Durand police have identified the person who drown in the Chippewa River on Monday. According to Durand Police, emergency first responders were notified that Susanne Sockness of Durand was struggling to swim in the river. A witness was able to pull her to shore and life-saving efforts were unsuccessful and Sockness was pronounced dead at the scene by the Pepin County Corner.
Buffalo County Authorities have identified the man found in the Mississippi River on June 25th. According to the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, 63yr old David Lacher of Winona was found in the river in the town of Buffalo directly across from the city of Winona. No foul play is suspected in Lacher's death.
Thirty-six workers at two restaurants in southern Minnesota are getting more than 435-thousand dollars in unpaid overtime, minimum wages, and interest. A U-S Department of Labor investigation found that the employees of Rancho Loco Grill and Bar in Red Wing and Rancho Loco Mexican Grill in Canon Falls received only half the pay they deserved. A federal court ordered owners Ramon Ruelas, Jorge Arcos, Nancy Arcos, and Medardo Acros to pay a total of 435-thousand dollars and they agreed to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act in the future. Investigators say they misclassified the employees as independent contractors and only paid them 60 hours every two weeks, regardless of how many hours they actually worked.
The attorney for Altoona’s former superintendent of schools says the charges against his client are too broad. Joseph Brugni is the court-appointed federal defender for Daniel Peggs. He filed a series of pre-trial motions last week saying the human trafficking charge needs to be clarified. Brugni says federal prosecutors haven’t identified when the alleged crime was committed, the way it was committed, and what actions allegedly committed by Peggs qualify as a commercial transaction. Brugni points out that the discovery documents he has received from the prosecution total more than 171 thousand pages.
Two people have been charged with attempted burglary of the Princeton Valley golf Course in Eau Claire. According to authorities, 28yr old Tayler Frank and 31yr old Nicholas Mason of St. Paul were charged after they attempted to steal an ATM from the course on June 23rd. A third suspect, Ryan Munson is still at large and if anyone knows of Munson's whereabouts they are to contact the Eau Claire Police Department or Eau Clair County Crimestoppers.
Those wanting to take the train to Chicago or Minneapolis from Red Wing, Winona, or La Crosse, will now have a second option starting in 2024. Amtrak announced a second train will begin service between the two cities starting in 2024 after the state of Minnesota set aside $10 million for the project. Wisconsin, the Federal Government, and Amtrak had already set aside funding for the train. The total cost of the project is $53.3 million.
Attention switches to the Wisconsin Senate after the Assembly gave its approval Tuesday to the state’s 87-billion-dollar budget. Republican legislative leaders are hoping to get the two-year spending plan to the governor by Thursday. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says responsible budgeting has led to a gigantic surplus that enabled what he calls a “once-in-a-generation” tax cut for Wisconsin taxpayers. The measure passed by the Assembly moves on to the Senate today (Wednesday). The Joint Finance Committee has cut almost 400 items that were part of the initial budget submitted by Governor Tony Evers.
Wisconsin researchers have found the presence of a state prison in a county was associated with more COVID-19 cases. According to a new study from UW-Madison, 11 percent more COVID-19 cases occurred through July 1, 2020, in U.S. counties with state prisons. Many of the cases were likely due to the spread of COVID-19 within those correctional facilities. However, researchers estimate that 95,000 cases and more than 3,300 deaths across the U.S. - the majority of the prison-associated cases - were due to spill over into surrounding communities. Study authors say counties with prisons should prepare for future outbreaks by prioritizing the health of both prisoners and residents of nearby communities.
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Touting the need for an infrastructure bill during his appearance today/Tuesday in La Crosse, President Joe Biden said it includes funding to address the threat of PFAS contamination. Biden is hoping to boost support for the proposed 973 billion, bipartisan infrastructure agreement, which is held together in large part by a promise of millions of new jobs. Biden toured the La Crosse public transit center and highlighted projects such as hybrid buses and road repair equipment that would receive additional funding through the bill.
A strong start has Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials optimistic for a strong fishing season on Lake Michigan. Great Lakes Fisheries Supervisor Brad Eggold tells W-B-A-Y television the season is already off to a great start. Eggold says millions of fish have been stocked on the lake this year. The D-N-R is coordinating with stocking partners and neighboring states to secure the future.
Spirited debate Tuesday during a Wisconsin Senate committee hearing on the "Star Spangled Banner" bill. Madison Democrat Kelda Roys questioned the need for requiring the playing of the national anthem before every sporting event in the state including kids soccer games. Roys said, "I think the way that we promote democracy is by teaching people about voting and helping them get involved in government. And not by mandating that my three-year-old sit through the national anthem." Irma Republican Mary Felzkowski argues the bill protects the rights of those who want to hear the anthem. Felzkowski said, "we have deferred too long in this state to a vocal minority who are anti-American. The bill carries no penalty for not playing the "Star Spangled Banner."
Face coverings will no longer be required in Minnesota court facilities next week. The Minnesota Judicial Branch says announced the July 6th end date today (Tuesday). Chief Justice Lorie Gildea said, "as the pandemic's impact on Minnesota continues to recede, so too will some of the health and safety protocols that were in place in our district and appellate courts." Face coverings will still be allowed, but judges may direct people to remove them when necessary to conduct court hearings. On August 2nd, misdemeanor criminal trials will be added to the list of proceedings already being held in person again. Some services of the court will continue to be done remotely until September.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison say the state’s workforce is aging faster than the rest of the country. A new study suggests ending the enhanced federal unemployment benefits may solve Wisconsin’s worker shortage in the short term, but the state will likely have challenges filling open positions for years to come. An analysis by U-W-Madison economist Noah Williams finds the only way to solve the problem long-term is to get new workers into the pipeline and bring more families into the Badger State.
The Minnesota State Fair is out with their list of new foods for the upcoming "Great Minnesota Get Back Together." Fair spokeswoman Danielle Dullinger says with 26 new items "there is something for everyone regardless of your dietary needs I'm just excited that after two years we finally have some new foods to announce." Dullinger says some of the new foods include the Jumbo Doughnut Sundae, Bison Bites, Esquites Mexican street corn, a Kerala Fried Chicken Kati Roll, Buffalo Chicken Doughscuit, and a Spufull puff. The entire list with pictures is on the State Fair's website. She says nearly 500 foods will be available at 300 different concession locations throughout the fairgrounds.
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