Local-Regional News May 31

 Durand High School has been recognized by US News and World Report as a top high school in the state of Wisconsin.  Durand Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike says the recognition is a great accomplishment for the students, staff, and community.  Caddie-Woodlawn was recognized by US News earlier this year.

The Mondovi City Council has cut a proposed sidewalk and bike path from the Hwy 37 reconstruction project on the south side of the city.  Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the south side of Hwy 37 didn't have enough room to accommodate a sidewalk or bike path.  The council also decided to continue to allow parking on both sides of Hwy 37 after the reconstruction is completed.

Some residents near the OR Hanson FFA Park are concerned about a proposal to build a dog park at that location.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the Durand Public Welfare Committee will hold a meeting on June 22nd to discuss the issues surrounding the Dog Park Proposal.  That meeting is open to the public and will begin at 5:30 on June 22nd at Durand City Hall.

The Pepin County Health Department is now offering free at-home Covid 19 tests for county residents.  Residents are encouraged to use the home tests if they believe they have been exposed, have symptoms, or are planning on attending an indoor gathering.  Call Pepin County Health for more information on how to pick up the free test kits.

 A Chicago man has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for a fatal shooting during an Eau Claire home invasion in March 2020.  W-E-A-U/T-V reports Juan Olivarez pleaded guilty to charges of felony murder and aggravated battery.  Joe Moya has also pleaded guilty to the charges in the death of Edwin Garcia-Smith.  Moya is scheduled for sentencing next month.  A second person was wounded during the incident but survived.

A warming climate means the walleye may be much less prevalent on many Wisconsin lakes in the future. Zach Feiner is a research scientist at the UW–Madison Center for Limnology and the lead author of a report that points out that other fishing opportunities will still be available.  In Wisconsin, lakes that have historically been havens for walleye are now so warm that the scales are tipped in favor of species of fish like bass and bluegill.

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos won’t rule out the idea of appointing the special prosecutor who has been investigating the 2020 presidential election to a seat on the State Elections Commission.  Vos gets to appoint a Republican to the commission.  He hired former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman to conduct a taxpayer-funded review of the 2020 vote.  The review has been criticized – mostly by Democrats.  Former Republican state lawmaker Dean Knudson resigned from the commission last week

Byron city leaders hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Byron Area Veteran’s Memorial Monday.  The Byron Veterans Memorial Committee is looking to collect about $300,000 to make the dream of a memorial a reality. So far, more than half of the funds needed have been raised.  Once complete, the memorial will be located east of McDonald’s and west of the bear at the roundabout on 10th Avenue NE and Frontage Road.

The first cruise ship in nine years arrived this morning (Monday) at the Twin Ports of Superior, Wisconsin, and Duluth, Minnesota. The Viking Octantis is making the inaugural run of the Viking Cruise line’s Great Lakes tour, a 15-day trip from Toronto to Duluth. W-D-I-O/T-V reports Duluth will become an embarking city -- meaning cruises can leave from there -- once a new customs terminal under construction is completed next year.

 Wisconsin is seeing record-high prices for gas this Memorial Day. Triple-A says the average price for a gallon of regular in the state is four dollars and 41-cents per gallon. That's four cents higher than yesterday, and a dime more expensive than it was last week. Triple-A says the average price for a gallon of premium is five-dollars-and-16-cents and the average price for a gallon of diesel is five-oh-seven.

A judge has delayed the trial for Oshkosh's school stabbing suspect. Grant Fuhrman was supposed to go on trial this week for the attack on Oshkosh West High School's school resource officer back in 2019, but his lawyers have asked for a delay because of the school shooting in Texas. Fuhrman's lawyers say the flood of coverage of the Texas shooting could influence the jury in Fuhrman's case. A judge will set a new trial date at a hearing next week.

 There's a reminder about boater safety as the summer season began this Memorial Day weekend. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is asking people to be safe and responsible while out on the water. Memorial Day Weekend is one of the busiest for boaters in the state, and also brings-out people who don't boat often. DNR says to make sure everyone has a life jacket, and make sure the boat's driver stays sober.

Slow down, buckle up and put the distractions away. That’s the message from law enforcement as we begin what are typically the 100 deadliest days on the road. Extra law officers are out on the roads this Memorial Day looking for unsafe driving behaviors -- including motorists not wearing seat belts. Mike Hanson, director of the Office of Traffic Safety, says they don’t want this to be “your memorial day” or for you to make “someone else’s memorial day,” so they’re asking everyone to slow down, buckle up, and put the distractions away. Preliminary numbers show 108 unbelted motorists died on Minnesota roads in 2021 -- up three from 2020.

 Minnesota Democratic state lawmakers are hoping after the holiday break that they can change Republicans’ minds about a special session to finish work left undone during the regular session. The two sides had a tentative deal on four billion dollars in tax relief, but couldn’t get an agreement on four billion dollars in spending for areas like public schools, health and human services, and public safety. Following the midnight deadline more than a week ago, Governor Tim Walz said they’re “90- to 95-percent of the way there” and sitting on the “proverbial one-yard line -- just punch it in, just get it done.” Senate Republican Majority Leader Jeremy Miller responded, “we’re not interested in a special session -- for goodness’ sakes, get your work done on time!”

Local-Regional News May 27

 Durand residents are encouraged to join American Legion Post 181 on Memorial Day to remember those who have fallen in defense of our country.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says there will be two events in Durand on Monday morning.  The American Legion will also be holding ceremonies at area cemeteries as well on Monday.

With the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend here, motorists are reminded to buckle up as area law enforcement is participating in the Click It or Ticket program.   Pepin County Sheriff Joel Wener says the program is not about writing tickets.  The Click It or Ticket program will continue into the first week of June.

The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Buffalo and Pepin Counties is looking for a citizen to serve on the ADRC Governing Board. The 8-person ADRC Governing Board is responsible for the oversight of the ADRC. It consists of 6 citizen members and 2 County Board members. The Board meets at least quarterly in either Alma or Durand to conduct business, with the option to attend meetings virtually. These meetings last about 1-2 hours. Board members attending meetings receive a per diem and are reimbursed mileage for traveling to the meeting location. Board members are also given the opportunity to attend training to assist them in performing their duties. Citizen members will serve a three-year term on the Board.  For more information contact the ADRC at 866-578-2373.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers was in Plum City yesterday visiting the JM Watkins meat processing facility.  Recently the state announced grants of up to $150,000 for smaller processors to help expand processing capacity.  Evers says the grants are needed especially after what happened during the pandemic.  JM Watkins was a grant recipient and is looking to use the grant to purchase a new smoker as part of a new expanded facility.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has signed an order declaring the ongoing shortage a “period of abnormal economic disruption’ and barring price gouging on baby formula for the next 90 days. Evers says no kid should ever go hungry, and no parent should have to worry about having access to formula. Anyone who suspects a business or individual is raising their prices more than they should is asked to report it to the state’s Bureau of Consumer Protection online or by calling the Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-422-7128.

Many parents are finding it difficult to talk with their kids about school shootings. Mental health professionals say it’s a good idea -- but to keep it simple. Doctor Jenny Walczak is Director of Mental and Behavioral Health at Children’s Wisconsin hospital. She told W-K-O-W/T-V that we shouldn’t want to give them “more information than they need because that can be upsetting and scary in and of itself.” Walczak recommends being honest with your kids, but also “keep it simple.”

 The Minnesota Board of Animal Health is extending the statewide ban on poultry events until Friday, July 1st. Animal health officials first enacted the ban in April and extended it once already to reduce the potential risks of spreading bird flu. The ban includes all poultry swaps, fairs, exhibitions, and other events where live poultry and susceptible birds are brought together and then disperse.

Wisconsin’s Muskie season opens tomorrow (Saturday). Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Zach Lawson says anglers can expect some good action and a healthy number of fish. He also says to expect to see more muskies than 20 years ago, and that they’re seeing bigger fish than they’ve documented in a long time. The state minimum limit is 40 inches and one fish per day, but many waters have specific limits. Regulations can be found at D-N-R-dot-G-O-V.

Governor Tony Evers says he’s ready to work with Republican legislators to address gun violence. The Democratic governor issued a video statement on Wednesday, saying he “will work with any Republican who wants to find common ground, who wants to make progress on gun safety, who wants to pass legislation a majority of Wisconsinites will support.” Evers, who’s up for reelection in November, also offered condolences to the families of students and teachers killed in their Uvalde, Texas elementary school this week.

A group representing municipalities outside the Twin Cities area warns higher property taxes could be the result of the legislature not passing tax relief measures -- including increases in state aid to local governments -- before the clock ran out on the 2022 session. Bradley Peterson with the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities says costs are increasing for everything from employee wages and health care, to fuel for city vehicles -- “which means that property taxes will have to go up in order to maintain those same levels of service.” Planned increases in the homeowner’s and renter’s property tax credits also fell by the wayside at the legislature, and Peterson says those items would have “certainly” helped keep property taxes down.

A northern Wisconsin man who owns a timber business is charged with cutting down a specific type of tree in a national forest that he was not allowed to remove. Forty-year-old Jerod Hecimovich was awarded a contract in 2019 to harvest timber from the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Court documents say Hecimovich cut down live oak trees, even though the contract specifically forbade him from harvesting live oaks. He’s charged with stealing, injuring, and knowingly cutting and removing live oak timber from U-S forest land. He faces up to ten years in prison if convicted.

Brad Finstad of New Ulm is declaring victory in Tuesday’s special Republican primary election in Minnesota’s First Congressional District. Preliminary results show Finstad topped state Representative Jeremy Munson by just over one percent or 394 votes. Finstad said in a statement that he’s honored the voters who have given him an opportunity “to continue the fight for our shared values in Congress.” Munson congratulated Finstad and offered to support his campaign. He will face former Hormel executive and D-F-L nominee Jeff Ettinger in the August Ninth special election to finish the term of the late Congressman Jim Hagedorn.

