Local-Regional News Sept 30

Two people were seriously injured in a two-vehicle accident in Waubeek Township on Thursday morning.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, 35yr old Eric Rubenzer of Chippewa Falls was traveling southbound on Hwy 25 when he crossed into the northbound lane and collided head-on with a northbound vehicle driven by 25yr old Levi Hayden of Mondovi.  Hayden's vehicle started on fire and Hayden was pulled from the vehicle by a passerby.  Hayden was med-flighted to Mayo Eau Claire with significant life-threatening injuries.  Rubenzer was transported to an Eau Claire Hospital with serious injuries.    That accident remains under investigation by the Pepin County Sheriff's Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol.

A 4yr old Child was killed in a farm accident in Peru township on Wednesday night.  According to the Dunn County Sheriff's Department, emergency crews responded to the farm after the child was struck by a skid steer.  Emergency crews provided medical care at the scene but the child died due to the injuries.  He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Dunn County Medical Examiner's office.  Preliminary investigation shows the skid steer was being operated by an adult family member when the child was struck by the machine.

One person was injured in an ATV vs car accident in the Town of Albion on Thursday.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, an operator of an ATV was traveling westbound on the Buffalo River State Trail and failed to stop for the stop sign at the intersection with Missell Road and collided with a northbound vehicle.  The ATV operator was transported to Mayo Clinic in Eau Claire with serious injuries.  The occupants of the vehicle were uninjured.

Two people were arrested and another is at large after a high-speed chase in Dunn County early Thursday morning.  According to the Dunn County Sheriff's Department, Menomonie police were investigating a burglary at the Red Cedar Plaza, when the department received the description of a vehicle involved in a burglary in Eau Clarie County.    Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle near Elk Mound but it sped off at speeds exceeding 100mph.  The vehicle crashed at mile marker 43 and three suspects attempted to flee on foot.  42yr old Miltiano Johnson of St. Louis and 32yr old Anthony Jordan of Florissant, MO were arrested, while a third suspect is still wanted.   

A southern Minnesota farmer is the victim of a deadly crash involving a tractor and S-U-V in Faribault County. The Minnesota State Patrol says a tractor driven by 70-year-old Michael Wegner of Wells was rear-ended by the S-U-V on Highway 22 Tuesday evening. The report says Wegner died at the crash site. Troopers say the California woman driving the vehicle and two teenage passengers were taken to an Albert Lea hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The 55th annual World Dairy Expo gets underway this weekend in Madison. Dairy Expo’s Katie Schmitt says the event gives Wisconsin’s signature industry a global spotlight.   World Dairy Expo runs Sunday through Friday at the Dane County Expo Center in Madison. After being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, last year’s expo had an estimated 24-million-dollar economic impact on the area.

There are just three counties in Wisconsin reporting high coronavirus case levels, and they're all in northwestern Wisconsin.  The latest report from the CDC says most of Wisconsin is seeing low coronavirus activity. Just Rusk, Barron, and Sawyer counties are reporting elevated levels, but that is likely because of their low populations. Wisconsin's coronavirus numbers have been steadily dropping for the past month or so. 

 Prosecutors in Eau Claire are dismissing the charges against the man who threatened the city's school board president because he's already in prison. A judge this week dismissed the case against 33-year-old Jeremy Hanson from California. Investigators say he threatened school board president Tim Nordin back in March over Eau Claire Schools' policy that hides gender transitions at school from parents at home. Hanson is serving time in federal prison for a similar threat in another case. Prosecutors here say there's no need to move ahead with the local case. 

School buses in Oshkosh will be carrying students again this morning.  It was left up to parents to get their kids to school Thursday after catalytic converter thieves targeted buses operated by the company that provides transportation to the district.  Kobussen Buses was able to shift some buses so normal service could return while the damaged vehicles are repaired.  The company says somebody detached the catalytic converters from its entire fleet of buses Wednesday night.

No Wisconsin governor has vetoed more legislative bills than Democrat Tony Evers in state history.  Evers has struck down bills on abortion, schools, elections, and guns.  Republicans aren’t very far from having super majorities in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate and that could change in November.  W-I-T-I/T-V reports that the G-O-P needs one more seat in the State Senate and five in the Assembly.  That would give the party the two-thirds vote it needs in both chambers to overturn vetoes.  Evers has vetoed 126 bills in a single legislative session.  The old record – set more in 1927 and 1928 – was 90.

Minnesota health officials say there’s potential for a measles outbreak in Minnesota and are asking parents to make sure their children are vaccinated. The 13 cases in June are well over the annual average, and Department of Health Epidemiologist Supervisor Cynthia Kenyon says measles can be severe. She says it’s concerning that close to half of the 13 patients are hospitalized. Most of the cases are in the Twin Cities and came from travel to countries where measles is common.

Papers filed in federal court indicate the Missouri man accused of killing two brothers from Shawano County will be entering a guilty plea.  Prosecutors say Garland Nelson shot Nick and Justin Diemel to death over a 250-thousand dollar debt connected to cattle.  Nelson was facing the death penalty but the guilty plea may take that off the table.  The U-S Attorney’s Office filed a motion Tuesday to allow Nelson to be released from federal custody so he could enter a guilty plea to the state charges.

A new drug involved in Wisconsin clinical trials is showing it can help patients struggling with dementia.  The Japanese-based drugmaker reported Wednesday that early results show the treatment – lecanemab – reduced patient clinical decline by 27-percent after 18 months.  Those are called promising study results as companies try to find a way to slow the fatal disease of Alzheimer’s.  U-W Health had announced last year that trials would be conducted in Wisconsin as scientists search for something to aid the prevention of Alzheimer’s.  Additional volunteers are being enrolled now.

More than 37-hundred stops were made during a summer traffic initiative aimed at addressing dangerous driving behaviors on Minnesota roads. State Patrol Lieutenant Gordon Shank says they made sure Project 20-22 was not just a “metro area” program. He says their Brainerd, Rochester, and Duluth district offices were heavily involved in getting speeders to slow down and distracted drivers to stay off their phones. Over six weekends from May through September, 27-hundred drivers were stopped for speeding -- along with 144 seat belt violations, 137 distracted drivers, and 61 impaired driving arrests. Shank says the goal of Project 20-22 is to save lives.

Aging infrastructure is a problem for many rural healthcare providers. John Monson with farm credit cooperative Compeer Financial says assisted living facilities are lacking across the country, with two people often sharing a room with a sheet down the middle and bathrooms too small to fit into. Monson says many of his farmer clients end up in assisted living and they want to make sure they have access to “world-class facilities.” Another challenge is the cost to keep rural healthcare staff. Monson says Compeer is partnering with local banks to help finance assisted living facilities, clinics, and hospitals in rural areas.

A Wisconsin company and its employees are helping Hurricane Ian victims in Florida.   Generac is a maker of power generators headquartered in Waukesha. The company sent a team to Georgia Wednesday with all kinds of parts and pieces for people whose generators were damaged or destroyed. At last word, the team was still waiting for the go-ahead to proceed to the hurricane zone.

An electric fire truck, Jolly Good soda, and a massive rope shovel are up for this year's title of Coolest Things Made in Wisconsin.  Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce unveiled this list Wednesday.  It includes 16 things. The contest has become very popular as it highlights all of the things, from the small to the huge, that are made in the state.  This is the seventh year that WMC has asked people to vote on the Coolest Things Made in Wisconsin.  Last year's winner was a massive floating crane built in Manitowoc. 

Local-Regional News Sept 29

A 4yr old Child was killed in a farm accident in Peru township on Wednesday night.  According to the Dunn County Sheriff's Department, emergency crews responded to the farm after the child was struck by a skid steer.  Emergency crews provided medical care at the scene but the child died due to the injuries.  He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Dunn County Medical Examiner's office.  Preliminary investigation shows the skid steer was being operated by an adult family member when the child was struck by the machine.

The Durand City Council took no action on the bids for the Tarrant Park pool at last night's council meeting.  During the meeting Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren told the council there may be one or two more major donors for the pool and if they do contribute to the pool the council would have a special meeting next week to approve bids.  Milliren says if the donors don't contribute, then the pool project would have to be reorganized.   The council has until October 9th to approve the bids or they will lapse.

Firefighters from Menomonie battled a fire at the VFW/Great Escape bar early Wednesday morning after receiving a call from a passerby.  Flames were visible when firefighters arrived, covering a third of the building.   Firefighters were able to get the fire under control in about 20 minutes and no one was hurt in the blaze.  Damage is estimated at $150,000 and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The next hearing for the Chippewa County teenager accused of killing 10-year-old Lily Peters won’t be held until next August.  In court papers, he is identified only by the initials C-P-B to protect his identity.  W-E-A-U/T-V reports that he faces a charge of first-degree intentional homicide and two additional sexual assault counts.  Five days of hearings are on the Chippewa County Circuit Court calendar starting August 7th.

There is a desperate need for blood in Chippewa County.  The county's health department yesterday said The Red Cross is looking to fill its blood bank.  The Red Cross is sending blood to Florida to help with the hurricane relief effort.  Here in the Chippewa Valley, that means they are looking for people with Type O blood.  

The Trempealeau County Dispatch Center is once again having a program to allow those that want car-killed deer to pick them up to have the meat processed.    The goal is to not waste the meat from the deer.  The center makes a list every year of people who want car-killed deer, and they are contacted if a deer is hit by a car and is still in good condition. Then they have a 1 to 2-hour window to pick it up.   You do not have to live in Trempealeau County to sign up for the program. If you are interested, call the county dispatch center at 715-538-4351. 

Xcel Energy is sending around 270 contract workers to Florida to help restore power knocked out by Hurricane Ian. The line workers are from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, and Texas. Xcel Energy is part of a nationwide mutual aid program that assists other electric companies following major storms that cause significant outages. More than a million residents along Florida’s Gulf Coast lost power right after the storm made landfall.

