A high-speed pursuit that began in Pierce County early Wednesday morning has led to damage to a Pepin County Sheriff's Department Squad. The pursuit began when deputies tried to stop the suspect who was driving a stolen truck and trailer. The suspect refused to stop and entered Pepin County on Hwy 10 and Pepin County Deputies attempted to deploy spike strips. As the suspect approached they struck the squad car, heavily damaging it. The suspect vehicle continued east through Pepin, Buffalo, Trempealeau Jackson, Eau Claire, Clark, and Wood Counties before crashing near Marshfield. No one was injured during the pursuit and the driver was arrested in Wood County and will face multiple charges in Pierce, Pepin, and Wood Counites. The crash caused over $11,000 of damage to the squad car.
One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Salem Township on Wednesday. According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 73yr old Terry Herring of Farmington was traveling westbound on 370th Avenue when he lost control on a curve, left the roadway, and entered the north ditch where he overturned and was ejected. Herring was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.
Ten people are homeless after a fire near Tilden in Chippewa County. According to fire officials, firefighters were called to the home on 120th Avenue at 6:30 Wednesday evening and found a lean-to near the home destroyed by the blaze. The home had severe smoke damage and 10 people including 8 kids were displaced due to the smoke damage and no power to the home because of damage to the electric meter. No cause of the blaze has been determined. The Red Cross is helping the displaced family.
University of Wisconsin System campuses in western Wisconsin are expecting students, staff, and visitors to mask up in on-campus indoor spaces With several counties in the region showing substantial or high levels of COVID-19 transmission, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout are encouraging the use of masks indoors starting on Monday. According to releases by both schools, the expectation would apply to everyone indoors on campus, including vehicles regardless of vaccination status. UW La Crosse made a similar request effective on Wednesday. At UW Madison, all students, employees, and visitors to campus are being required to wear masks when inside campus buildings.
A cashier in a Chippewa Falls convenience store is being credited with stopping the scam of an elderly woman. Store leader Jenn Engaldo says she knew something was wrong when the woman tried to buy two thousand dollars in Apple gift cards at her Kwik Trip store. After some discussion, Engaldo and the police helped the woman realize she was falling for a fake arrest-warrant scam. Investigators say the clerk’s quick thinking helped save the would-be victim’s bank account. Chippewa Falls police are reminding people that the court never accepts gift cards as a way to satisfy a warrant.
With a new school year on the horizon, Minnesota parents and caregivers are reminded to save their receipts on school supply purchases. Two tax benefits can help Minnesota families pay expenses related to their child’s education: the refundable K-12 Education Credit and the K-12 Education Subtraction. The programs reduce the tax parents pay and could deliver a larger refund when filing a state income tax return next year. To qualify, the purchases must be for educational services or required classroom materials. The child must be attending kindergarten through 12th grade at a public, private, or home school and meet other qualifications. Last year, more than 33-thousand families received the K-12 Education Credit and saved an average of 250 dollars. Nearly 190 thousand got the K-12 Education Subtraction.
Two people are in custody after authorities issued an Amber Alert for a two-month-old child from Wisconsin Rapids with a medical condition. The Wisconsin Rapids Police Department says it was investigating a possible neglect/abuse case Wednesday afternoon and attempted to check the well-being of Dorian Giesen. Officers say they tried to contact his mother, 28-year-old Haley Pelot, and she led them on a vehicle chase. Investigators say the pursuit ended when Pelot threatened to harm Dorian. He requires medication several times a day and it is believed that his mother does not have his pills. The Wisconsin Rapids Police Department says they arrested two people and Dorian was recovered and is safe.
The lack of rain over the past week is making drought conditions even worse in Minnesota. The latest U-S Drought Monitor shows 35 percent of the state is now in "extreme" drought. That's up from 22 percent since last week and the highest since 2007. Nearly 79 percent of Minnesota is in "severe" drought, up from 75-point-one percent the previous week. There is rain in the forecast for the parts of the state this weekend.
The 2021 Wisconsin State Fair is officially underway. The gates opened Thursday for the first time in two years. There are some COVID-19 protocols in place, but face masks are not required on the fairgrounds. Face coverings are recommended inside buildings and there are a lot of sanitizing stations. Governor Evers and other dignitaries attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Central Mall. The State Fair runs through August 15th.
The coronavirus pandemic has made recruiting police officers even more challenging and the nationwide shortages are showing up in Wisconsin. Monona police are now paying to send new hires to the police academy, which has created a larger pool of candidates. A Beloit Police captain says the force will be down eight officer positions by the end of August. Captain Daniel Molland says the pandemic, police reform, and upcoming retirements can be blamed. The story isn’t the same for all departments. Two large recruiting efforts have resulted in nine new officers just joining the Janesville Police Department last month. That effort was needed. Police Chief David Moore says the department used to receive 300-to-400 applicants when starting a new class – now, only about 40 show up to take the written test each time.
Some Republican lawmakers are questioning why Wisconsin’s governor hasn’t spent more of the state’s federal stimulus money. The state Department of Public Instruction reports Wisconsin has spent only 17 percent of the three billion dollars it has received. State Senator Dale Kooyenga of suburban Milwaukee says that means 83 percent of the money is still just sitting in the bank. Another Republican Senator, Duey Stroebel of Cedarburg, says that is par for the course for Governor Evers. Stroebel says the Democrat has been “disorganized and inefficient” in handling the stimulus money sent to Wisconsin from Washington, D-C.
U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin says the trillion-dollar infrastructure plan passed by a committee Wednesday “delivers support from Washington to Wisconsin.” Baldwin is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes money for roads, bridges, water pipes, cybersecurity, and rural broadband service. The Wisconsin Democrat says all of those improvements are things that Wisconsin sorely needs. She says the U-S Senate will likely vote on the bill in just a matter of days.
The first time he tried, it didn’t go very far, but Governor Tony Evers is giving it a shot again. He’s trying to bring back his plan to lower the cost of prescription drugs in Wisconsin. Evers says it’s time for “bold solutions” to lower the out-of-pocket costs for consumers. The legislation faces an uncertain future since Republicans already removed it from the state budget. The plan was introduced again Wednesday. It would create a review board to establish prescription drug spending targets for the public sector and limit prices, increase funding for free clinics, cap co-payments on insulin at 50 dollars, and create a new office to oversee the drug supply chain.
Minnesota-based Target is offering its 340-thousand U-S workers debt-free education assistance to earn a degree. Starting this fall, Target says it will cover the cost of tuition, fees, and textbooks for part and full-time employees who pursue a qualifying degree at more than 40 schools. Target will also pay up to 10-thousand dollars annually for master’s degree programs. The company plans to invest 200-million dollars in the education assistance program over the next four years.
Molson Coors has announced plans to discontinue at least 11 of its national and regional brands of beer as it focuses on higher-end products. Miller High Life Light is among the brands the company will retire. A spokesman says the money will improve supply chain flexibility for the company’s more profitable priority brands. Some of the other beers that will no longer be on store shelves include Hamm’s Special Light, Icehouse Edge, Keystone Ice, and Milwaukee’s Best Premium. The move also clears the way for Molson Coors to invest more resources into its “hard-seltzer” portfolio.
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