Local-Regional News April 30

The City of Mondovi is exploring ways to help small businesses affected by the safer-at-home order. During this weeks council meeting, council members and Mayor Weiss suggested lowering or eliminating the liquor license fees for bars and restaurants. The council decided to put the issue on the agenda for the first council meeting in May.

Coaches of spring sports in the Durand-Arkansaw School District will be paid 100% of their salary. During last nights school board meeting board members debated weather to pay the coaches 100% or something less. Some board members felt it wouldnt be right to pay the coaches at 100% because the seasons were canceled. However, school board President Bill Yingst said other districts are paying their coaches at 100% because its hard to find staff to coach.   The board did agree to pay 100% of the salary, but coaches will be expected to still stay in contact and work with their teams over the summer during a 30 day contact window that has been allowed by the WIAA.

As the safer-at-home order continues, you may be suffering extra stress or anxiety, especially if your a farmer or small business owner. Advent Health of Durand has a spiritual care hotline. Angela Jacobson, Director of Nursing and Emergency Preparedness at Advent Health says the hotline is open to everyone.   Jacobson says hotline staff is also there to listen and to also give direction to mental health resources.

For hours, Chippewa Falls police say 32-year-old Joseph Teske refused to give up.  Officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call.  Teske was accused of pulling a woman to the ground and kicking her while stealing her cell phone and a laptop computer.  He initially threatened to shoot at squad cars and fight the officers, then later threatened to mix household chemicals to create chlorine gas if they came in.  Eau Claire County Regional SWAT responded to a request and Teske eventually agreed to surrender.

Wisconsin Republicans are applauding Governor Tony Evers' administration for ordering five-percent cuts in state agency spending.  Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan notified state employees Tuesday night about the reductions.  He also says the state hiring freeze will continue with exceptions for positions related to Wisconsin's pandemic response.  Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said, "this is a smart, proactive move by the administration. Vos also believes another "prudent move might be to freeze the second year of the budget so that Wisconsin can plan accordingly."  Representative John Nygren called this is a great step, but says much more will need to be done.

Three weeks after Wisconsin residents cast in-person ballots, there's been no spike in COVID-19 cases directly attributable to Election Day. DHS Secretary Andrea Palm says 52 people tested positive.  In a statement, Wisconsin Republican Party Executive Director Mark Jefferson accused state Democrats and numerous media outlets of "eagerly" predicting "a massive spike, with gruesome hopes on capitalizing politically."

 The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reports it has distributed more than 290 million dollars in unemployment benefits since March 15th.  The agency says it has received almost a half-million applications over the seven-and-a-half-week time period.  These are very busy days at the unemployment office.  D-W-D says is has paid almost 750 thousand of the one-point-two million claims received since the coronavirus public health emergency was first declared.  It’s currently implementing a new federal program for benefits that was created under the CARES Act.

The latest sales report from Milwaukee-based Harley Davidson shows a continuation of the year-to-year slide.  The company says U-S sales are down 15 percent compared to last year and international sales are even more disappointing, showing a 21-percent drop.  Executives are promising swift action in response to the quarterly report.  Earnings for the just-completed quarter were a little less than 70 million dollars – compared to 128 million in the same quarter last year.

Congressman Collin Peterson and Governor Walz were greeted by a chorus of car horns as they discussed COVID-19 at the J-B-S pork plant in Worthington and how to help producers.   The U-S House Ag Committee chair wants assistance for farmers who are having to euthanize their hogs.   Peterson said, "I'm gonna give the authority to the Ag secretary to retroactively pay farmers for euthanizing, for hauling 'em and burying 'em and all that.  It's gonna be in there, I'll guarantee you."   Peterson says he'll make sure a plan remains in place so plants aren't shut down again.   He's calling for testing on everyone at the J-B-S plant and new protective measures for employees.

A report from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services shows nearly half of the patients who tested positive for coronavirus have completed their recovery.  The state agency officially reported for the first time Tuesday how many people have beaten the virus.  So far, more than six-thousand have tested positive and more than three-thousand have officially recovered.  Doctors say it’s too soon to tell about the other cases, but 48 percent are virus-free.  A total of 300 people have died.

White House infectious disease specialist Doctor Anthony Fauci says there’ still a chance Milwaukee could host the Democratic National Convention this summer.  Fauci calls it a possibility, but he also says a lot of things need to happen between now and August.  Organizers of the convention have already move it from mid-July due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Talk of moving it online is growing louder and the time needed to prepare for such a large event is growing shorter.

A Republican state senator questioning the governor’s Safer at Home order says he has more questions to ask.  Republican Van Wanggaard said Governor Evers answered his first set of questions about the order that keeps people at home and businesses closed.  Now, he has new questions.  Wanggaard wants to know whether Evers will extend the order into the summertime and what he will tell people who have lost their jobs.  He says Wisconsinites deserve to hear those questions answered.

Nearly three dozen Wisconsin state parks and forests will be reopened Friday, but the rules are different.  Governor Tony Evers directed the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to open them Tuesday.  The number of people allowed in will be restricted.  Anyone who wants to go to a state park, forest, or recreational area will need an annual park sticker or trail pass – and D-N-R wardens will enforce social distancing.  Those parks were shut down earlier this month when huge crowds flooded them and social distancing guidelines were ignored.

Good news for folks who like to buy locally-produced fruits and vegetables.  Minnesota Farmers' Market Association Executive Director Kathy Zeman  says they're expecting about 90-percent of them to open this spring.  The markets are allowed under Governor Tim Walz's executive orders as long as social distancing and sanitizing best practices are in place.  Zeman says one person will go to the farmers market and buy all the food and there won't be any hugs or handshakes.  Zeman says they've been able to get a jump start on what works thanks to about ten winter farmers markets who've had to practice social distancing since mid-March.

 One-hundred-50 Wisconsin National Guard troops have returned to the U-S from deployment in Afghanistan.  Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry will spend some time in Minnesota before reuniting with their families.  The Red Arrow troops spent about 10 months providing security for Army and Afghan units.  About another 250 troops from this state are still in Afghanistan carrying on with the mission.

