Local-Regional News July 21

The Plum City School District will continue to move forward with its plan to re-open school for in person learning 5 days a week this fall. Plum City School Superintendent Amy Vesperman says as long as the kids can go to school every day that is the plan they will stick with. About 20 kinds are going to start the year with virtual learing. While the district is encouraging parents to drop off and pick up their kids from school, it will provide school bus services, and parents are to contact the district to let them know if they need bus services or not.

Buildings in the Durand-Arkansaw School District will be re-opening to the public in August. Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike says while the buildings will be re-opening, that could still change. Athletics was not discussed as part of the August reopening as the WIAA is having a meeting this week to discuss fall sports. A special school board meeting will be held July 29 to discuss athletics and the fall reopening plan.

One person was injured in a motorcycle vs deer accident in Waumandee Township on Friday. According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, Scott Ritter of Englewood, FL was traveling westbound on Hwy E near Wojchick Valley Road when a deer ran out of the ditch and directly into the side of the motorcycle. Ritter was thrown from the motorcycle. He was med flighted to Gundersen Health System in La Crosse with severe injuries.

A Menomonie man is charged with 11 felonies, all related to child sex crimes. Daniel Brooks was charged with the crimes in Dunn County Court, and according to authorities Brooks admitted to the crimes and a search of his phone gave evidence to what Brooks admitted to. He is being held on a $10,000 cash bond and will be back in court July 28. If convicted, he could spend life in prison.

Face masks will be required next week for anyone at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as coronavirus cases continue to rise. M-S-P spokesman Pat Hogan says the penalty for a violation is a misdemeanor with a fine up to one-thousand dollars - "but our focus is obviously not on fining, it's on trying to get people to comply." Hogan says the decision was made for the safety of air travelers. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available throughout M-S-P.

Authorities are investigating a body found in the wreckage of a Minneapolis pawnshop burned down during the riots following the death of George Floyd. Minneapolis police, firefighters and A-T-F agents discovered the remains Monday at Max It Pawn on Lake Street. Homicide detectives have taken over the case. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office will identify the victim and determine the official cause of death. Twenty-five-year-old Montez Lee of Rochester is facing federal arson charges for setting the May 28th fire.

There is plenty of time to prepare for the November presidential election and Wisconsin clerks have learned from their experiences in April.  They say they’re much better prepared now.  The Madison city clerk’s office says people requesting absentee ballots so close to election day made things tough for the presidential primary.  It should be smoother this fall.  Madison got a one-point-three million dollar grant – one-half million going for sanitation supplies and personal protective equipment for in-person voting.  Thousands of Wisconsin voters have already requested and received absentee ballots.

Attorney General Josh Kaul is joining 9 other attorneys general in suing the US Department of Education over P P E funding for schools. That funding was part of the CARES Act, and is meant to go to Title 1 schools, which handle low income students and families. Kaul says that Secretary DeVos' decision could strip over 4 million dollars in funding from Wisconsin's public schools.

There will be no 2020 Wisconsin State Fair, but you can still buy samples of the legendary fair food.  The first of four so-called Fair Food Drive-Thru weekends is coming up at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis.  The menu will change from week-to-week, but starting Thursday afternoon you will be able to buy Pickle Pizza, funnel cakes, pretzel-wrapped brats and lemonade.  

Public school students should start the school year with virtual learning. That is the belief of the leaders of five Wisconsin teachers' unions. Leaders from Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee and Racine sent a letter to the governor and education leaders today expressing their concern about surging coronavirus cases across the state. They say teachers want to be back in the classroom but students and staff need to return to a safe environment that is protected by guidelines supported by science.

The Citizens Utility Board is asking Wisconsin power companies to delay disconnections during the rest of the coronavirus pandemic.  A moratorium on disconnections is set to end Saturday.  A spokesperson for the watchdog group says a recent increase in coronavirus numbers shows that this is not the time to cut off people’s electricity service.  CUB is urging anyone facing a disconnection to apply for state help in paying their utility bills.  The moratorium on disconnections has been in force since March.

Suspended Wauwatosa police officer Joseph Mensah is getting a lot of online financial support.  A GoFundMe page is said to be approaching 30 thousand dollars and on its way to 50 thousand.  Mensah’s brother launched the page last week after the Wauwatosa Police and Fire Commission suspended him while considering whether to fire him.  He has been involved in three shootings over the last five years.  Mensah was cleared in the first two, but the third is still being reviewed.  The money raised would be used to clear his name and explore legal options if the city does fire him.

 Parents and teachers say they want input on who the Minneapolis School District hires to replace its school resource officers.  A rally was held Sunday.  The school board voted earlier this summer to eliminate school resource officers and replace them with public safety support specialists.  District officials say a requirement for that position will be to have a background in criminal justice.  People attending Sunday’s rally say they have some ideas about who might fill the positions.

Minnesota Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says he has a tentative agreement place with House Democrats on a police reform package. Lawmakers are trying to pass a bill today on what could be the final day of the legislature's second special session. Gazelka says details still must be worked out but did say there's agreement on banning chokeholds and warrior-style training for officers, plus changes in arbitration procedures for excessive-force cases.

Crews with the U-S Coast Guard will replace the Manitowoc South Pier Light this week.  The navigational light was knocked off its foundation and into Lake Michigan during a storm in January 2019.  The tower was found two months later in 19 feet of water.  The Coast Guard says the new light will be sturdier and two feet taller, made of steel and will have a solar-power L-E-D light.  Officials say it will look a lot like the one that was blown over by high winds and waves.