A Pepin County man is facing federal child porn charges. A grand jury indicted 40yr old Levi Robb of Durand with five counts of producing child pornography. According to the inditement, Robb used a cell phone to take explicit pictures of a minor between November of 2015 and September of 2017. Robb is facing up to 150yrs in prison if convicted.
The former CEO of Turtle Lake Casino has been charged with embezzlement. According to a federal grand jury inditement, 59yr old Leva Oustigoff embezzled approximately $72,000 from the casino. Oustigoff is also accused of underreporting his income. He is facing eight counts of embezzlement and four counts of filing a false income tax return. If convicted on all charges he faces a maximum of 172yrs in prison.
A Dunn County man is facing federal drug charges. A federal grand jury has indicted 41yr old Adam Beliveau of Downing, WI with two counts of attempting to possess 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The inditement alleges that in September of 2020 he attempted to possess 500 grams of meth to distribute and then in November he attempted to possess 50 grams of meth for distribution. If convicted, Beliveau faces 20yrs in prison.
The Pepin County Health Department is reporting 4 new cases of Covid-19. According to the Department's Social Media Page, three of the new cases in Pepin County are linked to Pierce and Dunn Counties cases. There are no know hospitalizations related to the new cases and all are working with the medical providers.
Attorneys representing the city of Eau Claire and a man shot by one of its police officers have filed motions just ahead of next month’s civil trial. Tyler Holte filed a federal lawsuit in March. He was shot by Eau Claire Police Officer Hunter Braatz after a vehicle chase six years ago. The case will be heard in U-S District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin in Madison. His lawyers say Holte piled up more than 235 thousand dollars in medical bills while recovering from his injuries. Jury selection is on the calendar for August 16th.
The Barron County Sherff Deputy who shot a man on July 14th has been identified. Deputy Anthony Weigand was responding to a wellness check in Mikana when a man barricaded himself in a room with a gun. During the standoff, the man raised his gun toward Deputy Weigand, who then fired in response. The man is still in critical but stable condition. The Wisconsin Department of Justice and State Patrol continue to investigate the incident. Deputy Weigan is currently on Administrative leave.
Wisconsin’s share of the national opioid settlement is expected to be about 400 million dollars. The three largest drug distribution companies and drugmaker Johnson and Johnson agreed Wednesday to a settlement worth a total of 26 billion dollars. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul says the money will improve the state’s ability to address the opioid epidemic. As part of the agreement, Johnson and Johnson will stop selling opioids. Minnesota could receive $337 million in the settlement.
A jury convicted embattled Minnesota state Representative John Thompson of misdemeanor obstruction for a 2019 incident at North Memorial hospital. Johnson received a stayed 30-day sentence Wednesday and was ordered to pay 278 dollars in fines and fees. Robbinsdale police said Thompson was interfering with officers near the emergency room during a disturbance involving several people. The St. Paul Democrat told the court he was just trying to get information about a friend's suicide. Members of both parties are calling for Johnson's resignation in response to past domestic abuse allegations. There are also questions about his residency after he had a Wisconsin driver's license during a traffic stop.
Congressman Mike Gallagher wants to make changes in the way students are taught in public schools. The Wisconsin Republican is suggesting eight changes – including increasing school choice and a return to basic reading and writing. Gallagher released a report of schools Tuesday called “Wisconsin 2030: The Education Path To Prosperity Within The Decade.” He says by fixing Wisconsin schools the state can fix all of its other problems quickly.
The U-S Army Corps of Engineers continues to monitor water levels on the Upper Mississippi River as drought conditions persist. Officials say the lower water is not affecting shipping conditions on the river so far - and navigation continues. District water manager Dan Fasching says "low flow is exactly the conditions for which the locks were built. Combined with dredging efforts, the locks are used to maintain navigable depths in the main channel." The lowest flow recorded at Lock and Dam 2 in Hastings was in 1976 when the flow fell to only 500 cubic feet per second. The current flow at Lock and Dam 2 is around three thousand c-f-s.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would combat contamination by PFAS, the so-called "forever chemicals." The measure passed 241-182. Twenty-three Republicans, including Mike Gallagher of Green Bay, joined Democrats to approve it. PFAS have been found in the drinking water of over 50 cities across Wisconsin, with the highest levels detected in Marinette and Peshtigo. La Crosse Democrat Ron Kind said it hits close to home, with contamination on French Island in La Crosse and in Eau Claire forcing the shutdown of municipal wells. Second District Democrat Mark Pocan said the PFAS Action Act will introduce stricter protections against PFAS pollution, and hold polluters accountable.
A Catholic priest from Wisconsin resigned from his national leadership post amid reports of improper behavior. Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill is no longer the top administrator of the U-S Conference of Catholic Bishops. The National Catholic Reporter says it’s acquired cellphone data that appears to show Burill was a regular user of the gay dating app Grindr, and went to gay bars. It’s unclear who had collected that information. Burrill was a parish priest for the Diocese of La Crosse and a professor in western Wisconsin before joining the staff of the U-S-C-C-B in 2016. The Marshfield native had been general secretary since November.
Marshfield police are trying to slow down the rumors about an attempted abduction. Police say the story being passed around on social media is just that – a rumor. The original post was made last weekend. A woman went online to say a man tried to abduct her outside a department store. Marshfield police say that isn’t what happened. The man in the story was actually asking for money in what police call a “mildly persistent manner.” They say there is no evidence he had a knife, although he may have touched the woman. He apparently left peacefully when asked to do so by store employees.
Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services say home visits will be made to raise awareness about lead poisoning in children. Lead-based paint can be a major source of poisoning in homes built before 1978. Scientists say there is “no safe blood lead level” for children to have. More than 31 hundred children under six years old in Wisconsin met the definition of being lead poisoned in 2019. Families living outside of Milwaukee and Racine where the lead abatement program is active should have their children tested if they meet certain conditions related to risk. Representatives of the D-H-S will be making stops between now and October.
Milwaukee police say three people were wounded during a pair of shooting incidents in the downtown area Wednesday as people were celebrating the Bucks winning the N-B-A Championship. Both happened shortly after 12:40 a-m near Water Street. A suspect is in custody for the shooting of a 22-year-old man who is expected to recover. One person was arrested and other suspects are being sought for the shooting that left a 19-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man wounded. They are also expected to recover. No names have been released.
No comments:
Post a Comment