Local-Regional News April 29

The Durand Fun-Fest Committee along with the Miss Durand Royalty Committee have both announced the cancellation of Fun-Fest and the Miss Durand Pageant for 2020. Both events were canceled due to the current situation with the Covid-19 pandemic. Fun-Fest was scheduled from June 5-7^th . The current Miss Durand, Caterina Wood will continue to serve as Miss Durand and will attend any parades and community events that would be scheduled. The Daddy-Daughter Dance along with other smaller events will be held and the Royalty Committee encourages any events that are scheduled in the future to contact the committee to have Durand Royalty attend.

Pepin and Buffalo County have partnered together to have the Wisconsin National Guard do community testing for Covid-19. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says the goal is to increase testing of symptomatic people.  This is also an opportunity for those asymptomatic or in high risk categories to be tested. The testing will be first come-first served on Friday from 11-7 at the Buffalo County Highway Shop in Alma. There are 200 tests available and your encouraged to check the Pepin County Health Departments Facebook Page to make sure tests are still available before traveling to Alma.

The Mondovi City Council met last night. Council members received an update on the pilot project the the CLEARAS program for the Waste Water Treatment Plant. The project, which uses algae to help clean water, was tested to determine if CLEARAS was suitable for use in Mondovi. The pilot project was deemed successful in reducing phosphorus and other nutrients in cold water and industrial waste conditions. The city of Roberts is installing the same system which should go on line this summer, and Mondovi officials want to see how the Roberts system is working before moving ahead.

The burning ban in the Durand Fire response area has been lifted. While the ban is lifted, those wanting to burn need to get a permit from the town chairman, call the county dispatch center to let authorities know you are burning and tend your fire so it doesnt get out of control.

A Chippewa County Circuit Court judge has sentenced a Cadott man to 15 years in prison for stabbing a deputy.  The incident happened in 2018.  Travis Abbiehl attacked Chippewa County Sergeant Andrew Clark with a knife.  Clark was searching for Abbiehl’s brother at the time.  Abbiehl will serve the 15-year sentence in a state mental facility.

Some universities in Wisconsin are shifting to a pass-fail grading system while classes are online during the coronavirus pandemic.  U-W-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow says letter grades of “C” or better would be converted to an “S” for satisfactory, while letter grades of “D” or “F” would be converted to unsatisfactory.  Students will have until mid-June to petition to make the switch, but they don't have to.  In the long-term, the university plans to return to traditional letter grades.

The building containing the Boyd Feed and Supply Mill is just a pile of rubble after a Monday morning fire.  That historic building was nearly 120 years old.  It was built in 1902 and owner Jerry Gully has operated the business since 1977.  Eight different fire departments from that part of northwestern Wisconsin responded at about 4:30 a-m.  No injuries were reported and Gully says he doesn’t know if the business will be rebuilt or not.

The Evers administration has filed its response to the lawsuit filed over the governor’s Safer at Home extension.  The Wisconsin Supreme Court still hasn’t said if it will hear oral arguments.  Legislative leaders who sued -- saying Secretary of Health designee Andrea Palm over-reaching when the order was extended -- now have until Thursday to offer their own response.  The Evers administration says the cases of COVID-19 were doubling every three-point-four days when the first order was issued.   Now, that doubling has slowed to every 12-point-four days.  Attorney General Josh Kaul says state statutes give broad powers to the D-H-S in such an undisputed emergency.

 Health officials in Minnesota are concerned about President Trump's executive order to force meat processing plants to stay open.  State Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said, "it seems problematic to say the least."  COVID-19 outbreaks have forced the closure of several packing plants.  The Minnesota Department of Health's Kris Ehresmann said, " in the case of J-B-S (in Worthington), they have employees who need to be out of work because they tested positive and are isolated."   Ehresmann says wanting to re-open is going to be a challenge, just because of the employees who are not able to work.  Republican Congressmen Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber and Jim Hagedorn say they support Trump's effort to "to keep the food supply chain operational."

The search is over for a missing Cannon Falls man.  The Minnesota B-C-A says 37-year-old Richard Sanders was found dead in Rice County.  The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office had issued a missing person report for Sanders in February.  Sanders was last seen the morning of February 2nd leaving a mobile home park in Cannon Falls on foot.  The B-C-A says foul play is not suspected in his death.

Most of the state parks that were closed earlier this month are now set to open this weekend. State parks director Mark Aquino says some parks will remain closed, particularly some of the natural wildlife areas which tend to congregate people together.  You will have to have an annual pass to get into parks, because day passes are not being sold right now. You can find a list of parks that will be open online at DNR dot WI dot Gov.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin has scrapped plans for an in-person state convention. State party chair Ben Wikler made the decision to hold a virtual event June 12, due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to WisPolitics-dot-com. Organizers are still trying to figure out logistics on how to run the event virtually. It will include election of delegates to the national convention and speeches by some elected officials will give speeches.

 One Wisconsin lawmaker is accusing the governor of flip-flopping on which businesses are being allowed to reopen.  Governor Tony Evers tweaked his Safer at Home order Monday to allow dog groomers, kayak renting businesses, car washes and lawnmower repair shops to get back to work.  Others are still closed.  Republican State Representative Jim Steinke says people are getting confused by the constant changes.  Those businesses are reopening even though they don’t meet the governor’s Badger Bounce Back criteria.

The coronavirus quarantine has pushed the University of Wisconsin's online learning platform to the front of the class. The U-W system says nearly five-thousand faculty had published more than 17-thousand courses online as of April 8th. University system officials say they launched their online learning platform in the summer of 2017, but stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 outbreak has accelerated the shift to on-line teaching and learning.

The Wisconsin Humanities Council is offering financial relief to nonprofit organizations hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.  The Wisconsin Humanities CARES Relief Grant program will distribute about 540 thousand dollars in federal relief funding.  Individual organizations can apply for up to 10 thousand dollars between now and May 15th.  To be eligible, they have to be located in Wisconsin while providing public humanities programming as a significant portion of their mission.

