Local-Regional News October 9

One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Gilmanton Township on Wednesday. According to the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, 38yr old James Bauer Jr of Eau Claire was traveling northbound on Hwy 88 when hi motorcycle crossed the centerline and traveled into the ditch. First responders found Bauer with life threatening injuries. He was med flighted to Mayo Hospital in Rochester. Speed and alcohol are believed to be contributing factors in the accident.

One man is dead after an accident at Berry Global on Monday. According to authorities an employee of Berry Global was struck in the head by a piece of machinery and suffered a severe laceration. He was taken to the hospital but died on Thursday. Police reviewed the factory video and determined it was an accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now investigating the incident.

The Pepin County Sheriffs Department is reporting a pair of scams. The department has been receiving a number of reports regarding people getting calls saying there is a warrant for their arrest as well as numerous Social Security frauds. Caller ID is showing many of the calls coming from 715-495-xxxx numbers. If you receive calls like this simply hang up. If in the event you have suffered an actual monetary loss please call the Sheriff's Office non-emergency phone number at 715-672-5944 and a Deputy/Officer will be assigned to to take your complaint.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $3 million to provide broadband service in unserved and under-served rural areas in Wisconsin. Ntera, LLC will use a $3 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 2,044 people, 33 farms and 33 businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Chippewa, Rusk, and Taylor counties in Wisconsin. This investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program. 

The F-B-I says members of a militia group planned to kidnap Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and take her to Wisconsin for a “trial.”  Six suspects are named in a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday in federal court.  As many as 13 arrests may be connected to the alleged plot.  The F-B-I says five of the men took part in training exercises in Cambria last July and tried, unsuccessfully, to build an improvised explosive device.  Undercover agents and informants are being given credit for exposing the plot which involved at least two unidentified men from Wisconsin.  The suspects were arrested Wednesday night in Michigan.

One person is dead and another seriously injured after a two vehicle accident in the town of Apple River on Thursday. According to the Polk County Sheriffs Department, an SUV traveling northbound on 70^th Street when the driver failed to stop for a stop sign and struck an minivan traveling eastbound on Mains Crossing Avenue. The driver of the minivan suffered serious injuries, while a passenger in the minivan was killed. The driver of the SUV was not injured. That accident is still under investigation.

 Occupancy for Minnesota bars and restaurants is being increased and live music will now be allowed inside facilities large enough to accommodate social distancing.  That’s according to updated guidelines released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Health.  Dancing and karaoke will still be prohibited.  At bars, tables will be able to accommodate parties up to four people.  In dining rooms, parties as big as ten will be able to be seated together.  The new guidelines allow for indoor occupancy up to 50-percent with a maximum of 250 people.  Maximum outdoor seating is also increased to 250 people

 The editors at Reader’s Digest really like Eau Claire.  The western Wisconsin city has been included on the publication’s list of the top 25 small towns about to become popular.  Those compiling the list based it on areas like quality of life after the COVID-19 pandemic rocked larger more popular cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.  Reader’s Digest says those small towns hold some of America’s best-kept secret tourist spots.  It praises Eau Claire for its entrepreneurship and local festivals.

The full 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked a decision to extend the deadline for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin. That means absentee ballots must be delivered to clerks by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted, and results of the presidential race could be known within hours of polls closing. Democrats will likely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge William Conley had ruled ballots which arrive by November 9 would be counted, as long as they're postmarked by Election Day. Republicans appealed to a three-judge panel at the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld Conley’s ruling last week. Republicans then asked the full 11 member court to review the case. The court stayed Conley's decision on Thursday.

Officials with the city of Milwaukee say they won’t abide by Governor Tony Evers’ most recent emergency order.  The Health Department said Wednesday it will be sticking with the Moving Milwaukee Forward Safely order.  The statement from the health department says that order is better at slowing the spread of COVID-19 than the governor’s order limiting all bars, restaurants, and most stores to 25 percent of their capacity.  Milwaukee’s order requires those businesses to keep people six feet away from each other and pass an 80-point safety inspection in order to stay open.

 Wisconsin’s cranberry crop is expected to be “down” this year, but the final numbers won’t be known until the harvest is complete.  Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association spokesperson Isaac Zarecki says the harvest is far from over.  Rochelle Biegel-Hoffman with Dempze Cranberry Company near Wisconsin Rapids expects their product to be off by 10-to-20 percent.  She points out that the state will still lead the nation in production of the floating red fruit.  Zarecki tells W-A-O-W Television, “We will know how it went when the last trucks take the cranberries to the receiving station in November.”

 The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says 32 people died and more than 32-hundred were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers last year.  Triple-A Minnesota is urging all drivers to pay attention and focus on the road.  Spokeswoman Meredith Terpstra says "any distraction in the vehicle, especially behind the wheel, is not worth the risk of taking someone's life or permanently altering them with major injuries."  She says the state's hands-free law is a step in the right direction, but hands-free is not risk-free, despite what some drivers believe.  Terpstra recommends parking the phone before you put your vehicle in drive.

More than two dozen Minnesota firefighters are back home after battling wildfires in California and Oregon for two weeks.  Brainerd Deputy Fire Chief Dave Cox says for firefighters trained mainly for structure fires, they had to get up to speed quickly on the best wildfire-fighting techniques.   Cox said the terrain out there is very different, with a lot of steep mountains, and large trees and stumps that burn for a long time.   State Fire Marshall Jim Smith thanked all the officers for their efforts and their unselfish service. 

