We are waiting to see just how many chickens died in a coop fire in the town of Dover. According to the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, firefighters got a 911 call about 4 a.m. yesterday morning about a fire at the coop in rural Mondovi. Firefighters from Mondovi, Independence, and Waumandee all responded to the blaze. The Coop is a total loss. No people were inside, and no people were hurt. Firefighters are looking for an exact cause of the fire.
The city of Durand is looking for low to moderate homeowners to take advantage of a home repair and improvement program. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the money can be used in a variety of different ways. The program is anonymous and for more information please contact the city of Durand. Currently the fund has nearly $155,000 in it and if is is not used, the city will lose access to it.
It was a weekend rescue for crews in Eau Claire. The fire department had to send firefighters over the side of an embankment Saturday morning after someone riding a bike fell off. Firefighters had to lower a stretcher down the embankment and help the rider out. They were then taken to the local hospital for treatment.
A Woodville man is dead after a motorcycle accident on I-94 near Mile post 16 on Friday. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, 24yr old Trent Brinker was traveling westbound on I-94 and lost control of the motorcycle and was ejected. Live-saving measures were provided but were unsuccessful. That accident remains under investigation.
Authorities have released new details about a police pursuit of a stolen semi that tied up Interstate 90/94 near the Wisconsin Dells Friday afternoon. The truck had been reported stolen out of Chippewa County and the chase started in Jackson County after people on the highway reported a semi without a trailer being driven erratically. Wisconsin State Patrol troopers put down spike strips three times flattening the truck's tires, but the driver kept going, driving at highway speeds on just metal rims. The truck threw off sparks and leaked oil for a mile before catching fire and crashing. Troopers arrested the driver. A woman who was riding with him got out safely.
It's not going to be enough to simply broadcast the vote count next year under a plan at the Wisconsin Capitol. The Senate Committee on Elections is eyeing a plan that would require local election clerks to keep the tape as well. The plan says if a local election clerk broadcasts or livestreams the vote count on election night, they must keep a tape of that broadcast for 22 months. The proposal comes after some local election offices erased their vote counting tapes during the 2020 election.
Wisconsin is shifting away from testing people for the coronavirus. The state's Department of Health Services last week said instead they are going to focus on testing wastewater. Dr. Ryan Westergaard says since most people either don't test themselves, or test at home, using single tests reported to doctors and public health managers isn't very efficient. He said it is much more efficient to test sewage samples, do some math, and estimate the number of COVID cases in Wisconsin.
Cooler temperatures may have helped the Minnesota State set a new single-day record for attendance last week. Nearly 165-thousand people went to the fair on Friday, setting a new record for second-day attendance. It was a nice bounce-back from opening day on Thursday, which was down about 15-thousand visitors compared to last year. Organizers noted that the first day of the fair has typically had the lowest attendance and that the extreme heat felt across much of the state may have kept people from coming on Thursday.
--
The question of whether voters in Wisconsin can get a do-over ballot will be back in court this week. There is a hearing in Waukesha on a case involving ballot spoiling. That's the term for getting a new ballot. It's an issue because the Wisconsin Elections Commission wanted to allow voters to cast a new vote, if the candidate they originally voted for dropped out of the race. The judge last year said that's not allowed. An appeals court later agreed.
Wisconsin's elections chief will not appear before lawmakers about the future of her job. Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe yesterday said she will not appear before the Senate Committee on Elections when or if lawmakers call for a hearing. Wolfe is relying on an opinion from Wisconsin's attorney general that says she is not up for reappointment, which means the Senate cannot vote on her appointment. A number of Republicans, and at least one Democratic senator, want to remove Wolfe from the Elections Commission because of how she handled the 2020 election.
Student loan payments will be starting again soon after years of pauses due to the pandemic. Nathan Nash from the Federal Trade Commission says you need to be on the look out for scammers who will try to make a quick buck by saying they'll handle payments for you. The FTC says scammers have been posing as a "Biden Loan Forgiveness" plan to lure students. They were able to collect millions in upfront fees. If you need help with your loans, check online at Look Forward W I dot Gov to get help from the state.
The owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company has filed a constitutional complaint against the city of Minocqua. Kirk Bangstad is accusing the city of violating his 14th Amendment rights by denying him a zoning variance for his restaurant. Bangstad has been bickering with Minocqua leaders for years, and the lawsuit is just the latest in that back-and-forth. Bangstad accused Minocqua of a pattern of authoritarian conduct, retaliation, harassment, and intimidation. The city has not yet responded to the lawsuit, but last month moved to close Bangstad's restaurant down because of zoning issues. Bangstad, who is an outspoken Democrat, says the whole thing is politically driven.
The state of Minnesota will adjust its minimum wage requirements to account for an increase in the cost of living. The state Department of Labor and Industry announced yesterday that large employers will begin paying minimum wage workers ten-dollars and 85-cents an hour on January 1st, an increase of 26-cents. Smaller companies will be required to pay workers eight-dollars and 85-cents an hour, an increase of 22-cents. The wage increase mainly affects communities outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul, since those two cities require companies to pay a higher minimum wage than the state.
Second quarter earnings dropped for a Wisconsin-based retailer. Kohl's reported a drop in both profits and sales on Wednesday. The department store chain headquartered in Menominee Falls has been caught in a trend of cautious spending as continuing inflation combined with higher interest rates are causing customers to back off on purchasing discretionary items such as clothing.
A door standing alone in a field in western Minnesota is gaining attention after becoming a subject of discussion in social media. The blue door stands in front of a wooded area on County Highway Four near Vergas, which is about 60 miles southeast of Fargo. A picture of the door generated interest on Reddit last year and a more recent post on Facebook created even more talk about why it's there. The owners of the property call the door an art project and say they may add a lantern to create even more mystery.
No comments:
Post a Comment