Two people were injured in a two-vehicle accident in Arcadia Township on Wednesday. According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, a Silver Monte Carlo was turning southbound on Hwy 93 from Norway Valley Road and failed to yield to a vehicle traveling northbound on Hwy 93. The two drivers were transported to area hospitals with serious injuries. The driver of the Monte Carlo was suspected of operating while intoxicated. The names of the drivers have not been released.
Ashley Furniture has reached an agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in connecting with the death of an employee. The company will pay just over $19000 in fines over three safety violations in return for the dismissal of two others. OSHA accused Ashely Furniture of not making sure employees completely shut down machines before working on them. Last December, an Ashley worker was killed when hit by a large moving board.
Boaters on Lake Pepin this weekend are reminded to be on the lookout for blue-green algae. Because of the warm, dry weather in June reports of the algae are being reported on Lake Pepin. Ingesting water with blue-green algae can cause health problems for kids and especially pets. Avoid shallow areas of water that are looking like pea soup and it will have a distinct odor.
A federal grand jury has indicted two La Crosse men – one on child pornography charges and the other for drug sales and possession. Forty-two-year-old Thomas J. Hook could be sentenced to 15-to-30 years in federal prison if he is found guilty. Prosecutors say he used a cell phone to produce videos of a minor engaged in sexually explicit activity last summer. Sixty-three-year-old Steven S. McCurdy is accused of selling drugs between November of last year and March. When he was arrested authorities say he had at least 50 grams of meth in his possession.
A Minnesota man accused of stabbing his wife to death is awaiting extradition from the Monroe County Jail. Authorities in Minnesota say 39-year-old McKinley Phillips killed his wife Friday in a jealous rage. The couple’s six children were in the Minnesota home at the time, but they weren’t harmed. Phillips was taken off a Greyhound bus in Sparta the next day. He faces a charge of second-degree intentional murder when he returns to Washington County, Minnesota. Officials in Minnesota say they expect him to make a court appearance later this week.
The Department of Natural Resources is reminding people to keep things safe and sane out on the water for the 4th of July weekend. D N R Boating Administrator Darren Kuhn reminds people to always wear their life jackets while out on the lake, and don't just have them in the boat waiting in case you go into the water.
Republican legislative leaders are urging the governor to sign the state budget bill passed this week. For the first time in 14 years, the two-year spending plan got bipartisan support. Seven Democrats joined Republicans voting for it. Governor Tony Evers told a crowd in Green Bay he is “looking forward” to spending time going through it. When he officially gets the budget he will have six days to sign it, make changes, or veto it. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says members of the Joint Finance Committee worked hard to minimize opportunities for Evers to make changes.
A Waukesha County judge has granted conditional release to the teenager who stabbed a classmate to please the fictional “Slender Man.” A jury concluded Annisa Weir was mentally ill when she and another girl stabbed the victim in 2017. Payton Leutner survived. Judge Michael Bohren gave the state 60 days to come up with a plan for Weir’s release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Oshkosh. The 19-year-old could go home after the September 10th hearing. During Thursday’s hearing in Waukesha County Court Weir told the judge she is no longer a threat to anyone.
Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darren Von Ruden briefly spoke with President Joe Biden Tuesday, during Biden’s visit to Wisconsin. Von Ruden says the conversation lasted about a minute and focused on agriculture antitrust issues. Von Ruden says while he was disappointed the Presidents visit was not on a farm, it is good to see the government working together. While the event was originally planned to focus on agriculture, it was changed at the last minute to focus on the infrastructure bill.
The Pepin County FSA is looking for farmers in Waterville and Waubeek townships to serve on the FSA County Committee for Local Administrative Area 2. County FSA members administer farm programs of the FSA and keep producers informed of FSA Programs. Nomination forms are available at the USDA Service Center in Durand and are due by August 2.
A Dane County circuit judge has ruled in favor of three Wisconsin media outlets and the Associated Press. The group had filed a lawsuit seeking records on the sexual harassment allegations against former state Representative Staush Gruszynski, a Democrat from Green Bay. The suit was filed in March of last year after a request for those records was refused. Judge Juan B. Colas ruled Wednesday unredacted versions of the documents must be handed over within five days. Leaders in the Assembly could ask an appeals court to put that ruling on hold pending a review.
Senator Amy Klobuchar is cosponsoring legislation to expand the availability and incentivize the use of biofuels. Klobuchar and Iowa Republican Joni Ernst announced a package of bipartisan bills Wednesday. Klobuchar says diversifying the fuel supply, introducing higher blends of biofuels to the market, and making sure retailers have the right equipment to take advantage of these blends will promote clean energy and support rural economies. The Minnesota Democrat says the legislation makes cleaner fuels more accessible - benefiting both the economy and the environment.
New drivers in Wisconsin are going to have to take road tests after all. The State Legislature quietly reinstated the driving test requirement this week. The Department of Transportation eliminated the road test during the coronavirus outbreak and was asking to make the change permanent. Lawmakers are now ordering driving tests resume. It’s not clear just when first-time drivers will start taking road tests again.
Legislation meant to address excessive use of force by police is headed to Governor Tony Evers The bill passed the state Senate on Wednesday. It would create a statewide use-of-force standard and require police officers to report or intervene when they see a violation of that standard. The bill was amended last week by Assembly Republicans to delay implementation until 2022 and delete a requirement that officers must intervene if they "reasonably should have observed" excessive force by another. The legislation was developed by a bipartisan Assembly task force. Critics have said police organizations had too much influence on the task force.
A bill to require students in Wisconsin public schools to learn cursive writing has stalled in the state Senate. The measure passed the Assembly more than a year ago. A group of lawmakers is pushing the idea of requiring all Wisconsin students to learn cursive before the fifth grade. District 14 Senator Joan Ballweg is a former teacher who thinks cursive writing “gives great value to students.” Many school districts have done away with it, but the Madison Metropolitan School District teaches cursive to students in the second and third grades. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction doesn’t require it but does recommend cursive writing for schools.
The Minnesota Department of Health is partnering with Sun Country Airlines on a new incentive for the COVID-19 vaccine. Minnesotans who get a shot at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Terminal 2 will be entered into a drawing for a 500-dollar travel voucher. There will be a weekly drawing at M-S-P Airport for five weeks from July 1st through August 7th. You have to be age 18 or older for a chance to win. No boarding pass is required and free one-hour parking vouchers are available
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