Authorities responded to a call in Otter Tail County Tuesday about a possibly naked person taking pictures on Highway 108 near Pelican Rapids.   The Minnesota State Patrol said two women were attempting some modeling and photographs and one was covered in blue paint with minimal clothing.   No citations were issued but the two were advised about the dangers of standing on the highway.  Deputies were initially called to the scene but deferred to state troopers because it was on a state highway.  They said the women were not from the area.

 Authorities in Green County say a 67-year-old farmer was killed Wednesday afternoon when he got stuck under a combine.  The victim’s name hasn’t been released.  Deputies say he was using the combine to harvest soybeans in a field in Washington County when the machine broke down.  When he tried to fix the problem, he became trapped.  Emergency responders from the Monticello Fire Department, Green County E-M-S, Monticello Police, and the Green County Sheriff’s Department got him free, but he died before he could be airlifted to a hospital.  The fatal accident is still being investigated.

Local-Regional News October 8

 As hospitals in parts of Wisconsin are becoming overwhelmed with covid 19 patients, that is not the case for northwest Wisconsin. Angela Jacobson is Director of Nursing and Emergency Preparedness with Advent Health in Durand says that in the Northwest Region, which includes hospitals from Pepin County all the way north to Ashland are filling up for a multitude of reasons including staffing shortages and people not taking care of routine medical issues.  Jacobson says if your not feeling well, you should be seeing your healthcare provider and to continue with your medications and other routine medical care.

While Governor Evers issued new rules limiting indoor gatherings, here in Pepin County no local orders exist. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says there are no local orders in place and the department does not plan to issue any new orders in the near future. Republican Legislators are vowing to challenge the new executive order from Governor Evers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $71.5 million in 133 distance learning and telemedicine projects in 37 states including Wisconsin. CESA 10 is receiving a $1 million grant to implement a distance learning technology upgrade. The Achieving Wisconsin Equity (AWE) Project will allow for cloud-based bridging and provide videoconferencing endpoints at 39 school districts in 14 counties in west central Wisconsin. Durand-Arkansaw and Mondovi School Districts will be a part of the project.

Several Republican lawmakers say the governor’s statewide emergency order should be challenged in the Legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules.  They say the order can’t be enforced until they approve it.  The administrative rule would deal with limits on the number of people allowed at public gatherings while positive test results for COVID-19 remain high.  Joint committee chairman Senator Steve Nass says he will request an executive session to address the question.  Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos have sent a letter to the Department of Health Services saying the rule-making process must be followed.  They want a meeting with Governor Evers.

 Governor Tim Walz is bringing lawmakers back to St. Paul for a special session Monday to extend his COVID-19 emergency powers.  Walz at a roundtable Wednesday said, "people are tired of it and people just want it to go away and I think all of us do, but wanting and wishing for something to happen does not make it a reality." The governor says the "emergency is not over" and extending the order will ensure the state can continue to quickly respond to the pandemic.  Senate G-O-P attempts to end the governor's emergency powers have been blocked by  House Democrats.

 Minnesota Senate Republicans are hosting a hearing today on what the agenda calls "recent court cases" and "media attention of potential voter fraud."  A viral video from the far-right group "Project Veritas" purported to show examples of voter fraud in Minneapolis.  But the man in the video told FOX 9 he was offered a bribe to say he was harvesting ballots for Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.  Election officials from the Secretary of State’s office and from Ramsey and Hennepin counties are expected to speak at the hearing.

 The ex-Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd on Memorial Day is out of jail on one-million dollars bail.  Derek Chauvin of Oakdale was released from the Oak Park Heights state prison and posted "conditional" bail Wednesday at the Hennepin County jail.  Chauvin was seen on video kneeling on Floyd's neck for about eight minutes before he died in police custody.  He's charged with second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.  The conditional bail requires Chauvin to stay in Minnesota, appear at all court hearings, not possess firearms, and not have contact with Floyd's family.  The trial of Chauvin and three officers accused of aiding and abetting him is set to begin in March.

The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office has determined Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Mensah was justified in shooting teenager Alvin Cole outside Mayfair Mall February 2nd.  The decision was announced Wednesday afternoon.  Officials had said Cole ran from police and fired at officers before Mensah shot and fatally wounded the 17-year-old.  Mensah has shot three people to death in the line of duty over a five-year period.  Governor Tony Evers sent Wisconsin National Guard troops to the Milwaukee suburb to help with security if the expected protests turn violent.

The head of the Wisconsin Education Association Council says he wants state lawmakers to “do something” about the coronavirus.  Ron Martin is president of the teachers union.  He claims members of the Legislature are ignoring the pandemic.  Martin hasn’t said exactly what he wants lawmakers to do.  Governor Evers so far has cut them out of his executive orders.  WEAC (WEE ack) and other teachers’ unions in Wisconsin have fought for months to close schools and have all students in the state learn from their homes until the big numbers of new COVID-19 cases settle down.

The statewide trend has more registered voters in Wisconsin than there were four years ago.  That isn’t the case in the state’s largest city.  The Wisconsin Elections Commission reports there are 20 thousand fewer registered voters in Milwaukee.  In contrast, there are 80 thousand more registered voters across the state of Wisconsin.  Dane, Brown, and Waukesha counties are leading the way.  With the presidential election less than a month away there are more than three-and-a-half million registered voters in Wisconsin.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says the driver of a delivery truck never saw an 80-year-old woman before he hit her Monday afternoon.  Lavina Pumphrey had walked in front of the truck as it was driving away after dropping off a load of potatoes.  Pumphrey was working in Colburn at the time.  Authorities say she died before she could be taken to a hospital.  The fatal accident was reported at about 5:15 p-m.

