Are LP tanks allowed in the residential areas of the city of Mondovi? That was a question asked during this week's council meeting. The council and police chief discussed the issue after a resident complained about someone having a tank in their year. They cited the ordinance against bulk LP storage in residential areas. Some council members questioned if tanks used for residential heating could be classified as bulk storage. The mayor directed the chief to work with the fire chief to find out the original intent of the ordinance, was there were exemptions for home heating use, and report back to the council.
A western Wisconsin congressman is facing questions after he yelled at some Senate pages at the Capitol this week. Wisconsin 3rd District Congressman Derrick Van Orden says he told the pages to show some respect and get up off of the Capitol floor Wednesday. Democrats in Wisconsin spent the day yesterday calling Van Orden a bully, and demanding he be held accountable. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell yesterday said he was shocked by the story, and shocked that Van Orden did not apologize. Van Orden said he was bothered that the pages were treating the Capitol rotunda like a frat house.
While most of southern Wisconsin worries about another hot and humid day, folks in northwestern Wisconsin are worried about too much rain. Forecasters say last night's rain has swollen many creeks and streams in the counties north of Eau Claire. More rain is in the forecast through the day today. There are no watches or warnings, and forecasters say some parts of the area can use as much rain as they can get.
The Lily Peters murder case is moving forward. During a Thursday hearing in Chippewa County Court, Judge Steven Gibbs granted a defense motion, sealing autopsy photos and video. That means they will not be viewed during a reverse waiver hearing set to begin August 7 to determine whether the trial of the teen charged in Lily Peters’ death will be moved to juvenile court. The 10-year-old was reported missing from her Chippewa Falls home on April 24, 2022, her body was discovered the next morning. Two days later, the now 15-year-old suspect - known as C.P.B. because of his age - was arrested and charged with homicide and sexual assault.
Wisconsin's fair managers say an extra 10-thousand dollars in prize money would be a huge help. A number of fair managers testified at a State Senate hearing yesterday about the plan to double prize money for Wisconsin's county and district fairs. Right now, the state sends each fair 10-thousand dollars for premiums. The plan would boost that to 20-thousand dollars per fair.
Another local police department is getting a therapy dog. The Chippewa Falls Police Department announced they are getting the dog to be part of the department. The dog will be a puppy donated to them from Blueberry Cottage Labradoodles in Osseo. Other departments already have a therapy dog on staff including Altoona and the Dunn County Sheriffs Department. The Durand Police Department is also fundraising to add a therapy dog to the staff.
Wisconsin's governor says the 10-billion-dollar settlement from 3-M over PFAS contamination isn't enough. Both Governor Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul yesterday said the offer from 3-M may do more harm than good. The governor said in a statement that the deal is structured so water systems across the state could end up paying 3-M once the settlement dollars run out. 3-M is one of the largest producers of PFAS chemicals and has offered nearly two dozen states 10-billion-dollars to settle contamination claims. The governor also doesn't like the provision in the settlement that requires local water systems to agree to the terms, without first knowing how much money they will receive.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission says its voter education program won an award. The Commission yesterday said the National Association of State Election Directors named Wisconsin's Elections 101 program as the winner of its Innovator Award. Elections 101 is a four-part video series that explains the inner workings of elections in Wisconsin. The Commission launched the video series in an attempt to answer some of the questions and criticisms of the 2020 election here in the state.
An Oronoco woman is taking the city council to court for tossing her from a meeting. Andrea Johnson has filed a lawsuit saying her First Amendment rights were violated when she was hustled out of a recent Oronoco City Council meeting by a sheriff's deputy. Johnson had spent time during the meeting criticizing the actions of some of the Council members. The city isn't commenting on the lawsuit.
The Stillwater Lift Bridge will be closed throughout the day next Tuesday. The historic bridge spans the St. Croix River at the Wisconsin border, and the closure is to allow for crews to replace an electrical power cable. The bridge will remain in its lowered position, and small boats and watercraft will be allowed to pass underneath it. The closure will last from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Another major health system consolidation is being proposed here in the Midwest. Duluth-based Essentia wants to join with Wisconsin-based Marshfield Clinic Health System to form what executives call "a new integrated regional health system servicing rural and mid-urban communities across four states." The proposed merger would combine Essentia's system, which stretches from Bismarck, North Dakota through Fargo and central Minnesota to the Iron Range and Duluth.... with the Marshfield system, which covers most of the northern two-thirds of Wisconsin except for the far northeast, plus several communities in southeastern Wisconsin and on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The proposed merger is subject to regulatory approval.
Area farmers will have a chance to speak with members of the house agriculture committee about the new farm bill on August 16th. 3rd district congressman Derrick Van Orden says Ag Committee Chairman Glen GT Thompson and other members of Congress will be in attendance. The listening session will begin at 1pm at the La Crosse Center. Van Orden would like farmers to RSVP to the meeting. To RSVP, visit the congressman's website.
Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is looking for land for disabled hunters. The DNR is asking landowners to volunteer to host disabled hunters this deer season. The DNR says volunteers must have at least 60 acres, so they can host three hunters. The disabled hunting program has been going strong for 30 years. The DNR says you can apply, and find more information online.
A foundation will be paying off medical debts for 37-hundred Minnesotans. The Fergus Falls-based CA Foundation said they donated to RIP Medical Debt to target the three-point-three million dollar medical debt carried by residents. RIP Medical Debt said they will target households with incomes below four times the federal poverty level and have debts related to unavoidable medical procedures. Officials say those who qualify will receive a notification by mail in the first full week of August.
Wisconsin small businesses last year secured more than $1 billion in federal contracts for the second year in a row. That’s according to the latest U.S. Small Business Administration figures cited by WisBusiness.com. The federal agency this week announced more than $5.9 billion was spent on federal contracts in Wisconsin in fiscal year 2022, including nearly $1.03 billion -- or about 17 percent -- going to small businesses. In fiscal year 2021, those figures were about $6.1 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively. Since 2010, the figure for small businesses in the state hadn't exceeded $900 million, even in years when the total amount going to all Wisconsin businesses was higher.
The latest rescue for Dunn County deputies likely ended with lots of kisses. Three deputies rescued a seven-week-old puppy, named Liam, from a culvert near Elk Mound yesterday. The puppy's human, Anna Govin, posted a video of the rescue. The puppy's mom is a guard dog on the local farm and came home with just three of her four puppies the night before. The Dunn County deputies found the missing pup, and helped dig him out.
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