Wisconsin Congressman Ron Kind accuses his opponent in the November election of siding with protesters during the takeover of the U.S. Capitol, by a mob of Trump supporters. Kind cited social media posts from Derric Van Orden that were from the protests along with a request from Van Orden to meet with Kind personally as evidence of Van Orden's attendance at the protest. There is no evidence that Van Orden was inside the capitol building during the riot that ensued. The Third District Democrat was on a ZOOM call with reporters during Wednesday's Capitol lockdown.
The City of Durand and Pepin County have reached an agreement on the 3rd Ave East/Laneville road project. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says because 3rd Avenue East is also County Hwy F, the county is responsible for the middle 22ft of road. Milliren says the agreement will help both the city and county. With the agreement, the county will mill down and repave Laneville from curb to curb instead of just the middle 22 feet and will reimburse the city $103,000 for the middle portion of 3rd Ave East up to Laneville.
State Representative Warren Petryk says the passage of the bill for Covid-19 will help the economy and help fight the virus. In a statement, Petryk says, “This legislation ensures that people will have access to needed medications and testing while helping our local rural hospitals grapple with unexpected surges by providing help with their current workforce challenges.” Assembly Bill 1 also increases the pool of available vaccinators by allowing pharmacy students and dentists to use their current training to help distribute the vaccine. Also, the legislation will provide relief to taxpayers by allowing local tax districts the ability to waive interest and penalty charges for late property tax payments.
Don’t want to wait in long lines to be tested? The Eau Claire City-County Health Department says free at-home COVID-19 saliva test kids are now available. You can get them through Wisconsin health care providers. Public health officials say community testing sites are still an option for more immediate testing needs. Once complete, the saliva tests can be dropped off at United Parcel Service. Results should be returned within 72 hours.
Add Senator Tammy Baldwin to the list of lawmakers calling for the ouster of President Trump. Baldwin has joined the call for Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, which would immediately remove President Trump from office on the grounds that he's unfit to serve. Baldwin's comments join hundreds of lawmakers in the Capitol that are calling for either impeachment or removal of the President. It's unclear if either effort would work fast enough to get the President out of office before Joe Biden is sworn in in two weeks.
A bar and restaurant in Lakeville is facing a three-thousand-dollar fine for each day it opened for indoor dining in violation of COVID emergency orders. Dakota County District Court found Alibi Drinkery in contempt of court for violating a December 31st temporary injunction requiring it to close. Alibi’s owner admitted in open court that it continued to provide on-premises dining through the New Year’s weekend. In imposing the three-thousand-dollar fine, the court wrote that “a minimal fine would not lead to compliance with the injunction and would likely result in further spread of Covid-19.” Restaurants can open at 50 percent capacity on Monday.
The Wisconsin Assembly has condemned political violence by a unanimous vote. A resolution to that effect was approved Thursday, the day after mobs of people stormed the U-S Capitol building. Assembly Resolution 4 says political violence in any form “should never be tolerated.” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called the violence in the nation’s capital “disgusting,” saying that’s the only word that came to mind. Vos says he still has concerns about the way the November election was conducted, but he agrees that “Joe Biden is now our president.” The Republican leader also condemned the violence in Kenosha last summer after the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Governor Tony Evers is joining six other governors in asking federal health officials to send more COVID-19 vaccine to the states. They're requesting the Department of Health and Human Services distribute "upwards of 50 percent of the currently produced vaccines held by back by the administration for reasons unknown." The letter says "our states are ready to work around the clock to ramp up distribution, get more shots in arms, and save more American lives." It was signed by the governors of Michigan, California, Kansas, Illinois, New York, Washington, and Minnesota. The State Department of Health has administered nearly 100-thousand doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Police in Winona say one person is under arrest in connection with a shooting Wednesday afternoon. Officers say a shotgun was fired outside a home and someone in a car was hit. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and another home had damage. Investigators say there is no further threat in the neighborhood. No names have been released.
People who have recovered from COVID-19 are being told how they can help during the pandemic. Doctors at U-W Health say there is a “critical need” for convalescent plasma. It is a form of treatment doctors use to help patients currently hospitalized with the virus. They say the need is now, while it will be several months before the approved vaccines are widely available. Donating the plasma after a patient recovers from COVID-19 can help reduce the impact of the virus on others. A U-W Health spokesman says there is a critical shortage of convalescent plasma currently in the Midwest.
Wisconsin’s U-S Senators voted against the objections to electoral votes for Arizona and Pennsylvania late Wednesday night. The dramatic roll call vote came several hours after thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U-S Capitol trying to prevent it. Democrat Tammy Baldwin and Republican Ron Johnson voted against the motions to reject Joe Biden’s victories in the two states. In the House of Representatives, Republican Congressmen Tom Tiffany and Scott Fitzgerald voted to overturn the presidential votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Glenn Grothman, Bryan Steil, and Mike Gallagher voted against the objections, which failed. Members of Congress returned to the Capitol after the rioters had left.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says helicopters will be flying over northeastern Wisconsin this month as part of a project measuring the depth of bedrock in the region. State officials say the information gathered will be used to protect groundwater from pollutants. The choppers will be using airborne electromagnetic technology to take the measurements. The data will be shared with the U-S Geological Survey, the Wisconsin D-N-R, and the state Geological and Natural History Survey. The low-flying helicopters will be seen over Brown, Calumet, Door, Fond du Lac, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, and Sheboygan counties.
Some Minnesota restaurants won’t be reopening immediately, despite the announcement by Governor Walz Wednesday. COVID restrictions are being lifted next week. One restaurant owner says he’s not ready to welcome customers inside. Ronaldo Diaz of Marna’s Eatery and Lounge in Robbinsdale says the dining area has to be sanitized, the menu reconfigured and furniture organized. Other owners say they, too, need more time. One plans to wait until February. Basically, Minnesota restaurants have been told they have five days to change their business model again.
A company in Fond du Lac is going green. Mercury Marine has announced plans to install an array of photovoltaic solar panels at its world headquarters campus. The 300 panels will go on the warehouse roof. Company officials say they will generate enough electricity to light its warehouse operation there for the next 30 years. The parent Brunswick Corporation has a goal to source at least half of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030.
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