Democratic lawmakers are criticizing the Wisconsin Legislature’s Republican leaders for not meeting and coming up with a COVID-19 response plan.  Democratic state Senator Chris Larson of Milwaukee points out it has about 25 weeks since the Legislature has convened.  The National Council of State Legislatures singled out Wisconsin for its lack of activity.  A St. Croix County judge held a hearing Monday on a challenge to the governor’s statewide face mask mandate.  Judge Michael Waterman asked why the court was being asked to “decide something lawmakers have the power to do.”

A Minnesota employee who had been in charge of reviewing jail deaths in Minnesota has resigned.  Timothy Thompson was on paid administrative leave while the Department of Corrections investigated his unit.  The unit of Inspections and Enforcement was the subject of the television news investigation by KARE 11 which turned up a pattern of flawed reviews of jail deaths that resulted in no changes.  Over the last five years, the Department of Corrections has apparently taken no steps after the deaths of 56 jail inmates in Minnesota, according to the television station

A libertarian think-rank is giving Wisconsin’s governor a passing grade on state finances. The Cato Institute’s latest report card gives Governor Evers a “C” for money management. The report credits Evers for agreeing to a tax cut for middle class homeowners, but dings him for pushing to tax and spend more. Evers’ “C” is better than the “F” that Illinois’ and Michigan’s governors both got. But is worse than the “A” given to Iowa’s governor.

 Wisconsin’s cranberry crop is expected to be “down” this year, but the final numbers won’t be known until the harvest is complete.  Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association spokesperson Isaac Zarecki says the harvest is far from over.  Rochelle Biegel-Hoffman with Dempze Cranberry Company near Wisconsin Rapids expects their product to be off by 10-to-20 percent.  She points out that the state will still lead the nation in production of the floating red fruit.  Zarecki tells W-A-O-W Television, “We will know how it went when the last trucks take the cranberries to the receiving station in November.”

Local-Regional News September 7

As we get closer to election day, many people are receiving phone calls or mail offering absentee voting, claiming they are not registered to vote or other voting issues. Durand City Clerk Angela Morgan says its best to contact your local city, villiage or county clerk to get the correct information.  The clerk can tell you if your registered, if you requested an absentee ballot and when that ballot was mailed, and even give you voting locations for election day voting.

Property owners that are appealing the fees associated with the city of Durand vacant building ordinance will have a chance to talk with city officials. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says a committee meeting will be scheduled this month.  The city council is also looking at revamping the current ordinance.

A Tuesday press release from the La Crosse County Health Department stated that that health director Jen Romabalski is experiencing mild to moderate symptoms and is recuperating at home. The press release said Rombalski was exposed to the virus by a member of her household who is attending school in person, and that no other staff members have been exposed to the virus because Rombalski and the majority of staff have been working remotely.

A new emergency order issued by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers will limit indoor public gatherings to no more than 25 percent of capacity of full occupancy.  It will go into effect Friday and continue until November 6th.  Evers said, "we're in a crisis right now and need to immediately change our behavior to save lives."  State health officials reported more than two-thousand new COVID-19 cases today (Tuesday), 18 additional deaths and 108 more hospitalizations.  The governor warns that the state is experiencing a surge in cases and hospitals are overwhelmed.  Republicans are challenging Evers' mask mandate in court at a time when Wisconsin is ranked third in the nation for new cases per capita.

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald tested positive for COVID-19. Fitzgerald confirmed the diagnosis to the "Drydenwire" news site on Tuesday.  Fitzgerald was preemptively isolating at home before the diagnosis was confirmed September 25th. He said he was nearly asymptomatic. Fitzgerald worked from home while quarantined. He said staff member is doing well now, too, after experiencing more severe symptoms of the virus.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue will prioritize businesses most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic when 100 million dollars of state aid is handed out.  The money is actually coming originally from the federal CARES Act.  The bulk of the funding will be directed to restaurants, hair salons, and barbershops – because, in most cases, they have been hurt by the disrupted economy the most.  Twenty million will go to the Wisconsin hospitality industry, with 15 million handed out to live music venues and performance halls.  There will also be money for privately-owned movie theaters and non-profit cultural venues.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is investigating a hit-and-run crash that left two horses dead.  Deputies say a vehicle struck and killed the horses early Monday on Highway 95 near the Village of Taylor.  The vehicle didn't stop but debris at the scene indicates it would have front end damage.  The grille suggests the vehicle is a 200 to 2005 Chevy Impala.  Anyone with information is asked to contact Jackson County Crime Stoppers.

In an effort to provide safe voting options during the coronavirus pandemic, Milwaukee’s election commission had planned to use the Bucks and Brewers facilities between October 20 and November 1 as sites where people could have voted early in-person or returned absentee ballots they received by mail. The commission’s executive director, Claire Woodall-Vogg, said a Monday memo the Wisconsin Elections Commission warned that under state law, all early voting sites had to have been designated by June 12. The plan to use Fiserv and Miller Park wasn't implemented until September 1.

