Plans for the Tarrant Park Pool are moving forward. At last night's Durand City Council meeting, Public Works Superintendent Matt Gills gave members an update on the design of the pool and new bathhouse. In one part of the bathhouse, a concession stand was one area where the council discussed options. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says this was the first time the council discussed a concession stand. The "hot" concession stand would require the building to be extended and extra sinks and plumbing would have to be installed due to state codes at a cost of approximately $20,000. The council decided to have the enhanced stand designed into the building.
Strong winds are expected across central and southern Minnesota into western Wisconsin today. In conjunction with these winds, scattered snow showers are expected for much of the area. Some of these showers, while intermittent and brief, could produce a quick burst of moderate to heavy snow. This combination of strong winds with the snow showers today may result in a rapid drop in visibility due to blowing snow. A wind advisory is in effect for the entire WRDN listening area until 7pm tonight.
The National Weather Service says the state’s first tornado of the year was an E-F-2 twister with winds between 111 and 135 miles an hour. It struck the tiny southeast Minnesota town of Taopi late Tuesday. Of that community’s 22 homes, at least ten are beyond repair -- and a historic grocery store that had been remodeled as a town hall will now have to be torn down. The Weather Service says the strongest storms were near the Minnesota-Iowa border, with storms weakening overnight as they moved into Wisconsin.
The Mondovi City Council has decided to spend $1000 of ARP funds to equip some new city vehicles with tools. During this week's council meeting, members approved using the money to equip the vehicle and city shop with the needed tool. The city has approximately $150,000 remaining from the American Rescue Plan funds. Meanwhile, plans for the north Eau Claire Street Project continue to move forward. Bids for the project should be opened in the next few weeks with construction beginning after school ends for the summer.
Police say a Facebook post got their attention recently, but it apparently wasn’t directed at any school board or member. W-K-B-T / T-V reports the post discussing politics and school boards ended with the phrase: “when the ballot box fails, the last resort is the ammo box.” The poster hasn’t been charged with a crime. Holmen School Board President Cheryl Hancock says she reported the post to law enforcement. When Holmen police spoke with the author he took it down. Security was also stepped up at Monday’s school board meeting in the presence of another officer.
A new state report shows Minnesota could face an alarming health care worker shortage in the next five years. Minnesota Nurses Association Staffing Specialist Carrie Mortrud says many workers in the industry are planning to leave the field and switch professions. Staffing shortages have led to longer hours and worker burnout. Job vacancies have increased in nearly all health care professions since the start of the pandemic. The report finds one in five rural health care providers saying they plan to leave the profession in the next five years. The most losses are coming from among physicians.
The new president of the University of Wisconsin System wants the Legislature to do more for the state’s public colleges. Michael Falbo points out a new report that shows state taxpayer support for the system has fallen from 30-percent -- to 18-percent percent over the past 20 years. Falbo says students have made up the difference, which leads to more student debt and fewer students enrolling at U-W System schools. Falbo did not offer specifics on how much more spending he wants.
A judge in Waukesha County is essentially suspending efforts to clean up PFAS chemicals in Wisconsin. Judge Michael Bohren’s ruling says Wisconsin’s rules on so-called “forever chemicals” need to be written down before they can be enforced. The Department of Natural Resources and environmental groups have suggested rules, but the Legislature and the D-N-R board have not formally approved them. The ruling is a win for Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, which complained the D-N-R was breaking the law by trying to force companies to pay for clean-ups without spelling out what they were cleaning. Eau Claire and La Crosse have reported PFAS contamination in some of their city water wells.
You have until Thursday night to give your input on the management of the state's natural resources through the Wisconsin Conservation Congress' annual Spring Hearing surveys. The W C C surveys include questions on hunting, fishing, water quality, trapping, ATV riding, and other outdoor recreation. One question asks if the state should require canoes and kayaks should be registered with a fee, or require the owner's contact info on the boat, similar to hunting tree stands and ice shacks. The results will be used to advise the Natural Resources Board and the Department of Natural Resources on future rules and regulations. The deadline for the spring hearing surveys is 7 p.m. on Thursday. They can be found at D N R dot Wisconsin dot G O V.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has discredited reports of neglected horses at a farm along Highway 66 in the Village of Montfort. The report came as a post on a community Facebook group. W-M-T-V reports deputies weren’t able to confirm the report in the darkness Monday night but they met with the owners and a veterinarian Tuesday morning. One of the ponies needed to have its hooves trimmed but the horses were determined to be in good health. The owner says the person hired to trim the hooves had canceled several times. Sheriff Nate Dreckman says the Facebook post resulted in trespassing and people bringing feed to the horses when they were already being fed.
The legislative session has completed its run so a bill legalizing medical marijuana won’t be voted on this time. State Senator Melissa Agard of Madison says polling has shown a majority of Wisconsin voters think that should happen. Agard says she’s hoping supporters of the idea will show up at the State Capitol next week for a public hearing on a medical marijuana bill. The bill would clear the way for the limited, tightly-regulated use of medical cannabis in Wisconsin. Neither piece of legislation will be passed before the next legislative session.
A Tomah man has been convicted on 11 counts in the death of a three-year-old boy. Thirty-seven-year-old Marcus Anderson was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and child abuse in Monroe County Circuit Court Tuesday in the 2019 case. W-K-B-T / T-V reports he had faced 16 counts in the death of Kyson Rice. Prosecutors told the court the victim was covered with more than 200 bruises. Anderson maintained the injuries came from a fall in the shower. He was also accused of waiting five minutes to call 9-1-1 – five minutes which may have cost the child his life since he was clinically dead when emergency responders arrived.
There is still money available to help pay for the funeral costs of loved ones who died from a COVID-19-related illness. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says since the program launched on April First 2021, they have provided more than two-point-one billion dollars in funeral assistance to eligible applicants across the country. You may qualify for up to nine thousand dollars for each death, with a maximum of 35 thousand for families who have multiple funeral expenses due to COVID-19. Since the assistance began, the average amount awarded is 65-hundred dollars. You can apply by calling 844-684-6333 between eight A-M and eight P-M Monday through Friday.
As spring weather approaches, many of us are planning home improvement projects for the year. The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota urges consumers to use caution when hiring a home improvement contractor -- especially following a major storm, flood, or another weather event. The B-B-B’s Bao Vang says to be wary of high-pressure sales tactics, upfront fees, and fly-by-night businesses -- some of which “may offer quick fixes or make big promises that they are unable to deliver.” Vang says once started, a rogue contractor may “find” issues that significantly raise the price -- and if you object, they threaten to walk away and leave a half-finished project. She says to ask for references and do your research before putting contractors to work on your home.
Spring planting season is underway in Wisconsin. It’s still early. The first crop report of the spring says Wisconsin farmers have tilled just one percent of their crop land. Farmers who are in the fields report good soil conditions. The crop report says only two percent of farmland in Wisconsin is very short on moisture, while more than 60-percent of land is said to be adequate.
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