Local-Regional News July 29

 One person is dead after a motorcycle accident north of Zumbro Falls on Wednesday.  According to the Wabasha County Sheriffs Department, 39yr old Lee Larson of Lake City was found near the intersection of County Road 3 and 17 in a field next to his motorcycle.  That accident remains under investigation.

In August, the Durand Arkansaw School Board will be approving a back-to-school plan for the upcoming school year.  Durand Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike says there will be no changes proposed.  The back-to-school plan was required as part of the Covid Relief money the district has received.  The third installment of that money is approximately $ 1 million.

Prosecutors have dismissed one homicide charge as part of a plea agreement with a 56-year-old Eau Claire man.  Selwyn Smith was facing charges in two separate cases before the agreement.  He had been accused of shooting 38-year-old Freddie Flowers to death last year.  Smith pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon and two felony drug charges.  He faces a maximum prison term of 81 years.  Smith is to be sentenced December 5th in Eau Claire County court.

One person is dead after a house fire in Chippewa Falls on Wednesday.  Firefighters were called to the fire at 721 Superior Street on Wednesday and were able to extinguish the blaze within 15minutes.  However one person died in the blaze and after an investigation, authorities arrested 59yr old Scott Vaningan in connection with the fire on Thursday.  Police say Vaningan knew the victim and the death and fire are being investigated as a criminal act.

The Mega Millions jackpot now exceeds one billion dollars.  Your chances of winning Friday night’s drawing outright? Roughly one in one-hundred and three million.  According to UW Madison Professor Laura Albert you have a better chance of being attacked by a shark.  Many people buy multiple tickets. Albert says that increases your chances of winning – but not by much.

A 23-year-old Wisconsin man wanted for selling the drugs that caused a fatal overdose has been arrested in Arkansas.  U-S Marshals took Lathan Foster into custody Wednesday in Benton County, Arkansas.  W-K-B-T/T-V reports he is accused of selling drugs containing fentanyl that led to the death of a West Salem man in December.  An autopsy of Jeremy Pittman’s body determined fentanyl toxicity was the cause of his death.  Foster is still in Arkansas waiting for extradition to La Crosse County.

President Biden’s 280-billion-dollar CHIPS and Science Act passed Thursday in the House of Representatives without any help from Republican members of the Wisconsin congressional delegation.  Two dozen Republicans did vote for the bill that would subsidize domestic semiconductor manufacturing and invest in science and technology innovation.  Opponents have called the bill “corporate welfare” for huge companies that don’t need the help.  Wisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher is more concerned about security, saying Congress should pass legislation that is “laser-focused on the challenge we face from the Chinese Communist Party.”

A Dane County judge has awarded 98 thousand dollars to cover the attorney fees for a liberal watchdog group seeking information about the partisan investigation into Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential election.  Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn said that a taxpayer-funded review found “absolutely no evidence of election fraud” during a Thursday hearing.  W-I-S-C/T-V reports she ordered Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to cover the attorney fees for violating Wisconsin open records laws but awarded no punitive fees. Vos’ attorney says he will recommend that his client appeal the ruling.

No fewer than 140 thousand people in Wisconsin have already voted in the August primary election.    The Wisconsin Elections Commission says that’s the number of mail-in ballots that have been sent back to local clerks’ offices. About 315 thousand ballots had been mailed out to voters across the state. The 140-thousand number does not include people who’ve been voting absentee in-person since Tuesday. Two statewide candidates have suspended their campaigns since many voters filled out their ballots. Anyone who voted for U-S Senate candidates Tom Nelson or Alex Lasry can ask their local clerks to cancel their ballots, and get a new one. Primary Election Day is August 9th. 

Wisconsin is among the states in-line to get millions from a new settlement with another opioid maker.  Wisconsin and 11 other states are announcing a tentative four-point-two billion-dollar settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals. That’s in addition to last year’s 26-billion-dollar settlement with other opioid makers. Wisconsin’s share of the new settlement has not been disclosed, but it figures to be well into the millions of dollars.

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A Marathon County judge has refused to allow the defendant in a 2019 triple shooting to withdraw his no-contest plea.  One person died and two were wounded in the shooting at a Wausau cemetery.  W-S-A-W/T-V reports Henry West was supposed to be sentenced in May but that has been delayed by a change in defense attorneys and the motion to withdraw his plea.  West was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, and two counts of arson.  Fifty-two-year-old Patricia Grimm was shot to death at the Pine Grove Cemetery.  A 60-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman were wounded.  Now, he will be sentenced August 9th.

Backers of legislation defining what an illegal strip search of a student is say they believe the bill will have bipartisan support.  It would ban school officials from conducting strip searches and would make the language-specific in what has become outdated state law.  W-B-A-Y/T-V reports the move comes after an Oconto County judge dismissed charges against former Suring Superintendent of Schools Kelly Casper.  She had forced six girls to undress to their underwear as they were searched for vaping cartridges.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s 10-year economic expansion plan is getting mixed reviews from Minnesota’s business community. Beth Kadoun with the Minnesota Chamber says they and the governor have many similar goals -- thriving communities, attracting a workforce, and a growing business community. But Kadoun describes some parts of Walz’s plan as being “a real barrier and headwind” to economic growth in the state, primarily reducing the tax burden and other costs. The governor responds everyone wants lower taxes, but the effect on education and workforce development could end up hurting Minnesota businesses.

 

A rash of thefts involving Kia and Hyundai cars has spurred Beloit police to try to do something to help.  The department has announced it will hand out free steering wheel locks to city residents.  W-M-T-V reports that during the National Night Out event next Wednesday police say the first 100 Beloit residents who have a Kia or Hyundai in the model years of 2015 to 2022 will be able to claim a free steering wheel lock.  You will need to bring your vehicle to the event or show registration paperwork.

Local-Regional News July 28

 Four people were injured in a two-vehicle accident that involved a Mondovi Police Officer on Tuesday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, Mondovi Police Officer Tucker Teige pulled out onto Hwy 10 to perform a traffic stop on a vehicle that failed to yield to emergency vehicles responding to an accident in Eau Clair County.  Tiege attempted a U-turn on Hwy 10  in front of 45yr old Amber Evans of Mondovi who was traveling eastbound on Hwy 10.   Evans vehicle t-boned the squad car.  Evans, along with passengers 47yr old James Evans and 18yr old Lydia Evans of Mondovi were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.    Tiege also sought treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.  The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department is investigating that accident.

Residents living along Country lane in Durand can expect crews to begin seal coating the road next week.  According to Durand Public Works Superintendent Matt Gills, crews are currently prepping Country Lane this week and will complete the seal coating on Monday and Tuesday.  The road will remain open during the seal coating and residents can expect loose gravel on the road for the next few weeks.

The Durand City Clerk's Office will be testing the electronic voting equipment that will be used in the upcoming August Primary on Tuesday.  The testing of the equipment is required by state law and is open to the public.  The testing will begin at 10:30 Tuesday morning at Durand City Hall.

 Altoona police say two people have been arrested in the death of 79-year-old Dennis Schattie.  Investigators say they think the homicide was “financially motivated.”  They say Schattie was killed in Altoona and his body was found in the Rock River near Rockford, Illinois.   W-E-A-U/T-V reports that 46-year-old Brandson Gaston of Rockford was arrested April 8th.  Fifty-five-year-old Tracey Clark of Altoona was taken into custody six days later.  Both are being held in the Eau Claire County Jail.

An Eau Claire man was found not guilty of homicide in the death of a Hayward man in Dunn County on Tuesday.  The jury found 39yr old Chad Turgeson not guilty of 1st-degree intentional homicide in the death of Bruce McGuigan.  Turgeson was found guilty of retail theft under $500 as a party to a crime and was sentenced to 6 months in jail and pay $463 in court costs.    Two other people were also charged in connection with McGuigan's death, 26yr old Ashley Gunder who pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 25yr in prison, and 39yr old Ryan Steinhoff who will have a jury trial in November.

 A La Crosse woman says she was working Saturday when she got a call telling her two city-owned trees had crashed through the roof and were sitting in her living room.  Heather Morales says she has been bugging the city of La Crosse to take care of the trees for five years.  Nobody was injured but the front room of her home is unusable.  Morales says the trees have caused problems in her neighborhood for several years.  La Crosse Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department spokesperson Dan Trussoni says the office has one complaint on record from Morales and an arborist was set out to assess the trees’ condition.  He found them to be “fair.”  Trussoni points out that more than 51 hundred trees in the city are assessed as “fair.”

A man from Rusk County will spend the rest of his life in prison for a double-murder two years ago.   A judge sentenced 19-year-old Joseph Falk to life in prison Tuesday without the possibility of parole. Falk pleaded guilty to charges he killed Robert and Bonnie Rosolowski. The other shooter was the couple’s grandson. 23-year-old Adam Rosolowski also pleaded guilty, but he’s yet to be sentenced. Rosolowski and Falk admit to killing the elderly couple at their home near Sheldon, and stealing their truck. 

Mike Pence endorses former lieutenant governor Rebecca Kleefisch for Wisconsin governor. In a statement, the former vice president called Kleefisch “the only candidate that will deliver a stronger and more prosperous Wisconsin,” and said he's proud to support her. The endorsement from Pence comes less than 24 hours after former President Donald Trump, who's endorsing construction executive Tim Michels, announced he'll hold a rally in Waukesha next week in support of Kleefisch's opponent in the Republican primary. The dueling endorsements here in Wisconsin mirror the situation in Arizona, where Trump and Pence are endorsing opposing candidates in that state's Republican primary for governor.

As the investigation progressed more victims were identified.  A 20-year-old man from Thorp has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the sexual assault of 12 underage boys.  Kyle Zacharias was sentenced in Clark County Court Monday.  W-Q-O-W/T-V reports Zacharias pleaded guilty to 11 felony charges last December.  Investigators say most of the victims were between the ages of eight and 10.  When he gets out, Zacharias will be supervised for the rest of his life.  He has to pay for the psychiatric and psychological care and treatment of each of his victims.

Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry is dropping out of the Democratic U.S. Senate primary   WisPolitics-dot-com report Lazry is endorsing  Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes for the Democratic nomination to face US Senator Ron Johnson. Lazry is the second Democrat to drop out of the race. Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson left Monday and is endorsing Barnes. State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski is now the remaining high-profile Democrat facing Barnes in the August 9 primary.

 A Whitewater Unified School District employee has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a minor.  The 34-year-old suspect’s name hasn’t been released.  W-K-O-W/T-V reports he was taken into custody Friday when police responded to a call about a person experiencing a mental health emergency.  The suspect is charged with the sexual assault of a child by a school staff person.  Police say additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues.

Two former Minneapolis police officers have been sentenced for violating George Floyd’s civil rights two years ago.  J-Alexander Kueng was sentenced today (Wednesday) to three years in federal prison and Tou Thau was sentenced to three-and-a-half years. Kueng, Thao, and Thomas Lane were convicted in February of not intervening when former officer Derek Chauvin caused Floyd's death by kneeling on his neck. Lane received a 30-month federal prison sentence last week. Kueng and Thao are also scheduled to stand trial on state charges in October for aiding and abetting manslaughter and murder.

The 53-year-old Wisconsin man who once called himself the “next mass shooter” will pursue an insanity defense in his federal case.  A psychiatric exam was ordered during a Tuesday court appearance.  W-L-U-K/T-V reports Whittier P. Ives is charged with the illegal possession of a firearm.  Omro police were told last month that Ives was loading ammunition, magazines, and a long gun into his vehicle.  He had shown another man a picture of a person on his phone saying he would kill the man, along with another person, and shoot “a bunch of other people.”

The Wisconsin Humane Society announced Tuesday it brought nine Beagle mothers and 53 puppies to Wisconsin over the weekend, as part of an operation to remove the dogs from a mass breeding facility in Virginia. All 62 Beagles are currently in foster homes. The Humane Society of the United States is coordinating the removal of approximately 4000 beagles from a Cumberland, Virginia facility that bred dogs to be sold to laboratories for animal experimentation. The transfer is a result of a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice in May alleging Animal Welfare Act violations at the facility.

Local-Regional News July 27

 The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on the bids for the Tarrant Park Pool, reports from the Mayor and Department heads, and the council will go into closed session for the annual review of the city administrator.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live streamed on our YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN.

The Dunn County Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a referendum to create a rehabilitation district for Tainter Lake, and a referendum on universal health care.  Tonight's meeting begins at 7pm at the board room at the Dunn County Government Center in Menomonie.

The Durand-Arkansaw School District has announced it will be showing the moving Sing 2 at the Bauer Built Sports Complex on August 2nd as part of the National Night Out with the Durand Police Department.  The movie will begin shortly after the events end at Tarrant Park and admission will be free.

Students of the Mondovi Elementary School will have school supplies provided for them.  In a social media post yesterday, the district told families of students at the elementary school that school supplies would be provided again this year.  Some classrooms may have additional requests for items such as kleenex, wipes, etc and teachers would be talking with families directly.    The first day of school is September 3.

Today is the first day of the Dunn County Fair.  Today most of the animal exhibits will be arriving.  The Carnival will open up at 5pm.  Once again WRDN will be live video streaming the Dairy, Beef, Swine shows, and the Livestock Auction on Saturday night through our YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN and on our website.  The fair runs through Sunday at the fairgrounds in Menomonie. 

A convicted sex offender is being released homeless in Menomonie.  According to Menomonie Police, 48yr old Michael Jaenke was released yesterday after completing his sentence for 1st-degree sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography.  Due to temporary housing being denied, Jaenke was listed as homeless.  Jaenke is now on 10yr extended supervision and will be monitored via GPS and will be required to register as a sex offender for life.  Menomonie police say they will update the public on Jaenke's housing status when it is identified.

The City of Eau Claire will be asking voters to increase the amount of taxes it takes in to $1,448,132. The money would be used to fund 15 positions in public safety: six firefighter paramedics, six police officers, two community service officers, and another job in the 911 dispatch center.  For someone who owns property valued at $100,000, that means a tax increase of $22.55 per year.   The question will be put to voters during the November election.

 For the seventh consecutive year, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester is the top hospital in the country. That's according to the latest rankings from U-S News & World Report. Mayo also ranked as the number one hospital in Minnesota and was ranked the best in the country for diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology.

 After more than a century the Wisconsin Point burial grounds are being returned to the Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa.  In 1918, about 180 Ojibwe graves were removed from the burial grounds on the estuary to the nearby St. Francis cemetery.  Superior Council President Jenny Van Sickle calls the Wisconsin Point location “sacred ground.”  The graves were moved so a steel plant could be built there but the project never got off the ground.  A ceremony marking the official reclamation will be held at Black Bear Casino Resort on August 18th.

Public health officials in Wisconsin are busting some myths about a new lifeline for people with mental health challenges.   The Department of Health Services is pushing back on some misinformation about the new national mental health and suicide hotline making the rounds on social media. Online posts claim dialing 9-8-8 will lead to police calls and involuntary hospitalizations. D-H-S says 98 percent of 9-8-8 calls in Wisconsin don’t involve law enforcement, and the few that do are because someone is in immediate danger.

Tuesday marked an anniversary of sorts for Foxconn in Wisconsin. It was July 27, 2017 - the Taiwanese electronics firm announced plans to invest 10 billion dollars in a new plant to produce liquid crystal display panels. Then Governor Scott Walker’s nearly three billion dollar tax credit deal with Foxconn included promises of 3,000 initial jobs, with up to 13,000 employed eventually. In the five years since activity at Foxconn’s Mount Pleasant campus has fallen well short of those expectations. Foxconn has modified its business plan several times, and in 2021 the Evers administration renegotiated the state’s agreement.

Election officials are reminding voters that their absentee ballots can be turned in, starting today.  Completed absentee ballots can be dropped off at locations listed by local clerks.  W-M-T-V reports people planning to do in-person absentee voting will need to bring an acceptable photo I-D at Wisconsin locations.  Any unregistered voters – or voters who need to update their registration – will need to bring proof of residence documentation with their current names and addresses.  For planning ahead purposes – all voter registration locations will be closed the weekend of August 6th and 7th.

They’re not mandatory, but public health officials in the Madison area are recommending people wear masks again.  Public Health Madison and Dane County is making the recommendation at a time when levels of coronavirus activity are growing.  Nearly two-point-six-million people in Wisconsin live in counties where COVID-19 numbers and hospitalizations are high enough that federal guidelines call for everyone to wear masks when they are indoors away from their homes.

A professor of applied economics would like to see a more responsive safety net when catastrophic animal disease events occur, such as this year’s bird flu. Marin Bozic with the University of Minnesota says that could be accomplished through Title Eleven in the next farm bill. He says some legislative changes would be needed to “ensure appropriate distribution of risk” between the federal government and the private sector. The current farm bill expires next year and lawmakers are hosting listening sessions to gather feedback from farmers and ranchers.

The Madison Diocese is taking official action against a Cross Plains priest who continues to focus on right-wing political opinions.   On Friday, the diocese said that they were taking "disciplinary action" against Father Richard Heilman. No specific details of those actions have been made public. Heilman has continued to make right-wing political opinions part of his sermons and social media posts and has been downplaying the severity of the January 6th attacks on the US Capital. He also joined a podcast to talk about the attacks alongside two members of the Proud Boys, who have been linked to violence at the US Capitol. 

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas are condemning antisemitic flyers distributed in St. Louis Park Sunday night. Executive director Steve Hunegs says since July First notes with white supremacist overtones have been found in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Hopkins, Edina, North Oaks, New Brighton, Cottage Grove, and Arden Hills. He says, “compounding this ugly antisemitism is the invasion of tranquil neighborhoods during the night.” Hunegs says there is no evidence of these flyers being associated with imminent violence.

The longtime E-A-A AirVenture President Tom Poberenzy died on opening day for this year’s event.  Poberenzy was E-A-A president from 1989 to 2010 and served as chairman until his retirement in 2011.  He died early Monday morning at the age of 75.  He’s being memorialized for leading the huge aviation show into world prominence.  E-A-A C-E-O and Chairman of the Board Jack Pelton listed Proberenzy’s achievements including the growth of E-A-A, the development of the E-A-A Aviation Center, the Young Eagles program, and the creation of Sport Pilot.

Local-Regional News July 26

A Red Wing woman has died of her injuries from a crash in Pepin County earlier this month.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, 68yr old Kimmyko Ly Pham died at Mayo Hospital in Rochester.  Ly Pham was severely injured on July 8 in Stockholm Township when she pulled out onto Hwy 35 and was struck by a pickup truck driven by 71yr old John Stark of Mindoro.

Firefighters responded to a house fire at W348 Bluff Siding Road in Buffalo Township on Saturday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, the house was struck by lighting, and when firefighters arrived there was smoke and flames in the second-floor hallway and wall going to the bedroom.  Fountain City Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to other areas of the home.  No one was injured in that fire.

Two people were injured in a motorcycle accident Sunday in the town of Dover.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, 60yr old Mark Weinfurtner and 56yr old Darla Weinfurtner of Eau Clarie were traveling north on Hwy H when the rear tire of the motorcycle deflated and the bike entered the east ditch.  Both occupants received minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Trimbelle Township on Sunday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 53yr old Jonathan Hendrickson of Lake Elmo, MN was traveling southbound on Hwy O when a deer entered the roadway and struck the motorcycle.  Hendrickson lost control and ended up in the east ditch.  He was transported to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Clifton Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 53yr old Matthew Thomas of South Range was traveling eastbound on Hwy 29, when he lost control of his motorcycle and entered the south ditch.  Thomas was transported to Regions Hospital.

