Forecasters say this wet end to winter could mean more spring flooding in the Chippewa Valley. The National Weather Service says there's a 55 percent chance of minor flooding along the Chippewa river, and a 50 percent chance of moderate flooding. The models suggest just a 15 percent chance of major flooding on the Chippewa river. Bill Borghoff with the Weather Service says as the snow melts over the next few weeks, they'll get a better sense of just how high the rivers may rise.
Eau Claire's school board president says they are not closing the Montessori Charter School, but he does want more diversity there. Board President Tim Nordin yesterday said rumors that the school district is going to close Montessori are 'false.' Though he did say that he wants to address some issues at the school and see how Eau Claire can move forward as a district. Nordin and other board members have criticized Montessori for being too white, and not in-line with Eau Claire's diversity goals.
Hundreds of people at the Hutchinson Technology plant in Eau Claire are out of a job. Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development yesterday said Hutchinson is laying off 237 people. That's about 55 percent of the company's employees in Eau Claire. The state says the layoffs are set to take effect on May 5th.
Xcel Energy plans to build more than 700 electric vehicle charging stations. The company says it is leading the way in electric vehicle charging. Owners of other charging stations say the plan could limit investment by businesses, creating a monopoly for Xcel. Xcel customers express concern about the cost to their utility bills.
The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities is looking for weather observers across Western Wisconsin and Southeastern Minnesota. The agency is asking people to come forward to share weather reports from their homes when it snows, rains, or storms. The NWS says signing up is free and online training classes are available. Experience isn't needed to participate.
Area farmers can get started on their spring planning needs at the 59th annual Eau Claire Farm Show today and tomorrow. There will be more than 150 exhibitors from heavy equipment to seed dealers to different water sources. The Farm Show is today and tomorrow from 9 a.m to 3:30 p.m. at the Chippewa Valley Expo Center in Eau Claire. Admission is free. There will also be concessions, health clinics, and a silent auction that benefits FFA.
Plans to bring a second Amtrak train through Western Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota every day is nearing completion. Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois are finalizing splitting the $6.8 million operating costs for the second train. The Federal Government would spend $40 million to improve tracks, signals, and bridges in Minnesota. The $53 million project is estimated to double the 124,000 passengers riding the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago route annually.
Seven staff positions will be cut from Dover-Eyota Public Schools payroll, after a unanimous vote by the school board Monday night. The cuts are coming as a result of the district going well over its budget. Board members say they don’t take this decision lightly, and believed these cuts would have the least amount of impact on students. Community members say the enrollment numbers, which have been declining, need to reverse in order for this situation to improve. The board said the cuts came now at this magnitude so there would be no more staffing cuts made later.
The Minnesota House is advancing a nearly two billion-dollar public works package. The bills were approved yesterday evening with bipartisan support. The package includes funding for fixing roads, bridges, water systems, college facilities, and parks and trails in the state. Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman says the bills include projects that will "strengthen communities."
The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is the best in North America. That's according to the Airport Service Quality program's annual survey. It asked 465-thousand travelers to rate their experiences at airports across the continent. MSP scored the highest for the second year in a row. It's the 16th busiest airport in North America.
A man who went missing from a Grant County farmhouse in December is found dead. The sister of Ronald Henry tells WKOW-TV in Madison the body of her brother was discovered in the woods near the farmhouse near Lancaster Sunday. Tytiana Henry says an Amish man searching for deer antlers near the farm found Henry's remains. An extensive search of the area for Ronald Henry lasted weeks after he was reported missing December 5th. The Grant County Sheriff's Office has not responded to the TV’s station’s request for comment.
UW System President Jay Rothman says students participating in the Wisconsin Tuition Promise have “skin in the game.” Rothman was asked about it recently, by Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee Chair Dave Murhpy, who asked whether a "free" education would be "somewhat devalued.” Rothman recounted a meeting with students who are working while in school, and told Murphy that they have "a whole lot of skin in the game.” The Wisconsin Tuition Promise funds up to four years of tuition and fees for students from families earning less than $62,000 a year, at any UW campus except Madison. It also carries a work requirement.
A Merrill woman is sentenced to prison for the straw purchase of two guns. The Wisconsin Department of Justice says in a release Ashley Zastrow bought the firearms in Wisconsin Rapids in January of last year, stating she was the actual buyer of the weapons. An investigation later revealed the purchase was made for someone who accompanied her to the store and gave her the cash for the purchase. The release says the person the 32-year-old Zastrow bought the firearms for was prohibited from possessing them due to previous felony convictions. One of the firearms was later used to commit a homicide. Zastrow was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison.
Mourners remembered former UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank over the weekend. Blank, who died last month after a short battle with cancer, was remembered as a kind woman and an excellent university administrator. Blank spent about 10 years at UW-Madison, she was supposed to go on to become the president at Northwestern University, but she never took that job because of her diagnosis. She leaves behind a husband and an adult daughter
Minneosta Governor Walz will be temporarily transferring power to Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. The office announced the transfer yesterday after the governor sent a letter to House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate President Bobby Joe Champion. The transfer will take place today just before he undergoes general anesthesia for a colonoscopy. The transfer of power will be in effect until Walz sends the legislative leaders that he is able to resume his duties.
A medical software company in southern Wisconsin unveils expansion plans. Epic Systems is expanding with two new buildings at its Harry Potter themed Wizards Academy campus In Verona. In announcing the expansion, the company said the new buildings will create space for 17-hundred new employees as it looks to grow its workforce by ten-percent this year. The new buildings, the sixth and seventh in the Wizards Academy cluster, are expected to open in 2024.
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