Western Wisconsin is bracing for up to 20 inches of snow from this winter storm. There is a Winter Storm Warning for the WRDN Listening Area that runs from this afternoon til Thursday morning. Forecasters are warning of two rounds of snow. One that could drop as much as seven inches of snow today, and another that could drop as much as 19 more inches of snow tomorrow into Thursday. There will also be high winds with gusts of up to 45 miles per hour.
The City of Durand is purchasing a new front-end loader for the public works department. The new loader will cost $216,000 and the city will receive approximately $87,000 in trade-in value for the old loader for a total cost of $133,000. According to Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren, the city had expected to pay over $200,000 for a new loader even with the trade. The city had decided to delay the purchase of a new street snowblower to help cover the cost of the new front-end loader.
UW-Eau Claire is launching a new mental health initiative. The university says it is offering more mental health services to meet the demand for mental health services. A lot of it will be online, but the university says students can always choose to see someone in person. The new ULifeline is offered at all UW Campuses and was paid for by the state's coronavirus stimulus money.
An Eau Claire man faces 15 charges in connection with a string of catalytic converter thefts. WEAU TV reports that 33-year-old Brandon Gee is accused of felony bail jumping and multiple misdemeanor thefts in the case. Police allege that Gee has stolen at least 15 converters since the start of the year. He's already facing charges in multiple other cases in multiple counties and is now being held on a 10-thousand dollar cash bond. He'll be in court for formal charges on the theft cases on Tuesday.
Governor Ever's was in Eau Claire yesterday touting his proposed budget and how it would improve public health and safety. The Governor made the stop yesterday and met with members of the Eau Claire Fire Department and city officials to talk about the budget proposal which would send 20% of the state's sales tax revenue back to communities to fund fire ems and law enforcement. The proposal would over $5 million to Eau Claire alone. He said the cities would be allowed to decide how the new funding would be used for public health and safety.
A suspicious death of a child in La Crosse County is being investigated. According to the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department, on February 11th, first responders were called to a home in the town of Medary for an unresponsive child. First responders attempted life-saving measures, but 6yr old Alexavier Pedrin died. The cause of Pedrin's death is being investigated and an autopsy is scheduled.
Former Wisconsin Governor Tony Earl is reportedly not well. Governor Evers mentioned Earl's health during a visit with reporters yesterday in Eau Claire. The current governor says the former governor is 'seriously ill,' though he didn't have any more details. Earl was governor of Wisconsin from 1983 to 1987.
The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says the University of Wisconsin can pay for its own free tuition program. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos yesterday told the UW-Madison student newspaper that he doesn't see lawmakers agreeing to pay for tuition for some needy kids in Wisconsin. The UW announced its Tuition Promise Program last year, it promises free tuition for students from families making under 62 thousand dollars a year. Vos said all families in Wisconsin are struggling with inflation. He also said the university should look at private donations to cover the cost of the program, not taxpayer dollars.
It is time to vote again in Wisconsin. Today is the Primary Election Day for the April election. Voters could see a handful of local races on their ballots and will see the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court. Voters will narrow the field of four candidates for the high court down to two. The top two vote-getters will then face off again in April. In Spring Valley, voters will be voting on 2 referenda questions. The first is asking if the district is allowed to exceed revenue limits by $500,000 per year in 23-24 and 25-26 school years, and the second question is about spending $7.1 million for a school building and facility improvement project which includes a new track and field complex. The polls are open from 7 a.m. till 8 p.m.
The Minnesota House is advancing a bill that would crack down on catalytic converter thefts. The bill passed yesterday and would require detached catalytic converters to carry the vehicle identification number of the car where it originated. Police would be able to seize detached converters that don't have those markings. Precious metals in the part that are worth more than gold are fueling the increase in thefts.
A central Wisconsin is sentenced to life in prison for a 1984 murder. The Wisconsin Department of Justice announces in a release the Friday sentencing of 59-year-old John A. Sarver of Port Edwards, who was found guilty in November of the murder of 73-year-old Eleanore Roberts in the town of Saratoga. Sarver reportedly entered Roberts’ home, then beat and stabbed Roberts with scissors. The release says advanced DNA testing later showed Sarver’s DNA on evidence presented at trial. Sarver won’t be eligible for parole until he has served at least 20 years of his sentence.
It's a first for the Evers Administration this week. Senators will finally begin hearings on the governor's nominees for various boards and commissions. It's not exciting, but it is the first time in over four years that the Wisconsin Senate will begin the process to vote on the governor's people. This week's hearings are all for minor boards or commissions. There's still no word when the Senate will get to the governor's nominees to head state agencies.
The Minnesota House is sending a free school lunch bill to the state Senate. The 190-million dollar a year measure would expand free and reduced lunch to all students, regardless of family income. Governor Walz supports the bill and included the cost in his budget proposal for the next two years. If the measure passes, it could be in place for summer school and be fully implemented for the 2023-2024 school year.
The DFL-controlled legislature in Minnesota is making an effort to enact a red flag law. The Extreme Risk Protection Order would allow a judge to take firearms away from someone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others. The ERPO proposal has been met with strong Republican opposition at the Capitol, as well as from gun rights advocates. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota is also expressing concern with the red flag bill. The bill has cleared two committees in the House, but hasn't been heard in the Senate.
There's a plan to turn Milwaukee's old Air Reserve warehouse into a cargo hub. A group out of Texas is proposing the plan. They want to take the 288 thousand-square-foot warehouse that used to be home to the 440th Airlift Wing, and use it as a hub for packages. The planners say a Milwaukee cargo hub would be much cheaper and less congested than Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Mitchell Airport managers say the proposal is exciting, but it's a long way from becoming reality. City and state leaders would have to sign-off before anything can be done.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wants to know where the state's black bear dens are. The DNR is asking residents to report when they find black bear dens. It's part of the Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey, which aims to determine black bear reproduction rates and manage their population.
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