A lawsuit filed in Madison accuses American Transmission Company of being negligent when an electrical substation exploded last year.  Nineteen businesses and their insurance provider want A-T-C to cover their losses suffered during the subsequent blackouts.  Society Insurance says it paid out more than 138 thousand dollars in claims following the incident.  A-T-C is being accused of failing to maintain, inspect, repair, and keep the substation in good condition – leading to the explosion in July 2019.  Madison Gas and Electric officials said the explosion and fires that followed were caused by a piece of equipment owned and operated by A-T-C.

Conservationists say plastic items make up about 80 percent of the garbage washing up on the Door County lakeshores.  Support for the effort to keep Green Bay pollution-free was sought at a meeting last week.  After any weather-related event, it is typical to find debris along the shoreline, including soda bottles, plastic caps, food wrappers, and straws.  That’s long-lasting pollution.  It can take 200 years for plastic straws to decompose and 20 years for plastic bags.  Volunteers help during annual clean-up days.  This year they filled nearly 500 bags of garbage.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says a man was killed Saturday when he stopped his car along Highway 8 to pick up a piece of metal sitting in the roadway.  Deputies arrived to find the victim being helped by good Samaritans and emergency responders.  The man’s name hasn’t been released.  He was hit by a passing vehicle while he was in the roadway.  That driver did stop and the victim died before he could be taken to a hospital.

A decision on whether to file charges in a police shooting outside Wauwatosa’s Mayfair Mall is expected Wednesday.  Teenager Alvin Cole was shot to death by a police officer February 2nd.  Cole’s family members say they are scheduled to meet with Milwaukee County prosecutors to review the decision.  Police say Cole fired a shot at Officer Joseph Mensah first.  Mensah reportedly returned fire and killed the 17-year-old.  Cole’s death brought on protests at the mall and elsewhere in Wauwatosa throughout the summer.

Green Bay Police say they have responded to eight shootings in the first five days of October.  The department is pleading for the public’s help as it tries to stop the surge in gunfire.  A spokesperson says shooters are aiming at cars, other people, and even apartments – and some of the shootings are happening in the middle of the day.  He says it’s lucky that only one person was hit and they weren’t hurt badly.  Green Bay Police have investigated 55 shootings this year, so far.  Police have made no arrests and they say they’re getting little to no cooperation from suspects or victims.

October is "Farm to School Month" and across Minnesota the relationship between local growers and schools can mean different things.  Assistant State Education Commissioner Daron Korte (KORT'-ee) says some schools might be purchasing apples and dairy products from their area growers and farmers, while some in a different region of the state might by buying wild rice from their local tribal community.  Korte says the important connection does not stop in the cafeteria.  He says "we're encouraging schools to educate their students on where their food is coming from, to the extent to which it is coming from their communities."

Local-Regional News October 6

While the Durand-Arkansaw School District had a balanced budget for this school year, next year's budget could be very different. Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike says because of the covid19 pandemic, districts may be seeing less aid from the state. This year was the 6^th year in a row the district had a balanced budget.

The Eau Claire City County Health Department says a rash of quarantine notices that were posted o n business in Eau Clarie County and even on a few in Menonomonie are a hoax. In a statement to the media, the department said they had not placed any isolation or quarantine placards on any business, residence or facility. The department believes the notices were part of a campaign against a proposed communicable disease ordinances being considered by the Eau Claire City Council and County Board.

A circuit judge in St. Croix County is promising a quick ruling on a challenge to the governor’s statewide mask mandate.  The conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed the suit.  A Monday hearing was held before St. Croix County Circuit Judge R. Michael Waterman where the institute requested a temporary injunction to suspend the mandate while the judge considers his decision.  Judge Waterman told the parties he will decide about the injunction “very quickly.”

At $2.18, the national gas price average is at the cheapest start to the month of October since 2016. That average is the same as a week ago, four cents cheaper than the start of this past September and nearly 50 cents cheaper than last year. “Demand is likely to see some declines in the weeks ahead as drivers traditionally take fewer road trips in the fall,” said Nick Jarmusz, Director of Public Affairs for AAA -- The Auto Club Group. “That will mean gas prices are likely to push cheaper throughout the month.” Here in Western Wisconsin, gas was averaged at $2.01 per gallon compared to $2.66 last year.

Fairview Health Services is eliminating about 900 positions due to 163-millions dollars in losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fairview is closing or consolidating 14 primary care clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin and shutting down Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul. The 90-bed hospital has been used for COVID-19 patients since March and will be transferred to Ramsey County for a winter homeless shelter. There will also be changes at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and St. Joseph Hospital. Fairview President and C-E-O James Hereford said the unprecedented health threat of COVID-19 further exposed the profound challenges we face and the unsustainable economics of healthcare today."

Forty-seven million dollars of funding from the federal CARES Act will be used to provide Wisconsin residents will childcare, food, rental assistance, and other expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Governor Tony Evers made the announcement Monday.  The Out-of-School Support Grant Program will get 10 million to help state organizations providing care to school-age children.  Another 10 million will be used by the Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program to stop residents from being evicted.  The state’s Food Security Initiative gets 10 million and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program – or LiHeap – will receive 15 million dollars.  More money will be sent to the Keep Wisconsin Warm or Cool Fund, which helps people during energy-related emergencies.

Federal arson charges have been filed against the 26-year-old man accused of starting a fire in Madison’s City-County Building.  Prosecutors say Marquon Clark threw projectiles through the building’s windows last June, then tossed in a burning roll of paper towels.  U-S Attorney Scott C. Blader told the court Monday that throwing burning objects into an occupied government building isn’t a protest.  Blader said, “It is a crime that places lives at risk.”  Clark already faces two felony charges in Dane County court for his actions.  He is being held at the Dane County Jail.  A federal conviction could mean between five and 20 years in prison.