The Wisconsin State Patrol will be conducting aerial speed enforcement this week in Western Wisconsin.  The Patrol announced yesterday the enforcement will be in Eau Claire County tomorrow over Hwy 53 and then on Sunday over I-94.  The enforcement program uses 5 Censa airplanes to locate those speeding or aggressive drivers and relay the information to ground-based troopers to conduct a traffic stop.

A Wisconsin lawmaker has been involved in a double-fatal crash in Ashland.  Investigators say State Senator Janet Bewley collided with a second vehicle Friday afternoon on U-S Highway 2.  Twenty-seven-year-old driver Alyssa Ortman of Pennsylvania and her five-year-old daughter were killed.  Ashland police say alcohol wasn’t a factor and no other serious injuries were reported.  Bewley served four years in the Wisconsin Assembly and almost eight years in the Senate before she announced earlier this year she won’t run for reelection.

 U-S Senator Ron Johnson says he has no reason to oppose a new law protecting same-sex marriage.  The Wisconsin Republican says he believes if that happened it would disrupt more American lives than the recent U-S Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe-V-Wade.  Johnson says he believes it’s unnecessary to codify same-sex marriage into federal law, saying – to him – it’s “pretty much settled law.”  He says he won’t oppose Democratic efforts for the Respect for Marriage Act.  U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin is leading the effort to get 10 Republican votes to overcome an expected filibuster by that party.

Four Wisconsin voters with disabilities have filed a federal lawsuit against the state Elections Commission and Administrator Meagan Wolfe   The plaintiffs argue the commission and Wolf interpreted the state Supreme Court's absentee ballot drop box decision in a manner that will disenfranchise disabled voters. The court ruled absentee ballot drop boxes are illegal in Wisconsin, and ballots must either be hand delivered or put in the mail. The plaintiffs note disabled voters are often incapable of putting their own ballots in the mail. They're seeking an injunction preventing WEC from administering elections in any manner that does not allow for third-party assistance in returning or mailing ballots.

 Minnesota OSHA investigating an A-T-V accident that killed a tree service worker near Caledonia. The Houston County Sheriff’s office says 33-year-old Kayla Wimer-Wood of the Owatonna area was riding Friday when she crashed the four-wheeler. First responders say Wimer-Wood died at the scene. Deputies say she was working for Carr’s Tree Service at the time and was alone on the A-T-V.

 Fifteen million dollars is Cargill's share to settle a lawsuit the U-S Justice Department filed against the Minnesota-based food giant and other poultry operators, alleging they conspired to suppress wages for processing plant workers.  The Star Tribune quotes a federal official who calls it "a brazen scheme."  But Cargill responds "the alleged claims lack merit and do not show a conspiracy to fix wages, nor do they show any improper actions by Cargill or its employees."  The company says the merits of the settlement with the Justice Department "outweigh the potential costs of prolonged litigation."  The federal investigation was triggered by Cargill and Continental Grain's plan to purchase Sanderson Farms for four-and-a-half-billion dollars -- which would be Cargill's first chicken operation in the U-S.

A 76-year-old Fond du Lac man has pleaded no contest to an election fraud charge.  Lawrence Klug and four other people are accused of illegally registering to vote in the 2020 election.  Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney says it doesn’t appear that the five people all knew each other.  All five registered to vote using the address of a U-P-S store.  One count against Klug was dismissed and he paid a fine of almost 11 hundred dollars.

Lincoln County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Jesse Boyd says county officials have been hearing for years about how unpopular the wheel tax is.  The board has voted to sunset the fee of 20 dollars per vehicle.  It has meant about a half-million dollars in annual revenue.  Boyd tells W-A-O-W/T-V county leaders will make up the lost funding another way.  He says Lincoln County will adjust.  The wheel tax had been renewed every year since 2019.  Last week’s vote ends that.

 People working at Marshfield City Hall may be getting some additional gun training.  Mayor Lios TeStrake says now that the city council has voted to allow concealed carry of firearms in the building the training isn’t a bad idea.  TeStrake says she won’t take a stance on the issue but she would have supported the council decision, either way.  The council vote meant a sign prohibiting the possession of firearms inside Marshfield City Hall will be taken down.  The new ordinance passed by a six-to-four vote last week.

Tom Nelson suspends his campaign for U-S Senate. In a brief statement released on social media, the Outagamie County Executive throws his support to Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes.  Nelson had trailed in recent polls, behind Barnes, Bucks executive Alex Lasry and state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski. The winner of the August Democratic primary will face Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson in November.      

Organizers of E-A-A AirVenture 2022 say there will be 800 exhibitors for this year’s event in Oshkosh.  Spokesperson Dick Knapinski says the pandemic kept a lot of airplane enthusiasts away last year, but thousands are returning.  Wittman Airport in Oshkosh will be, temporarily, the busiest one in the world.  Knapinski says among the visitors will be people from South America, South Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia.  Storms that passed through the area Saturday left some damage behind.  The AirVenture runs through Sunday and is expected to draw at least a half-million visitors.

The list of new things at the 2022 Minnesota State Fair includes the debut of BINGO in the Ramberg Center, two midway rides, and 50 additional merchandise vendors.  Spokeswoman Maria Hayden says there are also some new features at the Eco Experience building, including a 20-foot loon from the city of Virginia and a larger-than-life-size cardboard moose. So those will be some fun photo ops and things to see at the fair this year. There’s a new ag competition called the Running of the Ducks, where the birds are racing upright. Gates at the State Fair open at Seven A-M -- an hour later than last year. The Great Minnesota Get-Together runs August 25th through Labor Day, September Fifth.

Local-Regional News July 25

 The Durand-Arkansaw School Board has approved Academic Standards for the upcoming school year.  According to Superintendent Greg Doverspike, this is just an annual exercise required by state law.  The standards will be posted on the district website.

The pool at Tarrant Park is set to close on August 7th.  The City of Durand made the announcement on social media last week.  On Wednesday, the city is expected to announce the winner of the bids for the new pool during the city council meeting.  After the pool is closed on August 7th, the old pool will be demolished and construction on the new pool is expected to begin.  The new pool is scheduled to be open next summer.

A wide stretch of weekend storms has caused damage spanning the state from one side to the other.  Xcel Energy crews were busy restoring power to hundreds of customers Sunday.  W-E-A-U/T-V reports the most significant damage was done in the Village of Stoddard.  Severe weather sent early arrivals for the E-A-A AirVenture seeking shelter inside the aviation museum Saturday.  One airplane was flipped onto its nose and strong winds damage the main gate while blowing down exhibit tents.  The same storm delayed the start of the pro soccer match at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.  No serious injuries were reported from the storms.

 A former school employee in Cashton faces charges for making a hit list, then leaving the note in a hallway.  The Monroe County District Attorney says 40-year-old Michelle Herricks is charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer.  W-K-B-T/T-V reports she is scheduled to make a court appearance next month.  Surveillance video captured her placing the note inside Cashton Elementary School.  It had the names of two students and several teachers, plus the phrases:  “SHOOT EM, STAB EM, BLOW EM UP.”  Police say she told them her son had problems with one of the students named, but she denied any involvement herself.

Congresswoman Angie Craig is hosting a Farm Bill listening session today (Monday 10 a-m) in Minnesota’s 2nd District. Members of the U-S House Agriculture committee are holding these meetings to gather input from local producers on what improvements should be included in the 2023 Farm Bill. This session is on the Brian, Bruce, and Chris Peterson farm in Northfield. Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos is chairing the hearing.

Wisconsin’s governor says he is open to discussion about the temporary suspension of the state’s gas tax.  Drivers pay 31 cents a gallon for fuel tax when they fill their tanks.  Governor Tony Evers tells W-T-M-J/T-V that any gas tax holiday would have to be temporary because the revenue is needed for building and fixing roads.  Gas prices have dropped significantly this month but they are still about a dollar higher than they were this time last year.

A man has been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for killing his grandmother in 2015.  Timothy Steele had been found guilty of second-degree intentional murder by Dakota County Judge Jamie Cork last year.  Steele’s attorney then asserted that his client was not guilty by reason of mental illness.  A trial on that defense was held in February, but Judge Cork ruled Steele had failed to meet the burden of proof on April 1st.  Farmington police responded to a call for medical assistance on October 15th, 2015.  They found the body of Agnes Marie-Wagner Steele.  Her grandson told them he had killed the victim by hitting her in the head seven to eight times.

Wisconsin election officials are not backing down in the latest fight over absentee ballot rules.   The Wisconsin Elections Commission says it will not abide by a legislative committee’s decision to stop telling local election clerks they can fill in missing information on absentee ballots. Majority Republicans on the Joint Rules Review Committee say clerks can only add information to absentee ballots after speaking with voters. If not, that ballot must be set aside. But an Elections Commission spokesman says state law also requires a 4-to-2 vote from Election Commissioners before that guidance can be reversed. Observers say the disagreement could be headed to court

Wisconsin State Representative Janel Brandtjen from Menomonee Falls is calling on the Wisconsin legislature to de-certify the 2020 election results in Wisconsin. President Joe Biden won Wisconsin in 2020, but Brandtjen has criticized the way the election was run. Brandtjen is the leader of the state assembly's elections committee and says she plans to sign on to a resolution led by state Rep. Tim Ramthun (R) to decertify the election.

A report from Wisconsin Policy Forum indicates the state’s job numbers and unemployment rate are almost back to pre-pandemic levels.  Some areas in the economy are still lagging.  The report released Tuesday says retail jobs and restaurant jobs are still trying to catch up – particularly in Milwaukee and Madison.  The food and drink sector in Dane County is down more than 13 percent.  Transportation and warehousing are thriving.  Those areas grew by six-point-three percent over the last two years.  The opening of Amazon fulfillment centers in Kenosha and Milwaukee played a big role.

 A southern Wisconsin company that provides phone captioning services for the deaf and others with hearing loss says it is laying off hundreds of workers.  Notice from CapTel was filed Wednesday with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.  CapTel says it plans to permanently lay off 276 employees at its offices in Madison and Milwaukee starting in September.  The laid-off workers will get information about unemployment benefits and E-A-P services in the weeks to come.

