The Wisconsin National Guard will be have and enduring testing site for covid 19 here in Western Wisconsin. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says anyone experiencing Covid19 symptoms or has been exposed can go to the Eau Claire Site for free testing. The site will be open Monday and Fridays from 11-7, Saturdays from 9-5 through December 7th. Advent Health in Durand also offers free drive through testing during the weekdays.
One person was injured in a one vehicle accident Wednesday in Oak Grove Township. According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 24yr old Alexander Magnuson of River Falls was traveling eastbound on 690th Avenue when he lost control of his vehicle, entered the north ditch and struck a tree. Magnuson was transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.
An Eau Claire Man is again asking to be released from a state mental institution. James Olson was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 2012 beating death of Paul Oberle. Olson petitioned the court asking for conditional release from the Mendota State Mental Institution. A hearing on the request will be held in December.
Wisconsin Elections Commission director Meagan Wolfe says there were no absentee ballots among three trays of mail found in a ditch in Outagamie County last week. She said during a virtual news conference Thursday, "there was mail found outside of Appleton. And that mail did not contain any Wisconsin ballots." Wolfe says the U-S Postal Service is investigating what happened in Greenville. She said state election officials have ways to track down missing ballots, but emphasized the importance of returning absentee ballots as soon as possible.
State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski is urging Wisconsin congressional leaders to take action to support small businesses during the pandemic. A recent study found 84 percent of Wisconsin businesses who received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans depleted those funds, and one in five report they will need to close their doors if economic conditions do not improve. Godlewski sent a letter to the delegation calling for Congress to extend the deadline to apply for P-P-P loans through the end of the year and allow borrowers to apply for a second round of funding. She notes that small businesses make up more than 99 percent of Wisconsin's economy.
The Republican candidate for Congress in Minnesota's Second District is suing to uphold a state law calling for a special election in the race. The Secretary of State's Office said the death of Legal Marijuana Now Party nominee Adam Weeks 79 days before Election Day requires a special election in February. Incumbent Congresswoman Angie Craig filed a lawsuit allowing the November general election proceed under federal law. G-O-P challenger Tyler Kistner announced his campaign will intervene in Craig's lawsuit to ensure the election moves forward to February.
Police in Duluth are investigating an alleged attack on a photojournalist by a Trump supporter at Wednesday's campaign rally. W-C-C-O T-V photographer Dymanh Chhoun says he was gathering video before the event when he was attacked by a Trump supporter who had been confronting Biden supporters. Chhoun claims the man punched the camera phone out of his hand. He wasn't injured and says he told the man he was a member of the media recording video. The suspect fled the scene.
A judge in Waukesha County is temporarily blocking state health officials from releasing the names of businesses with employee COVID cases. The order will remain in effect for five days. It was issued after Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce filed a lawsuit Thursday to stop the state from identifying employers with at least two workers with positive COVID tests. Media outlets requested the information and Governor Evers said the state was complying with their requests. W-M-C argued the records are protected by patient confidentiality laws and that disclosure would harm businesses by "effectively blacklisting them."
The Wisconsin-Minnesota Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago (TCMC) Passenger Rail Project is being awarded a 31-point-eight-million dollar rail grant. The T-C-M-C project will add an additional daily round-trip between the Twin Cities, La Crosse, Milwaukee, and Chicago and points in-between, along the existing long-distance Amtrak Empire Builder route. The service will be an extension of one of the existing Amtrak Hiawatha round trips. Wisconsin Transportation Secretary-designee Craig Thompson said, "the expanded service provides a much-improved connection between the Midwest economic hubs of Minneapolis/St. Paul, La Crosse, Milwaukee and Chicago.” Thompson says residents in many rural communities will have increased travel options, with better reliability and on-time performance. The grant will require 21 million dollars in matching funds from the states.
Marcus Theatres is temporarily closing 17 cinemas it re-opened this summer. The Milwaukee-based company says audience demand is down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and so are the number of new movies. The newly re-closed cinemas are in Appleton, Green Bay, Delafield, and Menomonee Falls. Marcus owns 72 theatres.
Several boaters are okay after being thrown from a canoe on Lake Mendota in Madison. The Madison Fire Department's Lake Rescue Team responded to the Memorial Union Wednesday for the report of a canoe sinking. The crews rescued three of the boaters and one was able to swim to shore. The boat was about 100 yards from shore when it started taking in water. Firefighters say all were wearing life jackets.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon continues to advocate for the safety of mail-in voting for the November election. He says early balloting here has a triple-layer security system. Simon says "there is a bar code attached to every ballot that is individualized to the voter, we also ask every voter who applies to vote by mail to supply some personal identifying information, and a signature is required with each ballot." Simon says it's disappointing that President Trump questions the security of absentee ballots because he votes by mail himself. Minnesotans are requesting mail-in ballots in record numbers this year.
U-S Senator Tina Smith is sponsoring a bill that would protect Americans from unanticipated COVID-19 test charges. The Minnesota Democrat says far too many people are being forced by their insurance companies to pay for coronavirus tests that should be free. The legislation clarifies that insurers cannot refuse to cover medically necessary tests and directs federal officials to help ensure providers understand how to submit claims and protect patients from surprise bills. The measure is co-sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar.
A Mankato man is using his lawn to show appreciation for frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nate Slama lives across the street from Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. His riding mower was not working so he used a push mower to write 'Thank You Nurses!' in five-foot wide and seven-foot long letters in his yard. Slama says his mom and godmother were nurses and his sister-in-law is a nurse practitioner. He says he wanted to send a nice message to the nurses who drive past his house.
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