Local-Regional News Oct 17

 Most of Wisconsin is in moderate fire danger this afternoon. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says most of the western two-thirds of the state, and the northeastern corner of the state is under moderate fire danger. A burn ban will also started in Dunn County yesterday. The Menomonie Fire Department says the ban will be in effect until conditions improve.  Meanwhile, Wabasha and Goodhue Counties are under red flag warnings today due to the fire danger.  Fire officials are asking that all burning be delayed until conditions improve.

Fiber optic internet is coming to the City of Mondovi.  After two years of planning and applying for grants, Ntec says its ready to install the fiber optic in the city.  Laura Gullickson says Ntec is asking for Mondovi residents to contact the company for input on where the fiber optic lines can be installed. Permission forms are available at Mondovi City Hall or by calling Ntec. Construction is expected to start in the spring.

The Elk Mound Police Department is warning people about fake cash in the area. The department posted a copy of the fake bills of social media this morning (Wed). The fake cash has the words For Motion Picture Use Only printed on the right side. Elk Mound Police encourage people to look over cash before they accept it. Police in Chetek warned people about similar fake bills two weeks ago.

The City of Menomonie will be holding a fall clean-up on the next four Mondays starting on October 21st.  The city will pick up yard waste from the curb on those Mondays and residents are asked to put out yard waste no earlier than a day before and no later than 7 a.m. on pickup day.  Leaves, grass clipping, and garden waste need to be in compostable paper bags.  Any branches must be tied up and no longer than four feet.  For more information, contact Menomonie City Hall.

Wisconsin's Democratic U.S. Senator wants the federal government to do something for the farmers who were left with thousands of chickens when Pure Prairie Poultry closed. Senator Tammy Baldwin sent a letter to the USDA this week, asking if there is anything that can be done to help the  Wisconsin farmers who were left with over 400,000 chickens, and were forced to sell them to the public for as little as $1 per bird. Baldwin said in addition to money, she's looking for potential new legislation that would help with what she's calling a 'farmgate emergency.' Pure Prairie Poultry recently closed, and left farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa holding the bag for over 2.3 million chickens between the three states.

Eau Claire County says its next budget will almost certainly have less money for local non-profits. County administrator Kathryn Schauf says they are looking at a five million-dollar budget deficit next year, and cutting support for non-profits is one of the ways to close that gap. That will likely mean 50 percent less money for places like the Bolton Refuge House, the  Sojourner House homeless shelter, Family Resource Center, the library, and the Chippewa Valley Museum. Schauf says the county has had to change its priorities since Sacred Heart Hospital closed. She said there's not enough money to pay for everything. 

An Eau Claire man has been accused of distributing methamphetamine.  According to the US Attorney for Western Wisconsin,  31-year-old Xa Xiong of Eau Claire, Wis., is charged with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and attempting to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.  The indictment alleges that Xiong distributed methamphetamine on July 26, 2024, and attempted to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 1, 2024.  If convicted, Xiong faces up to life in prison.

One of Wisconsin's budget reform groups has some questions for the state's superintendent. The Institute for Reforming Government came out yesterday with a list of ten questions for Superintendent Jill Underly about the recent change to state standardized test scores. Those changes led to huge jumps in Wisconsin reading and math scores but also led to huge jumps in the learning gap between white and black students, as well as rich and poor students. IRG wants to know more about Underly's decision to change the test scores, who she spoke to about the changes, and whether she ever told Governor Evers or state lawmakers that she planned to change the scores. Undelry has said she made the changes to better reflect what Wisconsin school kids are actually learning.  

The first trapping seasons of the year in Wisconsin will open this weekend. Coyote, fox, and raccoon trapping seasons will start on Saturday and run until February fifteenth. The Wisconsin DNR says traps may be on public lands throughout the season. The department recommends staying on trails and preventing pets from straying off to avoid injuries.

Before you send donations to help hurricane relief efforts, consider a monetary gift instead. Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin spokesperson Lisa Schiller says it can be hard to send physical gifts and supplies to groups in hurricane-affected areas. Instead, those monetary gifts can help an organization buy exactly the aid they need in a place they can use it. Also, watch out for anyone soliciting for charity or donations on social media. Scammers are known to copy the identity of reputable groups in order to steal charity donations. Schiller says you can find their list of reputable groups helping the southeast US recover online at Give dot Org.

Minnesota is sending more resources to help in recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.  Governor Tim Walz yesterday said that the state will be sending additional personnel and supplies to hard-hit areas of South Carolina.  That will include chainsaws, trucks, trailers and communications equipment.  

Two high school football teams suffer for a Milwaukee Public Schools clerical error. Teams at Pulaski and Bay View high schools will forfeit all games this season and be banned from the playoffs for two years after MPS didn’t report conference changes to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. In the Milwaukee City League the lowest team in one division of the conference and the top team in the other swap division spots. That swap, seen as a conference change by the WIAA, requires an official notification which MPS didn’t provide. The coaches of the two teams hope the WIAA can work out an alternative outcome.

The City of Green Bay is not exactly leaping to extend the Packers Lambeau Field lease, so the team is asking the Green Bay Professional Football Stadium District to step in.  On Wednesday the team released letters it sent both to Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and to the stadium district board. The Packers’ lease for Lambeau Field with Green Bay and the stadium district ends in 2032. There are options to extend it 10 additional years, but the Packers recently tried extending it by 30 years, until about 2063. The team says Genrich has not met with its officials since January, and that Genrich requested that any further discussions be preceded by a meeting with Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy. The Packers say the two met in May, but Genrich canceled a follow-up meeting in September, and has not rescheduled.

A mouse problem at some Door County campsites. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the campgrounds at Rock Island State Park were closed four days early after the mouse population increased there. The DNR plans to let natural predators reduce the mouse population, and a good winter should bring the number of the rodents under control. The rest of park remains open.

A new record for the heaviest pumpkin in Wisconsin. Jim Ford grew the 2,551 pound pumpkin near Fond du Lac. Ford’s huge pumpkin is now listed in the top 10 in the world for the heaviest pumpkins grown this year. You won't be able to see this great pumpkin in person - It’s being held on private property in Kenosha County and can’t be visited. Wisconsinites consistently grow what are among the heaviest pumpkins in the nation every year.

Local-Regional News Oct 16

 A St. Paul man was sentenced to two years in prison yesterday in connection with a high-speed pursuit in Dunn County in December of 2023.  John Richard Hill received the sentence along with four years of supervision.  According to authorities, Wisconsin State troopers tried to pull over Hill after learning the SUV he was driving may have been involved in a Minnesota carjacking.  Hill led troopers and Dunn County deputies on a 35 minute chase, driving recklessly and exceeding 110 miles an hour, and even running through the city of Menomonie.

 Dunn Energy Cooperative sent out a load of humanitarian supplies to South Carolina, including thousands of dollars in water and generators.  The donations were made on behalf of Wisconsin Electric Cooperatives and made possible through the Federated Youth Foundation, the Walmart distribution center (DC) in Menomonie, and Sam's Club in Eau Claire.  These supplies will benefit the members of Aiken Electric Cooperative, INC in South Carolina.  This is where two of Dunn's linemen spent nearly two weeks helping rebuild the electrical system.

The City of Mondovi will be holding the fall clean-up on Friday.  GFL will conduct curbside pick up of furniture items.  Each residence is allowed up to two items, the items must be able to be lifed by hand and not exceed 75lbs, and items must be placed curbside before 6am on Friday.  Items not allowed include mattresses and box springs, tires, computers, appliances, dehumidifiers, televisions, grills, hide-a-bed or sofa recliners, construction or demolition waste (anything that was permanently attached to your house), and anything that contains or is of hazardous material.  For more information, contact Mondovi City Hall.

An area legislator is speaking out after Pure Prairie Poultry abandoned its farmers and left over 160,000 chickens without feed in western Wisconsin.  92nd Assemblyman Trig Pronschniski, whose district is in the center of the issue wishes the state Department of agriculture would have at least come forward with a plan.  Pronschniski said he has been in contact with the Chairman of the Assembly Ag Committee to begin the process of legislation to prevent this from happening again.

The Eau Claire County Board is holding two meetings for public comment on the proposed 2025 budget. The board of supervisors says its looking for feedback during a meeting at seven P-M. on November sixth. The hearing will be in the county board room in the Eau Claire Government Center on Oxford Avenue. Written feedback can be submitted on EauClaireCounty-dot-gov. 

Wisconsin's budget surplus is over four and a half billion dollars. The state's Department of Revenue released its latest figure yesterday. The final numbers show Wisconsin has four-point-six billion-dollars more than it spent. The state also has nearly two billion-dollars in its rainy day fund. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said the extra money should be reinvested in his next budget. Republican lawmakers, however, have said in the past that they want to give the money back to the people of Wisconsin. 

Most of Wisconsin's public schools will see more money from the state this year. The Department of Public Instruction released the general state aid figures yesterday. Two-thirds of schools will get more money, while about a third will get less. In all, Wisconsin is sending just over five-and-a-half billion-dollars to local schools.

A crew from Minnesota is continuing to help restore power in the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton.  Linemen from Dakota County arrived in the Tampa area last week.  Kyle Ryman tells KARE-TV the team has been working 16-hour days to help get the lights back on to hundreds of thousands of people who remain in the dark.  He says the Minnesotans are feeling the love from Floridians, who bring them meals in the field and even buy them dinner at area restaurants. 

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin is asking both state and federal investigators to look into texts that warn young voters about voting in the wrong state. The League joined the group Free Speech for People yesterday in asking the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin's attorney general to investigate. The text warns voters that voting in a state where they are not eligible is a crime, and could result in a ten-thousand-dollar fine and up to three-and-a-half years in prison. The League said that warning may intimidate some young voters here in Wisconsin. No one is saying who sent the text, or how they got the list of young voters here in Wisconsin. 

