Two men from Minnesota, including a man from St. Paul, are behind bars in western Wisconsin after a high speed chase. The sheriff in Dunn County says it started early Wednesday morning in Menomonie. Deputies tried to pull the men over just outside of the city, but the suspects took off. That chase hit speeds of 125 miles-per-hour. When the suspects got to the Pepin County line, state troopers took over the chase. It ended when the suspects crashed near I- 94 and Highway 128. The suspects were not hurt in the wreck, but were taken to jail.
No one was injured in a house fire in Osseo Wednesday. According to the Osseo Fire Department, firefighters were called to the home on 9th street just before 5pm after a neighbor saw smoke coming from the home. Firefighters were able to put the fire out quickly and the home suffered severe smoke damage. A woman and two children were inside the home at the time of the blaze but were able to get out safely. The cause of that fire is still under investigation.
A terrorist threat charge against a California man has been dismissed – but only so the federal government can prosecute him. Thirty-three-year-old Jeremy Hanson had been accused of issuing a death threat toward a school board president in Eau Claire County. W-E-A-U/T-V reports that the prosecutors dismissed the charge September 26th. Hanson has pleaded guilty to a federal charge filed against him by a U-S Attorney in Massachusetts. He admitted to threats of violence against employees of Merriam-Webster and another targeting the president of the University of North Texas.
A student party registry could be coming to UW-Eau Claire. The student senate is working with Eau Claire Police on a system to register parties, so students and not the police can deal with noise complaints. Student Brad Heap says other schools use a similar system. Eau Claire Police say they like the idea of giving students a chance to lower their noise before officers have to step in. The registry would only apply to noise complaints, Eau Claire Police say they will still stop underage drinking and other crimes that happen at student parties.
No school today for Melrose-Mindoro students after a LP gas leak was discovered. According to the districts facebook page, the leak is between the schools large supply tanks and the school building. Out of safety for students and staff school is cancelled today as crews work to fix the leak.
A group of Minnesota Hmong farmers is making its first farmland purchase in U.S. history. The Hmong American Farmers Association has come together to purchase 155 acres of farmland, creating the first Hmong-owned and Hmong-operated farm in the country. The acreage is also the only minority-owned farm off Highway 52 between St. Paul and Rochester. The association had previously rented land off highway 52 in Vermillion Township to produce crops.
A judge says voters in Wisconsin don't get a do-over once they've turned their ballot in. A judge in Waukesha yesterday overruled the Wisconsin Elections Commission's guidance that people can vote a second time if they change their mind. Wisconsin law allows voters to 'spoil' their ballots and get a second ballot, but the judge says that law applies before voters turn their ballots in. Once that happens, the judge ruled, those votes are final. The issue became a problem in August when a number of Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate dropped out of the race but still appeared on the ballot.
Wisconsin’s attorney general is warning against voting disruptions during next month’s General Election. Josh Kaul says there will be heightened security present. After federal officials briefed the country about election security Tuesday, Kaul issued his own warning. He said there will be a quick response to anyone who makes threats at polling locations, brandishing firearms, or confronting voters in the line. Kaul is among the candidates. The Democrat faces Republican Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney in the November 8th vote.
Marathon County supervisors and residents will be taking more time to craft a resolution about a proposed open-pit gold mine. The county's Environmental Resources Committee met on Tuesday to discuss a proposed resolution that would tell the state Legislature that Marathon County opposes a state law that allows for metallic mining. That law, passed in 2017 when the debate first started over the proposed mine, prohibits counties or municipalities from refusing to issue permits for mines if the state has allowed them. The committee says they want to take more time to craft the resolution and reach out to local lawmakers. Environmental groups and tribal groups have protested the proposed mine for years, and say it would contaminate a nearby river system and county park.
A tight supply and increased demand are blamed for a recent rise in Minnesota gas prices. Triple-A's Meredith Mitts says the statewide average is up a dime to three-dollars, 78 cents a gallon and it's three-89 at some stations in the Twin Cities and northeastern Minnesota. Mitts says a refinery fire in Ohio has taken 160-thousand barrels of oil daily out of the market. OPEC also announced Wednesday that it is cutting oil production by two million barrels a day.
Mills Fleet Farm says "we strongly disagree" with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's lawsuit, alleging the retailer repeatedly sold guns to "straw purchasers" who then sold them to people prohibited from having firearms. Ellison says a gun straw-purchased at Fleet Farm was used in a shooting in a Saint Paul bar that left one person dead and 14 wounded. Fleet Farm responds at the time of that tragedy, federal officials said the company's employees had "done nothing wrong" and complied with all applicable gun laws.
Wisconsin will join three other states in an initiative aimed at advancing hydrogen production and use. Hydrogen fuel cells would be an alternative to electric-powered vehicles as society moves away from fossil fuels. Minnesota, Montana, and North Dakota would join the Badger State in the initiative. They will work on developing the “Heartland Hydrogen Hub” with an aim of getting billions of dollars in federal funding from the U-S Department of Energy. It would come from the president’s infrastructure law.
A Minnesota astronaut is part of the newest Space-X mission. NASA astronaut Josh Cassada launched yesterday from Kennedy Space Center on the Crew-5 mission that included another NASA astronaut, a Russian cosmonaut, and a member of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Cassada grew up in White Bear Lake and was a U.S. Navy test pilot before being chosen by NASA in 2013. He also has a Ph.D. in physics. The crew will complete a 150-day science mission onboard the International Space Station.
Court proceedings are off to a rocky start again today in the trial of the man accused of killing six people at a Christmas parade in Wisconsin last year. It only took about ten minutes before Darrel Brooks, who is representing himself in the case, was removed from the courtroom. Brooks refused to change into his suit and tie at the request of the judge. After repeated interruptions and disruptions, he was sent to an adjacent room where he removed his shirt. Procedural motions will continue before opening statements get underway with Brooks appearing remotely. Brooks is charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide.
A caregiver service in northeastern Wisconsin has settled a suit with the U-S Attorney’s Office. Helping Hands Caregivers was accused of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act when it refused to provide in-home care to a person with H-I-V. Federal prosecutors had said when a number of caregivers refused service to that client with H-I-V, Helping Hands ended its relationship with the client. W-B-A-Y/T-V reports that the service will pay 10-thousand dollars in compensatory damages to the person, adopt a non-discrimination policy, train its staff, and in the future provide written notification of complaints to the U-S Department of Justice. Helping Hands didn’t admit liability.
Volunteers from across the Midwest are helping to save the harvest of a Minnesota farmer. Georgetown farmer Tom Odegard ruptured a tendon in his leg this spring, leaving his livelihood up in the air. He reached out to Farm Rescue, which helps farmers and ranchers suffering from illnesses or struck by natural disaster. Volunteers have been deployed to Odegard's farm to complete the work of the season. Odegard says he will pay back the kindness in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment