Durand Fun Fest will not be held this year. Yesterday the Fun Fest Committee posted on their Facebook account that while the committee had been working with Pepin County Health to hold the event, it was decided to not hold the event and error on the side of caution. The committee also cited a lack of manpower and time to plan the event for 2021 as other reasons for canceling Fun Fest. For 2022, the committee is asking for the public's help in planning the event as in the past few years only 3 people have been involved in planning Fun Fest. If you would like to volunteer, reach out to Fun Fest on their Facebook Account.
One person was injured in a single-vehicle accident in River Falls Township on March 16th. According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 37yr old Trevor Rothstein of Spring Valley was traveling eastbound on Hwy 29 near 790th Street when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a guard rail. Rothstein was taken to River Falls Hospital with undetermined injuries.
The Durand-Arkansaw School Board is looking at starting school in August of this year. Durand-Arkansaw Superintendent Greg Doverspike says with the early start, Spring Break and Thanksgiving week breaks will happen. Doverspike is finding out how the State Department of Public Instruction is approving the early starts and hopes to have that information and a possible calendar at the next school board meeting in April.
An Eau Claire man is going to prison for 15 years as the result of a plea agreement connected to accusations he sexually assaulted two young girls. Dustin Titera was sentenced Friday. Prosecutors told the court the victims were about five or six years old when the assaults started. They continued for several years. The girls told investigators Titera would have them touch him inappropriately. The assault charges were dismissed and he pleaded guilty to a charge of causing mental harm to a child.
Wisconsin school libraries will soon be getting a boost in funding from the state. The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands announced $39 million will be disbursed to public school libraries across Wisconsin to help students, parents, and educators during the COVID-19 pandemic - the largest disbursement ever from its Common School Fund. Last year the Durand-Arkansaw School Library received $52,000, Mondovi $39,000, Plum City $15,000, Pepin $10,000 and Alma $9,000.
Average gas prices have decreased over the last week according to GasBuddy. Prices were down just under 2 cents per gallon in the past week, with the highest price 2.99 a gallon and the lowest at 2.44 a gallon. According to Patrick De Haan from GasBuddy, the spike in Covid cases in Europe has traders concerned that gasoline demand will begin to drop again. Here in Western Wisconsin gas prices are ranging from 2.74-2.79.
A Tomah man has been arrested for firing shots outside a tavern in Wilton Saturday. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office reports 52-year-old Curtis Goulet had been involved in a minor disturbance at the tavern before he went to his truck, retrieved a pistol, and fired two shots. About 10 minutes after a 9-1-1 caller told authorities about the incident, a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper tried to stop Goulet’s truck, but he refused – even after tire deflation devices were used. When he finally stopped, he was taken into custody. Investigators were able to find the places where bullets had hit the tavern wall and a nearby building. Goulet will face several charges, including attempted homicide and recklessly endangering safety.
Chippewa tribal officials in three states are criticizing the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for its wolf hunt last month. The Chippewa view the wolf as sacred and they oppose hunting the predators. Voigt Intertribal Task Force Chairman John D. Johnson says the D-N-R didn’t consult with the tribes before launching the hunt where nearly double the quota of 119 animals were killed. Johnson says wolf pelts are in bad shape this time of the year – which means the hunt was all about killing. The D-N-R was under fierce pressure from Republican lawmakers to go forward with the hunt.
Both the State Assembly and Senate will be taking up bills on Tuesday that seek to wrest control of parts of the COVID-19 relief funding from Governor Tony Evers. The bill would require the Governor's office to submit any plans on how they plan to use Wisconsin's portions of the funding to the state's Legislative Joint Finance Committee for approval before he's allowed to spend them. Republican leadership has said they are just doing their due diligence in providing oversight on how money is being used, and that Democrats were on board with this sort of oversight during the Obama stimulus plan. Governor Evers' office has said that he's perfectly capable of handling how the money is spent and that he was elected to do so. The bill is likely to be vetoed if it's passed.
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A Q-Anon supporter was arrested Friday for allegedly firing paintball rounds at two soldiers at the Wisconsin Army Reserve Center in Pewaukee. The incident happened the previous Monday. Thirty-one-year-old Alan Olson of Nashotah reportedly shouted, “This is for American,” then fired two or three rounds before his rifle jammed. The reservists weren’t hit. When he was taken to the Waukesha County Jail for booking Olson reportedly said he would cause “mass casualties” if released.
Authorities in New Orleans say the suspect in a murder there may be returning to Minnesota. Thirty-nine-year-old Liz Quackenbush was stabbed to death March 3rd. She is a former science teacher at the Alternative Learning Center in Rochester. Investigators think her boyfriend, Preston Higgs, is the one who killed Quackenbush. New Orleans police have issued an arrest warrant in Higgs’ name. He will be charged with second-degree murder. Quackenbush was teaching at New Harmony High School in New Orleans at the time she was attacked.
Canadian Pacific Railway is acquiring Kansas City Southern in a 25-billion-dollar deal that creates the first freight rail network connecting the U-S, Mexico, and Canada. The continental partnership moves the railway’s U-S headquarters from Minneapolis to Kansas City, but the company’s presence won’t be diminished in the Twin Cities. The agreement still has to be approved by the federal Surface Transportation Board. The new, combined company is expected to generate eight-point-seven billion dollars in total revenue with almost 20-thousand employees.
Wisconsin dentists may administer COVID-19 vaccinations. Governor Tony Evers Monday signed legislation into law. The bill allows dentists to administer shots if they complete eight hours of training on vaccine protocols and record keeping. About 3,500 dentists in Wisconsin could be enlisted to help vaccinate, as people age 16 and up with certain pre-existing conditions are now eligible to be vaccinated - about two million people in all.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have published a study showing longer-last dead zones in lakes are connected to climate change. Dead zones happen because organisms like algae fall to the bottom of the lake during stratification. While they are decomposing, they use up all the oxygen in the lower layer. That creates the dead zone. Limnology researcher Robert Ladwig and his team looked at 40 years of data from Lake Mendota. Ladwig’s report says a warming climate means stratification will start earlier and algae blooms will be bigger. Dead zones would last longer, damaging many lake ecosystems. The researchers say using less fertilizer and preventing runoff into lakes can help.
Minnesota authorities are continuing to crack down on speeders on state roads. In February, troopers joined forces with county sheriffs and local police to apprehend lead-footed drivers. More than 15 thousand citations for speeding have been issued as of March 11th. That is a 21 percent increase from the previous year.
If you're looking for a unique take on your Friday fish fry for Lent, why not try a... fish fry pizza? Ian's Pizza in both Madison and Milwaukee has rolled out a special fish fry pizza on Fridays during Lent. The pizza comes with breaded fish, french fries, cheese, and coleslaw, all on top of tartar sauce and the usual crust. Ian's is famous for rather interesting combinations of foods including poutine pizza, crab rangoon, and even a pierogi pizza for Polish Fest.
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