Hackers interrupted a Buffalo County Health Department community meeting on Covid 19 yesterday. According to the Buffalo County Health and Human Services Department, hackers took control of the meeting at about 1:40 Tuesday afternoon. The hackers defaced the slideshow, used profane language, and engaged in acts of nudity. The department condemns the actions and said that additional security measures will be taken to prevent future hacking. The meeting has been rescheduled for this Friday from 1:30-2:30pm.
The Durand City Council is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a proposed dog park at Hanson Park, an update on the Tarrant Park Swimming Pool Project, and an update on the use of ARPA Funds. Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live-streamed on the WRDN Website and YouTube Channel.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz authorized disaster assistance for eight Southern Minnesota Counties that were impacted by the Dec. 15 storms. Olmsted and Wabasha are two of the eight counties. The Governor said the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will work with the counties on the distribution of emergency funds. The state will cover 75% of the eligible costs from the Disaster Assistance Contingency Account with local governments covering the remaining 25%.
A 34-year-old Chippewa County woman is accused of stealing more than 50 thousand dollars from her employer. W-E-A-U reports Jessica Guthman was working for a Subway restaurant in Cornell. Prosecutors say she stole the money by entering item corrections after cash sales then kept the difference. The owner began checking things after noticing a reduction in revenue. Investigators say the money was stolen over a two-year period ending in May 2020. Initially, Guthman denied stealing the money, then she told authorities she took about 10 thousand dollars. If convicted, she could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.
La Crosse officials say a city-wide property revaluation will be conducted. Mayor Mitch Reynolds says the move will bring La Crosse into compliance with Wisconsin statutes. The law requires all properties to be assessed within 10 percent of market values once every five years. The tight housing market has led to higher property values. The mayor says the city-wide revaluation doesn’t necessarily mean a property owner will owe more taxes. A notice will arrive in the mail when the revaluation is complete.
A Barron man faces charges in two separate sexual assault cases. 19yr old Jacob Nordeng is accused of two counts of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl he met on Snapchat. The girl said they had sex at his house, and at a cemetery. Nordeng did not deny her accusations. He is also charged with sexually assaulting a woman who had fallen asleep after drinking too much alcohol at a party. He will appear in court on February 16.
Emergency responders say it took almost 90 minutes to rescue a worker who was trapped in a silo 30 feet above the ground. The victim suffered severe injuries and had to be airlifted to a hospital. A ladder truck was summoned from Merrill so rescuers could reach the top of the 50-foot structure and get down to the injured man. His name hasn’t been released. The incident happened Monday in the Town of Pine River at about 5:00 p-m. Pine River Fire Chief John Uttech says none of the career firefighters who responded to the emergency had ever heard of an actual recovery of a viable patient in a similar situation.
Minnesota’s poultry producers are monitoring cases of bird flu found in wild birds in other parts of the United States and Canada. It’s an early warning for producers in Minnesota ahead of the spring waterfowl migration. According to the state Agriculture Department, Minnesota has about 550 commercial turkey operations and more than 3,000 poultry farms. In a 2015 outbreak of avian influenza, about 9 million birds in Minnesota and 50 million across the country were killed by the virus or euthanized in an effort to slow the spread of the disease.
A package of Republican bills that aims to make it easier to remove people from unemployment and medical benefits got a public hearing in the State Assembly on Tuesday. Representative Mark Born says that there are too many people on benefits and not enough people working. Other bills would require those on medical benefits to reapply for those benefits more often or be removed. Republicans say too many businesses are looking for workers. The state's unemployment rate is at historical lows. The bills are unlikely to be signed into law.
Government watchdog group American Oversight and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos' office were in court on Tuesday to discuss issues related to multiple open records requests. Speaker Vos was deposed in the case last month, and Dane County Judge Val Bailey voiced her concern that members of the Republican elections probe weren't informed of those records requests when they came in. Bailey wants both sides to confer before she's forced to issue a summary judgment in the case.
Wausau police say an Afghan refugee has been arrested as part of a sexual assault investigation. W-A-O-W reports a woman has told investigators Matiullah Matie attacked her while they were in a car. The victim says she was helping Matie and his family while they were getting resettled into the area. Matie was taken into custody Monday and booked into the Marathon County Jail. A sexual assault charge is being recommended to the district attorney’s office.
Governor Evers has vetoed a Republican bill to ban schools and employers from teaching about concepts like systemic racism and implicit bias. The proposal would have prohibited teaching that one race or sex is superior to another, that a person is inherently racist or sexist by virtue of his or her race or sex, and that a person's moral character isn't determined by race or sex. Republican-controlled state legislatures around the country moving to thwart certain ideas associated with "critical race theory." Evers equates the vetoed bill with censorship. He says students deserve to learn without interference from politicians.
Some Minnesota lawmakers are warning businesses in the state will be hit with a tax increase this spring if the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund isn’t replenished. House Democratic leaders appear willing to address the impending problem if Republicans also agreed to spend a billion dollars on COVID bonuses for front-line workers. That’s about four times what lawmakers approved last year. State Senator Eric Pratt of Prior Lake, a Republican, says the bonuses are “way too important” to be held up again.
Not everyone is thrilled about plans for a new Amazon fulfillment center that promises up to 15 hundred new jobs for Dane County. W-M-T-V reports the 650-thousand square-foot distribution facility will be built on 130 acres of land near Cottage Grove. Some people living nearby say they had no idea the massive project was coming. Many say the online retail giant is an unwelcome addition to the otherwise quiet community. They are concerned the environmental and traffic impacts will outweigh the economic benefits. One woman says the operation will change their way of life.
Minnesota House D-F-L leaders are backing legislators who are introducing tougher restrictions for no-knock warrants. State Representative Athena Hollins is the author of the bill that builds on a law passed last year. The push for the change comes after the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Amir Locke by Minneapolis officers last week. The new legislation includes a higher bar for exceptions and only allows no-knock warrants where there is evidence a civilian’s life would otherwise be put in danger.
The Zac Brown Band will be performing at the Minnesota State Fair this summer. Zac Brown with special guest the Robert Randolph Band on Friday, September 2nd is the first show announced for the 2022 Grandstand Concert Series. Tickets go on sale Friday.
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