Police in Black River Falls is turning to the public to help find whoever vandalized a brand new school there.  Investigators yesterday say they have several suspects for the damage at the Forrest Street Elementary building, they're now looking for evidence on social media that will tie the suspects to the crime.  Police say someone broke into the school just before it opened last month, sprayed fire extinguisher foam all over the walls and the inside of the recently built school.  Black River Falls Police say the vandals caused a million dollars in damage. 

Judge Jennifer Dorow has made it official – the man accused of killing six people in last year’s Waukesha Christmas Parade will be allowed to represent himself.  During a Wednesday hearing, the judge said Darrell Brooks Junior understands what he is requested.  He faces more than 70 charges for allegedly driving an S-U-V through the parade crowd, killing six and injuring at least 60.  His trial starts Monday in Waukesha County Circuit Court.  Brooks had fired his public defenders.

 A bar owner accused of blowing up his own business has an October 26th court date.  Forty-three-year-old Heath Fjorden is charged with five felonies including arson of a building with the intent to defraud.  The charges are connected to a September 1st explosion and fire at Beagles Bar in Lyndon Station.  Investigators say they found gas cans and gas-soaked rags in the bar basement after the flames were extinguished.  No one was in the bar at the time but two upstairs apartments were occupied.  Fjorden has received treatment for burn injuries which he said were caused by a grilling accident.

Wisconsin gas prices normally fall in the fall, but that isn’t the case this time.  Triple-A Wisconsin reports pump prices jumped by 32 cents in just one week, pushing the state’s average price to three dollars, 87 cents a gallon.  That’s higher than the national average.  A refinery fire in Toledo is responsible for some of that.  It’s a large refinery that was knocked offline by a fire and it still hasn’t resumed operations.  Wisconsin’s average price of gas is 13 cents higher than the national average – something that hasn’t happened for three years.  Relief isn’t on the horizon.  The impact of Hurricane Ian will probably push costs up in the near future.

Two Wisconsin doctors fired for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine are now suing.  Two anesthesiologists, Doctors Kathryn Wolff and Douglas Grove allege the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals refused to take their Catholic beliefs seriously, in denying their exemption requests. The suit filed in Milwaukee County says they were placed on unpaid administrative leave and then terminated in November. The doctors are seeking back pay, front pay, court fees, and damages.  

Foremost Farms announces it is closing two of its locations, eliminating 100 Wisconsin jobs.  The central Wisconsin company says rising costs forced it to make the painful decision.  Operations in Plover and Milan will be shutting down by the end of the year.  Foremost says the workers will be given the chance to move to its other locations – or it will also offer job fairs for the people losing their positions.

 Court-ordered monitor Teresa Abreu says a staffing crisis at Wisconsin’s youth prison is causing the young people to be held in their cells for lengthy periods of time.  It’s also costing them classroom time.  Lincoln Hills had a 40-percent vacancy rate among its counselors last summer.  Those people work directly with the teenagers held in the prison.  The report says corrections officials haven’t been able to hire a social worker for the facility in four years.  At the same time, staffing levels are critically low the prison population has been growing – and it could be several years before the new prison in the Milwaukee area is ready.

Another strike involving health care workers is only days away. About 400 mental health care workers from the Twin Cities are set to begin a three-day strike on Monday, October Third. The strikes are targeting the U hospital, the Fridley campus of Mercy Hospital, and Allina Health’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Mental health workers are demanding better pay and benefits, and safety guarantees. There are currently more than 400 job openings for mental health workers, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

A two-year federal grant program will provide $2.94 million to Wisconsin to bring together producers, distributors, community organizations, and food security partners to build a stronger local food distribution network.  About half of the funding will be used for education for producers and food businesses to support distribution, while the other half will be used to purchase food.  Partners in the plan, under the purview of DATCP, include the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative, the Wisconsin Farmers Union, and Marbleseed, formerly known as the Midwest Organic Sustainable Education Service. Wisconsin’s tribal nations have a separate LFPA to work on similar systems specifically around tribal food systems.

Local-Regional News Sept 28

 The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include an update on the budget process for the 2023 city budget, discussion and possible action on the Tarrant Park Pool project, and reports from the Mayor and city department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live-streamed on our YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN.

 

A Pine Island man is serving four years in prison after kidnapping a woman in Rochester and setting her house on fire.  Michael Drury was sentenced last week for the incident that took place in October of 2021.  The defendant pleaded guilty in June to felony arson.  Other charges including kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon have been dismissed.  Drury will receive 11 months credit for time spent in jail and also must register as a predatory offender.

Eau Claire County wants to hear from the community as to how it should spend its opioid settlement money. County supervisors last week agreed to create a commission that will help decide how to spend the two-point-six million dollars the county is getting as part of the national opioid settlement. The idea is to focus on treatment and help for people dealing with addiction. Eau Claire County hopes to get the first 300 thousand dollars from the settlement by the end of the year. 

We're going to have to wait a bit to find out if Wisconsin's Assembly Speaker will be forced to testify in front of the January 6th Committee. A judge yesterday set a hearing for October 24th in the case. Democrats on Capitol Hill want to hear from Robin Vos about what he and former President Trump talked about in connection to the 2020 election. Vos says any conversations he had with Trump came long after January 6th, and had nothing to do with the riots at the Capitol that day. 

Wisconsin taxpayers will be able to see all of the records from the partisan investigation of the 2020 presidential election that cost them several hundred thousand dollars.  Attorney James Bopp has told a judge that those records – electronic and paper – have been turned over to the Assembly chief clerk’s office and are being uploaded to a website.  The investigation was led by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman – but he was fired in August after failing to turn up any widespread fraud.  The special counsel’s office still exists even after Gableman’s departure and it is still the target of four open records lawsuits.

The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office says one person is dead following a vehicle fire in the Town of Hunter last week.  A 9-1-1 caller reported the fire Friday night just after 10:30 p-m.  W-E-A-U/T-V reports that when emergency responders arrived on the scene they say they found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames and a motionless body lying in the roadway also on fire.  When the flames were extinguished the victim was found to be dead.  Witnesses say the car veered off the road and into a ditch, hit a mailbox, and came back onto the road when it caught on fire.  The victim hasn’t been officially identified.

The wish-list for the next state budget is at least seven-and-a-half billion-dollars larger than the current spending plan.  The Institute for Reforming Government yesterday said their analysis of the budget requests from state agencies and the UW System shows a potential massive increase in state spending.  The largest potential increases are a three-point-seven billion request from the Department of Health Services and a two-and-a-half billion-dollar request from the Department of Public Instruction.  The UW System is asking for nearly a half-billion more.  IRG says the massive spending increase comes at a time when Wisconsin families are struggling to make ends meet.  IRG says it shows just how out of touch state government really is. 

The judge hearing the case against the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack suspect isn't sure the defendant knows what's going on.  The judge yesterday didn't make a decision on whether Darrell Brooks Jr. can represent himself.  Brooks complained several times in court yesterday that he didn't understand the charges against him.  He's facing six homicide counts and a slew of other charges after police say he killed six people and injured 60 others when he plowed through the parade last November.  Prosecutors have said they don't mind if Brooks represents himself, but they won't tolerate any delays in the case.

The latest edition of the “Cost of Voting in America” indicates it’s getting harder to cast a ballot in Wisconsin.  Two years ago this state was ranked the 38th easiest state to vote in – in 2022 Wisconsin has fallen to 47th.  That means it’s harder to vote in only three other states.  Political expert Joe Heim tells W-K-B-T/T-V there have been new regulations and restrictions on voter registration, voter I-Ds, absentee ballots, and drop boxes.  Heim says a series of laws have been passed to avoid voter fraud following the 2020 presidential vote.  He says while more voting laws may be passed a majority of Wisconsin voters aren’t affected.  The state’s voter turnout in national elections is still fifth among the 50 states.

A new set of videos from the Wisconsin Elections Commission will walk people through the process of how the election system works.  The videos are available to the public.  Commission spokesperson Riley Vetterkind says many conversations about elections are based on misunderstandings of the process.  Vetterkind says the commission wanted to take a step back and focus on the fundamentals of voting in Wisconsin.  They’re aimed at correcting misinformation about the process and ensuring people can be confident in election results.

[Videos are available online at:  WI.gov/101]

The conservative news organization Wisconsin Right Now is suing the state Parole Commission over an open records request.  The suit filed in Washington County Circuit Court accuses the commission of refusing to release the names of people who have been granted parole this year.  Wisconsin Right Now says it made the request in May and the commission hasn’t replied.  The news organization has been running a series of stories about paroles but it says it has only received the names of those paroled through the end of last December.

The Minnesota Department of Traffic Safety is rolling out another round of grants for school bus stop arm camera systems. Spokesman Mike Hanson says this latest round of funding contains two-point-nine million dollars for 21 schools and transportation companies around Minnesota. He says too many drivers are disregarding the extended stop arms when school buses are picking up or dropping off kids before and after school. In the past five years, law enforcement has cited more than 46-hundred (4,652) drivers for stop-arm violations.

Assembly Speaker Robin has filed a lawsuit to block a subpoena from the House January 6 Committee, commanding Vos to provide a deposition today Monday. The committee is reportedly seeking information from Vos about a call he had in July with former President Donald Trump, in which Trump asked Vos to take steps to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin. In the suit filed Sunday, Vos argues that the subpoena infringes on the speaker's legislative immunity from civil process, lacks a lawful purpose, and was issued by an unlawful committee. Vos also said he had no knowledge of events leading to the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, and that the subpoena was politically motivated.

