The Pepin County Board voted to table an amendment to the ATV/UTV ordinance at last night's meeting. The amendment would have opened all county roads to ATVs and UTV's to year around and 24hrs a day and would have adopted the Wisconsin DNR regulations on allowing 12-15yr olds who are certified to operate an ATV under parental supervision. Supervisors were concerned about the DNR rule on 12-15yr olds as they felt the definition of parental supervision was too vague. On a vote of 7-5 the board tabled the amendment until the next meeting where they plan to have a DNR Warden come in and explain the rules and definition of parental supervision.
Dunn County authorities are asking for the public's help in a hit-run accident on Hwy 12 and Hwy BB. The vehicle that left the scene of the accident is a bright red vehicle with extensive damage to the passenger side with a likely broken window. The Sheriff's Department believes the vehicle is an older vehicle with previous bodywork done to it. If anyone has any information on the owner of the vehicle they are to contact the Sheriff's Department or Dunn County Crimestoppers.
The Buffalo County Health and Human Services Department held a community meeting last night to answer questions regarding 14 quarantine orders for students in the Mondovi School District. The meeting was held in response to the Mondovi School Board meeting from September 15th where the board voted to allow close contacts of those with covid-19 to return to school despite recommendations from CDC, that the students should quarantine. On September 17th, Health Officer Josie Knauber wrote individual quarantine orders for each of the students identified as close contacts. The district told the health department they would comply with the orders. The Health Department says the meeting was recorded and will be posted on the county's website later in the week for those that missed it.
A recent investigation in the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District has found no evidence of violations of Wisconsin's pupil discrimination law. In June the ACLU filed a complaint against the district claiming the district discriminated against students on the basis of race, sex, and sexual orientation by tolerating a hostile environment to students. The investigation interviewed 35 people including parents of students and found no evidence the district created or was responsible for a hostile school environment.
Two refugees from Afghanistan are facing federal charges for crimes allegedly committed while they were housed at Fort McCoy. Thirty-two-year-old Mohammad Haroon Imaad and 20-year-old Bahrullah Noori have federal court appearances scheduled today (Thursday) in Madison. Noori is accused of four counts of sex crimes involving a minor. Imaad allegedly strangled his wife while attacking her. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if he is convicted, while Noori could spend the rest of his life behind bars if found guilty.
Two Democratic state lawmakers are sponsoring a bill that would repeal the personal property tax in Wisconsin. Senator Brad Pfaff of Onalaska and Representative Robyn Vining of Wauwatosa say their proposal would greatly assist local businesses while holding municipalities harmless. Vining said the goal of eliminating the personal property has been supported by both Democrats and Republicans. Pfaff says the pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for small businesses and this will help save money and be more competitive. Funds preserved in the state budget would be used to compensate local governments for losses incurred by getting rid of the property tax.
A redistricting lawsuit supported by Republicans in the Legislature will go directly to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. That decision was made by the justices Wednesday on a four-to-three vote. Most similar cases are required to start in lower courts. This time, the state’s high court agreed with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. A second suit, filed by Democrats in federal court, is also being pursued right now. In both cases, it is being argued that the courts should be ready to draw the maps with political boundaries. The disagreement is over which court should handle the task.
The mayor Fitchburg plans to run for the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin state treasurer in 2022. Mayor Aaron Richardson served two years on the Fitchburg City Council before he was elected mayor in 2019. Richardson said in a statement that his experience leading Fitchburg will provide him a good foundation to make a difference in the lives of Wisconsin residents. He has a degree in marketing and management from UW-Green Bay and an M-B-A from UW-Whitewater. Current Treasurer Sarah Godlewski is running for U-S Senate next year.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan say Minnesota child care providers are now applying for monthly direct payments to stabilize their businesses. It's part of a 300-million-dollar state grant program that will last through June 2023. The stabilization grants aim to enable child care providers to boost pay and benefits for their workers as Minnesota’s economy continues to recover. Governor Walz said, "these grants will be critical in supporting our child care providers and ensuring that child care continues to be available to communities across the state.”
A Beaver Dam school board member is citing safety concerns for his decision to resign. Tony Klatt has voted in favor of a mask mandate twice for the Beaver Dam Unified School District. He says that was the right decision based on the “facts at hand.” Klatt says he decided to step down from the school board when he heard talk about plans to protest at his house. He says somebody took a picture there while his daughter was home alone and she felt unsafe. Klatt has served on the school board since April 2019. He explained his thought process in a Facebook post.
A half-dozen Native American tribes say Wisconsin’s plans for a November wolf hunt violate their treaty rights. They are suing the state in an effort to stop the hunt of an animal they consider to be sacred. The Chippewa tribes say treaties with the U-S government give them rights to half the wolf quota in the territory they gave up in the 19th Century. The tribes say they don’t want to hunt those wolves – they want to protect them. The Native Americans and many conservationists were angered when hunters nearly doubled the quota establish for the February hunt.
A hog confinement fire in southeast Minnesota prompted a temporary evacuation Tuesday afternoon. The Mower County Sheriff’s Office learned about a hog confinement fire near Adams and the caller said the unoccupied building had gotten a chemical treatment earlier in the day. That raised the possibility of a chemical release. Several fire departments responded and sheriff's deputies went to door to door to evacuate residents in the area. Crews were on the scene for hours trying to put out the flames. No injuries have been reported. Residents were allowed to return home.
The number of COVID-19 patients flooding emergency rooms has led one hospital to shut down its urgent care facility. Doctors at Watertown Regional Medical Center are switching some responsibilities. A spokesperson says emergency department patient volumes at the hospital are up by more than half. Nearly 91 percent of all hospital beds in Wisconsin are occupied during the resurgence of the virus. Medical Center officials haven’t said when the urgent care facility will reopen.
The Green Bay Packers say fans were mostly to blame for Monday night’s long lines at Lambeau Field. Fans complain they waited for an hour just to get inside the stadium for Monday night’s home opener against the Detroit Lions. It was the Packers’ first capacity crowd in two years. While digital tickets took some getting used to, and the Packers were a bit short-staffed, the team says fans waited until the last minute to head to their seats and weren’t prepared for the delays. The Packers say they hope things will go more smoothly for the next game in Green Bay in two weeks.
Wisconsin employers can expect a worker shortage for the foreseeable future. The end of enhanced federal unemployment benefits may have some people heading back to work, but Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce says the state didn’t have enough workers before the coronavirus pandemic, and that there aren’t enough workers now. W-M-C’s Kurt Bauer says the good news -- is that almost all manufacturers in Wisconsin are hiring.
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