The Summer swimming season is coming to an end at the Tarrant Park Pool. The pool is expected to close the weekend of August 11th. Durand Public Works Superintendent Matt Gillis says the timing of the pool closing is due to the lifeguards going back to school for fall sports and classes. The pool had approximately 230 kids take lessons this summer. Gillis said the pool lost an average of 15,000 gallons of water a day in June. The city is getting ready to ask for bids for a new pool at Tarrant Park.
The new Mondovi Wastewater treatment plant is coming up online slowly. The new plant uses an algae-based treatment for wastewater. The plant is slowly taking over for the 80yr old plant it is replacing. Once the new plant is fully operational, the old plant will be demolished.
The strike at Leinie's in Chippewa Falls is not ending. Union workers yesterday sat down with the company to talk about the three-week-old strike but left saying there was no deal. Members of the teamsters at the brewery in Chippewa Falls want more money and other concessions in their new contract. The company says it's made a generous offer. There aren't any new meetings on the schedule. This is the first strike at Leinie's since the 1980s.
The legalization of marijuana in Minnesota is putting two Olmstead County K9 dogs closer to retirement. The legalization means the dogs can no longer sniff for drugs as they can't tell which is which. K9 Jango and K9 Cobra will now be on patrol duty for the rest of their careers. They have no retirement date yet, but police say it won't be long till they do.
A police standoff in Osceola ended yesterday with the suspect killing themself. Osceola Police say they went to a home to investigate a felony domestic abuse case. Officers say a man answered the door, then ran back into the house. After several hours of trying to talk the man out of the house officers say they found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Polk County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
Another Republican thought to be a possible challenger to Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin has stepped aside. Wisconsin 7th District Congressman Tom Tiffany said Tuesday he has chosen to run for reelection for his Northern Wisconsin seat rather than face Baldwin in 2024. Tiffany’s announcement comes after 8th District Republican Representative Mike Gallagher also decided not to challenge Baldwin, who is seeking a third term after she handily defeated former state senator Leah Vukmir (VOOK-meer) in 2018. Thus far, no Republican candidates have officially declared a challenge to Baldwin.
Investigators with the state of Wisconsin are joining the search for a missing Juneau County woman. The State DCI yesterday said it is joining the team that is looking for 43-year-old Leya Stewart. She's been missing since the Fourth of July. Authorities in Juneau County fear she was high when she wandered away. Her pictures are online, as is the number to call if you know anything about her whereabouts.
The years-long battle over the Minocqua Brewing Company might be close to ending. Oneida County officials last night voted to end the Brewing Company's permits, and essentially closed down the restaurant. Owner Kirk Bangstad has said the whole thing is political, but county supervisors say Bangstad has broken the rules of operating his restaurant for years. Bangstad, for his part, said he would continue to run his business until someone put a padlock on the door. There's no word if that is coming. Bangstad said he'll challenge the county's vote in court.
Wisconsin’s only oil refinery yet to resume full operations A 2018 explosion and series of fires injured three dozen workers at the Superior refinery then-owned by Husky Energy. The explosion caused roughly $550 million in damage to the plant, which has since been acquired by Cenovus Energy, which like Husky is based in Calgary. It was expected to fully reopen this summer, but Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the cat cracker, or fluid catalytic cracking unit used to make gasoline, is not yet operational. The refinery typically produces gasoline, diesel, and asphalt with a capacity of roughly 50,000 barrels per day.
There's an acknowledgment, but no answers about a Wisconsin soldier who jumped the border into North Korea. U.S. commanders in Korea yesterday said North Korea acknowledged a question about Private Travis King, but there are no specifics beyond that. The Pentagon says King ran across the border on July 18th, the same day he was supposed to be flown back to America. King's family is from Racine, and they say they want him back home and safe. No one has heard from King since he crossed the border, and no one is saying when they expect to hear from him.
There is a Wisconsin connection to former President Donald Trump's latest indictment. The special counsel's office yesterday indicted Trump for how he and his team allegedly handled his loss in 2020. The connection runs through a group of people in Wisconsin who signed up to be alternate electors. The idea was to have a pro-Trump team ready to go if somehow the election was overturned. The special counsel says those electors were part of a scheme to defraud the United States. The indictment refers to the idea as the 'Wisconsin Memo.' While the Trump indictment mentions the Wisconsin electors, no one in the state has been charged with any crimes related to the case.
Health officials are reporting an increase in COVID cases throughout the Twin Cities area. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, recent data shows an elevated viral load in local wastewater. The data shows a 54-percent increase in the viral load, with XBB being the most prevalent variant according to MDH officials. While COVID hospitalizations are still down, experts are still asking the public to take precautions and test for COVID if they experience symptoms. A new booster that targets the XBB variant is expected to become available later this year.
This year’s edition of EAA AirVenture was a record-breaker. The airshow estimated an all-time top attendance of over 677,000 people for the 11-day event, including over 40,000 campsite visitors. Over 10,000 aircraft landed at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports around Wisconsin to take part. The attraction also brought in visitors from a record-tying 93 countries outside the U.S. When it comes to social media, the airshow reached over 18 million people, which is a 78% increase over last year.
Minnesota deer hunting licenses are on sale for this year's fall season. Deer hunters will also have more options for hunting this year as well, with crossbow hunting allowed for anyone with an archery license. In addition, the Department of Natural Resources has also made changes to chronic wasting disease zones, and are asking hunters to get their deer tested for the disease. DNR big game program leader Barb Keller says the department is excited for deer season, and that hunters will have a lot to look forward to this year.
There are dragons in Menomonie, and if you find one you could win. The hidden dragons are part of a scavenger hunt organized by the owner of the Dragon Tale Bookstore to get more people downtown. All of the dragons are hidden in downtown businesses, and people are being asked to keep track of which dragons they find. At the end of the month, there will be a drawing for dragon-finders, and there are prizes on the line. You can get a list of the 30 businesses taking part online, or by simply going downtown.
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