Voters in Wisconsin will finally be able to see the candidates running for U.S. Senate on the same stage at the same time. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association's debate is set for this Friday. It will be the first and only time that Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin and Republican challenger Eric Hovde will answer questions together. The debate will be Friday night in Madison, but it will be broadcast across the state. The latest Marquette Law School Poll gave Baldwin a seven-point lead in the race, but Baldwin later said her own internal polling shows the race much closer than that. 

 Two winning Mega Millions tickets worth thirty-thousand dollars each come from the same Kwik Trip location in Lake Geneva. Both of the tickets sold at the gas station on South Wells Street match four of the five winning numbers and the Mega Ball number. It's still unknown whether one person bought both tickets or if there are two winners, since the tickets haven't been validated at the Lottery Office. The same gas station also saw two winning scratch tickets worth 75-thousand and 30-thousand dollars last year, along with a 32-thousand Badger Five jackpot. 

As growers for Pure Prairie Poultry contine to deal with being abandoned by the company, there are calls for changes to USDA policies.  While the states of Iowa and Minnesota had some type of plan in place to feed or euthanize the birds, Wisconsin and even USDA did not. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin say USDA may not have the authority to take over the flocks when a company walks away, and maybe that should be changed.  Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Ag Committe says there is an opportunity to add some type of safety net for poultry producers in the farm bill.  In 2022, Pure Prairie Poultry received a $6.9 million grant and a $39 million dollar guaranteed loan to re-open a plant in Charles City Iowa.  Klobuchar said a Senate Investigation into what happened to the money needs to be done.  Because no feed was available and no help came from the state of Wisconsin or anywhere else, the affected farmers were forced to try and sell over 160,000 chickens to the general public for $1 each before the birds starved to death.

The trial for a Greenfield man accused of killing his seven-week-old daughter almost 35 years ago is underway. Opening statements in Ronald Schroeder's trial started this morning. Prosecutors say the 55-year-old man killed his daughter, Catherine, in 1991. Prosecutors say the events from the night she died suggest a pattern of abuse toward several woman and other infants by Schroeder. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner reviewed Catherine's autopsy in 2021 and ruled her death a homicide. Schroeder, her father, was charged two months later. His trial is scheduled to run into next week. 

The first headliner for Summerfest 2025 is announced. Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson will play the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on Thursday, June 26th. Tickets for the show go on sale Friday morning. The 2025 edition of the annual music festival will happen Thursday thru Saturday on the last two weekends of June and the first weekend of July along Milwaukee’s lakefront.

Local-Regional News Oct 15

 Voters in the Plum City School District will be voting on a $7.9 million referendum this fall.  The money would allow the district to exceed the revenue limits over the next four years.  Plum City School Superintendent Chris Kamrath says the money will be used for operational and maintenance expenses.  This district will be having an informational meeting on the referendum on Thursday at 7pm at Molly's on Main in Plum City.

Wisconsin  Senator Tammy Baldwin is reacting to the recent closure of Pure Prairie Poultry that left its growers in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa abandoned.  During a campaign stop in Osseo yesterday Baldwin said closure of the company and abandonment of its growers with millions of chickens is unacceptable.  The Senator said while USDA can take over flocks of poultry due to a natural disaster or disease, it lacks authority in this case.  She believes that Congress may have to give USDA that authority.

The Durand Fire Department is looking for more members.  The department is looking for 4-6 people to join the department.  The department will have training classes this winter.  Applications are available at Durand City Hall. the City of Durand Website or talk with a member of the fire department.

Residents in Mondovi are encouraged to attend an informational meeting Wednesday evening  on the installation of fiber optic phone and internet service.  The City of Mondovi and Ntec are hosting the meeting at the Roger Marten Community Center starting at 6:30 to answer residents' questions on how the installation process will proceed across the city.  

The Eau Claire school bus driver who crashed on the way to a field trip in the Twin Cities is no longer facing charges. Prosecutors in St, Croix County dismissed the misdemeanor charges in the case. The D.A. originally charged the bus driver after he drove into the back of a tanker truck on I-91 back in April. Eight people, including six students, were hurt in the wreck. Police gave the driver a ticket, and the D.A. filed charges because he didn't think the driver had the proper license. Turns out the driver did, so the charges were dropped. 

Wisconsin's attorney general is reminding people that it is a crime to threaten poll workers. A-G Josh Kaul yesterday made an announcement about election security ahead of next month's election. Kaul said his office is once again dedicated to protecting people's right to vote in Wisconsin, and said the state will have a fair and free election. Kaul said his Department of Justice will be monitoring for threats on Election Day next month. He is reminding people that threatening voters or election workers, as well as any kind of intimidation is a crime in Wisconsin.

Jury selection for the Adam Fravel murder trial is nearly complete.  Two jurors were selected yesterday, bringing the total number of jurors seated to 13.  Four additional alternate jurors need to be picked before opening arguments can be presented in the case.  Fravel is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend Madeline Kingsbury.  Her body was found in Fillmore County last year, a few weeks after she was reported missing from Winona.  Fravel's trial was moved to Mankato after a judge ruled that pre-trial publicity might make it hard to seat an unbiased jury.