A clerk's alleged refusal to sell condoms to a Minnesota couple at Walgreens in Northwest Wisconsin has gotten national attention.   Nate Pentz said he and his wife, Jess, had stopped at the store in Hayward on July 3, and the clerk refused to sell her condoms, citing his faith. Pentz said the clerk offered to have another employee check out the items, but the situation caused his wife much embarrassment in front of other customers. A spokesperson for Walgreens told national news outlets that company policy allows cashiers to refuse to sell items on moral or religious grounds, but they should refer the customer to a manager or other clerk to complete the purchase. On Twitter yesterday, Pentz said due to this incident, he is looking to get a vasectomy.

The latest Marquette Law School poll shows Republicans are much more enthusiastic about voting in the fall elections than their Democratic counterparts.  Poll director Charles Franklin says the gap is significant.  Sixty-three percent of Republicans say they are enthusiastic, while only 45 percent of Democrats say they are.  Both parties are using the U-S Supreme Court ruling on abortion as a focal point for the November vote.  The numbers in the most recent poll show a gain of eight percent among likely Republican voters and three percent among likely Democratic voters.

Officials in Marathon County say an injured horse seen in a viral social media post isn’t being mistreated.  Public Information Officer Sarah Severson with the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office says an investigation found that the owner has been properly caring for the horse’s wound.  The owner cooperated when deputies and a veterinarian showed up.  Severson says the photos circulating on Facebook made the situation look much worse than it really was.  The horse was being treated for a cut to its leg.

Local-Regional News July 22

 Advent Health of Durand has received a $916000 grant as part of the fiscal year federal budget.  Wisconsin 3rd District Congressman Ron Kind announced the grant yesterday.   The funding would help AdventHealth Durand modernize ambulance bays to enhance the safety of patients, improve the efficiency of emergency responders, and spare costly damage to emergency vehicles.   Other local organizations receiving grants include a $1 million dollar grant to Tri-County Hospital in Whitehall to install solar panels on the roof of the hospital, and a $750,000 grant to Visit Eau Claire to install a pedestrian underpass to connect the west and east sides of Menomonie Street.

Declining state inventories continued to hinder sales while driving home prices higher.  According to the Wisconsin Realtor Association's June Sales report, home sales in Western Wisconsin declined by 8.1% compared to a year ago.  Pepin County reported 4 homes sold in June, Buffalo County 17, Pierce County 37, Trempealeau County 39 and Dunn County had 54 homes sold in June.  The median price of a home in Western Wisconsin, $284,900.  Home Inventories continued to slide. New listings were down 13.5%, and total listings for the state were down 14.4% in June compared to their levels 12 months earlier.

Menomonie police responded to a bomb threat at CVTC on Thursday.  According to the department's social media page, a caller reported locating a bomb at CTVC, and gave the building and room number. The room number did not exist.   Authorities say a similar threat was received at the Eau Claire CVTC campus and the incidents appear to be a swatting incident designed to bring a large police presence.  Authorities are unsure if the two cases are related to other bomb threats made at Wisconsin schools on Thursday.

 A carnival worker is in custody in the Chippewa County Jail for the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.  Investigators say 61-year-old Craig McPherson of Georgia was traveling through the area for the Northern State Fair.  The 14-year-old victim and her 22-year-old sister were at the fair Saturday.  They say they asked McPherson to give them a ride to a gas station and that’s where the assault happened. W-Q-O-W/T-V reports detectives handling the case say they will conduct additional interviews before referring any charges to the district attorney’s office.  Those charges could be filed next week.

Lake City Residents may notice their water turning a reddish color after August 1st.  The Lake City Public Works Department will be adding chlorine to the water system on August 1st.   The addition of chlorine may cause the water to turn a reddish color and residents are advised to let the water run a few minutes before using it for cooking or cleaning.  The use of chlorine can cause problems in fish tanks and bait shops and it's recommended those users find alternate sources of water.  The chlorine should be clear of the system by August 10th

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is reporting another record-low unemployment rate for June.  The state's jobless rate dropped two-tenths last month to one-point-eight percent.   DEED says June's decline was entirely due to people moving from unemployment to employment as the labor force participation rate rose to 68-point-five percent.  The state gained 100 jobs last month and the May numbers were revised upward by 75 hundred jobs.   Minnesota has added more than 91 thousand jobs since June 2021.

Ethanol production is the focus of a roundtable discussion Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is hosting today (Friday 2:45 p-m) in southern Minnesota. Walz is first scheduled to tour the Guardian Energy ethanol plant in Janesville. The governor will then discuss E-15 and the production of the corn-based fuel with plant leaders. Farmer-owned Guardian Energy produces 110 million gallons a year and makes dried distillers' grain and corn oil.

Wisconsin's state butterfly is endangered.   The International Union for the Conservation of Nature listed Monarch butterflies as endangered following a meeting on Thursday. The group estimates that populations have declined between 22% and 72% over a decade. That's due to a number of factors, including a loss of habitat and the use of pesticides. Monarch butterfly caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed plants.

Governor Evers says he’s a long way from a decision on a proposed new casino in Kenosha. The Menominee tribe and Hard Rock International announced a partnership Wednesday after the Bristol village board approved a land sale to the group Tuesday. Tribal officials say they want to provide resources for the growing needs of the tribe – one of the largest, but poorest tribes in Wisconsin.   The Menomonie and Hard Rock tried once before to build a casino in the Kenosha area in 2015, but it was rejected by then-governor Scott Walker. Evers has the final say on any new gambling compacts in Wisconsin.

A 33-year-old Waupun man has been sentenced to prison for causing his grandmother’s death.  Gregory Spittel will have to serve up to 13-and-a-half years.  Prosecutors say the 75-year-old victim was found lying in a pool of blood at Spittel’s home in August of 2019.  A jury found him guilty of second-degree reckless homicide and four other counts last May.  Spittel had claimed members of a drug cartel killed Carole Foreman.  Investigators said Spittel was angry with her for giving information to the police which resulted in his arrest.

Local and federal authorities are investigating a worker’s death near Palmyra Wednesday.  A construction worker was killed when he fell from a scaffold and was impaled on a metal stake. When emergency responders arrived, they say the man wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse. The stake was cut, and life-saving measures were performed, but the worker died before they could get him to a hospital.

Charges against an Afghan refugee in Marathon County Court have been dropped.  A count of misdemeanor 4th-degree sexual assault against Matiullah Matie has been dismissed after the 40-year-old completed court-recommended counseling. As a result, the charges are now considered not proven and have no legal effect- and Matie is presumed innocent. He had been accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward a woman who was helping him and his family resettle after they fled Afghanistan. The case was on track for a trial later this month, but that was dropped from the court docket this spring because of a potential resolution.

The nationwide staffing shortages have impacted another industry. Area pharmacies have had to adjust their hours of operations due to not having a pharmacist on site to help with prescriptions. Executive Director of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association Sarah Derr says even before the pandemic, there needed to be a stronger push to promote other careers in the healthcare industry, including pharmacology. Derr says she understands the frustrations that occur with this disruption but advises working with your doctor to provide a secondary pharmacy to transfer your medications to, or even having them mailed to you instead.

Final preparations are underway for Saturday’s big soccer match at Lambeau Field.   Bayern Munich from Germany, and Manchester City of England will meet in an exhibition they call a “friendly” in the soccer world. Soccer goals are being put up, and lines for the soccer field will be painted on the not-yet frozen tundra. The international match is expected to have a ten-million-dollar impact on the Green Bay-area economy. More than 75 thousand tickets have been sold, and a few tickets are still available. This will be the first soccer match ever played at Lambeau Field.

Local-Regional News July 21

 New principals for Durand Middle and High School.  At last night's Durand-Arkansaw School Board meeting, the board approved the hiring of Sara Sabelko as the Middle School Principal and Building and Curriculum Coordinator and  Steven Trudeau is the new High School Principal and Athletic Director.  Trudeau replaces Nick Gillis as High School Principal after Gillis retired from education at the end of the school year.

Emergency responders say four teenagers were floating on tubes down the Eau Claire River Wednesday afternoon when the current pushed them into a tree hanging over the water.  They had to be rescued from the river upstream from the Dewey Street Bridge.  W-E-A-U/T-V reports the Eau Claire Fire Department gave the teens life vests, then pulled them out by using ropes.  Some of them suffered minor injuries like bumps and bruises.  A firefighter was hurt when a rock fell and hit him in the head, shoulders, and back.  He’s expected to recover.

The Chippewa County Sheriff's Department has accepted a donation of $230,000 from the nonprofit group PESI, Inc for the purchase of body cameras for the department.  Along with the sheriff's department, body cameras will be provided for 7 local police departments in Chippewa County over the next five years.  The camera will automatically record without the officer needing to press a record button.

Minnesota and Wisconsin are in the midst of a heatwave, but Xcel Energy’s John Marshall assures the public that they can handle it. He says while excessive heat can strain their system, it was built and modeled for peak demand times of the year. Marshall also says they have crews “at the ready” in case there are any power outages. Marshall says if you do experience any kind of outage during the heatwave, contact your energy provider immediately.

Former Kronenwetter Administrator Richard Downey didn't stay unemployed long.  Downey confirmed to WSAU News on Wednesday that he's accepted a position as the new Assistant Administrator for the City of Altoona. This comes about two weeks after he was placed on administrative leave by the village, for reasons that still have not been made public, and two months after the village first held a closed-session meeting regarding Downey. They've since contracted with Duane Gau of Public Administration Associates LLC to take the job on an interim basis. Downey declined to provide any further comment regarding the new position.

UW-La Crosse and Mayo Clinic have reached an agreement to provide UW-L students with health care services.  Mayo doctors and nurses will provide the services at the Student Health Center on campus.    Mayo will also pursue more research and educational opportunities at UW-L.  Currently, Mayo provides sports medicine services for the athletic teams at UW-L.

