Firefighters from Durand, Plum City, and Menomonie responded to an apartment fire above the Flying Dutchman store in Downtown Durand Wednesday. The call came in at about 10:30 Wednesday morning. When firefighters arrived they found smoke coming from an apartment and what appeared to be the roof of the building. Residents and employees of Sundstrom and Company and the Courrier Wedge were evacuated. No injuries were reported. Damages are estimated at $100,000 and 6 residents of the building are working with the American Red Cross for living arrangements while repairs are made. The cause of the fire is believed to be electrical and is still under investigation.
The Durand City Council has approved changes to the Vacant Building Ordinance. At last night's council meeting, members approved changing section 4 of the ordinance to increase the fees for commercial properties to $2000 for year two, and then increase an additional $1000 per year up to a maximum of $5000 per year. Section 5 was changed to allow for an exemption to the fees if the vacant building is being used for storage to support a business located within the city of Durand. Those changes take effect upon publication of the ordinance.
While area health departments have put on hold the use of the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, the Pepin County Health Department will be having multiple clinics this week using the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says that here in Pepin County 34.6% or just over 2500 people have been vaccinated for Covid-19. over 72% of the 65 and older residents in the county have been vaccinated.
Congressman Ron Kind is joining with over 20 other lawmakers to put PFAS chemical regulations and standards into the Clean Water Act. Kind says it should be obvious that the chemical needs regulation, but that at this point it's been up to individual states to handle things. The designation would not only allow the government to regulate the substances but also provide funding to clean up places that have been contaminated by repeated use.
The latest strategy used by scientists in Minnesota and Wisconsin to capture and remove invasive carp involves using huge nets in the Mississippi River. Underwater sonar and electricity are being used to drive the carp into those nets near La Crosse. The Departments of Natural Resources in both states are working with the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service and the U-S Geological Survey on the project that started last week. The work is being done on a section of the river where the carp have been increasing in numbers.
The Wisconsin Senate has approved four significant Republican-sponsored changes to state election rules. Four bills passed Wednesday would allow the Wisconsin Elections Commission to order city clerks to follow state law, would let observers watch recount workers from three feet away, would determine where election law violators go to trial and would prohibit election officials or local governments from getting private grants to pay for administering an election. Republicans have said there were issues with the 2020 general election that need to be corrected.
The official who ran Wisconsin’s Department of Health and Human Services for almost two years is now up for a position with the Biden administration. The U-S Senate Finance Committee is considering Andrea Palm as the next Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services. Palm was nominated by President Joe Biden in January. She has already served in three capacities for the federal agency between 2011 and 2017. The Senate committee will discuss her candidacy this week.
A Cheteck man charged with felony making terrorist threats has reached a plea settlement. In March, Chad Boese was arrested after threatening to kill Marshfield Hospital-Eau Claire employees and threatening to drive his truck into the building and start shooting after the Hospital would not allow him to visit his wife who was a patient in the hospital because of the Covid-19 protocols. The felony charges were dropped and Boese pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was fined $443.
--
A proposal from Republican legislators will require the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to work with the state Department of Agriculture to increase agricultural exports by 2026. The bill requires WEDC to spend five million dollars on increasing the value of dairy, meat, and crop exports. A similar but more limited program was included in Governor Evers’ budget proposal.
Officials with WE Energies say the natural gas odor people in Cudahy were smelling Tuesday night came from a food processing plant. Workers were evacuated from the Smithfield Foods Patrick Cudahy plant shortly after 8:00 p-m. Emergency crews responded to several businesses and a couple of homes when the calls first started coming in. The plant was evacuated and the workers were eventually sent home for the night. The Cudahy Fire Department says there were seven reports of gas leaks starting at about 6:30 p-m. No injuries were reported. Crews from several area fire departments joined hazmat teams in the effort. WE Energies said the situation wasn’t a public safety issue after the source was determined.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he does not expect to re-tighten COVID restrictions anytime soon, despite the increase in cases and hospitalizations in Minnesota. But the governor is also extending his emergency powers another 30 days -- certain to create more friction with Republicans as lawmakers try to agree on a new state budget before the mid-May deadline. Some Democrats are also pushing Republicans for additional police reforms in the wake of the officer killing of Daunte Wright. Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka responds the budget is a huge priority and warned Democrats, "don't threaten that we can't get our budgets done if we don't get police accountability."
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress spring hearings are letting the public vote on things like fishing adjustments, bag limits, and size limits. For the second straight year, the hearings are virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic. There are 57 advisory questions on the agenda and people have 72 hours to make their wishes known online. New walleye regulations are being considered. The virtual hearings have been surprisingly popular with record numbers of overall participation. The Conservation Congress will go over the voting results, then send its recommendations to the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board for approval. The virtual meeting runs through 7:00 p-m Thursday.
State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski (god-LOO-ski) is the latest Democrat to announce a run for U.S. Senate. Godlewski joins Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, and Marshfield radiologist Gillian Battino as candidates for 2022. The winner of a Democratic primary may face incumbent Ron Johnson, although the Oshkosh Republican has yet to make up his mind about seeking a third term. Godlewski was elected treasurer in 2018. She worked for Hillary Clinton's 2008 and 2016 presidential campaigns.
It’s mostly back to normal at Wisconsin’s state parks. The Department of Natural Resources says all outdoor spaces in state parks can return to 100-percent capacity. Indoor spaces, like concession stands, are still limited to 50-percent capacity for now. The D-N-R saw record crowds last year because of the coronavirus, and expects large crowds once again this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment