The Mondovi City Council discussed the ongoing algae problem on Mirror Lake last night. Earlier this month, Mayor Weiss decided to have a resident with a boat go on the lake to try and break up the algae and send it over the dam. That caused complaints to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources which then informed the city that the city needed to have permits to use the boat to break up the algae. Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the algae prevents the use of the lake. The council approved allowing the Mayor to spend up to $3000 to apply for DNR Permits or find other ways to break up the algae.
The Durand City Council is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on accepting bids for a $465000 note to refinance the outstanding debt of the current TID District, a request for street closures and open container for the upcoming Blues on the Chippewa, and the council will go into closed session to discuss employment at the Durand Police Department. Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall. The meeting will also be live-streamed on our YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN.
Residents of Lake City may notice a discoloration of their water the week of July 26th through July 30th. The Lake City Utilities announced they will be adding chlorine to the water that week to disinfect the water supply. The addition of chlorine to the water can react with iron and or manganese creating a black or reddish discoloration but does not cause a health concern. Residents are advised to run the water a few minutes to flush faucets before using it for cooking or laundry. The presence of chlorine will remain a few days following the treatment period.
The former Altoona School Superintendent has reached a plea deal in child pornography and sex trafficking case. According to the US Attorneys Office, Daniel Peggs has agreed to plead guilty to one count of possessing child pornography in return for the other charges to be dropped. Peggs could face a maximum of 10yrs in prison, but prosecutors agreed to recommend to the Judge, Peggs receive the maximum available reduction in his sentence for his acceptance of his responsibility. Peggs would be bound by the agreement if the judge decides to hand down the maximum sentence. A plea hearing is now scheduled for July 20th.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has announced he will end the investigation into outgoing Eau Claire County District Attorney Gary King, after King announced he would resign effective August 14th. King had been under investigation after complaints of sexual harassment and drinking on the job were announced. Evers has announced he will now begin accepting applications for a new District Attorney and the application deadline is August 4th.
A 35-thousand-dollar state grant will help the city of Bloomer clean up a site so it can be developed. The money from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will help cover the cost of removal of contamination from the site of a former agricultural cooperative. It was located there for 30 years. Bloomer city officials say removing the contamination could open the door to development there. The grant comes from the D-N-R Wisconsin Assessment Monies program which is funded through the federal E-P-A.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a Winnebago County Circuit Court judge for violating rules of conduct. Judge Scott Woldt’s discipline will begin on August 2nd. The Wisconsin Judicial Commission informed the high court that Woldt violated the rules while presiding over six different cases in 2009, 2015, and 2016. Woldt allegedly berated at least one woman in a domestic violence case, interrupted an attorney during cross-examination and used profanity in a child custody case, and displayed a handgun in court on at least two occasions. The high court ruled Woldt committed “serious violations of a judge’s ethical duties.”
U-S Senator Amy Klobuchar is co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill that would streamline that funding process and remove barriers for expanding high-speed internet to rural areas. The Assisting Broadband Connectivity Act will make changes to U-S-D-A programs so areas aren’t automatically ineligible for federal funding because the project previously received state funding. Klobuchar says the legislation will help bridge the digital divide by ensuring states are able to access the funding they need to provide broadband service in rural and low-income communities. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said broadband will help boost economic development and job creation in rural areas.
A Jackson County man is facing charges related to the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. According to a press release, Joshua Munn of Melrose was arrested on Tuesday, after a tip, the FBI received about five members of the Munn family at the Capitol on January 6, as shown by social media posts on several platforms. The FBI also confirmed Munn was in the Capitol during the insurrection by using cellular records obtained via a search warrant. Munn appeared in US District Court in Madison Tuesday and received a conditional release. His next court appearance is set for July 21. The four other family members are facing the same charges, but not being charged in Madison.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections says a longtime prison inmate hasn't met any of the requirements to be released on parole. Terry Caspersen is serving a life sentence for a 1964 murder and he has been in prison for 56 years. Caspersen was found guilty of stabbing 18-year-old Eleanor Kaatz to death. Old news reports quote officials as saying Kaatz had been stabbed almost 50 times. She was found alive near the Wisconsin River but died two days later.
Congressman Tom Emmer is sponsoring a bill that he says will give Americans a better understanding of how the federal government spends tax dollars. The measure would require the House Appropriations Committee to create a publicly accessible database that can be used to download, search and sort through spending allocations to each department, agency, and program. The Minnesota Republican said, "I hope this legislation will give the American people another tool to better understand where their money is going in an effort to help change the current fiscal course of the nation. "
A state lawmaker who warned the University of Wisconsin System about a possible tuition spike says he likes what he’s seeing from the system. State Senator Dale Kooyenga says the Board of Regents’ decision not to raise tuition shows system leaders understand affordable education is important to state lawmakers. Kooyenga warned regents the legislature would step in if the university raised tuition. Kooyenga says system President Tommy Thompson deserves a lot of credit for keeping costs low.
The preliminary investigation by the Ashland Fire Department indicates a child started a house fire last week that left three people dead. The July 5th fire claimed the lives of 36-year-old Jordan Chowning, 14-year-old Alyssa Chowning and 17-year-old Michelle Hathaway. The autopsy found they all died from smoke inhalation, but toxicology reports and the final autopsy are pending. The Wisconsin State Marshal's office is helping local investigators determine the official cause. A GoFundMe page has been established to help the Chowning family.
Four people are now charged in connection with the murder of a 55-year-old man near Northfield earlier this month. Dakota County prosecutors say 22-year-old Ryann Smith of White Bear Lake is charged with second-degree murder and 29-year-old Nicholas Taylor of St. Paul is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree burglary in the June 2nd death of Chris Lafontaine in Greenvale Township. Smith and Taylor fled Minnesota and were arrested in Montana. A Welch woman and South St. Paul man have both been charged with aiding an offender and first-degree burglary for their roles in Lafontaine's death.
There's been some fishy damage reported to a city vehicle in Neenah. One of Neenah's building inspectors found major damage to the hood of his parked car on Monday, some fish-shaped damage that matched a random carp found nearby. It's thought that an eagle or another large bird dropped that carp on the hood of the car causing the damage. There's no word on if the eagle found another meal to replace its fish.
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