There's no threat to the public after an "unusual event" at Xcel Energy's Prairie Island nuclear plant. The utility company says a reactor shut down due to some sort of malfunction over the weekend, but staff and people living near the plant weren't in danger at any point. The reactor remains down as of this morning. Xcel hopes to get it back up and running by the end of this week.
The city of Durand is reminding homeowners to keep their yards mowed. Durand Mayor Patrick Miliren says if the city receives complaints on unmowed yards the homeowner will be notified to mow the grass in 24hrs. The city is only using fluorescent door tags to notify homeowners of the need to mow the yard and does not need to send a letter to take care of any yard issues.
A Dunn County community is offering free land to help with the housing shortage. The village of Colfax will give a free lot to anyone that agrees to build a home within one year. Colfax Administrator Lynn Niggeman told WQOW TV the village offered up the land to increase the tax base and the housing in the village. So far the village has spent $60,00 on 2.8 acres of land and has three homes built and is looking at buying an additional 3.2 acres of land for the program.
Chippewa County prosecutors say a bust this week netted drugs, guns, and stolen cars. The D.A. yesterday announced charges against Brandon Herman after investigators say they found 16 pounds of pot, two pounds of meth, and 30 grams of fentanyl at his home in the Town of Lafayette. They also found 20-thousand dollars in cash, a bunch of guns, and some stolen cars. Herman is being held on 50 thousand-dollars bond.
A preliminary hearing was held Wednesday in La Crosse County Circuit Court for an Onalaska woman charged in the death of a six-year-old boy. Thirty-one-year-old Josie M. Dikeman is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and other counts. Alexavier Pedrin died in February at a residence in the Town Medary. A Minnesota pathologist who performed the autopsy testified that blunt force trauma, possibly compounded by the presence of alprazolam, caused the boy's death. Only one prosecution witness was available to testify, and the rest of the hearing was continued to June 9.
Elementary school students participated in a Kindness Walk on Wednesday in honor of Lily Peters, according to a Facebook post by the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District. The April 2022 murder of the 10-year-old girl has weighed heavily on the community in the year since. The Facebook post states, “Parkview students participated in a Kindness Walk - Scattering Kindness in Lily’s Honor!" The teen accused of killing Lily, identified as C.P.-B. because of his age, does not have any hearings scheduled in Chippewa County Court until August.
Governor Tony Evers announced Wednesday he is seeking applicants for the Barron County Circuit Court – Branch 2. Whoever is chosen as the new Branch 2 judge will complete the term that ends on July 21, 2024. The vacancy is due to Judge J. M. Bitney's retirement, which will come in September. According to the Governor's office, applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Fri., June 23, 2023.
Most of Wisconsin's Republicans in Congress voted for the new debt ceiling deal, while the state's two Democrats voted against it. 7th District Republican Tom Tiffany was the only Republican to vote against the deal that raises the debt ceiling in exchange for a few spending cuts. Tiffany said the deal doesn't cut enough spending. Wisconsin's two Democrats didn't like the welfare-to-work requirements in the package. The debt ceiling deal now heads to the U.S. Senate, where Republican Ron Johnson is expected to vote No as well.
With the summer heat here, Xcel Energy is offering some tips on saving money on keeping your home cool. Suggestions include using a programable thermostat, using ceiling fans to circulate cool air throughout the home, closing drapes and blinds during the day, and making sure the air condition unit is working properly including installing new filters. Other tips can be found on the Xcel Energy Website.
The Tarran Park Pool is opening today. Open Swim will be held today from Noon-6pm. Lap swim will be open Monday-Friday from 6-8am and the first round of swimming lessons begins on June 12. Yearly individual passes are available at a cost of $40 for city residents, and $60 for non-residents. For families yearly passes are $80 for city residents and $100 for non-resident families. Daily fees are $3 for kids under 4 and $5 for everyone 5 and older.
A Los Angeles man who traveled to central Wisconsin to have sex with a teenager has been sentenced to prison. Andy Omar Enriquez-Revolorio will serve three years in the state prison system and another three years on extended supervision after pleading guilty to child enticement, exposing a child to harmful material, and repeated sexual assault of the same minor. Investigators say Enriquez-Revolorio met a 15-year-old Edgar girl online and began communicating with her through various mediums including Facebook Messenger and Snapchat. In addition to the prison time and extended supervision, Enriquez-Revolorio will have to register as a sex offender.
An OWI roundup on the roads of Columbia County over the Memorial Day weekend. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office arrested 22 people for OWI over the course of the extended holiday weekend. They include a 7th offense, a third offense, and 20 first offense OWI's. The 7th offense involved a 39-year-old Madison man. Police say Michael Meyer was driving a golf cart down a road and threw a beer bottle in a ditch. He also urinated on the side of the road.
At the Capitol, proposed legislation would make it easier to remove nuisance wildlife from Wisconsin airports. There are thousands of collisions with aircraft annually, and state Representative Dave Murphy says eliminating just some problem animals isn’t good enough. The bill provides exemptions to certain provisions prohibiting use of firearms and lights, to allow nuisance animals to be removed from airport properties.
While the status of medical marijuana legislation for Wisconsin remains unclear, a new study from the University of Iowa suggests driving under the influence of cannabis may not be as dangerous as driving drunk. Researcher Cameron Ellis says insurance data showed states that legalized medical marijuana between 2014 and 2019 saw premiums fall an average of 22-dollars per driver in the first year. Opponents of legalized marijuana often argue it will lead to an increase in crashes and crash-related injuries and deaths. Ellis says the U-I study essentially debunks that. Minnesota recently legalized recreational cannabis, leaving Iowa and Wisconsin as the only states in our region that prohibit medical or recreational use.
Recreational marijuana is now legal in Minnesota. Governor Tim Walz signed the measure into law Wednesday and it will go into effect on August 1. The legislation will decriminalize marijuana use and possession. Home growing of cannabis plants will be legal for those 21 and older. Starting in August, the state will also start expunging marijuana convictions from Minnesotan"s records.
You can get out outside and enjoy Wisconsin's state parks for free this weekend. This weekend is Free Fun Weekend and the Department of Natural Resources is waiving the entrance fees for state parks and trails. You also don't need a fishing license to fish. State Fisheries Director Justine Haas says if you don't have your own fishing gear, there are plenty of sites where you can borrow some. All trail regulations still apply, and you still have to abide by fishing limits. You can find out more online at D N R dot W I dot Gov.
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