Local-Regional News Feb 28

 The Durand-Arkansaw School Board recently approved renewing the contract with Cluster A.  According to Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike, Cluster A is 8 school districts along and close to Hwy 10 that work together on different issues.  Doverspike says one project the group is working on what services are the districts replicating that could be shared. Because of the increase in the use of zoom by some students, it may be possible for students in Durand to take a class offered by another district in Cluster A.

A Colfax man was arrested early Saturday morning on OWI Charges.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, troopers pulled over 45yr old John Zachman on Hwy 312 for a speeding violation.  An investigation led to Zachman being arrested for OWI, drugged driving 6th offense, possession of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.  Zachman was taken to a hospital for an evidentiary blood test and then transported to the Eau Claire County Jail.

One person was injured in a single semi crash in Clifton Township on Thursday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 41yr old Feisal Axmed of Minneapolis was traveling southbound on Hwy F, lost control, crossed the centerline, and entered the east ditch striking a utility pole.  Axmed was transported to Allina Hospital in Hudson.  That accident remains under investigation.

The Wabasha County Board is meeting on Tuesday.  Items on the agenda include approval of the purchase of a Generator using Covid Immunization Grant Funds, the selection of a Zoning Consultant, and the board will go into closed session to talk with attorneys on potential litigation.  Tomorrow's meeting begins at 9am at the Wabasha County Board Room in Wabasha.

La Crosse police have identified the 27-year-old man whose dead body was found in the Black River Wednesday afternoon.  The department reports Dayton K. Anderson-Teece was found in open water behind a business at about 3:45 p-m.  W-K-B-T Television reports emergency responders were called after a witness saw a single set of footprints on the ice that walked to some open water but no footprints returning to the shore.  Authorities initially thought the dead man could be a man reported missing earlier in the week – Hamud Faal.  That proved not to be the case.

A Minnesota judge has been asked to throw out a confession made by a man after he was arrested in Tomah last year.  K-A-R-E Television reports 40-year-old McKinley Phillips is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing his wife to death in June.  The couple’s six children were upstairs watching television during the attack.  Phillips was pulled off a Greyhound bus bound for Chicago at about 3:00 a-m.  As he was being returned to Minnesota he allegedly told detectives he attacked his wife when he found a letter sent to her by a former boyfriend.

The Driver of a semi was not injured when he slid off of I-94 Friday.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, 29yr old Mahamed Farah Abdilahi of St. Cloud, MN was traveling westbound on I-97, when he slid into the pillar of the eastbound bridge over Hwy 37.  The bridge sustained some minor damage but an inspection indicated it was not structurally damaged.  That accident remains under investigation.

Students in the Flambeau School District have walked out of class to protest the removal of principal Craig Cahoon.  W-E-A-U Television reports the school board voted not to renew Cahoon’s contract last week and he was told to leave school property the next day.  Students claim Cahoon was pushed out in retaliation for cooperating with police during an investigation of District Administrator Erica Schley last year.  Schley and school board President Julie Hauser were charged with felony misconduct over a grade-altering allegation.

A Rochester man entered a guilty plea to setting a trio of fires in St. Paul last year then escaping to Mexico. Court documents reveal Jose Angel Felan Junior set fires at two retail stores and at Gordon Parks High School. After the fires, he left the state and traveled to Mexico. An anonymous tip in February led to his arrest by Mexican police on immigration violations. He was returned to the United States where he entered the guilty plea in U-S District Court.

The state of Wisconsin is receiving 400-million dollars as its part of a settlement of a nationwide opioid case. The money will be used by state and local governments to deal with the impact of the opioid crisis. Wisconsin is one of 52 states and territories involved in the 26-billion-dollar agreement with three drug distributors. Federal officials say the settlement funds will start arriving in the spring.

Some residents in Columbia County aren’t happy about plans for the Langdon Miller Solar Energy Project.  Backers say it means clean energy and economic development for the area around the Town of Courtland.  They hope to have the site up and running by 2024.  Dozens of people opposing the project met Wednesday.  They are putting together a petition to fight it.  Langdon Mills plans to host an open house about the project next Monday at the Cambria fire station.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reports fewer than one-third of the state’s residents have had booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine.  Statistics were released Thursday.  D-H-S Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake says the data help her state agency decide where to focus its efforts.  Timberlake says vaccines are crucial in the fight against the virus.  W-M-T-V reports the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene says nearly every test sampled this month has been an Omicron variant.

Democrats who control the Minnesota House passed a bill Thursday night to use one billion dollars of the state’s budget surplus so 667 thousand essential workers could each get 15-hundred-dollar COVID bonuses.  But Glencoe Republican Glenn Gruenhagen called it an exercise in futility since there’s no COVID bonus bill in the Senate. But New Hope Democrat Cedrick Frazier responded that it’s not futile to show Minnesota’s essential workers that someone cares about them. Senate Republicans are instead pushing for permanent tax cuts which they say will help “all” Minnesota workers, not just some.

U-S Customs and Border Protection agents say they found a slot jamming device kit inside a shipment from Hong Kong.  T-M-J-4 reports the electromagnetic pulse slot machine jamming device kit was detected at the Port of Milwaukee earlier this month.  It was seized because it is banned by federal law.  Those devices can be used to disrupt the operation of gambling machines but they can also interfere with radio communications, cell phones, G-P-S devices, and other communications equipment.  The shipment was headed to a resident in Mosinee.  No arrests have been reported.

A local reporter’s investigation is raising questions about where all of the money donated for Waukesha Christmas Parade attack victims is going.   Fox-Six News in Milwaukee reports some of the five-point-seven million-dollars raised for parade victims could go to local non-profits instead. Anita Busch with the group Victims First says people hurt in the attack should get 100-percent of the money. The local United Way, which is seeking some of the money, has a person on the board who will help decide where donations are sent. Busch says that’s a conflict of interest. The United for Waukesha Community Fund is accepting applications for the money until Monday. Then it will send checks in about two weeks.

A Motley mom went viral for a deal she made with her son to stay off social media until he turned 18. And last week, when Sivert Klefsaas celebrated his 18th birthday, his mom, Lorna, wrote him a check for 18-hundred dollars. Klefsaas said she got the idea after hearing on the radio about a 16-for-16 challenge, where a mom was going to pay her daughter 16-hundred dollars to do something when she was 16. She made the bet with her son when he was 12 years old, meaning he’s gone six years without social media. Lorna says he thought it was “an amazingly good deal” and took her up on it. Sivert is a senior at Staples-Motley High School and will play football this fall at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul.

Local-Regional News Feb 25

 The city of Durand has approved sending out a request for proposals for a consultant to apply for a special grant program from the federal government and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the grant if approved would be used for the reconstruction of Main Street. The grant would pay for 80% of the road work, curb, and gutter of the project.  The water and sewer portion of the project would not be covered by the grant, but Milliren says the city will also apply for upcoming grants for that part of the project.

The Pepin County Health Department has free carbon monoxide detectors available for area residents.  Pepin County Public Health Specialist Alex Strand says the department as part of an education program on the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poising, the department has the detectors available. The detectors were made possible by the Western Wisconsin Public Health Readiness Coalition.  Those in Pepin in Stockholm can contact the health department and the department will have the detectors available for pickup at the Pepin Village Hall.

A Colfax man has been found guilty of sexual assault of a child and repeated sexual assault of a child in Dunn County Court.  Jeffrey McCulloch was found guilty of 5 charges after a woman came forward in 2020 reporting that McCulloch had repeatedly assaulted her starting when she was 7.  McCulloch will be sentenced in May.

A judge has imposed a sentence well below state guidelines for a Minnesota woman who helped her son dispose of her husband’s body.  With credit for time served, 63-year-old Connie L. Herbst will spend another three months in prison.  Twenty-seven-year-old Austin Herbst pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder and he has seven years remaining on his sentence.  Defense attorneys said Connie Herbst and her son were physically and emotionally abused for years before the son killed Gary Herbst in July 2013.  His body was dumped in Barron County, Wisconsin, and was dug up by a dog four years later.

The Wisconsin National Guard confirmed Thursday that its troops have not received orders directing them to mobilize in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  Approximately 150 of soldiers from the 107th Maintenance Company, however, remain in eastern Europe as part of a deployment that left for the region last summer.  The 107th left for Europe at the end of May last year as part of Operation Atlantic Reserve. At the time, the Wisconsin National Guard described it as a “planned multinational joint exercise, Defender-Europe 2021.” The company is based in Sparta, with detachments in Viroqua and in Camp Ripley, Minnesota.

The Monroe County district attorney has apologized for a hit-and-run crash last December.  Kevin Croninger admits he hit an unoccupied car in Sparta then didn’t stop.  W-K-B-T Television reports Croninger told investigators he was on his way home after a night out with friends.  He said he drank that night but didn’t feel he was impaired.  His sobriety couldn’t be checked because he didn’t report the crash until the next day.  He was given a non-criminal citation.

A bill is moving forward in the Minnesota House that aims to require ethnic studies in Minnesota classrooms. Republican Steve Drazkowski voted “no” on the bill in a House committee. He says he’s concerned about “legitimizing” approaches to multi-culturalism, and that to move forward as a country they have to stop spreading “the idea that different groups are victimized.” D-F-L Representative Hodan Hassan from Minneapolis says not wanting to talk about multi-culturalism is insulting and equates it to “dismissing people’s existence.” The bill would incorporate ethnic studies into social studies graduation requirements and would establish a task force to advise a commissioner on ethnic studies standards and curriculum.

Guilty on all counts. Those are the verdicts in the federal civil rights trial stemming from George Floyd's death. It took an all-white Minnesota jury two days to find three former Minneapolis police officers guilty of five counts of violating Floyd's rights during his May 2020 death. Former Minneapolis officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng were convicted of failing to intervene and failing to render medical aid, while Thomas Lane was guilty of failing to render medical aid to Floyd. Ex-officer Derek Chauvin already pleaded guilty to federal charges in Floyd's death. No sentencing hearing has been scheduled.

