Local-Regional News Nov 6

Voter turnout was heavy yesterday in Wisconsin.  In the City of Durand and town of Durand nearly 90% voter turnout was reported.  Dunn County reported at 96% voter turnout.  Wisconsin is on the list of states to get Election Day bomb threats. The FBI yesterday said it got threats in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and other battleground states. Agents say it looks like the threats came from Russian email accounts. Wisconsin's Elections Commission said the threats were deemed to be not credible. None of the state's polling places closed because of the threats. 

Trig Pronschinske has been re-elected to the state assembly to serve the new district 29.  He is the current representative for District 92 and District 29 now serves Trempealeau, Buffalo, Pepin, and Pierce counties after new maps were put in place.   In other assembly races, Rob Kriebich defeated Danielle Johnson in District 28, in District 67, David Armstrong was elected defeating Jeff Foster, while in District 92, Clint Moses defeated Joe Plouff and in the 93rd District, Christian Phelps won over James Robiecki.

Pepin and Buffalo Counties have a new State Senator.  As part of the redistricting, Senate District 10 encompasses all of Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, and St. Croix Counties, along with most of Trempealeau and parts of western Dunn County.    Rob Stafsholt of River Falls was elected to the seat defeating Paul Hambleton.  Stafsholt was first elected to the State Assembly in November of 2016 and then to the State Senate in 2020.

Plum City School District voters have passed a referendum to exceed the revenue limit.  Voters approved the ballot question 563-484 yesterday.  The district will have permission to exceed the revenue limit by $1.75 million in 25-26, $1.9 million in 26-27, $2 million in 27-28 and $2.2 million in 28-29.  The funds will be used to stabilize the district's financial condition over the next four years.

In the one contested race in Pepin County, Lisa Traun defeated Debra Fisher to be elected  Register of Deeds. Meanwhile, the District Attorney, County Clerk, and Treasurer offices all had one candidate running unopposed.

The Dunn County Sheriff's Department, Menomonie, Boyceville, Colfax, and Elk Mound Police Departments have received an $18,000 grant from the WI Bureau of Traffic Safety.  The money will be used to conduct high-visibility patrols to prevent and apprehend impaired drivers.  The grant will be used to cover overtime costs for the additional officers.  The grant runs until Sept 30, 2025.

Only citizens are going to be able to vote in Wisconsin elections. Voters last night overwhelmingly approved the constitutional amendment that would ban non-citizens from voting in the state, over 70 percent of voters voted Yes on the question. Republican lawmakers pushed the question on the ballot this fall in response to questions about non-citizens voting in other states. Democrats in Wisconsin said the amendment was unnecessary and discriminatory. 

Three people were injured in a two-vehicle accident in Spring Lake Township on Sunday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 42yr old Gregory Schrag of Elmwood was traveling eastbound on 650th Avenue when he hit a vehicle traveling northbound on Hwy CC driven by 35yr old Laura Larson of Elmwood.  Larson along with passengers 25yr old Nikolas Hofacker and a one-year-old both from Elmwood were taken to Western Wisconsin Health, while Schrag was not injured.

Two suspects in Eau Claire are under arrest and accused of chronically neglecting four children. The Eau Claire Area School District reported the pair after the children, ages twelve, ten, seven, and five, started showing signs of malnourishment. District employees reported the children were always hungry, and said they never felt full at home. Prosecutors say one of the victims reported only getting one Gatorade bottle full of water to share every day, and also reported physical abuse. Both suspects are due back in court in December.

A Battalion Chief is injured after his vehicle was hit by a semi-truck in Wauwatosa while responding to the scene of another crash. The Fire Department says it was called to Interstate-41 and North Avenue at about eleven P-M yesterday for the first crash. While responders were at the scene, the semi-truck lost control and hit the Battalion Five vehicle while the chief was inside. The car was in a blocking position for firefighters helping the people in the first crash. All of them are okay. The chief was treated for his injuries, and released 

A reminder to properly sort your recyclables after dirty diapers gum up the works in Northeast Wisconsin.   The Outagamie County Solid Waste Department posted a photo to their social media on Friday showing a massive clog of diapers in their paper shredding machine. Officials say the mixups not only force shutdowns on the line, they also contaminate all the other paper that is being recycled. Be sure to keep trash in the trash on its way to the landfill.

A Monday afternoon high-speed chase that forced the lockdown of Rhinelander High School may have been the result of a road rage incident.   The caller said they were struck by another vehicle that was attempting to pass in a no-passing zone, then struck again as they pulled over. They added that they felt the driver of the second vehicle was attempting to start "an altercation." The suspect fled when officers arrived, leading to a chase in and out of Rhinelander that reached speeds of 100 miles per hour and featured "numerous" traffic violations by the suspect. The chase eventually terminated on a logging road outside of the city, and the suspect was arrested without further incident.

