Because of the weather, the Durand-Arkansaw School District told parents Tuesday night that they should be prepared for an early release of students today and no school tomorrow. The District will determine the best time to send students home before the worst of the storm today. All after-school activities will be canceled today and tomorrow.
The National Weather Service has a Winter Storm Warning posted for the western third of the state that begins today and runs until tomorrow morning. Forecasters expect 5-7 inches of snow, gusty winds, freezing temperatures, and blizzard-like conditions for some people. The Weather Service is also warning of possible power outages and is telling people not to travel unless they have to during the worst of the storm.
The Pepin County Board meeting is canceled for tonight. Board Chairman Tom Milliren called the meeting off on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Durand-Arkansaw School board is scheduled to meet tonight. Items on the agenda include action on entering into a joint agreement with Pepin County Human Services and Pepin Schools for a school-based social worker and reports from Superintendent Doverspike and building administrators. Tonight's meeting is scheduled for 6pm at the board room at Durand High School.
This week's snowstorm could lead to more power outages in Wisconsin, especially near Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, and Menomonie. Xcel Energy says trees already weighted down with ice and snow from the last storm could fall, bringing down power lines. The power lines themselves could also be damaged by heavy snow and high winds expected with the storm.
Call it a benefit of the snowstorm. UW-Eau Claire is canceling in-person finals because of the winter weather. Students were supposed to wrap up exams today and tomorrow, but the school yesterday said that won't happen. The university said it is allowing everyone to work from home today and is closing campus tomorrow because of the heavy snow that's expected in Eau Claire. It's not clear just when students will finish their finals. UW-Eau Claire is scheduled to be on winter break until January.
Officials with Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport are urging passengers to be flexible and patient with their travel plans. A weather system bringing heavy snow, white-out conditions, and bitter cold is hitting the state today and will last through Friday. Conditions will likely mean flight delays and cancellations. Airlines are asking passengers to check their flight status before coming to the airport. Today and tomorrow are the busiest travel days of the December holiday season.
The two people charged with killing, decapitating, and then trying to hide an Altoona man's body continue to march toward trial. Brandon A. Gaston, who is from Rockford, Illinois and Tracey Clark, who is from Eau Claire were both in Eau Claire County court yesterday. They pleaded not guilty to homicide and hiding a corpse charges. Investigators say the two killed 79-year-old Dennis Schattie last April. It's unclear though if he was killed here in Wisconsin, or down in Illinois where his body was found.
The top Democrat in the Wisconsin Assembly knows her job is to vote No. Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer told a Madison TV station yesterday that her job is to protect Governor Evers' vetoes. Democrats are in the minority in the legislature but have enough votes to stop Republicans from overriding the governor. Outside of that, Neubauer said the Democratic priorities are to spend more on public schools and spend more on local governments. Neubauer said her goal is to 'promote a visionary inclusive policy agenda that really demonstrates how government can and must be a force for good in Wisconsin.'
Wisconsin is reporting the first flu death in children this season. The state's Department of Health Services reported the death yesterday. There are no details about the child, including its age. DHS says, nationally, there have been 30 children killed by the flu this season. Public health managers say, everyone, including children, should get a flu shot this year.
It's another sign of the season. Wisconsin's frozen road law takes effect for the northern half of the state. The frozen road law allows some trucks hauling heavy loads to carry even heavier loads. It helps with salt trucks, and it helps trucks hauling trees out of the Northwoods. Wis-DOT says it will make the call about other areas of the state once the roads there freeze some more.
Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter isn't being considered for leniency or a pardon. Potter's name wasn't on the list when the Minnesota Board of Pardons considered 40 cases this week. Potter was convicted of manslaughter in the deadly shooting of Daunte Wright in April 2021. The pardon board's staff rejected her plea to have her sentence reduced, saying the case was undeserving. She is serving a 24-month sentence and must finish 18 months of it in prison. She is set to leave prison in April.
The Minnesota State Patrol says drivers shouldn't risk getting caught in the upcoming storm. The agency tweeted that road conditions will be dangerous in most parts of the state as snow begins to fall on Wednesday. Forecasters expect strong winds and blowing snow to pick up Thursday through Friday, which will make for even more challenging road conditions. The Department of Transportation tweeted that drivers should slow down, make way for snowplows, and check their website hitting the road.
A local government in Wisconsin is taking action against the Chinese social media app Tik Tok. Citing security concerns, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann (showman) announced on Monday that TikTok is prohibited on Washington County government devices. Schoemann said he discussed the issue with Wisconsin congressman Mike Gallagher, who has introduced legislation to ban Tik Tok in the US outright. The US Senate voted unanimously to ban the app from all US Government devices.
After Republican candidates for governor and attorney general lost, the new chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin promises a “deep dive” into what went wrong for the party in November. Brian Schimming said on WISN TV's UPFRONT program Sunday that he's (quote) insisting that we go as far as into the weeds as we can.” Brian Schimming was recently picked to lead the party as its first paid chair, putting it on par with the state Democratic party.
The University of St. Thomas has a new president. The school announced yesterday that Robert Vischer will replace Julie Sullivan, who left to become president of Santa Clara University last July. Earlier this year, he was named the interim president at St. Thomas. Vischer will officially start his new duties on January 1st.
A Minnesota-based company is vowing to stop using so-called "forever chemicals" by 2025. In a statement, 3M announced they're "committing to innovate toward a world less dependent upon PFAS." The company went on to explain that the chemicals can be safely made and are currently used in a wide range of products, including phones, cars, and batteries. However, they'll slowly phase out PFAS in an effort to eliminate their presence in the environment and meet shareholder expectations.
A Minnesota Boy Scout is giving back in a big way this holiday season. Twelve-year-old Jonathan Werner raised more than 56-thousand-dollars selling bags of flavored popcorn and pretzels this year. He told KARE 11 that his share was over eleven thousand dollars, and he used that money to buy 600 Christmas presents for children living in foster care and domestic violence shelters. Jonathan explained that it makes him happy to make others happy
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