Local-Regional News Oct 21

 

Authorities are sharing the name of an 81-year-old woman who lost her life last week in a Dunn County fire. Crews dispatched to an Elk Mound home last Thursday afternoon found the residence fully engulfed in flames. Patricia Meyer -- who suffered from mobility issues -- had been unable to escape the flames and her body was found at the scene. There has been no word on the cause of the fire.

The Dunn County Health Department is conducting a survey to learn about child care needs for people who live and work in Dunn County. The short survey will help community leaders understand community members’ needs and why finding child care is a challenge. All answers will be kept private. The information shared will be used to plan future programs and help build stronger, more supportive communities for families and workplaces in Dunn County. To take the survey, visit healthdunnright.org.

The Pepin County Health Department, in conjunction with the UW-Eau Claire Nursing program, is conducting a survey related to water contaminant awareness and concern. The 6-question survey will take no more than 5 minutes. This project part of the Pepin County Together Community Health Improvement Plan.  To take the survey, visit the Pepin County Health Department’s Facebook Page.

The Wisconsin state Senate last week approved a one-time grant of $10 million for Rogers Behavioral Health to build a new integrated mental health facility in Chippewa Falls. Last year saw the closure of Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and St. Joseph's Hospital in Chippewa Falls. The new Rogers Behavioral Health Chippewa Falls facility is projected to open in early 2027 with 14 inpatient rooms and 24 residential rooms.

The former owner of Dana's Bar and Grill is pleading guilty to charges. Prosecutors have said that 72-year-old Jeffrey Root set fire to the establishment in 2021 causing more than 350-thousand dollars in damage. He sold the business the following year. In Eau Claire County Circuit Court on Monday, Root pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of movable property and was ordered to pay court fees.

Charges are being filed in connection with a deadly vehicle accident in Chippewa County. On July 5th of this year, 19-year-old Ayden Nicpon from Thorpe was driving a vehicle that overturned following a two-vehicle collision in the Town of Delmar. He died at the scene. The other driver -- 32-year-old Cody Allen Skorstad -- now faces charges that include second-degree reckless homicide.

Legislation being introduced at the Capitol could provide transparency about local drinking water. La Crosse Democratic Representative Jill Billings authored the Water Quality Notification Act, which would require the Department of Natural Resources to notify local health departments when it discovers unsafe contamination in groundwater. Billings hopes to get the bill in front of a committee this session. Republicans State Senator Jesse James and Representative Todd Novak are also authors on the bill.

Authorities are offering more details on a Sunday incident at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport. Members of the Eau Claire Fire Department were dispatched to the airport at around 5:30 p.m. after a small aircraft slid off the runway. No one was hurt and the NTSB is investigating.

Wisconsin Consumer Protection is looking for people who might have accidentally paid for a fake version of an official Foodshare mobile app. Administrator Michelle Reinen says scammers uploaded a phony version of the E B T Edge program last month. The real EBT Edge app is used to navigate SNAP or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and it has black, white, and yellow egg icons on it. The phony app was charging people 5 dollars a week or 60 dollars for a one time fee. If you encountered the fake app or paid the scammers, contact Consumer Protection at 800 422 7128.

The City of Wausau has been awarded nearly three-million-dollars from a PFAS settlement with 3-M. This adds to an earlier check for a combined total also just under three-million-dollars. The funds will help cover PFAS cleanup costs, including capital expenses, debt service, and water rate stabilization. City leaders say the money marks progress but won't fully cover remediation costs. Officials expect more funding from a DuPont settlement and a Special Needs Fund.

Wisconsin is one of the 31 states that require cars to have both front and back license plates. The law has been in place since the 1980s and a ticket for not having a front license plate could cost up to 200-dollars. There are some car brands that, for aesthetic reasons, don't make dedicated spaces for a front plate, such as Tesla's or Corvettes. Most of those brands do offer kits to mount a front license plate for those in one of the 31 states where they are required. Officials say it's especially for electric vehicles to have a front license plate, along with a required "EV HYBRID" sticker on both front and back plates, thanks to a recent Wisconsin law.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Department of Financial Institutions announced a significant ruling today against Safeguard Metals LLC and its owner. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has ordered the company to pay approximately 25-point-six million dollars in restitution and an equal civil monetary penalty. The fraudulent scheme ran by Jeffrey Ikhan from October 2017 to July 2021, targeted retirement savings from at least 450 people, mainly through misleading sales of silver coins. The judgment follows a settlement announced in October 2023 by 30 state regulators and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a parallel action against the defendants in February 2022.

Small business owner Will Martin is entering the race for Wisconsin's lieutenant governor today. Martin says he's a conservative and brings government experience from his service under former governors Tommy Thompson and Scott Walker. He says during his tenure he led initiatives that grew jobs, expanded training programs and made housing more affordable across the state. Martin's campaign platform centers on cutting state government costs and partnering with the private sector and communities to create more opportunities for residents.

Wisconsin's State Treasurer is running for reelection in 2026. Republican John Leiber has held the office since first elected in 2022. He says he hopes to keep the Common School fund strong, which he helps manage as a member of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. Democrat Eric Wilson, who previously ran for the 3rd Congressional District seat, has also announced a bid for treasurer. Wisconsin’s Treasurer primarily manages the state's trust funds and promotes the unclaimed property program.

An eerie doll display is available to the public in a museum in Rochester. The Creepy Dolls collection can be seen at the History Center of Olmsted County. The attraction consists of more than 140 dolls, with some surrounded by gravestones. Each doll is paired with an era-specific piece of history that can only be found in Rochester. Guest will be able to vote for their favorite creepy doll, with winners being announced near the end of the exhibit.