Construction of the Tarrant Park Pool Replacement has been delayed for one year. During last week's Durand City Council Meeting, Public Works Director Matt Gillis told council members that no bids had been received for the aquatic portion of the project. US Aquatics suggested that the city extend the bidding out to August 9th, have bid approval 60 days after that, and have construction begin in August of 2023 and a completion date of June 2024. US Aquatics believes that by extending the construction date, there would be 5 or 6 interested companies in bidding for the project. The council approved the new bidding and work schedule.
Severe Storms passed through Western Wisconsin overnight. Strong winds knocked down trees and power lines in portions of Dunn, Pierce, Eau Claire, and Chippewa Counties. Xcel Energy reported over 4000 customers were without power overnight. Sunshine will return later this afternoon and into the weekend with temperatures in the mid to upper 80's. Rain chances return on Saturday.
Nice crowds were on hand last night at the Bauer Built Sports Complex for national night out. Families had a chance to meet with police, fire, and other organizations that serve the community and have a meal. Durand Police Chief Stan Ridgeway says the event is important for officers and kids alike. The event ended with a showing of the movie Sing 2 on the scoreboard at the Bauer Built Sports Complex.
A 40-year-old Chippewa Falls man has been sentenced for his role in a fatal hit-and-run crash two years ago. Christopher Peterson will spend nine months in jail, then be on probation for five years. W-E-A-U/T-V reports Peterson pleaded no contest to a charge of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. The victim of the Lake Hallie crash was identified as 60-year-old Dennis Mohr. Investigators found a missing part of a vehicle at the scene that had come from Peterson’s car. Mohr had been known for pulling a yellow wagon containing his personal belongings. Peterson admitted he had hit “something yellow.”
A Bloomer man has had sexual assault charges against him dismissed. WQOW reports 37yr old Duane Swan was charged in 2020 with sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl. In Chippewa County Court, the charges were dismissed after Swan pleaded no contest to felony possession of methamphetamine in a separate case. Swan was sentenced to a year in jail, 3yrs probation, and must also get a sex offender assessment and follow any recommended treatment or counseling.
Excel Energy is proposing the installation of more electric vehicle charging stations across Minnesota. The plan would add about 750 high-speed charging stations and 15 hundred charging ports to be available by 2026. W-C-C-O/T-V reports that Xcel says most would be along major highways and interstates. The company says it will be working with communities that are interested in the facilities as the number of electric vehicles continues to grow. The Excel plan would include a program working with local electricians to install home chargers, too.
U-S Senator Ron Johnson accuses the president and other Democrats of playing politics with the PACT Act. The Wisconsin Republican voted against the bill last week and was harshly criticized for not supporting the veterans it is designed to help. Johnson says he would have voted for it – and it would have passed – last week had Majority Leader Chuck Schumer handled the situation differently. Johnson wanted to vote on an amendment to fix a part of the bill that would have allowed an additional 400 billion dollars to be spent over the next 10 years on items unrelated to veterans.
The end of the student loan repayment moratorium is coming at the end of August, and scammers are stepping up their efforts to steal people's money. David Mancl with the Department of Financial Institutions says the scams all seem to run into a similar pattern. Mancl says it's important to remember that no legitimate agency will ask for upfront payments to fix a loan. You can find out more about getting legal help with student loans online at Look Forward W I dot gov.
La Crosse City Councilmember Chris Woodard says he has been contacted by people who feel they are being targeted for their beliefs. An L-G-B-T-Q group called Coulee Region Pride posted a list of the names of people who are opposed to the city’s ban on conversion therapy. W-K-B-T/T-V reports that under the heading “Parents Beware,” the group advises others to avoid certain doctors and pastors. Woodard has asked La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds to condemn that action. The list has been taken down. Woodard calls it a “hit list.” It named the people who wrote to Common Council members urging them to vote no on the conversion therapy ban.
Wisconsin has passed a coronavirus vaccine milestone. As of Monday, Wisconsin doctors and nurses had administered ten-million coronavirus vaccine doses. The Department of Health Services says about 65 percent of Wisconsinites have had at least one dose, around 61 percent have had both shots, and about 35 percent in Wisconsin have had a booster. D-H-S says the typical vaccine recipient is older and white. Vaccination rates are higher in Madison and Milwaukee than everywhere else.
State health officials have decided how they want to spend Wisconsin’s share of opioid settlement money. Wisconsin could spend much of its opioid settlement money on new buildings. The Department of Health Services wants to spend 31 million dollars from the national opioid settlement. The biggest chunk of it, 11 million dollars, is earmarked for “two or three” capital projects. Another six million goes to Wisconsin’s tribes. Only three-and-a-half million dollars would be spent on treatment and rehabilitation. Wisconsin lawmakers still have to sign off on the proposal.
The Minnesota D-N-R is taking a statewide approach to the management, surveillance, and control of chronic wasting disease (C-W-D) this year. Commissioner Sarah Strommen (STROH’-men) says the move was made after the discovery of an infected wild deer in the Grand Rapids area. She says they’re committed to taking steps and adjusting their strategy when needed to keep C-W-D from spreading further. Deer hunters will be able to submit samples for testing through taxidermists partnering with the D-N-R or by dropping them off at self-service sampling stations. This is the seventh year of managing C-W-D in Minnesota’s wild white-tailed deer.
You shouldn’t count on the development of a third political party to ease the anger and rhetoric. Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang announced he was forming the Forward Party last week. University of Wisconsin political science professor Kenneth Mayer isn’t impressed. He says American history “is just littered with the carcasses of failed third parties.” Mayer says the probability isn’t zero, but it’s unlikely because the U-S political system isn’t set up to allow third parties of having much of a chance. Yang is pitching his Forward Party to Americans who are dissatisfied with the Democrat and Republican parties.
The 2021 “State of Lung Cancer” report shows that Minnesota ranks fourth in the nation for lung cancer survival. Only Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York have a better five-year survival rate. Pat McKone with the American Lung Association of Minnesota says early screening is key, especially for people between ages 52 and 80 who have a 20-year-pack smoking history, are currently smoking, or have quit within the past 15 years. McKone says only seven percent of Minnesotans in this high-risk category have taken advantage of early screening.
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