A southern Minnesota man is facing a possible life sentence after being found guilty of killing a woman in Rochester in 2022.  An Olmsted County jury found Mustafa Bush guilty of first and second-degree murder yesterday.  Bush was accused of killing Kimberly Ann Robinson and then leaving her body in a ditch.  Jurors acquitted him of the charge of premeditated murder but found him guilty of first-degree murder involving domestic abuse and second-degree murder with intent.  His sentencing is set for next month.

UnitedHealthcare is coming from a loss in its legal fight against a new Minnesota law that blocks for-profit HMOs from winning contracts to serve the state Medicaid program.  First in late August and then again in October, the Minnetonka-based insurer failed to convince a judge to impose a temporary injunction that could have preserved the health insurance giant's position as a Medicaid vendor in Minnesota in 2025.  UnitedHealthcare executives are not about to give up on the underlying lawsuit.  The litigation continued a 50-year debate in Minnesota over whether profit motives should disqualify health plans from competing as HMOs in the state's health insurance market.

 A famous pair of shoes with ties to Minnesota has been placed on the auction block.  The pair of ruby slippers once worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" is being sold in an auction that will end next month.  The shoes were once displayed at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids until they were stolen in 2005.  The shoes were recovered and returned to their owner and the northern Minnesota museum has been raising money in hopes of getting them back.  The slippers have an estimated value of over three-million dollars. 

Local-Regional News Nov 5

 More than a million-and-a-half people have already voted in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Elections Commission yesterday said the early vote total includes 950 thousand people who voted in-person this year. Wisconsin's early vote numbers are far below 2020's numbers, but that early vote was skewed by COVID. The Elections Commission says this year's numbers are better than 2012 and 2016. The Commission says mail-in votes are still coming-in, so that total likely won't be finalized until after all of the ballots are counted. Voting resumes today. The polls are open from 7 a.m. til 8 p.m. 

Its election day today. Along with the Presidential Election, voters will be choosing members of Congress, the US Senate, and Wisconsin State Assembly and State Senate Seats.  Locally Plum City voters will be voting on an operating referendum for the Plum City School District, and the Eau Claire School District also has an operating referendum on the ballot.  The polls are open until 8pm tonight. 

One person is dead after a two-vehicle accident in the Town of Otter Creek on Friday.  According to the Eau Claire County Sheriff's Department, 18yr old Ryan Julson of Osseo was traveling on Hwy D when a vehicle crossed the center line and hit his vehicle.  Julson died of his injuries at the hospital while the other driver suffered minor injuries.  

Eau Claire is once again asking about garbage and parking. The city's latest survey asks about the cost of garbage pickups, what people want in terms of downtown parking, as well as other things like Eau Claire's fireworks show and the city's parks. There are eight policy questions in all. You can add your feedback to the survey over at the city's website. 

An Oronoco man has been arrested after driving over 100mph on Friday.  According to the Olmsted County Sheriff's Department, deputies clocked 20yr old Daniel Outcalt doing 108 in a 55 mph zone.  Outcalt showed signs of impairment when deputies stopped him and he is now facing third-degree DWI, speeding over 100mph, and reckless driving charges.

Price County authorities are investigating a death after a body was found along Hwy 13 on Sunday Night.  According to the Sheriff's Department, the body was found near Whitby Road, but Sheriff's Brian Schmidt said there is no known threat to the community.  The investigation into the death is ongoing.

The fighter jets will once again be taking-off from Madison's airport. The 115th Fighter Wing says its F-35 jets will be running night flight training exercises this week. That means neighbors will hear the jets until about 9:15 each night. The Air National Guard says it understands that some people are bothered by the noise, but the guard says the training flights are essential. The night flights begin tonight, and will continue through Thursday. 

Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicle locations will be open late today, until 6 p.m. The Department of Transportation says expanded hours are meant to help people who still need to get photo IDs in order to vote. Voters will need a birth certificate and proof of residency to get a Wisconsin ID card. U-S citizens can get their card at the DMV for free.

Wisconsin communities are getting more than 273-million dollars for clean drinking water. The Department of Natural Resources says more than eighty communities will split the money through the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program. Milwaukee and Watertown will both get millions to replace lead service lines. Other communities will get money for additional clean water infrastructure projects.  

Sixty emergency responders have been hit by cars and injured while working on the side of Wisconsin roads in the past five years. The Wisconsin State Patrol says November's state law of the month is the Move Over Law. It requires drivers to move out of the lane closest to stopped police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, and utility or maintenance vehicles to avoid hitting a responder. 