A new fall event in Durand is this Saturday.  The Blues of the Chippewa present Brews on the Chippewa at Veterans Memorial Park starting at 2.  The event will feature music from 5 bands and feature beers from 4 area local brewers including Durand Brewing Company.  There is no admission to attend the event.

More than twenty dogs affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton are in Eau Claire County and Greene County shelters. The Greene County Humane Society says volunteers picked up a dozen dogs from shelters in Tennessee and North Carolina to make room for dogs that are misplaced after the hurricanes. Three dogs and four cats were also brought to the Eau Claire County Humane Society. Other shelters statewide are also accepting animals brought in as part of hurricane relief. 

There's a recall of nearly five-thousand Halloween Projector Flashlights online and at Target stores across the nation.  NPW, which sells the flashlights, says it's gotten nine reports of flashlights overheating, including smoke and minor burn injuries.  The flashlights, which are powered by two AA batteries, sell for about three-dollars.  They're orange with white stripes, a black end piece and three Halloween covers including skulls, ghosts and pumpkins.  Customers are being told to remove the batteries and return them to any Target store for a full refund.  Target has stores in all 50 states plus Washington, DC.

Thirteen Wisconsin counties are under a special fire order due starting tomorrow. The state Department of Natural Resources says people looking to burn in the southern and central Wisconsin counties will have to get a permit from the department, unless the ground is completely covered with snow. The DNR says dry conditions and a lack of rain have increased the likelihood of fires. The burn permit requirement will be in place until drought conditions improve.

The woman accused in the Slender Man attack again seeks release from a psychiatric hospital. Friday's request marks the fourth time Morgan Geyser has asked to be released from Winnebago Mental Health Institute. Geyser and Anissa Weier were 12 years old in 2014 old when they lured Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park. Geyser allegedly stabbed Leutner 19 times with Weier’s encouragement. Leutner survived. Geyser and Weier said they attacked Leutner to please the fictional character Slender Man. Weier was released from a hospital in 2021. Geyser's hearing is set for November 1st.

A weekend standoff with a man with a sword in the Fox Valley. Menasha police arrived at business Sunday morning to find broken glass and a man inside armed with a ‘large sword’. Other agencies, including a SWAT Team, were on scene as the 34-year-old man with the sword moved around the business and allegedly destroyed property. A K9 Unit was sent in several hours later to take the man into custody. He faces several charges.

Wisconsin’s Elk hunting season is officially underway. Department of Natural Resources Elk Zone Biologist Cristina Kizewski says this is the first time the central zone has been included in the hunt. Per treaty rights, the Ojibwe tribe will get the rights to half of the elks harvested during the hunt. The DNR received more than 25,000 applicants for elk bull tags, and just eight were selected for the 2024 season.

Local-Regional News Oct 14

 Over the weekend, some Western Wisconsin poultry farmers contracted to grow chickens for Pure Prairie Poultry were selling the chickens for $1 after the company walked away.   Pure Prairie Poultry closed its processing plant in Charles City last week and stopped paying for feed for more than a million chickens in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.  Some of the flocks have not been fed for over 9 days and while Minnesota and Iowa have procedures in place to take over the flocks, Wisconsin does not.  Wisconsin 3rd District  Congressman Derrick Van Orden says he plans on reaching out to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on the need for a state safety net.  In a statement to WRDN, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Spokesperson Sam Go said  "The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection does not have the statutory authority to assume control of the birds unless it is related to an animal disease response." 

As the construction for the new Tarrant Park Pool moves forward, the city is starting to look for staff, including a pool director.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says if anyone is interested they should contact the city administrator. The new pool is expected to open in June of 2025.

The Eau Claire Police Department is warning the public of fraud cases.  An Anoka County missing persons case led Eau Claire Police officers to solve a fraud case.  Officers found the missing person in a Eau Claire hotel who was there to pay who they believed to be an FBI agent 32-thousand-dollars.  The fraud suspect entered the hotel as police spoke with hotel staff and was identified as 40-year-old Chetankumar Patel.  Police  recovered  32-thousand-dollars.

Some kids in Chippewa Falls could be going to different schools in the not-too-distant future. The city's school district says it is looking to redraw the elementary school boundaries. The school board said they are looking at new boundaries for all six elementary schools. The hope is to have a new map for the city's school's by the start of the next school year. 

Wisconsin's next AI meeting will hear from both big tech and local news managers. The Study Committee on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence will meet tomorrow at UW-Stout in Menomonie. Representatives from both Google and Microsoft are scheduled to speak to lawmakers. So are local news managers out of La Crosse. The panel is trying to find ways where Wisconsin can regulate artificial intelligence, and find out where AI's biggest threats are. The hope is to have something for lawmakers to vote on sometime next year. 

A new report says Wisconsin is second in the nation in the number of dam failures. The Wisconsin Policy Forum says since 2000, 34 dams in Wisconsin have failed. Only South Carolina has seen more failures. The report says 28 of those 34 dams have failed since 2018. The report says it's a sign of aging, and failing infrastructure. The report also blames climate charge for a string of wet years across the country that left Wisconsin dealing with more rain than in the past. 