 Police in Rochester are investigating what they call a "suspicious death." Officers said the body of a 27-year-old woman was found Friday at the Gates of Rochester apartments. The Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office is working to determine the cause of death. Investigators haven't said why it is suspicious.

Exit-polling at a weekend voter registration event in Milwaukee finds COVID-19 is still the main concern for potential voters.  Cars were lined up at the former Bradley Center location in the downtown area Saturday for a registration and food drive event.  Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett joined the program sponsored by the Milwaukee Bucks, saying people understand the seriousness of the pandemic – especially after the news of President Trump’s diagnosis.  The state had exceeded two thousand positive COVID-19 test results each day for a week before Sunday.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will spend almost 900 thousand dollars testing hundreds of drinking water wells in Marinette County.  Scientists are looking for possible chemical contamination from a nearby firefighter testing facility.  State officials have sent out more than 550 information packets to people living in Peshtigo about the new round of testing.  Only wells used for drinking and cooking water are being checked.

U-S Senator Ron Johnson says he is asymptomatic and is feeling healthy, despite testing positive for COVID-19.  The Wisconsin Republican had just emerged from a self-quarantine after he had been exposed to a person with the virus.  Johnson tested positive Friday, the same day it was announced the president, first lay, several members of the White House staff, and several prominent Republican senators had also tested positive.  Johnson says he will keep working while he is in isolation.  He had attended a Friday fundraiser in Ozaukee County, but he says he wore a mask at the event, stood far away from others in attendance, and took the mask off only when he gave a speech.

 Federal prosecutors have determined there isn’t enough evidence to prove than an 18-year-old biracial woman was set on fire during a protest last summer.  Althea Bernstein has told investigators four white men sprayed her with lighter fluid and tossed a flaming lighter on her June 24th.  A team of federal and state investigators conducted interviews and reviewed traffic cameras, but they couldn’t come up with enough evidence to prove the incident occurred.  The woman’s family thanked the investigators and said the Bernstein is healing.

Multiple law enforcement departments took a wanted felon into custody over the weekend in Central Wisconsin. Police had been looking for 38-year-old Joseph Unger after SWAT teams and local drug agencies found drugs and numerous guns inside his Mosinee home during a search warrant. Police had been considering him armed and dangerous during that search. Unger is scheduled for an initial appearance in Marathon County Court on Monday.

 St. Paul Police say they have recovered six collector cars stolen last week from a body shop.  The 77-year-old owner of the vehicles is a lifelong car enthusiast.  His name hasn’t been released.  Officers found the 1967 Chevy Impala, 1965 Pontiac LeMans, 1965 G-T-O convertible, 2000 Pontiac Firebird, 2000 G-M-C pickup, and 1960 Cadillac Couple de Ville abandoned in a wooded area of Woodbury.  Suspects kicked in a garage door early Sunday and drove the valuable vehicles away.  Authorities are still searching for the thieves.

Local-Regional News October 5

The Wisconsin D-N-R says a deer sample collected in Buffalo County tested positive for a virus that causes epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD).  Wildlife officials say E-H-D was identified after several landowners reported 30 to 35 dead deer near Fountain City.  The disease was also detected earlier this month in Oconto County.  The virus is transmitted by midges that bit deer but does not infect humans.  The D-N-R says E-H-D is usually short-lived because flies that transmit it die with the first hard frost.

As the covid-19 pandemic continues there have been multiple reports of people delaying or not receiving medical care for non covid issues. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says if you are having some type of medical issue that would have sent you to the doctor before covid, you should still see your doctor now. Stewart also reminds residents that now is the best time to get your flu shot.

A teen charged in a deadly shooting near Rochester Community and Technical College will stand trial next spring.  Jury selection is scheduled to begin for 19-year-old Robert Salley on March 15th.  Salley faces one count of second-degree murder and two weapons charges in the January 2019 shooting of Trevor Boysen.  Security camera video showed Salley firing a gun at a car Boysen was in and the victim climb out and collapse in the parking lot.  Investigators believe it was a drug deal gone bad.

A judge in Balsam Lake will hear arguments Monday in a lawsuit that seeks to undo Wisconsin’s statewide mask order. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty says the mask mandate amounts to unconstitutional overreach. Despite President Donald Trump's positive diagnosis for COVID-19, Republicans in Wisconsin are continuing their attempts to undo Governor Evers’ order.

Minnesota transportation officials are reminding Minnesota drivers to keep an eye out for farm machinery out on the roads this fall.  Harvest season is in full swing and farmers in every corner of the state are out using the highways.  MnDOT says motorists need to be prepared to encounter slow-moving farm vehicles, especially on rural, two-lane roads through November.  In the last five years, 14 people died on Minnesota roads in a crash involving farm equipment.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to issue its ruling on the deadline for counting absentee ballots no later than next week.  A federal court extended the period to November 9th, but Republicans are challenging that.  The state Supreme Court told both sides they needed to submit legal responses by today (Monday).  Wisconsin is considered to be a critical “battleground” state that could go to either party after Donald Trump prevailed in 2016 by less than 23 thousand votes.  Republicans are also asking a federal appeals court to rehear the case on that level.  That court says it will decide no later than Wednesday.

