A major winter storm is possible throughout the region later this week. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the WRDN listening area beginning Wednesday at Noon, and running into Saturday morning. NWS reports snowfall over six inches and wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour could create blizzard conditions across much of western and southern Wisconsin. The timing of the storm could pose major issues for holiday travel.
With a winter storm in the forecast, those responsible for delivering your mail are asking the public for help. The United State Postal Service says homeowners and businesses need to keep pathways clear in order for carriers to bring your mail safely and on time. That includes keeping areas around your home clear of snow, ice, and other obstructions. The expected weather this week may cause deliveries to be delayed, but USPS hopes to have everything in mailboxes by Christmas Eve.
Utility officials across Wisconsin say more power outages are likely coming soon because of the strain the last storm put on powerlines. Crews from eight different states came to Wisconsin to repair outages across northwest Wisconsin. Xcel Energy officials say almost 60-thousand customers were without power at the peak of the last storm. Officials with Jump River Electric Cooperative say almost half of their members lost power. They remind residents to have emergency plans prepared in case of extended out
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Wisconsin Julie Lassa announced yesterday that USDA is investing $654,710 to expand access to housing and improve education infrastructure for underserved rural people who live and work in Wisconsin. The Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council Inc. will use a $120,000 Housing Preservation Grant to rehabilitate and repair 10 homes in Clark, Eau Claire, Buffalo, Trempealeau, and Jackson counties in Western Wisconsin. Six low-income and four very low-income households will be assisted.
The city of Eau Claire and other municipalities are opening sites where residents can bring their debris from the latest storms. Last week's storms knocked over trees and took down branches. In Eau Claire, the site is located at Green Waste Facility and it opened yesterday. It's located on Jeffers Road and will remain open until January 31st. The site is also where the city's Merry Mulch tree recycling program is located for residents to recycle their Christmas trees. Trees must be cleaned of all ornaments and decorations.
Snowmobilers in Western Wisconsin are among the most excited to see all this snow starting to pile up, but it’s going to be a little while yet before trails will be open. Trails in all of the WRDN Listening area are still closed as volunteers from snowmobile clubs work to clear trails of debris and get trails groomed. Snowmobilers can check the status of trails on the Travel Wisconsin website. Currently, only Polk County in Far Northwest Wisconsin has trails open.
Voters in the Village of Lake Hallie will be asked next year to consider exceeding the state tax levy to afford another full-time officer. The Lake Hallie Village Board last night also approved adding another referendum question next April to support the village's fire and rescue expenses and road improvement projects. Board members say the village is growing and calls for services have also increased.
A Waunakee woman is spending time behind bars in connection with a deadly Monroe County crash. A judge has sentenced 42-year-old Carrie Herbst to eight years in prison. Prosecutors say her blood alcohol level was over twice the legal limit when she entered I-94 the wrong way in October of last year, hitting another vehicle head-on, killing a 29-year-old man. In addition to the prison sentence, Herbst will spend another decade under extended supervision, according to court documents.
No one was hurt after a house fire in Tilden Sunday evening. According to the Tilden Fire Department, firefighters were called to a house fire located on 110th Street, behind Tilden Town Hall at 10:55 p.m. Sunday. The family was able to get out safely, and no injuries were reported. The fire is believed to have started in the basement. The cause of the fire is not yet identified but is believed to be electrical. The home is a total loss.
The City of Rhinelander thinks it's found its new administrator. The city is looking to hire Patrick Reagan, currently the village manager and village clerk for Lake Odessa, Michigan. Reagan would be taking the position in February of next year. The city has had a rough time holding onto administrators, with a history of contentious city councils and investigations of misconduct in office among top staff. Reagan would be the city's seventh administrator since 2015.
An Illinois man is accused of locking a woman in a Madison hotel room and refusing to let her leave. Police say they were called to the Concourse Hotel around 12:30 Friday morning where a woman claimed a man put her in a hotel room, hit her, and wouldn't let her out. Police say they were led to Nathan Doering who was arrested on several charges including false imprisonment. Police say the woman told them she met the man on a dating app and was visiting him at the hotel.
If you're thinking about buying a pet for a loved one for Christmas, you might want to reconsider. State Consumer Protection director Michael Domke says that while the impulse to do something cute and memorable for Christmas might be enticing, a pet is a long-term decision. Domke says if you are looking to add a furry friend to your family this holiday, take the time to get the family together and find a pet from the local shelter, rather than purchasing one.
Ten bald eagles are recovering after being poisoned at a landfill in Inver Grove Heights. The University of Minnesota Raptor Center explained that the birds got sick from eating euthanized animals, but it's unclear what type of animals. One eagle was also infected with the avian flu and died. However, ten are expected to make a full recovery. Some of them are still being treated for issues they developed while sedated, including pneumonia, lead poisoning, and soft tissue injuries.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources advises snowmobilers to take caution when riding on frozen bodies of water this winter. The agency points out that even if the ice on lakes or rivers seems stable, varying weather, fluctuating temperatures, and precipitation can create unsafe ice. The DNR suggests that snowmobilers not travel in unfamiliar areas, slow down when traveling at night, contact local sports shops to ask about ice conditions locally, wear proper clothing and equipment, and find out if the body of water you intend to travel on has inlets, outlets or narrows that have currents that can thin the ice.
Another fire happens Sunday afternoon at an abandoned Milwaukee mall that a judge ordered to be razed following several previous fires. A deputy chief for the Milwaukee Fire Department reported the small fire in one of the one-time planters at the old Northridge Mall was the fourth or fifth fire since summer there. In October, Milwaukee County Judge William Sosnay ordered the owner of the vacant mall to present plans to raze the property. The mall’s owner, Black Spruce, did not meet the judge’s mid-November deadline to tear the property down, and an appeal of the judge’s decision was turned down. Black Spruce is being fined $2,000 per day for not securing the property, and they also have outstanding tax bills for the properties totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Wisconsin ranks among the states with the most "Christmas Spirit." A recent survey by the telecommunications firm, Century-Link, ranks the Badger State second only to New Hampshire when it comes to holiday excitement. The survey looked at Christmas-themed online activity and certain Christmas-related cultural markers, such as the number of Christmas tree farms.
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