The new wastewater treatment plant in Mondovi is nearing completion. During this week's council meeting members received an update on the project. The plant will start a limited operation late this month for testing before receiving its wastewater discharge permit from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. It is hoped by the end of April the plant will be fully operational and the city is looking at having an open house sometime in June.
Low-income families that own a home in the City of Durand are reminded to look into the CDBG Housing Program. During last week's council meeting Renee Swensen from Cedar Corp gave a presentation of the program to council members. The program offers loans to low-income homeowners for home repairs with no repayment until the home is sold. For more information on the program contact Durand City Hall.
One Chippewa Falls city councilman is stepping down because he bought a new house. City Councilman Christopher Gilliam recently moved out of his Third District area, and has given-up his seat. His resignation comes about three weeks before voters were likely to re-elect him to another term on the city council. He is the only person on the April ballot for the Third District, and he will stay on the ballot. Chippewa Falls Mayor Greg Hoffman says it's sad to see Gilliam step away from the council. His replacement will be named after the election.
Wisconsin lawmakers want answers about the state's broadband expansion efforts. The state's Audit Committee yesterday pressed the Wisconsin Public Service Commission for answers about spending and record keeping on about 100 million dollars worth of broadband projects. An audit last fall said the PSC didn't have any documentation for most of the projects it looks at. State Senator Eric Wimberger said there is no evidence of wrongdoing yet, but he wants to know if any of the state's internet money has actually been put to good use. Wimberger says it looks like the governor's administration simply threw the money out the door.
The first clean-up at Houska Park in La Crosse is in the books. City crews spent the day yesterday moving what was left of the large homeless camp at the park. La Crosse ordered everyone out of the park earlier this week and started moving the stuff they left behind yesterday. Houska Park will stay closed til the snow melts and crews can clean the park again. City leaders say they tried to move the park's homeless into shelters but said no one will be allowed to camp at the park ever again.
Republicans in the Legislature reintroduce a bipartisan measure to broaden access to birth control in Wisconsin. Anyone 18 or older would be allowed to obtain contraceptive patches and birth control pills at pharmacies. Current law only allows doctors to prescribe them. A previous version of the bill had bipartisan support, and support from the medical community.
Governor Tim Walz is being sued over Minnesota's "clean cars" rule. A coalition of soybean farmers, gas stations, convenience stores, and ethanol industry representatives is suing the governor and state pollution regulators in federal court. The lawsuit argues the requirements limiting climate pollution from tailpipes violate federal law and will damage their businesses. The group says Minnesota can't legally regulate vehicle fuel economy beyond federal standards.
The Badgers Men's basketball team may be out of the NCAA tournament, but cats in the Eau Claire area are still taking part in... Meow Madness. WEAU reports that the Eau Claire County Humane Society is hosting its own bracket this March, and there are 16 cats on the list. All of the cats are older cats, or have been at the shelter for some time. As each cat gets adopted, the fees for the next one will go down. They're hoping to get all of the cats adopted before April, when they start seeing an influx of newborn kittens.
A meat processing company in Minnesota employed children as young as 13 to work in hazardous conditions, such as operating meat grinders, while they worked overnight shifts and longer hours than allowed by law, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry said Wednesday. According to the complaint, the Mankato-based Tony Downs Food Company employed at least eight children ranging from 14 to 17 at its plant in Madelia. Investigators also have identified other employees who were hired before they were 18 years old, the department said. The Minnesota Department of Labor is asking a court for a temporary restraining order against the company while it investigates.
Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature say they're adding exceptions to their proposed abortion ban bill. Reports say those exceptions would be in the cases of rape, incest, and for health reasons. The bill was unveiled this morning. Governor Tony Evers says he won't sign the bill and it likely won't get any support from Democrats.
A Wisconsin Dells man is changing his plea for his part in a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor. Brian Higgins is one of five men charged in northern Michigan in connection to a scheme against Gretchen Whitmer. Records show the 54-year-old Higgins has a hearing Wednesday in Michigan to change his not-guilty plea on charges of providing material support for an act of terrorism. Evidence shows Higgins trained with members of the conspiracy in a remote hunting area, then participated in scouting Whitmer’s vacation home. Three of the other men involved were found guilty in a separate but related trial. They are serving long prison terms.
A retired Manitowoc County detective loses a lawsuit over a TV show. A U.S. District Judge ruled the producers of the Netflix docuseries “Making a Murderer” did not act with malice toward Andrew Colborn. The series follows the story of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, who were both sentenced to life in prison for the 2005 murder and rape of photographer Teresa Halbach, and whether Manitowoc County officials framed them. Colborn’s 2019 suit alleged that the documentary defamed him by misquoting and editing his testimony in court to make him appear nervous and uncertain. The judge found that the footage did not mischaracterize Colborn.
A shuttered entertainment venue in the Wisconsin Dells has a new owner. The City of Lake Delton confirms Legacy Entertainment Group has purchased the Palace Theater. A report from WMTV in Madison says a sign on the theater’s front door says the group plans to re-open this May. The sign also stresses that the new owners aren’t affiliated with the old owners and cannot issue refunds. The Better Business Bureau of Southwest Wisconsin has received complaints from several customers who purchased tickets for shows scheduled for the theater prior to its closing but haven’t yet received a refund. The station says the theater’s former ownership sent an email to one of those customers in February stating their electronic database was hacked, thus delaying refunds.
The Adams County Sheriff's Office is warning about a new phone scam involving people impersonating law enforcement. The sheriff's office says people are getting calls where someone claims to be law enforcement and threatens to arrest them if they don't pay money. The sheriff's office says it doesn't ask people for money over the phone.
The Minnesota Senate is advancing a measure to provide free breakfasts and lunches for all students. The bill in support of universal free school meals passed 38 to 26 on Tuesday. It will now return to the House for final approval before heading to Governor Walz's desk.
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