A homicide arrest after an alleged drunk driving crash killed a construction worker in Western Wisconsin. Monroe County deputies say a 25-year-old Sparta man was westbound on I 90 near Oakdale around 9:30 Friday night when he struck the back of a semi, spun out, and hit a piece of construction equipment. The equipment operator, 35-year-old Andrew Skupniewitz, died at the scene. The driver is being held on charges of drunk driving homicide, driving after revocation causing death and 2nd offense OWI. He's expected to make a court appearance today.

Olmsted County will be honoring veterans with a special light display this week.  The Olmsted County Government Center in Rochester will be lit up in green beginning today.  Operation Green Light will continue through November 11th.  Rochester City Hall will also be lit in green today.  A free Veterans Day breakfast will also be held next Monday at the Rochester International Event Center on Airport View Drive.

Local-Regional News Nov 4

 The Dunn County Sheriff's Department is reporting a rash of scam calls to residents in the county.  An individual identifying as a Dunn County Sheriff's Deputy has been calling residents asking them to come to the Judicial Center for various reasons.  If anyone receives a call like this do not provide any identifying information and the department is asking those receiving these calls to note the number the call came from and let the department know.  

The Pepin County Sheriff's Department has partnered up with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation to help with mental health.  The Department as agreed to promote the Farm Neighbors Care Program.  Pepin County Sheriff Joel Wener says deputies will have stickers with QR codes on them to direct those in need to mental health resources.  Along with Pepin County Sheriff Deputies, the department is giving out stickers to highway department members and the public.

An engineering firm has been chosen to start planning the new Eau Claire to Twin Cities Amtrak train route.  The proposed new route would connect to an expanded Hiawatha line from Chicago to the Twin Cities, connecting to Eau Claire, Menomonie, and Hudson on the way.  Other lines on the new Hiawatha route would include Madison and Green Bay.  The Chippewa St. Croix Rail Commission has chosen HDR Engineering to create the scope, schedule, and budget for the new passenger line.  Funding for this planning stage of the project is from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act.

 A wanted man out of Minnesota is now behind bars in western Wisconsin. The sheriff in Polk County says his Emergency Response Team arrested 32-year-old Jack Guy on Saturday. Guy is wanted by authorities in Hennepin County, Minnesota on second-degree murder charges. The sheriff's office says they were able to arrest Guy without an incident. He's in the Polk County jail and waiting to be taken back to Minnesota. 

The jury in the Adam Fravel murder trial is getting the next few days off due to the election.  Closing arguments in the case were originally scheduled to begin today, but have been pushed back to Wednesday to give the jurors time to vote.  The defense rested its case Friday after Fravel decided not to testify.  Fravel was arrested and charged with murder following the discovery of Madeline Kingsbury's body in Fillmore County last year.

Electioneering is not allowed near or inside polling places in Wisconsin. Elections Administrator Meagan Wolfe explained that wearing or making some sort of display that advocates for a candidate, a contest, a referenda, something that's on or related to what's on the ballot. Voters, observers, and poll workers should not be wearing or displaying anything that falls into that electioneering category inside of the polling place. Voters or observers making partisan displays or wearing campaign garb may be asked to leave, although Wolfe said elections inspectors have discretion in such instances. Polls open at 7:00 AM tomorrow and anyone in line before 8:00 PM will be able to cast a ballot. You can find your polling place at myvote-dot-wi-dot-gov.

The federal government is going to be watching the polls in two small western Wisconsin communities tomorrow. Over the weekend, the Department of Justice said it would have people watching the polls on Lawrence and Thornapple in Rusk County. The DOJ will also be monitoring the polls in Milwaukee and Wausau. Lawrence and Thornapple made headlines because local election managers initially refused to use electronic voting machines. Wausau made headlines earlier this fall when the mayor there removed the city's ballot drop box.  The DOJ says it's not uncommon for them to keep an eye on Milwaukee's voting operation. The DOJ says they are monitoring those specific communities to make sure there 'aren't violations of federal voting rights laws.'

 A new poll says a lot of swing state voters aren't voting for Kamala Harris because of the war in Gaza. The group Listen to Wisconsin is out with a new poll of pro-Palestinian voters that says voters in seven swing states, including Wisconsin, may vote for Harris if she changes her position on the war in Gaza. The poll says 60 percent of pro-Palestinian voters are more likely to vote for Harris if she supports a total, unconditional cease-fire in Gaza, stops sending weapons to Israel, and condemns Israel for the war in Gaza. The poll talked to voters in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, South Carolina, Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada. Listen to Wisconsin says Harris needs to listen to their voters before it's too late. 