Wisconsin's attorney general says he's ready to defend the results of the November election. A-G Josh Kaul said on UpFront yesterday that he has the utmost confidence in Wisconsin's electoral system. Kaul said Wisconsin's elections are 'safe and secure,' and have been tested 'over and over again.' Some voters have lingering questions about the 2020 election in Wisconsin. Kaul said those election results, however, stood-up to several legal challenges. He says his office defended the last election and is ready to do the same again this year. 

The murder trial of Adam Fravel is expected to get underway in Mankato later this week.  Eleven of the 12 jurors needed to start the trial have been picked as of Friday.  Five alternates will also have to be selected before the trial begins.  Fravel is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend Madeline Kingsbury, who was found dead in Fillmore County last year.  Opening arguments in the case are now expected to begin on Thursday.

It's the first sign of the holiday season. The Canadian Pacific Railroad says the Holiday Train will make stops in Western Wisconsin and Souteast Minnesota on December 10th.  The Train will be in La Crosse on December 10th at 2:15, Winona at 3:45, Wabasha at 5:45 and Hastings at 8:15.  The train will eventually make its way all the way to Canada's west coast a few days before Christmas. 

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Foxconn says it's expanding its factory in Mexico. The company this week said it's building the largest GB200 production facility on the planet' at its factory in Guadalajara, Mexico. Foxconn is doing work for Nvidia, which is a new technology company. Foxconn already has a huge presence in Mexico, with over 30-thousand employees and seven campuses. No one is saying just how many new jobs will be connected to the new expansion. Many people in southeast Wisconsin are still sour that Foxconn's promised campus in Pleasant Prairie never panned-out. There's no word just when the factory will be finished in Mexico. 

A candidate in the  Minnesota Second Congressional District race is pulling out.  Third-party candidate Thomas Bowman says he suspended his campaign because he felt that he was tricked by a group called the Patriots Run Project to enter the race.  He believes that he was recruited by Democrats for the sole purpose of hurting Republican challenger Joe Teirab in the race against incumbent Congresswoman Angie Craig.  The organization reportedly reached out to Bowman on Facebook and provided him 20 thousand dollars worth of in-kind donations by collecting the one thousand signatures he needed to get on the ballot.  He now is endorsing Teirab, who is a former assistant federal prosecutor

The United States Department of Agriculture is making a $93 million investment in rural Wisconsin. Rural Development State Director Julie Lassa says $1.3 going to the Rural Energy for America program, which will help 21 solar, wind or geothermal or small scale hydropower projects. The other $91 million is going to solar array projects in La Crosse and Dane counties.

A massive deer poaching ring has been exposed following a months-long investigation.  Fond Du Lac County Sheriff's Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources believe over 100 deer were illegally killed between Spring 2023 and July 2024.  The crimes took place in an area covering the counties of Fond Du Lac, Washington and Dodge.  Four suspects have been identified all from Campbellsport, three 16-year-old males and one 36-year-old female.  

 Madison hospitals are responding to the national saline shortage.  The nation's largest IV supplier shut down after Hurricane Helene devastated North Carolina.  The shutdown is affecting hospitals in Madison and nationwide.   Hospitals in Madison have not seen a major decline. They are carefully tracking saline usage to make sure supplies last.

Local-Regional News Oct 11

 Some poultry famers in Western Wisconsin have been left with huge feed bills and thousands of chickens after Pure Prairie Poultry abandonded its poultry producers.    Joe Bragger Wisconsin Farm Bureau Vice President says the started back in April.  Some of the farmers have been spending $20,000 or more each week of their own money to keep the flocks fed.   While Minnesota and Iowa have state programs to help those farmers, Wisconsin does not and some of the farms are now giving away the chickens in the hope that the birds will not go to waste and have to be euthanized.

 Local governments across Wisconsin are getting hundreds of millions of dollars more from the state. The state's Department of Revenue says it is sending over one-and-a-half billion-dollars in shared revenue to cities, towns, counties, and townships in this year's budget.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the increase from last year was used to hire a full time police officer.  The City is currently working on its 2025 budget and is expected to have that approved in November.

 

A garage fire in Eau Claire caused 80-thousand dollars in damage. The fire department says it responded to the fire on Chauncey Street Wednesday night at about eight P-M. Responders say the flames were under control within minutes. The property owners say they were home at the time, and neighbors told them the garage was on fire. No injuries are reported and investigators are still determining a cause.

 Xcel Energy's crews are on the move again. The company yesterday said that some of the linemen it sent to help with Hurricane Helene are now headed to Florida to help with Hurricane Milton. Xcel said 15 crewmen from the Chippewa Valley are heading from Georgia to the Tampa-area. That's the part of Florida that took the brunt of Milton when it came ashore earlier this week. In all, Xcel said it has about 100 crewmen from across the country working to help the victims on this month's two hurricanes. 

A Jackson County 13-year-old is dead after what the sheriff's office is calling a farming accident. The sheriff's office says it happened last week in the Town of Manchester. Deputies say the teenager was 'submerged by crops,' and had to be rescued. The 13-year-old later died. The sheriff's office says it is investigating and has not said just how the teenager fell into the grain pile where he was found. 

