The Durand-Arkansaw School District has hired Nick Gilles as Principal for the High School starting with the 2021-2022 school year. Mr. Gilles is currently finishing his sixth year as MS/HS Principal in Clear Lake. Prior to his current administrative role, Gilles was a Technology Education teacher at Spring Valley MS/HS for 15 years. Mr. Gilles will be spending a few days in the building over the remainder of the school year to meet students, staff, and work with the administration in preparations for the next school year. Gilles replaces Bill Clouse who is retiring at the end of the year.
One person is dead after a fire in Fountain City on Tuesday. According to the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, firefighters from Fountain City and 5 other departments responded to a fire at a multi-family structure on the east side of Hwy 35 in Downtown Fountain City. Two of the occupants of the building were outside without out obvious injuries however a 62yr old male from Kenosha suffered a medical emergency and died. Firefighters were hampered by the sub-zero temperatures and the building was a total loss. The fire does not appear to be suspicious in nature. The Wisconsin State Fire Marshall is assisting in the investigation into the cause of that blaze.
Starting March 1st, additional people will be eligible to receive the covid-19 vaccine. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says from education to farmers and their employees will be eligible. Stewart is encouraging those that believe they are part of this next phase to sign up on the waiting list through the health department's website or at Advent Health or Heike Pharmacy in Durand.
The Pepin County Government Center will remain closed to the public for another month. During last night Board meeting members vote 8-4 to keep the center closed through March and re-open on April 1st. Residents that need to conduct business with county employees are encouraged to do so over the phone or zoom meetings. If a face-to-face meeting is required, appointments will be needed. While the board approved re-opening on April 1st, they will review the situation during the March meeting.
A bill heard in the Minnesota Senate Agriculture committee would require all gas in the state to contain at least 15 percent ethanol. Minnesota was the first state in the country with E-10 - or a ten-percent ethanol requirement. Senator Torrey Westrom of Elbow Lake says this legislation "allows us to not only continue to be a leader in homegrown fuels but also creates opportunities for farmers in helping our state and nation become energy independent." Westrom said ethanol is one of Minnesota's only oil wells.
Officials at the Department of Workforce Development say the one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits could be waived by March 5th. If lawmakers approve a scope statement published by the D-W-D earlier this week, the state agency can begin drafting the rule. The old rule expired two weeks ago. State officials say the temporary rule is intended to stop recipients from having to wait a week for their benefits to start during the coronavirus pandemic.
Milwaukee Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry is running for the 2022 Democratic nomination for U-S Senate in Wisconsin. The 33-year-old son of Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry said in a statement, "It’s time to elect leaders with a fresh perspective and a record of delivering real results for the people of Wisconsin." Lasry says he'll bring a "new way of thinking to the Senate and give Senator Tammy Baldwin a partner in Washington who will work for the people of this state, not the special interests." Lasry served in the Obama White House and led Milwaukee's bid to host the 2020 D-N-C. Republican incumbent Senator Ron Johnson has not announced whether he'll run for re-election next year.
Availability of coronavirus vaccine continues to be a concern in rural Wisconsin. State Senator Joan Ballweg brought it up during floor debate on Tuesday, noting providers in her county have been unable to get needed doses. Data from the state Department of Health Services shows a wide range of vaccination rates in rural Wisconsin counties, with some faring quite well but others ranking at the bottom. Here in Western Wisconsin, 17% of residents in Pepin County have received at least the first dose of the vaccine, Buffalo County is at 14%, Pierce County 10%, and Dunn County 9%
Veteran Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith says his last day on the job will be May 3rd. Smith made the announcement to members of his department before posting the information on Facebook Tuesday afternoon. The veteran law enforcement officer has put in more than three decades of service. The city’s Police and Fire Commission is expected to pick an interim chief while it does a nationwide search. Smith gave Green Bay a five-year commitment after arriving from Los Angeles in February 2016. He noted in his Tuesday announcement that Green Bay has been named one of the nation’s safest cities by U-S News and World Report.
Pecatonica Area School District Superintendent Jill Underly and retired Brown Deer superintendent Deborah Kerr are the two finalists for Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction. Underly and Kerr won the most votes in Tuesday's primary which included a total of seven candidates. Current State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor is not seeking another term. Underly and Kerr will meet in the April 6th election.
Things are finally back to “normal” for Wisconsin elections officials. That’s not necessarily a good thing. Voter turnout for Tuesday’s primary election is expected to be about ten percent. Madison voters requested 26-thousand absentee ballots, and about half were returned. Local officials say that’s nearly twice the normal seven-to-eight-thousand absentee ballots filed, but it’s also a small minority of the number of voters. Another election is less than two months away. City, village, and town races will be on the April 6th ballot and clerks will be preparing for about a 50-percent turnout, but they say it won’t be anywhere near that high.
An assistant district attorney in northwestern Wisconsin made his first court appearance to face charges he secretly recorded his sex acts with women. A Polk County judge released Burnett County Assistant D-A Dan Steffen on a 10-thousand-dollar signature bond and ordered Steffen not to have any contact with the two victims. He is charged in Polk County with three counts of illegally making representations depicting nudity. Authorities say one of the victims he recorded was being prosecuted by Steffen at the time for several different crimes. Steffen is scheduled to return to court next month.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is out with an updated plan to allow more middle and high school students to return to the classroom. It comes in the wake of declining hospitalizations, new COVID-19 cases, and as Minnesota makes progress vaccinating teachers. Walz says beginning February 22nd, all middle and high school students can return to the classroom for hybrid or in-person learning. Governor Walz expects all schools to offer their students some form of in-person learning by March 8th.
Minnesota U.S. Senator Tina Smith is co-sponsoring a bill that would allow rural and non-profit critical care hospitals to qualify for Paycheck Protection Program loans. The P-P-P Access for Rural Hospitals Act would waive Small Business affiliation rules for funding. Smith said rural hospitals are vital to public health - "they’re economic engines for communities in Minnesota and states across the country.” She says they need financial support to retain critical staff and focus their resources on providing quality care to patients for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. G-O-P Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi is the co-sponsor.
The National Weather Service reports Milwaukee broke its record for snow depth Tuesday with a measurement of 22 inches deep at Mitchell International Airport. The record was caused by what the experts call lake-effect snow. Racine had more than 16 inches on the ground Monday evening. Northern locations had only a few inches when the storm system finally moved out of the region Tuesday afternoon. Meteorologists say there is a chance of another snow accumulation with a follow-up storm later this week.
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