Esteem for the U-S Supreme Court in Wisconsin appears to be dropping.  The latest Marquette University Law School poll shows the Supreme Court’s approval rating dropped ten points in the days after the leaked draft ruling that would overturn the historic 1973 Roe versus Wade decision. Favorable views among Democrats dropped sharply, while Republicans’ views of the high court went up slightly. Poll director Charles Franklin says people’s opinions on abortion haven’t changed. 69-percent say Roe should not be overturned.

This is the peak time of year for turtles crossing streets and roads in Minnesota. Late May and June is also when many are hit by vehicles. D-N-R research biologist Krista Larson says some turtles are moving between bodies of water, however. She says most turtles we’re seeing right now “are females that are crossing land to find a good spot to nest.” Larson says there is no need to assist a turtle on a rural, gravel road, but you can help one cross a road with higher traffic volume by pulling over, turning on your hazards, and gently moving it the in same direction it was heading. For snapping turtles, she recommends using a shovel or broom to move them.

Local-Regional News May 26

 The Durand City Council has approved the final plans for the new Tarrant Park Pool.  At last night's city council meeting, members approved the plan which would replace the current pool and bathhouse at a cost of approximately $3 million.  Request for bids will be sent out on June 15th, opened on July 15, and a final contract would be approved by July 27 with construction to begin in August.  Meanwhile, city crews have filled the current pool and superintendent Matt Gillis reports the furnace to heat the water is down to only one stage, and there is some pitting and cracks in the sides of the old pool.  The pool is set to open next week.

Convicted sex offender Allan Ownes is set to be released back to Pepin County on June 7th.  Pepin County Sheriff Joel Wener says Ownes has completed his prison sentence and now will be on extended supervision. When Owens is released, he will be required to meet with local authorities at the Government Center and at that time will be fitted with a GPS monitor and will be required to check in with the Sheriff's Department.

As the construction of the new wastewater treatment plant continues in Mondovi, many residents are receiving sticker shock over the increased water and sewer rates in the city.  While Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss sympathizes with residents over the increased rates he says the city had no choice but to replace the 80yr old treatment plant as it did not meet DNR guidelines for wastewater treatment.  Weiss says he is glad the city acted when it did especially with the increasing construction costs and supply chain issues that are happening now for other projects.  The new plant is expected to be completed later this year.

A former Altoona-based financial adviser is scheduled to be sentenced in late August for defrauding his clients. Michael Shillin pleaded guilty Monday to one count of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud as part of a plea deal. W-L-A-X/T-V reports that eight other charges will be dismissed as part of the agreement. Shillin was accused of falsely telling clients he’d purchased stocks for them and netted them hundreds of thousands of dollars, and he was accused of defrauding a bank by using a client’s information to take out loans worth 450-thousand dollars.

Donated furniture and infrastructure items from a retired power plant could pay off big for the La Cross-area Habitat for Humanity chapter. W-K-B-T/T-V reports that about 30-thousand pounds of items from the shuttered Genoa Station number Three were donated this month to the Habitat Re-Store’s Reclaim Salvage program. The retired plant’s parent company, Dairyland Power Cooperative, says the donated items could net 19-thousand dollars in funding for the charity. An earlier donation of more than 21-thousand pounds of items from the Genoa plant generated more than 14-thousand dollars for the La Crosse-area Habitat for Humanity.

There’s a renewed call for the Republican-controlled Legislature to take up a pair of gun safety bills.  The measures would require universal background checks for all gun sales and implement a "red flag" law allowing judges to take guns away from people determined to be a threat to themselves or others. Democratic Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the legislature in 2019 to pass them, but Republican leaders simply gaveled the Senate and Assembly in and out without even debating the bills. On Wednesday, state Representative Melissa Agard of Madison began circulating a petition to reintroduce both bills.

Golden Valley-based General Mills plans to sell the iconic Hamburger Helper brand and its Suddenly Salad side dishes for 610 million dollars. Eagle American Foods Group is purchasing the brands with the sale expected to finalize later this year. General Mills says it is continuing to reshape its business portfolio. Net sales for the Helper and Suddenly Salad totaled approximately 235 million dollars in fiscal 2021.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has heard arguments for keeping a parent anonymous who suing to overturn the Madison School District's policy to not out transgender students. Lawyers from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty argued that forcing the parent to be identified would open them up for reprisal from the community. Lawyers for the school district argue that without knowing who that parent is, the district has no idea if the person is even a parent in the district or if they have a student there. The district says they want to keep students safe from harassment and bullying if they want to transition genders, while opponents say the district has no right to meddle with parents' decisions.

Police in Madison say a gun found in a student’s backpack at La Follette High School was a toy airsoft gun that looks like a real gun. W-M-S-N/T-V reports the airsoft gun was found in a student’s backpack Monday morning after two staff members overheard a conversation between two teens about a gun. The unidentified teen that had the airsoft gun was taken to the Madison Juvenile Reception Center. A spokesman for the school district says, “bringing any weapon into our school buildings is a very serious matter and we are treating it as such.”

Legislation strengthening criminal background checks for gun purchases passed the U.S. House more than a year ago.   The Bipartisan Background Checks bill – written to address the so-called “gun show loophole - passed in March 2021 on a vote of 227 – 203. The vote was bipartisan, with nine Republicans voting for it, none of them from Wisconsin. A second bill, preventing gun sales from going forward if a background check is not completed within three days, was also opposed by Wisconsin’s five Republican House members and Democrat Ron Kind. Neither bill is likely to get an immediate vote in the U.S. Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he wants to give Democrats and Republicans time to negotiate.  

Sheriff's deputies have arrested a man in connection with a scam against elderly residents in Central Wisconsin.   Police say Alejandro Garcia of Miami called up the victim in the case and claimed that woman's granddaughter had been in a serious accident and needed 40-thousand dollars in bail money. He went to the victim's house in person to collect the money and then tried asking for another 100-thousand dollars. That's when the woman called the police. He's now being held on a 30-thousand dollar cash bond. Police say other residents got scammed out of 80-thousand dollars in similar crimes.

Advocates are urging Minnesota lawmakers to return to the Capitol for a special session and approve permanent wage increases for long-term care workers. Kari Thurlow with Leading-Age Minnesota says a severe workforce shortage means over 400 senior care settings, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes -- one-sixth of those in Minnesota -- are at risk of closing. Thurlow says she’s not overstating the danger. She says there are over 23 thousand open positions in long-term care facilities, and the state needs to set reimbursement rates so workers can earn family-sustaining wages.

Recent college graduates in Wisconsin are being targeted by scammers, hoping to steal their financial information. The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau describes one scam that involves someone posing as a school official claiming that a portion of the graduate’s tuition has not been paid, and unless they pay immediately their degrees will be revoked. Another scam targets those wanting to delay repaying student loans due to the pandemic -- they’re asked to fill out a form with their personal information and to pay a fee. And other scams appear in the form of job offers, fake credit cards, online shopping, and others. You can contact the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau for more info.

A cow/calf producer in northern Minnesota is worried about wolf attacks this summer. Shayne Isane of Roseau County says most encounters occur when his cattle are out on the range. Isane, who serves as the District Seven director for Minnesota Farm Bureau, says he’s disappointed a U-S District Court in California vacated a 2020 decision to remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List. He calls the decision “frustrating” and “big step backward.” Earlier this month, legislation was introduced in Congress that would require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the final rule delisting the gray wolf and make it non-reviewable by a judge.

 The latest graduating class of troopers to join the Minnesota State Patrol includes identical twin sisters. Jessica and Jamie Bird were among 12 graduates who joined the Patrol Tuesday at a ceremony in Minneapolis. They told K-A-R-E/T-V they decided together to pursue a career in the State Patrol while in college. The Bird sisters will both be stationed at the Minnesota State Patrol station in Montevideo.

Local-Regional News May 25

 One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in the Town of Dover on Monday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, 21yr old Bryan Rivera of Independence was traveling on Hwy 121 when he fail to negotiate a curve and left the roadway.  Rivera was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire.

Due to supply chain issues, the North Eau Claire Street project in Mondovi has been delayed until 2023.  During last night's Mondovi City Council meeting, members approved a bid from A-1 Excavating for $3.6 million for the project, but the company would complete the project by October 2023.  The city has until then to complete the project using CDBG funds and as part of the contract for the project, a liquidated damages clause will be included in case the project cannot be completed by October of 2023.  That project was slated to begin this summer, but a lack of steel has caused the delay.

The Durand-Arkansaw School District and the city of Durand are teaming up to install three crosswalk warning lights on Prospect Street.  Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike says two of the lights will be by the high school and the third by the Bauer Built Sports Complex. It is hoped the lights will be installed this summer.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a final design for the Tarrant Park Pool along with reports from the mayor and department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live-streamed on the WRDN YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN.

Seventy-five members of the 934th Airlift Wing are back in Minnesota following a three-month deployment to the Europe Command Area. The airmen deployed to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany in late February to support tactical airlift missions, including aeromedical evacuations with C-130 Hercules airplanes. The 934th Airlift Wing, also known as the “Global Vikings,” is Minnesota’s only Air Force Reserve unit.

 Former Hormel Foods executive Jeff Ettinger cruised to victory in a Democratic primary to finish the term of the late U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn for the first congressional district in Minnesota.    On the Republican side, unofficial returns have Brad Finstad leading Jeremy Munson by 389 votes.   The winners will meet in August to determine who will finish the last few months of Hagedorn’s term.