Add Tomah Schools to the long list of school districts in Wisconsin that are asking taxpayers for more money. The Tomah Area School District has a 177-million dollar referendum on next month's ballot. The money would go toward building a new high school. Tomah's superintendent says the plan is to build a new high school, then move the middle schoolers into the high school building, and move elementary school kids into the old middle school. There's a public meeting next Tuesday to answer some questions about the tax hike plan. More than 100 Wisconsin school districts are also asking their taxpayers to pay more, either for new schools or for day-to-day funding, this November. 

Winona State University is planning a new program to promote civic engagement and ethical leadership.  The Department of Defense announced Wednesday that it is sending one-point-one-million dollars to the university to fund the program for two years.  The program will be called Civic Center and will feature programming put together by WSU's Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Ethnic Studies.  The program will also engage the surrounding community, holding events to promote civil discourse.

 Minnesota is experiencing a significant rise in cases of whooping cough and measles. Hospitals are on high alert. As of 2024, 826 cases of whooping cough have been reported, the highest in years. Health officials attribute the increasing infection rates to declining vaccination levels, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatricians emphasize the importance of awareness and vaccination to protect vulnerable populations, including young children and those with weakened immune systems.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court hears a challenge to the governor’s creative use of the partial veto. Wednesday’s arguments centered on Tony Evers’ deletion of digits to extend a school funding increase by 400 years. Plaintiff’s attorney Scott Rosenow said a governor may not use the partial veto power to extend a duration, and that the justices should hold that Evers' 400 year veto is unconstitutional. Liberal justice Jill Karofasky expressed concerns over Evers’ use of the most powerful partial veto in the nation, saying that "it does feel like the sky is the limit. the stratosphere is the limit." Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley pushed back on the argument from Evers' attorney Colin Roth, that the court's previous rulings set the stage for Evers' action. Bradley said "the governor is becoming the most powerful person in this state, arguably, to just make the law whatever he declares.” The court, is expected to take some time before issuing a ruling.

Donations of used books to Wisconsin prisons have stopped.   The Department of Corrections made the decision because secondhand books are used to get drugs into prisons. Opponents of the move, including the Madison-based nonprofit Wisconsin Books to Prisoners, say the agency is limiting inmates’ access to information as it fails to pinpoint other entry points for drugs, including prison staff. The non-profit has provided used books to prisoners for nearly 20 years. The ACLU of Wisconsin has begun investigating the matter.

A UW-Madison business professor says we'll likely see work from home jobs becoming standard into the future. Professor Jirs (Ye-RIS) Meuris says many customer service businesses have already divested themselves of business property to cut down on leases and overhead.  Meuris says studies over the last several years have largely dispelled the idea that workers need to be in a physical office to be productive. Meuris says that will mean a readjustment for the rest of businesses that relied on those officer workers making the commute every day.

Delays are being reported as jury selection continues in the Adam Fravel trial in Mankato. According to KIMT-TV, as of this afternoon six jurors have been selected.  Due to long juror interviews, the judge now says opening arguments will likely happen October 16th, whereas they were originally expected on the 14th.  Fravel is facing multiple charges of murder connected to the disappearance and death of Madeline Kingsbury last year.  

Lucy, a 16-year-old tiger from the Mendoza Zoo in Argentina, has arrived at the Minnesota Wildcat Sanctuary. The sanctuary is in Sandstone, she arrived after a 72-hundred-mile journey. Advocates sought to rescue her due to the zoo's closure and her poor living conditions. Following her arrival, Lucy is now enjoying improved habitat features, including grassy areas and comfortable bedding. The move took several years to organize and involved extensive travel logistics.

A contest to decide the Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota has crowned a champion.  The bracket-style competition began last month with 64 products, with the field cut in half each week based on online votes.  The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce announced this week that 3M Scotch-brand Magic Tape received the most votes.  Magic Tape has been around since 1961 and is made at 3M's plant in Hutchinson.

Local-Regional News Oct 10

 The establishment of a fire district to replace the Durand City and Rural Fire Departments is closer to completion.  During last nights council meeting the mayor reported that the meeting with the rural fire have moved forward.  Mayor Milliren says the agreement for the fire district is being sent to all the municipalities for their approval.  If the agreement is approved the new district would begin in 2025.

The City of Mondovi will spend $1900 to install new signs for the engine braking and parking rules at the town's entrance on Hwy 37 and Hwy 10. Currently, no signs for either rule are posted, as the old signs were not in compliance with state DOT rules. The new signs will be larger and reworded to comply with the state rules. It hopes to have those signs installed as soon as possible.

Eau Claire Police say an erratic visitor at North High School yesterday prompted a security hold. No one is saying who the visitor was, or just what they did. Officers say they were called to the school's office and arrested the visitor. North sent a note home to parents yesterday about the visitor, but that note didn't have any specifics in it either. 

