If your a resident of the city of Durand and park on the street and depend on nixel, the Durand Police Department Facebook Page, or even WRDN to receive snow emergency announcements, you may want to change how you receive those announcements. During last nights city council meeting members discussed a situation on Jan 16 when the city asked the county to send a snow emergency notice out. That system didn't send the message and those parked downtown were towed and ticketed at a cost of 95. Chief Ridgeway said because the city ordinance says the city will provide a snow removal phone line, those towed and ticketed were still responsible for the ticket and tow. Councilmember Schneider felt the tickets should be rescinded but the council disagreed saying the city provides the snow removal phone number and that is what people should rely on and not just nixel. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the only official announcements on snow emergencies are the snow removal phone number and Pepin County Dispatch. The city ordinance states quote..." The city shall announce that snow parking regulations are in effect by utilizing the Pepin County Sheriff’s Department dispatcher. The city will also make available a telephone hotline number whereby snow parking announcements will be made." The snow removal number is 715-672-5653 or you can call Pepin County Dispatch at 715-672-5944
Residents on Laneview avenue have overwhelmingly told the city they are not interested in having sidewalks installed. Of 26 property owners surveyed, 20 of them felt the sidewalk was not necessary and 25 of them said they would not be interested in having to pay for sidewalk installation. This summer Laneview Avenue along with Drier Street and 3rd Avenue East will be reconstructed.
The state of Wisconsin is offering Hewlett Packard eight-million dollars to stay and expand its operations. The deal for the hi-tech company includes "performance-based" incentives. The Evers administration says a 22-million-dollar expansion and upgrade of the company’s facility at Chippewa Falls would mean 30 new jobs. H-P already employs more than 500 people at the location. The agreement means it can move forward with the big project.
The Pepin-Buffalo Literacy Alliance has received a $5000 grant from the Cenex Hometown Pride Powered Locally Program. The program provides grants to nonprofit organizations that highlight small-town living. Sara Sabelko President of the Alliance says the money will be used to update the online resources the alliance uses. The Cenex Hometown Pride Powered Locally Program is awarded quarterly, and for more information contact Countryside Co-Op.
A Rochester man is sentenced to one year in jail and ten years probation for burglarizing his ex-wife's home and killing her dog. Thirty-two-year-old Octavio Nique pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary, felony animal mistreatment, domestic abuse, and harassment. Police were called to a home last July and saw a dog floating in a pool in the backyard. There was also extensive damage to the house. Nique was given credit for 149 days already served.
New rules approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources mean companies applying for a nonferrous mining permit would have to pay an additional half-million dollars. Applicants would have to pay more for permits and licenses while turning in more detailed plans to the D-N-R. The list of new rules also includes new areas where mining wouldn’t be allowed – like wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, national and state parks, wildlife refuges, and endangered species habitat. The new rules were approved unanimously Wednesday. Not much mining is conducted in Wisconsin these days, but companies looking for copper, gold, and silver would have to make a much-larger investment before removing minerals from the ground.
Minnesota officials are reminding Minnesotans who got a COVID extension for renewing their driver's license that they need to do it by March 31st. They're encouraging people not to procrastinate because the current five-week processing time could grow due to an expected last-minute crunch. Driver and Vehicle Services will start sending letters this week to about 300-thousand Minnesotans who still need to renew. And be aware that if your license expires March 1st or later, you must renew by the specified due date.
--
U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin is co-sponsoring legislation that would raise the federal minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour by 2025. The Raising the Wage Act of 2021 would increase wages for nearly 32-million Americans, including roughly one-third of all Black workers and one-quarter of all Latino workers. Baldwin said, "Wisconsin’s economy is strongest when we expand opportunity for everyone. Unfortunately, many frontline workers are really struggling to get by during this economic crisis and an honest day’s work should pay more." The current federal minimum wage is seven-25 an hour. Republican Senator Ron Johnson supports a minimum wage hike but not as high as 15 dollars an hour.
University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson says Republican legislative leaders have told him – if he asks for a tuition increase the budget he submits won’t be approved. Thompson spoke earlier this week at a Wisconsin Policy Forum discussion on lagging state support for the system. Thompson is seeking a 100-million-dollar increase in state funding for the next two-year budget, but he hasn’t asked for a tuition increase. It has been frozen for the last eight years.
Federal prosecutors say the former pharmacist who admitted trying to ruin hundreds of doses of the coronavirus vaccine has reached a plea agreement. The U-S Attorney had charged Steven Brandenburg will two counts of attempting to tamper with a consumer product. He made national headlines for leaving about 500 doses of the vaccine out to spoil last month at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton. Brandenburg told investigations he worried the vaccine would mutate people’s D-N-A. The plea deal with the feds was reached after state prosecutors in Ozaukee County reduced the charges in their case.
More than 226-thousand people age 65 and older are signed up for Minnesota's first coronavirus vaccination lottery. The Minnesota Health Department's Kris Ehresmann says the lottery system is just one of the ways they're getting vaccines to the 65-plus population. She says the state is also working to get vaccines to clinics and health care systems so they can begin vaccinating their patients "because we know they like to be vaccinated in their medical homes."
Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have confirmed reports that a wolf injured a pet dog in Lincoln County. The incident is considered both as a confirmed wolf depredation and a confirmed human health and safety complaint. The D-N-R has confirmed four wolf depredations so far this year, but it’s the only one where a pet was injured. The other reports involve the harassment or injury of livestock. It’s considered a human health and safety complaint because the incident happened so close to a residence in the Town of King. The physical condition of the dog wasn’t released.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he will leave open the possibility of legalizing sports betting in Minnesota. The governor says he'd also like the legislature to look at legalizing recreational marijuana. Such a move would likely face strong opposition in the Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate. Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says he's not open to sports gambling because of timing. Gazelka said, "any major policy item that has a lot of disagreement I don't foresee happening this year, but in addition, many of us just don't think it's the right thing to do for Minnesota."
Wausau and Madison will take part in a guaranteed income study. As many as 20 families in Wausau will be paid 500-dollars-a-month for a year during the study. Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenburg says her city and Madison have been selected to be part of the Mayors for Guaranteed Income study. The families will be required to track how they spend the money, where they spend it, and how far it goes. Rosenburg says she’s trying to figure out the “best fit” for her city.
No comments:
Post a Comment