A Minnesota man has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide in the fatal crash that killed Winona State University student Hannah Goman.  Thirty-five-year-old Adam S. Anderson has an initial appearance in Winona County Court set for next week.  Goman was a passenger in the car Anderson hit just after midnight Saturday as he was driving the wrong way on U-S Highway 61.  The Stevens Point woman died of the injuries she suffered in the wreck.  Two other people in the vehicle with her were also injured.

Members of the Natural Resources Board have lessened proposed restrictions on PFAS contamination in the state's groundwater.   On Wednesday, the board voted in favor of setting acceptable contaminations levels at 70 parts per trillion for drinking water. That's more than triple the amount that the Department of Health Services had recommended as part of the 3-year long process of setting those levels. Members of the board cited the costs required to remediate PFAS contamination to the levels that D H S wanted. Numerous communities across the state are dealing with those chemicals in their water supply, including Marinette, Wausau, Madison, and La Crosse.

A cybersecurity expert at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh says big industries are likely to be targeted by more online attacks.  Michael Patton says it just takes some foresight to keep themselves safe.  Patton says, “Oshkosh Corporation is potentially the target of a nation-state.”  He reminds people to remain alert for hackers and crooks trying to access their personal data.  Patton says if you are breathing you have a digital footprint and you could be targeted.

The estate of a man shot to death at the Brown County Jail is asking a federal appeals court to allow its lawsuit to continue.  Fox-11 reports 26-year-old Jonathan Tubby was fatally wounded by a Green Bay police officer at the jail in October 2018.  Officer Erik O’Brien’s actions were ruled justified.  A federal civil rights lawsuit was filed by Tubby’s family, but it was dismissed.  Attorneys for the estate argued the dismissal by summary judgment was in error and the case should resume.  No ruling has been issued yet.

The Slumberland American Birkebeiner cross country ski race is this weekend in Hayward.                            More than ten thousand skiers will compete in the Slumberland American Birkebeiner ski races this week. Birke executive director Ben Popp says there are many great athletes to watch.  Tens of thousands of spectators watch the main races on Saturday with the first wave of elite skiers crossing the finish line around 10:30 a.m. in downtown Hayward.

Specialized agricultural license plates are now available to Minnesotans. Minnesota F-F-A Foundation executive director Val Aarsvold says it took four legislative sessions to make it happen -- but during those four years the number of people wanting to purchase an Ag specialty plate grew. The winning design depicts a rising sun and two sets of hands, which is a nod to both 4-H and the Future Farmers of America. One set of hands is smaller than the other, which Aarsvold says represents a difference in age and the mentoring that takes place. The cost is 15 dollars and 50 cents for the plate itself, and a minimum annual 20-dollar contribution to be divided equally between the state F-F-A and 4-H.

Local-Regional News Feb 24

The Durand City Council approved the purchase of a new plow for the public works department.  The plow can be fitted to the current front-end loader and according to Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says is multi-purpose.  The cost of the plow is approximately $45,000.

The Pepin County Health Department has hired a new public health specialist.  Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says the new specialist will be handling covid 19 and recovery.   Stewart says the department is working on resuming other services and programs now that Strand is on board handling covid 19 duties.

A Chippewa Falls man says the county wasn’t responding and legal action was his only option.  W-E-A-U Television reports Jake Rooney lives about a mile from the Chippewa County Public Gun Range in Tilden.  Rooney says several bullets from the range have damaged his property.  After trying to find a safe solution with county officials he served them with a Notice of Claims Tuesday.  Rooney says he has 11 bullet holes in his shed and it was new when he moved in a few years ago.  He’s asking the court to award him one point-seven million dollars to cover the cost of repairs and the property value he’s lost.

A December jury trial has been scheduled for a 26-year-old Eau Claire man accused of killing a teenager last year.  Austin Vang faces a charge of first-degree reckless homicide.  Investigators say Vang shot 14-year-old Marwan Washington in the neck last July.  W-E-A-U Television reports Vang told emergency responders he was handling his gun and forgot it was loaded.  Police say their investigation revealed he had a history of being negligent with firearms.

 Rochester-based Mayo Clinic is easing hospital visitor restrictions as new COVID cases continue dropping. Beginning today (Thursday), two visitors will be allowed for each adult inpatient. They'll still need to be designated, consistent, and at least five years old. Two visitors over age 15 per patient will also be allowed in the Family Birth Center, plus Mayo is easing overnight restrictions.

A Monroe County Circuit judge has sentenced a Milwaukee man to spend the rest of his life in prison for a 2020 killing in Sparta.  Sparta police detectives believe the shooting was connected to the sale of drugs.  Thirty-nine-year-old Michael Hartmann was sentenced Tuesday.  He had been found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of 61-year-old Anthony Koopman.  A jury found Hartmann guilty last November.

The Wisconsin Assembly has approved legislation that would limit the civil liability for gunmakers.  Republican state Representative Gae Magnafici of Amery says she just feels that when a crime has been committed “we should blame the criminal and not the gun.”  Democrats wanted votes on other measures like mandatory background checks for all gun purchases but they didn't happen.  Governor Tony Evers is likely to veto the bill.

 Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says the probe into Wisconsin's 2020 presidential election is dragging on because liberals have been spending all their time obstructing the process.  The Republican says he hopes the probe will be done by the end of this month.  Vos says there has been a lack of cooperation with the investigation conducted by Mike Gableman, a former state Supreme Court justice.  Gableman has also said he expects to conclude the investigation by the end of February.

 Oral arguments have been offered over accusations that the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board is violating the open records law.  The suit was filed last October.  W-I-S-C reports Midwest Environmental Advocates to accuse former board chairman Fred Prehn of withholding communications connected to his refusal to step down at the end of his term.  M-E-A says a text it found indicates there could be existing records that weren’t shared when it made an open records request.  Dane County Judge Everett D. Mitchell says he will issue a ruling this week.

Some lawmakers in the Minnesota Senate, bemoaning what they label a shortage of state funding for roads and bridges, are pushing for an electric vehicle tax -- the rough equivalent of Minnesota's gasoline tax, which they call a "dying star."  Hutchinson Senator Scott Newman says he believes the state constitution allows them to tax “any substance that propels a motor vehicle,” including electricity. Newman also proposes all Minnesota sales tax on auto parts -- not only about half of it -- to go exclusively for road and bridge projects. But he also says funding beyond that is necessary to meet the need.

Almost every business in Wisconsin reports problems due to either inflation or the supply chain.   Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce’s latest employer survey says nearly half of businesses in Wisconsin have seen prices rise more than ten percent, and one in five have seen prices jump by more than 20-percent. 98-percent of Wisconsin businesses say inflation has driven their costs up, and 82-percent say inflation has hurt them. 93-percent report costs going up because of supply chain problems. 48-percent say they had to turn down orders, and 12-percent canceled product lines because of supply chain problems.

With the peak of the omicron surge in the rearview mirror, the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is dropping. But Mayo Clinic COVID-19 experts caution that vaccination and boosters are still key. Doctor Melanie Swift says “vaccination has moved us to a very different place than we would have been without it.” Despite surges and record-high hospitalizations, Swift says without vaccinations, they would have been so much more devastating. She adds that the majority of hospitalized COVID patients are unvaccinated.

Wisconsin lawmakers have taken one of the first steps toward the dissolution of the state’s largest school district.  Assembly members Tuesday passed a bill to break up Milwaukee Public Schools.  Democratic Governor Tony Evers would be expected to veto the legislation if it makes it through the Wisconsin Senate.  M-P-S officials, Milwaukee leaders, and candidates for mayor oppose the idea.

Members of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee spent Tuesday working on clean water bills.  Legislation was approved that will set aside up to one-point-four-million dollars each year aimed at keeping farm fertilizers out of the groundwater.  The funds would also be used to pay for a new position in the University of Wisconsin System that would be responsible for monitoring water quality.  State agriculture groups support the package of bills.

Local-Regional News Feb 23

 The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on the purchase of a front-end loader and plow, applying for the Wisconsin DOT grant program and reports from the Mayor and City Department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 from Durand City Hall.  The meeting will also be live-streamed on the WRDN website.

A convicted sex offender currently facing child sexual assault charges in Buffalo County is now charged with sexually assaulting another child in Chippewa County. WQOW-TV reports a child came forward to authorities telling them that 25yr old Charles Zaruba sexually assaulted her in 2019  Zaruba is due in Buffalo County Court in March to face charges of sexually assaulting two children in Mondovi.  He will face the Chippewa County charges in May.

One person is dead after a one-vehicle accident in La Crosse County on Sunda.  According to the La Crosse County Sheriffs Department, 59yr old Julie Ross was traveling westbound on Hwy 14-61 when her vehicle left the roadway, went into the westbound ditch, up an embankment and rolled several times.  Ross was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rochester-based Mayo Clinic Health System plans a new 70-bed hospital in La Crosse to replace its current facility in that southwest Wisconsin community. The new six-floor building will include a surgical and procedural floor as well as a new Family Birth Center, an ICU and progressive care unit, and space for future expansion. Construction is set to begin in mid-April with completion in 2024. Along with an expansion project at Mayo's hospital in Mankato, Minnesota, the total cost of is around 353 million dollars

The state Assembly approves legislation to require school districts to hire a school resource officer under certain circumstances. It’s from Delafield Republican Cindi Duchow (DOO-co), who says many schools need the officers.  Under the bill, if a district reports 100 or more violent incidents and at least 25 arrests in one semester, an armed school resource officer would have to be hired. The Madison and Milwaukee districts terminated their School Resource Officer contracts in 2020.