Local-Regional News April 28

Starting in May, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection will spray for gypsy moth in 18 western Wisconsin counties. Residents in the affected areas listed below can expect loud, low-flying, small, yellow planes as early as 5 a.m. Aerial spraying in western Wisconsin will focus on where gypsy moth populations are low or beginning to build, in an attempt to slow them from moving further west. Spraying is scheduled for the following counties: Buffalo, Chippewa, Dunn, amd Trempealeau. DATCP’s plan is to start in southern Wisconsin in mid-May and end in the northern part of the state in July. 

Some changes to the safer-at-home order. Pepin County Health Officers Heidi Stewart says some outdoor equipment can once again be rented.. Customers will still have to make reservations and pay for the rentals online.

The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include the possible hiring of a new police officers, a proposal on an Away with Geese Lighting System for Mirror Lake and a proposal on the sale of the dredging material from Mirror Lake. Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Mondovi City Hall.

State officials say COVID outbreaks at major pork plants in southwest Minnesota and South Dakota have cut processing capacity for Minnesota hogs by more than half.   Some producers have been forced to euthanize animals.  Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen warns consumers will see disruptions and could see higher prices.  Petersen says, “right now though, things are stable because of what we have in storage."  He farmers have reduced pigs’ to delay how soon they’re ready for market with not enough processors available.    He added that Willmar-based Jennie-O is diverting turkeys to other plants.

Just a few months after he was fired from his role as State Ag Secretary, Brad Pfaff says he'll be running for state senate. Pfaff announced his run for Jennifer Schilling's seat on Monday. He says the actions of the state senate haven't deterred him from listening to the people in agriculture. Pfaff's confirmation to the Ag Department was denied by the Senate after he publicly complained about delays in funding for farmer mental health services, and after proposing new manure rules for large farm operations.

 Vice President Mike Pence will see first-hand today Minnesota’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. Pence is touring Mayo Clinic facilities in Rochester supporting COVID-19 testing and treatment and meeting with Mayo officials.   Governor Tim Walz says the vice president highlighted work Minnesota has done on flattening the curve, social distancing and creative testing during a conference call with all U-S governors.  The White House unveiled what it calls a comprehensive effort to make enough COVID tests available for states to test at least two-point-six percent of their populations each month.  Pence visited 3-M in Maplewood last month.

As farmers, business owners and families deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health issues are a concern. The Wisconsin Farm Center has taken 82 requests from farmers to receive vouchers for counseling services from January through April. That is nearly as many as were requested for all of 2018. In 2019 farmers requested 182 vouchers. The therapist that the farmers is referred to has some agriculture background or some knowledge of the realities of life on the farm so it makes it easier for the farmer to talk with the therapist. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health emergency, call the national suicide hotline at 800-273-8255.

The third man wanted in connection with a murder in Eau Claire is dead. Lasalle County Sheriffs officials says that 22yr old Ian Kearns was pronounced dead at an Illinois Hospital. Keares was wanted for his role in the death of Edwin Garcia-Smith last month. Two other men, 27yr old Joe Moya and 23yr old Juan Olivarez have been arrested and are being held on a $1 million-dollar cash bond. The death of Kearns is still under investigation.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of a drug take-back day.  It had been scheduled for Saturday.  Attorney General Josh Kaul says many of Wisconsin’s drop-off sites are closed now due to the pandemic.  Kaul says it’s best if people will lock their unused prescription pills away in a safe or room in the house which has limited access.  The drug take-back day will be rescheduled.

A Wisconsin lawmaker is asking why protesters at the state Capitol weren’t arrested last Friday.  Milwaukee police took more than 100 people into custody on the same day for violating the governor’s Safer at Home order.  State Representative LaKeshia Myers says the crowd in Madison clearly violated the order.  Myers says the rally was what she calls an “exercise in white privilege.”

Impatient applicants for unemployment checks are being told they will get the needed support, but it’s going to take some time.  About 400 thousand people have filed an initial application for benefits over the last eight weeks.  State officials say that’s twice the number they saw at the height of the Great Recession in 2008.  One hundred new staff members have been added from other state offices to respond to the number of calls and another 200 are being hired.  A state spokesperson says they are just playing catch-up at this point.

The fact that fewer people are driving during the coronavirus pandemic means funding for Minnesota roads is being lost.  The Minnesota Department of Transportation is estimating it will lose 440 million dollars in funding while people stay at home.  Most road work is paid-for by the state’s tax collected when drivers buy gas.  Minnesota road projects will keep to the schedule, for now, despite the reduction in funding.

Democratic National Committee organizers say they expect to meet in person in Milwaukee this summer. D-N-C chairman Tom Perez won’t say what the convention will look like, though. but he says they're not putting "their head in the sand" when it comes to the coronavirus. The convention planning committee laid off workers earlier this month, and some top Democrats, including presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, have said they doubt the convention will happen.

Officials at U-W Health in Madison say they are accepting all COVID-19 patients right now – with or without insurance coverage.  The hospital says it isn’t billing any uninsured patients for services connected to the virus during the pandemic.  U-W health has already launched a free hotline for people who want to call with their questions about the virus.  Anyone who is considering being seen for coronavirus at a clinic, urgent care or emergency room is being urged to call 608-720-5300.

Stevens Point residents are getting together separately Monday night to take part in a community cheer session via social media for the area's health care workers. Mayor Mike Wiza says citizens are encouraged to "cheer, clap, yell, hoot, holler and provide some recognition." The Mayor's office may decide to compile some of the best social media videos into on large video on the city website.

Local-Regional News April 27

 Authorities in western Wisconsin are investigating a shooting that left two people dead Friday near River Falls.  The Pierce County Sheriff's Office says it received a call from 32-year-old Amory Tarr saying his father, 60-year-old Craig Tarr, had been shot.  Deputies say phone contact with Amory Tarr was then lost.  Officers responding to the home found both men dead.  Investigators say there is no threat to the public.

