Glad You Asked: What happened to the radio station 104.7 The Wolf?; Whatever happened to Milton Morris?

By Chris Bennett

Tuesday, October 11, 2005 2:04 AM CDT

What happened to 104.7 The Wolf? The station seems to have disappeared. Is it coming back, and when? It did disappear, and it's not coming back.

We first ran this answer on Sept. 18, but the question's been asked several times in the ensuing weeks. Not all of you might have seen it, though, and it does make one wonder what happened when the spot on the dial once occupied by a country and western station is now broadcasting in Spanish.

Tune to WEXT - 104.7 on your FM dial - right now, but not unless you speak Spanish. The Wolf is now LaGranD, and will cater to metro Milwaukee's Hispanics and Latinos.

LaGranD started broadcasting on Sept. 16. 95.1 WIIL was simulcast on 104.7 from Sept.14-16 as personnel prepared for the change.

"NextMedia has been wanting to get into the Hispanic market for some time," Kira LaFond said. LaFond is the general manager at 95.1 WIIL and oversees all of NextMedia's Milwaukee-area stations, including LaGranD. "They did research and looked at the Milwaukee market and saw this giant hole."

To the best of anyone's knowledge, LaGranD is the Milwaukee area's first Spanish-speaking station.

"We know there are very sad Wolf listeners out there, and we are very sad, too, but this was the best place to do it," said LaFond.

The Wolf, on the air since 2004, shook up country radio in this area when it reminded listeners that Shania Twain and Garth Brooks didn't invent the genre, and played music from real country stars like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dollie Parton and more.

The Wolf's extinction leaves the Milwaukee area with two country stations: FM 106.1 (WMIL) and FM 92.5 (WBWI), a small station out of West Bend that might be hard to tune in.

You might be able to tune in Chicago's 99.5, WUSN. And those of you in western Racine County might be able to pick up FM 99.9 (WJVL) out of Janesville.

And those of you in western Racine County, particularly Burlington, are missing a wonderful radio experience if you're not listening to FM 89.1 WBSD, the Burlington Area School District's radio station run by students at Burlington High School. Check it out.

Whatever happened to Milton Morris? Milton Morris, the former Director of Transportation for SC Johnson, was fired in October 2004 after SC Johnson discovered Morris ran an extensive corruption and racketeering scheme.

SC Johnson filed a lawsuit against Morris and Katherine M. Scheller in October 2004. Scheller joined SC Johnson's Transportation Department in June 1999 as import/export services manager and reported to Morris. The suit says the two had an "ongoing and long-standing personal relationship."

The lawsuit is set to be heard in court starting in August 2006.

Morris worked as SC Johnson's Director of Transportation from 1988 until his firing. The lawsuit says the corruption was under way by at least 1998 and lasted until Morris was fired last Oct. 18.

Morris is alleged to have channeled millions of dollars in transportation jobs to several companies in exchange for bribes of cash, gifts and trips.

In return, he became wealthy, according to the lawsuit. An ongoing investigation by the company indicated that Morris deposited more than $1.2 million, beyond his SC Johnson salary, into various bank accounts over the years of the scheme. He also reportedly had large amounts of cash in safe deposit boxes, as well as accepting lavish travel and expensive jewelry.

In exchange for bribes and kickbacks, SC Johnson contends, Morris steered more and more business to his partners in the trucking industry. The Racine-based consumer products company contends Morris cost SC Johnson tens of millions of dollars in unwarranted trucking costs.

Morris is also under federal investigation, along with Scheller, whose address is listed in the lawsuit as 2618 Main St. The pair, both from the Racine area, are being investigated on suspicion of mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

Glad You Asked finds answers to questions. Selected questions and their answers will be published in this column.

Call (262) 631-1758 to submit a question, or do so by e-mail: ask@journaltimes.com You may also submit questions online at: http://www.journaltimes.com

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