Monday, October 30, 2023

Local-Regional News October 30

 Forecasters say western Wisconsin will see their first measurable snowfall of the season on Halloween. Most of the WRDN Listening area is expected to get about an inch-and-a-half, though some places could see more. It will be cold as well. Highs today and tomorrow are expected to be in the 30s.


The City of Mondovi continues to deal with issues from the North Eau Claire Stree Project.  At last week's council meeting, members discussed a possible fence on the top of the retaining wall on the north end of the project and some issues already developing with the retaining wall.  Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the city is looking at alternatives for the fence and the cracking of the retaining wall. The City is still waiting for an independent audit of the design of the project to determine the next steps.


The City of Durand is moving forward with the reconstruction of some of the smaller length streets in the city that don't fit into any major project.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the first will be 6th Ave Ease by the high school from Prospect to Washington.  The city is planning the reconstruction of 6th Ave East next summer.


In the wake of the cyberattack that hit Kwik Trip, state consumer protection is reminding all businesses to improve their information security. Director Michael Domke says the most common entry point for hackers is called phishing.  Domke says all businesses should have either an IT staffer or someone they can call to do audits or repair damage done by hackers. Kwik Trip's incident shut down its loyalty program for several weeks. 


There is a reminder that hunting season in Wisconsin is about to ramp-up. The state's Department of Natural Resources says four different hunting seasons begin next month, including beaver, mink and muskrat, otter, and firearms deer season. Deer gun season, which is Wisconsin's busiest, starts November 18th. The DNR is reminding hunters about safety, and making sure they have the proper permits. For non-hunters, the DNR is telling people to be aware that a lot of people will be in and out of the woods over the coming weeks. 


 The focus shifts to AI at the Wisconsin Capitol today with a new task force meeting on artificial intelligence and the state's workforce. Governor Ever's AI task force is looking to see how companies and the state can harness artificial intelligence to help workers and companies. It's a different focus than the Speaker's Task Force on AI. Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development and the WEDC are both expected to headline this first meeting. The governor says he wants the task force to come up with a report on AI for both the near-term, and Wisconsin's future. 


A judge has barred Republican legislators from firing Meagan Wolfe.   Wolfe is the Administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission and has been a target of Republicans who don’t like decisions commissioners made during the COVID pandemic and 2020 elections. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Ann Peacock’s Friday ruling also bars Republicans from appointing an interim and declares the Senate’s September 14 vote to remove her had no legal effect, pending a final decision on a lawsuit. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed the suit seeking to keep Wolfe in the job unless she decides to leave on her own.


President Biden will be visiting a family farm in Minnesota this week as part of a tour highlighting rural investment by his administration.  A statement from the White House noted the President and other senior officials will be visiting multiple communities around the U.S. over the next two weeks.  The tour is designed to show off infrastructure projects involving roads and bridges, high-speed internet, reliable electricity and climate-smart agriculture.  Biden is scheduled to visit Minnesota with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday, though specific details about the trip have not been released.


A former priest will be sentenced in January after being convicted of criminal sexual conduct.  Ubaldo Roque Huerta was found guilty yesterday in Winona County.  He was originally charged in 2020 after allegedly getting drunk and sexually assaulting another man.  Huerta had served as a priest at several parishes in the Winona and Rochester area until he lost his clerical status in 2021.


Wisconsin is getting more than a million dollars to help families stay warm this winter.  The money is part of the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.  Money is available to people with a yearly income at or below 60-percent of the state median income.  The Wisconsin Department of Administration expects to help 195-thousand to 200-thousand households statewide this winter.  


The Dane County bomb squad disposed of a live “cluster bomblet” Friday at a Janesville Goodwill store.  Authorities don’t know who dropped off a donated bag of items that contained live ammunition and a bomb-like device. X-rays by the bomb squad showed a device with several live cells filled with apparent explosives and shards of metal. It may have been in storage at the Goodwill for a week or so before it was reported. Police think the person knew they were dropping off a bomb at Goodwill. Police just don’t know why.


Inmates are suing the Waupon prison and State of Wisconsin for keeping them on 24 hour lockdown in their cells for seven months. The prisoners claim they're not allowed to see family members, not getting medical and mental health treatment, not getting proper meals, and are limited to one shower a week.  They say they are also not being allowed to use the prison law library, which is a violation of federal law.  A recent report by Wisconsin Watch says there are similar restrictions at Wisconsin Corrections prisons in Green Bay, Columbia, and Stanley.


Minnesota lawmakers are touring the state talking to constituents about funding needs and possible modifications to state law.  Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan was in Faribault last week talking to farmers about issues like biodiesel and ethanol, soil health, chemical usage, and the state's Grain Indemnity program.  The chairs of the state Senate Education Finance and Education Policy committees were in Duluth on Wednesday talking to educators about topics like community schools and free lunches.  Capital Investment Committee members also stopped in Rochester and Lewiston on Wednesday to discuss needed infrastructure spending.  Lawmakers say they plan to keep making visits right up to the start of the next session of the legislature.


The Minnesota Department of Transportation wants to hire a few more snowplow drivers in southeastern Minnesota.  The agency is looking for about 20 plow drivers in the Rochester area.  Mn-DOT officials say they want to have more than 200 drivers working in the region by the time it snows this winter.  More information on open positions is available on the Mn-DOT website.

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