A new plan from the Biden administration would require airlines and travel agencies online to disclose fees for seat selection, checked baggage, and other add-ons. Kyle Potter with Thrifty Traveler says if enacted, it would be “the most significant change” for air travel in at least a decade. However, he also says IF it happens it’ll take “at least many months, probably several years” to implement the changes. U-S Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (BOOT-edge-edge) says passengers “deserve to know the full, true cost of their flights” before buying tickets.

Local-Regional News Sept 27

 One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Rock Elm Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 61yr old Robert Ellingboe of Wilson was traveling northbound on Hwy S when he lost control of his motorcycle, entered the east ditch, and was ejected.  Ellingboe was transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

UW-River Falls recently announced a new meat science curriculum for high school students.  The curriculum can be used by high school agriculture instructors and would focus on all facets of the meat industry.  Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike says it's something the district will look at adding.  UW-River Falls is looking to find 6-10 school districts to add the curriculum this year and hopes to be able to offer it to all districts in Wisconsin next year.

Wisconsin drivers are paying more than the national average for gas.  Gas prices rising despite crude oil prices continuing to drop. A barrel of oil was under 80 dollars on Monday, but according to AAA gas prices rose over five cents during the previous week for a national average of 3.72 a gallon. Here in Wisconsin. the state's average for a gallon of gas was 3.76 as of Monday and in Durand gas was selling for 3.89 a gallon.  It's apparently the first time in at least the past year that the state average exceeds the national average.

 

A new judge has been assigned to the Chippewa County case of a 14-year-old boy charged in the death of 10-year-old Lily Peters.  Court records indicate Judge Steven Gibbs will preside.  The teenage defendant faces felony counts of first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree sexual assault of a child.  The victim was killed last April In Chippewa Falls.  A scheduling conference is scheduled for Thursday.  The defendant is being held at the Northwest Regional Juvenile Detention Center.

The DNR says there's no reason to fear reports of a wolf in Eau Claire County. The state says it got a 'credible report' of a large wolf last week. The DNR's Randy Johnson said it's not surprising because this is the time of year when wolf sightings peak. He says younger wolves are heading out on their own. He says you'll want to be a bit more careful with your pets, but he said there's nothing to fear. Wisconsin is home to over a thousand wolves, many of them in northwestern Wisconsin. 

Gov. Tony Evers announced  $8 million in grants and loans for rail projects across Wisconsin.  Here in Western Wisconsin,   a $3 million dollar loan will be given to Canadian National Railway to help build a new agronomy and feed terminal in Stanley in Chippewa County. By 2025, it’s forecast the Canadian National Railway will deliver 650 carloads of potash, gypsum, canola meal, soda, and other feed and commodities to the facility.

This year's first human case of West Nile Virus in Wisconsin has been reported in Sheboygan County.  State Health Officer Paula Tran says this serves as a reminder of the continued importance of taking precautions to prevent mosquito bites as we move into the fall. West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses pose a risk to everybody, with people who have weakened immune systems at the greatest risk for serious illness.

A conservative law firm is suing county auditors across the state for failing to remove duplicate voter registrations in Minnesota. The Upper Midwest Law Center filed its first complaint against Nicollet County which it says had four duplicate registrations and at least one apparent instance of double voting. The complaint alleges a felon patient at the Minnesota Security Hospital voted absentee twice in the 2020 election. The suit claims their research uncovered hundreds of duplicate voter registrations in Minnesota and the Secretary of State’s office disclaimed responsibility for keeping the Statewide Voter Registration Service (S-V-R-S) clean.

A 30-year-old suspect arrested in Oshkosh may be responsible for 81-thousand dollars in retail thefts across nine states.  No names have been released.  The suspect is one of two men taken into custody last week for allegedly stealing a thousand dollars worth of merchandise from an Oshkosh business.  Both men face felony charges of retail theft.  The 30-year-old had an outstanding warrant connected to multiple retail theft cases in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.  

A Missouri man charged in the deaths of two Wisconsin brothers is set to go to trial this week on separate federal charges.  The case is related to the murders of Nick and to Justin Diemel of Bonduel. Last May a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Garland “Joey” Nelson, alleging he murdered the Diemel  Brothers to cover up a 215-thousand dollar cattle fraud scheme. Nelson is charged in the Western District of Missouri with mail fraud and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The trial is expected to last four to five days. Decisions are pending on several defense motions.

A Ramsey County judge is challenging statements by the governor and the state’s education commissioner.  Judge John Guthmann says Governor Tim Walz was wrong when he said the judge ordered a resumption of payments to the “Feeding Our Future” campaign after fraud was suspected.  The judge says he never ordered the Minnesota Department of Education to resume the payments.  Forty-eight people face federal indictments for stealing 250-million dollars from the federal meals program.  Walz said the state stopped making those payments when the fraud was first suspected but resumed them based on the judge’s order.  The judge says that’s not what happened.

Polio, considered for many years to be eradicated in most countries, has been detected in the US. Dr. Jim Conway from UW Health says the detection just shows how important it is to get the polio vaccine. Most children in the US get the polio vaccine as part of their early childhood vaccination arrays, and Conway says it's that broad application of vaccines that has thus far prevented the full return of the debilitating disease. Polio can cause very serious neurological damage and death.

The head of the University of Wisconsin System hopes scholarships will boost enrollment next year.   This fall’s enrollment numbers show most University of Wisconsin campuses lost students compared to last year. Only Madison and Green Bay saw increases. Enrollment at La Crosse was steady, but all other campuses saw declines. U-W System president Jay Rothman said he hopes the Wisconsin Tuition Promise program will turn the trend around. It starts next fall and offers scholarships that cover tuition and fees.

The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin is urging people to do a little homework first if they plan to donate to hurricane victims.  Spokesperson Lisa Schiller says it is important to know who you are giving your money to – and she says it’s better to donate cash than to give items.  Schiller says that gives charities the most flexibility to channel their resources to the impacted areas.  Puerto Rico is recovering from Hurricane Fiona and another hurricane is expected to hit the U-S mainland this week.

Local-Regional News Sept 26

Two People were injured in a one-vehicle accident in Sumner Township on Sunday morning.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, 29yr old Denver Thompson of Osseo was traveling southbound on Durst Road and failed to slow and negotiate a right-hand turn at the T intersection of Oium Road.  The vehicle traveled through the intersection striking an embankment causing the vehicle to go airborne into a grove of trees.  Thompson and 24yr old Lisa Doyle of Osseo was taken to the hospital with substantial injuries.  Alcohol is believed to be a factor in that accident.

One person was injured in a car vs deer accident on Hwy 53 in the town of Sumner on Saturday.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, 33yr old Marcy Hansche was traveling on Hwy 53 and struck the deer.  Hansche was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire with minor injuries.

The Wabasha-Kellogg Chamber has received several calls from Chamber Members informing us that an outside company is requesting payment for advertising on Canvas Bags. The caller is claiming to work with the Wabasha-Kellogg Chamber.  This call is nothing more than a scam as the chamber is not promoting advertising on a canvas bag.  If you receive this call, please ignore it and hang up. If you have already made a payment, please call the number back and request a refund.

The Buffalo-Pepin ADRC is still accepting registrations for the Stepping On Class for this fall.  Rhonda Sweeney, facilitator of the class says Steppin On is proven to reduce falls in the senior citizen population.  The seven-week class will be held Saturdays from 9:30-11 in Durand and is free.  To register for the class, call the Buffalo-Pepin ADRC.

Eau Claire and Stout saw some of the biggest enrollment declines among all UW campuses this year.  Last week's enrollment numbers show UW-Eau Claire is down about five percent or about 470 students.  UW-Stout saw enrollment drop six percent or about 580 students.  Only the Madison and Green Bay campuses added students this fall, and UW-La Crosse's enrollment was flat. 

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is warning hunters to be careful when handling wild birds this waterfowl hunting season because of the threat of avian flu. The flu virus first showed up in Wisconsin last March and the DNR warns that waterfowl are more susceptible to the virus than other game birds so hunters should proceed with caution. The U-S Fish and Wildlife Service advises wearing gloves and washing hands thoroughly when done.

Wisconsin will receive millions in federal grant money to address drug abuse and the opioid epidemic.   The Biden Administration announced Friday that the state Department of Health Services is to receive 16-point-9 million dollars as part of a one-and-a-half billion-dollar grant package. Six Wisconsin tribal nations will receive an additional 1-point-8 million dollars. The federal funding goals include increased access to treatment and recovery support services.

A court filing is showing that NFL great Brett Favre pressed Mississippi state officials in 2019 to funnel state welfare funds into new sports facilities at his alma mater despite legality questions.  Then-Governor Phil Bryant reportedly told Favre that the misuse of them could be illegal.  Evidence shows Favre and Bryant diverted at least five million dollars of the state's welfare funds to build a new volleyball arena for the University of Southern Mississippi.  Favre's daughter played for the team.  The former NFL quarterback has not been charged in the state's welfare scandal.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Wisconsin are eligible for federal student loan relief.  A recent announcement from the White House shows how many student loan borrowers are eligible in each state.  In Wisconsin, it's 685-thousand-100 borrowers that can get ten-thousand dollars in student loan relief.  The White House also says there are 412-thousand-700 Pell borrowers in Wisconsin eligible for up to 20 thousand dollars in relief.

The man accused of killing six people and injuring more than 60 by driving his S-U-V through the crowd at last year’s Waukesha Christmas Parade now wants to represent himself in court.  A motion to drop Darrell Brooks Junior’s public defenders was filed last week.  Legal experts say this could just be another attempt to delay his high-profile homicide trial.  W-I-S-N/T-V reports that Brooks already sought a delay by saying he had a toothache.  The public defenders have agreed to step aside although at least one attorney would be retained to advise Brooks during his trial.

Democratic Congresswoman Angie Craig and Republican challenger Tyler Kistner will debate on October 13th at Dakota County Technical College. The Second District candidates faced off last month at a Farm-Fest forum near Redwood Falls. Craig topped Kistner by just over two percentage points to win re-election in November of 2020. The event is hosted by the Dakota County Regional, Minneapolis Regional, Shakopee Area, and Saint Paul Area chambers of commerce.

