Wisconsin

Rodriguez dominant on the mound in debut with Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Published

10 months ago

April 5, 2025

Rodriguez dominant on the mound in debut with Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

GRAND CHUTE − One couldn’t help but think a couple years down the road about what Manuel Rodriguez will look like in the Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation if he continues to pitch like he did in Friday night’s Midwest League season opener.

Rodriguez, who is just 19 years old, turned in a sparkling performance for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in a season-opening 4-1 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Neuroscience Group Field.

He struck out the side in the first inning on 13 pitches, struck out two more in the second, three in the third, two in the fourth and the one batter he faced in the fifth inning.

“The kid is pretty good,” Timber Rattlers manager Victor Estevez said. “The ball was cutting pretty good. He was getting a lot of swing-and-misses.

“He was able to strike out 11 guys in his Wisconsin debut. That was outstanding to see.”

Rodriguez did all that on 62 pitches.

“I want to thank God for helping me today,” Rodriguez said through an interpreter. “I felt a little nervous in the first inning but I got through it quick and settled in after that.”

Matt Wood, who was behind the plate catching Rodriguez, was impressed.

“It was unbelievable,” Wood said. “It’s like he placed the ball where he wanted it every single time. It’s really impressive for his age.

“He and I had a really good connection. We were on the same page, so it was a lot of fun.”

While those with scorebooks may have noticed Rodriguez’s strikeout total building, he didn’t.

“I was just trying to follow the game plan,” Rodriguez said. “I was trying not to pay attention to that.”

Rodriguez and Wood stuck to the game plan of staying away from the hot zones of the Cedar Rapids hitters and putting his pitches in areas where he would have success.

The lone run allowed by Rodriguez came in the fourth inning on a pair of walks and a single to right field by Billy Amick that scored Kyle DeBarge.

Rodriguez wasn’t the only pitcher adding to Wisconsin’s strikeout total.

Brian Fitzpatrick, who allowed three runs over two innings, struck out two, and Aiden Maldonado struck out three to bring the total to 17.

The only real rough patch for the Timber Rattlers pitchers was Fitzpatrick’s second inning of work where there were two singles, a walk, a double and a pair of errors.

Offensively, it wasn’t a great game for Wisconsin, which finished with five hits.

The Rattlers loaded the bases with one out in the first inning on singles by Yophery Rodriguez and Blake Burke and a walk to Wood but couldn’t score.

From then until the ninth inning, the Rattlers had only four base runners on three walks and an error.

In the ninth inning, they plated a run on singles by Wood, Juan Baez and Tayden Hall.

Cedar Rapids pitcher Charlee Soto, who is the Minnesota Twins’ eighth-ranked prospect, was in the upper 90s and hit triple digits with his fastball on a few occasions.

“He had some good velocity and his secondary stuff is pretty good, too,” Wood said. “You just had to get in the box and compete.”

Soto allowed two hits and three walks while striking out five over four innings.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell doesn’t get his customary annual extension. AD says it was the coach’s call

Published

9 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell doesn’t get his customary annual extension. AD says it was the coach’s call

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell isn’t receiving the one-year contract extension that Badgers coaches typically receive on an annual basis.

The lack of an extension comes after Wisconsin went 4-8 last fall for its second consecutive losing season. Fickell’s contract still runs through the 2031 season.

Athletic director Chris McIntosh said Wednesday the decision was made at Fickell’s request. Fickell has gone 17-21 at Wisconsin after posting a 57-18 record in six seasons at Cincinnati.

“In December, shortly after the 2025 season ended, Luke Fickell requested that I not put forward a contract extension for consideration this year,” McIntosh said in a statement. “I respect his request and determined that the current terms of Luke’s contract will be maintained. Luke is completely focused on a successful 2026 campaign. There is no one more competitive than Luke, and he holds himself to the highest standards. He is committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of everyone connected to Wisconsin — his own, the team’s, the University’s, alumni, supporters, fans, and the entire state.

“He continues to have our full support and, as we shared widely at the end of last year, Luke is making the necessary changes in the program, our Department is increasing our investment and we are aligned with campus leadership in our commitment to football success.”

The Wisconsin State Journal first reported that Fickell wasn’t receiving an extension.

Fickell originally agreed to a seven-year contract paying him an average of $7.8 million per year when Wisconsin hired him away from Cincinnati in December 2022. He had received a one-year extension following each of his first two years, including after the Badgers went 5-7 in 2024 to end a string of 22 consecutive winning seasons.