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office says a construction worker is dead following a crash in a construction zone on Interstate 90.  It happened Thursday night around 9:30 p.m. near the 46-mile marker in the Village of Oakdale area.  The Sheriff's Office says an eastbound vehicle rear-ended another vehicle, which collided with a road surface machine.  The construction machine was being operated by 35-year-old Andrew Skupniewitz.  The driver and passenger in the first vehicle were taken to the hospital for undisclosed injuries.  I-90 East was shut down for about six hours.

Dane County will send out text messages on Election Day to alert voters of any schedule or location changes at polling places.  The county launched the Election Awareness Text Message Campaign this past Wednesday.  Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell says this will allow election officials to contact voters in a ward directly "instead of just relying on a press conference" in case there are any changes regarding a polling place.  McDonnell added that text messaging can combat disinformation.

A Wisconsin pilot who helped deliver drugs gets 12 years in federal prison.  36-year-old Larry Williamson helped deliver the most illegal drugs ever seized by law enforcement in southern Wisconsin. Williamson and his attorney claimed a series of unsuccessful business ventures led him to work with another man and transfer more than 65 pounds of fentanyl and meth from Arizona to Middleton via plane earlier this year. He pleaded guilty in June to possessing a large quantity of meth with intent to deliver and had faced a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

An off-duty deputy from Washington County is accused of drunk driving. Campbell Johnston Blair allegedly caused a head-on collision on Highway 95 in Afton, injuring five children and two adults on October 27th.  His blood alcohol level was reportedly above the legal limit.  Blair faces charges of criminal vehicular operation and carrying a pistol while intoxicated and has been placed on administrative leave from the Sheriff's office.

 If anyone in Wisconsin sees a rare black bear den, the Department of Natural Resources wants to hear about it. The department says it's studying black bear diets and litters, and public reporting is essential to the research project. Useful information would include GPS coordinates, any information about the bears nearby, and photos of the den from a safe distance. The DNR says it'll continue to keep track of the dens for the next four to five years. 

Local-Regional News Nov 1

 Motorists and homeowners in Southern Pepin County along Hwy 35 that use a railroad crossing will have to deal with the reconstruction of the crossings starting on Monday.  The BNSF is replacing the tracks and ties as part of routine maintenance.  Pepin County Sheriff Joel Wener says the railroad has assured him that there will be a system in place to cross the tracks in case of an emergency.  The construction and closure of the crossings will happen from 7am-5pm.

The City of Durand is finanizling the proposed budget for 2025.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city will look at pre-paying for a new squad car and purchase electronic voting books.  The total tax levy for 2025 is expected to be just over $772,000.  A public hearing on the budget will be held on November 20th.

Officials with Excel Energy say a fallen tree limb that fell on power lines was responsible for the Wednesday night outage that knocked out power to thousands.  The outage lasted about an hour and affected customers on the northeast side of the city and also parts of Altoona.  More than 39-hundred customers were affected by the outage.

Some numbers are in for Drug Take Back Day, Buffalo County collected over 80lbs of unwanted medications.  According to the Wisconsin DOJ, the state collected 54,949 lbs. of unused or expired meds during the Fall Drug Take Back Day.  In Spring 2024, there was 55,124 lbs. collected.  In Fall 2023, that number was 55,122 lbs.

Some deadlines for Wisconsin voters to be aware of.  In-person absentee voting in Wisconsin started October 22 and Sunday, November 3 is the last day municipal clerks can offer that option in the clerk’s office or satellite locations. Today by 5PM is the deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail or online. Voters mailing their absentee ballots or using a drop box need to be aware that they must arrive by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

 Xcel Energy plans to invest billions to upgrade the poles in Minnesota. The upgrades should start by 2030. Over two-thirds of utility poles are more than 50-years-old. The aging poles have a rising failure rate, particularly during severe weather events. This has prompted Xcel to increase inspections and replacements. Xcel has already replaced 11 percent of the utility poles.  

 Daylight Saving Time is ending across Wisconsin and most of the U.S. this weekend.  Clocks will "fall back" one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, giving many people more time to sleep.  The current system used across the country was established with the Uniform Time Act of 1966.  There have been numerous efforts to end the practice at the federal level over the years but none of them have been adopted so far.

Wisconsin's Deer Gun Season is coming up later on this month.  The nine-day hunting period runs from November 23rd through December 1st.  Well over 400-thousand gun, bow, crossbow, sports, and patron licenses have been purchased across the state so far.  For more information on licenses, harvest registration, safety guidelines, and more go to D-N-R-dot-Wisconsin-dot-gov-slash-go-hunting.

Open enrollment for healthcare under the Affordable Care Act starts today in Wisconsin. Last year more than 254-thousand people signed up for health insurance on Healthcare-dot-gov in Wisconsin, setting a new state record. Wisconsinites will have until January 15 to enroll.  

A man from Western Wisconsin is going to prison for the rest of his life for sexually assaulting four young girls. Seventy-year-old Joseph Pierce Senior was found guilty for eight felonies in August. Three of his victims gave statements in court today, and one said the abuse started when she was five years old. Pierce had previously served 21 years in prison for another count of child sexual assault in Waupaca County. 

A man from Waukesha is accused of voting twice in both the 2018 and 2020 elections. The thirty-seven-year-old is facing two counts of election fraud after double voting in both Wisconsin and Florida. Prosecutors say he cast an absentee ballot in Florida in 2020, and also voted in person in Wisconsin in the same election. He'll appear in court next month.

Rich Minnesotans are spending plenty of money on the campaigns of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.  State donors have paid 24 million dollars to joint fundraising committees, PACs, and principal campaign committees for Harris and seven million dollars to Trump committees and PACs. The Pohlads, one of Minnesota's wealthiest families, had the largest impact on the Harris campaign with a donation of more than two million dollars.  Top GOP contributors include Coldspring Granite CEO Patrick Alexander and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is getting some unexpected use out of a snowplow following a crash in Rochester.  Mn-DOT says a truck trying to get onto Highway 52 overturned yesterday morning, spilling corn across the roadway.  The agency called in a snowplow to clear the lanes before allowing traffic to move again.  The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital for treatment after the crash and investigators say he wasn't wearing a seat belt.

Minneapolis will be featured in the next season of the popular Netflix reality show Love Is Blind.  The announcement was made last night in Washington, D.C. on the dating program's reunion episode.  Three Minneapolis singles were introduced on the television show.  The eighth season will air on Valentine's Day.

Local-Regional News Oct 31

 A St. Paul man is looking at 50 years in prison for dumping bodies in Dunn County after a murder back in 2021. A jury yesterday convicted Darren Osborne of being a party to a crime. Osborne dropped-off an SUV filled with bodies in rural Wheeler. His son, Antoine Suggs, killed the four after a fight in Minnesota. Osborne then helped hide the bodies. Suggs is serving 101 years in prison for the killings. Osborne will be sentenced in December.

Trick-or-treaters in Western Wisconsin will need coats tonight, but they shouldn't see any snow. There's a Winter Weather Advisory in effect for parts of northwestern Wisconsin that means snow for some folks. Forecasters say the snow should be done by the time trick-or-treaters head out, but they say it will be cold. The Weather Service says temperatures in the 30s combined with winds could mean wind chills in the 20s later tonight.   Trick or treat hours are 5-7pm in Durand and Mondovi, 4-7pm in the Village of Elmwood.

The Tarrant Park Pool project is about 50% complete.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says residents may not see changes on the site, but many things are happening inside the new building.  The City is currently looking for a pool director.  Contact Durand City Hall for more information.

A two-year project to replace city streets and sewer and water lines in downtown Wabasha is now complete.  The city of Wabasha reports that all the streets downtown that were under construction are now open to traffic and parking.  The construction company picked up the last of their signs and traffic barrels last week.

Eau Claire's parking study says there is more demand for evening parking downtown. Deputy city manager Dave Solberg says Eau Claire's parking plan is geared toward daytime parking. He says the study shows that people want to come downtown to eat or enjoy the nightlife, and the parking options aren't always there. Solberg says Eau Claire may extend the two-hour limit on downtown parking or may switch to paid parking on downtown streets. The city has been pushing to do that for a while but has run into opposition from downtown business owners. 

An Eau Claire man, charged with distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine is headed to prison.  Mario Aviles was sentenced to two years in prison in federal court in Madison yesterday.    Earlier this year, the US Postal Service intercepted a package at the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport with a western Wisconsin address that contained two pounds of methamphetamine.  Authorities say the drugs had a street value of $250,000.

Prosecutors in the Adam Fravel murder trial could rest their case today.  The prosecution plans to call one more witness before allowing Fravel's lawyers to present their defense.  Friends of Madeline Kingsbury testified about Fravel's behavior yesterday, talking about incidents of possible abuse and violence.  Fravel was arrested and charged with murder following Kingsbury's death last year.  Closing arguments in the case are expected Monday.

Voters in Wisconsin are running out of chances to vote early. Early, in-person voting ends for most communities tomorrow. Election managers say nearly a million voters have already cast a ballot here in Wisconsin, either through the mail or in-person, If you don't vote today or tomorrow, you'll have to wait til Election Day next Tuesday to cast your ballot. 