There wasn't a lot of talk about reading and writing in Wisconsin's State of Education speech Thursday.  Instead, State Superintendent Jill Underly focused on political themes, including Pride flags and pronouns, when talking about the state's schools.  Underly also blamed Republican lawmakers for not spending enough on public schools.  Those lawmakers say Wisconsin spent a record three billion dollars more on public education last year.  Underly said Wisconsin's schools need to teach kids how to be engaged so the country's democracy can be strong. 

The lawyer for the man accused of causing the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy wants to quit. Darrell Brooks Junior’s lawyer filed a motion Thursday to withdraw from the case. If the judge grants that motion, it could delay Brooks’ trial, which for now is supposed to begin on October Third. Brooks originally planned to plead insanity, but later changed his mind. He faces life in prison for killing six people and injuring 60 others at the parade last year.

Minnesota Republicans are demanding House Democrats hold hearings on the Walz administration’s response to a fraud scheme that prosecutors say stole 250 million dollars in government funding. The governor says the state stopped payments to “Feeding Our Future,” but the group sued and a judge ordered payments be resumed. Walz blames the judge, but Republican Senator Roger Chamberlain says there was “a lot of evidence” of fraud and that the attorney general and Walz administration could have appealed.

A river of milk flowed down a rural roadway following a collision between a milk truck and a Fed-Ex delivery vehicle. It happened Thursday near Rubicon in rural Dodge County. Both drivers were treated for injuries at a local hospital. The wreck left both milk and Fed-Ex packages along the side of the road.

A 3,000 year old dugout canoe was recovered from Madison’s Lake Mendota on Thursday.  The canoe was recovered Thursday, less than a year after a 1200 year old canoe was discovered in the same area. Maritime archaeologists from the State Historical Society and partners from Wisconsin's Native nations recovered the canoe which dates back to 1000 BC, making it the oldest canoe ever discovered in the Great Lakes region. It’s carved from a single piece of white oak and is 14 and a half feet long. Maritime archaeologist Tamra Thompson first located it during a dive in May. 

Local-Regional News Sept 23

 One person was injured in a two-vehicle accident Tuesday in Spring Valley.   According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 20yr old Aldo Tlatemohue-Anastacid of Woodville was traveling westbound on Hwy 29 near Park Drive, where he lost control of his vehicle, went left of center, and struck an eastbound vehicle driven by 24yr old Jacob Lathe of Hammond.  Tlatemohue-Anastacid was transported to Western Wisconsin Health in Baldwin.

Get ready for the 353. Folks in parts of south-central and southwestern Wisconsin including parts of Buffalo County will see that as their new area code starting next year. Wisconsin's Public Service Commission voted yesterday to add the new area code. Commissioners say the 608 area code is simply out of numbers. Anyone who currently has a 608 number will keep it, anyone in the 608 area who gets a number will be assigned something starting with 353. 

Lots of home and car owners in southern Wisconsin and parts of Western Wisconsin are dealing with hail damage from Tuesday’s storms. State Farm is recommending its customers file a claim if the storms left them without a windshield or worse. Some areas reported baseball-size hail Tuesday. Insurance adjusters recommend taking photos of any property damage to include with any claims filed.

There are more new students this fall at UW schools than at any time since 2018. But not every campus is seeing an increase. The university yesterday said UW-Madison, UW-Green Bay, UW-Superior, and UW-La Crosse all saw their enrollments go up this fall. The state's other campuses were either flat or saw fewer students. Total new student enrollment topped 26 thousand students for the first time since 2018. UW River Falls saw an increase in new students this year while total enrollment was down slightly.  UW System President Jay Rothman says new enrollment plans and the end of the coronavirus pandemic helped drive enrollment higher. 

The owner of a Rochester-area auction business is accused of failing to pay 800 thousand dollars in taxes.  Nicholas Graves has been charged with 26 counts alleging that he did not pay various business and personal taxes from 2018 to October 2021.  Prosecutors say the owner of Graves Online Auctions owes more than 796 thousand dollars

The latest Marquette Law School Poll finds a majority of Americans remain displeased with the U-S Supreme Court. Forty percent of respondents approved of the job the court is doing, while 60 percent disapproved. Results were similar in July, showing a large decline in approval levels from 2020 and early 2021. A majority of respondents said they don’t know enough to give favorable or unfavorable opinions about most justices. But Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett were all viewed more unfavorably by those who had an opinion.

A Mississippi official pleads guilty in a welfare scheme linked to former Packers quarterback Brett Favre   John Davis directed Mississippi's welfare agency while it distributed millions of dollars in federal welfare money to projects which Investigators now say were improper. Those included a new volleyball facility at the university attended by Favre’s daughter. Favre has denied any wrongdoing through his attorney, who acknowledged the former quarterback has been interviewed by the FBI. There is no indication Favre is a target of the investigation, and he says he did not know the state grants came from federal welfare money. 

 Early voting for the November Seventh election begins today in Minnesota. Registered voters may cast an absentee ballot either in person or by mail 46 days before Election Day. In-person voting can be done at a county or city elections office. You can find your local polling place and a sample ballot on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website at m-n-votes-dot-org.

The district administrator for Flambeau Schools is no longer facing misconduct in office charges. Prosecutors in Rusk County dropped the charges this week against Erica Schley.  She was originally charged in a case that began as a complaint from her husband to a Flambeau Schools p.e. Teacher about his daughter's grade. Charges against Flambeau's Board of Education president were dismissed last month. Prosecutors have not yet decided on charges against Schley's husband. 

A bar owner is charged with arson in connection with an explosion and fire that damaged a bar he owns in Lyndon Station. W-K-O-W/T-V reports that 43-year-old Heath Fjorden of Baraboo is charged with arson of a building with the intent to defraud, damage to property by means of explosives, and first-degree recklessly endangering safety. The explosion happened during the early morning hours of September First. A criminal complaint says a detective found two gas cans tipped over in the basement and gasoline-soaked rags on the floor. Investigators say Fjorden was later found with multiple burns on his body and is currently receiving inpatient care.

 

Some license plates in Wisconsin are more than ten years old, pealing, and in many cases almost unreadable. The state is preparing to replace three million plates over the next decade, thanks to a state law signed last year. Replacement plates will cost eight dollars, and the charge will automatically appear on your renewal form if your license plate is more than ten years old. D-M-V administrator Kristina Boardman says old, faded, and peeling license plates don’t reflect well on the state.

The scandal over “Feeding our Future” is creeping into Minnesota’s election cycle. Republican State Auditor candidate Ryan Wilson says Democratic incumbent Julie Blaha (BLAH-huh) didn’t raise red flags that could have prevented 250 million dollars of fraud in the government-funded program. Blaha responds that issues with “Feeding our Future” are a federal matter and  outside the jurisdiction of the state auditor. She says trying to do somebody else’s investigation just to get a headline is a waste (of) taxpayer money and time.  It can also jeopardize an investigation."

Target is planning to hire thousands of seasonal workers.  The company says it will bring on 100-thousand new people in stores and supply chain facilities nationwide this year.  It's in an effort to help strengthen customer service.  Along with the new hires, Target plans to offer its industry-leading holiday match guarantee from October 6th to December 24th. 

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (B-C-A) is calling on school officials and students to be diligent in the wake of Wednesday's reports of several "swatting" calls claiming false emergencies at Minnesota schools. The B-C-A’s Drew Evans says their “See it, say it, send it app” is designed to disrupt threats to schools, and can be easily used to report suspicious information. Evans says if you're in an emergency situation, you should always call 9-1-1 first, then report the incident on the app.

For years and years, the village of Thiensville sounded an alarm every day at 12-noon. The long-standing tradition was recently canceled after someone complained about it. But several residents, including Thiensville village president Van Mobley, want to bring back the daily siren blasts. He says he’s open to possibly dialing it back a bit. No one on the village council could remember when or why the tradition began.

Local-Regional News Sept 22

  Gas prices are once again rising after months of declines. The latest data from Triple-A shows the average price for regular-unleaded in Wisconsin is three dollars, 47 cents a gallon -- that’s three cents a gallon higher than it was a week ago. The cheapest gas on average in Wisconsin is in Sheboygan County at three-36 a gallon, while the most expensive is in St. Croix County at three-70 a gallon. Here in the Durand area gas was averaging $3.54 a gallon.  The current national average is three-68 a gallon.

The Durand-Arkansaw School District signed an agreement with the Elmwood School District for an Elmwood Chemistry teacher to teach two periods of chemistry to Durand-Arkansaw students.  Superintendent Greg Doverspike says the districts had been talking about how they could share resources to provide opportunities for students.  While the teacher will have the class remotely, Doverspike says she wants to be a part of the community.  During the remote class, a para-professional is in the room with the students and another science instructor assists with running the labs.

It might as well have been an open-campus day for insurance adjusters at UW-River Falls yesterday.  The school says nearly 80 cars were damaged by Tuesday's thunderstorms, specifically by the huge pieces of hail that fell from the storm.  Most cars saw their windshields busted out.  UW-River Falls says there was another 100 thousand dollars or so in damage to the campus.  There are no reports of any injuries. 

A pair of Chippewa Valley parents are facing neglect charges after the state says they continue to ignore their three kids. Prosecutors in Eau Claire County this week filed nine counts of neglect against James and Holly Hasledalen. Investigators say child protective services has been to the couple's home in Eau Claire dozens of times over the past few months. Each time they found the couple's three kids, ages eight, two, and nearly five months old, filthy and unsupervised. Investigators say the oldest child tested positive for being exposed to meth. The judge allowed the Hasledalens out of jail, but has banned them from seeing their kids without supervision.