Road construction across Wisconsin will be halted during Memorial Day weekend. While crews will be off the roads for the weekend, lanes will still be closed in places where construction is paused. Major construction that’s on hold includes parts of Highway 29, the Beltline in Madison, I-39/Highway 51 in Central Wisconsin, and I-43 in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. Check 5-1-1-W-I-dot-Gov for complete info.

Doctors at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee say they’re seeing more children with nutritional problems or other needs in the wake of the national baby formula shortage. Doctors say some parents are trying to make their own baby formula. But the medical experts say homemade baby formula doesn’t have the nutrition babies need, and they’re warning parents not to use recipes off the Internet.

 A $19.2 million multistate settlement with Ford Motor Company was announced Tuesday, claiming that the company falsely advertised the features of two of its vehicles.   According to Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, Wisconsin will receive $325,247 for the settlement. It claims Ford falsely advertised the real-world fuel economy of its 2013-2014 models of C-Max hybrids and the payload capacity of 2011-2014 models of Super Duty pickup trucks.  Attorneys general of 35 states and jurisdictions joined the settlement, which was led by states that include Illinois, Texas, and Arizona.

 A coalition of community and labor groups is calling on Wisconsinites to oppose Milwaukee hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention. Democratic Mayor Cavalier Johnson calls it a business decision. He says “it’ll put Milwaukee in a position where more large-scale events will then come back to Milwaukee.” An open letter from Voces de la Frontera Action, S-E-I-U of Wisconsin, and other organizations state that the Republican Party “supports White Supremacists, the violent attempted coup at the U-S Capitol…and continues to engineer new ways to undermine fair and democratic elections.” A Milwaukee Common Council Committee is scheduled to vote today (Wednesday) on the R-N-C’s contract.

Wausau police are still searching for the man who robbed a bank on Friday, although that man may have already been in custody. Sixty-two-year-old Johnson Carter turned himself in Friday afternoon on unrelated charges and was later released. He’s been named as a person of interest in the Friday robbery of WoodTrust Bank in Wausau. The robber got away with an undisclosed amount of cash, and although he implied he had a gun he didn’t show one. He was wearing a Green Bay Packers hooded sweatshirt and a Pittsburgh Steelers facemask.

 A man charged with killing a University of Wisconsin medical professor and her husband has been found guilty of two counts of first-degree intentional homicide. Khari Sandford was convicted of fatally shooting Doctor Beth Potter and Robert Carre at the U-W Arboretum more than two years ago -- they were the parents of Sandford’s then-girlfriend Meriam Carre. Her parents and Sandford had a history of not getting along, and they forced him and their daughter to leave their home and move into an Air-B-N-B for not social distancing. They were killed one day later. Sanford is facing life in prison.

A statue depicting the Galloping Ghost mascot of Kaukauna High School will remain on campus, despite some criticism that it looks too much like Ku Klux Klan imagery. W-F-R-V/T-V reports the school district now plans to add signage to explain the significance of the statue. The school board recently voted to spend 25-thousand dollars on a sign reading, “Home of the Galloping Ghosts,” but doesn’t include additional space or signage explaining the statue. The local community is reportedly split between wanting a sign, not wanting one, and removing the statue altogether.

Minnesota’s Congressional delegation is calling on the U-S Department of Agriculture (U-S-D-A) to provide federal assistance for Minnesota farmers and communities impacted by storms and natural disasters this spring harvest. U-S Senator Amy Klobuchar and her Congressional colleagues, in a letter to U-S-D-A Secretary Tom Vilsack, indicate support for the state’s request for a Farm Service Agency (F-S-A) Administrator’s Physical Loss Notice (A-P-L-N). They’re urging Vilsack to grant the request in order to provide vital support to farmers and communities throughout the state.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he won’t call lawmakers back to the State Capitol for a special session until lawmakers are committed to getting things done. Walz is referring to spending for health and human services, education, and public safety. Carleton College Political Science professor Steven Schier says, “Republicans are a little less excited about getting all this done right now before the election,” while “Democrats want to get everything done so they can claim to have accomplished a lot before the November election.” Walz calls it “baffling” that people would not want a special session to finish tax cuts and spending bills. There’s no timeline yet for a special session, but Walz says he’d like to do it sooner rather than later.

A popular off-campus residential area for Marquette University students is once again piling up with trash as they leave school for the summer or graduate. Dumpsters along West Clybourn Street near South 20th are overflowing with food trash and strewn along nearby is an assortment of empty boxes, mattresses, and couches. W-I-S-N/T-V reports it’s an ongoing problem every year at the end of the spring semester at Marquette. City officials say it’s the responsibility of the apartment owners to clean up the trash, but it’s unclear if they’re responsible for any trash that spills over onto city-owned sidewalks or other rights-of-way.

Local-Regional News May 24

 One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Trimbelle Township on Friday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 29yr old Jordan Kemmerer of Ellsworth was traveling eastbound on Hwy 10 near 800th Street when he lost control and went into the north ditch.  Kemmerer was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include a review and possible action on bids for the North Eau Claire Street Project, approval of the certified survey for lots 48 and 49 in Valley Estates, and review and possible action on the reconstruction plans of Hwy 37 from Hwy 10 to Hwy 88.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Marten Center.

The Durand Fire Department is warning of a texting scam.  Residents and even fire department members have been receiving text messages claiming shirts for the Fire Department are on sale and giving a link to order.  This is nothing more than a scam and you are to just delete the message.

The Menomonie Police Department has identified the missing person that fell into the Red Cedar River last week.  Authorities are still searching for 23yr old Louis Burgos, who was last seen on May 17 swimming at Riverside Park, when he went under the water.  His friends tried to rescue him but were unsuccessful.   Menomonie Police and Fire continue to search for Burgos.  Riverside Park is once again open to the public and Menomonie Police and The Dunn County Sheriff's Department is asking that if anyone sees anything related to Bugos disappearance to contact the department.

Police in La Crosse are investigating a weekend shooting in which one person was killed and another wounded. The incident happened in the early morning hours Sunday near the Charge-point Charging Station and River Road Apartments. Police found 15yr old Storm Vondrashek with multiple gunshot wounds. Vondrashek died despite life-saving measures. The second victim is hospitalized and said to be recovering. Anyone with information is asked to contact the La Cross area Crimestoppers. 

The Pierce Pepin Care Foundation of Pierce Pepin Cooperative has announced its 2nd Quarter Grants to nonprofit organizations.  Grants included The Durand Fire Department received a $1500 grant to purchase an AED unit and a thermal imaging camera for the new ladder truck,   and The Pierce County 4H/FFA Livestock Committee received a $1500 grant to assist with upgrading the wash racks at the fairgrounds.  Coop members fund the foundation by rounding up their monthly energy bills to the nearest dollar through Operation Round Up, along with direct donations.

Firefighters from Bloomer, Tilden, Chippewa Fire District, and New Auburn responded to a shed and pole barn fire on 130th Street near Hwy 64 yesterday.   No injuries were reported but the pole barn and shed were destroyed along with several pieces of farm equipment and a vehicle that were stored in the buildings.   Firefighters were on the scene of that blaze for nearly an hour and the cause of that fire is still under investigation.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is recommending COVID-19 booster doses for everyone age five and above. D-H-S supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that children ages five-through-eleven should receive a booster dose five months after their initial Pfizer vaccination series. With this recommendation, D-H-S and C-D-C now recommend COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to everyone five years of age and older. The C-D-C also recently strengthened another recommendation, encouraging those 12 and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, and people 50 and older to get a second booster dose.

The mother of a six-year-old boy found dead in the trunk of a car in Orono has been charged with murder. Twenty-eight-year-old Julissa Thaler was arrested Friday. Police had responded to a call of a vehicle driving on a tire rim with the back window smashed out. Officers searched the vehicle before towing it and found the body of a boy, later identified as Eli Hart, and a shotgun inside the trunk. Thaler was arrested near her apartment a short time later. A preliminary autopsy found that Hart was shot multiple times.

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There’s bipartisan support in Washington, for two Nordic nations to join NATO.  U.S. Senator Ron Johnson supports the admission of Finland and Sweden to the military alliance. The Wisconsin Republican calls NATO expansion “both justified and imperative,” in the face of Russia’s war in Ukraine, where he said Vladimir Putin’s forces are committing war crimes. The member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee joined his colleagues in a bipartisan resolution in support of the two nations joining NATO.

Governor Tony Evers has announced another round of stimulus funding grants for ag producers. Evers says that Wisconsin's ag industry took a major hit during the pandemic and beyond. The new 10 million dollar program will specifically go towards Wisconsin's poultry and meat producers to help shore up supply chain issues and damage from avian influenza. Through governor says the Wisconsin farm support program has already provided more than 100 million dollars of support to more than 20-thousand Wisconsin farmers during the pandemic.

A new report shows where most of the federal coronavirus aid money for Wisconsin schools has been spent so far.  Washington has sent two-billion dollars to Wisconsin earmarked for education since the start of the pandemic. A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum finds most of that money – that’s been spent – has gone to teachers and administrators. The group says another big chunk went to technology and personal protective equipment. Most of the two-billion dollars has not yet been spent.

Some new mothers in Wisconsin are turning to donor-provided breast milk during the nationwide baby formula shortage. Many donor moms are using social media to offer breast milk. Camila Martin is a registered dietician and certified lactation specialist with U-W Health. She told W-K-O-W/T-V that could be a risky venture, because “you don’t know if they might be on a medication that could be harmful to your infant.” Martin says anyone wanting to use donated milk should do so through a milk bank, where it will likely be pasteurized before being distributed. She lists Mother’s Milk Alliance and The Mother’s Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes as two reputable milk banks in Wisconsin.

