Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Local-Regional News Nov 16

 The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include a public hearing on the 2023 Budget and adoption of the budget, a discussion of renting an apartment for ambulance staff, and reports from the Mayor and City Department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall.


The Durand-Arkansaw School Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include a public hearing on a waiver request to begin school on August 25th, renewal of the library agreement with the city of Durand, and renewal of agreements with Alma, Plum City, and Pepin School Districts.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6pm at the Board Room at Durand-Arkansaw High School.


One person was injured in a single-vehicle accident in El Paso Township on Monday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 33yr old Travis Waters of Eau Claire was traveling eastbound on Hwy 72 near 450th street when he lost control of the vehicle, entered the north ditch, and rolled over.  Waters was taken to River Falls Hospital.


The first grant recipient for the Mondovi Business Associations Energize Mondovi Grant has been announced.  The Energize Mondovi grant was created to allow current business owners and entrepreneurs interested in expanding or opening a new business in the Mondovi area with funding.  Applicants had to submit an application and go through an interview process with former business owners and community members. Big Coffee Company was presented with a $2500 grant to move to a new location and create a drive-up window for more traffic.  This is the first year the Mondovi Business Association has offered this grant opportunity, and they plan to offer it again in the spring.


An Eau Claire man faces up to 110 years in prison after pleading guilty to setting his home on fire in January.  Court records show 42-year-old Thomas Hicks pleaded guilty yesterday in Eau Claire County Circuit Court to one count of setting fire to a building and seven counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety.  He was charged with setting fire to his home after he accused his wife of cheating.  There were four adults and three children in the home at the time of the fire.  All escaped safely.  Sentencing for Hicks is set for February.     


The City of River Falls has voted to move forward with a partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers to remove two dams on the Kinnickinnic River.   The Junction Falls and Powell Dam would be removed under the partnership.   The Army Corps of Engineers estimates it would cost up to $12 million to remove both dams, restore the river, and related work. The federal government would pay 65 percent, with 35 percent falling to the city. Representatives of the Corps have told city staff that a $1 million grant already awarded for dam removal by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources could be put toward the city’s share, and the DNR has said another similar grant may be possible.


An Eau Claire man has pleaded no contest to charges that he shot up a neighborhood this past March.  Police arrested 20-year-old Aaron Jones after they say he fired several shots near Boardwalk Circle.  No one was hurt.  Sentencing is set for February. 


 The University of Wisconsin's Eau Claire campus is offering a program on a topic that's become especially timely -- climate change.  Campus officials say the program is designed to complement any degree so students can integrate knowledge about climate change into their career plans.  Dr. James Boulter says he created the program when he realized many people are not aware of efforts to develop solutions to climate change.  Currently, two dozen students are enrolled in the program.   


Democrats in the Wisconsin Senate are selecting Madison's Melissa Agard to serve as Minority Leader.  Members unanimously elected her to take over for retiring state Senator Janet Bewley yesterday.  Last week, Republicans made their leadership selections, choosing state Senator Devin LeMahieu to continue in the role of Majority Leader.  Wisconsin Republicans picked up a senate seat in last week's elections, now holding a 22 to eleven majority.


Now that Governor Tony Evers has been reelected he's asking the Wisconsin Senate to give confirmation votes to his appointees for state positions.  Evers has made over 100 appointments since becoming governor but the Republican-controlled Senate has not taken votes on them.  Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu tells WKOW the senate will consider the appointees in the new legislative session.


 Wisconsin is getting billions of dollars to spend on infrastructure improvements.  The state was recently awarded two-point-eight-billion dollars from the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  Two-point-two-billion dollars of that money will go toward fixing Wisconsin's roads and bridges.  A full breakdown of the spending is available online at D-2-D-dot-G-S-A-dot-gov.


Paul Farrow will not seek a full two-year term as Chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin at the party's Executive Committee meeting next month. Farrow tells WisPolitics.com he is focusing on his spring reelection bid as Waukesha County executive. Farrow said he informed the Executive Committee in August that he didn't plan to seek a two-year term. Farrow said he couldn't commit the time needed to the chair's role while running for reelection. The former state lawmaker was first elected county exec in 2015 and was unopposed in his 2019 reelection. The state party will now select its fourth chair in less than three years after Brad Courtney had served in the role for eight years. 


A bill authored by US Senator Tammy Baldwin that would codify same-sex marriage at the federal level is set for a vote in the Senate.  The bill already passed the House, but there was a debate in the Senate over the wording of the bill. Republicans wanted protections for nonprofit religious groups so they could refuse to offer marriage services on religious grounds. The bill would also clarify that polygamy is illegal under federal law. A vote on the bill could come as early as Wednesday. It would then be sent back to the House for approval of the amendment. There had been concerns over the continued legality of same sex marriage, after commentary from the Supreme Court that a ruling that made the practice legal could be reviewed.  


It was an unusual Tuesday morning at Western Lakes Golf Club in Pewaukee, where a twin engine plane carrying a crew of three and 53 rescue dogs from Louisiana made an emergency landing on the course.  Authorities said neither the crew or the dogs were seriously injured. The DNR is handling an aviation fuel spill and the cause of the crash is under investigation.  


State natural resources officials say snowy owls are becoming more widely seen across Wisconsin.  They say several snowy owls have already been spotted around the state, including one in Dane County that has been seen since summer.  Another has been spotted as recently as November first in Ashland.  State officials say they're not sure how many will be around this winter but that they should have a better idea by the end of this month.  

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