Thursday, March 5, 2020

Local-Regional News March 5


The Durand-Arkansaw School District was placed in a lock-down at 3:00 p.m. yesterday after being notified by the Durand Police Department of a credible threat directed at a non-specific school. By tracking the individual’s cell phone, it was determined that the person was within the City of Durand. Law enforcement determined the threat was credible. Following the school district crisis plan, the Durand-Arkansaw School District communicated with parents using the Skylert messaging system and allowed students to be picked up by their families. At 4:15 p.m. it was determined by law enforcement that the suspect was no longer in the area and that the lock-down could be lifted at 4:45 p.m. At approximately 4:50 p.m., the individual was apprehended by the Pepin Police Department in the Village of Pepin. There was no longer a threat, so the lock-down was ended and remaining students were released at 4:50 p.m. Law enforcement was present at Caddie Woodlawn Elementary School, Durand Middle/High School, and the St. Mary’s and Lima Catholic Schools throughout the incident.


Two people are dead after a two vehicle accident in the Town of Albion on Wednesday. According to the Trempealeau County Sheriffs Department, the head on accident happened on Hwy 93 near Hwy V. The driver of one vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene while the driver of the second vehicle died at the hospital. The cause of that accident remains under investigation and the names of the victims have not been released pending notification of family members.


Seasonal weight restrictions on area county highways are set to go into effect. The Pepin County Highway Department announced that the weight restrictions will go into effect on Monday, while in Dunn county, temporary weight restrictions are beginning today.


A Dunn County jury trial has been scheduled for late July for a man accused of killing his roommate with a bow and arrow.  Richard Seehaver had been found incompetent to stand trial.  Seehaver faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of John Likeness.  Menomonie police were called to the home shared by the two December 30th and they found Likeness dead in a recliner.


Two people are under arrest after a shooting in Eau Claire.  Police say 19-year-old Atreyu Ortiz and 20-year-old Quentin Taylor were highly intoxicated and handling AR-15 rifle Tuesday when Ortiz was shot.  Ortiz suffered non-life threatening injuries.  Investigators believe Ortiz and Taylor were trying take pictures of themselves when the rifle fired.  They face charges including recklessly endangering safety and intoxicated use of a firearm.


 A man from southeastern Minnesota is facing federal charges for making, transporting and dealing explosive devices.   The U-S Attorney's Office says 58-year-old Kenneth R. Miller of Brownsville was indicted on four counts for engaging in the explosives business from 2013 through June 2019.   The complaint says Miller made smoke-generating devices containing electric igniters and a chlorate explosive mixture. He was also in illegal possession of three firearms as a felon.


The unofficial results show a lot more voters turned out for Minnesota's 2020 presidential primary than the 2016 caucuses.  The Secretary of State's Office website says more than 880-thousand Minnesotans voted in the Super Tuesday primary.  That's a 177-percent increase from the 319-thousand who participated in the presidential caucus four years ago.  Around 22-percent of registered voters cast ballots in Minnesota Tuesday.  Republican turnout was light with President Donald Trump as the only candidate on the ballot.  This was the state's first presidential primary since 1992.


Wisconsin has joined 18 other states in a suit filed to stop the federal government from spending three-point-eight billion dollars to build a wall along the Mexican border.  That money had previously been set aside to be used for resources and equipment needed by the National Guard.  Wisconsin could miss out on more than 100 million dollars in funding for military equipment made by companies in this state.  Governor Tony Evers says diverting the money would negatively impact Wisconsin’s economy and the safety of its communities.


The Minnesota Department of Health says two passengers who arrived at M-S-P International Airport from Europe were told to self-quarantine after having close contact with a person confirmed to have coronavirus.  Officials say the passengers were evaluated on the plane after landing by a medical professional from the quarantine station and didn't have symptoms of the virus.  But because of their close contact with someone who had a confirmed case, they were instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days.  No cases of coronavirus have been confirmed yet in Minnesota.


Governor Tony Evers says the state is awarding 75-million dollars in grants for 152 transportation projects across the state.  Evers said, "these newly funded projects are going to impact folks all across our state, improving safety, connectivity, and economic growth in each community."  A total of 84 towns, 34 cities and villages and 34 counties will received funding.  More than 16-hundred applications were received for mainly road projects.  Around 15-million dollars will go to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects and about one-million for public transportation.  Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said, "Governor Evers is shortchanging our local roads" by diverting money for bike paths and buses.


The pilot of a small plane says he had to land in a Grant County cornfield last weekend after losing altitude while flying over Fennimore.  The sheriff’s office learned of his actions when it got a phone call from O’Hare International Airport.  Twenty-two-year-old pilot Colten Jaekel called 9-1-1 to help emergency responders find him.  Jaekel says he was trying to make it to the Boscobel Airport after his plane began descending at a rate of 500 feet-a-minute.  He had broadcast a “Mayday” call on an emergency channel and it was heard by officials at the Chicago airport.  Jaekel wasn’t injured.


 Stevens Point’s police chief has been placed on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted.  City officials have offered few details.  The city attorney says Chief Marty Skibba is being investigated for a potential violation of police department rules, but no information will be released until the investigation is complete.  Assistant Chief Tom Zenner is in charge of the department until then.


The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is naming the officer who fatally shot a Lakeville man last Friday.  The B-C-A says Dakota County Sheriff's Sergeant Scott Durdall fired the shot that killed 36-year-old Kent Kruger.  Investigators say Kruger was wanted on a warrant for assault on a peace officer and authorities were serving an emergency order for protection when he fired on them.  Durdall returned fire, killing Kruger.  He's been with the sheriff's department for 22 years.  The incident remains under investigation.


The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture says it is ready to deal with gypsy moths.  State officials plan to release their gypsy moth plan March 15th.  It calls for the state to spray forests from May through July in an effort to keep the moths from destroying trees and woodlands.  Forestry experts say the moths present a serious threat.


A group of La Crosse area elementary students want to make the Spring Peeper the state amphibian. Peepers are a frog that lives in wetlands and they make a distinctive peeping sound, hence the name. Senator Janet Bewley says it's a great idea.  The request was made to the assembly's committee on state affairs.

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