The Durand-Arkansaw School Board has modified the quarantine protocol for covid 19 close contacts. Students that are identified as close contact will be allowed to stay in school but will be required to wear a mask for the first 7days. Any athlete that is a close contact will not be allowed to play for 7days and any student of a family member with a positive covid 19 case will have to quarantine at home for 7 days and have a negative covid test to return to school. The board will revisit the policy at the October 27th meeting.
A man from rural Cannon Falls is pleading guilty to murdering his father in August 2020 following an argument over a skid loader that got stuck in a creek on a farm where they were working. The body of 56-year-old Terry DeGroot was found in the cab of the vehicle after his son, 22-year-old Cole DeGroot, surrendered to authorities. Deputies went to the farm after the son called 9-1-1, saying he was "going to do something stupid" and shoot his dad. He reportedly rode a bike to his father's nearby home and came back with a gun. Sentencing is November 8th.
One Menomonie family has asked for a due process hearing with the Menomonie School District in an attempt to get their daughter back in school. Thomas Pearson and his partner asked for the hearing because they believe the district is not taking proper Covid-19 precautions and that is preventing their daughter from a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Pearson's daughter has Downs syndrome and is at a high risk of becoming severely ill if she contracts Covid-19 and has not attended school in person. The family is seeking the district to implement a mask mandate, a vaccination requirement for staff, quarantining for people with the virus and close contacts, and social distancing. The hearing is allowed under federal and state laws regarding special education.
At the last Pepin County Board meeting, members decided to change the health insurance for county employees from the current $500 deductible plan to a deductible of $1500 for a single person and $3000 for a family plan. The county will also increase the amount they pay for health insurance premiums to approximately 88%, with the employee making up the remaining 12%.
The driver of a semi that overturned on I-94 in Jackson County Wednesday received minor injuries. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the semi was traveling eastbound on I-94 near mile marker 103 when the driver lost control and overturned spilling his load of beer. I-94 was closed to one lane while the accident scene was cleaned up by crews.
More concerning fights and attacks are being reported at Wisconsin high schools. A school resource officer at Horlick High School in Racine was assaulted by a student Tuesday. Police say the officer had just broken up a fight and was escorting two female students out of the area when he was attacked. Fond du Lac Police say students were kept in their classrooms that same morning when several other students were involved in an altercation. Police are contradicting social media rumors that someone was stabbed, weapons were involved and SWAT team members responded. They say none of that happened.
Ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin won't have a public defender as he appeals his conviction for the killing of George Floyd. The Minnesota Supreme Court rejected his request Wednesday. Chauvin says he was already denied representation by a public defender just before he filed his appeal last month. He told the court he was out of money and couldn't afford attorney fees. The Supreme Court said in its order, "having reviewed Chauvin's request, the information provided regarding his assets and debts...we conclude that Chauvin has not established that he is entitled to appointed representation at this time." He was found guilty of second-and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's killing.
Authorities say a federal agent who was wounded in a Racine incident is in stable condition, but no arrest was made because the suspect killed himself. Members of a task force led by the U-S Marshals Service were at the door of a home Wednesday morning when shots were fired from inside. An F-B-I agent was injured. The officers pulled back without returning fire and started negotiations – resulting in several children and adults being allowed to leave. When officers entered they found the man had shot himself to death.
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Members of Wisconsin school boards say the rowdy meetings they’re experiencing are scary and unacceptable. Things got heated Monday at the meeting in the Unified School District of De Pere. Parents in the crowd kept interrupting those who took the microphone to join the discussion. Later, board members found out that many of the hecklers were not from the district. Things got so bad for the school board in Oshkosh the meetings were switched to virtual. The U-S Department of Justice says the F-B-I is going to work with federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal authorities to develop plans to offset the threats in those meetings.
A trend of younger people between the ages of 30 and 49 moving to Greater Minnesota is sparking increased recruitment efforts in communities statewide. Chet Bodin (bo-deen) with the Department of Employment and Economic Development says the phenomenon is putting Minnesota ahead of the curve. He says we're not seeing this especially in rural communities in other states, even close to this level. Bodin says the influx of younger generations to Greater Minnesota has an immediate positive impact in those communities and the state as a whole. He notes some people want to be more connected to the outdoors and in a safer place to raise families.
It’s a new position for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. When she takes over later this month, Doctor Michelle Robinson will become the director of the Office of Health Equity. The new office is being created to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in health matters, while also looking at the causes of health inequities. Robinson is currently the director of the Office of the Inspector General at the state D-H-S.
It’s a way to thank Target workers for all they have to deal with during the holiday shopping rush. The Minnesota-based big-box retailer has announced store workers will receive an extra two dollars an hour when they work the five weekends just before Christmas. Hourly workers will also get a bump for working Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. The holiday cheer will be spread around because other workers for Target are also going to get holiday pay.
Five Wisconsin mayors are under orders to cooperate with Michael Gableman’s investigation into last year’s presidential election. The former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice told Green Bay’s mayor Tuesday night that he’s one of five mayors who getting subpoenas. The others are in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, and Kenosha. All five cities got election-night help from outside groups, most notably the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life. Gableman says he wants to know if the groups broke Wisconsin election laws.
An Elm Grove man who walked out of jury duty will have to serve after all. Instead of a fine or jail time, Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorrow is sentencing Charles Wilkie back to jury duty. Wilkie walked out on jury duty back in August, he later told the judge people weren’t wearing masks or physically distancing, and he didn’t feel safe. Dorrow says had Wilkie said something then, he would have been excused. Instead, Dorrow said Wilkie took matters into his own hands and jeopardized someone’s constitutional right to a trial by jury.
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