The number of Covid-19 cases in Pepin county has jumped due to the omicron variant. According to Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart, since December 29, there have been 89 positive cases in the county. Testing has become an issue across the country and Stewart says Advent Health and St. Elizabeth in Wabasha have a quick turnaround time. Those wanting a test at Advent Health should call the hospital first to schedule a test.
A 36-year-old Chippewa Falls man has changed his plea and will serve eight years in a state mental facility. Cory Gudmanson had been accused of trying to kidnap several young women. He entered a guilty plea to charges of recklessly endangering safety, stalking resulting in bodily harm, and attempted false imprisonment Wednesday. He will be treated at the Mendota Mental Health Institute near Madison. Gudmanson’s attorney told the court his client suffers from schizophrenia.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is talking safety as the state’s snowmobile season hits high gear. Alcohol, excessive speed, and inexperienced drivers are said to be the leading causes of accidents and fatalities. There were 13 fatal crashes involving snowmobiles during 2021 – nine on public trails, two on frozen water, and two on highways. Snowmobile safety week starts one week from today (Friday). The D-N-R is backing a campaign called “Think Smart Before You Start” emphasizing safety on state trails.
Authorities are investigating a scene where human remains were found in a burned vehicle at a Southeastern Minnesota state park. According to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to Beaver Creek Valley State Park Wednesday morning after 7a.m. When officers arrived, they confirmed the vehicle was completely destroyed and human remains were present. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the remains and has not yet identified the victim.
There's no word yet on the cause of an early morning fire Thursday that destroyed two historic warehouses in Superior. The fire forced about a one-hour closure of the Blatnik (BLOT'-nick) Bridge, a major thoroughfare connecting that city and Duluth. Officials say they closed the bridge because smoke threatened to affect visibility for motorists. Fire Chief Scott Gordon says the destruction of two buildings from the late 1800s is a loss to the community. No one was injured. The fire started in an empty warehouse and spread to the adjacent building.
Former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy will not be getting into the 2022 race for governor. He said he wants to focus on raising his family. Duffy tells WISN-AM, "you have to be able to give 110 percent to a race, and right now in my life, with my kids, it’s just not the right time.” The Republican is now a lobbyist living in New Jersey. Duffy’s wife, Rachel, works for FOX News. Duffy said former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch has worked her heart out in the race so far but did not officially endorse her for governor.
Many Wisconsin churches may go back online due to the current COVID surge. The Wisconsin Council of Churches says it “strongly recommends” that people skip in-person services for the next four to six weeks. The Reverend Kerri Parker says the council is asking churches to pause in order to protect vulnerable people and to help keep hospitals from being overwhelmed. The Council of Churches represents more than two-thousand churches in Wisconsin.
An attorney for Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich says the former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice investigating the 2020 presidential election needs to take out newspaper ads to correct some of his statements. Genrich is asking a Waukesha County Circuit judge to impose sanctions on Michael Gableman. The request was filed Tuesday in a case originally brought by Gableman. He’s trying to force Genrich and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway to appear for questioning about the election behind closed doors. The judge has been asked to jail the two mayors if they don’t comply.
Stoughton Trailers President and C-E-O Bob Wahlin says his company would hire another 500 people right now if it could. The south-central Wisconsin transportation equipment maker is adding a new plant in Waco, Texas, and wants to expand its operation in this state. Wahlin says the difficulty of finding workers in Wisconsin is one of the reasons for buying the Texas plant. No Wisconsin jobs are moving south. Adding a new chassis production line in Stoughton is expected to bring 125-to-150 new jobs to Wisconsin – if job candidates can be found.
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman says "everything's on the table now" about COVID bonuses for front-line workers when the legislature goes back into session at month's end. Hortman said, "what I would expect is that... given the projected surplus, we will see more money dedicated to this effort, and that that will break the logjam." She says "a reasonable place to start the conversation" is Democrats' proposal to use one billion dollars of the surplus to give bigger COVID bonuses to a larger number of essential workers. But Republican Senator Karin Housley from Stillwater said earlier that lawmakers need to get an agreement on distributing the 250 million dollars already allocated, "before we go and expand the program."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he has no plans to issue a statewide mask mandate as COVID-19 cases surge. Walz says he does support a move by Minneapolis and St. Paul to reinstate local indoor mask mandates. The new masking requirements went into effect in the Twin Cities Thursday. Positivity rates and hospitalizations in the state are trending sharply upward as the highly infectious omicron variant fuels a nationwide spike in cases.
It’s already dangerous to whip out your cell phone as you pass a crash on Wisconsin highways. Now, it can be expensive. A law that went into effect last month means a driver could be fined up to 10 thousand dollars and spend nine months in jail if they use their phone within 500 feet of a crash site. Penalties are higher if you hurt someone while committing a traffic violation in construction zones, near utility workers, or in emergency response locations. Law enforcement authorities say they really haven’t seen much of a change in driver behavior yet.
Hormel Foods is sending more than 93-thousand pounds of ham to tornado victims in Kentucky. The state was ravaged by nine tornadoes in December that left 77 people dead. The Austin-based company is partnering with Convoy of Hope to provide more than 490-thousand meals to people and families in need. Seventy-five hundred hams were also donated for distribution at food shelves throughout Texas.
No comments:
Post a Comment