The Durand-Arkansaw School Board received an update on the 2020-2021 budget. Superintendent Greg Doverspike says there is a lot of uncertainty with the budget due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Doverspike says other issues like health insurance rates, and transportation aids will also affect the budget.

One person was injured in a motorcycle vs deer accident in Luddington Townshop on Sunday. According to the Eau Claire County Sheriffs Department, a 26yr old man was traveling southbound on Hwy d when he hit a deer after crossing the Eau Claire River Bridge. The rider was thrown from his motorcycle, skidded on the pavement and landed in a nearby ditch. He was med flighted to the hospital.

 Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Ron Cramer is preaching common sense over Safer at Home.  The sheriff says most people have been following the order to stay at home.  He says where a violation is discovered his deputies take them on a case-by-case basis.  The new Safer at Home order is set to run through May 26th - but Republican lawmakers have filed suit to end it by May 11th.

A Minnesota man is scheduled for sentencing in June after entering a guilty plea to burglary charges.  Hienok Demessie had faced seven felony charges before he reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in Barron County.  Demessie was arrested in December after a 9-1-1 caller reported a break-in at a business the week before Christmas.  The caller said money was missing and she could smell smoke from the laundromat next door.  Demessie pleaded guilty to burglary of a building or dwelling and criminal damage to property.

Wisconsin currently has the lowest average price for gas in the entire country.  GasBuddy-dot-com reports the Badger State’s average is one-dollar, 21-cents-a-gallon.  It has been decades since the pump prices were that low.  The highest average price in the state is a still-pretty-low dollar-64 in St. Croix County.  Waushara County’s average price is 95 cents-a-gallon.  The Wisconsin prices are down an average of 50 cents-a-gallon from last month and are 56 cents-a-gallon better than the national average.

Nurses in Minnesota are pushing back on one of the latest executive orders from Governor Tim Walz that would ease the process for other states to come work in Minnesota. The Minnesota Nurses Association says nurses not working with COVID patients are being furloughed and they should be the ones tapped to help fill any potential shortages. M-N-A president Mary Turner, who supported Walz's early promises to help support Minnesota's front-line healthcare workers, called for training "for our nurses who are now furloughed or laid off," adding that training should have been happening throughout the crisis.

If you haven't yet received your government stimulus check, the IRS might need some information from you. IRS Spokesman Christopher Miller says they've got a tool on their website that will expedite the process, if you're still looking for that check. If you've recently filed a tax return, you likely already have received your check. If not, make sure the IRS can direct deposit that check into a banking or checking account.

A meatpacking plant at the center of the COVID-19 outbreak in Green Bay was temporarily closed Sunday. Brown County's public health agency on Friday confirmed at least 189 cases were linked to JBS Packerland. The JBS shutdown comes as the number of Wisconsinites testing positive for COVID-19 grew by 224 Sunday — the fifth day in a row that new cases exceeded 200. While that increase is attributed in part to the meat plant outbreaks, it also reflects increased testing.

 Vice President Mike Pence will be in Rochester Tuesday to tour Mayo Clinic facilities supporting COVID-19 research and treatment and meet with personnel.  Governor Tim Walz says the vice president has highlighted the worker Minnesota has done to other states, including the creative ways to increase testing.

An estimated 15-hundred people protested Governor Tony Evers' extended "Safer at Home" order Friday outside the Wisconsin State Capitol.  One speaker at the freedom rally told the crowd, "COVID-19 is just latest contributor to longest-running pandemic in history - the global pandemic of fear."  Others called for the order to be lifted so people can go back to work.  There were signs that read, "Behind every small business is family" and "Open Wisconsin."  Not many of the protesters were wearing face masks.  Some health care workers staged a small counter protest with one woman holding a "please go home" sign.  Capitol police say no arrests or citations were issued.

Governor Tony Evers is responding to the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce's plan to re-open businesses in the state.  The governor said a May 4th re-opening date is inconsistent with both his Badger Bounce Back and the president's plan.  Evers says the key to re-opening will be tied to the percentage of people testing positive, not just the raw number of cases.  Evers says the state expects to see more positive coronavirus testing results as more people are tested.  The Badger Bounce Back plan requires two weeks of falling positive case numbers before Wisconsin can get back to business.

The Foxconn manufacturing plant in Mount Pleasant is making face masks for health care personnel before cranking out the thin-screen televisions in its plans.  So far, the Taiwan-based company has donated 100 thousand face masks to Wisconsin.  Foxconn is also working to make ventilators at the new facility in southeastern Wisconsin.  Governor Tony Evers has been critical of Foxconn and its multi-billion-dollar agreement with the state previously.

The Fairmont Foods plant in southern Minnesota is closed this weekend after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.  The company plans to re-open the facility on Monday to its 350 workers.  Fairmont Foods produces frozen entrees and side dishes.  Officials are working with local and state health officials, testing all employees and installing thermal scanning equipment.  Fairmont Foods said in a statement, "we halted production activities in the facility for deep cleaning and sanitation, in compliance with the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control."

Amtrak has announced it is switching from train service to buses for customers traveling between Milwaukee and Chicago.  The coronavirus pandemic has made it so there aren’t enough people making the trip to keep using trains.  A spokesperson says it doesn’t make sense to run mostly-empty trains on the route between the two cities.  The new bus-only service will continue through at least May 25th.

 Hormel Foods is awarding its employees another special bonus for continuing to produce food during the coronavirus pandemic.  The Austin-based company says seven-million dollars will be shared by all production workers.  Full-time team members will receive 500 dollars and part-timers are getting a 150-dollar bonus.    Hormel gave its workers four million in bonuses in late March.    Hormel C-E-O Jim See said, "we have worked tirelessly to provide enhanced safety measures including P-P-E, temperature taking, facility innovation to enhance social distancing, and improved access to COVID-19 testing."

 St. Paul-based Pearson’s Candy is donating 618 cartons of Salted Nut Rolls, or 14-thousand-832 bars, to the Red Cross in Minnesota.  The donation is a result of a two-week "Buy One, Give One" effort.  Through the effort, when one 24-count box of Nut Rolls was purchased, Pearson’s donated a matching box to the Red Cross.  The candy bars will be given to frontline health care workers, Red Cross staff and those who donate at Red Cross blood drives.

