Pepin County is in search of a new Highway Commissioner. Robert Platteter had recently been hired as the commissioner but submitted his resignation letter to the Highway Committee earlier this month. During last night's County Board meeting, members approved appointing Chris Bates to be the interim commissioner until a replacement can be found. Platteter's last day will be January 4th.
Students at the Durand-Arkansaw School District will still get a day off due to winter weather even in this era of virtual learning. Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike says the district administration and board decided to have 2 snow days for students if needed. Some districts in Wisconsin have decided that the concept of snow days will be ended and students would just switch to virtual learning instead of having a day off due to weather.
The distribution of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is underway in Wisconsin. The vaccine is first sent to "hubs" across the state and then sent to area hospitals called "spokes". Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says Advent Health in Durand is considered a "spoke" and will receive the vaccine once it's delivered to the "hub" serving Western Wisconsin. Stewart says the health department was not notified of where the "hub" serving Western Wisconsin is.
A Minnesota man faces charges in Eau Claire County after leading Wisconsin State Patrol troopers on a chase Monday night. Twenty-one-year-old Jordan Guse of Woodbury is being held in the Eau Claire County Jail. Troopers say they were conducting a welfare check when they detected the smell of marijuana. Guse took off and didn’t stop until he crashed his vehicle into a squad car. He’s charged with attempting to flee or elude an officer and possession of T-H-C. During much of the chase, the suspect’s vehicle had two deflated tires, but he refused to stop.
The incoming president of the State Senate wants to reopen schools. Republican state senator Chris Kapenga says that student educations are being irreparably harmed by using virtual learning over in-person classes, and that students themselves are being harmed by isolation. Kapenga accuses teachers' unions of advocating for virtual classes. Governor Evers' office has not provided any guidance to close schools and has instead left that up to local school districts.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a challenge to the governor’s order on the size of gatherings in the state today. Oral arguments will be offered on the question of how many people can gather in bars and restaurants. Democratic Governor Tony Evers has issued a series of orders as part of the effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. All have been fought by Wisconsin conservatives. Just last month, the state’s high court heard arguments in a case seeking to end the governor’s statewide mask mandate. There is no word on how quickly the court might rule this time.
Workers at the former Golden Guernsey Dairy in Waukesha will finally get back pay as part of a long term bankruptcy proceeding. Attorney General Josh Kaul says that the company closed unexpectedly in 2013 and didn't notify the state or pay the wages they were supposed to. Each employee will be eligible for over 11-thousand dollars in wages, and more if there's money left while the proceedings continue.
The Wisconsin Election Commission has created a new question-and-answer section on its website to dispel misinformation about November election. You can access the factual elections information on the commission's website at elections-dot-wi-dot-gov.
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Authorities in southeastern Wisconsin say the search for a missing 10-year-old girl has ended with her safe return to the family. The Wisconsin Department of Justice is reporting Jocelyn Van Duyn was found in Indiana with her father. The girl was reported missing Saturday night and an Amber Alert was issued. Authorities in McHenry County, Indiana took her father, Jonathan Van Duyn, into custody.
A report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum blames the state’s tuition freeze for all types of financial challenges in the U-W System. The Policy Forum report says Wisconsin’s seven-year tuition freeze is good for students but hurts the university by choking off a stream of new revenue. It also says that the flagship campus in Madison is slipping as a major research institution and campus buildings are starting to deteriorate. The group Badgers United is pointing to the report to suggest a tuition increase is needed, more money should be in the state budget for the university, and a billion-dollar line of credit is needed for the main campus.
Minnesota bars, restaurants, and breweries will remain closed for indoor dining under Governor Tim Walz's latest COVID emergency order. The governor says those establishments can open for outdoor service with capacity limitations, but Walz says he realizes this is by no means a solution for the industry as a whole. G gyms and fitness studios may open for individual exercise at 25 percent capacity, or 100 people maximum, with masks and 12 feet of physical distancing. Youth and adult sports practices can resume January 4th. Minnesotans may have inside social gatherings with one other household up to ten people. If outside, social gatherings may include up to two additional households with a maximum of 15 people starting December 19th. Masking and social distancing is strongly encouraged.
Approval had been automatic in the past, but the Milwaukee Common Council has rejected a 10-million-dollar federal grant that would have paid for 30 police officer positions over the next three years. The federal COPS grant was passed over in the Tuesday meeting. The decision was made even though 60 police positions were eliminated in this year’s city budget and another 120 were removed for 2021. The COPS grant had become controversial this year over concerns about police brutality and the killings of Geoge Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others. The council could vote on the money again next month.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is looking for applicants to serve on its Aquatic Invasive Species Advisory Committee. The committee helps guide the D-N-R's aquatic invasive species prevention program, including research needs, funding strategies, and the direction of the program. Members serve three-year terms and meet eight times per year. The committee has three open seats on the 15-member board. Applications are being taken online and are due January 22nd.
Wisconsin’s professional sports teams are investing into social justice. The Brewers, Bucks, and Packers have announced the creation of The Equity League; a venture capital fund to invest in - quote - “impact driven technology companies with a focus on Black and LatinX founders.” Team leaders say they wanted to do something to capitalize on the social justice movement that swept through sports earlier this year.
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