No one was hurt in a house fire in Menomonie on Wednesday. According to the Menomonie Fire Department, firefighters were called to the home at Birch Terrace early Wednesday morning and found smoke and flames from all sides of the home. Four people were inside the home at the time of the fire but were able to evacuate safely. The cause of the fire is still unknown, and damage is estimated at $100,000.
Public Comments are being sought by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for a resurfacing project on Hwy 10 in Trempealeau County. The project would run from just west of Eleva to Osseo and would include resurfacing, widening paved shoulders and repairing or replacing culverts. Hwy 10 would not be closed during the project but instead, be reduced to a single lane. Comments are due by February 23.
Students at Cadott Elementary School had to be evacuated yesterday after a bomb threat was found on the wall in the girl's bathroom. After an extensive search, nothing was found. After an investigation, a juvenile student at the school admitted to writing the threat on the wall. Students were able to return to the building in time for regular dismissal.
Wisconsin no longer leads the country in farm bankruptcies, according to federal data. Wisconsin only had 10 Chapter 12 bankruptcy cases during the 2022 fiscal year. Dr. Paul Mitchell, University of Wisconsin – Madison, says the last two years have helped. Just a few years ago the third congressional district of Wisconsin led the nation in farm bankruptcies. The number of Wisconsin farm bankruptcies in 2022 represents a 72 percent decline from 2021.
Chippewa Falls is looking to make more parts of town off-limits for sex offenders. The city attorney is working on an update to Chippewa Falls' sex offender ordinance that would keep sex offenders from living near daycares and schools. The update may also require sex offenders to tell their neighbors. Alderman Heather Martell says Chippewa Falls' current sex offender rules are 'great,' she says they just need to be updated.
Are you feeling a little sick after visiting the library in Eau Claire? You're not alone. The library yesterday said it's gotten a number of reports of people coming down with a stomach bug after a visit to the library. The library is not saying just what the stomach bug is, but the description sounds a lot like the norovirus. Library managers are promising more cleaning to try and get rid of whatever is making people sick.
There are new vaccine rules for Wisconsin schools and daycares. The state's Department of Health Services announced the requirements yesterday. Starting this month, students must get a meningitis vaccine in the seventh grade, and get a booster by their senior year of high school. DHS is also moving the whooping cough vaccine from sixth grade to age 11. As for daycare centers, they can no longer take a parent's word about chicken pox cases and will need proof from a doctor or a vaccine. DHS says it 'highly recommends' a COVID shot for kids, but it is not requiring them this year.
We're going to learn more about the 2022 election in Wisconsin today. The Wisconsin Elections Commission is set to meet this morning. Commissioners are expected to talk about the Voting Equipment Audit and the Election Accessibility Audit. WEC has already said there were far fewer complaints about last November's election than the 2020 election. The Elections Commission is also expected to talk about a redesign for the state's absentee ballot envelopes.
The president of the UW System is trying to put the best face on a new free speech survey that says most students are afraid to speak their mind. President Jay Rothman yesterday said the survey, which was released yesterday, 'provides a foundation' for the university to 'evaluate critically' speech on campus. The survey says more than half of students said they don't feel comfortable sharing their opinions on controversial topics, even if they want to. It also says about a third of students said the university should dis-invite speakers if some students find the message offensive.
One of the conservative justices running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court says he's not going to offer his support if he loses the primary. Former Justice Dan Kelly said during a candidate forum this week that he can't endorse Judge Jennifer Dorow because he's not sure she's truly conservative. Kelly said he was 'burned' by his endorsement of Justice Brian Hagedorn two years ago, and doesn't want to be tricked again. Kelly and Dorow are running for the Supreme Court this spring. They'll face off in the primary later this month, along with two liberal judges. The top two vote-getters will then face off again in April.
A lot more people are going to buy Powerball tickets between now and Saturday night. Lottery officials say no one won last night's drawing, so the jackpot for Saturday will be at least 700 million dollars. The lump-sum cash option on that is 375 million. No one has won the Powerball jackpot since before Thanksgiving.
A new bill would require healthcare mergers to be approved by the Minnesota health commissioner. The legislation was motivated by a proposed merger between Sanford and Fairview health systems. Opponents of the merger say it would lead to an increase in healthcare costs or lead to the hospital or clinic closures. The merger is set to close on March 31st.
A postal carrier is accused of swiping checks in Dane County. The Dane County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday arrested 58-year-old Hans Hanson of Waunakee. Police say he's accused of stealing over 10 thousand dollars worth of checks. Hanson's paper route is in the same area where the sheriff's department has been receiving complaints from residents reporting checks being stolen from their mailboxes, in the northeastern portion of the county. Hanson is jailed on "numerous" counts of theft and forgery.
When January ended, so did opportunities to receive rent and utility assistance through the Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Since its inception in 2021, the program paid out more than half-billion dollar, going toward everything from rent to water and utility bills. The executive director of Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, Amber Duddy tells WKOW-TV in Madison the initiative made a difference for a lot of renters.
The Department of Workforce Development is reminding people who received unemployment payments last year to get their tax forms for 2022. D W D says those forms are now available online from the state's unemployment aid portal. Taxable income includes state benefits, but also federal pandemic payments as well. All of those will be wrapped up in the 1099 form you get. You can find out more online at D W D dot W I dot Gov
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is proposing increases in the costs consumers pay for fishing licenses, boat registrations, and park passes. DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen says the extra money is needed to build and repair infrastructure. The department is also requesting 265 million dollars out of the projected budget surplus to put toward infrastructure. Governor Walz says he's including about 110 million in this year's budget for, but officials say more is needed to protect the state's wildlife.
A shoeless burglar busted in Madison. Last weekend's dumping of snow helped Madison police track down a burglary suspect. Police say the 29 year old man broke into a home early Sunday morning. The residents awoke and he ran off. When cops got on the scene, they simply followed the tracks in the fresh snow, which led to the suspect...who, despite the snow and cold, wasn't wearing shoes. Police later found his shoes, stuck in the snow, near the scene of the crime.
Eau Claire has made one list of the best small towns in America. The folks at Thrillist yesterday put Eau Claire on the list along with Bloomington, Indiana, Hot Springs Arkansas, Bozeman, Montana, and others. Thrillist gives Eau Claire high marks for the local music scene, the homegrown beer, and of course the city's riverfront. Thrillist says visitors to the city, in the summer, must take advantage of what's going-on along the river.
No comments:
Post a Comment