Local-Regional News April 24

Pepin County continues to report zero positive cases of Covid-19. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says there is a discussion on possibly having the Wisconsin National Guard come to Western Wisconsin to do asymptomatic testing.  If the Guard would come anyone could get a test and the guard would have the ability to do 200 tests per day.

A 19-year-old man in western Wisconsin is accused of the repeated sexual assault of a child.  Clark County prosecutors say Brandon Sanders sexually assaulted and then threatened the 12-year-old victim.  The victim and his mother went to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office last October to report multiple incidents of assault.  Deputies were told the child was assaulted in the spring and summer of 2019.  Humbird is a town of 270 people located about 18 miles north of Black River Falls.

A local healthcare provider will begin offering Covid antibody testing. Provisions Health announced the test yesterday. The antibody test would let a person know if they have had Covid-19 or if they have the antibodies. The tests will be provided for individuals or an entire business. The company has also announced it will offer a return to work screening program for businesses to screen each employee and asking a list of screening questions. Call Provisions Heath at 715-833-0660 for more information.

A 54-year-old Dunn County man accused of using a bow-and-arrow to kill his roommate has pleaded no contest.  Richard Seehaver will be sentenced on a second-degree intentional homicide charge June 18th.  Investigators say Seehaver told them he killed John Likeness two years ago to “put him out of his misery.”  The trial was delayed when Seehaver was initially found not competent to stand trial on the charges.

 Vice President Mike Pence is making a trip to Minnesota next week.  Pence will visit the Mayo Clinic Tuesday and tour its facilities supporting COVID-19 research and testing.  The vice president visited 3-M in Maplewood last month to tout the companies face masks and personal protective equipment.  Pence also stopped in Madison, Wisconsin Tuesday to tour a G-E Health Care manufacturing facility.  Some Democrats in Wisconsin criticized the Trump administration for not supplying enough P-P-E for its hospitals and medical workers.

 Police in Rochester say a woman who admitted to smoking a large amount of methamphetamine crashed into the Mayo Civic Center and rammed a squad.  The agitated woman intentional crashed her van early this morning, backed into the squad car several times and drove off.  She was taken into a custody at a nearby gas station.  Officers say 36-year-old Jamie Copeland admitted to smoking meth.  The officer who was in the squad she rammed was treated for minor injuries.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission is urging anyone concerned about coronavirus to make plans now to vote absentee for the May 12th special election in the 7th Congressional District.  Elections administrator Meagan Wolfe says the deadline to request an absentee ballots May 7th but voters should not wait until then because of potential postal delays.  Republican State Senator Tom Tiffany faces Democrat Tricia Zunker of Wausau for the seat formerly held by Congressman Sean Duffy.  Tiffany has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.  Residents of the district can request an absentee ballot online at myvote-dot-wi-dot-gov or through a local clerk's office.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says 80- to 100-thousand Minnesotans could return to work Monday under his latest executive order.   It allows workers to return to industrial, manufacturing and office settings that do face customers.  Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove called this a limited first step in the process of safely re-opening some businesses.  Grove says DEED will continue to work with businesses, community leaders and public health experts to put more people back to work as safely and quickly as possible.  Businesses that re-open will have to come up with a COVID-19 preparedness plan which includes health screenings of workers.

Carly Rice says writes on her Facebook page:  "Who in the world would call anyone before 9-1-1 when faced with DANGEROUS criminals??"  Rice has been told she’s not going to get the reward for the capture of two escapes from a Wisconsin prison – 46-year-old Thomas Deering and 37-year-old James Newman.  Those two had escaped from the maximum-security facility in Portage last Thursday.  They were arrested a week ago today (Friday) after Rice made the call.  She isn’t getting the reward money because she should have called Crime Stoppers first.

The people who are planning to protest Wisconsin’s Safer at Home order don’t care that they don’t have a permit. Organizers of Friday’s planned rally outside the State Capitol say they still plan to show their displeasure with Governor Evers’ order that keeps people at home and keeps businesses in the state closed till May 26th. The Department of Administration is refusing to grant organizers a permit. Capitol Police aren't saying what that means for how they will handle the demonstration.

Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin says the 484 billion dollar COVID-19 aid package passed by the Senate this week includes critical financial assistance.  President Donald Trump has said he will sign the bill, which also includes funding for hospitals and a new coronavirus testing program.

A nine-year-old Dakota County boy was killed in an A-T-V accident Tuesday, five years after he had received a life-saving transplant.  Carter Nicolai died when the vehicle rolled on top of him across the street from his home.  He was riding it by himself when the accident happened.  Other children called authorities at about 6:30 p-m.  The boy required a bone marrow transplant when he was four years old to help him recover from the auto-immune disease, aplastic anemia.  Emergency responders say he died before he could be taken to a hospital.

 The rapidly-falling demand for gasoline has led to the closing of four Minnesota ethanol plants.  Nearly 30 percent of the U-S plants have quit producing since March 1st.  Al-Corn Clean Fuel in Claremont is still operating, but it's producing ethanol for hand-sanitizer makers.  The change will also impact Minnesota farmers because ethanol plants consumed 36 percent of the state’s corn crop last year.  Corn prices nationwide are already approaching a 10-year low.  There are 18 ethanol plants in Minnesota.

 The top official for the State Fair says the 2020 Great Minnesota Get-Together will either be held without restrictions - or not all.  General Manager Jerry Hammer says the State Fair remains on track to open August 27th and will not cancel it unless it is "absolutely clear" it cannot be held.  Hammer says there is no specific date for a decision, but the latest they could decide would be August 1st.  Since 1859, the State Fair has only been canceled due to the Civil War, World War 2 and the 1946 Polio epidemic.