The Wisconsin Legislature’s joint rules committee says local election clerks can’t help voters when they make a mistake on an absentee ballot envelope.  State Representative Steve Nass is chair of that Republican-controlled committee.  He says the Wisconsin Elections Commission is telling clerks to violate the law.  Nass says clerks have two choices in that situation – send it back to the voter or set it aside and don’t count it.  Clerks have been allowed to correct the ballots since the 2016 election.  Democratic Representative Gary Hebl of Sun Prairie says the change will just cause trouble for voters and clerks and could lead to more lawsuits.

The state of Wisconsin has filed a lawsuit to recover the costs of cleaning up PFAs contamination. The suit seeks reimbursement of the nearly one billion dollars spent addressing "forever chemicals," including remediation of water and soil, and reimbursement for costs of providing bottled water and filters. 

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says he's once again told former President Trump he cannot overturn the 2020 presidential election results.  Speaking to W I S N on Tuesday, Vos said Trump called him last week to pressure him into decertifying the results. Trump claims that the State Supreme Court's ruling that clerks are no longer allowed to use absentee ballot drop boxes invalidates the election, which he lost to Joe Biden. He subsequently called Vos a RINO - or Republican In Name Only - on social media and said he expects Vos’ primary opponent to do well against Vos. Vos said (quote) "There's very little we can do to control or predict what he will do."

 

Almost 200 election officials from across the country are meeting in Madison to get ready for the mid-term vote.  They are being urged to prepare for supply chain issues that could cause shortages of paper used for ballots, computer hardware, and many other purposes. Officials from 33 states are attending the summer meeting of the National Association of State Election Directors.  They are hearing from experts in security, interest groups that work with elections, vendors, and others.

The Oneida Nation will spend the money from a 648-thousand dollar federal grant to develop sustainable energy on the reservation.  The American Rescue Plan Act funding is being awarded through the U-S Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.  W-L-U-K/T-V reports the Oneida Nation will use the money to develop a strategic energy transition plan.  Tribe officials will investigate the potential for a solar farm and the purchase of electric vehicles for tribal operations.  Federal officials say this will help the Oneida Nation diversify its economy and create green energy jobs.

Minnesota workers applying for the “frontline worker bonus check” can appeal if their application is denied.  The deadline for applications is Friday at 5:00 p-m.  The state reports more than a million people have applied for the bonuses – 330 thousand more than the state’s projections.  Following the deadline, the applications will be processed and verified.  All applicants will be notified of their status by August 16th.

U-S Senator Amy Klobuchar is applauding the official resumption of the Remote Area Border Crossing Program--which allows U-S travelers to enter Canada via water or ice, rather than land or ports of entry. Klobuchar, who is co-chair of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group eliminating barriers to cross-border travel is crucial to businesses and families across Minnesota and she calls it a "game changer" for Minnesotans and Canadians.

Wausau will celebrate its sesquicentennial with several celebrations and events this weekend.  The State of Wisconsin granted the city charter in 1872.  W-S-A-W/T-V reports early settlers called the area Big Bull Falls and Marathon County was organized in 1850.  The name Wausau came from the Chippewa Indians who went on their yearly hunts in the area.  The name means “far away place.” Organizers say there will be no charge for the music shows.

Local-Regional News July 20

 The Durand-Arkansaw School Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include the adoption of academic standards for the upcoming school year, action on the hiring of new Middle School and High School Principals, and reports from the superintendent.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6pm in the board room at Durand High School.

The Pepin County Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a resolution to approve economic support program expenses using American Rescue Plan funds, a budget modification authorizing the use of funds for additional county highway road construction, and reports from county committees.  Tonight's meeting begins at 7pm at the Pepin County Government Center.

Two people were injured in a motorcycle accident in the town of Lincoln Monday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, 32yr old Diego Rubio-Salazar of Arcadia was traveling northbound on Hwy 88 and lost control of the motorcycle while negotiating a curve.  He left the northbound shoulder and was thrown off the motorcycle along with passenger 29yr old Gisel Hurtado of Arcadia.  Both were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A 14yr old girl from Ellsworth was injured in an ATV accident in Trimbelle Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, the girl was operating the ATV on private property when she lost control while turning and was ejected from the ATV.  The girl was transported to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

One person was injured in a vehicle vs grain truck accident in the Town of Chimney Rock on Tuesday.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, the driver of a pickup truck was traveling northbound on Hwy 93, and fell asleep, crossed the centerline, and struck a southbound grain truck.  The pickup was sent into the east ditch where it caught fire.  The driver was able to get out of the pickup before it was fully engulfed in flames.  The pickup truck driver was taken to Mayo Eau Claire with non-life threatening injuries.

A Republican candidate for governor criticizes the deal to bring Foxconn to Wisconsin, despite his company making millions from the project.   The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Tim Michels was in Mount Pleasant on Monday for a rally, where he criticized former Governor Scott Walker for the controversial multi-billion dollar deal. Foxconn never delivered on a promised chip factory at its sprawling site in Mount Pleasant, or the promise of thousands of jobs. But, Michels’ construction company won over 90 million dollars in contracts for infrastructure at Foxconn in 2018 and 2019. Michels’ primary opponent Rebecca Kleefisch  said he has "certainly mastered the art of political flip-flopping."

A Wisconsin legislative committee will discuss an absentee ballot rule for clerks when it meets Wednesday.  Republicans want to suspend a rule that would allow those clerks to fill in – or correct – witness addresses on absentee ballot certificates.  The Wisconsin Elections Commission has said it plans to formally establish an emergency rule allowing clerks to correct mistakes on a witness’ address, or fill in missing details.  The Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules could stop that.

The Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles is reminding people how to get a valid I-D so they can vote in next month’s primary election.  Potential voters can find the list of required documents they will need online at WisconsinDMV-dot-gov.  The closest D-M-V Customer Service Center can help you get the documents you need free of charge.  Valid identification for voting includes a driver’s license, an identification card, a military I-D card, or a student I-D card.

Milwaukee’s plan for hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention will apparently look a lot like the one worked up for Democrats and their 2020 convention.  The Republicans’ site committee picked Milwaukee last week largely because it already had a blueprint to follow.  A final vote is set for early next month.  There is still some local resistance.  Democratic State Senator Chris Larson says he has some security concerns – pointing to people who advocate for violently overthrowing democracy.  Larson refers to the January 6th attack on the U-S Capitol.

 Safety enhancements are being made for next month’s 2022 Wisconsin State Fair.  The changes include vehicle barriers similar to the ones added to the parade routes in Waukesha after last year’s Christmas Parade tragedy.  Fairgoers will be limited to carrying bags of nine-by-10-by-12 inches or smaller – though there will be exceptions for diaper bags, items for infants, or for medical needs.  All bags will be subject to inspection at the fair which starts August 4th.  Metal detectors will be present at every State Fair Park entrance.  The fair will run for 11 days, ending on Sunday, August 14th.

City officials in Wisconsin Rapids say heavy rainfall Friday morning caused wastewater to flow into the Wisconsin River.  At about 7:30 a-m the sanitary sewer interceptor was overtaken by rainwater.  Rainfall measurements in the collection area varied from three-point-nine to five-and-a-quarter inches.  Wastewater Superintendent Derek Budsberg tells W-S-A-W/T-V the system couldn’t handle that amount of water all at once.  It was released into the river to keep basements from getting backed up.  About 165 thousand gallons of diluted wastewater overflowed during a three-and-a-half-hour period.

There’s gas for sale for less than four dollars a gallon in parts of Wisconsin.  Triple-A says the average price of a gallon of regular in Wisconsin is four dollars, 22 cents, but that prices vary. Drivers are sharing photos of lower gas prices on social media. The average price of gas in Wisconsin 70 cents cheaper than the peak of four dollars, 92 cents last month.

With high temperatures and humidity expected to last through next week, Xcel Energy is offering tips for homeowners to find relief from the heat. Spokesman John Marshall suggests closing your drapes and blinds during the heat of the day, and if you have ceiling fans to turn them on to help circulate cool air throughout your home. He says home cooling can account for up to half of a summertime electric bill. Marshall also recommends installing a programmable thermostat that raises the temperature when the house is empty. Another tip -- clean or change out your A-C filters and make sure your outside compressor is cleaned off to allow for the best performance.

A Facebook post that claimed five girls were drugged at a downtown Stevens Point club, then taken and sold has spun out of control.  Police and the owner of the Icon nightclub say it never happened.  Stevens Point police say passing rumors like this one can be dangerous.  The rumors took a toll on the business.  Investigators now confirm the post was a fake.  Assistant Police Chief Mike Rottier tells W-A-O-W/T-V that allegations like this should be brought to the police first – not to social media.

Pre-fair discount tickets are now on sale for the 2022 Minnesota State Fair. Admission tickets are 14 dollars at Cub Foods stores through August 24th. Prices at the gate this year will be 17 dollars for adults and children ages 13 and over. Tickets for seniors and kids ages five to 12 are 15 dollars. Blue Ribbon bargain books are available for five dollars, and advance ride and game tickets are 15 dollars for a sheet of 20. The State Fair runs August 25th through Labor Day (September 5th).

It appears that a few gas stations in Hastings are engaged in what looks like a price war, as gas prices there are nearly a dollar a gallon cheaper than Minnesota’s average price of four-46 a gallon. According to gas-buddy-dot-com, three convenience stores in Hastings were selling regular-unleaded for three-68 a gallon as of Seven O’clock Tuesday.

Local-Regional News July 19

 The trial for a man accused of killing Bruce McGuigan in November 2020 has begun in Dunn County.  Chad Turgeson is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the beating death of McGuigan in the town of Dunn.    Two other people were also charged in connection with that murder.  Ashley Gunder has already been sentenced while Ryan Steinhoff will go on trial in November.

One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Frankfort Township on July 11.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, 69yr old Dennis Altfillishof Morrison, IL was traveling northbound on Hwy N when he failed to negotiate a sharp curve and crashed into the southbound ditch.  He was treated for minor injuries at the scene.  Speed and unfamiliarity with the road are believed to be contributing factors in the accident.

