Some additional parking and one-way streets could be coming to downtown Durand if the final plans for the Madison Street project are approved. Because of the need to follow handicapped accessibility rules, sidewalks would have to be moved out further into the street on 1st, 2nd Ave West, and 4th Avenue West. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says that would give the city the ability to make those three one-way in the downtown and add parking. The city is holding an open house at city hall tonight starting at 4:30 to let members of the public comment on the plan.
With the increase in the shared revenue from the State of Wisconsin, the Pepin County Sheriff's Department has proposed increasing the staff. Currently, the department has 7 full-time deputies, and according to the FBI, the department should have 8.25 deputies to cover the non-municipal population in the county. Pepin County Sheriff Joel Wener says he has requested the hiring of an additional deputy. That proposal now has to be approved by the full county board.
Another warm day is expected across the WRDN Listening area. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures will climb to near-record values across central and southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin today. The heat won't last long however, an incoming cold front will bring the return of rain and storm chances for the middle of the week, followed by a significant drop in temperatures by the end of the week.
A fourth suspect is now facing charges in a drive-by shooting in Eau Claire. Jamon Sullivan of Altoona is being held in jail on a million-dollar cash bond, charged with first-degree intentional homicide. Three other people are already charged in the death of Christopher Conner last year. Police say they have video of a group of men, including the victim arguing at a bar just before the shooting.
Western Wisconsin's congressman voted for the plan to keep the government running. Republican Derek Van Orden is one of six Wisconsin congressmen to vote for the temporary funding deal that avoids the government shutdown. Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany, however, voted against the plan. The funding deal keeps the federal government open for 45 days and gives Republicans more time to talk about budget cuts and spending restrictions.
The Wabasha County Board is meeting on Tuesday morning. Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on the Baker Final Plat Request, the annual report from the Wabasha County Libraries, and approval of two vehicles for the Sheriff's Department. Tomorrow's meeting begins at 9am at the Wabasha County Government Center.
Authorities in Juneau County do not believe a woman who's been missing since the 4th of July simply walked away. Police have been searching for 43-year-old Leia Stewart since she disappeared on Independence day. The Juneau County Sheriff's Office has called in the state's Department of Criminal Investigation, but no one has heard from Stewart in months. The state has issued three alerts in the search for Stewart, but all have come back empty. Her family says they're not giving up hope. Investigators say anyone who knows anything about Stewart's whereabouts should reach out.
Wisconsin lawmakers are going to take the next step forward with their plan that could have election managers send people texts when they get absentee ballots. The Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections will hold a hearing tomorrow on the plan that would have the state elections commission send voters texts when they request an absentee ballot, and when they return their absentee ballot. Supporters say the idea is to provide better customer service for absentee voters and provide a level of election integrity. The plan has support from both Republicans and Democrats at the Capitol, though no one has asked the governor what he thinks of it yet.
Runners who entered this year's Twin Cities Marathon didn't let a little thing like cancellation stop them from running the course. Organizers of the marathon canceled the event just hours before the start yesterday, citing extreme heat as the reason. The decision sparked a high degree of criticism from entrants and fans, with many noting that runners from around the U.S. had come to the event in hopes of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. Pictures posted to social media showed dozens of entrants running the course despite the cancellation. Organizers said the event will not be rescheduled.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul is urging more protection for student loan borrowers and payments are set to resume. Kaul and 18 other state attorneys general sent a letter to the Biden administration. In a statement released Friday, Kaul said, "Sufficient protections must be in place to ensure that folks making payments are treated fairly." The AGs' letter calls on the Biden administration to instruct loan servicers to be generous with forbearance for borrowers affected by servicing errors. Student loan payments resumed on Sunday.
A wolf management plan for Wisconsin gets key support from a top Department of Natural Resources official. The chair of the agency’s Natural Resources Board, Bill Smith, said at a Wednesday meeting he’s in favor of the plan which would not set a population goal for the animals. Smith says that would give the state a better opportunity to self-manage the state’s wolf numbers. Agriculture and hunting advocacy groups are asking the DNR to set a target population of 350 wolves, but Smith believes the federal government would be more inclined to delist the animal if a population goal was not set.
A public hearing on funding for the Milwaukee Brewers ballpark will happen this week. The State Assembly’s Committee on State Affairs will host the hearing on Thursday at the Tommy G. Thompson Youth Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park. A bill that will provide $700 of funding to repair and renovate American Family Field was announced last week, with the city and county of Milwaukee covering about $200 million of that cost. This bill requires approval from the state legislature as well as the signature of Governor Tony Evers.
A government watchdog group is calling for a Wisconsin impeachment panel to hold public hearings. The group American Oversight says Assembly Speaker Robin Voss is holding secret meetings on the impeachment of Judge Janet Protasiewicz. Speaker Voss's attorney says there is no panel, and the speaker is just discussing the topic with individuals. A Dane County judge is ordering hearings after the district attorney investigates.
State lawmakers heard testimony on Wednesday about Wisconsin's efforts to combat human trafficking. Jake Jansky with Wisconsin D C I says traffickers try to target runaways, which means it's hard to keep those minors safe once they're rescued. Jansky wants to see more and better tools for prosecutors and law enforcement to keep victims safe while investigations take place. D C I has been working with the department of Public Instruction to keep better track of truancy and potential runaways, who are often those being brought into trafficking situations.
The Minnesota Department of Health says state hospitals are still dealing with pandemic-related factors that have increased avoidable deaths and serious injuries. The health department released a report this week showing that 21 avoidable deaths and 178 serious injuries happened at Minnesota hospitals last year. The number of deaths was the highest recorded in the state since 2006. Deaths were attributed to factors like patient falls and failure to follow up on test results. The Department of Health says pandemic-related challenges like staffing shortages and high patient volume were factors in the increase.
Minneapolis is the second-most neighborly city in the U.S. That's according to Neighbor-dot-com's 2023 rankings, which came out yesterday. This year's factors include crime rates, charitable donations, voter turnout, and volunteer work. Madison, Wisconsin, ranked first overall. Colorado Springs, Sarasota, Florida, and Rochester, New York, rounded out the top five.
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