The Pierce County Board has approved the budget guidelines for departments in crafting the 2024 county budget. At last night's board meeting, members approved a budget that would use the maximum allowable tax levy with a 0% increase in department budgets, excluding employee pay. The recently shared revenue plan that was signed by the governor would give the county an additional $560,000 in shared revenue.
The Durand City Council is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include a discussion on the shared revenue bill and what it will mean for the city of Durand, reports from the mayor, administrator, and department heads, and the council will also go into closed session to discuss the Tarrant Park Pool Project and the agreement with the Durand-Arkansaw School District for the library. Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live-streamed on our YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN.
The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department is reminding motorists to slow down and don't drink and drive during the upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend. The department will have enhanced traffic on Saturday along Hwy 95 and Hwy 35 from 6pm until 3am looking for speeders and impaired drivers. The department is also planning enhanced enforcement on July 7th on Hwy 37 and Hwy 10 from 6pm-3am and on July 8th along Hwy 37 and Hwy 35 again from 6pm-3am.
The city of Eau Claire is giving Target some of its tax money back. The city council last night approved a 25-thousand dollar settlement with the company. Target had complained that its tax bill was too high. The 25-thousand dollars is just a portion of the 250-thousand dollars in taxes that Target pays the city each year. City attorney Steve Nick says the settlement amounts to a two-percent tax cut for Target.
Western Wisconsin is looking at another day of smoke, haze, and very unhealthy air. The state's Department of Natural Resources is keeping its air quality warning for more than a dozen counties, including Eau Claire, in place until midnight tonight. Forecasters yesterday said the Milwaukee area had the worst air quality in the world at one point yesterday afternoon. Madison and Dane Counties weren't far behind.
The Chippewa Valley Technical College Board has approved its 2023-24 budget. The $113 million budget will be used to fund capital projects and education services at the college. Because of an increase in property values in the CVTC area, taxes on homeowners with a house valued at $100,000 would go from $71.20 a year in property taxes to $71.18 a year. The new budget is a 2.5% reduction from last year.
A horse in Dunn County has tested positive for the West Nile Virus. The Dunn County Health Department says the virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, and this is the first documented WNV activity in the state this year. The presence of a WNV-positive horse confirms that there are mosquitoes in the area infected with the West Nile virus that can spread the virus to people and other animals. The risk of WNV transmission from mosquitoes will continue to increase in the next several weeks and usually peaks in August and September. The health department is reminding residents to use an incest repellant when outdoors and to limit time outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. No WNV cases in humans have been reported in Wisconsin thus far in 2023.
Chemical manufacturer 3M has agreed to a settlement worth at least 10 billion dollars over PFAS (Pee-Fass) contaminations. Over 300 communities are entering lawsuits against the company over widespread contamination of the so-called "forever chemicals". The total settlements will be paid out over the next 13 years, and could go as high as 12 billion dollars if more communities find contamination. Those chemicals were used in everything from fire-fighting foam to making non-stick pans, and have been linked to some cancers and immune diseases.
One deputy is recovering and two others are on leave after a chase, and an officer-involved shooting in Washburn County. It started Sunday with a traffic stop. That's when deputies say the suspect sped away, drove to a campground, and tried to hide. He got away because a deputy's car reportedly malfunctioned and hit some trees. That deputy had to be cut out of the car and taken to the hospital. On Monday deputies were back searching for the suspect when they saw him. That's when the sheriff says the suspect drove at deputies, who then shot out his tires. The man was arrested a short time later. The two deputies who fired at the car are on leave, as is protocol in officer-involved shootings.
Authorities are warning about a scam that comes as a warning about scams. The scam starts with a legitimate-looking warning that someone might have fallen for a scam on their computer, or were scammed at their bank. The fake warning then has people call a number, and that's where the scammers get them. Authorities say the scammers even warn people to be careful about sharing personal or banking information, but it's all a ruse. Investigators say the biggest red flag is any request for payment, particularly with money orders or gift cards. The police say your best bet is to ignore any of the scam warnings and don't click on any links.
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The Minnesota Association of Professional Employees have won their largest pay increase in three decades. As part of a tentative agreement reached on Monday, Minnesota Management and Budget agreed to give the union workers a five-and-a-half-percent pay raise in year one. The contract also includes a four-and-a-half-percent pay increase in year two. The deal also includes new health care benefits, including mental health care and fertility treatments for state workers. Minnesota Management and Budget has not yet ratified the deal.
A proposed sales tax for the city of Milwaukee passes its first hurdle. The Steering and Rules Committee of the city’s Common Council recommended approval Monday of the additional 2% tax which the Wisconsin legislature and Governor Tony Evers approved through the state’s new bipartisan shared revenue law. Committee members, city officials, and local leaders spoke for several hours prior to the committee’s vote to ratify the tax hike. The proposal next goes to the full Common Council for a vote.
A head-on crash Sunday near Prairie Du Chien has claimed the life of a grandmother. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office says an SUV driven by a 73-year-old Prairie du Chien man was struck by a truck that crossed the center line. A woman in the SUV, identified as 73-year-old Cheryl Mader died at the scene. Her husband and the couple's five- and seven-year-old granddaughters were hospitalized with critical injuries. The sheriff’s office says the driver of the truck, identified as 57-year-old Benjamin Streiger of Bloomington, was "heavily under the influence of alcohol and marijuana." Streiger is being held in the Grant County Jail.
A Milwaukee man and woman are accused of taking two children from a Florida home. Authorities say 18-year-old Adalyn Burkett was supposed to be babysitting a two-year-old boy and one-year-old girl in a Panama City, Florida home overnight Friday into Saturday. The mother of the children told authorities she allowed Burkett to use her vehicle. The mother then learned Burkett had left the state with both children and the vehicle and drove to Milwaukee while accompanied by 20-year-old Marquan Edwards. When the two learned the state of Florida posted a Missing Child Alert for the children Sunday, officials said they dropped both children off in a public park in Milwaukee. The children were located that evening by police. Burkett and Edwards were arrested Monday.
The Eau Claire County Humane Association is looking for the owner of a bearded dragon. The reptile was found in a residential yard on Frostwoods Street on Friday night. Officials at the Humane Association say if the bearded dragon isn't claimed, it will be put up for adoption pending a medical status.
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