The IRS is sending out a letter to around 111-thousand Wisconsinites who still haven't gotten their COVID-19 relief payments. Spokesman Christopher Miller says the agency has been diligently trying to find and deliver the payments to everyone who qualifies.  People who don't file taxes regularly should head to IRS dot Gov to fill out a Non-Filers form to get their payment. The deadline to get the 12-hundred dollars this year is October 15th.

The health officer for Sauk County says he is stepping down because he is frustrated by the lack of leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Tim Lawther said in his resignation letter that the virus is being turned into a “political tool.”  Lawther says some county supervisors have demanded the retraction of evidence-based public health guidance because they are empowered by the current political gamesmanship.  His last day on the job will be October 14th.  The chairman of the Sauk County Board of Supervisors, Tim McCumber, says the way Lawther handled the pandemic response was likely part of the problem due to his personality.  McCumber says the board was trying to find a balance between letting businesses operate and keeping the public safe.

The state's largest business lobby is telling Wisconsin companies to mask up.  Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce spokesman Nick Novak says that businesses should stress the importance of wearing a mask to their workers, both on the job and off the clock.  He wants the business community to be a leader in stopping the spread of COVID-19, and hopes that people will help stop the spread of the virus.  W-M-C previously advocated against Governor Evers' mask orders and health emergency declarations while proposing their own back to business model.

An emergency order issued by Governor Tony Evers will allow out-of-state health care workers to provide care in Wisconsin during the pandemic.  The governor says it also makes some adjustments to licensing procedures and extends work licenses set to expire.  Evers said, "our hospitals are being stretched to the limit, and we need to take action to assist our frontline medical professionals with their life-saving work."  State health officials reported more than 28-hundred positive COVID-19 tests Thursday and 27 more deaths.

 Bail is set at one-million dollars for a Superior man accused of killing his mother Tuesday morning.  Douglas County prosecutors say 39-year-old Robert Lee Bennett III is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the stabbing of Cindy Bennett.  The criminal complaint says Bennett expressed concerns about her adult son's behavior before the stabbing and a police officer had responded to a separate call from the defendant less than two hours earlier.  She had been trying to get Robert to go to the hospital.  His sister received a call from their mother that morning and later found Bennett lying in the blood on the living room floor without a pulse.  Robert Bennett's preliminary hearing is next Wednesday.

The U-S House passed a two-point-two-trillion dollar coronavirus relief package Thursday mostly along party lines.  Democratic Congressman Ron Kind voted for the updated HEROES Act while G-O-P Representative Mike Gallagher was a "no" vote.  Kind says it would provide relief to Wisconsinites as the COVID-19 crisis continues and includes support for small businesses.  The package includes a 12-hundred-dollar stimulus check for taxpayers and 500 dollars for dependents and weekly unemployment payments.  Gallagher said House Democrats "wasted time on a two-trillion dollar liberal wish that has no chance of becoming law."  He's calling for House leaders to cancel the October recess until members deliver "real bipartisan relief.“

Winter is right around the corner and Minnesota's Cold Weather Rule goes into effect this month (10/15).  Ross Corson of Center Point Energy says the goal is to keep people safe and warm in their homes during the winter months.  Corson says customers who may have trouble paying their natural gas bill should contact their utility right away to set up a payment plan.  The Cold Weather Rule goes into effect during an ongoing COVID-related moratorium on utility service disconnections for non-payment this year.  Corson says no one knows how long that moratorium is going to last.

The Dane County Board of Supervisors wants University of Wisconsin-Madison to move all classes online. The county board voted Thursday night to urge the U-W to end in-person classes, and force students to move out of dorms. Supervisors also increased spending for a food insecurity program, and increased staffing at Dane County’s COVID-19 testing site at the Alliant Energy Center.

The nomination period is now open for the 2021 Minnesota Teacher of the Year.  Minnesotans can nominate their favorite educator online through November 15th.  Nominees must teach in a pre-K through 12th grade school and work at least 50 percent of the time with students, have a bachelor’s degree and a Minnesota teaching license, completed five years of teaching by the nomination deadline, and intend to teach during the 2021-22 school year.  The 2021 winner will be named at a ceremony in May.

Local-Regional News October 2

The Wisconsin National Guard will be have and enduring testing site for covid 19 here in Western Wisconsin. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says anyone experiencing Covid19 symptoms or has been exposed can go to the Eau Claire Site for free testing.  The site will be open Monday and Fridays from 11-7, Saturdays from 9-5 through December 7^th. Advent Health in Durand also offers free drive through testing during the weekdays.

One person was injured in a one vehicle accident Wednesday in Oak Grove Township. According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 24yr old Alexander Magnuson of River Falls was traveling eastbound on 690^th Avenue when he lost control of his vehicle, entered the north ditch and struck a tree. Magnuson was transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

An Eau Claire Man is again asking to be released from a state mental institution. James Olson was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 2012 beating death of Paul Oberle. Olson petitioned the court asking for conditional release from the Mendota State Mental Institution. A hearing on the request will be held in December.

 Wisconsin Elections Commission director Meagan Wolfe says there were no absentee ballots among three trays of mail found in a ditch in Outagamie County last week. She said during a virtual news conference Thursday, "there was mail found outside of Appleton. And that mail did not contain any Wisconsin ballots." Wolfe says the U-S Postal Service is investigating what happened in Greenville. She said state election officials have ways to track down missing ballots, but emphasized the importance of returning absentee ballots as soon as possible.