Chippewa County's sheriff may have to pay his own legal bills from the corruption investigation into his office. The county board last night voted not to pay Sheriff Travis Hakes' 27 thousand-dollar legal bill. Hakes said the county should pay because he was not allowed to use a county lawyer to defend himself during the investigation. But county board members say they never signed-off on Hakes' lawyer, and therefore are not responsible for the bill.  Chippewa County investigated Hakes for his outside job, his conduct while as an officer, and accusations that he sexually harassed a 9-1-1 dispatcher. That investigation ended with a no-confidence vote in Hakes, but since he is an elected official, he kept his job. 

There are attempted homicide charges for a man in Sparta who was out on bond for another attack from back in June. Prosecutors filed charges yesterday against 39-year-old Andrew Nauman. Police say he attacked a woman on Sunday. She was found in the street, and flown to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Prosecutors say Nauman was on bond from an attack in June where police say he strangled another person. He's now being held on a million-dollars cash bond. 

Next week will be a busy one for Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources. The DNR Board will meet next week to vote on new rules for deer hunting, and new standards for PFAS contamination in the state's water supplies. Both have been major issues for the DNR for years. The water standards are expected to update the new rules, and set lower limits for how many of the so-called forever chemicals can be considered safe in the drinking water across the state. 

The Red Cross in Wisconsin says it's 'all hands on deck' to respond to Hurricane Milton. The Red Cross yesterday said they are gearing-up, grabbing supplies and people to head to Florida after Milton made landfall late last night. The Red Cross' Julie Zimmerman says there are 60 team members who are either ready to go to Florida, or already in the field because of Hurricane Helene. The Red Cross is, as always, asking for donations to help those who lost everything because of the storms. 

It's time to get your annual flu and COVID shots. Dr. Jim Conway from UW-Health says especially with COVID, it's not enough to have a previous vaccine or illness. He says the viruses keep mutating into different variants, so you have to be ready for the new versions off the illnesses. Dr. Conway says this year's flu shot will only cover three strains of the flu, since one entire strain of influenza was eradicated while people stayed home during COVID-19.

Higher egg prices this season are due to a number of issues, according to a UW-Madison economist. Professor Andrew Stevens says one factor is higher demand in the fall and winter. Stevens also says this summer's bird flu outbreak wiped out a large number of laying hens, which are just now starting to repopulate to ease the loss of production.

New state shared revenue estimates show over $1.5 billion for local governments.  Wisconsin’s shared revenue includes programs that provide state aid to counties, municipalities, tax increment districts, schools, technical colleges, and special districts. Governor Tony Evers says he’s excited to see how the increased shared revenue will benefit communities and families. In 2023, Evers signed Wisconsin Act 12, which provided increased state funding to local communities. Most of the funding can be used for any activity approved by the local governing body. An extra $23.6 million from adjusted sales tax revenue will go to specific purposes such as law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency medical services.

Farmers in Wisconsin and across the country will likely face a loss this year.   The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s September 2024 Farm Income Forecast shows a decrease of almost five percent. Reasons for the shortfall include a drop in demand for household produce, a wet early summer making plant growth difficult, and challenges in finding farm workers. Those income projections may lead a $6.5 billion loss for farmers across the country and will likely cause many to tighten spending until next spring.

A large number of Minnesota voters are asking for absentee ballots ahead of the November election.  The Minnesota Secretary of State's Office says more than 520-thousand registered voters have asked for and received absentee ballots so far.  More than 100-thousand of those have already been returned.  About one-point-four-million Minnesotans had requested absentee ballots by this point in the 2020 election cycle.  Absentee ballots have to be received by 8 p.m. on November 5th to count in the election.

 A new special license plate is now available in Wisconsin, with proceeds going to the International Crane Foundation. The  Department of Transportation says the plates will cost a one-time fifteen-dollar issuance fee along with a 25-dollar donation to the foundation. The donation may be tax deductible. Money going to the ICF will support efforts to conserve crane populations and their ecosystems.

 Semi-finalists for the Coolest Thing Made In Wisconsin contest are announced. Military Medals and Insignia made by Medalcraft Mint in Green Bay will face off against Krier Foods Jolly Good Soda, made in Random Lake. On the other side of the bracket, the Revo ice fishing sensor made by Vulture Systems in Menomonee Falls will compete against a John Deere lawn tractor, made in Horicon. The four products were narrowed down from 130 nominees. The public can vote for the two finalists starting tomorrow and until next Thursday.

Local-Regional News Oct 9

 The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include an update on the budget, reports from the mayor and department heads, and the council will go into closed session to discuss an economic development revolving loan for Little Beginnings Child Care.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live-streamed on the video streaming page of the WRDN Website.

Two Mondovi Homeowners are concerned about the erosion of the shoreline of Mirror Lake.  During last night's city council meeting, Jennifer Bargmann and Cindy Brenner told the council how the shoreline of their properties has eroded over the last few years.  Joe Krumrie of Buffalo County Land Conservation had a presentation on the possible reasons for the erosion that included the possibility of the dredging of the lake back in 2021.  To fix the issue Krumrie suggested the shoreline be rip-rapped and soil be brought in for restoration.  Bargmann told the council that the erosion is so severe if the rip-rap is not installed this fall she would lose her home to the lake.  The council is sending out engineers to look at the issue.

