Local-Regional News July 6

As the pandemic continues, home sales are struggling to keep up in Wisconsin. David Clark with the Wisconsin Realtors Association says that while Virtual Tours and home sales continue to increase, that's not had an effect on the current numbers from May. Here in Western Wisconsin, Pepin County had 11 home sales in May, Buffalo County 13, Trempealeau County 28, Pierce County 34 and Dunn County had 55 home sales in May. The Median Price of a home in Western Wisconsin for May was $215,000. Clark says there might also be more homes entering the market that are usually rented out to vacationers through apps like AirBNB.

Authorities are investigating after a woman died late Saturday night near Zumbro Falls. Just before 11 P-M Saturday officials found the 34-year-old woman unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound. Life-savings efforts at the scene were unsuccessful. The Minnesota B-C-A is assisting the investigation.

The Wabasha County Board will be meeting tomorrow. Items on the agenda include discussion and action on repealing the Feedlot Ordinance, appointment of a replacement for Driver''s License Duties for the County and reports from board members. Tomorrows meeting begins at 9am at the Wabasha County Government Center.

A Chippewa County man is facing first-degree reckless homicide charges for providing the methamphetamine that led to a fatal overdose.  A criminal complaint says 27-year-old Dylan Henderson of Bloomer sold meth to Zachary Dietrich in March 2019 and he used the drugs with Carissa Kasmeirski  - who died of an overdose.  Investigators say Henderson's D-N-A was on the bag of meth sold to Dietrich.  He's also charged with reckless homicide in the case.  Henderson is due in court July 28th.

Four school districts in western Wisconsin say they are working together to offer parents and students a new option.  Officials in Holmen, La Crosse, Onalaska and West Salem are partnering on the Coulee Region Virtual Academy.  The academy is being called an addition to the options already available as the fall term approaches.  The districts say they have worked together on many projects in the past, but this is the most ambitious one.  The four La Crosse County school districts took a survey recently, with almost 10 percent of families saying they are interested and another 20 percent asking for more information.  More meetings are on the schedule and enrollment could begin by the end of this month.  There is no additional cost for the online option.

Sunday was a second straight day of no new COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin. However the 10.4 percent positive tests was the second straight day of positive test rates above 10 percent. The Department of Health Services reported 522 of 4,996 new test results were positive. Saturday saw 738 of 6,822 new test results come back positive. That was 10.8 percent and also broke the previous single day record for positive cases. DHS also reported 31 additional hospitalizations over the weekend.

A legal firm has filed a request in federal court to block COVID-19 emergency orders in Dane County and Milwaukee. Veterans Liberty Law filed for an immediate injunction Friday against Public Health Madison-Dane County director Janelle Heinrich and City of Milwaukee commissioner of health Jeanette Kowalik. The plaintiffs want to stop orders that took effect last week that limit private gatherings. Dane County's emergency order took effect July 2, limiting gatherings inside to a maximum of 10 people and limiting outdoor gatherings to 25 people. In the filing, Veterans Liberty Law claims the order goes far beyond what the law allows.

Sunday marked the ten-year anniversary of Wisconsin's Smoke-Free Indoor Air Law. Cigarette smoking rates have dropped since Wisconsin's since the law went into into effect. In 2008, before the law passed, 20 percent of Wisconsin adults smoked cigarettes. By 2018, the rate had dropped to 16 percent, according to the state Department of Health Services. Dona Wininsky with the American Lung Association said the law has not only benefited customers bars and restaurants, but employees as well.

 A standoff lasting more than 14 hours came to peaceful end early Friday morning in Hastings.  Police say the suspect was taken into custody and two children are safe.  Authorities responded to the mobile home park for a man wanted for a restraining order and he barricaded himself inside with two kids.  A 13-year-old child was rescued around 10 p-m Thursday.  Officers and crisis negotiators worked to get the man out and release a four-year-old before a SWAT team made entry.  Thirty-six-year-old Gerald Bolster was arrested around 2:30 a-m.  Several officers suffered heat exhaustion and three were sent to the hospital.

A report from the Wisconsin Economic Development Council says many service sector jobs won’t be back after the pandemic is over.  The W-E-D-C sent that report to lawmakers earlier this week.  It projects the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.  The report finds tourism and the service sector as the areas of the Wisconsin economy which have been hit the hardest.  The council didn’t give a projection, but it says many restaurant and retail jobs are likely permanently lost.  The workers who do get their jobs back will need to be retrained.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office is investigating the apparent drowning of a ten-year-old boy in the St. Croix River.  Deputies, firefighters, a water rescue team and D-N-R officers were called to William O'Brien State Park in Scandia Friday afternoon.  The boy was pulled from the water and paramedics attempted life-saving measures but he died at Regions Hospital.  The victim hasn't been identified.  No other information has been released.

Delta Air Lines points to a growing travel demand for its decision to add a flight and use bigger planes to service the Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport.  Despite the coronavirus pandemic, demand is high at that northern Wisconsin airport this summer.  Delta is adding a second flight to the Twin Cities this week.  The bigger aircraft will make it easier to maintain social distancing protocols.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office is investigating a head-on collision near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border that left two people dead.  Deputies say a truck traveling south on Highway 35 collided with a northbound pickup around 11:30 Thursday night in Osceola.  The man driving northbound pickup and his female passenger died at the scene.  The driver of the truck was extricated and airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.  His current condition is unknown.  The victims' names haven't been released.

Department of Workforce Development Secretary Caleb Frostman says he wants the federal government to extend its 600 dollar-a-week coronavirus unemployment sweetener.  Frostman makes the request at the same time his state agency is struggling to meet the needs of Wisconsin residents who are out of a job.  He said that extra money – on top of the state check – makes a big difference.  Frostman still doesn’t have an answer about when Wisconsin’s unemployed workers will get the needed help from his office.  He blames computer problems for a big backlog.

Wisconsin’s attorney general has launched the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force.  Members will spearhead an effort to fight the abduction, homicide and trafficking of Native American women and girls in the state.  The task force is to examine the factors which contribute to missing and murdered Indigenous woman.  It will work with the Wisconsin Department of Justice and Native American communities on data collections and reporting methods.