The latest piece of Wisconsin's coronavirus stimulus money is going to EMS services across the state.  Governor Evers yesterday announced 32 million dollars in grants for over 440 local emergency service providers.  The money can be used to buy new equipment or simply stock-up local first responders' needs.   Locally departments receiving grants include Boyceville,  Ellsworth, Elmwood, Mondovi, Pepin, Spring Valley, and Waumandee

The U-S House has passed an electoral reform bill that seeks to prevent presidents from trying to overturn election results through Congress. The Presidential Election Reform Act, written by Representatives Liz Cheney and Zoe Lofgren, explicitly cites the January Sixth Capitol attack as a reason to amend the Electoral Count Act of 1887, “to prevent other future unlawful efforts to overturn Presidential elections.” The bill passed on a 229-203 vote. Just nine Republicans joined Democrats in supporting it, none of them from Wisconsin’s delegation.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission wants to change the rules for election observers.  The commission voted 5 to 1 on Wednesday to start the rules process to change how observers can interact with voters and poll workers on election day. There are concerns that poll observers may become disruptive in the future, and the commission wants to set firm guidelines for conduct. The process could take a year or two and won't be in place for the November elections.

A new national campaign encourages veterans considering suicide to seek help and for everyone else to lend a hand. The American Legion's campaign in Wisconsin and nationwide will be seen on billboards and in T-V and radio P-S-As called "Be The One." It encourages veterans to be the one to reach out and ask for help. The Veterans Administration says there were 95 suicides among Wisconsin veterans in 2019. Veterans who use the new national Crisis Lifeline should dial 9-8-8 and then press "1" to be connected to a veteran-specific counselor.

Canceling most student loan debts in Wisconsin would cost about six-point-eight billion dollars, according to the U-S Department of Education. That figure is tied to those eligible to have up to ten thousand dollars of their student debts forgiven, and there are more than 685 thousand people in Wisconsin that fall under that category. The costs will likely be much higher, though, because there are over 400 thousand people who qualify for the 20 thousand dollars in Pell Grant loan cancellations as well. That would cost an additional eight billion dollars.

A former Minneapolis police officer will serve three years in prison for his role in the death of George Floyd.  Thomas Lane was sentenced virtually this morning for a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.  He is currently serving two-and-a-half years in Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in Littleton, Colorado.  Lane will serve his new state sentence in federal prison.

Police in Madison can still use tear gas and pepper spray to ward off rioters and protesters, but will now have to notify the Common Council after each incident in which they are used. That’s the center of a substitute proposal passed Tuesday night by city aldermen. The council had been scheduled to vote on banning the use of tear gas and pepper spray altogether, a move opposed by Madison police and other law enforcement agencies. The substitute ordinance will also require the city’s Independent Police Monitor to review within 30 days each time tear gas or pepper spray is used for crowd control.

 Officials at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (M-C-P-A) say the “wrong words” were used and they deleted a tweet that said Minnesotans should try “Meatless Mondays” because meat production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Some House Republican lawmakers say it shows Governor Walz’s agency and Democrats are out of touch with the fact that ag production accounts for under five percent of greenhouse gases. Starbuck Representative Paul Anderson says it’s surprising that an agency in an agriculture “powerhouse” state like Minnesota would come out with such a message on social media. M-P-C-A officials say the tweet does not reflect the agency’s “steadfast commitment to building stronger relationships and partnerships with Minnesota’s farmers and ag producers.”

Union workers at Molson Coors’ brewery in Milwaukee are talking about going on strike. Members of United Auto Workers Local 9 walked a picket line at the Miller brewery Tuesday. The union wants more money, more time off, and it wants the company to hire more people. Molson Coors says it’s working on a new deal with the union and hopes to come to terms quickly.

A new study is out revealing which North American airports travelers find the most and least satisfying.  Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport came out on top with a score of 800 on a thousand-point scale.  The airport with the lowest score was Newark Liberty with a score of 719.  As travel continues to ramp back up, overall satisfaction among passengers has dropped 25 points to 777 from last year. 

Local-Regional News Sept 21

 In an effort to retain and hire officers, the Durand City Council held a special meeting last night to discuss compensation for members of the Durand Police Department.  The council voted to eliminate the residential requirements and on-call time along with a raise and change in the pay scale all to take effect in January of 2023.  The city will also work with the Pepin County Sheriff's Department on covering times when no officers are available.

A Lake City man is dead after hitting a dear with his motorcycle late Monday in southeastern Minnesota. The Wabasha County Sheriff's Office says 51-year-old Daran Atkinson hit the deer at an intersection on County Road 17 and died of his injuries at the scene. Deputies say Atkinson's passenger -- Lori Schueller of Lake City -- was taken to a Rochester hospital with non-life threatening injuries. This is the second fatal crash involving a deer this year in Wabasha County.

The storm system that brought rain across the Chippewa Valley dropped some huge hail in some parts of western Wisconsin. A number of people took to social media to show the hail, which ranged from golf ball sized to baseball-sized, from last night's storms. Folks in River Falls saw the worst of it. Forecasters say the storms also brought brilliant flashes of lightning. There are no reports of any serious injuries. 

 Mourners said a final goodbye to Eau Claire County's sheriff yesterday.  Yesterday was the funeral for Sheriff Ron Cramer, he died unexpectedly last week at age 67.  Several local leaders and other sheriffs spoke at his funeral yesterday, all of them saying how much Cramer meant to Eau Claire and the entire Chippewa Valley.  No one is saying how Cramer died.  He was set to retire at the end of the year. 

 Eau Claire Academy is closing its residential treatment center.  The Academy's Chuck Anger said in a post yesterday that the center will be closing because they cannot find enough people to work at the home.  The Academy is a residential treatment facility for kids with behavioral issues.  The Eau Claire Academy School, which is nearby, will remain open. 

The first Emerson College Poll prior to Wisconsin's November general election finds Republican incumbent U-S Senator Ron Johnson leading Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes 48 to 44 percent. The poll in the governor's race is just as tight -- with incumbent Democrat Tony Evers leading Republican challenger Tim Michaels by a slim 45 to 43 percent margin. The Emerson College poll was conducted September 16th through 18th and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

A Wood County judge has determined there is enough evidence to move forward with a trial in a decades-old cold case killing. Donald Maier appeared for the first time Monday since charges of first-degree murder were filed against him in connection with the 1985 killing of Benny Scruggs. According to court records Maier, who has been serving time in prison for unrelated stalking charges, previously admitted to cell mates that he killed someone in the 1980s and got away with it, even disclosing how he disposed of the murder weapon and admitting that he had been in a sexual relationship with the victim’s wife. He’ll enter a plea to the charges in early October.

The head of the FBI says the head of Feeding our Future and nearly 50 others in Minnesota nearly pulled-off the largest pandemic fraud scheme in the entire country.  Federal prosecutors yesterday announced charges against Feeding our Future founder Aimee Bock and 46 others.  Investigators say Bock and the rest lied to the federal government about how many children they were feeding and took at least 250 million dollars from the federal program designed to feed hungry kids.  The charges say Bock would recruit people to run program sites, then falsify reports about how many kids they were feeding and how much money it cost.  In all, prosecutors say the scheme billed the government for 125 million meals that were never served. 

 Waterfowl hunting season begins in Minnesota this weekend.  The season starts just before sunrise Saturday and ends depending on whether you're in the north, mid, or south hunting zone.  More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website.

Twenty countries on six continents, including the European Union, have top representatives in Minnesota this week to learn more about the state’s ag industry -- the visit organized by the U-S Department of Agriculture. State Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen says the first couple of days are in the Twin Cities meeting with companies, then they’ll be visiting some farms in Faribault, ethanol plants in Benson, and some of the sugar beet harvest in the Red River Valley. Minnesota is the fourth-largest ag exporter in the nation at over seven billion dollars annually.

The USDA wants to look at farm chemical use and production costs on Wisconsin farms.  The agency yesterday said it will look at wheat and potato farms in the state as part of its Agricultural Resource Management Survey.  The hope is to get an on-the-ground look at what farmers need, what they are paying, and how they are managing their crops.  The first phase of the survey began back in May, and it will last through April of next year. 

 The labor union that represents Milwaukee police officers is suing to get new service revolvers. The lawsuit against the city follows two years of reported accidental discharges. Milwaukee P-D chose the Sig Sauer pistol as its service revolver in 2019. Since then, there have been three accidental discharges, including one that wounded an officer earlier this month. There's no word on how much it would cost the city to replace the department’s handguns.

The owners of a property management company say police wouldn't help them recover their stolen vehicle full of tools that were located in a homeless encampment.  Ross and Heather Lumley own The Stepping Stone Group and say the van's GPS was pinging at the Near-North homeless encampment, but Minneapolis Police said they couldn't go into the encampment to investigate or get the stolen property.  KARE 11 News says an MPD spokesperson told them that they would have needed to make sure they have available staff and resources before going into the hostile environment.  The Lumleys went into the encampment themselves to retrieve the van and later recovered the empty van crashed in an alley after it was part of multiple hit and runs. 

Twenty-21 was the seventh straight year in which more than 700 Minnesotans died by suicide. Tanya Carter with the state Health Department says in addition to those who die from suicide there are more than ten thousand individuals a year that are treated for suicidal injuries, and those are just the ones who show up to a hospital or clinic seeking care. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Carter says if you or someone you know is struggling to please reach out and be attentive. Earlier this year, the U-S rolled out a nationwide three-digit dialing code -- 9-8-8 -- to access suicide prevention and crisis support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

There’s another report of an alligator in a Wisconsin park.   Department of Natural Resources wardens searched a pond at Reigle Family Park in Kewaskum Monday after getting reports of an alligator. They didn’t find anything, but wardens say they do believe there is a gator in the pond. They say the gator was likely someone’s pet that was released. In July, an alligator got out of its owner’s backyard in Kenosha. In Wisconsin, it’s legal to keep a gator as a pet.

Local-Regional News Sept 20

 One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Hartland Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 42yr old Joseph Mendoza of Rosemount, MN was traveling westbound on 300th Avenue when he lost control of the motorcycle, left the roadway, and overturned in a grassy area.  Mendoza was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

The City of Durand should know by October if it has won a state grant for the Madison Street Project in Downtown.  Earlier this year the city applied for a grant from the state of Wisconsin that would cover 90% of the surface work for the replacement of Madison Street.  During last week's city council meeting the city engineer told members that the state has received the application and if the city is approved the agreement with the state would be sent out in October.  The city would have until 2027 to complete the project.

The victim in a shooting in Eau Claire has been identified.   Eau Claire Police say 39yr old Christopher Conner of Altoona was found early Saturday morning near the intersection of Bergen and Bellevue Avenue.  Conner was treated at the scene and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.    The investigation into Conner's death is continuing.

Eau Claire's new transit hub will be more expensive and take longer to complete. Planners yesterday said the new home for buses in the city won't open until at least June of 2024. The hub was supposed to open in September of next year. Eau Claire economic development director Aaron White says the project has been challenging from the get-go, and continues to be challenging today. 

 A sheriff's captain in La Crosse County says he did not endorse Mandela Barnes, and he's not sure how he ended up on Barnes' list. Captain John Siegel says he's not sure how he ended up on a list of nine active duty officers backing Barnes in his bid for U.S. Senate. Siegel yesterday said there must be some kind of mistake. Barnes has taken a lot of heat for his comments about police and law enforcement in Wisconsin during the race for the Senate. Siegel is running as a Democrat in La Crosse County for the sheriff's job this fall. 

Xcel Energy is looking to expand its generating capacity because the planned solar-energy power plant in Becker will replace only about one-fourth of the electricity from the Sherco coal-fired plants which are to be phased out by 2030. Regional Vice President Bria Shea indicates the rest will come from not only renewables but also what are called “base-load” sources -- possibly natural gas or energy storage -- with nuclear being “a big part” of the utility’s plan moving forward. As far as any plans to expand nuclear capability beyond the current plants at Prairie Island and Monticello -- that would require the legislature to cancel the current moratorium on new nuclear plants. Shea says Xcel has no immediate plans to push for a repeal.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources asks hunters and wildlife enthusiasts to help slow the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease this fall.   Placing bait to hunt deer or feeding deer for viewing is banned by state law in certain counties due to the presence of Chronic Wasting Disease. In counties where CWD has not been found, you can still choose not to bait or feed deer to help reduce the risk of CWD transmission. Proper carcass disposal helps slow the spread of CWD by removing potentially infected deer carcasses from the landscape. Locate a designated dumpster, transfer station or landfill location accepting carcass waste near you on the DNR website.

Governor Tony Evers announces a multi-state coalition to develop a clean hydrogen economy. According to a press release from Evers’ office, the partnership was solidified by a memorandum of understanding, which he signed along with the governors of Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. According to the U-S Department of Energy, hydrogen can be produced from a variety of domestic sources -- including natural gas, nuclear power, biomass, and renewable power like solar and wind.

Fewer people are quitting their jobs in Wisconsin compared to other states.  Wisconsin would appear to be bucking the trend of the “great resignation.” WalletHub says two-point-six percent of Wisconsin workers have left their job in the last month, which tied for fifth-lowest in the country. Wisconsin’s resignation rate over the last year is 16th-lowest.

The Department of Health Services is reminding people to check for ticks as they come home from outdoor fun. That means examining all parts of the body, including the scalp, in and around the ears, and behind your knees. You should also shower within two hours of coming back inside to wash off any loose ticks on your body. If you do find a tick biting you, don't crush or twist it, but firmly pull it out. You can find out more by downloading The Tick App at Tick-App-dot-U-S. 

One Republican lawmaker wants to know why the UW System needs its own news service. Senator Steve Nass says the new service, which launches today, raises troubling questions about fairness, university spending, and a state-controlled media narrative. Nass says the UW System already has over 220 people working in public relations roles, he questions why they need more. Nass also says it will be tough to trust the university as an independent news service, especially when it's writing news about the university.

Another statewide seatbelt enforcement campaign is now underway in Minnesota, and law enforcement says the goal is traffic safety, not citations.  Minnesota State Patrol Lieutenant Gordon Shank says it’s sad to see lives lost when something “as simple as a seatbelt” could have saved their lives.  Shank says it’s hard enough to tell family members that a loved one was killed in a traffic crash, but it’s even harder when that person’s death could have been prevented. Unbelted fatalities in Minnesota are down about 25 percent from last year at this time, but officials say even one preventable death is too many. Last year nearly eight-in-ten unbelted traffic deaths in the state were in Greater Minnesota.

Voting is underway in this year’s contest for the “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin.” Entries listed on the contest website include alternate modes of transportation, appliances, numerous food items, and more. The contest is sponsored by the Wisconsin Manufacturers Association, which will announce the winner on October 19th. To see the full list of nominees and to vote, go to made-in-wis-dot-com. The first round of voting ends next Tuesday, September 27th.

It's a happy ending to the story of a woman's missing service dog in western Wisconsin. Anne Naber, who is blind, lost her four-year-old lab Mila on Friday. Searchers in both Wisconsin and Minnesota looked for the dog. Naber's family says they found Mila yesterday a little bit away from home. She is safe and now back with her person. 

Local-Regional News Sept 19

 One person was injured in a three-vehicle accident in Oak Grove township on Friday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 36yr old Joseph Gambrell of Winona was traveling northbound on Hwy 35 and crossed the center line while negotiating a curve.  Gambrell struck a southbound vehicle driven by 22yr old Jillian Boles of Prescott.  Gambrell's vehicle overturned and struck a vehicle driven by 23yr of Brady Burbank of Cottage Grove, MN.  Gambrell was transported to Regions Hospital.  Boles and Burbank were uninjured in the accident.

We are waiting for more information about a deadly weekend shooting in Eau Claire. Police are not saying much about the shooting just after midnight on Saturday at Bergen and Bellevue Avenues. Officers say they found a wounded man who later died at the hospital. They also say they have a person of interest in custody. No one is identifying the victim or the accused shooter. We could get some more answers later today. 

One person is dead after a bicycle vs vehicle accident in Winona Thursday.  According to the Minnesota State Patrol, 40yr old Matthew Tipton of Buffalo was at the intersection of Hwy 61 and Vila Street and struck a vehicle driven by 58yur old Thomas Holst of Lanesboro.  Tipton was killed in that accident, while Holst was uninjured.  That accident remains under investigation.

A Tomah businessman is accused of lying about his veteran status to win some federal government contracts.  Authorities say Jonathan Walker made false claims about being injured while serving in the armed forces.  He bid on the contracts while taking service-disable veteran-owned small business status.  That meant he had only limited competition for nearly two million dollars worth of contracts at Fort McCoy.  Walker faces a dozen counts accusing him of making false statements and wire fraud.

Students at La Crosse's Logan High School will be back in class, as usual, today after a threat canceled their homecoming dance over the weekend. The school's principal said the threat was unsubstantiated,' but he decided to cancel Saturday's dance just in case. There are no specifics as to just what the threat was. The school is planning for a new homecoming dance, but the specifics are not yet set. 

Soaring natural gas prices recently mean it’s going to cost even more to keep your home warm this winter.  Those prices reached a 14-year high this summer.  Experts say consumer electric costs are up almost 16 percent.  The National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association estimates heating costs for natural gas customers this winter could go up by more than 34 percent when compared to last year.  The bills would actually be 66 percent higher than two years ago.  The N-E-A-D-A has sent a letter to Congress seeking an additional five billion dollars in support for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

The 2022 archery deer season is underway. The Department of Natural Resources is reminding hunters to be safe out in the woods this fall. Hunters should be checking their tree stands before use this year and consider moving them if they’re attached to ash trees due to the emerald ash borer beetle. You can also use crossbows this season, and the D-N-R says you should treat them the same way you treat a firearm. Also, be sure to check the updated deer regulations wherever you purchase your tag, or online at D-N-R-dot-W-I-dot-Gov.

The Federal Highway Administration is giving the green light to Wisconsin’s plan to expand electric vehicle charging stations across the state.  WisDOT estimates it will receive more than 78 million dollars over the next five years under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan.  The funding will be used to develop a network of around 60 publicly accessible charging stations along Wisconsin's alternative fuel corridors.  Officials say most vehicle charging is currently done at home and this network of stations will support long-distance electric vehicle trips.

Wisconsin is one of six states getting federal grants to focus on suicide prevention.  The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says it will receive more than four million dollars over the next five years.  Officials say suicide rates have increased by 32 percent over the last two decades and suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in Wisconsin.  Nearly 900 people died by suicide in the last year where statistics are available.  The D-H-S says the funding will go to partnerships with mental health and suicide prevention groups and will be spent on engaging with people who have tried to take their own lives, had suicidal thoughts, or lost a loved one to suicide.

Governor Evers says he’d push to legalize marijuana if he’s re-elected.  Evers tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel it’s time for Wisconsin to join the dozens of other states which are regulating – and taxing – medical and recreational marijuana. Evers says he’d use the millions of dollars raised in new tax revenue to pay for public education. Republicans call the governor’s proposal an election-year gimmick.

A federal grand jury has indicted a Washburn County business owner on 13 counts of failing to pay taxes.  Sixty-seven-year-old Deborah Brown co-owns and operates Omni Designs International in Birchwood.  The U-S Attorney’s Office accuses Brown of failing to pay payroll taxes for 13 consecutive quarters.  The deficit is about 239 thousand dollars in income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes.  If she is convicted, Brown could be sentenced to 65 years in federal prison.

