Chances are increasing for major flooding on the Mississippi River along the Wisconsin/Minnesota border because of the melting snow pack. The National Weather Service says there's an 80 to 90 percent chance for moderate flooding in Wisconsin and a 30 to 65 percent chance of major flooding in some locations. Flooding will likely start within the next week. Flood Watches are in effect starting on Sunday for the Mississippi River. Moderate flooding is now expected for the Chippewa River at Durand. The National Weather Services says the river will now crest at 15.5 feet on Saturday morning and then fall back below flood stage by Tuesday.
With the Chippewa River Rising, the Durand Public Works Department has been busy preparing. Superintendent of Public Works Matt Gillis says crews have been working on protecting the wastewater treatment plant. Crews have also moved equipment out of the city shop as the flood waters will reach the shop. The river is expected to crest at 15.5 feet on Saturday morning.
The Mondovi City Council is making decisions on new playground equipment at Mirror Lake Park. The council is looking at two different playground packages. Other decisions the council is looking at are to use black rubber chips or wood chips for the base of the playground, and whether or not to spend up to $30,000 to have the equipment professionally installed. It's hoped to have the new park equipment installed sometime this summer.
Barron County District Attorney Brian Wright says he should have a report on last weekend’s fatal shooting of two police officers from the state Division of Criminal Investigation in about 30 days. He’ll then review that and release it to the public. Officers Emily Breidenbach of the Chetek Police Department and Hunter Scheel of the Cameron Police Department died in Saturday’s exchange of gunfire following a traffic stop. Fifty-year-old Glenn Perry, who they’d stopped for a warrant and welfare check, died later at a hospital.
Eau Claire is moving ahead with the plan to spend coronavirus stimulus money on free bus rides for the homeless. The city council last night unanimously approved the idea, which will spend 12 thousand dollars in stimulus money to provide vouchers so the city's homeless can ride the bus for free. City Councilor Kate Felton says the vouchers help homeless people get to work or find housing. The vouchers will be available at Sojourner House or Eau Claire's public library.
April 12th, 2023 is in the record books. Forecasters say Eau Claire smashed its record high temperature yesterday. It hit 89 degrees yesterday afternoon, which breaks the old record of 82 degrees from back in 1931. Eau Claire could set another record today. Forecasters say the high temperature will be back in the 80s once again.
Unseasonably warm temps, high winds, and dry brush made for a day of wildfires across Wisconsin. Governor Evers declared a fire emergency, it remains to be seen if he will do so again today. One fire, in the Village of Necedah, in Juneau County forced a handful of people to evacuate their homes. Firefighters say that the fire burned over 100 acres. The state's Department of Natural Resources called in two helicopters, seven fire engines, and even a prison crew to help fight the fire. Meanwhile, in Monroe County, I-94 had to be closed due to smoke from a wildfire at Ft. McCoy.
The father of Madeline Kingsbury's children is speaking out about her disappearance. Adam Fravel called for Kingsbury's safe return yesterday and said he had nothing to do with the 26-year-old's disappearance. Kingsbury was last seen on March 31st while dropping her children off at day care with Fravel. Police have searched her van and home and found her phone, wallet, ID, and a jacket she had worn earlier in the day. No suspects have been named in Kingsbury's disappearance.
Authorities say two juveniles were rescued from the water late last week near Vermillion Falls Park. Officials released a video yesterday of a helicopter from the Minnesota Air Rescue Team pulling the youths from the water. The two juveniles reportedly got stuck on a large rock in the river last Thursday. The Hastings Fire Department says the two individuals were safely rescued from the river. There were no reports of injuries.
The Department of Natural Resources’ wolf management plan will go before the Natural Resources Board this fall. That from DNR Secretary Adam Payne, who told the board on Wednesday that the agency received more than 3,500 comments on the draft plan, and is in the process of reviewing and summarizing those before making changes. The state's 1999 Wolf Management Plan had a population goal of 350 wolves, and opponents argue any new plan also needs a goal for wolf numbers. In April 2021, the DNR estimated the population at about 972 wolves.
Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin is again running for U.S. Senate Saying “The stakes have never been higher and our work isn’t over yet,” Baldwin has announced she’ll seek a third six-year term in 2024. The 61-year-old Madison native defeated Republican Leah Vukmir by 11 points in her 2018 reelection. Baldwin became the first openly gay U.S. Senator when elected in 2012, defeating former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson. So far there are no official challenges to Baldwin from an either political party. Republican businessman Eric Hovde is considering a second Senate run after opting not to run for governor in 2022.
A man's arrested after a stabbing in southwest Wisconsin. The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office says a woman was cut across her neck and hands with a kitchen knife in Argyle earlier this week. The sheriff's office says Joseph Wallgren was arrested at the scene and is expected to be charged with attempted homicide. The victim is expected to be ok.
A Wisconsin city will benefit from both of next year’s major political conventions being nearby. Chicago was named Tuesday to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention. That’ll happen a month after Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum houses the Republican National Convention in July of next year. Kenosha is just a cruise on I-94 away from both host cities, and Visit Kenosha marketing director Laura Gregorski tells Fox 6 Milwaukee she’s certain the city’s location will benefit from those looking for accommodations for either convention or to just visit while they’re going on. Gregorski says Kenosha doesn’t necessarily have to make a pitch from a tourism perspective, calling Kenosha a natural destination for convention-goers of either party, with properties that work with both conventions and media planning.
Dane County animal rescuers are welcoming some new dogs from Arkansas' tornado zone. The Dane County Humane Society yesterday said it will get 20 dogs from Arkansas over the next couple of weeks. Most of the dogs are already in shelters there, but they will be moved so shelters in Arkansas can take care of the dogs left homeless by this month's storms. The first five dogs are expected to reach Madison today. You can find out more about the dogs, and about the adoption process at the Humane Society's website.
Close to 100 paper mill workers at an Upper Peninsula company may suffer from what’s called an “exceedingly rare” infection. Public health officials in Michigan say the workers at Billerud Paper Mill are affected by an outbreak of blastomycosis, which is caused by breathing in spores from a fungus often found in decomposing matter such as wood. Nineteen cases of the ailment have been confirmed at the mill, with another 74 described as “probable” cases. Billerud says a health hazard evaluation found no causal link between the outbreak and the mill, which has taken such measures as extensively cleaning common areas, inspecting ventilation systems, testing raw materials coming into the mill, and providing N95 masks to all employees.
A Viroqua man hit the jackpot in Wisconsin's two-million-dollar lottery scratch-off game. Wisconsin Lottery officials say Scott Hoffland won two million bucks on a single Tremendous Two Million scratcher. He says he started scratching the ticket at work but stopped and waited til he got home to finish it. Hoffland says he doesn't have any plans for the money, at least not yet. The odds of winning the jackpot in the Tremendous Two Million game is one-in 280 thousand.
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