A State Senate bill that would have allowed for early counting of absentee ballots won't be getting a vote in the Assembly.  That Senate Bill would have allowed local governments to begin early counts of absentee ballots before the polls close, on the requirement that the totals not be announced until that time. But Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called that a nonstarter ahead of Tuesday's Assembly Session. A number of city and county clerks had asked for this measure to prevent late-night elections counts like the ones that were seen in the 2020 presidential election.

The Cottage Grove Village Board has given final approval to plans for an Amazon fulfillment center.  Monday’s action was the fourth and final step in the process – and it came despite the fact 12 of the 14 people who spoke were against the big project.  Work on the five-story warehouse and distribution center could start this year.  Opponents asked that the final decision be delayed.  The center will mean 15-hundred new jobs.

 A bill that gives Minnesota consumers more options for getting their electronics repaired is making its way through the state legislature. The bill would require original equipment manufacturers to make repair information and equipment available to independent repair providers and owners. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison supports the bill, saying if “my device is broken, shouldn't I get to decide how it's repaired?” Matthew Larsgard with the Pioneer Equipment Dealer's Association opposes the bill, saying safety and legal concerns will create significant liability exposure for their dealerships. If the bill passes, civil penalties would be imposed on companies and manufacturers that restrict where consumers can get their electronics and equipment repaired.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says there’s no support for a 41-million-dollar plan to build a youth corrections facility in Milwaukee among his members.  State Senators were discussing the issue Tuesday.  The state has been working on closing Lincoln Hills School for Boys in Irma since 2018.  Speaker Vos says local and county governments are already building smaller places for youthful offenders.  He says that will eventually do away with the need for a state facility.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice says a Superior police officer ran over a person lying in the road while responding to an emergency call Saturday.  K-B-J-R Television reports the officer didn’t realize what he had done at first.  A 9-1-1 caller had reported an injured person was in the road shortly before 9:30 p-m.  The victim is reported to be in critical condition at a nearby hospital.  No names have been released. . State Investigators say it isn’t known if the victim had been hurt before the squad car ran over them.

Minnesota lawmakers are renewing their push for Minnesota to join a “compact” of 39 other states to help with the shortage of nurses. It would allow nurses from those states to practice here without obtaining a Minnesota license -- and Minnesota nurses could practice in those other states without getting licenses there. U-of-M Nursing School Dean, Doctor Connie White Delaney, says this is most likely the most serious, dire nursing shortage in the history of this state. The Minnesota Nurses Association says there is no shortage of nurses who want to work bedside, but hospital C-E-O’s continue to create conditions that make it impossible for them to do that.

At the Capitol, Democrats introduce a package of 8 bills to address staffing shortages in schools.   The proposals would increase teacher salaries, offer bonuses to those who stay in the profession, and boost health insurance benefits. They’re unlikely to gain support from Republicans.

Former governor and U-W System President Tommy Thompson will give the commencement address at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville next May.  Thompson steps down as interim leader of the system March 18th.  He took the temporary job in July 2020.  The Board of Regents unanimously voted to remove the word “interim” from his title, making Thompson the eighth president of the statewide system.  Thompson served four terms as Wisconsin governor from 1987-to-2001.  He will speak at the ceremonies in Platteville May 14th.

A plan to eliminate the Minnesota state income tax on Social Security led to a spirited discussion involving the public at a Senate hearing.  Stewartville resident Barry Bisbee told lawmakers people who worked hard for their money shouldn’t be taxed more in retirement.  Another man, Patrick Gannon of Rochester, said getting rid of the state tax does little to benefit low-income people.  Even if it passes the state Senate, the bill has very little chance in the Democrat-controlled Minnesota House.

 A Madison couple tells police they found a burglar sleeping on their couch when they returned home Saturday afternoon.  They say the 29-year-old suspect not only “made a mess” of their home, but he may also have taken a shower and appeared to be wearing their clothes.  W-M-T-V reports arriving officers told the man to come out and, when he did, he was holding several items belonging to the couple including AirPods, charging bricks, and clothes.  The suspect’s name hasn’t been released.  He was booked into the Dane County Jail on suspicion of burglary.

Local-Regional News Feb 22

 The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion of flood mitigation efforts on Lambeau Court and a review of the final plans for the North Eau Claire Street Project, discussion on the Spielbauer Fireworks display for July 4th, and reports from the mayor and department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

January home sales across Wisconsin fell 4.2% relative to that same month last year as tight inventories continued to constrain the housing market.  In the latest report from the Wisconsin Realtors Association, here in Western Wisconsin home sales were 4.3% higher.  Pepin County reported 2 homes sold in January, Buffalo County 5, Pierce and Trempealeau Counties each had 24 homes sold while Dunn County reported 42 homes sold in January.  The median price of a home in Western Wisconsin was $230,000 in January.

Governor Tony Evers has a new initiative to assist Wisconsin veterans.   Evers was in Chippewa Falls Monday , visiting the Wisconsin Veterans Home. There, he signed an executive order creating his Blue Ribbon Commission on Veteran Opportunity, an act he announced in last week's state of the state address. The commission will work toward developing comprehensive, long-term efforts to support veterans' health, well-being, and success, as well as improve veterans' access to higher education, employment, job training and licensing, and affordable housing.

A plea deal has been reached in the beating death of an elderly La Crosse man.  A tentative agreement has been reached, whereby 51-year-old Matthew Kinstler will plead guilty to first-degree reckless homicide, and prosecutors will recommend 10 years in prison. The May 2020 death of 79-year-old Russell Paulson in Menard’s parking lot drew statewide attention. Witnesses told police that Kinstler appeared to be the aggressor in a dispute over a parking spot and that he struck the much older man with his own walking stick. A date for the plea hearing has not been set.

Add two casinos operated by the Forest County Potawatomi to the list of those offering sports betting in Wisconsin.  A compact amendment has been signed with the state to allow event betting at the casinos.  That amendment is being reviewed by the U-S Department of the Interior.  Sports betting would be offered at casinos in the Menominee Valley and Forest County.  A sportsbook would be opened at the Hotel and Casino in Milwaukee by the end of the year.  The Oneida Nation has had sports betting since November and a similar compact has been signed with the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin.

A Stevens Point woman was killed in an accident on Hwy 61 in Winona early Saturday.  According to the Minnesota State Patrol, 20yr old Hannah Goman, was a passenger in a car going the wrong way on Hwy 61 when it was struck by a pickup truck.    The 21yr old driver and another 22yr old passenger, both from Oshkosh were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  Alcohol is believed to be a factor in that accident.

Republican state lawmakers are aiming to make Voter ID the default in Wisconsin by amending the state constitution to require them. Wausau Assemblyman Pat Snyder says this won't prevent people from voting.   The amendment would need to pass through the legislature twice and then go to a vote on elections day to make it into the state constitution. It's unclear if the State Senate will take up the measure this session.

 A Madison man is facing charges for his seventh operating while intoxicated offense after calling 9-1-1 Friday.  Forty-seven-year-old Daniel Tesnow got the attention of Dane County deputies when he called them to thank them for their service – then hung up.  When the dispatcher called Tesnow back to check on him, he reportedly became angry.  When deputies arrived at the Magnuson Grand Hotel in the town of Blooming Grove they were told the man had driven away.  A deputy spotted Tesnow driving erratically, narrowly missing a collision, not far away.  He was stopped in the Town of Dunn and arrested.

The Minnesota House Judiciary, Finance, and Civil Law committee is hosting a remote hearing today on a bill banning almost all no-knock search warrants. The measure passed the House Public Safety committee last Thursday on a mostly partisan vote. The bill is in response to the fatal Minneapolis police shooting of Amir Locke. It will likely face stiff opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate

He says they are dodging his subpoenas and the head of the Republican election probe wants to arrest two mayors.  Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman is asking a Waukesha County judge to issue the arrest warrants for Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, and Wisconsin Elections Commission chair Ann Jacobs.  Rhodes-Conway says the whole investigation is “off the rails.”  She calls the move “awfully bold.”  Gableman backed off a previous effort to arrest the mayors when their offices gave him some pushback.

The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office has had a busy weekend with ice rescues.  Authorities say they had to conduct 14 rescues in a little over 16 hours from Friday at 6:30 p-m through 11:00 a-m Saturday on Lake Winnebago and Lake Poygan.  Wind gusts of 56 miles per hour were reported in Sherwood Friday just before 7:00 p-m.  The winter weather forced the early shut down of the Battle on Bago fishing tournament at Menominee Park.  No deaths were reported in any of the rescues.

A special election will be held August 9th, with a special primary on May 24th if needed, for the U-S House seat formerly held by the late First District Congressman Jim Hagedorn (HAG-uh-dorn). Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier (SHEER) says possible Republican candidates in that G-O-P-leaning district include state senators Carla Nelson and Dave Senjem from Rochester, state Representative Jeremy Munson from Lake Crystal, and former state Representative Brad Finstad. There's also the possibility that Jennifer Carnahan, Hagedorn’s wife, may jump into the race. Hagedorn died last week after a long battle with cancer.

Milwaukee’s Summerfest will proceed without COVID-19 precautions this year.  Organizers say festival-goers will not be asked to wear masks, or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination. The relaxed requirements come as COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward in Wisconsin. Summerfest was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and last year’s festival took place from mid-summer to early September. Summerfest will be held on three consecutive weekends this year: June 23-25, June 30-July 2; and July 7-9.

Green Bay Public Works officials are trying to remind people that “flushable” wipes aren’t really flushable at all.  City workers last week spent hours cleaning out 12-hundred feet of sanitary line.  W-B-A-Y Television reports at the bottom of the problem they found flushable wipes and absorbent pads clogging up two pumps on the city’s west side.  Department director Steve Grenier says hundreds of Green Bay homes and businesses were at risk of a sanitary backup that could have been catastrophic.  He says you should dispose of your wipes in the trash can.