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Wisconsin

Florida man sentenced in Wisconsin for selling fake Indigenous jewelry

Published

21 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Press Room

Florida man sentenced in Wisconsin for selling fake Indigenous jewelry

A Florida man has been sentenced in Wisconsin to three years of probation and to pay a $25,000 fine for selling fake Native American jewelry across the country.

Investigators with U.S. Fish and Wildlife said Jose Farinango Muenala, 47, of Casselberry, Florida, had attended dozens of art shows as a vendor in the U.S. since 2012, including the 2023 Loon Day Festival in Mercer, Wisconsin, posing as a Pueblo tribal member.

Prosecutors said he told customers the jewelry he sold was handmade by himself or other Pueblo members. It was actually mass produced and imported from the Philippines. Muenala made nearly 41,000 sales, which grossed more than $2.6 million.

The Indian Arts and Crafts Board starting receiving complaints about Muenala’s Southwest Expressions business misrepresenting the jewelry in 2023. That led to an investigation.

Muenala was arrested in 2024 for violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, a truth-in-marketing law.

“The Act is intended to rid the Indian arts and crafts marketplace of fakes to protect economic livelihoods and cultural heritage of Indian artists, craftspeople and their tribes, as well as the buying public,” said Meridith Stanton, director of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, in a statement. “Authentic Indian art and craftwork is an important tool for passing down cultural traditions, traditional knowledge and artistic skills from one generation to the next.”

Muenala was prosecuted by the Department of Justice’s Western District of Wisconsin. He was sentenced Jan. 28.

“This kind of thing does incredible harm,” said Karen Ann Hoffman, a renowned Oneida Nation beadwork artist from Wisconsin. “I’m glad to see every effort made to protect and preserve our authentic Native art and artists.”

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Wisconsin

Supplements have led to 12 salmonella cases, 2 hospitalizations in Wisconsin, FDA says

Published

1 day ago

February 3, 2026

Press Room

Supplements have led to 12 salmonella cases, 2 hospitalizations in Wisconsin, FDA says

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded a recall of superfood supplements that has already sickened dozens of people nationwide, with Wisconsin logging the highest number of cases.

As of Jan. 29, the two recalled dietary supplements have been linked to salmonella infections in 65 people across 28 states, according to the FDA. The recall was initially only issued for a dietary supplement powder by the brand Live It Up, but the FDA added capsules from the brand Why Not Natural last week.

The first Wisconsin resident to become ill reported symptoms starting Oct. 1, 2025, according to a Jan. 15 news release from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Here’s what to know about the recall, including what to do if you’ve purchased the products:

Which products are being recalled?

The following products are being recalled, per the FDA:

Live it Up-brand Super Greens dietary supplement powder with lot numbers beginning with “A,” including both original and wild berry flavors. All stick pack products with 08/2026 to 01/2028 have also been recalled.
Why Not Natural Pure Organic Moringa Green Superfood capsules with lot number A25G051 and an expiration date of 07/2028 marked on the bottom of the bottle. The product comes in 120-capsule bottles.

Both products were sold nationwide, primarily online through their company websites, as well as through Amazon, eBay and Walmart.

How many people have gotten sick in Wisconsin?

As of Feb. 2, Wisconsin has 12 cases linked to the outbreak, including two hospitalizations, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Wisconsin is the only state to report more than five cases, per the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions.

Nationwide, there have been 14 hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported.

What to do if you purchased recalled supplements

Here’s what you should do if you own any of the recalled products, according to the Wisconsin DHS:

Do not consume the product, and throw it away or return it.
Use hot soapy water or a dishwasher to wash any items and surfaces that may have come into the contact with the product.
If you have consumed either of the products and are experiencing severe symptoms of salmonella infection, contact your heath care provider.

Symptoms of salmonella

Symptoms of salmonella usually start between 12 to 72 hours after swallowing the contaminated food, typically presenting as diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, according to the FDA.

Most people will recover without treatment after four to seven days, but some are at increased risk of severe symptoms and hospitalization. This includes people with weakened immune systems, children younger than 5 years old and adults 65 or older.

Per the Wisconsin DHS, severe symptoms include:

Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees
Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
Bloody diarrhea
Vomiting to the point you cannot keep liquids down
Signs of dehydration, including dizziness, less peeing, and dry mouth and throat

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