Local-Regional News June 4

The man who admitted to using a circular saw to murder a coworker in Pierce County has been sentenced. On Wednesday, Pierce County Judge Joseph Boles sentenced Miguel Navarro to 30yrs in Prison. In 2018, Navarro was charged with killing Israel Valles-Flores while both were working on a home near River Falls. Authorities said that Navarro used a circular saw to cut Flores in the neck, face, back, arms and legs.

Hundreds of people took to the streets in Menomonie to peacefully protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police yesterday. The rally was held on the corner of Main Street and Broadway for about four hours. In a statement on social media, Menomonie Police Chief Eric Anderson said the department is committed to protecting people's constitutional rights, including the right to free speech and to assemble for protest. Atkinson thanked those fighting for social justice and criminal justice reform.

No one was injured when tractor-trailer carrying powdered cheese started on fire on Wednesday night. The Bloomer Fire Department responded to the blaze after the driver noticed the fire while traveling down Hwy 53 and pulled over . The tractor-trailer is a complete loss along with the powdered cheese.

Incumbent representative Rob Summerfield has announced he will run for re-election for a third term representing the 67^th Assembly District. Summerfield made the announcement yesterday and said its been an honor to represent the 67^th and he wants to continue to work with community leaders to keep Wisconsin moving forward. The 67^th includes portions of Chippewa and Dunn Counties.

A Rochester man is facing charges in Hennepin County for participating in the riots last weekend in Minneapolis. Prosecutors say 24-year-old Junior Gray Smith is charged with second-degree felony riot while armed with a dangerous weapon. The complaint say Smith was in a Mercedes sedan with no visible license plate early Sunday traveling at a high rate of speed near Lake Street where there had been looting and arson fires. Police ordered Smith and three other men out of the vehicle and he had a handgun in his waistband and a backpack with a hammer and spray paint. Another man had a backpack containing a gun and grinding tool.

Authorities in western Wisconsin are investigating after a memorial for a fallen Sawyer County sheriff's deputy was burned. Officers say the memorial for Deputy Michael Villiard in the Village of Couderay was lit on fire late Tuesday night. Investigators say they found evidence indicating the fire was intentionally set. The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office says it is seeking the public’s help in determining those responsible for this "cowardly act." Deputy Villiard died in the line of duty in July of 1998.

A Wausau man accused of attacking a black man outside a convenience store is jailed on 25-hundred dollars bond. Aaron Nielsen made his first court appearance Wednesday on battery and disorderly conduct charges as part of an alleged hate crime. Prosecutors say Nielsen yelled racial slurs at Joseph Murphy Monday night and them attacked him. On a Facebook video, Wausau Police Chief Ben Bliven called it "indicative of what we are experiencing in our society today is that people of color don't feel safe in their communities and we need to do a better job at that." Nielsen's next court hearing is Friday.

 University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross is requesting a special legislative session to address financial troubles caused by COVID-19. Cross is asking Governor Tony Evers and leaders for authority to borrow money offset losses and change the start date for the 2020-2021 school year. In a letter to the governor, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, Cross noted U-W campuses have already furloughed and laid off employees. He also said "we face significant financial and operational challenges that are made much worse by the ever-changing nature of the pandemic."

A teen in southeastern Minnesota is accused in the death of his five-year-old brother.  The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office says the boy was found not breathing in his Eyota (EE'-oh-tuh) home Monday afternoon.  Deputies attempted life-saving measures but he died at a Rochester hospital.  The preliminary cause of death is asphyxiation.  Investigators say the mother left home and returned to find her son unresponsive and called 9-1-1.  Four other children were in the home at the time.   A 17-year-old brother was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder.    No names have been released.

The search for a president for the University of Wisconsin System is said to be down to just one finalist.  Jim Johnson is currently the president of the University of Alaska-Anchorage.  Johnson is scheduled to engage in final discussions in Madison next week.  A decision on whether to bring the educator south will likely be made before the end of June.

With more than 700 thousand claims for unemployment benefits still not processed, a group of Wisconsin residents is asking Assembly Speaker Robin Vos for help.  A letter was sent to Vos requested a special legislative session to be called to deal with the backlog.  The administrator of the group says she is still waiting, 14 weeks after filing her first application for the benefits.  Chenon Times-Rainwater of West Bend says Vos was singled out they believe he is in the best position to take the action needed.  The group says other letters have been written to the governor and additional state officials.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue is projecting a rebound for wages and personal income levels next year.  The analysis released Tuesday revealed the state lost 440 thousand jobs in April alone.  That’s more than double the number lost during the Great Recession in 2008.  The report from the Evers administration suggests personal income will fall off by one-half-of-one-percent this year, but wages are expected to show an annual growth rate of seven percent next year.

 Minneapolis Public Schools is terminating its contract with the Minneapolis Police Department for services of school resource officers.  The vote Tuesday was unanimous and comes in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.  The M-P-D said in a statement it "appreciated the opportunity to provide years of service to the Minneapolis Public Schools through the School Resource Officer program."  Deputy Chief Erick Fors says they will continue to work in cooperation with Minneapolis Public Schools regarding safety and security issues.

The University of Wisconsin System is reducing costs and cutting some programs. The COVID-19 pandemic and a shrinking budget are presenting Wisconsin's state universities with significant financial challenges. The Board of Regents says its new "Blueprint" plan will consolidate information technology services, create an online learning model, and reallocate resources. Critics say all that outsourcing will ultimately hurt the system's budget and students. The Board of Regents meets again Thursday night.

The latest contingent of Wisconsin National Guard soldiers is back home. About 40 members of the 128th Infantry, Red Arrow brigade, landed in Fort Hood, Texas Tuesday. They'll stay in Texas for a few weeks, and should be in Wisconsin by the end of the month. Commanders say there are still about 200 Wisconsin citizen-soldiers in Afghanistan providing security for coalition forces.