Third District Congressman-Elect Derrick Van Orden wants a seat on the House Agriculture Committee . Van Orden said “I've committed to staying on the Agriculture Committee for my entire time in Congress. And if that's two years or four years or whatever it is I don't know, but I really mean what I say. We're an agricultural state.” Van Orden defeated state Senator Brad Pfaff in November after congressman Ron Kind announced he wasn’t seeking reelection.
Governor Tony Evers is awarding some local organizations grant money to help improve the services they offer to the community. The Pepin County Housing Authority is receiving a $50,000 grant for sidewalk and concrete replacement, while Osseo Housing is receiving a $50,000 grant for fire alarm replacement. The grants are through the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, or WHEDA. It was announced Tuesday that 54 organizations will receive $2 million in grants to provide emergency shelter, transitional residences, and extremely low-income housing.
Pepin County will receive just over $1600 from the State of Wisconsin for the replacement of a vehicle for rural transit. The award was announced yesterday and is part of more than $5 million under the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program.
The Durand City Council is meeting tonight. The council will be wrapping up any final bills or items for the year along with reports from the mayor and department heads. Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall.
A young woman from the Chippewa Valley who's serving a life sentence for stabbing a man to death back in 2018 wants a new trial. Ezra McCandless' lawyers this week filed a motion for a new trial, ticking off a laundry list of things they said were problematic with her first case. A jury in Dunn County convicted McCandless of stabbing her boyfriend, 24-year-old Alex Woodworth, to death during a fight four years ago. She's serving a life sentence but can ask for parole in 2070. McCandless claims she killed her boyfriend in self-defense.
It's another sign of getting past the coronavirus. The city of Eau Claire yesterday said room tax collections for last year jumped 17 percent from the year before. The city took-in two-point-two million dollars in room tax money in 2021. That's far better than in 2020 when fewer people came to Eau Claire. The city says the two-point-two million is even better than the last pre-pandemic total of two million dollars in room taxes back in 2019.
A Fort Worth, TX man is facing charges after being accused of firing shots from a suspected handgun in the City of La Crosse on Christmas Day. 33-year-old Luke Springer is facing charges of second-degree recklessly endangering safety, possession of a firearm while intoxicated, obstructing an officer, and disorderly conduct. According to authorities, officers responded to Avon Street and Clinton Street in the City of La Crosse for possible shots fired. Upon arrival, it was determined that Springer was involved in a verbal argument with two people about his driving behavior. After they confronted Springer, it was determined Springer then fired off two rounds from what was believed to be a handgun, directly behind the vehicle that belonged to the two people that they were sitting in. Shell casings were found on the scene. Springer was found next door and taken into custody
Governor Tony Evers has found his next DNR Secretary. Evers named Sheboygan County Administrator Adam Payne to the position on Tuesday. He'll be set to take over leadership as of January 3rd. In a statement, Evers says Payne has a long history of conservation and led the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, and worked in the farmland preservation program at the state ag department. Former secretary Preston Cole stepped down in November. It's unclear if or when Payne will be confirmed. Numerous appointed positions in the last Evers administration were left unconfirmed by Republicans.
Things didn't get better for flyers in Minneapolis and Milwaukee yesterday. Mitchell Airport saw another 17 flights delayed yesterday, that's about 15 percent of all flights out of the airport. Once again it was Southwest that canceled the most flights. The airline continues to struggle to get people across the country. FlightAware, which tracks cancellations and delays, says Southwest canceled over 25 hundred flights yesterday. There's no word when Southwest will get back on track, but the company has said it could be the weekend before flyers in Minneapolis and Milwaukee can get on new flights.
Minnesota Governor Walz is proposing a plan to fight fraud following the Feeding Our Future scandal. Walz announced yesterday that he wants to add an inspector general to the Minnesota Department of Education. He is also proposing higher spending on grant oversight, audits, and fraud investigation. The plan is the governor's first detailed response to one of the largest federal fraud cases in Minnesota history.
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Dozens of agencies that provide transportation in rural areas for seniors and people with disabilities will benefit from state and federal funding awarded today. Governor Tony Evers says more than five million dollars will provide grants to strengthen Wisconsin's network of support by improving the mobility of seniors and those with disabilities. Agencies can put the funding towards operating budgets, the purchase of human service vehicles, and mobility managers.
Police agencies around Wisconsin are reminding residents to be careful disposing of boxes and other gift packaging in the trash. Thieves are scoping out dumpsters and curbsides to see what electronics and items worth stealing Santa may have delivered. Video game and game console boxes should be flattened and stacked for easier disposal. Don't leave boxes by a recycling bin but wait until recycle collection day to put them out.
An investigation continues into the disappearance and death of a Stillwater man. The body of 20-year-old George Musser was found Christmas night in Baytown Township. He was last seen the night before at Brian's Bar in downtown Stillwater. A candlelight vigil was held for Musser on Monday night in front of Lift Bridge, just a few hundred feet from the bar. A spokesperson for the family says they're working on a date and time for the funeral.
The University of Minnesota is adding a new undergraduate major in public health. It is expected to be available this fall. The new program will provide students with the skills to understand public health challenges and implement prevention strategies. The hope is that the major will prepare a larger and more diverse group of students to help fill open positions.
A self-initiated foot race will promote tree health around the state. The Wisconsin DNR’s “Happy Little 5-K” allows its participants to pick their start and finish lines and competing against partners on an outdoor course anytime from April 22nd through April 28th, which are the dates for Earth Day and Arbor Day. A $34 registration fee will fund tree planting and forest health on Wisconsin-owned land. There’s more information on the event in the news section of the DNR website. The name for “The Happy Little 5-K” is inspired by painter and TV host Bob Ross, who was known for adding “…some happy little trees" to his works on his “Joy Of Painting” TV program.
A Fond du Lac woman will become the new Miss Wisconsin. Kylene Spanbauer will succeed Grace Stanke as the state title holder after Stanke was crowned the 2023 Miss America earlier this month. Spanbauer was the first runner-up to Stanke in the Miss Wisconsin pageant in June. A news release says as Miss Wisconsin, Spanbauer will be getting the message out about her social impact initiative "No Means No: Sexual Assault Education." Spanbauer and Stanke will appear together in the state sometime in February or March at the yet-to-be-scheduled Miss America 2023 Homecoming.
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