Local-Regional News Feb 21

 Northern Wisconsin should brace for more snow Monday into Tuesday.  The National Weather Service says areas to the north and west of Wausau could see at least six and as much as 16 inches of snow into the Lake Superior snow belt in several waves. Here in West Central Wisconsin, we could see 4-5 inches of snow before it ends, while parts of southwest Wisconsin could see some ice and sleet accumulation as well.  Drivers are reminded to stay safe on the roads and don't travel unless they have to until the roads are clear.

While other school districts across the country have been experiencing learning loss among their students due to the pandemic, that has not been the case for the Durand-Arkansaw School District.  Superintendent Greg Doverspike says the staff and students have worked hard and the district has continued with in-person learning.  One area the district is still working on is the social, emotional, and mental health of the students due to the pandemic.

A semi-truck rolled off Interstate 94 near the Minnesota/Wisconsin border Saturday and narrowly missed ending up in the icy St. Croix River. The Wisconsin State Patrol released a photo that shows the truck completely rolled over down an embankment that led directly to the river. Rescue crews were forced to extricate the driver from the cab. He was treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

A UW-Eau Claire student faces felony charges after he allegedly caused thousands of dollars in damage to a dorm basement.   Prosecutors charged 21-year-old Zachary Cunningham of New Richmond on Thursday with felony burglary and criminal damage to property.  The damage was discovered on February 2nd and included several doors, two card swipe readers, and wiring that had been ripped from the ceiling.  

The Wisconsin State Patrol reports 10 people were injured in a 39-car pileup on U-S Highway 51 in Marathon County.  The chain reaction collision happened at about 4:30 Friday afternoon.  Investigators say the severe winter weather was a factor.  Extrication equipment was used to remove some victims from their cars.  They were taken to local hospitals where their medical conditions haven’t been reported.  The crash shut down traffic in both directions on the busy highway near Wausau for about four hours.

A state appeals court has overturned a conviction for a man accused of dealing meth. Wood County deputies arrested Jere Meddaugh in April of 2020 after he was spotted riding his bike behind a school in Wisconsin Rapids. Meddaugh didn't stop when asked and was chased down by officers, who found around seven thousand dollars worth of meth on him. But his attorneys argued that there was no probable cause for that stop in the first place. The appeals court agreed. The state will now have to retry the case without the evidence from the stop.

Bacterial infections in four babies, including one in Minnesota, prompted the recall of infant formula made by Abbott Nutrition. The F-D-A says the recall impacts Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare powdered formula. The recall is limited to containers with an expiration date of April 1st, 2022, or later, where the first two barcode digits are numbers 22 through 37, and the full bar code contains K-8, S-H, or Z-2.

The union representing food service workers at Minneapolis Public Schools could become the latest Twin Cities Metro area education-related union to authorize a strike. The leadership of S-E-I-U local 284 said they will announce a date of their own strike vote on Monday. The union says they are frustrated with the lack of what they view as a fair agreement with district leadership, noting the workers they represent are mostly hourly employees who work multiple jobs. Already this week teachers in Minneapolis and St. Paul voted to authorize their own strikes.

The Legislature will take up a Republican package of election bills this week.  One of them would require the Wisconsin Elections Commission to submit all guidance to the Legislature for approval.  Another would give the Legislature the authority to fire employees and reduce funding for the commission if lawmakers determine any of them violated election laws.  The Wisconsin Senate is scheduled to take up the measures Tuesday, followed by the Assembly Thursday.  Governor Tony Evers is expected to use his veto pen on the package.  He vetoed a similar package of bills last June.

A group of nurses who want to unionize say they will picket outside next week’s U-W Health Board meeting Thursday.  They say they will conduct an informational picket for safe staffing, quality care, and a union.  The nurses say they have been called essential heroes, but the hospital doesn’t try to retain them or include them in meaningful decision-making on issues that matter to them.  They say they have suffered from extreme physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion during the pandemic.  They say 15-hundred nurses have signed cards demanding union recognition and U-W Health hasn’t responded.

 One of the most popular politicians in Wisconsin history says he will decide in April if he will run for governor once again.  Tommy Thompson will step down as Interim University of Wisconsin System President next month.  The Republican says he will make his decision after that.  The state’s Republican field for governor is already crowded with Rebecca Kleefisch, Kevin Nicholson, and state Representative Tim Ramthun campaigning for Wisconsin’s top statewide elective office.  Thompson has been elected governor four times.  He left office 20 years ago to serve as U-S Secretary of Health and Human Services in the George W. Bush administration.

New legislation approved by the Wisconsin Assembly Thursday would put a cap on unemployment benefits when the state’s economy is strong.  How long you could receive benefits would be tied to the unemployment rate.  Now, benefits can last up to 26 weeks.  The new bill would cut that to 14 weeks when the state’s unemployment rate is two-point-eight percent – as it is now.  Republicans say the package of bills is a way to keep people in the workforce.  Democrats are less enthusiastic, saying the measures punish people who are still looking for work.

Judge Regina Chu sentenced former Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter to 24 months in prison in the April death of Daunte Wright. Chu said Friday this was the "saddest" case in her more than 20 years on the bench and she called the death of Daunte Wright a tragic mistake. A Hennepin County jury found Potter guilty in December of first and second-degree manslaughter in Wright's death. Judge Chu got emotional after announcing a 24-month sentence for Kim Potter, saying police risk their lives every single day in public service and Officer Potter made a mistake that ended tragically and she never intended to hurt anyone.

A 29-year-old St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge in Dakota County.  Nicholas Alan Taylor was accused of aiding and abetting in the death of 55-year-old Chris Lafontaine in Greenvale Township last year.  Taylor will be sentenced June 2nd.  He’s being held in the Dakota County Jail without bail.  A 9-1-1 caller reported a burglary in progress last July.  When deputies responded they found Lafontaine dead in a bathroom.

The Department of Natural Resources is asking for your help spotting bear dens this spring.  The DNR is looking for black bear dens in order to collar the animals for a new research study. They're trying to more accurately predict the reproduction rate of the bears, and the more bears they can track the better. If you spot a bear den, don't get too close, but contact them on their website at D N R dot W I dot Gov and search for bear dens. 

Local-Regional News Feb 18

 The Durand-Arkansaw School District is expecting a balanced budget for the 22-23 school year.  Durand-Arkansaw Superintendent Greg Doverspike says there are a few factors that will affect the budget including health insurance and staffing levels.  Another factor that will affect the budget is the student population count and how that will affect state aid.

The recent rash of thefts of catalytic converters has law enforcement trying to find different ways to deter the thefts.  Durand Police Chief Stan Ridgeway says one of the problems is the scrap yards accepting the converters without asking for proper identification.  Recently, the Eau Claire Police Department held an event where people could have their catalytic converter painted to help deter the thefts.  Ridgeway says he is planning on asking Eau Claire Police if the event helped in reducing the thefts and looking at the possibility of holding something similar in Durand.

 

People’s Energy Cooperative is warning its customers after receiving reports of numerous scams.  According to Co-op, one member reported being told that he overpaid on his bill and the company was refunding his money, but they needed his bank account information first. Other people reported being told that they would receive a $50 discount if they also gave out their bank account information.   People’s Energy Cooperative said it will never request bank or payment information over the phone.  All payments go through a secure online management system.

A Hudson man faces several charges including first-degree reckless homicide in a child's death.  Thirty-seven-year-old Paul Marshall is accused of killing his infant two weeks ago.  Emergency responders were called to a home on February 4th to help a seven-week-old child suffering cardiac arrest.  A news release indicates the infant was revived and taken to Children’s Hospital in St. Paul.  The victim died three days later.  Doctors told police the cardiac arrest was caused by injuries to the child’s head.  There were also several fractures, including skull fractures, and the child no longer had any brain activity.  Marshall was arrested Tuesday and made a court appearance Wednesday.

 Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig is sponsoring legislation that would lower federal taxes for small businesses.   The Small Business Tax Relief Act lowers the corporate income tax rate from 21 to 18 percent on the first 400-thousand dollars in taxable income for businesses earning less than five million dollars annually.  Craig says in a statement," for nearly two years, small business owners have grappled with a struggling economy, ever-changing regulations and tax burdens far higher than that of many Fortune 500 corporations."   She says it's long past time that we re-centered our economy around the businesses that make up 93 percent of employers in Minnesota's 2nd District.

People who applied to hunt wolves in Wisconsin will be getting a refund.  The Department of Natural Resources will refund the ten-dollar permit application fee following a ruling which put wolves back on the Endangered Species List. That federal court action means Wisconsin does not have the authority to start a wolf harvest season. The DNR will refund all application checks via mail, which should take 4-to-6 weeks. The court ruling also invalidates permits to private landowners, for use of lethal force against wolves, and prohibits the DNR from using "lethal control" methods. Also, dog hunters will no longer be allowed to pursue wolves to train hunting dogs.

Milwaukee already had the infrastructure and planning figured out – then the Democrats didn’t come two years ago.  That work may be the biggest selling point for Cream City.  T-M-J-4 reports the Republican National Committee isn’t promising anything yet, but the fact Wisconsin’s biggest city is almost “turn-key” is a major selling point for it to host the 2024 Republican National Convention.  Former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus says the locals did an outstanding job of selling when the national Republican delegation spent Wednesday in Milwaukee.  The delegation visits Nashville next.

Sales of Wisconsin dairy products were up nearly 15-percent last year and meat products jumped by 10-percent.  Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Secretary Randy Romansky says the state broke the old record for ag exports in 2021.  Not all crops were up.  Ginseng producers say there’s a chance they might be forced out of business.  The tariff battle with China resulted in a 41-percent tax and tariff on Wisconsin products sold there.

The Republican leader of the Wisconsin Senate blames the governor’s use of vetoes for problems like the state's worker shortage and finances continuing to “fester.”  Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu says strong leaders are needed during times of crisis.  W-M-T-V reports LeMahieu refers to leaders who cast a “bold vision” and “deliver on that vision.”  He says that’s where Democratic Governor Tony Evers has failed.  LeMahieu says his Republican party has provided the strong leadership the state needed on the budget – and the governor just followed.  His comments were the party’s response to Evers’ State of the State address Tuesday.

