The Durand City Council has approved the intergovernmental agreement for the creation of a fire district. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city and the rural fire department are bringing their assets together so there wont be a lot of money changing hands. As part of the agreement, the City will sell the fire hall to the new district for $10. If approved by the rural fire department and all the townships, the new district would go into effect in January.
The Dunn County Judicial Center will be closed from Noon-4:30 on November 7th. The facility will be conducting staff security training. The Circuit Courts, Clerk of Courts Office, Child Support and District Attorneys Office will all be closed during the training. The Jail and Communications Center will remain open.
Chippewa Valley Technical College has a new resource for teaching hands-on workplace safety. The Safety Training Center features a 3,500-square-foot lab to teach skills like HAZMAT response, forklift operations and fall protection. Other hands-on stations include a robotic palletizer to practice proper tag out procedures. Tag out or lockout procedures are important when maintaining complicated equipment that could turn dangerous if accidentally turned on. CVTC President Dr. Beaton-Garcia said the Safety Training Center is also one-of-a-kind in Wisconsin bringing a unique hands-on option to the area.
The Chippewa Falls School Board has approved a budget for the next fiscal year that represents an increase of just under one percent over last year -- despite an enrollment drop that meant less state aid for the district. The budget calls for an overall spending increase of one-half a percent to a little more than 70-and-a-third million dollars. Districtwide, enrollment fell by 170 students. This meant state aid fell by more than 862-thousand dollars.
While the government shutdown continues and many Americans are trying to afford food, the Eau Claire Area School District is highlighting its free and reduced-price meals program for the community. While federal food programs will be affected by the shutdown, students who receive the free and reduced-price meals at school won't be affected. Families need to reapply each year for the program but the district understands when circumstances change.
Wisconsin Congressman Derrick Van Orden was at the Capitol in Madison on Wednesday, testifying on veterans’ legislation. Reporters asked the 3rd District Republican about the looming pause of federal funding for Wisconsin’s Foodshare program. Van Orden said people need to "call Tammy Baldwin's office. Tell the Democrats to open up the government again, and this problem will go away. This is a problem that was created by the Democrat Party, so they need to open the government again, and we can sit down and negotiate.” Van Orden said House Republicans “won’t be held hostage.” A spokesperson for Baldwin’s office released the following statement: “Donald Trump has the power and money to fund FoodShare–but he is choosing not to use it, and it’s 700,000 Wisconsinites who might not have food on the table come Saturday because of it. While Congressman Van Orden is on day 40 of his paid vacation, Senator Baldwin has been in Washington working with her colleagues to lower health care costs and reopen the government.”
Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin says few Wisconsin voters know much about candidates running for governor next year. Franklin notes that this is the time Wisconsin has had a primary in both parties with no incumbent running in a long time. And, just over a year out from the general election. voter disengagement is not surprising. The latest statewide poll of 846 registered voters finds 70% of Republicans and 81% of Democrats haven’t made a primary choice. Among likely Republican primary voters, Congressman Tom Tiffany is the best-known candidate, with 39% who recognize his name. Among likely Democratic primary voters, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has 26% name recognition, followed by Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez at 25%. In all cases, more than 60% of voters have no opinion of the candidates.
The suspect in a New Lisbon triple homicide is pleading not guilty to all charges. Court officials say 48-year-old Virgil Thew allegedly killed his girlfriend, Elizabeth Kolba, and two girls ages 12 and 13 in December 2024. Authorities confirmed all three died from gunshot wounds. Thew was arrested in January after a multi-day manhunt. He faces multiple charges, including three counts of first-degree intentional homicide. A nine-day jury trial is set for December 2026.
Wisconsin lawmakers want to offer state disaster assistance to residents. Representative Dan Knodl introduced the bill on Tuesday. The Germantown Republican wants to set up a fund managed by the Department of Military Affairs and Wisconsin Emergency Management that would offer grants to homeowners and businesses that are unable to secure FEMA funds following a disaster. Notably, that would currently cover flood damage to properties and infrastructure in Door, Grant and Ozaukee Counties. In September, President Donald Trump approved individual households in Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties. But Door, Grant and Ozaukee counties were not approved for that individual aid. If passed and signed into law, the bill would provide state-funded help for those types of situations.
Republican lawmakers are disappointed with Governor Evers on his plan to overhaul Wisconsin's prison system. State Senate President Mary Felzkowski says Evers moved forward without consulting them. Despite objections, Felzkowski and Republican Senator Andre Jacque voted yes Tuesday as the State Building Commission signed off on moving forward with a 15 million dollar planning budget. The complete project would shift lower risk inmates towards early release to focus on more serious offenders, close the state’s northern Wisconsin youth prisons in favor of a facility in southeast Wisconsin, and close the Green Bay prison. The entire plan would take six years to complete with a projected cost of about $1 billion.
State and local leaders are hoping to resolve a loophole affecting tobacco sales in Wisconsin. Federal law doesn't allow people under 21 to purchase tobacco and nicotine products, but state law says anyone over 18 can buy the products. In Milwaukee, Alderman Peter Burgelis has tried to change the local ordinance, but learned that nothing can change unless the law is changed at the state level. More than half of the city's common councilmembers have signed a letter advocating for a bill to close the loophole.
As many as 100 Minnesota employees could get pink slips today due to the government shutdown. The impact has cut off federal funding for state inspections of health care facilities and nutrition, and breastfeeding support for new mothers and infants. The Minnesota Department of Health plans to lay off workers on December 2nd unless the shutdown in Washington ends. Workers at risk of losing their jobs include those in the regulation division, which makes sure that hospitals and nursing homes comply with licensing requirements and federal standards.
The state's Department of Natural Resources is encouraging hunters to donate legally harvested Wisconsin deer to its Deer Donation Program. The request comes as the department combats rising food-pantry demand. Hunters must field-dress, register, and in some counties have the deer tested for chronic wasting disease before drop-off. DNR officials emphasize minimizing lead exposure by using non-lead ammunition. The program has provided over 100-thousand deer since it began in 2000.
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