A billion-dollar health and human services package is among major spending bills left for a possible -- but not certain -- special session, after the Minnesota Legislature missed its Sunday midnight deadline. House Speaker, Democrat Melissa Hortman, says it’s the most difficult bill to get agreement on. Lead Senate negotiator, Anoka Republican Jim Abeler (ABE-ler) says if there’s no agreement, then there’s no guarantee that “nursing homes stay open to help people who have no place else to go.” He also says there’d be “no way to tell people (who) need a ride to go to the doctor for dialysis what they’re going to do.”

The Salvation Army has seen an increase in demand for financial assistance as more Minnesotans face eviction. A lot of people are behind on their rent, according to spokesman Dan Furry. He says current analysis shows there are “77-thousand Minnesota families that are behind in their rent…and that has gone up since Christmas time.” Furry says it will likely take a couple of years to rebound from the COVID pandemic and high inflation.

Local-Regional News May 23

 The Pepin County Sheriff's Department is notifying the public of the impending release of a sex offender to the county.  In 2013 52yr old Allan Owens, was convicted in Pepin County of repeated sexual assault of a child.  He is scheduled to be released from prison on June 7 and is registered with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry.  He will be required to wear a GPS monitor at all times.  Currently, no housing has been located for him by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, and he is being released as homeless.  If housing is found the Sheriff's Department will update the public.  

No one was injured when a Barge, operated by the Canal Barge company struck lock and dam 4 in Alma on Saturday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, the Tow Boat lost control, continued downstream, and impacted a portion of the lock and dam.  No cargo or fule was reported to have spilled,  and the incident is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard. 

One person is dead after a two-vehicle accident near Kellog on Friday.  According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the accident happened when a vehicle traveling southbound on Hwy 61, driven by 78yr old James Gander of Kellogg collied with another vehicle at the intersection of Hwy 61 and Highway 42. Gander died of his injuries, and the driver of the other vehicle, a 19yr old female from Welch was taken to Wabasha Hospital with minor injuries.

A Lake City man is in custody after authorities found nearly 5 pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle.  According to the Wasbasha County Sheriffs Department, 46yr old Michael Mattison arrived at the Wabasha County Justice center last Tuesday seeking the return of his vehicle from the county impound lot after it was left on the side of the road a few days earlier.  The car had been searched pursuant to a warrant and when Mattison took possession of the vehicle he was arrested.  Mattison admitted to authorities that he intended on selling the meth, and he is being held on a $200,000 bond.  His next court appearance is June 7th.

Gas prices in Wisconsin continue to rise. According to Triple-A, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas is four dollars, 31 cents a gallon -- nine cents higher than it was a week ago. Wisconsin’s average price is still lower than the national average of four-59 a gallon. The lowest average gas price in Wisconsin can be found in Burnett and La Crosse counties, at four-10 a gallon. The highest average price is in Kenosha County at 4-54 a gallon.

The outbreak of avian influenza is reaching unexpected victims: baby foxes. Jane Sandberg from the Dane County Humane Society says those fox kits were likely coming into contact with the flu after eating infected birds. She says, “they were severely neurologic, unable to walk correctly (and) falling over.” D-C-H-S has treated a number of those foxes and sick waterfowl. If you spot an animal acting ill or struggling in your area, do not touch it, but call the D-N-R or other rescue agency.

A Taylor County couple survived a bear attack in their home near Medford. The bear was eating from their backyard bird feeder Friday night -- and when they opened the window to tell her off, she charged at the home, coming in through the window. Both the husband and wife tried to fend her off with a kitchen knife, but when that proved unsuccessful the husband retrieved a firearm and shot her to death. The couple was treated and released with bites and other injuries but are expected to recover. Their children were not harmed. Officers say the bear did have a cub with her, who ran from the scene as its mother charged.

Wisconsin Republicans fail to make an endorsement for governor during the state party’s convention in Middleton. Former lieutenant governor Rebecca Kleefisch twice fell short of the 60 percent needed in Saturday’s balloting. Only Kleefisch and state Representative Timothy Ramthun advanced to a second round, with Kleefisch getting 54-point-six percent and Ramthun two-point-six percent. The “no endorsement” option was supported by nearly 43 percent. Business consultant Kevin Nicholson and construction executive Tim Michels each received around three percent on the first ballot. Delegates did endorse U-S Senator Ron Johnson for re-election.

 Minnesota D-F-L delegates gave their stamp of approval for key incumbents to run for reelection in key statewide offices. This weekend’s D-F-L convention opened Friday with the endorsement of Governor Tim Walz to run for the office for a second term. Saturday delegates gathered at the Mayo Clinic Civic Center gave their nod of approval to Attorney General Keith Ellison and Secretary of State Steve Simon to run to keep their offices as well.

 A Click It or Ticket statewide seat belt campaign is now underway in Minnesota. Officials say the number of people killed by not wearing a seat belt rose in 2021 for the second year in a row. The Department of Public Safety reported as of May 15th unbelted fatalities were down 27 percent from last year. However, there are seven more unbelted motorist deaths so far this year than there were at this point in 2019. The Click It or Ticket campaign runs through June Fifth.

The U-S Bureau of Statistics reports the Wisconsin gross domestic product hit its highest point ever in the first quarter of 2022.  State officials say that’s another sign of Wisconsin’s recovery from the pandemic.  W-M-T-V reports the G-D-P of 306-point-seven-billion dollars tops the previous high set during the final quarter of 2019.  The state’s unemployment rate is also at an all-time low mark of two-point-eight percent.  That’s the same as it was in March.  The Department of Workforce Development says the numbers demonstrate the continued recovery of industries from construction and manufacturing to the retail trade and food service.

Sheboygan police say the person threatening a middle school student online earlier this month has been located in Arizona.  Law enforcement officials Wednesday executed a search warrant at the Arizona residence of a 14-year-old suspect.  W-F-R-V / T-V reports they seized several electronic devices.  They say that teen admitted to creating an imposter social media account where the threats were posted.  Sheboygan police say the suspect will likely be referred to juvenile authorities in his hometown.  Very early in the process, the May 12th threat was found not to be credible.

 If 45-thousand people fill Milwaukee for the 2024 Republican National Convention the biggest expense would be security.  The federal government would cover that 50-million-dollar cost.  Details of the framework agreement for the convention are emerging.  W-D-J-T / T-V reports the 34-page document details the massive amount of work required to bring the event to Milwaukee.  The economic impact on the region is estimated at 200-million dollars.  The agreement covers the need for office space, parking, hotels, technology, transportation, and security.  Milwaukee and Nashville are the two finalists with some sources saying Milwaukee has the edge.

Backers have failed to get the three-fifths majority required to pull a controversial bill banning “conversion therapy” out of committee and bring it to the floor for a vote. Burnsville Democrat Lindsey Port says it’s “incredibly frustrating to know that we have the votes to pass this measure -- and, through sheer procedural cowardice, the Republican majority continues to block it.” Detractors say "conversion therapy" is a totally discredited method that tries to force those struggling with their sexual orientation into a heterosexual lifestyle, often with disastrous emotional consequences. Opponents of a ban on conversion therapy respond those who genuinely want to resist homosexual tendencies, for religious or other reasons, should have resources available to help them.

There are some do’s and don’ts for parents struggling with the baby formula shortage.  The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says not to water-down baby formula, not to make your own, and don’t hoard what little is left. D-H-S also says not to give babies younger than one any milk from cows, goats, or plants. State officials DO suggest parents try shopping at smaller stores for formula, and seeing what’s available online before leaving home.

Minnesota lawmakers passed a pair of bills Friday afternoon 36-hours prior to the deadline for bills to pass prior to the end of the legislative session. Both bills, one to overhaul state liquor laws and one to approve new labor contracts for state government employees, were completed behind closed doors. The liquor deal, after several years of debate, allows large breweries to sell growlers and small brewers to sell four and six-packs in taprooms. Distilleries would also be allowed to offer larger bottles in their cocktail rooms. With work to still be done on large bills related to taxes, education, and public safety, it is likely the Legislature will not finish its work prior to the deadline.

Local-Regional News May 20

 A special day for the seniors at Durand High School as its graduation day.  Graduation will again be held at the Bauer Built Sports Complex.  Durand-Arkansaw Superintendent Greg Doverspike says while many districts did outdoor graduation due to the pandemic, many have gone back to graduation indoors.  Doverspike says the administration decided to let the seniors vote on where they wanted graduation.  Graduation begins at 7pm tonight at the Bauer Built Sports Complex.

Covid-19 cases are increasing across Western Wisconsin.   According to Alex Strand with the Pepin County Health Department, Pepin County is one of the few counties in our area where the case level remains low.  Strand says she is getting 2-3 new positive cases a day, and hospitalizations remain low in Pepin County.  

Severe Storms once again moved through Western Wisconsin yesterday.  Most of the damage was in the Northern Pierce, St Croix-Dunn Counties where two-inch hail and strong winds damaged buildings downed power lines, and downed trees.    The National Weather Service says cooler weather is expected for the upcoming weekend.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is being asked to suspend the law license of the former Eau Claire County district attorney.  The request has been made by the Office of Lawyer Regulation.  It wants Gary King’s license to be suspended for at least nine months.  King was accused of sexual harassment in his office and of working while intoxicated.  The latest complaint was filed last week.  Several former employees say King fell asleep during meetings, missed court dates, had red eyes, and refused to take a breathalyzer test.  He’s also accused of inappropriate behavior with female workers in his office.