A September court date has been set for the federal case involving a former Eau Claire County district attorney.  King is scheduled to make a court appearance as part of the federal civil lawsuit filed against him by a former co-worker.  Although it could change, the case is currently scheduled to go to trial in August of next year.  Gary King has denied the allegations that he sexually harassed the victim for more than a year.  He has asked that the lawsuit be dismissed.  Court papers indicate he is being sued by Jessica Bryan.  King has admitted kissing Bryan on the cheek as an expression of gratitude but says it wasn’t sexual.

The Town of Washington has filed a lawsuit against the city of Eau Claire over a recent land annexation.  The suit claims that the land annexed by the city does not border the city because a portion of the land, Lowes Creek Park, is owned by Eau Claire County, and the county did not sign off on the annexation petition that had been submitted by Laverne Stuart and Todd Hauge.  The city counters that land like Lowes Creek Park does not count toward the city border requirement and therefore the annexation is valid.  Eau Claire has 20 days to respond to the lawsuit.

Authorities in Olmstead County say a 42-year-old woman has been hospitalized after she was thrown, then kicked, by her horse.  K-A-A-L/T-V reports the incident happened Saturday night in Pleasant Grove.  The Rochester woman’s name hasn’t been released.  She was found in an area of thick vegetation and had to be carried to an ambulance on a U-T-V.  She was eventually airlifted to a hospital.  The victim’s name and medical condition haven’t been released.

A reminder from M-n-DOT -- political, lost pet, garage sale, and other advertising signs are prohibited from being placed on highway rights of way. M-n-DOT’s Scott Thompson says highway rights of way include driving lanes, inside and outside shoulders, ditches, sight corners at intersections, and boulevards in urban areas. He says private signs can distract motorists and, in some cases, obscure their view of the road -- increasing the risk for crashes. Workers will take down private signs located on the state highway right-of-way and transport them to the nearest M-n-DOT truck station where they will be available for retrieval.

 The latest report shows closed sales of Minnesota homes in June were down 14 percent compared to 2021. Just over 92 hundred properties were sold across the state last month. Minnesota Realtors C-E-O Chris Galler says that’s obviously due to the increased interest rates slowing down the marketplace itself, and again a lack of housing. He notes we’re getting into a better situation as far as the number of homes that are for sale within the state. Galler says the statewide median home price rose six-point-two percent to 345-thousand dollars in June.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels is having to scrub an NRA endorsement from his advertising because he never got one.   A flyer stating that Michels had the endorsement of the National Rifle Association went out over the weekend, but the NRA says it hasn't endorsed anyone in the Wisconsin race. Michels' campaign says that message was in error and it's being fixed now. That flyer will be edited to say that Michels got a positive rating on a candidate's questionnaire from the NRA.

A 21-year-old driver who hit a squad car while he was trying to get away Friday night has been jailed in Waupaca County.  The suspect’s name hasn’t been released.  Deputies were checking out reports of an underage drinking party in the Town of Scandinavia at about 10:25 p-m when one of the people at the party took off.  After hitting the deputy’s car, the driver led authorities on a short pursuit before he crashed into a power pole and his vehicle rolled.  The driver was treated for minor injuries and transferred to the Waupaca County Jail.

A Jefferson County judge has ruled the Wisconsin Department of Corrections violated state law with its visitor policy.  The prison system barred Catholic clergy from meeting with inmates for more than a year during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed a lawsuit last year on behalf of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, alleging the policy stopped clergy from meeting in person with inmates in order to provide spiritual guidance, communion, and penance.  It argued that violated a state law granting clergy visits with all prisoners – and violated the inmates’ constitutional right to freedom of religion.

Quick help for suicidal thoughts and other mental health emergencies is now only three digits away. You can now call or text 9-8-8 to connect with a trained mental health counselor. Dan Reidenberg, Executive Director of Minnesota-based SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), says this new nationwide service is needed more now -- than ever before. He says a lot of people are struggling and that suicide rates go up when the economy takes a downturn, when inflation and recessions hit, and when unemployment is a problem. Nine-eight-eight is designed to be as easy to remember and use as 9-1-1, but instead, a dispatcher will connect callers with trained mental health counselors.

A Dane County judge is giving the Wisconsin legislature’s top Republican another chance to produce records requested by a liberal watchdog group.   American Oversight wants the documents connected to Michael Gableman’s review of the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin. Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn is ordering Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to come up with the documents and pay statutory and attorney fees to American Oversight, but she’s denying the group’s request for punitive damages. Vos has so far turned over 14 hundred pages of emails and documents related to the Gableman probe.

A garage fire in Janesville sent one person to the hospital with burns to their hands and arms. Authorities say the fire was sparked by siphoning gas with a wet dry vacuum. The fire broke out late Sunday morning on North River Road Firefighters were able to keep the flames from engulfing the nearby home damage is pegged though at $150,000.

It’s peach season in Sturtevant again.  Milder winters are letting founder Dave Flannery grow peaches for sale at Apple Holler.  He tells W-I-T-I/T-V he tried 10 different varieties to see which ones did better in the climate of southeast Wisconsin.  Apple Holler in Racine County is primarily an apple orchard, but it has peaches, too – 11 kinds that are available from early July to early August, weather permitting.

Local-Regional News July 18

 Two people were injured in a two-vehicle accident on Hwy 10 in Waubeek Township on Friday.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, 39yr old Scott Gurklis of Thorp was stopped on Hwy 10 waiting to make a left turn onto South Kirk Road, when his straight truck was rear-ended by a westbound truck driven by 24yr old Caleb Greger of Strum.  Greger reported that he dropped his GPS unit on the floor and took his seatbelt off to retrieve it. Before he looked up, he had already struck the rear of Gurklis' truck pinning him in the truck. Both Greger and passenger 44yr old Michael Ciruzzi were transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.   Inattentive driving appeared to be the cause of the crash. Greger will be referred to the Pepin County District Attorney’s Office for a charge of Operating While Suspended – Crash Causing Great Bodily Harm. 

A motorcycle passenger is dead after a near-collision with a deer in southeastern Minnesota. The Wabasha County Sheriff's Office says 44-year-old Brock Kahn swerved to miss the deer while riding Saturday night and suffered minor injuries. Deputies say his passenger, 40-year-old Rebecca Kahn from Plainview, died at the scene.

An Arkansaw man was injured in a motorcycle accident last Tuesday in Waterville Township.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, 33yr old Shaun Hartung was traveling southbound on Hwy D when e swerved to miss a deer in the road.  Hartung lost control of the motorcycle and entered the southbound ditch and was ejected from the bike.  He was taken to Advent Health in Durand with unknown injuries.

A Superior police officer is on administrative leave after a rear-end crash early Friday left a 23-year-old man from Eau Claire dead and two others injured.  The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says Sergeant Greg Swanson was off duty at the time and arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.  The Douglas County Attorney's Office is requesting that a special prosecutor be appointed from another agency to review the case because of its previous work with Swanson.

One person is dead after a motorcycle accident on Interstate 90 near Tomah Saturday.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, a 68yr old man from Pigeon Falls, swerved to avoid another vehicle that entered his lane of traffic and hit another vehicle.  The man was pronounced dead at the scene while his 67yr  old female passenger was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.    I-90 was closed for nearly two hours due to the accident.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is accepting applications for 2023 Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants through September 16, 2022. These grants are awarded to producer-led groups to help support and advance farmer participation in local watershed conservation efforts.  Applicants must be groups of at least five farmers whose farms are in the same watershed. Each farm must have produced at least $6,000 in gross farm revenue last year, or $18,000 over the past three years. Each group must partner with a county land conservation department, the University of Wisconsin-Extension, or a nonprofit conservation organization. New and established groups are eligible to apply.  For more information on the grants contact the Pepin County Extension Office.

A second La Crosse teen has been arrested in connection with a May shooting in La Crosse.  17yr old Jackson Greengrass was arrested on Friday and is facing attempted first-degree intentional homicide.  Authorities say Greengrass and 18yr old Sage Hicke got into a fight with 15yr old Storm Vondrashek on May 22  and multiple shots were fired.    Vondrashek was shot and killed in the incident.     

Spring garden harvests are coming in now, and if you've got more vegetables than you were expecting, you could can them... or you could donate them. UW Extension Food safety specialist Barbara Ingham says plenty of food pantries could use those veggies.   If you're looking for good ways to preserve those veggies outside of donations, the Extension has a number of safe canning recipes online at Extension dot W I S C dot E D U.

Charges have been dismissed against a Fall Creek woman who had been accused of stealing from the charity she founded, Helping Hands for Our Children.  W-E-A-U/T-V reports that 52-year-old Shauna Hanson was originally charged with felony theft by false representation.  That charge was reduced to a misdemeanor when prosecutors could only show a 22-hundred dollar discrepancy in the charity’s funds.  Later, prosecutors told the court they could only show that the money donated to the Weighted Blanket Program wasn’t only used for that program.  Hanson was charged when authorities thought she had deposited more than 63 thousand dollars intended for the charity into her personal account.

 The site selection committee is recommending Milwaukee as the host city for the 2024 Republican National Convention.  The panel unanimously picked Milwaukee on Friday.  Host committee chair Reince Priebus said in a statement, "Wisconsin is a battleground state, Milwaukee is a fabulous city, and the people of Wisconsin are the best in America."  The plans still need final approval when the Republican National Committee meets in Chicago in the first week of August.  The convention could bring 50 thousand visitors to the Milwaukee area and generate 200 million dollars for the local economy.

 The top Republican in the Wisconsin Senate is warning the state’s Elections Commission about its new rule for filling-out ballots.  Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the Elections Commission needs to follow the state law on ballot curing.  Curing is when an election clerk fills in missing pieces of a ballot, the Commission has told local election managers that they can use their judgment as to when they should complete a ballot as opposed to tossing it aside.  LeMahieu says lawmakers are ready to come back to the Capitol as early as next week to override the Commission’s guidance.

