Heat advisories are in effect for today. Heat stroke is one of the leading weather causes of death in the United States. With the hot weather this week, Meghan Sickel from the Pepin County Health Department reminds folks to stay hydrated and take a break from the heat. Sickel also reminds those with pets that if the pavement is too hot for you to walk on its too hot for your pets. Make sure pets have plenty of water and can be kept indoors or out of the sun during the heat of the day.
The Durand City Council is planning on returning the land for Hansen Park back to the Durand-Arkansaw School District. The deed to the land stated that if the city was not going to use the land for the park it must be returned to the district. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city has to go on record returning the land. A resolution to return the land back to the school district will be submitted to the council at the August 9th meeting.
Dunn County highway commissioner Dustin Binder announced signage is now up, and ATV/UTV riders can use the majority of county highways. This adds about 400 miles of additional roads for riders to use. The move comes after the Dunn County Board approved the measure in May. Hwy B from Hwy 29 to Hwy 40 is still closed to ATV Traffic along with all state highways. ATV riders will need to check with local townships to find out the rules for ATV traffic on Town Roads.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Farah Ahmad Wednesday announced $7.1 million in additional funding for the construction of a new wastewater treatment facility for the City of Osseo. The City of Osseo is within the Rural Partners Network (RPN) Northwestern Wisconsin Community Network. In June, USDA Rural Development approved a loan of $6,338,000 and a grant of $850,000 through the USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program. This investment will be used to provide additional financing due to increased project bid costs. Construction is currently underway and is tentatively scheduled for completion in October 2024.
USDA has announced a hearing on revamping the Federal Milk Market Order System. Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darrin Von Ruden says if the FMMO is to be revamped to help milk processors, there needs to be something in the plan to help dairy farmers too. Von Ruden would like to see changes to the way dairy farmers are paid and control overproduction issues. The USDA hearing will be held on August 23 in Carmel, IN. Opportunities to share testimony virtually will be offered on Fridays, starting September 1.
The next blue ribbon-winning pie at the county fair could be worth more money. Wisconsin lawmakers are scheduled to hear a plan that will double the money available for prizes at county fairs across the state. Right now, Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture pays up to 10-thousand dollars in prize money per-fair to county fairs across the state. The new plan would raise that to 20-thousand dollars. The new plan also keeps Wisconsin's ban on entering multiple county fairs. Though the proposal spells out that local fairs, and not the state, are responsible for setting those rules. The Dunn County Fair is underway through Sunday in Menomonie.
The Army Corps of Engineers has initiated a drought watch, which means it is closely monitoring water levels on the Mississippi River as the season continues to see a lack of rainfall. We are actually in low water condition right now,” Lock and Dam 5 Lockmaster Judy Denzer said. As summer is in full swing, and many areas in Minnesota are now in a drought, the corps is now monitoring conditions on the Mississippi to ensure there is enough water in the lock channels for vessels to pass. The lock channels need to maintain a 9-foot level in order to operate correctly. Last fall, river conditions in southern states caused barge traffic to halt, because it was too shallow.
A man from Grant County will spend the next 13 years in prison after being convicted of shooting his future son-in-law five times. Investigators say Todd Holder shot Ari Williamson at a bar in Livingston after a confrontation back in 2021. He was convicted of second-degree attempted homicide and sentenced this week.
A Madison area native is one of 3 Marines found dead earlier this week in North Carolina. Nineteen-year-old Lance Corporal Tanner Kaltenberg graduated from Verona High School. On Sunday, the 3 Marines were found dead in a vehicle at a gas station about 30 miles from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Authorities say the deaths seem to be accidental, adding that the men did not appear to have died by suicide. No weapons, illegal drugs or evidence of an attack were found. The investigation continues.
Prosecutors on Monday dropped charges of first-degree intentional homicide against 19-year-old Sage Hicke after he pled guilty to a single felony count of intimidating a witness. The charges stemmed from the shooting death of 15-year-old Storm Vondrashek following a May 2022 fight on La Crosse's south side. An assistant district attorney said the case was difficult to prosecute because of uncooperative witnesses. Hicke's attorney argued his client had a strong case for self-defense. Another man, 18-year-old Jackson Greengrass, was sentenced last month to three years in prison for his role in the shooting.
A woman has drowned in the Wisconsin River in Wausau. The middle-aged woman’s body was recovered by Wausau Fire and Police from the rocks near a dam on the river Tuesday evening. A middle-aged man was also found in the water. Police say the unidentified man was treated at the scene and left under his own power. Police haven’t yet said how the pair ended up near the dam, but say the woman was probably swimming and her drowning was an accident.
Wisconsin cheese was a big winner at a national competition. The Dairy State won more than a quarter of all the medals at the American Cheese Society Judging and Competition in Des Moines. The results announced last week had Wisconsin cheese companies earning 86 awards, including 27 gold medals. The Pleasant Ridge Reserve variety from Cheese of Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville placed third for Best of Show, and Klondike Cheese Company of Monroe won 19 total awards in the judging.
Be careful of swimmer's itch as you swim in your local lake or pond this summer. Vilas County health department educator Rachael Cornelius tells WXPR that it can form after you swim in water that's shared by ducks or other waterfowl. The best way to keep yourself safe is to wash off after you get out of the water and towel off right away. If you do get the itch, you can try treating the rashes with cortisone creams or taking a bath with Epsom salt.
A new food festival is coming to the region this summer. Valleyfair has announced that Corn Fest will take place at the Shakopee amusement park on weekends beginning August 19th. The food festival will feature new ideas for corn dishes and drinks. There will also be corn-themed events and crafts for kids to do as well as a corn-on-the-cob eating contest. Corn Fest will run through Labor Day.
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