More than 60 people reported eating THC-contaminated foods from a Dane County pizzeria, including children as young as one year old.  Public Health Madison and Dane County says Yeti's Pizza in Stoughton [[ STOW-tun ]] will not be cited, since Delta-Nine THC is legal in Wisconsin.  Health officials say a worker ran out of oil while making the pizzas and accidentally used cannabis oil.  The department says more than 25 people went to the emergency room after eating the contaminated food, and five people were hospitalized for at least one night.  A final report will be shared in the next couple of weeks. 

The final Marquette Law School Poll prior to Election Day has Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly leading former president Donald Trump in Wisconsin. Harris’ 50 percent to 49 percent edge over Trump is within the 4.4% margin of error. In the US Senate race, Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin still leads Republican challenger Eric Hovde. Poll Director Charles Franklin says the numbers have narrowed.  Baldwin’s lead is within the poll’s 4.4% margin of error.

A central Wisconsin faces life in prison after pleading no contest for stabbing another man.  Frank Jackson was found guilty by a Portage County Judge, meaning he will face a mandatory life sentence at a sentencing hearing in late January. Jackson had been thrown out of the Stevens Point library last summer after asking another patron for a loan. Investigators say the 71-year-old victim had loaned money to Jackson earlier in the day and was unwilling to give him more money because Jackson had used the first loan to buy alcohol. The victim suffered a punctured lung but survived. The judge does have the ability to grant the 30-year-old the possibility of parole after he served 20 years of his sentence

The mother charged in the death of her three-year-old son in Two Rivers is pleading not guilty. Katrina Baur was in court for her arraignment this morning, where she entered her plea. Her son, Elijah Vue, was found dead in September, just three miles away from where he was reported missing more than six months earlier. Both Baur and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, are charged for his death. 

The owners of the New Glarus brewery broke ground Tuesday on what will eventually become a 65-thousand square-foot expansion. There will be new brewing and distilling spaces, as well as a hospitality space. The new building will be four stories tall, and have a grass roof as part of its environmental footprint. The hope is to be finished with the expansion by 2026. 

Researchers at the University of Minnesota say fear can help people feel good about their relationships and help form new friendships.  The researchers recently teamed up with the Mall of America to learn why people pay to enter scary attractions like Onionhead's Revenge.  More than 300 people took part in the research, with 77-percent saying they felt a high level of relief once the experience was over.  Seventy-three-percent said going through the attraction with a partner strengthened their relationship.  Participants also said the act of going through something scary increased their connection to others doing the same activity.

Local-Regional News Oct 30

 The city of Durand is looking at borrowing a small amount of money each year to continue doing small street projects.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the idea would be to borrow $140000 each year for another project.  That additional money would then be levied on the tax rolls.  The proposed 2025 budget will be discussed and voted on during the November 20th council meeting.

Dunn County leaders want Wisconsin to expand the state's healthcare program. This week, the county board approved a resolution that calls on the state legislature to expand Medicaid. Human Services director Paula Winter says there are too many uninsured people in Dunn County, and that means the county has to foot the bill when those people get sick or need medical care. Winter says the county's Community Support Program and Crisis Intervention Services are the most expensive. Lawmakers in Wisconsin have resisted expanding Medicaid for years, saying adding more people to the system will be too expensive. 

Seven people are hurt in a Western Wisconsin crash. The Altoona Police Department says a semi lost control and hit two cars while exiting Highway 53 onto Highway 12. Lanes were closed for several hours while the crash was being investigated. It's unknown how badly the seven people were injured. 

Schools across southeast Minnesota are helping their students to explore promising careers by giving them opportunities for up-close tours of local manufacturing companies and in-depth knowledge of skills-based careers.  Students from Wabasha-Kellogg, Red Wing, and Plainview Elgin Millville will attend Construct Tomorrow and tour companies like Crenlo Engineered Cabs.  According to Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), manufacturing roles constitute 11% of all available jobs in the state. Last year, manufacturing contributed $57.2 billion, or 12%, to the state's economy. The average annual manufacturing wage in Minnesota is $79,000 — 10% above the average for all jobs. Going forward, more than 93,000 job openings can be expected for manufacturing production positions in Minnesota through 2032. 

There are an even-ten-thousand-students at UW-Eau Claire this year. The University of Wisconsin released its official 10th day enrollment figures yesterday, and the Eau Claire campus has ten-thousand students. That makes Eau Claire the sixth-largest campus in the state. UW-Madison is, obviously, the largest with nearly 52-thousand students. UW-Stout has just under seven thousand students, while River Falls has just over five thousand. UW-La Crosse has almost 500 more students than the campus in Eau Claire. 