 It’s an easy connection to make, but it may not be true.  Politifact is challenging the premise that in-person voting is to blame for at least seven coronavirus cases in Milwaukee County.  The Journal-Sentinel reports there is no firm evidence supporting tweets and Facebook stories claiming more people have become sick because Wisconsin didn’t cancel or postpone the April 7th spring elections.  Milwaukee County Health Department officials said they might have seven cases related to the in-person voting, but they are not 100-percent sure yet.  A later report put the number at 19 coronavirus cases.

Local-Regional News April 23

While the Durand-Arkansaw School District has some teacher retirements this year, Superintendent Greg Doverspike says its been easier to find replacements.  This year both kindergarten teachers retired along with middle school social studies and science teachers.

The Durand Public Works Department is reminding residents that the citywide spring clean up will begin this Saturday. Branches must be stacked parallel to the curb, piles cannot exceed 10 feet in length, leaves must be piled separately and cannot be in boxes or bags and branches cannot exceed 2 inches in diameter. The spring clean up will continue until May 11^th. If you have any questions you are to call city hall.

Mondovi residents will be noticing some road re-construction around the city. Road crews are preparing to work on West Mill, North State and Vernon Streets by the end of the month. Residents that live along those streets and would like to replace their sewer and water laterals during those construction projects should contact city hall.

Authorities in Trempealeau County report the 80-year-old man burned in a grass fire Monday morning has died  Louis Salzwedel suffered severe burns.  Investigators with the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Office think a burning pile of garbage started the grass fire in Ettrick.  Salzwedel was trying to put it out when he was hurt.

A western Wisconsin sheriff says he will not enforce Governor Evers' extended "safer at home" order.  Polk County Sheriff Brent Waak  said he thinks the business community can re-open by using common sense social distancing procedures.  Waak says he wanted to assure citizens his office would not be "heavy-handed" when it came to the order.  So far there have been only four confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Polk County.  Wisconsin's "safer at home" order was set to expire this Friday, but was extended until May 26th.

A coalition of Wisconsin agriculture groups have asked Governor Tony Evers to direct 50-million federal dollars to direct farmer payments. Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Joe Bragger says they’ve provided the Governor with numbers from each ag sector to show the need.  The federal coronavirus relief package known as the CARES Act designated 1.9 billion dollars to help Wisconsin’s economy.

 Researchers warn 35 percent of Wisconsin businesses may be forced to close if the situation with the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t improve in three months.  More than 25 hundred businesses were surveyed by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh this month.  Nearly nine thousand jobs were lost in the first few days of Governor Tony Evers’ Safer at Home order – and the real number is much larger because 40 percent of the responding businesses couldn’t provide specific numbers.  The companies contacted say they need access to low-interest loans, grants and customers.

The head of Minnesota's health care exchange encourages any Minnesotan who does not currently have health insurance to apply. MNSure  C-E-O Nate Clark says many people will qualify for federal tax credits depending on their income, which will offset the monthly premium.  Thousands of people in the state lost employer-sponsored health coverage due to COVID-19 layoffs and the economic slowdown.   You can apply online at MNSure-dot-org.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz along with Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota today announced a breakthrough for rapid, widespread testing of COVID-19 in Minnesota. The statewide testing strategy aims to test all symptomatic people, isolate confirmed cases, and expand public health surveillance tools. Walz says as many as 20-thousand Minnesotans could be tested per day in an effort to help improve control of the pandemic and support the safe re-opening of society. The testing will be funded in part by 36-million dollars from the COVID-19 Minnesota Fund. Walz says the partnership will establish capacity to deliver 20-thousand molecular and 15-thousand serology tests per day.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers claims people will die if Republican legislative leaders win their court challenge to his Safer at Home order.  The state Supreme Court has given the Evers administration until April 28th to respond to motions filed Tuesday.  The governor’s order keeps people at home and businesses closed until May 26th.  Republicans say Evers and D-H-S Secretary Andrea Palm overstepped when they extended the order by a month.  Lawmakers say they should have a say in the decision about the order when it goes past May 11th.

 Republican legislators are questioning the goals of the Badger Bounce Back.  That’s the governor’s plans for re-opening Wisconsin for business.  One of the key parts is more testing for the coronavirus, but one lawmaker says Wisconsin isn’t testing to its capacity right now.  State Representative John Nygren says the state is nowhere near the governor’s goal of testing 85 thousand people-a-week.  Not because it can’t.  Nygren says Wisconsin could test more than seven thousand-a-day, but it’s only testing about 14 hundred.  He also wants to know why the goal is being set so high – and if there really is a need for that much testing.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is monitoring state parks and urging people to use them.  The D-N-R says park users seem to be doing well following social distancing guidelines and practicing trail etiquette.  Entry to all Wisconsin state parks is free – as long as users follow the rules.  D-N-R staff members and conservation wardens are monitoring park use each day, enforcing overcrowding and potential property damage. The department has closed some parks due to overcrowding, so you should check ahead to see if a park is open before heading out.

Recent rains and snowmelt are limiting fieldwork for Minnesota farmers.  The U-S-D-A says only two days were suitable for fieldwork last week and most of that was applying manure and fertilizer and rock picking.  Some oats and vegetables were planted.   U-S-D-A says only scattered corn and spring wheat planting took place week because of wet weather and saturated soils.  Two-percent of Minnesota's barely is planted, ten percent of the oats, three percent of potatoes and two percent of sugar beets are in the ground.

Coronavirus is driving a drop in traffic on Wisconsin roads. A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum says traffic across the state has fallen nearly 40 percent during the outbreak. The biggest drops are in Madison and Milwaukee. The report says the steep drop in driving will hurt Wisconsin, because the state uses gas tax revenues to pay for road projects and with fewer people driving fewer miles, there will be less gas tax money.

U-S News and World Report ranks Whitefish Bay High School the top high school in Wisconsin.  The publication ranks the best high schools in the country every year.  Cedarburg High School has a graduation rate of 99 percent and it is ranked second in the state.  Reagan College Preparatory High School in Milwaukee is third, followed by Kohler High School and Eisenhower Middle and High Schools in New Berlin.

