The Mondovi School Board has approved a mask mandate for students and staff. During a special board meeting last night the board approved the mandate unanimously. Students and staff will be required to wear masks in school buildings during school hours. The mandate comes after last week's death of a Mondovi student who reportedly died from Covid-19 complications.
A La Crosse man, convicted of killing two Dunn County Businessmen while driving drunk has been sentenced to prison. Albart Shores was sentenced to 66yrs in prison by a Sauk County Judge on Thursday. Shores was convicted of 15 different charges in connection with the deaths of Scot Miller owner of the Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax and Dave Howe, owner of Menomonie Transportation after an accident on I-94 near Wisconsin Dells.
The Buffalo County Department of Health and Human Services is notifying the public about a potential COVID-19 exposure at two events last week. According to the health department, the exposures occurred Sept. 24 and 25 in Mondovi, Wis. The exposures occurred at the Mondovi School Homecoming Parade on Sept. 24 and the Mondovi School Homecoming Dance on Sept. 25. Anyone who was at the two events is to be considered at-risk and should self-monitor for symptoms and get tested if they show any signs of COVID-19. As of Sept. 24, the Mondovi School District reported 11 new COVID-19 cases among students in the prior week and 50 total for the school year.
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is extending its indoor face mask requirement to Thanksgiving weekend. The August 20th order was set to expire Thursday. School officials say everyone is required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status until November 26th. UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmitt said in a statement, “We must remain vigilant to slow and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.” The mandate is for the Eau Claire, Rice Lake, and Marshfield campuses.
The 35-year-old man suspected of trying to kidnap three women last summer has entered a plea. Cory G. Gudmanson is accused of following each of the women and trying to force them out of their vehicles and into his. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. He was arrested by Eau Claire police in July and is being held in the Chippewa County Jail. One of the women was able to kick Gudmanson in the chest to get free and her father took down the license plate from his vehicle. A doctor will conduct a mental evaluation, the Gudmanson returns to court in December.
The Federal Communications Commission has awarded an Emergency Connectivity Fund Program grant to the Eleva-STrum School District. The district is receiving over $240,000 to purchase new iPads for K-8 students and to cover the costs of laptops for high school students. Elk Mound Schools will also be receiving a grant from the FCC.
A Jackson County man is facing child sexual assault charges. According to Jackson County Sheriff's Department, Duncan Rave of Melrose was charged with 1st-degree sexual assault after a victim told authorities Rave sexually her on four different occasions when she was 11 and 12yrs lod. Rave has denied the accusations and will be in Jackson County Court on October 4th and faces 240yrs in prison if convicted.
A 22-year-old La Crosse man is accused of running from an accident scene while leaving his burning truck behind. Jarrett J. Koski made an appearance Wednesday in La Crosse County Court. Investigators say a woman in an S-U-V was waiting to turn September 19th when Koski swerved his vehicle into her lane and hit her. The woman went to get help and police arrived to find the truck fully engulfed in flames. Koski was tracked down almost a week later.
Some of the work could come to Wisconsin, but Foxconn plans to build electric vehicles in Ohio. The electronics giant is working on a deal to buy a production and assembly plant where it will build vehicles for the new automaker, Fisker. Production would start late in 2023. Foxconn says there is still potential for some of that work to be done at its location in Racine County. The Taiwan-based company says the existing automobile manufacturing facilities, the infrastructure, employees, and a location with “robust” supply chain resources will speed up its ability to get vehicles to the market.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is defending a nearly 700-thousand-dollar Republican review of the presidential election in Wisconsin, led by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman. Vos said, " I am supremely confident that at the end of the day, Justice Gableman will produce a report that shows there were issues with the 2020 election.” Vos claims the goal is not to overturn the election, but to make sure the results were accurate. President Joe Biden carried the state by more than 20-thousand votes following a recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties. Governor Tony Evers called the taxpayer-financed effort “a 700-thousand dollar boondoggle."
Republicans in the Minnesota Senate and House are proposing a 12-hundred-dollar COVID bonus for front-line workers. But they are limited to nurses, first responders, corrections officers, long-term care workers, and hospice providers because the legislature allocated only 250-million dollars. G-O-P Representative Anne Neu Brindley from North Branch says giving bonuses to the broader group of workers that Democrats want, would mean only 200 dollars per person. I-C-U nurse Rachel Hanneman says "I appreciate that there's an emphasis on health care. I really do. But there are a bunch of people and a bunch of workers that went into making daily life possible." There's no agreement between Democrats and Republicans, as the month ends without a special session lawmakers had planned for approving COVID bonuses.
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Two Republican lawmakers are proposing a state constitutional amendment affecting three statewide offices. The move by State Senator Roger Roth and State Representative Shae Sortwell would change the state schools superintendent, treasurer and secretary of state into appointed positions. Sortwell says adding the positions to a governor’s cabinet would allow them to be given more duties. To make a change to the Wisconsin Constitution it would have to be passed in two consecutive legislative sessions, then get voter approval in a statewide referendum.
The first try was squashed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Milwaukee is going for it again. Mayor Tom Barrett says his city is bidding to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention. He tweeted Wednesday that he formally responded to the Democratic National Committee’s invitation to compete again for the event. Milwaukee prepared for months and was ready to welcome 50 thousand Democrats and media last year, but the pandemic forced a change in plans. The convention became mostly virtual. There are reportedly nearly two dozen cities competing to host the next convention for the party.
Opponents of Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 vow to continue their fight in the courts as Enbridge announced its pipeline upgrade across northern Minnesota will be operational by Friday. Winona LaDuke with Honor the Earth says federal courts have consistently ruled against pipeline projects. She calls them "export pipelines for profits in the middle of a climate crisis." Minnesota Republican state Representative Josh Heintzeman says opponents are not targeting only Line 3, but any pipeline improvement or construction project. Environmentalists warn that 760-thousand barrels of oil flowing through the pipeline every day pose significant risks to Minnesota's rivers and clean water.
One of two women accused of attacking a state senator last summer during protests has reached a plea deal with prosecutors. Samantha Hamer and Kerida O'Reilly are accused of attacking Milwaukee Democrat Tim Carpenter last summer during protests in Madison for taking videos of the protests. Hamer has reached a plea deal to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct, and felony battery charges were dropped. She may have to pay a fine in the case. O'Reilly has elected to continue to trial on the felony charges.
Minnesota's Cold Weather Rule begins Friday, which protects residents from having their heat disconnected through spring. But Ross Corson with Center Point Energy says Minnesotans who cannot pay their bill do need to contact their utility and set up a payment plan. The Minnesota Department of Commerce says the state still has 130-million dollars in energy assistance available to eligible residents and homeowners. Analysts warn that natural gas prices will nearly double this heating season.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development says people making unemployment claims should notice improvements in the system soon. The state has signed a 17-million-dollar contract with the software company Flexion. The computer system used to pay unemployment claims was swamped during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Wisconsin will use federal funds to pay for the entire project – which could wind up costing 90 million dollars. Some people had to wait several months to receive their payments.
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