The U-S Army Corps of Engineers is taking steps to reduce flood risks along the Mississippi River. The Corps’ St. Paul District will open the gate of the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam at Minneapolis due to high flows along the river. The operating plan for the lock sets the opening threshold at 52-thousand cubic feet per second -- current flow levels are over 50 thousand. The Corps says the gate at Upper St. Anthony will remain open until flows return to the normal range of around 40-thousand cubic feet per second. Officials are also reminding boaters to remain cautious on the Mississippi as the high currents can be swift and cover logs and debris.

A judge says the investigator hired by Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to look into the 2020 election appears to have “gone rogue” and “run amok” in refusing to comply with the state’s open records law.  Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn on Thursday gave the Republican Vos “one last chance” to seek records requested from investigator Michael Gableman before she fines Vos for contempt.  Vos a year ago hired Gableman with $676,000 in taxpayer money to investigate the election won by President Joe Biden. Vos paused the investigation last month, pending the outcome of various lawsuits.

The U-S House on Wednesday approved 28 million dollars in emergency funding to help address the baby formula shortage.  The bill will provide funding for stepped up Food and Drug Administration oversight of formula production and distribution. It passed with only 12 Republican votes, none from Wisconsin Republicans. The shortage is driven in part by the closure of an Abbott Nutrition plant in Michigan after four infants who had formula from the plant were hospitalized with bacterial infections. Wisconsin’s delegation unanimously backed a bill that would loosen restrictions on types of formula that can be purchased by families on the federal low-income WIC program, which relies largely on products produced by Abbott.

Republicans and some Democrats in the Minnesota Senate have renewed their perennial push to allow more nuclear power plants in Minnesota. They passed a bill Wednesday afternoon which has little chance in the D-F-L-controlled Minnesota House. Shoreview Democratic Senator Jason Isaacson says whether it’s a large conventional plant or smaller new-tech ones that the bill would allow, there’s still no plan to deal with nuclear waste. Princeton Republican Andrew Mathews responds efforts are underway to see if nuclear waste can be reprocessed. Spent nuclear fuel is stored in dry casks outside two nuclear plants in Minnesota -- at Prairie Island near Red Wing and in Monticello.

Minnesota has reported its lowest unemployment rate in recorded state history--since data collection began in 1976. Minnesota’s unemployment rate fell to two-point-two percent in April. And Minnesota gained 11-thousand-900 jobs last month. The Department of Employment and Economic Development says this continues a seven-month growth streak for Minnesota.  In Wisconsin, the unemployment rate remains at an all-time low.  April’s seasonally adjusted rate sits at 2.8 percent, unchanged from the March figure. It

Congressman Tom Tiffany says the 1973 Roe-v-Wade decision by the U-S Supreme Court circumvented the will of the people in Wisconsin.  The Wisconsin Republican made the comments during a Wednesday hearing on abortion rights at the U-S Capitol.  Tiffany says Wisconsin should have the right to determine its own abortion laws.  During the hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, he said the Supreme Court ruling ran counter to what the people in Wisconsin wanted.

The Better Business Bureau (B-B-B) is warning new parents to watch for scams as a result of shortages in the supply of baby formula. The B-B-B’s Bao Vang says, “the buyer contacts the seller via chat or direct message showing photos of baby formula cans available -- the buyer then makes a payment through a peer-to-peer platform such as PayPal or Venmo and then you wait for the product to arrive, but it never does.” Vang says to watch for signs of potential online scams, including positive reviews on the website that have been created by scammers, along with misspellings, grammatical errors, or other descriptive language that is inconsistent with the product. Another sign is the lack of a brick-and-mortar address, or the address shows a Google map image as a parking lot residence or unrelated business than what’s listed on the website.

The Republican-controlled Minnesota state Senate says “no” to Democrats’ move for a debate and vote on a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Minnesota. Burnsville D-F-Ler Lindsey Port argues it would give law enforcement more time to focus on other types of crime. Alexandria Republican Bill Ingebrigtsen says not only would it NOT help police, but they’ll be busier “cleaning up a lot more accidents on our highways.” The Democrat-controlled Minnesota House passed a bill last year to legalize recreational marijuana, but it’s had no traction in the Republican-controlled Senate. Backers will likely try to make it an issue in the upcoming elections.

Local government officials received death threats almost two years ago as protests and unrest often filled the streets of Kenosha.  The person who made the threats has pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking.  Twenty-seven-year-old Minjie Cao was living in metro Atlanta at the time.  W-I-S-N / T-V reports the Georgia man admits he emailed death threats to three Kenosha officials.  The U-S Department of Justice says Cao also made threatening phone calls.  He could face up to five years in prison when he is sentenced in October.

Former U-W System Interim President Tommy Thompson says he hopes the new chancellor for the Madison campus doesn’t bring a “California philosophy” with her.  The former governor is questioning the hiring of U-C-L-A law school dean Jennifer Mnookin to replace Rebecca Blank.  Thompson tells the Journal Sentinel he was surprised the Board of Regents hired Mnookin.  At a Tuesday news conference, she said she was willing to meet with her Republican critics – who have characterized her as a liberal radical.

This spring, the weather has not been the only frustration for a southeast Minnesota farmer. Ryan Buck of Goodhue has been waiting on an equipment order since last June but says it hasn’t arrived yet because “they’ve been missing some parts and having some troubles” at his local dealership. Buck says he’s never seen supply chain issues like this before. He also says area dealerships are telling him if he ordered a new tractor today it probably wouldn’t arrive until the fall of 2023.

Local-Regional News May 19

 The Durand-Arkansaw School District along with the City of Durand will install three safety crossing lights on Prospect Street.  The lights will warn motorists of pedestrians crossing Prospect.  The lights will be installed by the high school and by the Bauer Built Sports Complex.  The cost of the lights is approximately $18000 and will be split between the district and the city.  The lights are expected to be installed by the beginning of the new school year.

The Pepin County Administration Committee approved a 6-month lease for office space in the Government Center to Kwik Trip.  If approved by Kwik Trip, the company will have a 300-square-foot office in the center from June 1st through the end of the year and will pay the county $500 a month.  The office space will be used for hiring for the new Kwik Trip in Durand which is expected to open in December of this year.

The National Weather Service has put much of the WRDN Listening area under an enhanced risk of severe weather later this afternoon.  The Weather Service says severe thunderstorms are expected to develop in Minnesota and move into Western Wisconsin with hail over 1 inch and the possibility of a tornado cannot be ruled out.  After the storms move through cooler weather is expected for the weekend.

The Durand Police Department will be holding a bike rodeo for 2nd and 3rd-grade students Friday at Caddie Woodlawn elementary school.  Students will learn how to ride their bikes safely on the roadways.  Parents are asked to avoid dropping off or picking up their child's bikes during bus drop-off pick-up times to limit parking lot congestion.

A mistrial has been declared in an Eau Claire County child sexual assault case.  WQOW-TV reports that after seven hours of deliberation Tuesday and Wednesday, the jury told the judge they had a difference of opinion and could not reach a verdict in the case of David Balistreri.    He was charged in 2019 of sexually assaulting an 11 yr old girl as she slept.    The judge declared a mistrial and a hearing is set for June 20th to determine what will happen next.

A Bangor man is dead after a farm accident.  According to the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department, 74yr old Russel Johnson was driving a tractor pulling a fertilizer spreader across a hillside when the tractor and spreader tipped over, trapping Johnson.  By the time first responders arrived, Johnson had died from his injuries.  

Gasoline prices in Wisconsin have set yet another new record.  Triple-A says the average price for a gallon of regular in the state hit four dollars and 31-cents Tuesday afternoon. That’s three cents higher than Monday and 12 cents higher than a week ago.  All 50 states now have gas prices averaging over $4 a gallon.

A Minnesota pastor has been charged with the repeated sexual assault of a child as a persistent offender.  W-M-T-V reports 61-year-old Jeffrey Anthony Charles was the pastor for the Neighbors to Nations church in Princeton, Minnesota at the time.  Investigators say parishioners traveled to his cabin in the Town of Summit.  Charles is accused of sexually assaulting the victim over a five-year period between 2005 and 2010.  The victim was three years old when the assaults began.  Charles was convicted of sexual abuse in Iowa 25 years ago in another case.

 Family members of the late Minnesota First District Congressman Jim Hagedorn are suing his widow -- former state Republican Party chair Jennifer Carnahan -- trying to recover medical expenses for cancer treatments he received in Arizona before his death. The Star Tribune reports Hagedorn’s mother, stepfather, and sister allege they helped pay for the Arizona treatments after Hagedorn was told he had exhausted his options at Rochester’s Mayo Clinic. They claim that Carnahan made a “clear and definite promise” to use her inheritance to reimburse them. Carnahan says her late husband’s estate is required to go through probate and “there is nothing further we are allowed to do at this time.”

One of three ex-Minneapolis officers accused of aiding and abetting Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd is pleading guilty. Thomas Lane entered a guilty plea this morning (Wednesday) to a charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.  Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a statement, saying, "his acknowledgment he did something wrong is an important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community, and the nation."  J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao are scheduled to stand trial on June 13th.  All three were found guilty in a federal civil rights trial in February.

During a Tuesday hearing, a Dane County judge was skeptical of some of the arguments challenging the legality of private grants awarded to Madison to help run the 2020 presidential election.  Similar lawsuits have been rejected in other courts.  Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke called some of Tuesday’s arguments “ridiculous,” a “stretch,” and “close to preposterous.”  Nearly identical suits are pending in Green Bay, Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine.  The challenge to the funding is based on a Waukesha County Court ruling last year.  The Wisconsin Supreme Court is considering an appeal of the ruling.  Judge Ehlke promised to make his ruling by the middle of next month.