Local-Regional News April 22

The Wabasha County Jail will not be closing. During yesterday's Board of Commissioners meeting County Administrator Brian Buhman told board members that the board only wanted the numbers of the jail operation and not actually closing the jail and wanted the board to put the breaks on closing the jail. Commissioner Springer, who was on the board when the jail was first built felt there was more to the issue and felt the board should look at efficiencies of continued operation of the jail and end any talk of closing the jail.  The board voted 3-2 to end talk of closing the jail and look at finding more efficiencies of continued jail operation.

With the safer-at-home orders, there are many businesses that are either closed or running at a reduced level. The City of Durand is looking at providing some possible help for those businesses with the economic loan fund. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city will explore low interest or no interest loans.  The economic development committee will meet next week to discuss different ideas to bring back to the council for the first meeting in May. Meanwhile the Pepin County Board met last night. It was a re organizational meeting after the spring election and Tom Milliren from the 8^th District was elected county board chairman

Advent Health of Durand will be resuming many specialist visits to the clinics and hospitals next week. Angela Jacobson, Director of Nursing and Emergency Preparedness says your provider will do a screening with you before you go to the clinic or hospital for your procedure.  Services like colonoscopy carpel tunnel surgery and other services will be provided.

The Mondovi Business Association has started the small town proud campaign. Mondovi Business Association President Tessa Harmon says the goal was to help businesses and the community pull together during the pandemic.  The Association is selling small town proud signs and shirts and proceeds will be used to buy gift cards from area businesses. Those that purchase a sign or shirt will be entered into a drawing to win a gift card from a business. Visit the Mondovi Business Association website at mbawi dot com or their facebook page.

A Rochester man is accused of threatening to blow up a gas station. Police say 29-year-old Yol Chadack of Rochester was spotted by a employee holding a cigarette lighter in one hand and gas pump nozzle in the other Monday night. Chadack was reportedly making threats to blow up the place when an employee turned off all the pumps. Chadack was still holding the lighter and nozzle  when officers arrived.  He was believed to the under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services is awarding nine-point-eight-million dollars to 12-hundred child care providers in the state.  The first round of state emergency funding is going to those who continue to serve children of "essential" workers during COVID-19.  D-H-S Commissioner Jodi Harpstead said, "these grants are an important step to ensuring those who are working on the front lines of this crisis will have qualified professionals to care for their children.”   The state received applications from nearly 54-hundred licensed child care programs and 22 tribal programs in the first round of grants. Those who missed out this time can apply for grants in the second and third rounds. State lawmakers authorized a total of 30-million dollars.

There is no indication when the Wisconsin Supreme Court will rule on the controversial Bartlett versus Evers case.  Arguments about the limits of a Wisconsin governor’s veto powers were offered Monday.  The justices are being asked to determine is Governor Tony Evers went too far when he used his line-item veto pen to spend more money than lawmakers had put in the state’s budget plan.  Wisconsin governors can eliminate items from the spending plan, but it has been up to the Legislature to decide to spend more in the past.

Republican legislative leaders are challenging Governor Tony Evers' extended safer-at-home order at the Wisconsin Supreme Court.  Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald filed suit today against the order that runs through May 26th.  Vos and Fitzgerald said in a statement, "the public outcry over the Safer at Home order continues to increase as positive COVID cases decrease or remain flat. There’s immense frustration regarding the extension, as it goes beyond the executive branch’s statutory powers."  Evers announced the Badger Bounce Back plan Monday with a set of criteria and testing goals before the state's non-essential businesses can safely reopen.

The state Elections Commission will not have an accurate count of absentee ballots cast in the spring election until mid-May. Over one-point-one million ballots have been recorded as being cast absentee as of April 17. Data on total ballots cast statewide is not yet available, but that would would amount to roughly 73 percent of votes cast for in the election for state Supreme Court - but that number could go higher. Local clerks have until May 7 - 30 days after the election - to file reports that provide comprehensive voting statistic

A restaurant owner in Wauwatosa vows to re-open his business next month despite the governor’s Safer at Home order.  Dan Zierath says he will re-open the Blue Ribbon Pub May 1st.  Zierath says last weekend’s protest in Brookfield led him to make that decision.  He says there will be limited seating and every customer will have to sign a waiver to get in the door.  Zierath says he doesn’t feel the coronavirus numbers justify shutting down the Wisconsin economy for another month.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz continues defending his decision to keep stay-at-home and other restrictions in place. Critics call for him to re-open Minnesota's economy and a major pork processing plant in Worthington remains shut down amid a COVID outbreak. Walz said, "If opening up the business were safe, we would do it tomorrow. That did no good at Smithfield. It will do no good at J-B-S (in Worthington), and there are numerous others on this." The governor says "we can't just open up without safeguards in place." Walz says there must be adequate COVID testing and personal protective equipment, plus enough bed capacity so hospitals aren't overwhelmed.

Governor Evers declared a statewide State of Emergency today due to elevated wildfire conditions across Wisconsin.  There have been more than 150 wildfires in Wisconsin D-N-R protection areas this year - including a 234-acre fire in Juneau County Saturday that required aircraft to slow the spread.  The National Weather Service says high winds, low humidity and dry grasses are conducive for wildfires.  Evers said, "Our first priority is protecting the people of Wisconsin and this executive order helps us control existing wildfires and use all available state assets to prevent new ones from starting."  The order authorizes the National Guard to provide additional personnel to assist with possible wildfires.

Most of us claim we're keeping our distance on account of coronavirus. A new survey from the University of Wisconsin says 61-percent of people asked say they socially distance "very much." Only one-percent say they don’t distance at all. People over 50 report a higher compliance with social distancing than younger people, and more women than men.

 The popular Winstock country music festival in Minnesota is being postponed until next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The festival, scheduled for June 12th and 13th have been moved to June 18th and 19th 2021. This year's scheduled performers included Luke Combs, Darius Rucker, Big and Rich and Phil Vassar.  The event is an annual fundraising event for Holy Trinity Catholic Schools in Winsted.  Organizers say all ticket and camping orders for this year's event will be valid for next year's festival. 