 State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski is urging Wisconsin congressional leaders to take action to support small businesses during the pandemic. A recent study found 84 percent of Wisconsin businesses who received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans depleted those funds, and one in five report they will need to close their doors if economic conditions do not improve. Godlewski sent a letter to the delegation calling for Congress to extend the deadline to apply for P-P-P loans through the end of the year and allow borrowers to apply for a second round of funding. She notes that small businesses make up more than 99 percent of Wisconsin's economy.

 The Republican candidate for Congress in Minnesota's Second District is suing to uphold a state law calling for a special election in the race. The Secretary of State's Office said the death of Legal Marijuana Now Party nominee Adam Weeks 79 days before Election Day requires a special election in February. Incumbent Congresswoman Angie Craig filed a lawsuit allowing the November general election proceed under federal law. G-O-P challenger Tyler Kistner announced his campaign will intervene in Craig's lawsuit to ensure the election moves forward to February.

Police in Duluth are investigating an alleged attack on a photojournalist by a Trump supporter at Wednesday's campaign rally.  W-C-C-O T-V photographer Dymanh Chhoun says he was gathering video before the event when he was attacked by a Trump supporter who had been confronting Biden supporters.  Chhoun claims the man punched the camera phone out of his hand.  He wasn't injured and says he told the man he was a member of the media recording video.  The suspect fled the scene. 

A judge in Waukesha County is temporarily blocking state health officials from releasing the names of businesses with employee COVID cases.  The order will remain in effect for five days.  It was issued after Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce filed a lawsuit Thursday to stop the state from identifying employers with at least two workers with positive COVID tests.  Media outlets requested the information and Governor Evers said the state was complying with their requests.  W-M-C argued the records are protected by patient confidentiality laws and that disclosure would harm businesses by "effectively blacklisting them."

The Wisconsin-Minnesota Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago (TCMC) Passenger Rail Project is being awarded a 31-point-eight-million dollar rail grant.  The T-C-M-C project will add an additional daily round-trip between the Twin Cities, La Crosse, Milwaukee, and Chicago and points in-between, along the existing long-distance Amtrak Empire Builder route.  The service will be an extension of one of the existing Amtrak Hiawatha round trips.  Wisconsin Transportation Secretary-designee Craig Thompson said, "the expanded service provides a much-improved connection between the Midwest economic hubs of Minneapolis/St. Paul, La Crosse, Milwaukee and Chicago.”  Thompson says residents in many rural communities will have increased travel options, with better reliability and on-time performance.  The grant will require 21 million dollars in matching funds from the states.

Marcus Theatres is temporarily closing 17 cinemas it re-opened this summer.  The Milwaukee-based company says audience demand is down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and so are the number of new movies.  The newly re-closed cinemas are in Appleton, Green Bay, Delafield, and Menomonee Falls.  Marcus owns 72 theatres.

Several boaters are okay after being thrown from a canoe on Lake Mendota in Madison.  The Madison Fire Department's Lake Rescue Team responded to the Memorial Union Wednesday for the report of a canoe sinking.  The crews rescued three of the boaters and one was able to swim to shore.  The boat was about 100 yards from shore when it started taking in water.  Firefighters say all were wearing life jackets.

 Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon continues to advocate for the safety of mail-in voting for the November election.  He says early balloting here has a triple-layer security system.  Simon says "there is a bar code  attached to every ballot that is individualized to the voter, we also ask every voter who applies to vote by mail to supply some personal identifying information, and a signature is required with each ballot."  Simon says it's disappointing that President Trump questions the security of absentee ballots because he votes by mail himself.   Minnesotans are requesting mail-in ballots in record numbers this year.

U-S Senator Tina Smith is sponsoring a bill that would protect Americans from unanticipated COVID-19 test charges.  The Minnesota Democrat says far too many people are being forced by their insurance companies to pay for coronavirus tests that should be free.  The legislation clarifies that insurers cannot refuse to cover medically necessary tests and directs federal officials to help ensure providers understand how to submit claims and protect patients from surprise bills.  The measure is co-sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar.

A Mankato man is using his lawn to show appreciation for frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Nate Slama lives across the street from Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.  His riding mower was not working so he used a push mower to write 'Thank You Nurses!' in five-foot wide and seven-foot long letters in his yard.  Slama says his mom and godmother were nurses and his sister-in-law is a nurse practitioner.  He says he wanted to send a nice message to the nurses who drive past his house.

Local-Regional News October 1

The growing season may come to an end early Friday morning. The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for Western Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota from 1am-8am Friday morning. Temperatures are expected to drop into the upper 20's which will damage or kill crops and other sensitive vegetation.

The Dunn County Health Department in northwest Wisconsin is confirming its first death from COVID-19 complications.  Officials say the unidentified patient was elderly.  Dunn County Health Officer K-T Gallagher said, "this death and our current high rate of infections emphasize the need for us all to do our part to preventing spreading COVID germs."  A total of 612 people in the county have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.  Dunn County is considered to have "very high" case activity.

One man has been arrested in Strum after a traffic incident. According to the Trempealeau County Sheriffs Department, deputies responded to a call that a male driver in a silver car had bumped the rear bumper of another car in the Co-Op Credit Union Parking lot. When Deputies arrived on scene the male driver of the car fled on foot. The K-9 unit was brought in and after a lengthy pursuit the male subject was arrested and identified as Jesse Honaker who had a Department of Corrections Warrant for his arrest.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission is continuing to have to deal with random mail and text spam to Wisconsin voters. Spokesman Reid Magney says those random voter registration forms you're getting in your mailbox are not probably not what's required.  Magney says they're also having to deal with claims that people aren't registered to vote. If you're worried about your voting status, check online at My Vote dot W I dot Gov, or call your local clerk's office.

As the covid 19 pandemic contniues, tele-medicine has become an important part of medical care. 93^rd Assemblyman Warren Petryk says tele medicine is more than just a nice thing to have for hospitals.  Recently the Federal Communications Commission awarded Mayo Clinic $1 million to help them expand their video telehealth program throughout the Midwest, including in Western Wisconsin  These funds will be used to help local clinics connect with patients directly in their homes allowing them to continue to receive their regular and follow-up care without costly delays.

Teachers unions from Wisconsin's largest cities want state health officials to order all K-12 schools, colleges and universities move to virtual learning until community spread COVID is contained.  Milwaukee Teachers Education Association president Amy Mizialko said, "we're calling on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to do their job, protect Wisconsinites, protect our students, protect our educators, protect our families."  She claims that Wisconsin has reached "out of control, uncontained, exponential spread."  Mizialko noted that it has been two weeks since Bay Port German teacher Heidi Husli died of coronavirus complications.

A federal judge is dismissing a lawsuit by U-S Senate candidate Jason Lewis challenging Minnesota’s coronavirus restrictions.  The judge rejected his arguments that the rules unconstitutionally limit his freedom to campaign and that Governor Tim Walz acted within his authority to respond to the public health crisis when he imposed restrictions on crowd sizes, travel and other measures meant to slow the spread of COVID-19.  Lewis says he intends to file an appeal.  He said this fight is "for every Minnesotan whose business was hurt, who missed a paycheck, or lost their job because of this one-size-fits-all economic lockdown."

 Senator Tammy Baldwin is calling on Verso Corporation to keep the community in mind in any future sale of a now shuttered paper mill.  The  mill in Wisconsin Rapids has been there for over 100 years, and Baldwin says it has maintained jobs and families for generations.  She said "Verso Corporation should do right by the Wisconsin Rapids workers and small businesses that depend on the mill's success by selecting new owners that are committed to north central Wisconsin's future."  The mill has changed hands several times after being sold off by the Mead family in 2000

The Washington County youth football coach accused of knowingly exposing his team to COVID-19 won't face charges.  The Kewaskum Gridiron Club says it dismissed the coach and the county sheriff's office says he won't receive any further punishment.  The sheriff also says the coach didn't violate Wisconsin's mask mandate.

UW-Madison’s student government is declaring it has "no confidence" in the university’s police department because it helped Madison police during protests over the summer.  The Associated Students of Madison approved the symbolic measure on a vote of 9-5 Tuesday with nine abstentions.  A-S-M voted against letting UW-Madison Police Chief Kristen Roman speak to the council during debate.  Chairman Matthew Mitnick and other A-S-M members pushed the "no confidence" vote to express students’ discomfort with U-W-P-D’s involvement in policing protests off campus , as well as call attention to the department’s "unwillingness" to make changes requested by students.

 A new audit report shows the Wisconsin Elections Commission reported 19 cases of possible voter fraud since 2018.  W-E-C public information officer Reid Magney said these are possible, not proven cases and that Wisconsin has relatively low numbers of potential fraud cases.  Magney said, "it almost never happens."  He says most cases involve people voting twice, providing inaccurate information or felons trying to cast a ballot, and many cases are accidental.  Magney said there are measures in place to ensure voter fraud doesn’t happen this year.  He predicts around three-million people will vote in Wisconsin for the November election.

New research indicates that agriculture and forestry contribute more than 37-billion dollars to Minnesota's economy.  Minnesota AgriGrowth and more than two dozen ag stakeholder groups released a study conducted by Decision Innovation Solutions.  AgriGrowth executive director Tamara Nelsen says 37 billion dollars is "a tremendous number and hopefully in the next census of ag it’ll be $40 billion. We will hopefully have recovered from COVID."  She says the study also shows 388-thousand jobs are attributable to the ag sector.  Nelsen says the industry overcame numerous challenges "to ensure that Minnesotans get the food, fuel and fiber they need to keep our economy moving and families fed."

The Minnesota D-N-R is investigating after a 115-pound cougar was apparently struck and killed near the intersection of Interstates 35-W and 494 in Bloomington.  Conservation officers say the cougar was taken to the D-N-R Wildlife research office in Grand Rapids for a necropsy.  Officials have verified just 14 cougar sightings in the state since 2007.  One was spotted earlier this month in southeastern Minnesota's Dodge County.  Biologists say it's nearly impossible to determine how many cougars there might be in Minnesota.

Nearly half of Wisconsin hotels are at risk of closing. A recent internal survey by the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association shows a staggering 47-percent of Wisconsin hotels and motels could be forced to close in the next year without government loans or grants. More than half of hotel staff in Wisconsin are furloughed or laid off in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some hotels are adjusting by promoting private workspaces available to rent -- as an alternative to working from home.

October is American Cheese Month, and there's more to American cheeses than just processed slices.  Alice in Dairyland Julia Nunes says that many of your favorite cheeses originated right here.  Colby, jack, Muenster, and brick are all from Wisconsin.  Nunes says "we have a strong passion for dairy, and that's just a really big pride thing, they don't call us the Cheeseheads for nothing. "