Allina Health is relaxing visitor rules as COVID-19 case counts continue to fall in the state. The Minneapolis-based hospital and clinic system says they will now allow one visitor per day in both inpatient and outpatient care settings. That change comes as Allina moves its caution level from “red” to “yellow.” Visitors will still be required to wear a mask and in some instances other protective gear. Visitors may also be asked to wait outside if there are too many people in the waiting room at one time. As of Tuesday, the number of people in the hospital with a case of COVID-19 dropped below 900, the lowest mark since last November.

Menomonee Falls-based Kohl’s plans to add Sephora beauty shops to 400 of its locations this year. T-M-J-4 is reporting 16 of the new shops will be in Wisconsin. Kohl’s reportedly already has Sephora's in 200 of its stores and the goal is to have 850 by next year. Sephora shops are called a 25-hundred square-foot store-within-a-store. A Kohl’s spokesperson says the shops have brought in a new, younger, and more diverse group of customers, while increasing sales.

Another candidate has entered the Republican primary for lieutenant governor.  State Senator Roger Roth of Appleton joins a primary field that includes state Senator Patrick Testin of Stevens Point. Other Republican candidates include Ben Voelkel, former communications director for U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, Lancaster Mayor David Varnam, and Will Martin, a Milwaukee business owner who served in the administrations of former governors Scott Walker and Tommy Thompson.  Roth has been in the Senate since 2015 and was Senate President from 2017 to 2021. He previously served in the Assembly from 2007 to 2011. Incumbent Democrat, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes is running for U.S. Senate.

Three Milwaukee police officers are accused of carrying fake COVID-19 vaccination cards. Milwaukee police officers aren’t required to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, but there are rules for officers who want to travel as part of the job. The officers in question claimed they got their shots in order to take a work-related trip in December. They’re now under investigation.

All signs are pointing to a pretty normal spring flooding season. Craig Schmidt is a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen. He says soil moisture is pretty close to normal, and frost depth is two-to-three feet in the north and about a foot in the south -- which is also pretty normal this time of year. The snowpack is also very close to normal -- a little dryer in the southwest part of the state and a little more than normal in the north. Schmidt says the only threat of major flooding is along the Red River. He says the snowpack is high in this area and soil moisture is back above normal.

Local-Regional News Feb 17

 The student population for the Durand-Arkansaw School District remains stable.  During last night's school board meeting, District Superintendent Greg Doverspike told the board the 2nd Friday in January Pupil Count was the same as in September.  Doverspike also told board members that the early projected enrollment for the 22-23 school year showed a drop of only 6 students.  Doverspike said the early projection will surely change before the beginning of the 22-23 school year.

The Pepin County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking the state government to address the Badger Care Egilibilty Cliff.   Pepin County Human Services Director Paula Winter says people have lost their eligibility for Badger care after receiving a small wage increase.   One possible solution is if a person receives a wage increase, they would be allowed to keep Badger Care but would have to participate in cost-sharing.  

One person is dead and two injured after a two-vehicle accident in the town of Knapp on Wednesday.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, a 57yr old female from Elmwood was killed when one of the vehicles failed to negotiate a curve on Hwy Q near Hwy N.  The driver overcorrected and entered the opposite lane striking the other vehicle.  The names of the victim and those injured have not been released.  That accident remains under investigation by the Wisconsin State Patrol.

A Boyceville woman has been arrested for OWI 5th offense.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol,  a State Trooper pulled over 51yr old Beth Mittelstadt for an equipment violation on 920th avenue just west of Hwy 25 in Dunn County early Wednesday morning.  The trooper noticed signs of impairment and conducted field sobriety tests.  Middelstadt was arrested for OWI and taken to a local hospital for an evidentiary blood test.  She is also been charged with improper display of a License Plate and a Driver's License Restriction Violation.  

Charges of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle have been filed against a 28-year-old driver in Taylor County.  Paul Schmeiser of Curtiss is accused of being the driver in a fatal hit-and-run crash last October.  W-E-A-U T-V reports the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office received a report just after 6:00 a-m October 31st about a person lying in the road in a pool of blood in the Township of Holway.  An autopsy showed 27-year-old Titus Kottke of Athens had been hit by a vehicle.  Schmeiser was arrested.  His next court appearance is scheduled for March 3rd.

 A Minnesota man will spend ten years in federal prison for dealing heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in northwestern Wisconsin. Twenty-nine-year-old David Stone the Third of St. Paul pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs in 2019 and 2020. Prosecutors say Stone was orchestrating a large-scale drug trafficking operation while he was jailed for an unrelated matter. Investigators listened to more than three thousand hours of phone calls Stone made from jail. They say he would call his drug source in Minnesota to arrange the sales and co-conspirators in Wisconsin would pick up the meth and fentanyl.

The governor wants to cut you a check for 150 dollars.  Republican lawmakers are thinking of tax cuts.  At the center of the discussion is what to do with an estimated three-point-eight-billion-dollar budget surplus.  W-M-T-V Television reports Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order Wednesday morning calling for a special session of the Legislature focused on what Wisconsin should do with the extra money.  Republicans say Evers’ idea will be dead on arrival.  Previous special sessions called by the Democratic governor have lasted just a minute or so.

The subpoena against a Milwaukee-area immigrant rights group has been dropped.  Voces de la Frontera Action director Christine Neumann-Ortiz calls Wednesday’s move an “unconditional surrender” by Republicans.  They hired special investigator Michael Gableman to review the November 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin.  The immigrant rights group had filed a lawsuit against Gableman.  Attorneys for Gableman’s investigation called the subpoena “moot” Wednesday and said they would no longer seek those records.

U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin is co-sponsor of a resolution opposing Canadian plans to locate a nuclear waste storage site near the Great Lakes Basin.  The location would be at South Bruce, Ontario – about 30 miles from Lake Huron.  The Wisconsin Democrat says preventing nuclear waste from being stored near the Great Lakes Basin is not just an enviroønmental goal, but an economic necessity.  More than 40-million people in the U-S and Canada get their drinking water from the Great Lakes.  The senators want President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to reach out to Canada and stop the project.

The University of Wisconsin System is moving to end campus mask requirements.   Interim UW System President Tommy Thompson is working with campus chancellors to begin removing current mandatory mask requirements, with the intent to withdraw them as soon as March 1 and no later than spring break. Thompson said widespread vaccination on UW campuses and the rapidly decreasing prevalence of COVID-19 across the state present favorable conditions to lift existing indoor mask requirements. Vaccines and tests will still be available on campus, and students and employees can opt to wear masks if they wish.

Wisconsin Elections Commission technology director Robert Kehoe refuted numerous claims of elections fraud at a hearing of the Assembly Elections Committee on Wednesday. Kehoe says that a claim said that multiple people with similar names were registered to vote at the same address is easily explained.  Kehoe says many of the claims made by supporters of former President Donald Trump about the 2020 election are misinformed and baseless and could be easily answered if brought to elections officials.

Minnesota lawmakers are working on a plan to bring sports betting to the state.  All states bordering Minnesota already have it and 30 of the 50 states have some form of sports betting.  Any plan would need to have the support of the state’s casinos, but tribal governments have indicated they are more open to the idea now.  State Representative Zack Stephenson of Coon Rapids is leading the effort in the House of Representatives.  He says Minnesota needs to allow bets inside casinos as well as wagers through mobile apps.

Two state lawmakers were speaking at a Capitol rally calling for the overturning of the 2020 presidential election results in Wisconsin Tuesday.  State Representatives Timothy Ramthun and Janel Brandtjen – both Republicans – were two of the featured speakers.  Brandtjen told the people in the crowd, “You’re not crazy,” for wanting to reverse the results – although there is no legal way to do that.  Ramthun also spoke after announcing Saturday he’s running for governor.  Leaders of his own Republican party have refused to take up a resolution he wrote to pull back the state’s 10 electoral votes.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission has withdrawn its guidance on ballot drop boxes. Wednesday’s unanimous vote by the six-member commission was in response to last week’s 4-3 decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The court’s conservative majority ruled drop boxes cannot be used for the April election, and that voters may not give their absentee ballot to someone else to return for them. The court will decide later whether absentee ballot drop boxes can be used for the August and November elections.

 A Clark County judge has sentenced a man to three years in state prison and nine months in county jail for using his phone to record restroom videos. W-E-A-U T-V reports 21-year-old Moises Cuautle of Dorchester had been charged with invasion of privacy for two incidents at the Clark County Health Care Center. The first was in October 2020 and the second time was in April of last year. Witnesses told of seeing Cuautle holding a cellphone that looked like the one that was found taped inside a toilet bowl.

Wisconsin doctors say the omicron surge may have actually helped the state during its flu season. W-I-S-C T-V reports flu cases were increasing in late fall, but that’s when omicron began its surge. Those flu cases dropped in the New Year and have stayed low in number since then. Doctors at U-W Health say as COVID cases rose, people started taking more precautions -- and that had an impact on the flu. Last year’s flu season was “essentially non-existent,” says Doctor Dan Shirley. There have been more cases this winter, but still well below the usual number.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry has been one of the hardest-hit sectors, losing billions in revenue. Explore Minnesota Tourism Director Lauren Bennett-McGinty says she's optimistic more Minnesotans will hit the road in 2022. With the Omicron variant having hit its peak and sort of coming down at this point, she’s hopeful they’ll see travel start to go back up. Bennett-McGinty says, though, she doesn't expect to see a full recovery until late 2023 or early 2024. Over the past two years, the tourism industry has lost nearly 12 billion dollars as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Families in need of temporary housing no longer have to give up their cats, dogs, or other pets, thanks to a new program. W-C-C-O T-V says a 125-thousand-dollar grant from PetSmart Charities to the Animal Humane Society will provide up to 60 days of free housing for pets of displaced families, along with and preventative care such as sterilizations and vaccines. The A-H-S’s Anne Gass says folks need their support systems in crisis situations, which for many includes pets. Families who take part will receive regular updates on their pet’s health and wellness until they can be reunited. The program also provides pet food, litter and other aid for displaced pet owners whose pets are staying with a family member or friend.