Wisconsin has one of the lowest job resignation rates in the country.  WalletHub says two-point-six percent of Wisconsin workers have left their job in the last month, tied for fifth-lowest in the country.  Wisconsin's resignation rate over the last year is 16th-lowest.

At least one Wisconsin lawmaker wants more answers from the state's election managers about voter registration.  Republican state Senator Duey Stroebel yesterday said he wants to know why the Wisconsin Elections Commission is using a voter registration form that goes beyond what is allowed by state law.  He says it looks like the Commission is once again trying to work around the parameters that lawmakers set. 

Minnesotans are now able to access more free at-home rapid COVID-19 tests.  Governor Walz's office announced the initiative yesterday.  Residents can now place a third request for four additional tests through the state's online ordering program.  The previous limit through the program was eight free tests.  Those who haven't ordered tests previously can receive up to twelve tests at once while supplies last.

 Now that there’s a tentative deal between freight rail lines and union workers, Amtrak is resuming all routes across Minnesota and the rest of the U-S. As of this morning, most service stops along Amtrak’s Empire Builder route in Minnesota have been restored. The latest information can be found at Amtrak-dot-com.  The Empire Builder includes stops in Red Wing Winona, La Crosse and Tomah.

Taiwan plans to buy two-point-seven-billion dollars in corn and soybean products from Minnesota farmers. Governor Tim Walz and state officials on Thursday met with members of Taiwan’s agriculture industry to sign Letters of Intent outlining the purchases. State Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen says Taiwan and Minnesota have a strong history of agricultural trade, and these agreements build on that foundation. He says the state looks forward to opening up more trade opportunities for farmers and food and ag companies in the future. Taiwan is Minnesota’s sixth largest export market.

Local-Regional News Sept 16

 The Durand City Council did not take any action on the current bids for the Tarrant Park Pool Project at this week's council meeting.  The bids are approximately $1 million over budget and the city has until October 9th to decide whether to reject or accept the bids.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says he asked the council to wait until the next council meeting to make a decision. If the city decides to reject the bid and do a re-bid in 2023, it is believed construction would not start until at least 2024.

Construction of the new wastewater treatment plant in Mondovi is progressing toward completion.  Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says they hope to have the new plant online in December and that means the city will be hiring some extra staff.

US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the Anibas Family Farm in Arkansaw, WI on Thursday to talk about the 70 Climate-Smart Commodities and rural Projects that have been announced.  USDA will invest up to $2.8 billion on 70 selected projects that are hoped to expand market opportunities for climate-smart commodities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.   16 large projects have been approved in Wisconsin while 17 large projects were approved in Minnesota.

Prosecutors in Eau Claire are moving ahead with formal charges against a couple for an April homicide.  The D.A. this week filed homicide charges against 55-year-old Tracey Clark and  46-year-old Brandon Gaston of Rockford, Illinois.  Investigators say they killed a 79-year-old man in his Altoona home.  His body was found a few days later in a river in Rockford.  Clark and Gaston are due back in court in Eau Claire next week.

New Richmond authorities are looking for an elderly woman last seen in August.  83yr old Mabel Ross was last seen August 11 at her home in New Richmond.  Authorities say she was going on vacation with her daughter to Mississippi, but she has not been seen or heard from since.  Ross is 5'7, 170lbs with brown eyes and grey hair.   Anyone with information about Ross is to contact New Richmond Police.

No word yet on the condition of a man rescued from a house fire in Hastings.  Crews responded to the blaze yesterday afternoon at a home on Villa Court.  The victim was pulled from a window of the burning home and taken to the hospital.  The cause of the blaze is still being determined.

Taiwan plans to buy two-point-seven-billion dollars in corn and soybean products from Minnesota farmers. Governor Tim Walz and state officials on Thursday met with members of Taiwan’s agriculture industry to sign Letters of Intent outlining the purchases. State Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen says Taiwan and Minnesota have a strong history of agricultural trade, and these agreements build on that foundation. He says the state looks forward to opening up more trade opportunities for farmers and food and ag companies in the future. Taiwan is Minnesota’s sixth largest export market.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is encouraging everyone who is at least six months old to get their annual flu shot now.  This year’s shot is available.  Doctors say getting the flu vaccine is the best way to avoid serious illness, hospitalization, and death due to the virus.  Patients can get the flu vaccine alone or at the same time as other vaccines, including the COVID-19 shot.  D-H-S Influenza Surveillance Coordinator Tom Haupt says getting the shot, staying home when you are sick, and washing your hands are all important steps to take to keep influenza from spreading.

Waukesha has chosen the design for its Christmas Parade memorial.  There were three finalists and the panel in charge of the memorial to the victims of last year’s parade made its decision Tuesday night.  The design is called “The Heart of Unity.”  It features a heart at the center with six ribbons – one for each of the six victims killed.  The memorial was designed by Thrive Architects of Waukesha.  The next move is for backers to raise about a million dollars so they can have the memorial in place in time for the Waukesha Christmas Parade in 2023.

 Union leaders aren’t saying whether nurses in the Twin Cities and the Twin Ports are prepared to go on strike again if another possible round of negotiations does not produce contract agreements with hospital management. According to U-of-M Carlson School of Management labor relations expert, Professor John Budd, there’s some legal risk for nurses to have another short strike. He says nurses could lose legal protection if they keep striking over the same issue repeatedly and could then face discipline by their employers for participating in short strikes. Budd says a long strike would be legally protected -- but then the cost to rank-and-file nurses would potentially be much higher.

Wisconsin is getting millions of dollars in federal funding to help prevent suicides.  The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says it's expecting to get almost 870-thousand dollars a year over the next five years to give to parts of the state with the highest suicide rates.  The department says suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in Wisconsin.

The BOLD (Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lilian) School District in southern Minnesota is getting calls from concerned community members stemming from a prank that originated on Tik Tok. Superintendent Jim Menton says kids are trying to record shocked reactions from parents or relatives when they tell them their school is providing litter boxes for students who identify as animals. Menton says it’s an obvious prank, but some people have taken it seriously. He also says if this were actually happening it would be making national news. Menton reiterates no school is providing litter boxes.

A conservative legal group in Wisconsin is challenging the legality of a federal elections law as it relates to Wisconsin.  The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is suing the Wisconsin Elections Commission, claiming the commission is breaking state law by allowing county clerks to accept the National Voter Registration form.  The group claims Wisconsin doesn't have to accept the form because it has same-day registration.

The Wisconsin Election Commission is walking a line on the latest ruling over ballot changes. The Commission yesterday sent a note to local election clerks explaining that a judge has ruled that they cannot add anything, usually missing address information, to incomplete absentee ballots. Wisconsin law doesn't allow that, even though the Commission told clerks they could. The Commission's letter, however, explains that the court didn't rule on what a complete address on an absentee ballot must include. The Commission says clerks should check with their lawyers to see what that means for them. 

Emergency responders working at a crash site spotted smoke coming from a school bus Tuesday.  Rescuers were carefully removing an unresponsive driver from her vehicle so an ambulance could get her to a hospital.  W-M-T-V reports a firefighter helping at the scene of the crash spotted the smoke.  The bus carrying middle school students was evacuated and the driver was able to put out the flames.  No injuries were reported on the bus and the scene was cleared in about 45 minutes.

Local-Regional News Sept 15

 The Durand City Council has decided to exclude OR Hanson Park from a proposed dog park.  The Council voted 5-1 to exclude the park, citing opposition from area neighbors, along with other residents feeling the land should be used for housing instead of a park.   Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the 5 acres is one of the last areas in the city limits that are available for building.  Because of the vote, the Mayor will direct the city administrator to contact the Durand-Arkansaw School District to discuss returning the land to the district, and then the district would have the option of selling the land to a private party.

The Durand-Arkansaw School Board has a new member.  Cathy Asher was appointed to the board to replace Tammy Hoyt who resigned in August.  Asher represents the town of Durand and the City of Durand.

One person was injured in a one-vehicle rollover accident on Hwy 10 near Tracey Valley Road on Monday.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriffs Department, 18yr old Jeremiah Parson of rural Strum was traveling westbound on Hwy 10 when he passed a vehicle in a no-passing zone and left the roadway to avoid a head-on collision with an eastbound vehicle.  Parson suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital.  He was also cited for passing in a no-passing zone.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wednesday announced that the Durand Sportsmen’s Club of Pepin County was named the DNR's 2021 Wisconsin Hunter Education Instructor Group of the Year.  Following statewide nominations to the DNR hunter education awards committee, the Durand Sportsmen’s Club was selected by peers based upon the group’s exceptional record providing training and education for over 30 years.  Since the 1950s, this all-volunteer organization has had members sharing their expertise and skills. This award from the DNR honors their outstanding dedication to hunter safety education. Anyone who has significantly advanced the cause of safe hunting on a voluntary basis through extraordinary service in training or education is eligible.

The kind words and remembrances continue to pour in for former Eau Claire County Sheriff Ron Cramer. He passed away unexpectedly Tuesday at age 67. His fellow law enforcement officials remember Cramer as a dedicated sheriff, but also a community leader. His family is remembering him as a dedicated family man. There is no word yet on what caused his death. There's also no word about funeral arrangements. 

Prosecutors say Cashton educator Michelle Herricks made a list of teachers’ names accompanied by phrases like “shoot em, stab em, blow em up.”  Herricks tried to make it look like two students left the threatening note in a school hallway but a security camera captured her actions.  W-K-B-T/T-V reports she and prosecutors have reached a diversion agreement that will keep her out of jail.  If she completes a two-year program of therapy, community service, and paying court fees, she won’t have to serve time.

