U.N. slams Haitian hospitals for charging patients
12:31  p.m.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - The United Nations has warned that it will cut off shipments of free medicine beginning immediately to any Haitian hospitals that it finds are charging patients.

 When the catastrophic earthquake struck Jan. 12, authorities immediately decided to make all medical care free. More than 200 international medical relief groups have sent in teams to help, and millions of dollars of donated medicine has been flown in.

 U.N. officials told The Associated Press that about a dozen hospitals - both public and private - have begun charging patients for medicine. The officials said they could not immediately provide the names of the hospitals but said they were in several parts of the country, including Port-au-Prince.

Milwaukee farmer helps launch U.S. obesity campaign
12:30 p.m.

 WASHINGTON (AP) - Milwaukee urban farmer Will Allen is joining Michelle Obama as she launches a nationwide campaign to fight childhood obesity.

 The first lady says her Let’s Move campaign will encourage more physical activity for children and healthier food in schools.

 Allen was invited to share the stage with her today because he’s been vocal for years about the same issues.

 Allen is the founder and chief executive of Growing Power Inc. That’s a Milwaukee-based company that develops urban farming techniques and teaches young people how to grow food in poor, inner-city neighborhoods.

 He says we need to ask ourselves why we’re settling for poor food for our children. He says schools should be all about good foods, from the cafeteria to classroom lesson plans.

Federal officials review Toyota Corolla complaints
11:02 a.m.

 WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal safety officials say they will look into complaints from Toyota Corolla drivers about difficulty with the steering on their vehicles.

 The National Highway Traffic Safety Agency has received about 80 complaints from drivers of 2009 and 2010 Corollas. Many say their cars can wander when they drive on the highway, making it hard to stay in lanes.

 NHTSA says it will determine if a formal safety investigation is warranted. But agency officials also stress that it is standard procedure to review the tens of thousands of driver complaints they get every year on a wide range of vehicles.

 Toyota’s safety issues are under intense scrutiny due to recalls over gas pedal problems. The company also recalled some of its Prius hybrids last night.

State virtual schools close to capacity
10:24 a.m. 

 MADISON (AP) - An audit of Wisconsin’s virtual schools finds that they are nearing capacity.

 The Legislative Audit Bureau’s report released today shows there were 3,635 students as of September in the schools where most classes are offered over the Internet.

 State law caps enrollment at 5,250. The Audit Bureau says that limit will likely be reached in the near future, requiring the Legislature to revisit the cap.

 The audit also found that students in the virtual schools had higher median reading scores than other public school students, but their math scores were generally lower.

 More than 90 percent of parents and guardians who responded to an audit bureau survey about virtual schools said they were satisfied with the experience.

 For more on this story, pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Freeman.

Drunken man steals ambulance with patient inside
10:23 a.m.

 MADISON (AP) - Dane County authorities say a drunken man stole an ambulance from a ski area with the patient still inside.

 The Dane County Sheriff’s Department says Fitchrona emergency responders were treating a patient in the back of the ambulance at the Tyrol Basin Ski and Snowboard Area in Mt. Horeb on Monday night. A 24-year-old Illinois man got into the vehicle and drove it around the parking lot.

 Dane County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Elise Schaffer says police officers from Mt. Horeb stopped him but she didn’t have any information on how they did it. Dane County Sheriff’s deputies arrested the man.

 Mt. Horeb Police Chief Jeff Veloff didn’t immediately return a message.

Home invasion investigated in City of Pewaukee
9:21 a.m.

CITY OF PEWAUKEE - The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department responded to a burglary around 8:30 p.m. Monday on Meadowbrook Road.

The home owner reported that one of the three suspects allegedly held a gun to his face and the suspects tool several televisions, according to a news release. 

For more on this story, pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Freeman

Congressional panel prepares hearing on Asian carp
8:43 a.m. 

 WASHINGTON, D.C. - A congressional panel is preparing to hear from Obama administration officials about their plan for protecting the Great Lakes from Asian carp.

 The House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment has scheduled a hearing on the plan for Tuesday in Washington.

 Administration officials said Monday they will spend $78.5 million and take more than two dozen steps to keep the invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes, where scientists believe they could devastate the fishing industry.

 Federal officials are resisting a demand from Michigan and five other states to close shipping locks on Chicago waterways that could provide a doorway to Lake Michigan for the carp.

 But the government says it will consider keeping the locks open less frequently and poisoning nearby waters when they’re open.  

U.S. Army tightens noose in southern Afghanistan
8:41 a.m.

 NEAR LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (AP) - U.S. Army soldiers have launched a major operation in support of a planned U.S.-Afghan attack on the largest Taliban-controlled town in southern Afghanistan.

 About 400 U.S. troops from the 5th Stryker Brigade as well as 250 Afghan soldiers and their 30 Canadian trainers moved into positions northeast of Taliban-controlled Marjah.

 There are no reports of casualties. Large plumes of smoke could be seen in the area and reporters traveling with the U.S. unit could hear the distant rattle of 50-caliber machine gun fire and detonations from MK-19s, which fire 40 millimeter grenades from Stryker vehicles.

 U.S. officials have not said when the main attack on Marjah will take place.