Local-Regional News Feb 16

 The Durand-Arkansaw School Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include public input on the ESSER III funding expenditures, updates on the 2nd Friday, January Pupil count and the 2022-2023 projected enrollment, and administrative reports.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6pm in the board room at Durand High School.

The Pepin County Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a Lake Pepin Habitat Restoration Project Funding, a resolution to eliminate the Badge Care Eligibility Cliff, and adoption of the outdoor recreation plan for 2022-2027.  Tonight's meeting begins at 7pm at the County Board Room at the Government Center in Durand and will also be live-streamed via zoom on the Pepin County Website.

Local EMS  and Ambulance services could benefit under a funding plan proposed by Governor Evers.  During his State of the State Address last night,  Evers announced a plan to support and stabilize Wisconsin’s emergency medical services (EMS) system across the state with a nearly $30 million investment. The governor’s plan includes efforts to supplement the Funding Assistance Program (FAP), which provides annual grants to all public ambulance service providers, including volunteer fire departments, nonprofits, and counties and municipalities, create a new grant program to help those providers who are not eligible for FAP, and fund a 16 percent reimbursement rate increase for private and municipal ambulance providers for emergency medical transportation.

Prosecutors in La Crosse County have added a charge against the suspect in a drive-by shooting.  W-K-B-T Television reports 22-year-old Julius Lloyd of La Crosse was already charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide connected to the incident last April.  During a hearing, Monday morning the La Crosse County District Attorney’s Office added a fifth felony charge for discharging a firearm.

The two candidates for Holmen School Board whose pictures appeared on Reddit next to a racist message have condemned the post.  W-K-B-T Television reports candidates Josh Neumann and Chad Updike are pictured on what appears to be a flyer containing the message: “Keep Holmen Schools White and Christian.”  Neumann and Updike say they are the victims of a “disgusting and vile fake political ad” and they have urged the other candidates to join them in calling for an investigation by the La Crosse County District Attorney.

The last Afghan refugees departed from Fort McCoy on Tuesday.  The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that all refugees from Afghanistan that were temporarily housed at Fort McCoy are now resettled. According to a DHS release, the Wisconsin base is the seventh of eight Department of Defense locations housing Afghans that has completed operations. There were 12,600 evacuees temporarily housed at Fort McCoy, part of over 76,000 refugees who came to the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome.

Minnesota courts are ordering new legislative and congressional district boundaries because state lawmakers could not agree. As expected, changes to the 2nd Congressional District appear to be potentially the most significant politically. That district, which extends from the southeast suburbs of the Twin Cities along the Mississippi River, is represented by Democrat Angie Craig and is on the national list of most hotly contested races. Wabasha and Goodhue counties will no longer be in the 2nd District -- they'll become part of the 1st District, which extends across southern Minnesota. The new 2nd District will now extend west to Le Sueur County, just north of Mankato.

A bill that would help spread fiber broadband into rural areas passed the State Senate on Tuesday. Bill author Senator Howard Marklein says the Broadband Expansion Grant Program needs more guidance to get into low population areas.   A similar bill in the state assembly would also spend some of the Biden Instructructure Bill on wireless broadband in those areas. 

There was a smoke-filled room at the Wisconsin Capitol building Tuesday, but this wasn’t a bunch of politicians puffing on cigars while negotiating bills.  Capitol police evacuated the building after fire alarms went off and the smoke was filling the media room.  Reporters said they smelled something like burnt rubber Tuesday morning.  The alarms began sounding shortly before the Wisconsin Senate was about to convene for a floor session.  No injuries were reported and officials haven’t said what caused the problem.

Concordia University in Mequon is doing what it can to help with the current shortage of teachers.  The university received approval from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to offer a three-year bachelor’s degree in elementary education.  Students can take the courses online.  Concordia offers programs for secondary social studies and English and it is working on putting together programs for math and special education teachers.  Officials at the school say they get phone calls from local school districts every day asking for help filling teaching positions.

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is reporting one-third of the state’s businesses are planning to raise wages by more than four percent this year. The news release says just six months ago only one-fourth of businesses were planning raises that big. W-M-C spokesman Nick Novak says the good news is that workers are likely to see a pretty significant raise. Novak says the unfortunate thing is that companies are doing this because there is a lack of workers. Nearly 90-percent of companies in the state say they are having trouble filling open positions.

A package of bills aimed at limiting UW-System interactions with China and Chinese institutions was approved in the State Senate on Tuesday. Republicans say the bills will limit Chinese intellectual theft and propaganda, but State Senator Bill Wirch says it's only trying to rile up fears.  Another provision in the bills would limit cultural exchanges with Chinese nationals and require the UW-System to find out if potential incoming students were members of the People's Liberation Army.

The Minnesota Senate is voting to use one million dollars for a marketing and advertising campaign to publicly promote the importance of peace officers. Roseville Democrat John Marty says, "it's really insensitive at this time to be talking about using taxpayer money to run an advertising campaign," following the Minneapolis police killing of Amir Locke. Fairmont Republican Julie Rosen says Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told her M-P-D is down over 300 officers and he requested some kind of promotional campaign.  There's also a million dollars to increase funding for the "Pathways to Policing" program that backers say helps candidates from non-traditional backgrounds enter law enforcement.

Members of the Minnesota Special Redistricting Panel have released state maps just ahead of the deadline.  The Legislature and the governor had until today (Tuesday) to produce maps including new political district boundaries based on the 2020 Census.  The state Supreme Court established the panel last June.  The new maps have been posted on the Minnesota Judicial Branch website on the “Special Redistricting Page.”  People who lack internet access can find the information on computer terminals in county courthouses across the state no later than February 21st.

A postal worker delivering mail in Madison has been arrested for driving drunk. W-M-T-V reports the incident happened Thursday afternoon near the Atwood Festival venue when Michael Weerts was on his mail route. Police say his head was slumped over when they pulled him over, and that he had slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. Authorities also say Weerts failed field sobriety tests and said, “it’s because I’m intoxicated” after failing one of them. Witnesses also told police they saw him stumbling and falling outside an apartment building.

Local-Regional News Feb 15

 Two people were injured in a one-vehicle accident in Oak Grove Township on Sunday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 16yr old Fletcher Wheadon of River Falls was traveling westbound on Hwy 29, when he lost control of the vehicle, entered the north ditch, and rolled over.    Wheadon and passenger 16yr old Davis Wheadon were taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

A Mondovi man has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of sexual assault charges.  In October, a Buffalo County jury found Rex Bigger guilty of sexually assaulting a girl numerous times between 2011-2013.   Bigger was sentenced to 35yrs in prison Monday in Buffalo County Court.

The Durand City council is still reviewing possible projects for the ARPA funds that were received last year.  City Administrator Rassmuesson told council members that clarification of the rules for the funding has been released by the Treasury Department.  The city could use the funds for a capital project like sewer or water line replacement or even a revenue loss adjustment.  The city received just under $180,000.  

Beginning today face masks will no longer be required but instead recommended inside Eau Claire High Schools and Middle Schools.  School officials said with a lowering COVID-19 case rate, availability of testing, and vaccine availability for students, they are now leaving the decision to wear a mask up to families.   Elementary schools will have the changes begin next Monday.   Masks will still be required on school busses and those that return to school between days 6 and 10 after a positive Covid-19 test or exposure.

Three people died in snowmobile crashes over the weekend, including a 71-year-old man has in Polk County. It happened Saturday in St. Croix Falls Township when an unidentified man lost control while driving his snowmobile along a marked trail. The Wisconsin DNR  reports the man was ejected from his snowmobile and suffered fatal injuries. The Polk County Sheriff's Office is investigating whether alcohol played a role in the fatal crash.    DNR Wardens are reminding everyone to obey speed limits, wear their helmets and get safety training.

The Evers administration is offering grants for K-12 teacher training and recruitment.  The will state offer one million dollars through the Teacher Training and Recruitment Grant program. That’s according to a Monday announcement from the office of Governor Tony Evers. Nonprofit organizations can apply for funding to recruit, train and license teachers, to meet state Department of Public Instruction guidelines for serving low-income or urban area school districts. The grants were made available through the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

 State Representative David Steffen has suspended his effort to do away with the Stadium District in Green Bay.  Fox-11 Television reports the decision comes after Steffen met last week with Stadium District Chairman Chuck Lamine and executive director Pat Webb.  The Republican Steffen says they agreed the Stadium District should expand and enhance the transparency and financial oversight of Lambeau Field expenses covered by taxpayers.  He has proposed late last year to dissolve the Stadium District.  The Green Bay Packers had threatened legal action if that happened.

Thirty-two schools and bus companies in Minnesota are getting state grants to install stop-arm camera systems. The state Office of Traffic Safety is awarding more than three-and-a-half million dollars as part of a joint school bus safety effort with the Minnesota State Patrol. Traffic Safety director Mike Hanson says the camera grant project is a significant effort to keep kids safe, hold selfish or inattentive drivers accountable, and change dangerous driving choices.” Law enforcement in Minnesota cited 769 drivers for stop-arm violations in 2021.

U-S Senator Ron Johnson says it is unfortunate that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to isolate himself from the West.  The Wisconsin Republican spoke Saturday night at the Eau Claire County Lincoln Day Dinner.  Johnson says the best way to lead in a situation like this is through strength, but he doesn’t feel President Joe Biden is doing that effectively.  He says things wouldn’t go easy for Putin if he decides to invade Ukraine.  Johnson says Russia would pay a very high price.  He doesn’t expect American troops to be sent to Ukraine if Russia does invade.  Johnson would expect major sanctions to be put in place against the invaders.

