Durand Fire responded to a gas line leak on 3rd avenue east last night. Construction crews on the 3rd Ave East project accidentally cut the gas line causing the leak. The gas was turned off and the line repaired. No one was injured in that incident.
The City of Durand will be donating to the Pepin County K-9 Program. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says council members decided to do an ongoing donation to help with the yearly expenses of the police dog. After the 6yrs the city will re-evaluate the donation. The Pepin County Sheriffs Department has raised enough money to get the program started and will have a handler and dog begin training this summer with both starting duty in the fall.
The Pepin County Health Department will begin giving covid-19 vaccinations for children aged 12-15. Pepin County Health officer Heidi Stewart says the county is receiving a special allotment of the Phizer Vaccine. Parents of children 12-15 yrs old should be receiving permission slips next week from the health department that would allow the department to administer the vaccine.
Public works employees in the city of Mondovi have a new union. During this week's Mondovi City Council meeting, members were told that the employees had approved having Teamsters Union 662 represent them. The Council approved recognizing the change and Mayor Weiss told members he planned to meet with the Union Steward for the employees to discuss any possible issues.
Voters in southeastern Minnesota are saying "no" to a 41-and-half-million-dollar referendum for Byron Public Schools. The measure for new facilities and a high school auditorium failed by 60 votes on Tuesday night. Byron Superintendent Joey Page says the district will continue to engage families, students, and staff about the best solutions for the future. A 37-point-five-million-dollar referendum failed by 11 votes last night in Becker. The district was hoping to upgrade school security, add more space at the middle school and create a new transportation facility.
The Trempealeau Count Law Enforcement and Emergency Management Committee have approved a proposal to declare Trempealeau County a second amendment sanctuary county. During a heated discussion with members of the public, those favoring the amendment said they didn't want to change any laws but protect a right that already exists, while those opposed felt that the proposal if passed would hinder any gun reform efforts. The proposal passed 4-1 and now moves onto the county board for a special board meeting in June.
Eau Claire police are searching for a cockatiel thief. Lily lived at Tropic Waters Pet Center and belongs to the owner. The exotic bird isn’t for sale. Jim Reiman says he raised Lily from the time she was only a few weeks old. Reiman describes her as a tame and trusting bird who would be easy to steal. He says he’s worried about the cockatiel because Lily has nutritional and social interaction needs. A 200-dollar reward has been posted for information leading to her safe recovery.
A Democratic state senator is criticizing the G-O-P majority for voting against forgiving state taxes on federal unemployment benefits. Senator Chris Carpenter of Milwaukee says Senate Republicans "turned their backs on the Wisconsinites who had lost work through no fault of their own by refusing to provide a temporary tax break on 10-thousand-200 dollars of unemployment benefits received in 2020 and 2021." Carpenter notes that the G-O-P wasted very little time in providing a tax break to the businesses who relied upon loans and grants from the federal government to weather the economic effects of COVID.
Legislative Republicans are calling on Governor Tony Evers to send aid and support to help secure the Mexico border. A resolution was approved Tuesday. It comes after Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke and President Pro Tem Tyler August visited the border in south Texas. The two Republicans say the situation there is a national crisis that demands Wisconsin take some kind of action – even though it is 13-hundred miles away. The resolution is non-binding, so the Democratic governor isn’t required to take any action in response.
A Canadian company has bought two central Wisconsin paper mills for an estimated two-point-eight-billion dollars. Paper Excellence calls itself “a global leader in sustainable pulp and paper.” A total of 740 people work at Domtar paper mills in Rothschild and Nekoosa. Officials say Domtar will retain its name, no jobs will be lost, and the current management team will remain in place. The deal is expected to be finalized in the next four to eight months. Company officials say there is no downside to the multi-billion-dollar sale.
The T-P-C Twin Cities will welcome fans back to the P-G-A Tour's 3-M Open in Blaine this summer. There were no spectators on the golf course last year due to the pandemic. Tournament director Mike Welch said they expect a strong field and a robust schedule of events during the week that fans will get the chance to enjoy. No word yet on how many fans will be allowed at Minnesota's P-G-A tournament July 19th through 25th. A limited number of tickets for the 3-M Open go on sale next Wednesday.
The Pierce County Fair is having a window repurposing contest to recognize the Round Barn that was built on the fairgrounds 101 yrs ago. Contestants will be able to purchase one of the old windows from the barn for $25 and find a creative way to repurpose the window. The windows will then be on display during this year's fair and a people's choice winner will receive a cash prize. For more information call the fair at 715-273-6874. This year's Pierce County Fair is August 12-15 in Ellsworth.
The Wisconsin Assembly has approved a resolution calling for a constitutional convention. The convention would be held to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit its powers, and impose term limits. Republicans backed and voted for the resolution Tuesday, while Democrats are opposed. The Wisconsin Legislature approved a more limited resolution four years ago. That time they were calling for a convention for a balanced budget amendment. Opponents of the idea say a constitutional convention could go out of control.
A pair of bills from state Representative John Maaco may help provide protections for elderly Wisconsinites who are vulnerable to financial exploitation. The DePere Republican says his own mother-in-law, and mother have been "hoodwinked out of tens and tens of thousands of dollars." The bills passed the Assembly Tuesday.
There are some new numbers to back up claims from employers who say they can’t fill their open jobs. The National Federation of Independent Businesses in Wisconsin says 44-percent of small business owners can’t find people to work. The federation says 92-percent of small business owners say they can’t find qualified people to work. Business groups in Wisconsin and across the country are urging states to roll back enhanced unemployment benefits.
The U-S-D-A is giving federal approval to Minnesota's revised hemp production plan for 2021. Assistant Agriculture Commissioner Whitney Place says this is a major step forward and the state is pleased that modifications have been made to ensure Minnesota's hemp growers and processors are successful in this fledgling industry. The changes require a hemp crop to be tested for T-H-C levels less than point-three percent no more than 30 days before harvest, and remediation is allowed if hemp plants exceed point-three percent but are under one percent total. More than 450 growers have applied for hemp licenses this year.
Wisconsin police departments would have to post their use-of-force policies online under a series of bills passed in the state Senate. Senators approved the first police reform bills since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis last year. Activists have been pushing for change ever since. The five bills passed Tuesday would require the Wisconsin Department of Justice to collect data on use-of-force incidents and produce an annual report. It would also require police to share personnel files during the hiring process and have police oversight commissions in Milwaukee and Madison include union representatives. The package of bills now goes to the Assembly. Republican Senator Van Wanggaard and Democrat Lena Taylor say more legislation on the topic is coming.
A rainy April wasn’t enough to keep Lake Superior levels from falling. Although the two-point-six inches of rain in April was above average, precipitation over the last 12 months was actually five inches below average. A chart from the U-S Army Corps of Engineers shows Lake Superior will remain at above-average levels for the next six months – despite the deficit in rainfall. The big lake is four inches lower than last year at this time, but almost eight inches above its long-term average. The other Great Lakes all got below-average precipitation, but their levels remain above the long-term norm.
After facing cancellation originally this year, the popular Back to the '50s event will be held next month at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The 47th annual event which features classic cars and more nostalgia is scheduled for Father's Day weekend on June 18th to 20th. The only restriction announced was that masks will still be required on the fairgrounds.
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