 The teenager accused of killing Lily Peters is finally going to answer the charges against him.  A judge in Chippewa County yesterday set an arraignment for December 16th. The hearing comes after the teen's lawyer did not appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to try and keep the case in juvenile court. The teenager is accused of killing and sexually assaulting Peters as she was walking home back in April of 2022. She was ten-years-old, he was 14 at the time. The case has been delayed because of the back-and-forth over where the teenager would be tried. Even with the new movement, it will be sometime next year before the trial could begin.

 A southern Minnesota man has been sentenced for his role in a drive-by shooting in Wisconsin.  Police arrested 32-year-old Deandrew Grant following last year's shooting at a pizza restaurant in La Crosse.  Several people were wounded and the restaurant suffered significant damage.  Grant pled guilty last month to charges including attempted homicide, battery with a dangerous weapon and reckless endangerment.  He was sentenced to 32 years in prison and eight years of supervised release earlier this week.

Wisconsin election managers say nearly a million people have already voted. In Milwaukee, the city's Election Commission said 63-thousand people have already voted. The tallies are different in each community, but local clerks all say they are seeing more interest in early voting this year. Voters can continue to cast their ballots in-person until Friday. After that, voters are going to have to wait for Election Day to actually vote.  

Wisconsin's new rules of the road book is supposed to be easier to read. Yesterday, the state's Department of Transportation said it had updated the rules of the road. The new book is supposed to be easier to read, simpler, and more straightforward. Wis-DOT says they want to make sure that everyone can understand the rules for driving in the state. You can find the updated version at Wis-DOT's website. 

The Supreme Court has ruled that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must remain on the ballot in Michigan and Wisconsin.  Kennedy, who dropped out of the presidential race in August, was looking to be removed from the ballot in the key swing states after endorsing Donald Trump.  State election officials had already said early and absentee voting in the states was already well underway, with the Supreme Court giving a decision on the emergency appeal with no further explanation.

 A former Minnesota State trooper accused of causing a deadly crash is asking a judge to dismiss eight of nine charges against him.  Shane Roper faces several offenses including second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide.  Both charges carry a maximum sentence of ten years in jail.  Roper's attorneys recently filed a motion claiming prosecutors failed to meet their burden of offering direct evidence that shows their client's actions led to the cause of death.  The defendant is expected back in court on November 21.

Wisconsin's state superintendent says she's asking for 60-million dollars to recruit and retain educators in the state. Dr. Jill Underly says her proposal would pay for licensures for new teachers, stipends to help student teachers reduce debt, and a new grant program to expand the education workforce. She also proposed free breakfast and lunch for all Wisconsin students last week. The full Department of Public Instruction budget proposal will be released next month.

A Minnesota woman is facing charges of voter fraud.  Authorities say Danielle Christine Miller of Nashwauk filled out the absentee ballot for her mother, who died back in August.  Miller says her mother was a fan of former President Donald Trump and wanted to vote for him.  Miller admitted to signing the deceased woman's name on the ballot.  She'll appear before a judge on December 4th. 

A leading sauerkraut producer is moving its headquarters to Wisconsin. Fermented Food Holdings will invest $13 million in its production facility in the Outagamie County village of Bear Creek and will relocate its corporate headquarters to Madison. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation awarded the company $500,000 in performance-based tax credits to make the moves. The kraut maker looks to increase its annual capacity by 20 million pounds of cabbage and add 60 jobs due to the expansion. Wisconsin is the fourth-largest producer of cabbage in the U.S.

 All Wisconsin counties are in high or very high fire danger. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says central and east-central Wisconsin is in very high fire danger. The rest of the state is in high fire danger. 

Local-Regional News Oct 29

 Western Wisconsin's congressman is the latest to ask for answers about Pure Prairie Poultry's closing. Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden yesterday sent a letter to the USDA, asking for more information. Van Orden joined congressmen from Minnesota and Iowa in asking about oversight, regulation, and a lack of transparency from the USDA. Specifically, Van Orden wants to know what's to become of the 46-million-dollars in USDA grants and loans that Pure Prairie received. Pure Prairie Poultry suddenly closed earlier this month, leaving farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa holding the bag for over 100-thousand chickens.

There's a warning about invasive carp in two western Wisconsin rivers. Yesterday, the Department of Natural Resources said silver carp had been found in both the Lower Chippewa River and Lower Black River. The carp are an invasive species in the Midwest and have done immense damage to other rivers where they've been found. The DNR started investigating after getting reports over the summer about carp jumping out of the water in both rivers. The fish were confirmed last month. As for now, the DNR says it doesn't look like the fish have spread. There's no word on what the DNR plans to do about the carp. 