The family of plane crash victim Deb Velleman says credit for the recovery of her body should go only to Keith Cormican, a diver from Black River Falls.  Velleman and another woman went missing when their plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Panama last month.  Velleman’s husband, the pilot, and another passenger were rescued – but two bodies were still missing.  Cormican is the founder of Bruce’s Legacy, a nonprofit dive organization.  He flew down and – despite some Panamanian government interference – was able to recover the two bodies.

Governor Tony Evers wants to release a list of bars, restaurants, and other businesses that had coronavirus cases. The Wisconsin Supreme Court will decide if that can move forward. The high court heard arguments from the governor’s people and Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce Monday. W-M-C sued the governor last year after he announced plans to release the list as part of his push to keep people safe from the virus. W-M-C and other business groups say releasing the names would scare customers away; creating a huge disadvantage for many businesses in Wisconsin. 

Dane County’s indoor mask mandate is set to end.  Public Health Madison Dane County announced Monday that the mask mandate will end on March 1st. Public Health Director Janel Heinrich said the decision “signals that we have made it through the Omicron surge and are entering a new stage of the pandemic.” Vaccinations, she says, have proven highly effective in protecting against severe illness, hospitalization, or death due to COVID-19. The Dane County mandate was put in place last August when the delta variant of COVID-19 was the dominant strain causing an uptick in cases. The final extension went into effect on February 1.

Some Minnesota home buyers are having a hard time finding homes to buy.  Minnesota Realtors C-E-O Chris Gallen says lack of inventory is a problem right now.  Home sales in the state were down by almost 10 percent in January when compared to last year.  Gallen says if there was a better inventory supply sales numbers would be significantly higher.  The median home sales price in the state rose eight-and-a-half percent to 295-thousand dollars.  Gallen says when you have more buyers than sellers it drives up the price.

The Thorp Police Department got a welcome phone call late last week when the U-S Marshals Service said it had taken a fugitive into custody.  Forty-year-old Glen Fifer was wanted on several charges including child sexual assault, resisting or obstructing an officer, O-W-I, operating while revoked, and failure to install an ignition interlock device.  The U-S Marshals say Fifer was living under a fake name 75 miles away in Warrens at a property owned by a family member.

Local-Regional News Feb 14

 During last week's city council meeting council members were reminded that it is election season and that the city cannot control the content of political signs or flags.  Durand Police Chief Stan Ridgeway says it's a first amendment right for those political signs regardless of the content, the only thing the police can enforce is where the sign is placed.  It is illegal to place any type of sign-on city right of way.  Ridgeway says the best way to avoid city right of way is to place the sign between your home and the sidewalk, not between the sideway and street.

The Durand City and Rural Fire Department released their annual report last week.  The City Fire Department responded to 52 incidents in 2021 with a total estimated loss of $226,500, while the Durand Rural Fire Department responded to 74 incidents with total estimated losses over just over $1.5 million dollars.

Wisconsinites in need of assistance for broadband internet service are reminded that the Affordable Connectivity Program is open for applications. This program - created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,  provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for qualifying households on qualifying Tribal lands. The benefit also provides up to a $100 per household discount toward a one-time purchase of a computer, laptop, or tablet through a participating broadband provider.    Eligible households are encouraged to contact their broadband provider to find out if they qualify for the program.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled against the use of ballot drop boxes during the April general election.  Conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn joined the three liberal justices in a previous ruling that allowed the drop boxes to be used in the February primary.  There were concerns that voters would be confused by changing procedures on short notice.  Friday, Hagedorn and his fellow conservatives ruled out the ballot drop boxes for the April 5th general election.  The majority opinion said the Wisconsin Elections Commission would have adequate time to educate voters about the change.

Governor Tony Evers signed bills to finalize new contracts for state workers including state troopers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and bricklayers. The legislation calls for raises ranging from one-point-two percent to one-point-eight percent. The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the U-W system also finalized deals that would result in raises for the same group of professionals.

 Wisconsin D-N-R officials are reviewing a ruling by a U-S District Judge in California that puts gray wolves back on the federal Endangered Species List. U-S District Judge Jeffrey White reversed a November 2020 decision that removed the gray wolf from federal protections. White agreed with environmental groups in ruling that the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service improperly relied on inadequate and outdated state plans for wolf management when deciding to remove protections for wolves in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The Minnesota Senate is scheduled to vote today on spending two-point-seven billion dollars to replenish the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. The fund was depleted by impacts to employment from the reaction to COVID-19. Backers say if the legislature doesn't step in, businesses will be required to back-fill the unemployment fund by paying higher taxes. House Democrats have signaled they'd approve one billion dollars if Republicans in return agree to a billion dollars for COVID bonuses for front-line workers.

As discussions continue to swirl around a batch of fake Electoral College votes cast by members of the Republican Party after the 2020 elections, the Chairman of the state party says he wouldn't have stopped them. Paul Farrow tells WISN's UPFRONT that he approves of the effort.  Farrow was not the Republican chairman at that time. A number of elected Democrats, including Attorney General Josh Kaul and US Congressman Mark Pocan, are calling for legal action against the ten fake Electors.

 Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson is declining the sheriff’s request to prosecute members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission.  Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling had asked for charges against the five commission members last year for allowing changes to voting in nursing homes.  Hanson says she can’t charge them with crimes because they are out of her jurisdiction.  She also declined to bring charges against nursing home workers who helped residents cast absentee ballots.  The sheriff accuses the elections commission of enabling election fraud.  He has tried to make his case in front of several legislative committees.

There are concerns about fertilizer shortages for Minnesota farmers once spring fieldwork picks up. University of Minnesota Extension educator Brad Carlson says fertilizer is being produced on a broad scale, so there is a good supply. But, the high price of the product could have an impact. Carlson encourages farmers to plan for local availability issues by having a strategy and ordering exactly what they need ahead of time. He also says producers can save some money by not over-applying fertilizer on their fields.

At the Capitol, Republican lawmakers have introduced a parental bill of rights legislation.  The bill would establish parents’ and guardians’ rights over a child's religion, medical care and records, and education. In addition, it lays out a case for legal action in the form of lawsuits, in the event those rights are violated by government organizations or officials. Other parental rights included in the measure include determining the pronouns used for a child at school, opting their children out of a class if they don't like the subject matter, as well as the right to request when certain subjects will be taught or discussed.

The University of Wisconsin in Madison’s outgoing leader says politics is the biggest threat to the university.  Chancellor Rebecca Blank says Wisconsin’s political divide is a threat to the university’s support. In her final report to the Board of Regents Thursday, she said politicians are using the university in their partisan “wars,” and calls that an existential threat to the U-W Madison. Blank has been chancellor at U-W Madison since 2013. She’s leaving Wisconsin at the end of the academic year. She’ll take over as president of Northwestern University this fall.

Many observers say Minnesota could have an even larger budget surplus than the record seven-point-seven billion dollars when an updated economic forecast comes out in a few weeks. Bolstering that opinion is the latest monthly report showing Minnesota tax collections 25 percent higher than expected in January.  Corporate tax collections comprised the vast majority of it, at 642 million dollars, but individual income tax revenues were 42 million dollars less than expected. State budget officials as standard procedure urge caution in drawing conclusions from monthly numbers, noting there can be wide variations from month to month. House Republicans say there's a possibility the next forecast could show a surplus over 10 billion dollars -- around one-fifth of the state budget -- which would make the tax-versus-spend debate even more heated at the Capitol.

 Colby cheese is one step closer to becoming Wisconsin's state cheese. A bill naming Colby as the state's official cheese was approved in a Senate committee on Friday. The bill's authors, Representative Kathy Bernier and Senator Donna Rozar both say that Wisconsin should be honoring an original cheese invention, with a unique history for the state. The Colby cheese process was invented in Colby in 1885, and it is now one of the most popular cheese varieties in the country.

Local-Regional News Feb 11

 The City of Durand met with members of the Durand Swim Club recently to get an update on the fundraising for the Tarrant Park Pool Project.  The Swim Club continues to work toward its goal of raising an additional 100,000 before March 1st.  If the goals are met, the city would move forward with the project with planning beginning in March, demolition of the old pool, and construction of the new pool beginning in August of this year with the new pool opening in June of 2023.  

The Pepin County Sheriff's Department is asking businesses and property owners that have a security camera installed to contact the department.  Authorities are asking to know where the cameras are and how to get ahold of the owner so that it would save them time in solving crimes.  If you own a security camera you are asked to contact the Pepin County Sheriffs Department to answer a few questions.  Your answers will remain private and will only be used by the Pepin County Sheriffs Department, Durand Police, Pepin Police, and Wisconsin State Patrol.

Drivers are hoping the High Bridge in downtown Eau Claire will be opened to traffic soon.  WQOW-TV reports the contractor is scheduled to have all repairs completed by the end of the month.  City engineers say that means the bridge that has been closed for more than six months could be opened up sometime in March.  Structural damage in the form of a significant crack in the structure’s third limestone pier caused the shutdown last June.  When it’s done the total cost of the project should approach three million dollars.  Some design changes pushed the price higher.

Local officials say Valley View Mall in La Crosse will remain open as it goes through the foreclosure process.  The mall has been open for more than 40 years.  W-K-B-T reports the next step is a sale set for March 8th.  Mall manager Jeff Odom has sent a letter to tenants telling them it will be business as usual as the sale moves forward.  Construction on a Hy-Vee store is continuing with an opening expected in late summer or early fall.

A woman from southeast Minnesota has told members of Congress about the importance of high-speed internet access.  Michelle Schroeder of rural Welch testified Wednesday during a U-S House committee hearing.  Schroeder said she feels rural Minnesota has been left behind.  She says failing to have a good internet connection can cause problems when meetings are held on ZOOM.  She told lawmakers she hopes the new infrastructure law will bring faster broadband service to her part of Minnesota.  She was invited to speak by Congresswoman Angie Craig.

