The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include the first review of the 2022 property tax levy and budget, discussion and possible action to recreate a section of the City of Mondovi Municipal code to comply with current city practices and or state law, and discussion and possible action on the 2022 annual budget operating loan for short term borrowing. Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at the Marten Center.
A Western Wisconsin internet provider is receiving a large state grant from the Public Service Commission to expand broadband internet. 24-7 Telcom applied for more than $13 million and got about $10.5 million covering 11 expansion projects in Dunn, Eau Claire, and Chippewa Counties. The 11 projects will provide high-speed internet to 2929 homes and 154 businesses. The grants are funded through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Wisconsin pump prices have gone up a total of 12 cents this month. So far this year, the state average has increased a total of $1.01 per gallon since January 1. Wisconsin drivers are now paying $1.20 per gallon more than this time last year, and 69 cents more than this time in 2019. Average gas prices here in Western Wisconsin are averaging from 3.19 to 3.23 a gallon, compared to $1.94 a gallon a year ago. Gas prices have been dragged higher by skyrocketing crude oil prices," said Nick Jarmusz, director of public affairs for AAA. The price of US (WTI) crude oil has climbed 76% this year; going from $47 per barrel in January to nearly $84/b last week
Young children in Wisconsin's K-12 schools would get additional literacy testing, under a bill passed by the state Senate on Monday Republican state Senator Kathy Bernier of Chippewa Falls, one of the bill's authors, said additional testing for students between 4K and 2nd grade will help improve reading proficiency. The bill, opposed by education officials in part because it's not fully funded to cover additional costs, passed 20-12 on Monday. The state Assembly takes it up on Tuesday. It's not clear whether Governor Tony Evers will veto it.v
Wisconsin's coronavirus hospitalizations are under one thousand for the first time in months. The state's Hospital Association yesterday said there are 972 people in the hospital with the virus. That's down by over 100 people in just the last week alone. The Hospital Association says there are 310 people in the I-C-U with the virus.
Minnesota has surpassed a grim milestone as more than 400 people died on Minnesota roads since January 1st. The state reported its 401st death over the weekend. That is the earliest the state reached 400 traffic fatalities since 2007. Last year at this time, 322 people had been killed on Minnesota roads. The first 401 traffic fatalities include 62 motorcyclists, 46 pedestrians and seven bicyclists. 130 of this year's crashes were speed-related, 104 alcohol-related deaths and 18 involved distracted drivers.
Two people who died in a northern Wisconsin plane crash were brother and sister. The two victims of that crash are 29-year-old Aaron Mika and his 21-year-old sister Aleah. The two crashed their plane into the side of a house in the town of Marengo on Saturday afternoon. Ashland County deputies are investigating the cause of the crash alongside the F-A-A and the N-T-S-B.
The state Senate’s election committee will investigate what Republican leaders call the “careless administration of election law” by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. They'll also look at the refusal by elections officials in the City of Madison to provide documents and ballots to the Legislative Audit Bureau, which released the results of its audit last week. Madison and Milwaukee County offered the auditors copies and said they were following guidance by the U.S. Department of Justice to protect election materials. Senate Republican Leaders say audit findings make it clear that further information, and changes at the Elections Commission, are needed.
The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be making other health conditions even worse. Doctor Sandra Kamnetz at U-W Health says an increase in people seeking treatment is leading to longer waits at health care facilities statewide. Doctor Kamnetz said, "people are sicker because one they've delayed their care. They've not gone into the office to be seen. I think they're also more stressed, less active." She encourages everyone to see their physician for in-person visits including cancer screenings. Kamnetz says things like depression, weight loss, smoking cessation, and alcohol abuse can be addressed through telehealth. A U-W School of Medicine and Public Health Survey finds preventative care appointments were the most likely to be canceled since July of 2020.
Litchfield-based Sparboe Farms will donate more than a million eggs -- 90-thousand dozen -- to Minnesota nonprofits in the fight against hunger. The move resolves a lawsuit by Attorney General Keith Ellison alleging the company price-gouged at the start of the pandemic. Ellison says despite executive orders, Sparboe tripled its egg prices in March of 2020 and was unable to point to increased costs. Officials at Sparboe were not immediately reachable for comment. But marketing director Britta McGuire said earlier that Sparboe has not, and never will, engage in such practices. She said the company sells eggs to wholesalers under long-term contracts using a market-based pricing formula.
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Everyone is okay after an American Airlines plane had to make an emergency landing at the Dane County airport. The American Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles was not supposed to stop in Madison. The pilot made an emergency landing because of smoke in the cabin. Everyone was evacuated and is okay. American Airlines says the plane will stay in Madison until it can be inspected and is safe to fly. Passengers say it was scary, but are glad to be okay.
A proposed fall sandhill crane hunt is drawing the ire of conservation groups. The concerned groups say that a proposed hunt is a poor idea if the intended reason is to prevent damage to crops. Ann Lacy with the Crane Foundation says that hunt will do little to prevent damages to crops in the spring. Lacy says that there are already 100-percent effective, non-lethal methods of preventing crane and other bird damage to corn using seed treatments. The D-N-R says cranes caused less than a million dollars of damage to the state's more than two-billion-dollar corn harvest in Wisconsin.
Do your homework before hiring a snowplow contractor this winter. The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin says it’s recommended that you get at least three estimates before hiring. Those estimates should include all costs up from to avoid any surprise expenses and reputable contractors seldom require all the money upfront. The payments are generally split into two or three installments. The Better Business Bureau provides background information, complaint history, and resolution to complaints at b-b-b(dot)org.
The state’s free tax assistance programs need volunteers. Wisconsin Department of Revenue Secretary Peter Barca says they will provide training so volunteers do not need financial expertise. Volunteers helped file 28-thousand electronic returns during the last tax season. Those interested can start the process of volunteering at revenue-(dot)-w-i-(dot)-gov.
A collision between a pickup and a semi-truck in rural Olmsted County left a teen hurt over the weekend. It happened Saturday morning near Marion. The Minnesota State Patrol says 19-year-old Ryan Williams of La Crescent was southbound on Highway 52 near I-90 when he collided with a semi, also in the southbound lanes. Williams was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the truck was not hurt.
Culver's usually sells about 30 cheeseburgers-an-hour, but the company says it sold 94 of its Curderburgers per hour earlier this month. Culver's yesterday said, in all, they sold 136-thousand Curderburgers on National Cheese Curd Day. Many stores sold out before lunch. Culver's originally advertised the burger, which featured a huge golden-fried cheese curd on top, as an April Fool's prank, but made it a one-day reality after fans begged for it.
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