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.
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