The U-W System Board of Regents vice president and the new chancellor for the Madison campus want to meet with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.  The Republican speaker has called the unanimous appointment of Jennifer Mnookin a “blatantly partisan selection.”  Board Vice President Karen Walsh suggested she and Mnookin should have lunch or coffee with Vos.  Walsh says she doesn’t take remarks very seriously from people like Vos or state Senator Steve Nass – who criticized the selection and threatened the system’s state funding.

There was not one dissenting vote when the Minnesota Senate voted to keep the Capitol Area Security Advisory Committee in place for 14 more years. The upper chamber unanimously passed the measure Tuesday afternoon. The security advisory panel was in the spotlight during civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd.  Minneapolis Democrat Scott Dibble says he thinks they’ve made “some fairly significant accomplishments in keeping the public and our staff and ourselves safe.”

A business professor at Madison Area Technical College says the biggest downside to the cryptocurrency market may not be its volatility.  That market has lost nearly two trillion dollars in value since large investors started leaving.  Professor Steve Noll says that’s a problem, but an even bigger issue may be the fact that crypto relies on blockchain technology – and that requires enormous amounts of energy to run computer servers.  Its biggest downside might be that it is one of the most environmentally unfriendly currency ideas ever – at a time when the planet is in the middle of a climate crisis.

 Drivers are being urged to watch out for large, slow-moving farm equipment this spring. M-N-DOT’s Scott Thompson says, “farm equipment is very large very heavy and when you contemplate what a crash might look like between a piece of farm equipment and a passenger vehicle -- more likely than not that piece of farm equipment is going to prevail.” Data shows there have been 374 crashes involving farm equipment in Minnesota since 2019, resulting in eight deaths and 133 injuries. Inattentive driving and speed were the biggest contributing factors in those crashes. Thompson is recommending motorists also watch for debris dropped by farm equipment and wait for a safe place to pass.

A Duluth resident from Ukraine is about to make her second trip home to provide whatever help she can as Russian forces continue their war. In April, Bogdana Krivogorsky traveled to both Ukraine and Poland to bring medical supplies and volunteer at a refugee center. Next week, she’s going back, but this time she’ll also have bullet-proof vests in addition to medical supplies. The vests were donated by the Superior, Wisconsin, police department. Chief Nick Alexander told W-D-I-O/T-V the vests would have likely “ended up in a landfill here” but “may save a life over there.”

Local-Regional News May 18

 Menomonie police will continue to search for a missing man today.  According to authorities, at about 3:30 yesterday a 23yr old man was swimming at Riverside Park in the Red Cedar River and didn't resurface.  The man's friends tried to rescue him but did not get to him in time and the man has not been located.  The man's name has not been released at this time.

The Durand-Arkansaw School Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on new math, biology, and English textbooks, renewal of the long and short-term disability insurance for staff, and reports from the administration.  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 annual reports from Emergency Management and Sheriff's Department, discussion and possible action on a budget modification for a homeland security exercise grant, and possible ratification of a tentative side letter with the Pepin County Communication Corrections Office Association.  Tonight's meeting begins at 7 at the government center in Durand and will also be live-streamed via the county website.

The City of Durand has announced the swimming times for the Tarrant Park Pool.  The pool will open on June 3 with lap swim until 1pm and open swim from 1pm-7pm.  The pool will be closed during Fun Fest weekend.  Family Season Passes for residents will be $80, and non-residents $120, while individual season passes will be $40 for residents and $60 for non-residents.  

The Dunn County Sheriff's Department has announced it will join other law enforcement agencies on the click it or ticket enhanced enforcement program.  The program will run from May 23 through June 5 and the department will have extra officers patrolling to make sure everyone is using seatbelts while in their vehicles.  The goal of the program is to not hand out extra tickets but to increase the use of seatbelts and save lives.

Nestle’s plant in Eau Claire is stepping-up production to help with the nationwide baby formula shortage.  A spokesman says the plant has significantly increased the amount of formula it’s making, but no word how much. The surge comes as stores say as much as half of their stock is sold, and parents say they’re having trouble finding the formula that their babies need. 

Barron Police have updated the cause of death of three people in a house fire last week.  According to authorities, two young children and their father died of smoke inhalation from the house fire.  All three had no traumatic injuries unrelated to the fire and the department of criminal investigation is investigating the cause of that fire.  

Police in New Richmond say the deaths of 42-year-old Brandon McNamara and 36-year-old Kelly Marks are consistent with a murder-suicide.  Investigators say the bodies were found in a home Friday.  W-K-O-W / T-V reports officers were called to the home by a report of a foul odor coming from the location.  The two victims had been shot to death.  Police say they don’t know how long they had been dead.  The Wisconsin State Crime Lab was called in to help with the case.

A lawsuit has been filed against 10 “false electors” in Dane County Court.  The Republicans who claimed to be presidential electors after the 2020 election and two attorneys who represented them are accused of breaking several laws.  Among the defendants are Robert Spindell, who is a member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission.  An attorney for the parties filing the suit says there need to be consequences for breaking the law.  The plaintiffs are asking for up to two thousand dollars each in fines for wrongdoing and punitive damages of up to 200-thousand dollars each.

Minnesota House and Senate negotiators are trying to reach a compromise on a four-billion-dollar tax relief plan. Republican Senator Carla Nelson of Rochester says she and D-F-L Representative Paul Marquart from Dilworth will be working diligently at how to proceed. Nelson says they know the clock is ticking and their intention is to get something done soon. Governor Walz is calling for rebate checks while G-O-P leaders are pushing for permanent tax cuts.

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One of the first jobs for the new chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison won’t be easy.  Jennifer Mnookin has to make friends with Republican legislative leaders.  Assembly Speaker Robin Voss calls the Board of Regents’ decision to hire Mnookin a “blatant partisan selection.”  The vice-chair of the Wisconsin Senate Universities and Technical Colleges Committee, Steve Nass, calls her a “West Coast liberal.”  The two lawmakers point out that she met with Hunter Biden three years ago and supported having him join the U-C-L-A faculty.  Vos says her stance on Critical Race Theory and vaccine mandates aren’t in line with his party’s positions.

The budget agreement between Minnesota legislative leaders and the governor includes a billion dollars for public schools -- but how that’s parceled out is still to be determined with under a week remaining in the 2022 session. Senate Republicans are reluctant to beef up general aid to schools through the “education formula” -- with Majority Leader Jeremy Miller saying they’re “laser-focused” on student literacy and giving teachers better tools. As for the G-O-P’s longstanding push for “school choice,” Miller says it’s not “part of this agreement,” but it’s not excluded from it, either. Democrats call it “school vouchers,” saying taxpayers would be subsidizing private schools.

Tick season has been somewhat delayed, thanks to a cold, wet spring. Looking ahead, University of Minnesota professor Jon Oliver says it’s hard to predict how severe of a tick season it may be. He says, “insect repellants that work for mosquitoes will also work for ticks,” so he recommends using “anything that contains DEET” or “any other EPA-approved repellants.” Oliver says deer ticks and American dog ticks are common in Minnesota and both commonly bite people and pets. Though both species can potentially transmit diseases, Oliver says deer ticks are more concerning because they are often infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.

COVID infections are on the rise again in Wisconsin but there are new treatments to keep patients alive.  Doctor Ryan Westergaard is the chief medical officer at U-W Health.  Westergaard says therapeutics like Paxlovid are available and they are saving lives.  He says the rate of COVID hospitalizations isn’t going up as rapidly as it did earlier this year, but it is rising.  The doctor says that’s why people need to pay attention and take action so it doesn’t get back into the danger zone.  Westergaard says anyone 50 or older, with underlying health conditions, should contact their physician immediately if they test positive.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is asking people to avoid burning due to very high wildfire danger across the state.   Warm, dry, and breezy conditions make burning of any kind extremely risky. All of the state’s 72 counties had VERY HIGH or HIGH fire danger as of Monday afternoon. In the last week, 127 wildfires have burned nearly 100 acres, most of which were related to down powerlines, with some resulting from debris burning, equipment, and lightning. The DNR has responded to 450 fires burning over 630 acres so far this year.

One of Minnesota’s oldest citizens has passed away. Ruth Adler Knelman, also known as “Grandma Ruth,” died Monday at her home in Minneapolis at the age of 111, just five days before what would have been her 112th birthday. Knelman was known in Minneapolis for her volunteer work at Jefferson Community School, Temple Israel, and the now-shuttered Mount Sinai Hospital. According to the Gerontology Research Group’s website, Knelman was the second oldest living person in Minnesota when she died, two years younger than 114-year-old Erna Zahn.

Local-Regional News May 17

 A Wabasha County man faces 36 years in prison for the killing of his father last year. Prosecutors say 46-year-old James Riley of Millville pleaded guilty Friday to the March 2021 second-degree murder of 73-year-old Edward Riley. James told investigators that he hit his dad in the head with a hammer, stabbed him several times, and put his body in the trunk of a car. The criminal complaint says Riley was upset that his father didn’t name him as an heir to the family farm. He will serve 432 months under a plea agreement.

One person was injured in a motorcycle vs vehicle accident in Isabelle Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department,  68yr old Dale Degross of Burnsville, MN was traveling southbound on Hwy 35, waiting for traffic to clear the intersection of Hwy 35 and Hwy D, when his motorcycle was rear-ended by a southbound vehicle driven by 53yr old Benjamin Schmid of Marshall, MN.  Degross was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing. 

The Pepin County Courthouse Museum Courtyard will be hosting a civil war live day today.  From 9-2 students from Durand Middle and High School will be at the event touring learning stations about the war between the states.  Every 40 minutes a cannon will be fired for the students to switch stations.  The event will be open to the public after 2pm and is free.

