With the delay in the construction of the new Tarrant Park Pool, the question is should the city open the old pool for one more year in 2023. During this week's city council meeting, Utilities Superintendent Matt Gills told council members to open the pool, 4 main items would have to be repaired at a cost of over $11,000. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the council will decide in January if it's worth the cost to open the pool for one more year. To open the pool, a new chlorine Pump, Impeller, and pool ladders would have to be installed and the furnace would have to be repaired.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirms a wild deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Buffalo County in the town of Lincoln. The deer was a hunter-harvested 2-year-old doe and is the first confirmed wild deer CWD-positive detection in Buffalo County. As required by state law, the DNR enacts a 3-year baiting and feeding ban in counties where CWD has been detected. Deer baiting and feeding have been banned in Buffalo County since 2018 due to CWD detections in adjacent counties. Following state law, the DNR will renew a 3-year baiting and feeding ban in Buffalo County. A public hearing on the feeding ban will be held on January 11th at 7pm at Cochrane-Fountain City High School.
Police in Eau Claire are once again asking for help in finding a murder suspect from back in September. Investigators yesterday asked for help in finding Kemone Golden. He is one of three suspects in the killing of Christopher Conner, but he is the only one on the run. Detectives say Conner died after a fight that followed a night of bar hopping. Anyone with any information about Golden is being asked to call Crime Stoppers.
A Rochester man is behind bars on suspicion of shooting his girlfriend in the head over the holiday weekend. The Olmsted County Attorney's Office announced that Phillip Turner is facing attempted murder and assault charges in connection to the Christmas Eve shooting. The 34-year-old allegedly shot the victim in front of her two children inside of an apartment complex, and she wasn't discovered until police officers conducted a welfare check 16 hours later. One child told officers their mom was dead, but she was actually still alive. She was rushed to the hospital in "grave" condition.
Gas prices are going up and fuel experts are blaming it on the cold. GasBuddy Analyst Patrick DeHaan says the recent extreme cold has caused some fuel refineries to shut down, which is tightening gas supplies, especially in the Midwest. The statewide average for regular unleaded in Wisconsin is two dollars and 94 cents a gallon, up five cents from yesterday and up nearly 20 cents from last week. Here in Western Wisconsin, gas is averaging 2.99 a gallon.
He's had the cake, now there's not much left to do for Chippewa County's sheriff. Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk will retire next week after 15 years as sheriff, and 45 years in law enforcement. There was a retirement party for him yesterday. Kowalczyk will officially retire on January 7th, next Wednesday when Travis Hakes takes over the sheriff's department.
The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says he wants to make sure that former President Trump is not the Republican nominee in the next election. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he will work to stop Trump in 2024. Vos said Trump did a lot of good things as president but fears Trump will focus on his loss in 2020 and not the future if he runs again. Vos said no one wins by focusing on the past. Vos and Trump have had a rocky relationship, with the former president trying to get Vos un-elected in November's election
Four people are being charged for their alleged involvement in last week's Mall of America shooting that left one person dead. Court records show 18-year-old TaeShawn Adams-Wright and a 17-year-old juvenile were charged with second-degree murder and second-degree assault yesterday in the death of Johntae Hudson just two days before Christmas. The 17-year-old remains at large and a nationwide warrant has been issued for his arrest. Two other 17-year-olds were charged with second-degree riot for their role in the shooting. Police expect to make additional arrests.
Add this to the list of things to do with your old Christmas Tree. The Payne's Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club in Neenah is collecting old trees to mark the ice on Lake Winnebago. The club's Jim Nobbe says they place the trees in holes in the ice about a tenth-of-a-mile apart to help ice fishers find the shore and identify cracks in the ice. Nobbe says fishermen know that a tree that's lying flat means there is a crack or a weak spot in the ice.
State Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu wants Republicans and Democrats to work together to handle a projected massive tax surplus. The Oostberg Republican tells WOMT radio that he's spoken with Democrat Governor Tony Evers, as has Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. LeMahieu says Wisconsin needs to change its tax rates and says that Wisconsin's top tax bracket is higher than neighboring states. LeMahieu has been pushing for a flat tax in Wisconsin. Governor Evers is opposed to that plan and says he wants to provide tax cuts to low and middle-income residents and send more money to communities through state aid.
The legal fee in the battle over the state's DNR Board cost taxpayers about 76 thousand dollars. The State Journal got ahold of the invoices for Fredrick Prehn's lawyer. Prehn fought all the way to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to keep his seat on the DNR Board, successfully arguing that he could stay on until the Wisconsin Senate approved his replacement. Prehn just this week agreed to step down from the board and allow Governor Evers to try and get his replacement confirmed.
A lawsuit has been filed against four agencies that renew contracts of travel nurses, then slash their pay by as much as 50%. The Wisconsin Nurses Association believes that action could lead more nurses to stay in the state. The association’s executive director, Gina Dennik-Champion, tells WMTV in Madison the circumstances are an opportunity for Wisconsin health systems to attract long-term help to understaffed hospitals. Dennik-Champion adds, in addition to good salaries, nurses are also looking for flexibility and an improved work environment and culture on the job.
An 18-year-old from Reedsburg is charged in connection with a deadly crash in Sauk County. The Wisconsin State Patrol says the suspect was driving the wrong way down Interstate 90 near Lake Delton Wednesday night when they hit another car head-on. One person in that car died in the crash and two other people were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The State Patrol says the suspect was arrested after showing signs of impairment and is facing an OWI charge.
Eastbay – a footwear brand born in Wausau – is being officially retired by its parent company in the new year. A statement on the Foot Locker website says all current Eastbay orders will be filled and shipped, but no returns or exchanges will be honored for any reason. This comes after an announcement earlier this year that the company would close its Wausau distribution center and quietly closed the popular retail store over the summer. Shoppers are being steered towards Foot Locker and Champs Sports, and gift cards with the Eastbay brand will be honored at those sites. Eastbay began in Wausau in the 1980s and was acquired by Foot Locker in 1997. The closure of the distribution center in Wausau early next year will result in layoffs of over 200 workers.
Celebrate the New Year by stepping into the outdoors with a First Day Hike at a Wisconsin state park The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will join in the annual adventure sponsored by America’s State Parks on New Year's Day for the 11th year in a row. The hikes provide a way to welcome the coming year in the outdoors, exercising, and connecting with nature. A vehicle admission sticker is required to visit state park system properties. Stickers can be purchased online, and in-person at individual state parks. Visit the DNR’s Find A Park webpage to locate a park near you
Minneapolis is considered one of the best cities in the country to celebrate New Year's Eve. That's according to a WalletHub report that compared 100 U.S. cities with nearly 30 factors, including nightlife options per capita and the price of NYE event tickets. Minneapolis ranked 24th overall. Meanwhile, St. Paul made the bottom half of the list at number 70. New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Atlanta ranked in the top five.