Short: WCRI

Published

2 years ago

May 30, 2024

Wisconsin Average Indemnity Benefit Up, Disability Duration Still Short: WCRI

Wisconsin’s average indemnity benefit per claim grew nearly 10% in 2022, fueled by large growth in the average duration of temporary disability per claim, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Nevertheless, the duration of temporary disability per claim in Wisconsin was tied with Iowa for the lowest of the 17 states in WCRI’s study.

“Wisconsin’s growth in indemnity was driven by growth in metrics like wages, but mostly by the duration of temporary disability,” said Sebastian Negrusa, vice president of research of WCRI. “Duration of temporary disability in Wisconsin grew by almost an entire week, but the average duration of disability in the state remained shorter than in most states — reigning in indemnity costs.”

Illinois Indemnity Benefits Per Claim Rose in 2022

WCRI defines indemnity benefits as mainly benefits for temporary disability (total and partial), permanent partial disability benefits and benefits paid in the form of a lump-sum settlement. All lump-sum settlement payments (indemnity and medical) are reported as indemnity payments.

The institute’s study covered injury dates between 2017 and 2022 and payments through the end of March 2023. It found that indemnity benefits per claim in Wisconsin were $12,658 per claim.

“Comparing Wisconsin and other Midwest states shows that the average indemnity benefit per claim was slightly lower than those in Indiana and Michigan, but substantially lower than in Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota,” the report said, noting that all Midwest states have different benefit structures and system features related to temporary total and permanent partial disability benefits.

‘Dirty Dozen’ Unsafe Employers Putting Workers At Risk

System features designed to encourage a faster return to work for workers are the main reason for lower indemnity benefits in Wisconsin, the study said. Other states included in the study are Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

WCRI’s study also found that higher prices paid compared to the typical study state kept Wisconsin’s medical payments per claim among the highest of the study states. The report, titled “CompScope™ Benchmarks for Wisconsin, 24th Edition,” was authored by Evelina Radeva.

Visit the WCRI website to access the full report.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin warns of “sextortion,” online crimes against kids

Published

3 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin warns of “sextortion,” online crimes against kids

MILWAUKEE – The FBI calls it an online crime against kids – perpetrators convincing kids to send sexual images of themselves and then blackmailing them.

Online crime against kids

The backstory:

The reality is settling in. This will be Brittney Bird’s first Christmas without her son, Bradyn Bohn, since he was born. That is because just nine months ago, the 15-year-old died by suicide, just hours after telling his family good night.

“This winter has been pretty heavy,” Bird said. “This will be a lot of first this year.”

Bird said Bradyn was the kind of kid who would always try to make you launch. The teen had a lot of friends, played sports, did well academically, and had big plans for the future.

“Definitely a kid who we were just so proud of,” Bird said. “Bradyn never struggled with or suffered from mental illness or depression or anything of that nature so immediately we knew, you know something’s wrong.”

Once police went through Bradyn’s phone, she said it came out he was the victim of the cyber crime, sextortion.

What is sextortion?

What we know:

“Sextortion is a form of online child exploitation where a child is coerced by a perpetrator to send compromising images,” said Jesse Crowe from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

This week, the Wisconsin Department of Justice sent out a public service announcement on sextortion.

Officials say suspects often pose as someone else online. While exchanging messages, they convince a child to send images of themselves. Once they have explicit images of the child, they use the photos or videos to blackmail the child into sending even more images, money or ask for sexual favors.

FBI data, change in Wisconsin law

Dig deeper:

The FBI said victims are typically males between the ages of 14 and 17, but any child can be a target.

This crime led to at least 20 suicides between October 2021 and March 2023.

In the months after Bradyn’s death, change would come to Wisconsin. Earlier in December, Gov. Tony Evers signed Bradyn’s Law. It creates a new crime of sexual extortion in Wisconsin. It aims to ensure harsh penalties for those who exploit children online.

“It will bring, hopefully statewide, eventually nationwide attention to where every family is having this conversation with their kids,” Bird told FOX6 News.

Take action

What you can do:

The Department of Justice said the best thing to do if a child finds themselves in this situation is the following:

Block the perpetrator
Report the account, but do not delete the messages
Tell a trusted adult
Do not send any money

Resources available

The Source: Information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews

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Wisconsin

Trump names Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 federal holidays. What does that mean for Wisconsin?

Published

15 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Trump names Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 federal holidays. What does that mean for Wisconsin?

President Donald Trump declared Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 to be federal holidays this year.

The Dec. 18 executive order deems the days as work holidays for all federal departments and agencies, but adds some of them will remain open. Certain offices may stay open on one or both days for “national security, defense, or other public need,” the order reads.

But, what does this mean for other federal workers and services?

Here’s what to know in Wisconsin:

Are Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 official federal holidays?

Even though Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 have been declared federal holidays in 2025, they are not permanent additions to the holiday schedule.

Legislation must be passed by Congress and then signed into law by the president for a federal holiday declaration to be official.

Who gets Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 off in Wisconsin?

Only federal agencies are set to be closed on Christmas Eve and Dec. 26, according to USA TODAY.

Since these two days have not been designated permanent federal holidays, many businesses that follow the schedule will likely not give their employees a last-minute extended Christmas break.

Wisconsin state government and Milwaukee city offices are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but will be open on Dec. 26.

Will mail still be delivered on Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 in Wisconsin?

Yes. The U.S. Postal Service will deliver mail and post office locations will remain open on Christmas Eve and Dec. 26, according to its website. Mail will not be delivered and locations will be closed on Christmas.

Will banks be open on Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 in Wisconsin?

Yes. Banks will follow the typical schedule of being open on Christmas Eve and Dec. 26, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. Banks will be closed on Christmas.

Mary Walrath-Holdridge of USA TODAY contributed to this report.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Dec. 21, 2025

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Dec. 21, 2025

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 21, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Midday: 0-7-9

Evening: 4-2-5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Midday: 9-7-3-0

Evening: 7-7-5-4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Midday: 03-06-08-09-10-14-15-16-19-20-22

Evening: 02-05-07-12-13-14-15-16-20-21-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

03-08-19-25-28

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

04-10-27-30-33-39, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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