A pending freight rail strike is already impacting Amtrak passenger service in Wisconsin and the nation.   On Tuesday, Amtrak announced the cancellation of all trips on three long-distance routes, including the Empire Builder through Wisconsin, with stops in  Tomah and La Crosse, and Minnesota stops including Winona and Red Wing. In an updated statement Wednesday afternoon, Amtrak said all of its long-distance train services will be canceled starting Thursday. While Amtrak’s workforce is not affected by the potential strike, its passenger trains share tracks with freight trains, and those tracks are owned by freight railroads

Minnesota-based C-H-S, the nation’s highest-grossing ag cooperative, is paying out one billion dollars to its members -- four times last year’s number and by far the largest annual payout in its history. C-H-S says it reflects a windfall the cooperative received as farmers in much of the U-S saw a large jump in their income, fueled by the war in Ukraine and surging global demand for food and fuel -- another area where C-H-S has significant operations. C-H-S member-owners will receive 500 million dollars in cash over the coming year, with a like amount to be distributed in equity redemptions.

 Minnesota nurses in the Twin Cities and Duluth are heading back to work after a three-day strike.  Some 15-thousand nurses walked off the job earlier this week after failing to reach agreements with 15 different hospitals on pay and staffing levels.  No new negotiations are scheduled this week between the Minnesota Nurses Association and hospital leaders.  Nurses have been working without a contract since March.

The latest Marquette Law School poll shows a toss-up between Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson and Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes for Johnson's senate seat.  Today's poll shows 49 percent support for Johnson and 48 percent support for Barnes.  Last month Barnes led Johnson 51 percent to 44 percent.  In the race for governor, Governor Tony Evers has 47 percent support, while Republican challenger Tim Michels has 44 percent.

Ruined Coast Guard stations along Lake Michigan will be getting rebuilt thanks to a round of federal funding.   Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin’s office said that Coast Guard Stations in Sturgeon Bay, Kenosha, and Sheboygan are each proposed to receive $40 million in federal funding to rebuild facilities. Both the Sheboygan and Green Bay Coast Guard stations were flooded in 2019, causing severe damage and forcing operations to move offsite.

Former Vice President Mike Pence brought his “Freedom Agenda” message to Wausau this week.  Pence appeared at a campaign event for Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany Monday.  He wouldn’t confirm that he is testing the waters for a 2024 presidential campaign when questioned by W-S-A-W/T-V.  Pence praised Tiffany for the leadership he has brought to the district.  When asked if he would still welcome an invitation to appear before the House January 6th Commission he was non-committal.

Add My Pillow C-E-O Mike Lindell to the list of associates of former President Donald Trump who says the F-B-I took his phone. Lindell says agents surrounded him at a Hardee’s drive-thru in Mankato Tuesday. Lindell says the agents questioned him about a Colorado clerk under investigation in an election fraud case there. It’s not clear what connection Lindell has to the case, other than his out-spoken advocacy on election claims from 2020. Lindell made these statements on his social media pages.

 Republican leaders at the Wisconsin Capitol say Milwaukee's planned get-out-the-vote push could be illegal. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and a number of other top Republicans yesterday said Milwaukee's partnership with a progressive non-profit group to move people to the polls this November is suspicious. Milwaukee's mayor says the city 'has a role to play in encouraging people to vote, and he is partnering with a liberal group to do just that. Vos and Republicans say the group is very partisan and openly admit that it has worked to help Democrats win in past elections. 

The author of a book about Brett Favre is now urging people not to read his 2016 biography. Author Jeff Pearlman is urging readers not to buy “Gunslinger,” a book he calls a "largely glowing" biography on the former Green Bay Packers star quarterback. Text messages uncovered this week show Favre and former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant knowingly diverted welfare money to build a new volleyball arena at the University of Southern Mississippi.  Pearlman tweets Favre is, quote, a “bad guy,” and doesn’t deserve the love he gets from football fans. Until now, Favre has denied any knowing wrongdoing. He was never criminally charged, but he was ordered to repay millions.

A Wauwatosa mother is being given credit for saving her son during a carjacking in her driveway Monday night.  No names have been released.  Investigators say the mother begged the carjacker to let her retrieve her son from the backseat.  W-I-T-I/T-V reports the thief waited while she did that, then drove off in her Mercedes S-U-V.  The 25-year-old Milwaukee man who took the vehicle was arrested after crashing it in the Washington Park neighborhood in Milwaukee.

Local-Regional News Sept 14

 The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda included discussion and possible action on the proposed dog park at the OC Hanson park, bids on the Tarrant Park Pool Project, and reports from the Mayor and department heads.  Tonight's meeting will be at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live-streamed on our YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN.

The first goose hunt in the city of Mondovi will wrap up Tomorrow.  Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the number of geese in the city had become too large that the hunt was needed.  Over a dozen geese have been harvested so far and 11 hunters participated in the early season.  Another season will be coming up later this fall.

The Village of Pepin and Lake Pepin will be featured on an episode of the Outdoor Channel program Fishing University with Charlie Ingram.  The crew is in Pepin until Thursday highlighting the fishing on Lake Pepin.   On Thursday,  they will be doing a school presentation at Pepin Area Schools along with DNR personnel to encourage kids to consider a career in the outdoors. The film crew will also spend time filming the tourist highlights of the area, such as the Great River Road and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum & Wayside Cabin.   This episode will air eight times on the Outdoor Channel and ten times on the World Fishing Network starting in January 2023 and is expected to reach up to 30 million households.

The Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed the death of Sheriff Ron Cramer.  He was 67 years old.  A cause of death hasn’t been reported.  W-E-A-U/T-V reports that Cramer had announced in February he would not seek another term in the office he had held since 1996.  He had been with the department for 47 years.  Local officials expressed shock at the unexpected death saying Crame was “a pillar of the community” and was “going to be missed.”

UW-Eau Claire says its Narcan boxes are ready for use. The university yesterday said 19 boxes have been installed across campus and are stocked. Narcan is used to bring people back from an opioid overdose. The university's Christy Prust says all UW campuses are installing Narcan boxes after two students at UW-Milwaukee died from an opioid overdose last year. UW-Eau Claire's boxes are in dorms and other high-traffic areas on campus. 

The Wisconsin Elections Commission has rescinded its guidance allowing clerks to fix problems on absentee ballot envelopes.  Tuesday’s four-to-one vote follows an order from Waukesha County Judge Michael Aprahamian.  Voting rights groups and the Waukesha County Democratic Party had asked that the order be withdrawn.  They pointed out that Republicans had no issues with the guidance until former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.

 U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin tweeted Tuesday that no one wants South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham making health care decisions for women.  Graham is proposing a nationwide ban on abortions after 15 weeks.  Both U-S Senators from Wisconsin – the Democrat Baldwin and Republican Senator Ron Johnson – appear to be opposed to the ban.  Johnson says the issue should be decided at the state level.  A spokesperson for Johnson didn’t say whether he definitely opposes Graham’s bill.  It seems to have little chance for passage unless Republicans take control of Congress.

Minnesota public safety officials are reporting a ten-percent increase in drunken driving arrests during the Labor Day holiday period. Mike Hanson with the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety says 292 law enforcement agencies made one-thousand-265 arrests for impaired driving. That’s 100 more than Labor Day weekend 2021. Hanson says those arrests potentially prevented 12-hundred-plus fatal crashes across Minnesota. More than 18 thousand drivers have been arrested for D-W-I this year.

 If the license plate on your vehicle is more than 10 years old you need to get a replacement.  The Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicle is replacing more than three million faded license plates.  D-M-V spokesperson Kristina Boardman tells W-S-A-W/T-V that being able to identify a vehicle is serious.  Other states have done this but Wisconsin hasn’t had a mandatory replacement cycle for license plates.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation reports the state is on pace to set a new record for highway fatalities for the fourth year in a row.  Four hundred people have died in traffic crashes this year.  At the same time last year, the number was 389.  Experts blame speeding, distracted driving, and a failure to wear seat belts for the rising numbers.  A spokesperson for the Bureau of Transportation Safety says a culture change is needed to turn the tide.

A would-be good Samaritan in Madison was hit and almost run down for her efforts to help another woman just after midnight Saturday.  The victim says she noticed the 31-year-old woman repeatedly honking her horn in a parking lot.  W-K-O-W-/T-V reports that when the 52-year-old walked over to offer some help, the younger woman responded by punching her.  Then, the victim says the attacker tried to run her down.  No names have been released.  The suspect was taken into custody on charges of disorderly conduct while armed, battery, and second-degree recklessly endangering safety.  She’s being held in the Dane County Jail.

Could government step in, if hospitals’ contingency plans fall short during the nurses’ strike? Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says it’s premature for him to comment on the possibility of the governor declaring a peacetime state of emergency. He says, though, they’re in touch with “all the relevant players, and are advising all to come to a resolution.” The Twin Cities Hospitals Group says, as is standard during any labor disruption, the state Health Department will be monitoring hospitals and providing guidance as necessary to ensure continuity of care.

The Milwaukee police union may sue to get officers better, more reliable weapons.  The Milwaukee Police Association is reportedly considering a lawsuit to replace their Sig Sauer service weapons. That’s after one officer accidentally wounded another officer when his weapon went off last weekend. The union says there’ve been other accidental discharges since Milwaukee’s police force switched to Sig pistols in 2019.

Voters will get to see Governor Tony Evers and Republican Tim Michels answer questions just one time this campaign season. The two candidates yesterday agreed to just one debate. It will be in mid-October and will be hosted by the Wisconsin Broadcaster Association. Reporters from across the state will ask the questions during the hour-long debate. The debate comes a little less than a month before voters head to the polls in November. 

A 27-year-old driver has been arrested in Fond du Lac for operating while intoxicated and hitting a police squad car.  The man’s name hasn’t been released.  Police say the incident happened early Sunday.  W-G-B-A/T-V reports the squad car was parked in front of the Fond du Lac County Communications Center when the suspect’s vehicle slammed into it from behind.  The squad was unoccupied at the time.  Both vehicles had to be towed but no injuries have been reported.