Wisconsin is set to receive 50 million dollars a year for five years to replace lead pipes.  The money comes from the federal infrastructure law passed last November.  White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu was in Milwaukee Wednesday.  The city reportedly has replaced five-thousand lead laterals in the last five years.  That leaves more than 61 thousand.  When Wisconsin tested kids under the age of six for elevated lead levels in their blood two years ago more than 21 hundred were found.

 The head of the nation’s largest ag cooperative is encouraging farmers to prepare for propane shortages this fall. C-H-S C-E-O Jay Debertin (DEH-ber-tin) says the foreign export market for propane has grown by leaps and bounds, and that farmers can’t afford to wait until they know with certainty what propane drying needs are going to be like at harvest. He says by then it might be too late to put supply plans in place. Debertin is more confident about fall fertilizer supplies but says prices could remain elevated.

Amazon Prime Day may be over, but scammers aren’t calling it quits yet. Con artists have been known to send phony emails and texts that look like messages from major retailers, instructing you to redeem the reward points accrued during your shopping days. Bao Vang with the Better Business Bureau (B-B-B) of Minnesota says to “beware of fake lookalike websites -- check the U-R-L, watch for bad grammar, research the age of the domain, and search for contact information.” Vang recommends you just hit “delete” on any suspicious phishing messages.

Local-Regional News July 15

 The Durand City Council has decided to put on hold a proposed dog park at the OC Hanson Park in the City.  During this week's council meeting, the council decided to explore logging part of the property for a location for the dog park and still have a buffer zone between the dog park and the neighborhood across from the property.  However, some on the council would like the city to abandon the property and return it to the Durand-Arkansaw School District.

A convicted sex offender will live in a hotel in Menomonie when released from prison later this month.  According to Menomonie Police, Michael Jaenke, 48, will live temporarily at the Quality Inn on Plaza Dr. in Menomonie when released from prison on July 26.   The hotel housing is temporary and the public will be notified when other housing is chosen.  Jaenke will be on extended supervision for 10 years and will also be required to register with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Program for life. 

Sun Country Airlines will soon be serving the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport.  Thursday, the US Department of Transportation issued an order selecting Sun Country Airlines to provide passenger service to the airport under the Essential Air Service program.   This comes after SkyWest Airlines filed a notice in March to terminate service to Eau Claire and 28 other airports due to a pilot shortage.   Sun Country will provide two flights per week to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and at least two flights per week to seasonable locations, like Ft. Myers, Fl., Orlando, and Las Vegas.   Service is expected to start in December.

A Trempealeau County man, missing since June has been found safe.  According to a social media post on Thursday from the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, 28 yr old Derek Stawarz was found safe and sound. Stawarz was reported missing on June 14 and his abandoned car and cell phone, wallet, and car keys were found.  No other information was available.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is refuting the latest criticism from former President Donald Trump.  Following the latest verbal challenge, the Republican Vos repeated that there is no legal way to overturn the 2020 presidential election.  Trump referred to last week’s Wisconsin Supreme Court decision banning unmanned absentee ballot drop boxes in the state.  He called Vos a “RINO” – Republican in name only – saying the Wisconsin legislative leader would continue letting Democrats get away with what Trump still calls “a rigged and stolen election.”  W-K-O-W/T-V reports Trump wants Vos to pass legislation decertifying the 2020 election results.  Vos maintains there’s still “no way” to do that.

 Two Florida men are accused of kidnapping a person in Abbotsford and taking them back to Florida.  The victim apparently owed a debt to Gerardo Hernandez and Felipe Engracia-Gonzalez.  W-A-O-W/T-V reports they took that person back to Florida to work off the debt.  Authorities say both men were taken into custody in Florida and they are currently in federal custody.  Initial appearances in Wisconsin court haven’t been scheduled yet.  If they are found guilty, Hernandez and Engracia-Gonzalez would face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

 Minnesota is getting more than 68 million dollars in federal funding to expand broadband access across the state. U-S Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith say the grants will allow broadband providers to service 23-thousand homes and businesses that lack high-speed internet. The U-S Treasury Department prioritized connecting families and businesses in rural and remote areas of Minnesota.  Smith says broadband is “necessary if we’re going to build an economy that works for everyone.”

The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting a record number of overdose deaths in 2021. The one-thousand-286 deaths last year is a 22-percent increase from the 2020 total. That’s an average of more than three people dying every day from an overdose of any drug type. The latest numbers show most fatal overdoses last year were associated with fentanyl, along with a 35-percent increase in the total number of overdose deaths involving opioids. Overdose deaths from meth rose 34 percent last year and there was an 81 percent increase in fatal cocaine overdoses.

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A Stratford man accused of leading authorities on two high-speed pursuits, then involving them in a standoff, has entered a not guilty plea.  Marathon County deputies tried to make contact with John Strasser July 3rd after he allegedly set his home on fire.  When he was located driving a vehicle on State Road 153 Strasser reportedly failed to stop and drove at speeds around 100 miles an hour.  When he was finally stopped by tire deflation devices he refused to surrender and a stand-off lasted several hours.  W-S-A-W/T-V reports Strasser is charged with arson, fleeing an officer, intentionally pointing a firearm at a law enforcement officer, and operating a firearm while intoxicated.

 Stevens Point police are recommending charges of first-degree reckless homicide against two men accused of playing a role in a woman’s overdose death.  Thirty-five-year-old Laron Thomas and 27-year-old Isaiah Solis face two counts apiece.  W-S-A-W/T-V reports when officers responded to home last month they found the 27-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant to be unresponsive.  Evidence at the scene indicated drug use.  Investigators were able to identify the suspects accused of providing the drugs.  A toxicology report found the woman had died of a fentanyl overdose.

Dane County Deputies had their hands full this week with OWI arrests.  The sheriff's department arrested three motorists with a combined 17 OWI convictions between them. As it released the information. The Sheriff's Department noted that it's only Wednesday. Leading the trio, a 50-year-old Madison Area man who was arrested on the Ninth offense

 The director of the North Central Poultry Association representing Minnesota and Iowa is encouraged by efforts to limit the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.  Kevin Stiles says producers remain on high alert even though summer heat has neutralized the virus. Stiles says biosecurity practices have come a long way since the 2015 outbreak, and “the investments, the training, all of that they put in place we believe really helped to control the outbreak this time around. Unlike the previous avian flu outbreak, there was little to no evidence of farm-to-farm transmission this spring.

The owner of Hemker Park and Zoo is hospitalized with minor injuries after being attacked Wednesday by a camel. Thirty-two-year-old Roger Blenker of Albany was escorting the camel through an alleyway to prepare it for transport to another facility when the camel placed Blenker’s head into its mouth, biting down. The camel then dragged Blenker approximately 15 feet. A second employee -- 32-year-old Seth Wickson of Texas -- was able to intervene by placing a plastic walking board into the camel’s mouth to release its bite from Blenker’s head. The camel then charged at Wickson and bit his head. He was also able to get to a safe location on his own and refused medical treatment.

Wisconsin employers are offering higher wages and more flexibility to try to attract and retain workers. 85 percent of Wisconsin employers tell Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce that they’re struggling to hire. That number is similar to the last two surveys.  Nearly all employers tell W-M-C they plan to increase hourly wages this year, and 86 percent plan to increase wages by more than three percent.  The survey also finds nearly one-out-of-four employers offer remote and hybrid work options, up from just one in ten before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local-Regional News July 14

 Menomonie police say they have the man who skipped his jury trial this week in custody.  Twenty-three-year-old Jesse D. Nelson was supposed to go on trial Tuesday to face at least five child sex charges.  But, W-E-A-U/T-V reports that when everyone gathered for the trial at the Dunn County Courthouse Nelson wasn’t there.  Nelson is accused of having sexual contact with a child under 16.  Police are thanking the people who gave them information about his location so he could be arrested.

The Wisconsin State Patrol has announced it will be conducting ariel enforcement over parts of Dunn County over the weekend.    The patrol will use a plane to spot speeders and guide troopers on the ground who will then initiate a traffic stop.  Interstate 94 in Dunn County will be monitored on Saturday.   The patrol is also planning on flying over Hwy 29 in Chippewa County on Friday.

The 154th Wabasha County Fair is underway in Wabasha.  Today is senior day at the fair where seniors get reduced admission and there will be music and euchre tournament for the seniors.    Today the Swine, Beef, and sheep shows will be held.    Admission is $5 for the day or $10 for the season.  The Wabasha County fair continues through Saturday at the Fairgrounds just west of Wabasha.

A Southeast Minnesota farmer had 900 gallons of diesel fuel stolen from his farm.  Authorities say the farmer near Eyota noticed his fuel take empty Monday night and they believe someone cut the lock and stole the fuel.  Law enforcement suspects the fuel was taken all at once and the thief would have had to bring their own power source and large trailer to take the fuel.  The cost of the theft is estimated at nearly $5000.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is announced that the Lock at Fountain City will be closed for maintenance for four days in July.  The corp will be replacing the lock chamber's miter gates  The closure dates will be July 19, 21, 26, and 28.  During those days, the lock is closed to all traffic, commercial and recreational, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  After work is done on those days, the Corps said it would prioritize who would go through the lock first. They said first are government vessels, followed by excursion craft, commercial navigation, then recreational boats. The lock staff will communicate locking instructions via marine radio.

The Western Technical College System has given the Youth Fire Training program at WTC a grant for over 190,000 for the Youth Fire Training Program.  The training program gives high school students an early opportunity to get credits towards certifications that allow them to start their firefighting careers.  The money will be used toward a trailer that will transport fire training equipment between high schools in Western Wisconsin. 

A Wisconsin doctor says he is working to set up clinics offering abortion services in northern Illinois.  Doctor Dennis Christensen has bought two buildings where he says abortion pills could be offered this week at one site.  Surgical abortions would be available at the second site within six months.  The doctor says Illinois clinics are inundated by patients wanting abortions.  In some cases, they are being forced to wait two weeks – and waiting that long can be the difference between having a medical abortion or needing surgery to terminate the pregnancy.