Ntec is warning customers of a phone scame.  The Co-Op says someone is calling customers claiming to be from Ntec and threatening to turn off your phone service unless you give them credit card or checking account information..  While Ntec has a services that may remind you your bill is due, it doe not request any bank information.   If you receive a call asking for banking information, just hang up.

The establishment of a fire district between the Durand City and Rural Fire Departments is going to be delayed.  While both departments had hoped to have the district in place by the end of the year, some legalities need to be worked out first and it now appears the district won't be established until the summer of 2025.  The city will also be looking at some possible state innovation grants next year that would assist in some of the costs of the new fire district

The Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Artificial Intelligence — CAM-AI — has been created at University of Wisconsin-Stout to leverage the broad array of university expertise for solving technical issues and conducting research to support private industry. The center will provide the bridge between the UW-Stout Manufacturing Outreach Center and academic departments to bring applied research; modern technical methods; and laboratory, fabrication and testing services directly to private industry.

 Eau Claire Schools are moving ahead with two budget plans, at least until Election Day. The city's school board last night approved one budget that includes their proposed 18 million-dollar a-year tax increase, and one that doesn't. Voters will decide on the referendum question next week, and the school will pick the budget that fits after that. Teachers in Eau Claire Area Schools can expect raises in either budget, though the district says there will be some cuts if the tax increase fails. 

If you need assistance with energy or heating bills, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission encourages you to act now before the disconnection moratorium kicks in. Bureau of Consumer Affairs Director Brad Rose says the moratorium prevents utilities from disconnecting essential services to residential customers from November 1st to April 15th. Rose says customers should contact their utility provider before November 1st to make a payment or arrange a payment plan. Rose says utility providers are not required to reconnect service until payment arrangements have been made. More information is available on the Public Service Commission website. https://psc.wi.gov/Pages/Home.aspx

We're going to get the last look at the presidential race in Wisconsin tomorrow.  The final Marquette Law School Poll is due out tomorrow afternoon.  The last poll, which came out earlier this month, gave Kamala Harris a four-point lead over former President Trump.  But more recent polls say Trump is either leading or is tied with Harris here in Wisconsin.  Pollster Charles Franklin said the poll from earlier this month showed a much closer race in Wisconsin this year than in either 2016 or 2020. The new poll will be unveiled tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. 

There’s been a nearly 40% increase in early in-person absentee voting over 2020. Wood County Clerk Trent Miner says that’s reflected in his central Wisconsin county.  All those absentee ballots mean we likely won’t know the outcome of the presidential race in Wisconsin until the morning after Election Day.  The clerks' association supported a bipartisan bill to allow the processing of early ballots to begin on Monday passed the state Assembly but failed to advance in the Senate.

Rochester is getting nearly 85-million dollars to develop a new rapid transit project.  Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar announced the Federal Transportation Administration grant during a ceremony at the Mayo Civic Center on Friday.  The Link Bus Rapid Transit project is designed to create faster and more reliable public transit that connects key locations like the Mayo Clinic, the public library, educational facilities and businesses.  Construction is expected to begin in March.

The Biden Administration wants to require private health insurers to cover all approved forms of birth control, even over-the-counter options. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin president Tanya Atkinson it's a step in the right direction and makes sure people can have complete coverage when some birth control options don't work. The rule would make clear provisions in the Affordable Care Act that require insurers to provide contraception coverage. A number of plans have denied coverage of O T C medications, while others restrict access to just a few forms of birth control. It's unclear if the rule will be implemented by the time President Biden leaves office in January.

 Wisconsin is getting 138-million dollars to improve local roadways. Local governments will get most of the money, while just more than four-million dollars will go toward connecting highways, and more than 250-thousand will go to Milwaukee County for additional policing on expressways. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says the money comes from quarterly General Transportation Aids included in the 2023-2025 budget. 

 A woman has been arrested for stealing a sheep in Bloomington.   Mary Kay Bower was spotted walking a dog and a sheep down a road earlier this month.  She claimed she had bought the sheep, but the man she was with says she stepped over a fence, put a leash on the animal and led it away.  Police Chief Booker Hodges says "sheep rustling" is probably a crime that "city dwellers" don't often talk about. 

It's time again to keep a keen eye out for deer in roadways. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says crash numbers involving deer begin rising during mating season in October and November. Drivers are reminded to use their headlights at sunrise and sunset- deer are most active in the early morning and evening hours. Last year, 14 people died and 585 were injured in over 16,000 deer-vehicle crashes in Wisconsin.