The
City of Durand has passed a resolution supporting an application with
the Department of Transportation that would allow the use of
ATVs/UTVs on the Hwy 10 Bridge. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says
the resolution was needed as the DOT could not just approve the use
of the bridge. If approved, ATV's and UTV's would not be using the
sidewalk over the bridge but the side lane on the roadway.
The
Mondovi City Council has passed a new ordinance regarding after hours
sale of alcohol. It was discovered that there was no ordinance on
after hours sale. The new ordinance would fine both bartenders and
bar owners for selling alcohol after hours. Those with multiple
violations run the risk of having their bartenders or liquor licenses
suspended or even revoked.
Members
of the Menomonie School Board have been discussing possible policies
for using clean energy over the next 30 years. The topic was
part of the agenda at a meeting earlier this week. A group of
conservation voters has presented a goal for local governments to
commit to 100 percent clean energy use by the year 2050. Board
member Jim Swanson has been drafting a plan on how to reach that
goal. The board will review it at the March 23rd meeting.
The
National Weather Service reports the flood risk in the La Crosse area
is above normal for this spring, but flooding isn’t certain.
The government meteorologists say the snow-melt has been an “ideal
to slow runoff.” How much precipitation falls in the next few
weeks will be a major factor in determining how the flooding threat
develops. Hydrologist John Wetenkamp says locations that
normally experience flooding should be preparing right now. The
U-S Army Corps of Engineers says it is well-stocked with resources if
the need arises.
Mayo
Clinic is now offering possible COVID-19 patients a new option to be
tested - a drive-through sample collection process. Other
health care providers have also implemented the so-called
drive-through option. Patients who meet criteria for testing
are directed to the Mayo Family Clinic Northwest. Staff will
collect the specimens and send them to the Minnesota Department of
Health for analysis. This process reduces the need for other
critically constrained resources. Patients are required to have
a phone screening first to determine if testing is appropriate.
Mayo
Clinic is promoting a new test it developed that can detect the new
coronavirus. Officials say the test for the virus that
causes COVID-19 has been fully validated and data from it will be
submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for review and
emergency use authorization. Mayo hopes the test can ease some
of the burden on the C-D-C and state public health labs. It
could provide faster test results - possibly within 24 hours.
Mayo Clinic says it is working closely with the Minnesota Department
of Health.
The
Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld a county’s ban on the mining and
processing of silica sand. Minnesota Sands L-L-C had challenged
Winona County’s ban, arguing it was unconstitutional. The
Supreme Court affirmed a 2018 appeals court ruling against the
company. Wednesday’s vote was by a four-to-three count.
Silica sand is used in the oil and gas industry for hydraulic
fracturing. Winona County officials enacted the ban in 2016
based on concerns about the impact on the environment and public
health.
About
30 National Guard soldiers and airmen from the state have been
mobilized to bring 37 Wisconsinites on-board a cruise ship back home.
The Wisconsin residents will be self-quarantined when they return.
They were stuck on the Grand Princess, currently docked in Oakland
Harbor, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Brigadier General
Joane Mathews says it’s not a security mission and the soldiers are
simply providing the manpower and drivers needed to help the
Wisconsin Department of Health Services get the people back to the
state. The National Guard drivers will then self-monitor for 14
days after the mission.
The
U-S Coast Guard says a group of people and ice shanties were on a big
ice floe which drifted award from Sherwood Point Thursday afternoon.
Rescue crews had to bring the 10 people back from the Bay of Green
Bay using an ice breaker, two helicopters, an iceboat, and an air-boat. The Sturgeon Bay Coast Guard station says there were
two additional rescues in the same area at about the same time, but
local first responders were able to help those people.
Warmer-than-normal temperatures and high winds recently have
increased the risk of ice breaking away.
Governor
Tony Evers says hand shakes and hugs - and large group events - are
on hold for him
With
"social distancing" a new reality in the face of COVID-19
Coronavirus, Evers says "Wisconsin nice" is going to have a
different look in the future. DHS is recommending that all
non-essential gatherings of 250 or more people be cancelled or
postponed statewide to help protect Wisconsinites from the spread of
COVID-19, particularly those who are most vulnerable to infection and
severe disease.
Tours
and visits to the Wisconsin State Capitol are being cancelled to
protect the health of the public and staff from the potential spread
of COVID-19. Officials plan to contact groups scheduled for
tours over the next two to three weeks. Other operations within
the State Capitol building will go on. The
Department of Administration will continue reviewing strategies to
limit the spread of coronavirus.
Emergency
response and preparedness for the developing coronavirus pandemic is
the focus of a revised budget proposal unveiled today by Governor Tim
Walz (Thursday). The governor wants the "rainy day"
fund at full strength in case of economic downturn and wants a large
amount of the surplus -- one-point-two-billion dollars -- left
uncommitted. Walz predicts developing needs because of
coronavirus. He said, "I don't think it is probably out of
the realm that hospitals will be coming to the legislature in coming
days and asking for upwards of a hundred-million dollars for COVID
responses." Because of the rapidly-changing situation,
Walz is also urging lawmakers to fund emergency needs and a "robust"
bonding bill and then end the legislative session early.
The
Wisconsin Election Commission is reporting at least two cases of
voter fraud. Commissioners Wednesday sent the cases to prosecutors
in Vilas and Oneida counties. In the Vilas county case, the
Commission says someone voted twice on Election Day in 2016. The
Oneida County case accuses a voter of intentionally registering to
vote in the wrong community, then voting in 2017. The Commission also
flagged 43 cases where it looks like people voted in Wisconsin and
another state.
The
Wisconsin Supreme Court has been asked to overturn an appeals court
ruling on the voter purge. The conservative Wisconsin Institute
for Law and Liberty asked the high court to expedite its
consideration of the case so it could be resolved before the November
presidential election. The appeals court ruling stopped the
purging of more than 200 thousand people from Wisconsin voter rolls.
Democrats have fought to effort, saying it was intended to make it
harder for their voters to cast ballots. Wisconsin is one of
several states which are critical to President Trump’s reelection
effort.
Authorities
in southern Minnesota say they are looking for a man who’s
suspected of impersonating a deputy. The Freeborn County
Sheriff’s Office has been told about two incidents last weekend.
One man reported he was parked in a lot near I-35 in Ellendale when
an older S-U-V with a large exhaust pulled up next to him. The
person is the vehicle identified himself as a deputy from Iowa, but
he left before local deputies arrived. An hour-and-a-half
later, the same S-U-V was spotted with emergency lights flashing and
a car pulled to the side of the road. No injuries were
reported.
No comments:
Post a Comment