  

The Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board recently delivered a new soybean-based firefighting foam to the Durand and Mondovi Fire Departments.  Justin Bauer of the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board says the biggest benefit to the new firefighting foam is that it has no PFAS chemicals.  The Soybean Marketing Board delivered the new foam to sixteen departments across Wisconsin.

A proposed Dunn County budget would improve more roads. The Highway Commissioner says the department is asking to fix about 18-point-five miles of roads in 2025. That's about fifty percent more than this year. If approved, the county and the Department of Transportation would spend about nine-million dollars on highways. The county board will approve or deny the budget on November 12. 

The Wisconsin State Building Commission has approved three UW System projects under the Instructional Space and Technology Projects Program, targeting essential upgrades to instructional spaces across multiple campuses. Projects include renovations at the UW-Eau Claire Haas Fine Arts Center, the UW-La Crosse Wing Technology Center, and the UW-River Falls Agricultural Engineering and Agricultural Science Laboratories. These improvements are designed to enhance modern teaching and research capabilities, aligning with the growing demands of academic programs.

There's a new warning about a deer disease in western Wisconsin. The state's Department of Natural Resources yesterday said they've confirmed cases of EHD in deer in Chippewa and Jackson counties. EHD is deadly for deer, but it cannot be passed on to humans. The dead deer in Chippewa and Jackson counties were both found near ponds on private lands. The DNR says hunters need to be on the look-out for sick or dead deer. Before these cases, Wisconsin hadn't seen an EHD case since 2021. 

Eau Claire's election managers say they have a 'great' need for poll workers next month. Interim Deputy City Clerk Nicholas Koerner says they don't quite yet have the 500 poll workers that they are hoping for. Koerner says that's because they 've had some retirements, and some people just haven't come back. He figures the city is about 100 poll workers short. There's still time to sign-up, in fact there's a training session next Tuesday. 

There are finally charges in the death of a UW-La Crosse student from back in 1985. Prosecutors in Vernon County yesterday filed charges against Michael Popp for Terry Dolowy's murder 39-years-ago. He was arrested back in September after a DNA match on evidence from her death. Popp is being held on a million-dollars bond, and faces life in prison if convicted. 

A former Minnesota state trooper has been booked into Olmsted County Jail.  Shane Roper is facing manslaughter charges in connection with a crash that happened in Rochester back in May, claiming the life of a teen.  He's accused of driving 83 in a 40-mile-an-hour zone while pursuing a vehicle for a minor traffic violation. Roper has a court appearance next month and is set to go to trial in March of next year. 

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has officially designated a new wildlife management area. It is a 1,820-acre area in Washington County as, named Keystone Woods. This site, previously a cattle ranch, is one of the largest remaining undeveloped tracts near the Twin Cities. Located in May Township, Keystone Woods will provide opportunities for activities such as hunting, hiking, and fishing. The DNR plans to solicit public input on future uses of the area starting in November.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain on the ballot in Wisconsin.  Last month the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling that candidates can only be removed from the ballot if they die. On Monday the court denied a motion from Kennedy’s attorney to reconsider that ruling. Kennedy, who in August suspended his campaign and endorsed Donald Trump, filed a lawsuit to be removed from the ballot. He argued state law requiring independent candidates to withdraw up to a full month before Republicans and Democrats was unconstitutional. The latest Marquette Poll showed that three percent of respondents said they’d vote for Kennedy.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has released the latest Forward Exam scores. Interim Communications Director Chris Bucher says they're the first scores since the state made changes to the test design.  Under the old standards from the 2022-23 school year, roughly 39% performed at proficient or advanced levels in English language arts, and 41% scored at the same levels in math. The conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty argues the changes to the exam now make year-to-year comparisons of student achievement and school progress more challenging.

The Rochester International Airport is getting federal funding to help improve runways and other necessary infrastructure.  U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar announced over 15-million dollars in federal funding for the airport yesterday.  The money will go toward rebuilding and extending one existing runway while adding a safety area for another runway.  The airport also plans to build more than two miles of service road and install 15-thousand-feet of wildlife fencing.

 Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig and her Republican challenger Joe Teirab are coming off their second debate in four days.  The 2nd Congressional District candidates met at an event hosted by the Lakeville Chamber of Commerce.  Some of the issues discussed during the debate were inflation and abortion.  Tierab said that the country can't engage in "reckless spending bill after reckless spending bill" like the Biden administration's economic agenda that Craig voted for. Craig responded by doubling down on her votes

A suspect is in custody following a homicide in northwest Wisconsin.  Superior police responding to a Sunday night call about a man walking around the caller's garage and shining a flashlight into windows arrived at the scene to hear several gunshots. Officers found a wounded man who later died from his injuries. The suspect fled and was later apprehended in Iron River without incident.

The City of Duluth is holding its first-ever snowplow naming contest.  The city is asking residents to submit their favorite snowplow names by October 21st.  City staffers will select ten finalists to be voted on beginning October 28th.  The top vote-getter will be announced on November 11th.  The newly-named snowplow will be unveiled during the Christmas City of the North parade on November 22nd.