The Buffalo County Board of Supervisors is seeking one community member to serve on the County Board of Supervisors District 8 (Ward 1 and 2 City of Alma).  Residency in the City of Alma is required to be considered for this vacancy.   The appointed individual will serve on the Buffalo County Board of Supervisors and various Committees for the remainder of the term which ends April 2024.  Members will be appointed by the Chairperson of the Buffalo County Board of Supervisors and confirmed by the full County Board of Supervisors.    Those interested are to contact the Buffalo County Clerk's Office.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has identified cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in backyard flocks in Dunn County.  The birds from the flock will be depopulated.  Domestic flocks in 13 Wisconsin counties have now been infected with HPAI. Flock owners are strongly encouraged to continue practicing biosecurity measures to protect their birds from the virus. This includes washing hands, disinfecting equipment, restricting access to birds, and separating new birds from existing flocks for at least 30 days. Poultry owners are asked, when possible, to keep their birds indoors.

 An Eau Claire Republican announced his bid for the State Assembly on Monday.   Josh Stanley will be running for the 91st Assembly District seat, which primarily represents the city of Eau Claire. Stanley said he is running because he wants to be involved in the process of helping his community.  If there is no primary for the seat, Stanley will face off against Democrat Jodi Emerson who has been representing the 91st Assembly district since 2019.

Three airlines have submitted bids to the US Department of Transportation to serve the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport to replace SkyWest Airlines who announced in March they would drop service to the airport.  WEAU-TV reports that Sun County is proposing flying from Eau Claire to Minneapolis twice a week,  Southern Airways Express would offer daily flights to Minneapolis and Chicago, and Boutique Air would also offer daily service to Minneapolis.  The airport is seeking public comment on the proposals.  There is no word on when the DOT would make a final decision.

The La Crosse County Medical Examiner reports two people have died in fatal overdoses in a three-day period.  W-K-B-T / T-V reports Doctor Tim Candahl says both deaths involved fentanyl mixed with cocaine – a rarity in the La Crosse area.  Both of the victims were in their 30s.  Their names haven’t been released.  Candahl urges anyone with loved ones struggling with addiction to take steps to prevent an overdose.  Those steps would include having Narcan available in case of an emergency.

Parents, beware of online baby formula scams.  Amid the nationwide shortage, the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau is warning of social media scams preying on parents. The pitch goes like this – scammers post on social media sites that they have formula available, showing photos of formula to potential buyers via chat or direct message. The buyer makes a payment through a platform such as PayPal or Venmo, but the formula never arrives. Lisa Schiller with Wisconsin BBB, said scammers follow the news and there are bound to be victims in Wisconsin.

Minnesota Housing’s Home-Help-M-N program opens for applications today (Tuesday). It aims to provide relief to homeowners who have been impacted by the pandemic and who owe past-due mortgage payments and other eligible housing expenses. Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho says funds for the program are limited and the need is expected to be high. She’s urging homeowners to apply early. The application process is open until June 17th.

Both sides agree the lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg’s Center for Tech and Civic Life will eventually wind up in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.  The Thomas More Society is appealing a December decision by the Wisconsin Elections Commission that dismissed complaints about how the Center worked with local election officials in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine, and Kenosha during the 2020 presidential election.  There are allegations that the C-T-C-L broke several Wisconsin election laws and crossed an ethical line.  Lawyers for both sides are scheduled to be in court today for a hearing.

A Wisconsin man is scheduled to appear in District of Columbia Federal Court next month to face charges for his part in the January 6th U-S Capitol riot.  Twenty-one-year-old Conlin Weyer of Plover made a Friday appearance in federal court in Madison.  Prosecutors say Weyer was seen on video surveillance inside the Capitol Building.  They say cell phone records from the day also tie him to the events.  He has been charged with disorderly conduct in the Capitol, entering and refusing to leave a restricted building, and pandering, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol.

The master framework agreement for hosting the Republican National Convention could be ready next week.  Milwaukee and Nashville are the two finalists for the 2024 convention.  Republicans are expected to make a final decision later this summer.  VISIT Milwaukee President and C-E-O Peggy Williams-Smith says the R-N-C wants everything ready to go before it makes its pick – the hotel package, the venue package, and a final agreement with the city.  Milwaukee may be farther along in the process than Nashville because it went through this when it won the bid for the Democratic National Convention in 2020.  That event became mostly virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Tim Walz, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller have an agreement on a bipartisan budget plan. It includes a four-billion-dollar investment in education, public safety, and health care -- plus four billion in tax relief. Governor Walz credits the agreement to “the camaraderie and the good spirits and just the decency of how these negotiations are going.” Miller says he believes he and House Speaker Hortman can “strike a deal on a package of bills that could pass the House and the Senate with strong bipartisan support.” The governor’s office says the plan will also allow four billion dollars to be left “to help the state manage future economic uncertainty.”

 Wisconsin Elections Commission chair Anne Jacobs calls plans for the commission voiced by gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels “absolutely absurd.”  The Republican Michels wants to replace all three Republican and all three Democratic members of the commission, repeal all guidance issued to local election clerks, and terminate all senior staff.  Jacobs says that shows that Michels lacks understanding of how elections are run, how complex the process is, and the importance of maintaining the current commissions.  She says Michels idea is “terrible” and isn’t the way modern elections should be run.  Three other Republican candidates have called for abolishing the commission completely.

 A political newcomer is the Minnesota Republican Party’s choice for Attorney General. Jim Schultz got the G-O-P’s official endorsement, beating out a field of rivals that included their A-G candidate last time around -- Doug Wardlow -- plus former state Senator and District Judge Tad Jude. Schultz accuses Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison of supporting moves to de-fund the Minneapolis Police. But Minnesota D-F-L Chairman Ken Martin calls Schultz “a hedge-fund lawyer with no experience in a Minnesota courtroom.”

The University of Wisconsin in Madison has its next chancellor.   Jennifer Mnookin is the unanimous choice of the U-W System Board of Regents. Mnookin is Dean of the UCLA law school in Los Angeles. Mnookin has a long history has an educator. She's been a professor at UCLA since 2005, and before that, taught law at the University of Virginia, and was a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. She becomes U-W Madison's 30th chancellor, after Rebecca Blank's departure to Northwestern. Blank's last day is on May 31. Provost John Karl Scholz will serve as interim chancellor until Mnookin starts in August.

Local-Regional News May 16

 Two children were injured in an ATV accident in Pepin County on Sunday.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, the accident happened on private property on Albany KK Street.  A preliminary investigation indicates a 9yr old female was assisting a 3yr old male operating an ATV when they lost control and struck a tree and both children were ejected from the ATV.  One of the children was taken to the hospital while the other child was med flighted to St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester with critical injuries.   Due to the age of the children names will not be released.

The city of Durand should have enough debt capacity for the reconstruction of Madison and Main Streets over the next 5yrs.  The city has already received a grant for Madison Street and is applying for another for Main Street, however, the grants will not cover the entire costs of both projects.  Durand Milliren says the city is working on putting the financial pieces together.  The city has 5yrs to use the first grant on Madison Street.

Two men from Black River Falls were arrested after a shooting incident in Buffalo County early Friday morning.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, 26yr old Shakuur Kroll of Black River Falls got into an altercation with three other males in a parking lot outside a tavern in the Town of Buffalo.  Kroll pulled a handgun and fired twice and then fled the scene.  He returned to collect evidence that would link him and then went eastbound on Hwy 35-54.  Trempleaue County Deputies pulled over Kroll and 21yr old Artanya Engle of Black River Falls and both were detained.  Both are being held at the Buffalo County Jail on charges of Operating a firearm while under the influence, endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon, and first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

Chippewa Falls police say a 29-year-old man was stabbed to death early Saturday during an apparent domestic violence case.  No names have been released.  Witnesses told investigators about seeing a man chasing a woman just before 6:00 a-m, then collapsing to the ground.  W-E-A-U / T-V reports emergency responders say he was suffering from critical injuries and was rushed to a hospital where he died.  The woman told police she fear for her life and picked up a knife as she ran from the home.  The man was stabbed near a doorway.  Chippewa Falls police say there was a history of domestic violence between the two.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is warning of high to very high fire danger in the upper two-thirds of the state, including here in the WRDN Listening area.  Residents are being asked to avoid burning after the issuance of a fire danger alert Saturday.  Special burning permits will be suspended in some counties.  Even outdoor campfires are being discouraged while the fire danger remains.  The D-N-R reports it has responded to about 400 wildfires so far this year, burning more than 600 acres.

An investigation is underway over a possible murder-suicide in New Richmond Friday.  Officers responded to a home in New Richmond to reports of an odor coming from the home.  Officers found two adults dead from apparent gunshot wounds and do not know how long they had been deceased.  Officials said the Wisconsin State Crime Lab was called in due to the suspicious nature of the deaths. The bodies were transported to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office for further investigation as well as identity confirmation. 

A total of seven Wisconsin counties have now reached “High” levels of COVID-19 community spread.  That’s the level of spread at which the CDC recommends everyone wear masks in public indoor spaces.  In Western Wisconsin, counties identified by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services are  Vernon, Monroe, La Crosse, Rusk, and Barron. While COVID-19 case numbers have been rising, DHS reports deaths and hospitalizations are not increasing at the same rates, with the current seven-day average at about 4 new deaths recorded per day.