 California judge has placed gray wolves back on the federal Endangered Species List.  U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White Thursday reversed a November 2020 decision that removed the gray wolf from federal protections. White agreed with environmental groups, in ruling that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service improperly relied on inadequate and outdated state plans for wolf management when deciding to remove protections for wolves in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is reviewing the ruling.

Wisconsin Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin wants to move forward on reforming the filibuster. At the very least, Baldwin says that the Senate should do away with anonymous holds on bills and require anyone wanting to filibuster to come to the floor.   This is the so-called "speaking filibuster" and Baldwin says it will give anyone who has issues with a bill a chance to speak their mind, answer questions and then allow the entire Senate to vote on the measure. 

Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Tony says his office is charging five people with voter fraud.  WBAY-TV reports they are accused of illegally registering to vote by using a P-O Box for a residence address from a U-P-S store in Fond du Lac.  Three of the five people voted in the November 2020 presidential election and at least one voted for former President Donald Trump.  The five facing felony charges have been identified as Markeis Carter, Sam Wells, Jamie Marie Wells, Jeffrey Testroete, and Lawrence Klug.

A state legislator appears poised to enter the Republican primary for governor.  State Representative Tim Ramthun has an event scheduled for Saturday in Kewaskum, where he’s expected to announce his campaign. A “Ramthun for Governor” website went live Wednesday night but was quickly taken down. Rebecca Kleefisch and Kevin Nicholson are already in the race. Ramthun was in the news recently for demanding an audit of Wisconsin’s voting machines, accusing Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of colluding with Hillary Clinton on ballot drop boxes, and losing his one capitol staffer as a result.

The driver accused in a fatal hit-and-run that left a La Follette High School student dead has entered a not guilty plea.  W-I-S-C reports Sadarius Goodall is charged with two felonies in the January 15th incident.  The not guilty plea was entered on his behalf Wednesday afternoon and he was bound over for trial.  Fourteen-year-old student Jeremiah Broomfield was the victim.  A woman who was in the car with Goodall originally said she was the driver, but she changed her story when inconsistencies were pointed out during an interview.

The Barron County Sheriff’s Department reports two people were arrested after a four-hour standoff in neighboring Polk County Monday morning.  W-E-A-U reports 58-year-old Todd Hillman and 37-year-old Ruby Edwards were taken into custody.  Deputies were responding to a domestic incident.  They were told shots had been fired at a car and a home.  Hillman finally came out after four hours of negotiations.  He told deputies no one else was inside, but a police dog found Edwards hiding in an attic crawl space.  She was named on an arrest warrant for failing to appear in court.

Months after Minnesota lawmakers reached a deal to pay the state’s frontline workers a bonus, those payments still haven’t gone out. The D-F-L got its latest proposal through a committee Wednesday. The bill would increase the 250 million dollars set aside to four times that amount. Supporters point to the state’s anticipated budget surplus of nearly eight billion dollars. Lawmakers admit the bonus checks are long overdue. Senate Republicans have indicated they don’t want to quadruple the original amount. The plan approved Wednesday would pay 667-thousand frontline workers 15-hundred dollars apiece.

The man who led Milwaukee authorities to the body of a three-year-old boy had been granted immunity by prosecutors.  W-I-S-N reports 21-year-old Robert Williams was told he wouldn’t be prosecuted if he led investigators to Major Harris’ body.  The boy had been the subject of an Amber Alert and a region-wide search for several days before he was found.  His mother, Mallery Muezenberger, had been found dead and the man accused of killing her, Jaheem Clark, apparently committed suicide.  Four days later police were led to the dead boy.

Minnesota’s tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a nearly 12-billion dollar loss since January of 2020. But visitors are starting to return in greater numbers. Explore Minnesota Tourism Director Lauren Bennett-McGinty says auto travel is big, and as a result, they’re seeing a lot of cabins and resorts getting decent numbers. She added that outdoor recreation is also driving much of the comeback. Another promising sign -- venues are again booking conventions, sporting events, and concerts.

Local-Regional News Feb 10

 The Durand City Council has lent its support to a group wanting to have a dog park in Durand.  At last night's council meeting, members approved a resolution supporting the Durand Dog Park group's effort to apply for grants and other fundraising for the park.  The proposed park would be located on 2 acres of the O.C. Hansen park, which is land off of Marilyn Avenue that was donated to the city by the Hansen family for the construction of a city park.

The Durand Police Department is reminding residents to keep their vehicles locked.  Chief Stan Ridgeway reported that there was a vehicle theft earlier this month in the city.  The chief also reported a second theft of a catalytic converter.  The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department reported that a catalytic converter was stolen during the daytime from a vehicle that was parked on Hwy 25 between Nelson and Wabasha.  The owner of the vehicle was ice fishing at the time of the theft and discovered the theft when they returned to their vehicle and started it.  

The U-S Army Corps of Engineers will begin its annual ice measurements on Lake Pepin next week.  Hydrographic survey chief Al VanGuilder says what they find will signal when shipping might begin on the Upper Mississippi River this spring. He says the towing industry has used the first tow of the season to break through the ice and they want to do that with the least amount of ice possible. VanGuilder says the tows want around 12 to 14 inches and that’s typically the ice thickness in the middle of March time frame. Crews will measure the ice weekly as conditions can change rapidly this time of year.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has approved a plan by Xcel Energy to close all of its coal plants in the next eight years.  Tuesday’s vote was unanimous.  The utility giant proposed its “alternative plan” last summer calling for the addition of more than 46 hundred megawatts of renewable energy sources over the next decade.  Two transmission lines would be built connecting western Wisconsin to the existing grid.  Carbon-free resources would be used for 81 percent of the electricity Xcel generates by 2032.  At that point, the utility’s carbon emissions would be reduced by 86 percent compared to 2005 levels.

The Wisconsin Department is reporting one Wisconsin resident has died from listeria that was traced back to packaged salads from Dole.  The department is urging anyone that may still have the packaged salads with a best if used by date from 11/30/21-1/9/22  with the product lot codes beginning with the letter 'B', 'N', 'W', or 'Y'. to not eat them and return them to where they were purchased.    The products were also sold under the names Ahold, Dole, HEB, Kroger, Lidl, Little Salad Bar, Marketside, Naturally Better, Nature's Promise, President's Choice, and Simply Nature. 

The state legislature's joint finance committee has approved spending nearly 200 million dollars on child care in Wisconsin. Committee Cochair Representative Mark Born says those federal funds were already earmarked, but they needed to sign off on the plan from the Department of Children and Families.   Other items that got approved on Wednesday include funding for state agriculture grants and boosts to nursing training.

Two thousand employees of American Family Insurance will be getting a substantial raise next summer.  W-I-S-C reports the Madison-based company announced Wednesday it will be raising its minimum wage to 23 dollars an hour in July.  Workers in the call center and claims area will be getting the boost.  Company officials say this is part of their effort to draw in talent, then retain them.  American Family had announced in January 2020 that it was raising its minimum wage to 20 dollars an hour.

 A Minnesota man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly aiming a laser beam at an aircraft last October.  Forty-two-year-old Nicholas James Link’s first federal court appearance hasn’t been scheduled yet.  The indictment was unsealed Tuesday.  The U-S Attorney for Wisconsin’s Western District accuses Link of aiming the beam of a laser pointer at a Delta Airlines jet and a Minnesota State Patrol aircraft October 29th, 2021.  He was in Wisconsin at the time.  If convicted he could be sentenced to five years in federal prison.

A plan to hire more campus police officers is one of the new safety measures coming to Marquette University.  President Michael R. Lovell noted that Milwaukee is experiencing “higher than usual” rates of crime – leading to the decision to enhance security.  T-M-J-4 reports several recent incidents affecting the campus were cited.  Lovell calls a “safe campus community” paramount.  Four officers will be added, then deployed to the areas where most crime takes place.  A President’s Task Force on Community Safety is being launched.

There’s more money available for local communities to look for so-called “forever chemicals” in their water.   Governor Evers’ office says Wisconsin will use 600- thousand dollars in federal money to pay for local water testing. PFAS testing has been a priority of the Evers administration. It’s not known yet which communities will share the money. 

Prosecutors would need a judge’s permission to dismiss some gun charges under a proposal from a Republican state legislator.  Republican state Senator Van Wanggaard says he doesn’t want prosecutors tossing out weapons charges as part of plea deals, or to avoid lengthy trials. Wanggaard says too many felons are getting away with carrying guns in Wisconsin. Democrat Lena Taylor counters Wisconsin cannot, quote, “mass-incarcerate” its way out of violent crime. She warns that putting limits on prosecutors will mean more people in jail, and longer waits for trials.

The University of Minnesota will not extend its temporary COVID-19 vaccine mandate or proof of negative test requirement. The order issued on January 6th expired Wednesday. The policy was put in place as the omicron variant was spreading rapidly. There is still a face mask requirement for all indoor Gopher athletics events on campus.

Wauwatosa police are releasing more details about the incident at a George Webb restaurant last month that resulted in a server being shot in the face.  W-I-S-N reports twin sisters Breanta and Bryanna Johnson have been charged with one count each of attempted first-degree intentional homicide.  Investigators say the sisters were part of a group of four women who argued with two servers because they didn’t feel they were getting the food they ordered fast enough.  The 26-year-old victim is expected to survive.

A driver who was going 112 miles an hour on a freeway in Eau Claire County is going to lose his license for 15 days.  The Wisconsin State Patrol issued a citation earlier this month.  When he was stopped, the driver told troopers he was “running late for a party” – according to a post on the Patrol’s Facebook page.  The speed limit where he was going so fast was 70 miles an hour.  The driver’s name hasn’t been released.  The social media post says, “The party will always be there.  Please slow down and arrive alive.”