A Wabasha County man could face life in prison for the killing of his father in March. Forty-five-year-old James Riley of Zumbro Falls was arraigned Wednesday after being indicted by a grand jury on a first-degree murder charge. Riley had been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 73-year-old Edward Riley. Investigators say Riley admitted to hitting his dad with a hammer and stabbing him before using a tractor to put his body in the trunk of a car. The criminal complaint says Riley was upset that his father didn't name him as an heir to the family farm.
At this week's Mondovi City Council meeting, council members discussed Airbnb rentals in the city. Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the safety of the rentals was one of the main topics of discussion. Mondovi along with Durand and Wabasha has no ordinances regarding Airbnb rentals, and the Mondovi City Council is taking a wait-and-see approach.
An area facility serving veterans that are homeless or experiencing mental health issues has received a grant. Klien Hall in Chippewa Falls was awarded a $2.4 million dollar grant from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The plan is to use the money to either renovate or build a new facility. The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs would prefer a new facility that would have 48 private beds instead of the 48 communal living spaces the current building has. The hope is to have the new or renovated facility open by the fall of 2023.
Military officials say up to 10-thousand refugees from Afghanistan could pass through Fort McCoy over the coming weeks. The Wisconsin military installation west of Tomah is one of three nationwide used to process people who have been evacuated from the Middle Eastern nation. U-S Senator Ron Johnson and five Republican state lawmakers visited the base Wednesday. Democratic Governor Tony Evers also made a Wednesday visit. About one thousand refugees are current at the base. Two more flights arrived at Volk Field Wednesday, running the number of arriving flights this week to 10.
Residents of a La Crosse area community whose wells are contaminated by PFAS will continue to receive drinking water. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will continue providing drinking water to French Island after the completion of a review of PFAS testing results. The agency announced Thursday the extension of the health advisory declared earlier this year, which allows them to provide water to impacted families free of charge. The contamination from the so-called "forever chemicals" originated from La Crosse Regional Airport, located on the island.
Legal action between the legislature and UW System is looking less likely. Earlier this week, Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules co-chair, state Senator Steve Nass, said he'd ask legislative leaders to begin legal action if the UW System failed to submit it's COVID-19 protocols for the committee's review by September 2nd. Interim UW System President Tommy Thompson made it clear that wasn't going to happen. And on Thursday, Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steinke said in a tweet that "a lawsuit from the legislature would only add more confusion during an already stressful time. We’ll continue to monitor the decisions made by System, and stand ready to respond if future actions warrant it."
Nearly 700 thousand dollars will be spent on a Republican investigation of the presidential election in Wisconsin. Former state Republican Party director Reince Priebus revealed the figure on Steve Bannon's podcast this week. Ann Jacobs, a Democrat who serves as chair of the bipartisan state Elections Commission, tells the Journal Sentinel that Republicans are engaging in unfortunate efforts that sow distrust in an election that courts have repeatedly upheld. Jacobs adds it's also at the expense of taxpayers.
Minnesota Republicans are expected to elect a new state party chair next month. The G-O-P State Central Committee will have a special meeting on October 2nd. Ex-Chair Jennifer Carnahan resigned this month and deputy chair Carleton Crawford is currently leading the Minnesota Republican Party. Crawford says the party will move forward with transparency and look to help Republicans get elected across the state in 2022. A forum of G-O-P candidates for governor previously scheduled for the State Fair has been called off.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he's grateful that Minnesotans are able to get together at the State Fair -- even as COVID continues. The governor admits it's been a challenging year. Walz said "from the pandemic to civil unrest to drought to wildfires, and it feels like society's a little strained at times, this is so good for the soul." Walz says he's particularly grateful for the Minnesota farmers and agriculture workers who kept the food supply going at the height of the pandemic.
Milwaukee’s Democratic Mayor Tom Barrett has been nominated to become the U-S ambassador to Luxembourg. The Senate will need to confirm the nomination by President Biden. The White House made the announcement Wednesday. A news release quoted Barrett as saying he’s proud to be nominated. He will remain as mayor of Wisconsin’s largest city until he is confirmed. Barrett has held that position for 17 years. Before that, he was a Democratic member of the U-S House of Representatives for five terms. Barrett is also a former Wisconsin state lawmaker.
Wisconsin tribal leaders say they have filed a brief in support of lawsuits seeking the return of federal protections for gray wolves. Voigt Intertribal Task Force chairman John Johnson says it seems like their voices are never heard. He says the tribes are supposed to have a 50-percent say over resources in the Ceded Territory, but that has never happened. The D-N-R board has set a quota of 300 wolves to be killed in the fall hunt – even though the state agency’s own scientists recommended a quota of 130. The gray wolf plays an important role in Ojibwe culture.
The attorney for accused killer Kyle Rittenhouse says he can’t say who donated to his client’s defense because he doesn’t know. Kenosha County prosecutors filed a motion last week seeking a list of people who donated money to help the teenager’s defense. Rittenhouse is accused of shooting three men last summer during the Kenosha riots, killing two. Conservatives see the Illinois teen as an American patriot and they have contributed millions of dollars to his legal defense fund. Prosecutors say they want to make sure none of those donors wind up on the jury.
The battleground state of Wisconsin is going to be right in the middle of a battle over a new voting rights bill backed by Democrats in the U-S Senate. A roundtable discussion was held in Madison Wednesday. U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota told those attending the federal law is needed to head off efforts by Republicans that Democrats say are aimed at making it harder to vote. Klobuchar said the bill will pass even though it has an uncertain future based on Republican opposition. She and other Democrats are trying to build public support for the federal voting bill.
Twin Cities hospital officials say they are full on the wards, full in intensive care, and full in the emergency room. Long wait times are the norm. An estimated 97 percent of beds in metro hospitals are occupied right now. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bret Haake at Regions Hospital in St. Paul compares it to a game of musical chairs. He says staff members at his hospital are pulling overtime and working extra shifts to make it all come together. Some patients have had to wait up to seven hours to be seen in emergency rooms.
Minnesota agriculture officials are encouraging Minnesota farmers to take part in an annual pesticide and fertilizer survey. This year's survey focuses on best management practices for corn and soybean producers. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is mailing the survey to 76-hundred farmers in the state this week. Farmers who do not return their questionnaires by mail will be contacted by phone in mid-September. M-D-A says the information gathered from this survey is critical for research and educational purposes.
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