Economic Development was a topic during a meeting last night at Durand City Hall. Members of the city council and city residents discussed topics on business development, empty and underutilized buildings in the downtown, and tourism. Mark Tallman from the WEDC talked about some of the programs that are available. According to Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren, before the city or businesses can access the WEDC Programs, the city must complete a comprehensive plan. Any Comprehensive plan will take 9-12 months to complete. The City Council’s Economic Development Committee is expected to meet to move forward with the start of having a comprehensive plan completed.
The Pepin County Health Department has received a $10,000 grant from the Northwoods Coalition of Marshfield Clinic. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says the grant will be used to reduce harm in Pepin County. The health department is planning on educational promotions to highlight the services the department offers to help increase harm reduction in the county.
Xcel Energy is proposing to increase prices over the next two years .The plan involves a 61-cent daily increase for residential electric customers in 2026, followed by an additional 36-cents in 2027. For natural gas, the average daily increase would be 31-cents next year, with 4-cents added on in 2027. These hikes aim to fund infrastructure updates. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission is reviewing the proposal is will make a decision later this year.
A Western Wisconsin teen is accused of a fatal hit and run while driving drunk. Prosecutors say the 17-year-old girl hit and killed Ann Seidl while she was on a run in Dunn County. The suspect's mother found the deceased woman and called 9-1-1. She told investigators her daughter refused to stop smoking weed and drinking. Investigators allege the suspect admitted to drinking before driving, didn't know what she hit, and didn't care. The teen's court date is scheduled for later this afternoon.
A lawsuit filed against the Eau Claire Police Department by a man shot by officers is being dropped. Police responded to Clayton Livingston's home in 2022 after a neighbor accused him of pointing a gun at his house. Responding officers say Livingston also pointed a gun at them. Two officers shot and injured him, and now Livingston's lawsuit is being dismissed. He'll have a jury trial next year for charges related to the accusations that caused the police response.
A home is Red Wing was destroyed by a fire yesterday. According to the Red Wing Fire Department firefighters were called to Pioneer Road around 3:30 a.m. and found heavy smoke coming from a home. The sole occupant of the residence was outside by the time firefighters arrived and no injuries were reported. The home was called a total loss and the cause of that fire is still under investigation.
Emplify Health has declared its intentions to introduce a new behavioral health unit at its La Crosse campus. This new unit will be addressing a big void of mental health care in the region. The new unit will be called "EmPATH" and will give a different approach to patients who come to the emergency room during a mental health crisis. In the new unit patients can be evaluated first in a calm environment before being taken to the new facility, where they can receive treatment up to 23 hours. The new EmPATH unit will be the first of its kind in Wisconsin.
The lawyer for the teen accused of killing Lily Peters in Chippewa County is asking for a change of venue. The teen's lawyer says media coverage and public commentary won't allow the suspect to have a fair trial in the county. Lily Peters was murdered at ten years old almost three years ago. The boy accused of killing her is 17-years-old now but was 14 at the time. He's facing multiple charges, including homicide and sexual assault. A hearing on the motion asking for a venue change will be held in June.
Several people facing charges after being accused of creating disruptions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. University police say they were called to the Memorial Union after multiple people interrupted an authorized event. Three people were arrested at about 7:30 p.m. after multiple warnings. At the same time, the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck drove onto Library Mall at another authorized event. The driver, a man from Stevens Point, was arrested.
Elon Musk is downplaying the results in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, saying he "expected to lose." That's what he wrote in response to a user addressing him on his social media platform X. Democratic-backed candidate Susan Crawford won against Republican-backed candidate Brad Schimel for the seat on the court. Musk and President Trump both endorsed Schimel. The tech billionaire's super PAC spent over 12-million-dollars to support Schimel in the race, and Musk traveled to Wisconsin the weekend ahead of the election.
Wisconsin
joins a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services over billions in grant cuts. Attorney General Josh Kaul is
part of a coalition of 23 state attorneys general demanding HHS halt
termination of roughly $11 billion in federal public health grants
that support projects across the country. Wisconsin faces a loss of
six grant awards totaling over $225 million that would have helped
pay for mental and behavioral health services, preventing and
responding to the opioid epidemic, and strengthening local emergency
medical services. The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to
stop the grant terminations.
The Universities of Wisconsin System is asking Governor Tony Evers to provide it with an additional $855 million in his next budget. UW System President Jay Rothman went before the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday and says for the last decade they haven't been funded at a level that met inflation. The additional funding would cover an 8% across the board salary increase for faculty and staff and expand the Wisconsin Tuition Promise. Wisconsin currently ranks 43rd out of 50 states when it comes to funding its four-year, public universities. Republicans on the committee are expected to reject most of Democratic Governor Tony Evers proposed budget.
Honeybee colonies are critical for agricultural pollination, and scientists at Washington State University predict up to a 70% decline in honeybee colonies this year. Drew Kaiser with Kaiserson Bee Company of Eau Claire expects the effects to be felt in Wisconsin. You can help bees on your own property by with pollinator friendly native plants and by minimizing the use of chemicals. Kaiser was a guest on the Larry Meiller Show on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Meals at Minnesota Schools have been free for almost two years. Lawmakers are now looking into changing who would qualify for these meals. State Representative Andrew Myers is proposing a bill that would only allow families whose income is below 500 percent of the federal poverty level the free meals. The House Education Finance Committee laid over Myers' bill where lawmakers can bring it up again if they wish.
Explore Wisconsin’s natural beauty on DNR field trips. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources teams up with the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin to offer over 250 expert-led excursions. The trips offer a behind-the-scenes perspective of nature through such activities as bird watching, paddle boarding, foraging and much more. Descriptions of the outings detail their location, length, difficulty, terrain and more, with 20 of them being ADA accessible. Full information can be found at wisconservation.org.