The Mondovi School District is planning on returning to in-person learning on January 11. In a post on the district's Facebook page, the district said that students attending art, music, and Physical Education will attend them in the classroom. The district is also asking parents to notify the district if their child will be attending in-person classes or continue with virtual learning. Those parents choosing to continue the virtual learning for their children are asked to contact the elementary school office by January 4th.
A man has been charged, and a warrant for his arrest has been issued in the 2018 case of a missing Gilmanton man who was eventually found dead of a drug overdose. Roger Minck of Eau Claire has been charged with hiding a corpse, selling drugs, and burglary. Toby Cleasby disappeared in November of 2018, and his body was found a month later inside a duplex on Seymore Road in Eau Clarie. Minck lived in the other half of the duplex and would admit to authorities of selling oxycodone to Cleasby the week before. The state crime lab found Minck's DNA on the tarp and plastic beneath Cleasby's body.
An Eau Claire man is facing murder charges after a stabbing incident on Thanksgiving. Kelly Weiberg has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide for the death of Travis Smith. The incident on Thanksgiving morning happened on Franklin Street when Smith punched Weiber in the face, and Weiberg stabbed Smith. Weiberg's is due in court on January 4th.
The Pepin County Board approved the purchase of a new laptop, docking station, and two monitors for the Human Services Department. The laptop will replace an older laptop for the Economic Support Specialist that has become outdated. The $2000 cost of the laptop will be covered by the Western Region Economic Assistance Consortium.
Despite President Trump's allegations that it was widespread, officials in Wisconsin and other states have found few cases of voter fraud. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said he was aware of only one voter fraud investigation. Court records show a city clerk in Cedarburg called the police after her staff tried to process an absentee ballot that had been cast in the name of a woman who had died in July. Those records show the woman’s partner has been charged with election fraud and making a false statement to get a ballot. She has pleaded not guilty. Her attorney declined to comment but told the Washington Post that based on his experience such instances are rare.
Wood County prosecutors are charging Marshfield Police Chief Rick Gramza with fourth-degree sexual assault and misconduct office. Gramza remains on leave for accusations he sexually assaulted a co-worker over a four-year period before and after he was promoted to chief. Gramza claims the incidents were consensual. He waived his right to a speedy trial during the Wednesday hearing and was released on a signature bond. A preliminary hearing and arraignment were scheduled for January 13th.
Federal stimulus money will help the University of Wisconsin System deal with losses estimated at 257-million dollars this year. System President Tommy Thompson says it isn’t clear how much money the schools will receive. The former Wisconsin governor says the system faced "extraordinary financial challenges during the pandemic," but he says it still successfully provided students with an on-campus experience – despite increased costs, significant reductions in state funding, and employee furloughs. It isn’t clear when the federal support will be coming.
Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson says the 908-billion-dollar COVID-19 relief package has many provisions that will benefit dairy farmers. Peterson notes it contains strong support for dairies, support for products for donations, improvements to dairy margin coverage for small to medium farms, funding for animal health, and investments in meat processing. The House Agriculture Committee chairman said, "while it’s not perfect...it’s a good down payment on the help that dairy producers in Minnesota and across the country need."
A convicted bank robber is going to federal prison for eight years – and he has to pay back the money he and a partner stole. Antonio Rowe pleaded guilty to the robbery of three financial institutions over a two-week period in September last year. Rowe and his accomplice, 37-year-old Ramon Howard of Portage, were taken into custody after a crash ended a police pursuit in Madison. The duo stuck up B-M-O Harris Bank, Associated Bank and U-W Credit Union between September 10th and September 26th. Howard pleaded guilty to two of the robberies.
Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell says the recount of presidential votes cost almost 729-thousand dollars. About one-third of that amount was used to pay the people doing the counting. President Donald Trump’s campaign paid three-million dollars in advance for the recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties because they are Wisconsin’s most Democratic-leaning counties. The recounts actually wound up adding to Democrat Joe Biden’s narrow edge. Although the two counties are supposed to be reimbursed, the Legislature’s finance committee has refused to release any funding.
A report from the Legislative Audit Bureau reveals the University of Wisconsin System paid out 68-and-a-half-million dollars in refunds to its students last term. The money came from fees students had paid for housing and food after the campuses were closed in March. The Bureau report also disclosed the U-W Board of Regents approved reductions in student fees at four of its two-year schools and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the fall semester because of the shutdowns in athletic and performing arts programs.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says flu cases are extremely low this season. Normally, the state would be averaging 20-to-30 cases each week at this time of year – but, this year only 28 cases have been recorded since October. Public health officials emphasize that flu deaths are not being marked as COVID-19 deaths. They are easy to separate. Cases of the common cold are down, too. The low cold and flu numbers could be reflective of people wearing masks and social distancing.
U-S Senator Amy Klobuchar says she supports President Trump's call for an increase in the stimulus checks in the latest COVID relief bill. The Minnesota Democrat said, "I want more direct payments, I always have... but we need the Republican Party to support us as well. " Klobuchar says she was surprised President Trump reversed course on the 908-billion-dollar bill. Trump is calling on Congress to increase stimulus payments from 600- to two-thousand dollars and to get rid of "wasteful and unnecessary items."
A Caledonia family says somebody at the Department of Workforce Development keeps redirecting calls about unemployment benefits to their phone number. Wendy Burdick says she has received as many as 20 calls-a-week. The callers were seeking help from the state. Patrick Burdick says he contacted D-W-D several times to report the problem, but nothing has been done. His wife says all the callers were nice, but she eventually was getting so many mistaken calls that she quit answering the phone. Burdick says she’s had the number since 1996.
No comments:
Post a Comment