Former Durand Fire Department Chief Pit Plummer has passed away at the age of 85. Plummer joined the fire department in 1966 and served for 56yrs on the department, 32years as chief. Plummer was also past President of the Wisconsin State Firefighters Association where he was a leader in many changes in the fire service for volunteer and full-time departments. Funeral services are to be announced at a later date.
The Chippewa Valley is in for a taste of January this weekend. The National Weather Service says the coldest air of the season will move into western Wisconsin over the next few days. That will mean highs in the 20s and lows in the teens. There are a couple of chances for snow, including later today. Things will stay cold until the middle of next week when Eau Claire could see temperatures near 40 degrees.
Regis High School's athletic director is due in court today after being arrested on sexual assault charges. Eau Claire Police yesterday said they arrested 56-year-old Jonathon Jarocki on Tuesday. Police haven't said if the victim in the case is a student. Jarocki has been suspended by Regis schools, and the diocese sent a letter home to parents yesterday saying they are also waiting for more information.
It's all about the conversation. Dunn County board member John Calabrese says the plan is to continue to talk about a single payer health insurance system after voters in Dunn County narrowly approved an advisory referendum on the question last week. Calabrese says he added a question about the federal government creating a single payer system to the ballot to gauge public opinion. The question passed, 51-49. Nothing changes, the vote was advisory only, but Calabrese says it is worth talking about.
A Somali-American community in Barron County/Northwest Wisconsin wants to broadcast prayers over public address speakers. The Barron City Council is creating a nine-member committee to review a request from two mosques to play Islamic calls to prayer on public-facing loudspeakers. At a council meeting Tuesday, 13 people spoke against the request. City attorney Andrew Harrington said the city needed to balance public concerns and the city's loudspeaker noise laws with that of protecting the mosques' right to religious freedom. Council member Isaak Mohamed said the mosques had intended to play the prayers first, but he urged them to bring the matter before the city council to work out the issue with the community.
Thanks to a newly-passed law in Wisconsin, motorists could see green lights added to county and municipal highway snowplows this winter. Eau Claire officials say they're still studying the new law but plan to have the new lights installed on snowplows within the next couple of months. Currently, snow equipment such as snowplows sport amber and white lights. State officials say studies have shown that green lights cut through snow better than white and amber lights.
Assembly Republican Janel Bradtjen may be on the outside looking in for the next session of the Legislature. Assembly Republicans voted last week to exclude Bradtjen from closed caucus meetings. WisPolitics dot Com reports that Caucus Chair Rob Summerfield sent Brandtjen a letter saying that the rest of the caucus no longer trusts her. The Menominee Falls lawmaker was allegedly helping to campaign for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos's primary opponent and spread election conspiracy theories during her time as head of the Assembly Elections Committee. It is unlikely she will be getting that chair again next session.
Wisconsin's Republican U.S. Senator is defending his 'No' vote on the Senate's same sex marriage plan. Senator Ron Johnson voted 'No' yesterday on the Respect for Marriage Act. He says there is no need to vote on the idea of same sex marriage, he says the Supreme Court already settled the issue. Johnson says Democrats have used the idea that same sex marriage is in trouble 'to create a state of fear' over what he calls a settled issue, in order to 'further divide Americans for their political benefit.' Wisconsin's Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, who voted for the plan, yesterday said the Senate took a step 'to give millions of loving couples the certainty, dignity, and respect.'
Police in Marshfield say a double shooting on Tuesday was a murder-suicide: Officers say 48-year-old Heath Heck forced his way into the home of his ex-wife, 41-year-old Melissa Wright, and shot her before turning the gun on himself. Police say the two had been married but divorced in 2020. The couple had two children, who were not hurt and are now with other family. The incident started as a report from one of Wright's co-workers, who asked for a well-being check on her when she didn't show up to work.
UW Health’s Transplant Center marks a milestone. The Transplant Center in Madison has transplanted more than 12,000 kidneys. The UW Health Kidney Transplant Program performed its first adult kidney transplant in 1966, and its first pediatric kidney transplant a year later. Patients receiving kidney transplants have ranged from less than a year old to more than 80 years old. In 2015, UW Health patients were part of the longest-living kidney donor “chain,” ever, according to Guinness World Records
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wants people to report black bear dens. The DNR says its conducting another Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey. The goal is to get more information on bear reproduction rates in bear management zones. You can report black bear dens on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has indicated he's open to the demolition of Interstate 794 on downtown's southside. He says the idea is comparable to the removal of Milwaukee's Park East Freeway some 20 years ago that cleared the way for such projects as the Fiserv Forum and the Deer District. Some environmentalists and urbanists have been pushing for the deconstruction of the highway and they say the mayor's support will be important in pushing the idea forward. The state Transportation Department is already planning to replace portions of I-794 from North Broadway to the northern end of the Hoan Bridge. Public comment is being sought on the project.
Staff at UW Health are seeing long wait times as more patients with respiratory illnesses are seeking care. Chief Quality Officer Jeff Pothof says triage workers are prioritizing patients based on the most immediate need for treatment. The flu virus, and, in particular, RSV, have seen an early spread this year, prompting more people to visit doctors. Pothof recommends scheduling an appointment with a primary care physician if possible and consulting with pharmacists on over-the-counter remedies for most common cold symptoms.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is releasing annual school district report cards. Nearly 95 percent of public school districts in the state met or exceeded education guidelines last year. Two dozen districts improved from their previous reports, increasing by one accountability rating. Search D-P-I-dot-W-I-dot-gov for a full listing of how each district performed.
The state of Minnesota is offering a new batch of at-home rapid COVID-19 tests ahead of the holidays. The move is meant to encourage people to test before they gather for the holidays. Governor Tim Walz says people can place a third order for four more free tests through the state's online ordering program. Walz says Minnesota is continuing its free test program even though the federal effort has been suspended.
Preservationists are hailing a decision to nominate St. Paul's Hamline Midway Library for the National Historic Register. A state historic review board made the nomination last night. Preservationists have been fighting an effort by the property owner to demolish the building and replace it with a new, modern library. The library's nomination will now be in the hands of the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places and the National Park Service. A decision on whether to list the library on the national register will be made within 45 days.
An Eau Claire hunter has bagged a ten-point buck that he thinks might be a new record in the county for a vertical bow. Bobby Pagel says he first spotted the buck on his father's property last month and he has been chasing it ever since. He finally tracked down the buck November fifth. The buck had a 22-and-a-half inch antler spread. Wisconsin's gun deer season starts this weekend.
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