Local-Regional News Oct 23

 

The Durand-Arkansaw School Board has passed the 2025-2026 budget. The budget will have a $450,000 deficit in the general fund balance. Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Ryan Nelson says the deficit was expected.  The district tax levy rate will remain the same as last year at $5.59 per $1,000 of equalized value.

Wabasha residents are encouraged to attend an open house today on the Hwy 60 realignment project. The City of Wabasha wants to move Hwy 60 to improve safety, reduce flooding closures and support community growth. The project will construct a new roadway segment that eliminates a dangerous T-shaped intersection at the foot of the Mississippi bridge approach and raises the road above the 100-year flood elevation.  An open house to discuss the project is tonight from 4-6pm at the Fire Hall. The city would like to start construction in 2027.

For the third time in as many years, combined enrollment is up at the campuses of the Universities of Wisconsin System. UW has released official 10th-day enrollment numbers that show the number of students enrolled this fall across the system is 190 more than last fall. In Western Wisconsin, that total includes nearly 95-hundred students at UW-Eau Claire, just over ten-thousand five-hundred at UW-La Crosse and just over seven-thousand at UW-Stout.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley is asking for increased support from the public. The organization says a decrease in funding from the government is leaving them in a bind when it comes to funding key programs and services. The Boys and Girls Clubs serve youth and teens from second-grade to age 18 -- aiming to provide equitable opportunity and quality programs focused on academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. Donation information is available at cvclubs-dot-org/donate.

A regional supermarket merger is finalized. Missouri based Schnuck Markets’ holding company, the 1939 Group, has completed acquisition of Wisconsin-based Festival Foods and Hometown Grocers. The deal increases the total store network to 164 locations and expands the group’s employee count by 8,000. The 51 Festival Foods and Hometown Grocers in Wisconsin join 113 Schnuck Markets in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. The deal announced in September includes purchase of shares held by Festival Foods and Hometown Grocers CEO Mark Skogen, along with those held by employees through a stock ownership plan.

State lawmakers are introducing a bill to support veterans housing and recovery programs across Wisconsin. Under the bill, the state would provide $107 per day to organizations that provide services to homeless veterans at their facilities. Earlier this year, Klein Hall was closed after funding to keep the facility open was not included in the state budget.

The Trump administration will release about $3 billion in assistance to U.S. farmers despite the government shutdown. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is also planning to resume operations today at Farm Service Agency Offices, which runs financial assistance and loan programs for farmers, according to a USDA spokesperson. Many of the agency's operations were shuttered due to the government shutdown.

A proposed bill would require Wisconsin schools to carry cardiac emergency response plans. Senator Jesse James and Senator Van Wanggaard introduced the bill. James says the bill would guarantee that schools are ready to jump into action in case of an emergency. The Wisconsin Senate Public Safety Committee held a public hearing on Wednesday to gather opinions on the bill.

Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney is entering the race for Wisconsin Attorney General. Toney announced his campaign on Tuesday. His bid emphasizes conservative, common-sense leadership in a state that is likely to see intense legal and law enforcement policy battles. The general election is scheduled for November 2026, setting up a rematch with incumbent Attorney General Josh Kaul, who defeated Toney in 2022 and is seeking reelection.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is urging families to test their homes and children for lead. The message comes as the number of lead poisoning incidents in children continues to rise, with nearly 5 thousand cases in 2024. Lead policy advisor Brian Weaver tells Fox 11 Green Bay most of the cases happen in homes that still have paint from the 70s when lead use was still prevalent. The department is now recommending all children have lead testing at ages 1 and 2 to detect and prevent long term damage.

Layoffs on the way at Molson Coors. Molson Coors announced Monday it will lay off 9 percent of salaried staff companywide. Those cuts will come by the end of December, but it's unknown at this point how many of those cuts will be made at the Milwaukee brewery. The company reported 428 million dollars in profits last year, but says it needs to maintain sustainable growth as sales have slowed.

A suspected serial killer is determined responsible for a 2006 murder in Central Wisconsin. Wood County District Attorney Jonathan Barnett announced that former Wisconsin Rapids resident Chris Revak was responsible for Diedre Harm’s death. Revak committed suicide in a Missouri jail cell while awaiting trial for the death of another woman. Harm went missing after a night out in Wisconsin Rapids and her body was found months later. Her family released a statement calling Harm "a daughter, a mother, a friend, and a light in this world.” Revak was also a person of interest in the 1995 death of Mason City, Iowa, news anchor Jodi Huisentruit (WHO-zin-troot) but has never been named a responsible party in that case.

The measles cases count in Minnesota is up to 21. A pediatric patient at the Mayo Clinic was diagnosed with measles, bringing the tally higher. According to the state Department of Health, 2025 is Minnesota's fifth-worst year of measles cases since 1997. The highly infectious disease is on the rise in Minnesota at the same time as the state's vaccination rate is declining. The Mayo Clinic said their personnel are working with public health officials to notify people who have been exposed.

The Wisconsin Book Festival returns to Madison this week. Over 70 authors are expected to attend the event kicking off on October 23rd and ending on October 26th. Most events will be taking place at Central Library. The festival is in partnership with the Madison Public Library Foundation.