Local-Regional News June 3

Planning for the new softball fields continue even with the Covid-19 pandemic. Durand-Arkansaw Superintendent Greg Doverspike says the plan is to have construction begin in summer.  While the district has one more year left at the Arkansaw fields, the goal is to allow the Durand Little League to use the new fields next year.

While the pool and plaground at Tarrant Park are closed due to the covid-19 pandemic, the campground is open. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the council felt there would be enough space for social distancing. While the main camp sites are open, other parts of Tarrant Park will remain closed for camping.

Authorities in Eau Claire County have filed formal charges against the suspect in that city’s Memorial Day shooting incident.  Kyle Baker is being held in the county jail on a 50-thousand-dollar bond.  Investigators say he shot a person he knew during a fight on the holiday.  He is facing weapons and reckless injury charges.  Baker was supposed to be in the Rusk County Jail when the shooting happened, but he got an early release due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department of Natural Resources invites those interested in deer management in Wisconsin to apply for a seat on a County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC). Council members include representatives from a variety of stakeholder groups interested in white-tail deer management in Wisconsin. Council members meet annually to review deer population numbers and associated data, gather public input and provide recommendations to the Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Board regarding deer management decisions in their county. The application deadline for all council seats in each county is July 1, 2020. For more information, contact the Wisconsin DNR.

A Tuesday morning accident forced the evacuation of people living near ProVision Partners in Clark County at about 7:36 a-m.  A 9-1-1 caller reported hearing a loud noise, then seeing smoke coming from the top of an elevator.  Bulk, dry fertilizer was being offloaded from a railroad car into a tractor-trailer truck at the time.  Central Fire and E-M-S responded along with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.  The hazardous material was cleaned up, the elevator restarted and nearby residents were allowed to return home about three hours later.  No injuries were reported.

No serious injuries were reported, but at least two television news crews were attacked while covering the violence and looting along Madison’s State Street Monday night.  While a photo-journalist was filming a man going through some looted material, 40-year-old Michael E. Campbell began throwing bottles at the man working the camera.  Cambell rode away on a bicycle, but police took him into custody on suspicion of battery, disorderly conduct and resisting.  In another incident the same night, demonstrators used spray paint to damage a television station’s camera, hitting the lens and putting it out of commission.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission says its push to get more people to vote by mail will cost at least four-million dollars.  Almost every registered voter in the state will get an absentee ballot application in the mail.  The money for the mass mailing is coming from Wisconsin’s coronavirus stimulus fund.  W-E-C Administrator Meagan Wolfe says the money will be shared with local election managers – who will do most of the heavy lifting for the November election.

A St. Paul man is facing attempted murder and assault charges for shooting at police officers during riots in Minneapolis.  Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says 27-year-old Jaleel Stallings fired multiple shots at the  SWAT officers Saturday night near Lake Street.  The criminal complaint says Stallings was crouching by a pickup truck and officers were concerned he was going to throw something - so they fired a non-lethal round at him.  He returned three or four shots that nearly missed them.  Stallings ran away but was arrested after a struggle. Police say an AK-47 style mini pistol was found near the truck.  No injuries were reported.   Bail is set at 500-thousand dollars.

Able-bodied adults have to look for work if they want to keep their food stamps. Wisconsin's attorney general wants that practice to stop. New rules from the Trump Administration require that some people in the SNAP program look for work. Josh Kaul says with unemployment at record highs, 700-thousand people across the country could lose their food stamps. Kaul is asking Congress to push back.

Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson says there is a role for the federal government to play in helping cities and states fight the violent rioters who’ve been on the streets for the past several days. Johnson told WISN's Jay Weber that federal law enforcement can and should target the organized cells of violent rioters who are turning the George Floyd protests violent. Johnson does not think President Trump needs to deploy federal troops, because there are plenty of National Guard troops. He says governors need to use them.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to try to resolve who should be on the state’s voter rolls for a second time.  Six months ago the court deadlocked without a decision.  Even though the presidential election is still five months away, it isn’t clear if the court would rule before November.  The case will determine whether about 129 thousand names with inaccurate addresses will be stricken.  If voters are kicked off, they would be able to re-register online, by mail, in their clerks’ offices or at the polls on election day.

A state representative from northeastern Wisconsin doesn’t think he was targeted even though a window in his Capitol office was smashed during the rioting.  Republican David Steffen of Howard says something was thrown through the first-floor window Monday morning. Steffen says he will always support the right to peacefully protest, but the recent actions are neither peaceful nor a protest – simply unlawful acts by criminal actors.  The office was cleaned and Steffen was back at work Monday.

Testing for COVID-19 is covered by the Families First Coronavirus Act, but that doesn’t cover the cost of treatment.  The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates the average bill for treatment of the virus would top 97 hundred dollars.  With medical complications, the cost could be doubled to more than 20 thousand.  If you’re already experiencing symptoms it’s too late to get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.  Some help could be accessed through BadgerCare – or your hospital.

A Janesville man who told police he was carrying a handgun for protest while he was in the crowd at Sunday’s riots in Madison has been arrested.  As a convicted felon, 28-year-old Kyle C. Quade couldn’t legally possess the 45-caliber weapon he tucked in his waistband.  The Madison Police Special Event Team took him into custody at about 11:00 p-m.  Quade was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for a parole violation.

Wisconsin's acting agriculture secretary gets a vote of confidence from the governor. Governor Evers Monday removed the "interim" tag from Randy Romanski's title. He's been in charge of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection since November. Evers says Romanski "has done an outstanding job." Romanski is a career public servant, having led various Wisconsin state agencies on and off for 30 years. He was agriculture secretary once before, during the Jim Doyle administration.