Doctor Scott Jensen is the Minnesota Republican party’s candidate for governor. The battle for the endorsement took nine ballots and lasted most of the day Saturday at the G-O-P state convention in Rochester. Neil Shah dropped out first then Paul Gazelka was eliminated after he failed to meet the vote threshold. It took several more ballots for Mike Murphy to throw his support to Jensen, accusing the campaign of rival Kendall Qualls of offering him the lieutenant governor running mate spot, then pulling back. Qualls told delegates his “integrity was soiled” and “no offer was ever made” to Murphy. After the convention, Qualls thanked his supporters and said he and his wife were returning to private life.

Special counsel Michael Gableman now tells Republicans the Legislature can’t decertify its electoral votes.  Gableman says he isn’t reversing himself with the statement.  Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says Gableman made the comments to the party’s entire leadership team last week.  The former justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was hired last summer to review the 2020 presidential election.  He gained national attention when he presented a report to the Assembly Elections Committee saying he believed the Legislature “ought to take a very hard look at the option of decertification.”  Most experts on the left and right politically said that was legally impossible.  Now, Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke says Gableman’s position is you could do it but it wouldn’t have any practical effect.

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Onalaska police are releasing more information about a standoff in that city’s downtown area Tuesday night.  Officers say they had an active warrant for Gary Willert when they approached him at a parking lot.  At the same time, they saw David Olsen arrive – and he had two outstanding warrants in his name.  W-K-B-T / T-V reports the two men went into a nearby apartment.  Willert quickly gave up but Olsen and two other people refused to come out for about 90 minutes.  They were eventually taken into custody.

Governor Tony Evers is stepping in, to halt the release of a convicted killer. In a Friday letter to Wisconsin Parole Commission Chair John Tate, Evers asks for immediate reconsideration of next week’s scheduled release of Douglas Balsewicz. The letter follows a meeting Evers had with the family of Johanna Balsewicz. Douglas Balsewicz was convicted in 1997 of stabbing his wife to death in front of their two young children. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison, and the presiding judge told the parole commission at the time that the case was not appropriate for early release. Johanna’s family has been outraged by the decision to release Balsewicz after only 25 years.

Charges are filed in connection with a fatal mill explosion in Columbia County five years ago. Five people were killed and 15 injured in the 2017 explosion at the Didion Milling plant in Cambria. The company and five executives are charged in federal court on allegations that safety standards were violated in order to save money. The executives also allegedly impeded the OSHA investigation. No court dates have been scheduled.

A bill introduced by U-S Representative Angie Craig would impose a lifetime ban on lobbying for members of Congress after they leave office. The Closing the Congressional Revolving Door Act also removes special privileges for former members -- specifically, access to the House chamber, Congressional athletic facilities, the Members’ dining room, and other private locations on Capitol Hill. Craig says in a statement, “the American people deserve to know that their elected representatives are focused on fighting for their communities in Congress -- not working to line up a high-paying lobbying gig.”

 A 17-year-old boy from the Stillwater area is dead after a water emergency on the St. Croix River. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says witnesses reported a juvenile had gone underwater Thursday evening while playing with friends in Lake St. Croix Beach. Crews began searching and the dive team located the teen about 40 minutes later. Deputies say the boy was taken by ambulance to the hospital and later died. His name hasn’t been released.

The Minnesota State Patrol is conducting high-intensity patrols focusing on the deadliest traffic violations in certain areas of Minnesota. State Patrol Lieutenant Gordon Shank says we’re approaching the “100 deadliest days of the year,” which begins on Memorial Day. Shank says extra troopers will be looking for speeders, distracted and impaired drivers, and those who are not wearing seatbelts from now through September. Through May Eighth of this year, there have been 95 traffic-related deaths on Minnesota roadways, including 26 involving speed, 14 involving impaired drivers, eight involving distracted driving, and 24 involving unbelted drivers.

Local-Regional News May 13

 Two children were among the three people killed when a home in Barron burned early Thursday morning.  Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald identified the victims as 44-year-old Donald Albee, his six-year-old son Conner, and his five-year-old daughter Emily.  The 9-1-1 report of the fire came into dispatchers just before 3:30 a-m.  Emergency responders were able to get the children out of the basement and rush them to Mayo Hospital, but doctors weren’t able to save them.  The father’s body was found an hour later inside the home.  Albee’s girlfriend, 49-year-old Delores Dahlberg, managed to escape the flames and made the 9-1-1 call from a neighbor’s home.

The City of Durand will step up enforcement of the property maintenance ordinance.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the goal is to work with property owners to get the needed repairs done. The city does have a community block program where qualifying homeowners can receive an interest-free loan for home repairs that does not need to be paid back until the home is sold.  For more information on that program contact Durand City Hall.

The man charged with a bomb scare at Boyceville Middle-High School is pleading innocent by insanity.  Alexander Tillou, from the Wausau area, is accused of using social media to threaten to kill one student and telling another the school would be shot up or bombed.  He has been charged with making terroristic threats, bomb scare, and witness intimidation.  His next court appearance is in July.

Congressman Tom Tiffany is the only member of the state’s delegation to vote no on an additional 40-billion dollars in aid for Ukraine.  The Wisconsin Republican says while he has condemned Russia’s invasion, he couldn’t support the additional money “when working-class Americans are struggling to find baby formula at their local grocery stores and their paychecks are being wiped out by record gas prices and the worst inflation in 40 years.”  House approval came on a 368-to-57 vote and the U-S Senate is expected to follow suit.  Third District Democrat Ron Kind says the supplemental aid package will give Ukraine the resources it needs to defend itself.

 A bill that changes the way craft breweries and distilleries can sell their products is headed to the Minnesota Senate. It passed the House on an 85-48 vote Wednesday night. Representative Zack Stephenson of Coon Rapids says his bill “frees the growler.” Stephenson says, “it ends the absurd situation where Minnesota is the only state in the country where the five largest craft breweries in the state can’t sell anything directly to consumers out of their taprooms to take home.” The legislation would allow smaller breweries to sell four and six-packs on site and craft distilleries to sell 750-milliliter bottles.

A man from northern Minnesota is accused in the April 2021 shooting death of a woman in western Wisconsin. Authorities found 42-year-old Cary Elkin of Stone Lake dead of multiple gunshot wounds in a home in the Town of Sand Lake. The Sawyer County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Office says evidence gathered during search warrants, interviews, and forensic analysis identified 29-year-old Manly McDermott of Bemidji as the suspect in the fatal shooting of Elkin. Investigators say they are requesting prosecutors charge McDermott with first-degree intentional homicide. He’s currently at the Moose Lake Correctional Facility serving a sentence for an unrelated firearms conviction.

Senator Ron Johnson says he doesn’t believe the overturn of Roe versus Wade will be an issue in his reelection campaign.  In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the Wisconsin Republican said that people seeking abortions in Wisconsin would still be able to travel to Illinois if Roe is overturned. Johnson also expects a flurry of legal challenges to Wisconsin’s abortion law if the U.S. Supreme Court follows through on last month’s leaked draft opinion by conservative justices.

Children’s Wisconsin is being sued by a former emergency room doctor over a child abuse allegation.  Doctor John Cox was accused of abusing his daughter – who was one month old at the time – in May of 2019.  Cox says he rolled over on her after they fell asleep together resulting in a broken collarbone and other bruises.  When the child was taken to the hospital the Child Abuse Team categorized her as a victim of abuse.  The doctor says the injuries were misdiagnosed and he claims the team is “out of control.”  Cox and his wife filed the lawsuit.

Onalaska police say they expected to arrest a wanted person when they served a warrant at an apartment building Tuesday.  Instead, they wound up taking three people into custody.  No names have been released.  W-K-B-T / T-V reports police asked people to avoid the area because the original suspect had a track record of weapons possession.  The La Crosse County Emergency Response Team was summoned and managed to resolve the situation safely.  A second person inside the apartment was wanted on a felony warrant out of Monroe County.

The outgoing chancellor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison says she won’t miss dealing with the state legislature.  Rebecca Blank held her last news conference as the head of Wisconsin’s flagship state university Wednesday. Blank says state lawmakers are trying to over-regulate the university, and have constrained the school’s administrators. She says she also wishes she could have done more for diversity. Blank was Madison’s chancellor for nine years. Next month, she’ll be the new president of Northwestern University.

Police say they’ve made contact with the man accused of threatening a candidate for Congress.  Jennifer Carnahan is running for her late husband’s seat in the U-S House of Representatives.  She says while she was going door-to-door on the campaign trail Tuesday she was approached by a young man who made several threatening comments aimed at her.  She says he also swerved his vehicle at her as she walked away.  Investigators say they have identified and spoken with the suspect.  He hasn’t been identified and no arrests or charges have been announced.

A construction worker was injured Wednesday afternoon when he fell from the roof of a worksite in Weston.  Everest Metro Police say the man was on the job when the wind caused trusses to fall and he was knocked off.  His name hasn’t been released.  Emergency responders say he was alert, conscious, and breathing when they arrived.  The extent of his injuries was not immediately known.  Construction crews were working on the future home of a Dollar General Store at the time.

A bid by activist investors to take over Kohl’s department stores has come up short. Shareholders Wednesday rejected all ten of the investor group’s candidates for the board of directors. Instead, they voted to keep all the board members chosen by the company’s directors. It was the latest attempt to buy or change Kohls. The activist investors have pushed for months to try to change how the Wisconsin-based company operates. There are other offers to buy Kohl’s, and company leaders say they are under review.

 A 59-year-old Belle Plaine man is accused of damaging property belonging to a complete stranger, then setting it on fire.  Dwayne Edward Roach faces several felony charges for allegedly carrying out a destructive crime spree earlier this month.  Authorities say it all started when Roach stole a fire department vehicle in Cedar Lake Township May 4th.  When Roach was taken into custody deputies say his pupils were dilated and his eyes were bloodshot.  As he was being taken to jail the deputies say he admitted stealing a fire department vehicle.