Posted Friday, August 17, 2012 --- 7:50 a.m.

Here is the latest Wisconsin news from The Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressman Paul Ryan's mentors have included some of the biggest conservative names of recent decades, including Jack Kemp and Bill Bennett. But the ideological roots of Mitt Romney's running mate sprouted from Ryan's small-town upbringing in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, his outlook and career were nurtured by a libertarian college professor and by a devotee of supply-side economics who's now a top aide to another rising Republican star, Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The CDC says Wisconsin has a rate of whooping cough cases that's 10 times the national average. The state's rate is the highest in the country, with nearly 51 cases reported for every 100,000 people. Public health officials say the nation is headed for its worse year for the highly contagious respiratory illness in more than five decades.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) -- People convicted of soliciting prostitutes in Eau Claire County will soon have the option of attending a "john school" to reduce their charges. Prosecutors say they hope the daylong program to teach people about the legal and physical risks of prostitution will help deter repeat offenders.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Old World Wisconsin is getting ready to host its last vintage baseball game of the season next weekend. The Eagle Diamonds will take on the Greenbush Dead Citys on August 25th. The teams play by 1860s rules.

Copyright 2012. The Associated Press.