 A digital forensics team will be searching the phone of Natural Resources Board chair Fred Prehn (PRAYN) for deleted text messages.   Attorneys for Midwest Environmental Advocates said they've turned over data pulled from Prehn's phone to a group that will scour it for records relating to his refusal to step down from the board. His replacement was named by Governor Evers, but was never confirmed by the State Senate. M E A is performing an open records request and says they have evidence from other sources that Prehn was discussing his plans with other people even before his replacement was named. Former Governor Scott Walker also urged Prehn to stay on the board to counter any appointments from Evers.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission doesn’t yet have any advice for clerks or voters after the state Supreme Court ruling that unmanned absentee ballot drop boxes were illegal last November.  After several hours of discussion and multiple failed votes, the commission wasn’t able to come to any decision.  The three Republican commissioners wanted to dictate what the clerks should do but the three Democratic commissioners said clerks already know how to conduct elections.  The primary election is coming up in less than a month.

Janesville city officials expect the expansion at G-E-A Mechanical Equipment to mean 74 new full-time jobs for the area.  A Tax Increment Financing Development Agreement was approved by the City Council Monday.  G-E-A was considering locations in several other states before choosing Janesville.  W-M-T-V reports the city agrees to transfer a 16-acre property to the company for one-dollar – then the company will repay the property’s value over the term of the agreement.  G-E-A is an international group that supplies food, beverage, and pharmaceutical systems to its customers.

The author of the new law allowing the sale of low-dose T-H-C edibles is working with Minnesota cities and counties to craft regulations for the hemp products. Representative Heather Edelson (ED'-uhl-sen) of Edina says local governments can implement rules for retailers that are best for their communities, such as licensing retailers and limiting where T-H-C products can be sold. Edelson says T-H-C products were being sold illegally in C-B-D stores as Delta Eight and Nine, and the new state law limits doses to five milligrams of T-H-C. She is working on a proposal to add state-level regulations in the next legislative session. Some G-O-P lawmakers are calling for the law to be repealed.

The mayor of Madison says people who harass election workers should be fined.  Satya Rhodes-Conway is proposing to let police ticket people up to one-thousand dollars for threatening, screaming at, or being disruptive to election or poll workers. The mayor says election workers should not have to worry about doing her job. Her proposal is up for a vote next week. 

Expanded testing has begun for monkeypox -- even though the number of confirmed cases remains low in Minnesota. The State Health Department’s Cynthia Kenyon says monkeypox symptoms include fever and malaise, and then a rash. Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester are testing for the monkeypox disease using the Centers for Disease Control’s orthopoxviral. The laboratory’s response aims to increase nationwide testing capacity as the country has seen 790 monkeypox cases through July Eighth. As of today (Wednesday), there have been nine confirmed cases of monkeypox reported in Minnesota.

That lake water is cold.  Officials report the average surface temperature on Lake Superior in the coldest it has been at this point in the year since 1997.  K-B-J-R/T-V reports that’s bad for fishing and for people who want to go swimming.  However, it’s not all bad.  The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the cold temperatures are good for the ecosystem in general.  Corey Goldsworthy says the cold water discourages the spawning of invasive species and gives the native species a good chance to bounce back.

Local-Regional News July 13

 The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a zoning variance to allow a proposed Dollar General Store to have a smaller parking lot, discussion and possible action on the proposed site for a dog park, and reports from the mayor and city department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall.

A Pepin County man has settled sexual assault charges against him.  On Monday in Pepin County Court, Michael Wulff of Durand, pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting a 10yr old girl in a separate case from 2021.  Charges of sexually assaulting an 11yr old girl in 2022 were then dismissed in return for the no-contest plea.  Wulff will be sentenced in August and faces up to 60yrs in prison.

Authorities in Dunn County are searching for 23-year-old Jesse D. Nelson.  He failed to show up for his jury trial which was supposed to start Tuesday.  W-E-A-U/T-V reports Nelson faces two charges of sexual assault of a child.  He’s also accused of having sex with a child under 16.  Jurors and witnesses were all in the courtroom in Menomonie Tuesday – but Nelson wasn’t there and his defense attorney told the court he didn’t know where his client was.  He has another appearance scheduled in Dunn County for July 26th in another case.

A 24-year-old convicted armed burglar in Chippewa County has been sentenced to three years’ probation.  Quinnten Schug and Antonio Obrien were taken into custody after a reported home invasion in March 2021.  Chippewa County deputies were called to a home south of Cadott and two men – Schug and Obrien – matched the suspect description that had been given.  Authorities recovered a loaded handgun and face masks.  Obrien is scheduled to return to court next week.

A new report calls for the continued support of broadband expansion in Wisconsin.  In its second annual report released on Tuesday, the Governor's Task Force on Broadband Access calls on state leaders to continue support for broadband expansion in Wisconsin, which so far has included nearly 300 million dollars in state and federal funding. The governor's task force was established in 2020 and called for more funding, better data, and streamlined permitting among other things, in order to bring high-speed internet to all of Wisconsin by 2025.

Flags in Wisconsin are at half-staff Tuesday in honor of a slain former judge.  The funeral for retired Juneau County judge John Roemer was Tuesday in Mauston. Police say a convicted criminal broke into Roemer’s home last month and shot him to death. Roemer was retired from the bench, but years ago had sentenced the suspect to prison for a burglary conviction

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (D-P-S) is awarding more than three-point-seven-million dollars to 42 schools and bus companies for stop-arm cameras. The grants will reimburse schools and companies for purchasing and installing stop-arm camera systems and supporting software programs. Traffic Safety director Mike Hanson says when the stop arm is out and somebody goes through that stop arm, it will take a picture of a license plate so the bus driver can turn that information over to law enforcement. Authorities have cited more than 46 hundred drivers in Minnesota for stop-arm violations over the past five years.

School safety officials have met to talk about the plans at Wisconsin schools to be ready for a shooting incident.  The latest discussion covered topics like staff and leadership turnover, a lack of dedicated safety professionals on campuses, and increasing mental health issues.  The head of Wisconsin’s Office of School Safety says it is trying to implement a public health approach to school safety.  W-I-S-C/T-V reports that all of the school officials at Monday’s meeting in Madison say state policymakers could do more to support what they need.

 Republican State Representative Tim Ramthun is renewing his call to decertify the results of Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential election.  Ramthun wants a special session to be called.  He points to last week’s Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that absentee ballot drop boxes can’t be used in elections here.  Ramthun says that means all 2020 ballots placed in those drop boxes are invalid.  He says he’s not a conspiracy theorist but he maintains if the ballots in the drop boxes are invalid that would be enough to hand Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes to Donald Trump.  Election officials say decertification is impossible.

U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin is among two dozen Democrats supporting the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022.  The bill is set up to make sure people can cross state lines to get an abortion without breaking the law.  It would open the door for a civil lawsuit to be filed against anyone who tries to keep them from crossing a state line to access reproductive services.  Baldwin says the measure would protect health care providers in pro-choice states from being sued for working with patients from pro-life states.  The Wisconsin Democrat pointed to draft legislation in Missouri aimed at stopping residents of that state from getting an abortion in another state.

Astronaut Mark Lee is scheduled to make an appearance at a Sparta fundraiser next month.  He will be the featured guest at the Deke Slayton Memorial Space and Bike Museum August 4th.  W-K-B-T/T-V reports Lee is a native of Viroqua who flew four space shuttle missions during his 17 years as an astronaut with NASA.  He completed four spacewalks.  The event will be held at the American Legion in Sparta.

 Former House Speaker Paul Ryan says he’s not much of a crier but something snapped inside him when he watched the January 6th Capitol riots.  The former Wisconsin Congressman told author Mark Leibovich he was “absolutely horrified” by what he saw.  The revelation is included in a Leibovich book entitled “Thank You For Your Servitude.”  The Republican Ryan has kept a low profile since leaving Congress three years ago.  He reportedly hasn’t spoken to former President Donald Trump since he left office.  About Trump, Ryan told Leibovich he expects “never to speak to him again.”

The Department of Natural Resources is saying people are throwing away so much wasted food it is filling up Wisconsin’s landfills.  State officials estimate that 20 percent of everything at the dump is basically wasted food.  D-N-R Solid Waste Coordinator Casey Lamensky tells W-A-O-W/T-V that the decisions you make at home have a big impact as officials work on the food waste problem.  He says most of the food was still edible as it was tossed out.  That leads to an effort to get people to reduce, reuse, and recycle – through activities like composting.

 Campus safety is a growing concern for the University of Minnesota community. Around 100 parents and Dinkytown residents met Monday and pleaded to a panel of police and Minneapolis leaders for a solution to a rise in violent crime near campus. Minneapolis Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman says crime is up 45 percent since the COVID pandemic but also says the department and campus police share a strong relationship and are committed to combating crime. Out of 278 shootings in Minneapolis this year, 10 percent have happened in the precinct that includes the U, while 40 percent happened on the city’s north side. The University says it invested 60 million dollars in public safety in two years, including mobile lighting and a new safety awareness campaign.

Gas prices are slowly dropping in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota. Gas-Buddy reports that prices have trickled down five cents in the last week. The average price for a gallon of regular is currently four-63 in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Meanwhile, some stations across the state have gas priced below four dollars a gallon. However, the money-saving app and website says Minnesota drivers were paying one-65 less a year ago.

The Minnesota State Fair is out with its list of 38 new foods for 2022. Fair spokeswoman Maria Hayden says she’s most excited about the “new rice and meat options from Union Hmong Kitchen.” Other new items this year include deep-fried ice cream, two vegan dishes called poultry-geist and steak-x-orcist, lemon cookie tortilla chips, and pickle pizza. For a full list of new state fair foods, you can visit m-n-state-fair-dot-org. The Great Minnesota Get Together runs this year from August 25th to September Fifth.