Local-Regional News April 21

A former middle school teacher in the Durand-Arkansaw School District has been sentenced to five years in prison for having sex with a student.  Twenty-five-year-old Sarah Heskin pleaded guilty to child sexual assault.  She will be on extended supervision for 10 years when she gets out.  The former English teacher was taken into custody last May for having “inappropriate relations” with an eighth-grade boy.

The Pepin county Bard in meeting tonight. The board will elect a new chairman along with vice chairman and other re-organization activities. The board will also review and approve the emergency administrative flexibility actions and discuss and possible action on a uniform addressing system ordinance. Tonights meeting is at 6pm at the Durand-Arkansaw High School gym and the meeting is open to the public by watching remotely via zoom.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight. The meeting will be an organizational meeting after the spring election and will include the election of council president and vice president, along with the confirmation of appointments to committees boards and commissions. Tonights meeting will be at 6:30 at City Hall and will be streamed live on the WRDN Facebook Page.

One person was injured in vehicle rollover accident Sunday in the town of Lincoln. According to the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, 26yr old Seth Bruce Benrud of Alma was traveling along Hwy E, and side swiped a guardrail, went into an embankment causing the vehicle to overturn and slid upside down on Hwy E. Benrud was extricated from the vehicle and transported to the hospital.

Two people were injured in an UTV Accident on private property in Clifton Township. According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 33yr old Andrew Lacy of River Falls was driving the UTV when it overturned in a field. Lacey was partially ejected from the UTV and it landed on him, while passenger 27yr old Casey Kusilek of River Falls received minor injuries. Lacey was taken to River Falls Area Hospital with undetermined injuries.

The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident in February near Spring Valley is facing charges in Pierce County. 22Yr old McKenna Fell of La Crescent has been charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, along with other charges in connection with the accident on February 19^th that killed an 80yr old woman from Ellsworth. Authorities found several cans of White Claws and prescription pill bottles in Fell's vehicle after the accident. Fell's next court appearance is June 1^st.

An 80yr old male from Ettrick was severely burned in a fire on Monday. According to the Trempealeau County Sheriffs Department, the 80yr old tried to put out a grass fire that has started from a burning pile of garbage. The man was severely burned and was airlifted to a burn unit. No other information was released.

Olmsted County Medical Center is cutting salaries and furloughing employees in response to the financial impact of COVID-19.  The Rochester-based health care provider is projecting a 25-million-dollar loss between April and June.  Officials say patient volume at its hospital and clinics is down 60 to 70 percent due to patients postponing elective procedures.   Staff salary cuts range from 20 percent to seven-and-a-half percent. No word on the number of temporary staff reductions.

Private and public golf courses can re-open this week. The extended safer at home order in Wisconsin will last through the month of May, but Governor Tony Evers is allowing golf courses to open April 24th with some restrictions like prohibiting the use of golf carts, requiring social distancing, and staggering tee times. Some courses, like Pine Meadow Golf Club in Eau Claire, are already advertising special deals for front-line healthcare workers to say thank you. A spokesperson for the golf club says it will also be opening its kitchen for take-out orders only.

Two Wisconsin sheriffs are voicing their opposition to the extension of Governor Evers’ Safer at Home order. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt and Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling released separate statements over the weekend. Schmaling said he won’t enforce the order in a Facebook post, calling it an unconstitutional over-reach. Schmidt called on the governor to relax restrictions Sunday, using common sense to provide Wisconsin residents with the hope there is “light at the end of the tunnel.”

The administrator for the Wisconsin Elections Commission says adding barcodes to absentee ballots will also add accountability to the process.  During the commission’s weekend meeting it endorsed the idea of putting barcodes on those ballots so they can be tracked.  Administrator Meagan Wolfe says the change was endorsed after more than 135 thousand absentee ballots were lost or delayed in the mail for the April 7th election.  That problem is being investigated.

About 70 protesters marched at the Wisconsin State Capitol Sunday to show their opposition to the extension the Safer at Home order.  They were calling on the governor to change his mind.  The protesters carried signs rejecting the idea that the coronavirus threat is worth the damage the order is doing to state businesses.  The public health emergency was first issued March 12th.  Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services estimate the state could have seen one thousand more deaths if the order hadn’t been issued.  Last Thursday, the governor announced it would be extended to May 26th.

A northern Wisconsin tribe has closed its reservation and roads in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bad River Chippewa Tribal Chairman Mike Wiggins said Thursday in a notice posted on tribal websites and social media that violators will be cited for trespassing. Access will be granted only to residents, tribal members and those delivering essential goods and services. Closed areas include boat landings and forest croplands. Bad River is the first tribe in Wisconsin - and the first government in the state of any type - to order such a closure.

 The Minnesota Senate is considering a proposal on how to handle the COVID-19 crisis. Republican State Senator Andrew Mathews is pushing for businesses to reopen and says his plan could accomplish that in a safe manner. The plan calls for a state agency to be in charge of reviewing individual business plans for reopening. They would focus on strategies for social distancing and workplace hygiene.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Friday evening. The $19 billion relief program will provide support to farmers and ranchers, and the food supply chain. CFAP will use the funding and authorities provided in the CARES Act, among other funding streams. The program includes $16 billion in direct support based on actual losses for farmers and ranchers. The program will assist producers with additional adjustment and marketing costs resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing year. One part not announced was a re-opening of the Dairy Margin Coverage program. Perdue said it didnt make sense to re-open an insurance program.  Of the $19 billion dollars, $2.9 billion will be distributed in direct assistance to dairy farmers along with $3 billion being designated for purchases within dairy, produce and meats for donation programs, specifically designating at least $100 million per month in dairy product purchases.

The Wisconsin Bankers Association says don’t blame bankers if your federal stimulus check is garnished.  The association says it can’t defy court orders to garnish a person’s paycheck and that includes the stimulus checks passed out to help people who’ve lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.  Those bankers say they understand some people will be unhappy with the decision, but they say it’s out of their hands and they can’t do anything about it.