Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Local-Regional News Nov 23

 Three people were injured in a two-vehicle accident on Hwy 10 near the Hwy 25 intersection last night.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, 36yr old Juan Vasquez was driving eastbound on Hwy 10 and drove into the westbound lane striking a westbound vehicle head-on driven by 57yr old Scott Blodgett of Columbus, OH.  Both Vaquese and a passenger in the Blodgett vehicle, 71yr old Thomas House of Columbus, OH had to be extricated from the vehicles.  House was med flighted to Mayo Rochester, while Vasquez was taken to an Eau Clair Hospital and Blodgett was treated at the scene.  Inattentive driving appeared to be the main cause of the crash.


Firefighters and emergency personnel from around Wisconsin were in Durand yesterday to pay respects to former Durand Fire Chief Pit Plumer who passed away last week.  Members of the community also came out to show their respects as the funeral procession drove through the city of Durand.   Plumer was a member of the Durand Fire Department for 56yrs with 32yrs as chief.

 

The second of three suspects in a 2020 murder in Downsville is heading to prison. A jury in Dunn County yesterday convicted Ryan Steinhoff in the stabbing death of Bruce McGuigan. Police found him dead in a mobile home in November of 2020. Another woman, Ashley Gunder, is serving a 25--year sentence for her role in the killing. A third suspect was found not guilty. Steinhoff will be sentenced at a later date.


The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating a deputy-involved shooting in Red Wing.  The shooting happened yesterday afternoon when the man was shot multiple times before being airlifted to the hospital.  The deputy was treated for injuries and released.  Authorities believe the shooting happened after a deputy struggled with a man believed to be walking away from the scene of a collision.  There was no body camera or squad car footage of the incident. 


Somali-American residents in Barron have withdrawn a request to play an amplified call to prayer from two mosques after facing opposition from some community members.  Isaak Mohamed, a Somali-American who was elected to the city's common council this spring, brought the call-to-prayer request to the council at the request of residents. But during a public comment period at the council's Nov. 15 meeting, all 14 speakers opposed it.  Mohamed said an agreement was made to withdraw the request after speaking with social and religious leaders in the city's Somali community.


Expect lots of traffic out on the road this week for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Triple-A Wisconsin estimates that 1 million Wisconsinites will be driving to visit friends and family this Thanksgiving. That will meet or exceed pre-pandemic levels. There are still some major construction projects underway on Wisconsin highways, and you could still see lane or road closures, along with less-than-perfect driving conditions. Be sure to check 5-1-1-w-i dot gov before you head out on your trip.


An international student at UW Madison who was reported missing last week but hadn't been heard from in over a month has been located. The Madison Police Department and the University of Wisconsin Madison Police Department asked for the community's help on Monday to locate 19-year-old Enzhe Xuny. Tuesday morning, the agencies reported Xun was found safe. UWPD said he was located after receiving a tip from a community member.   


The top Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol say they are talking with the governor for the first time in years. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu this week said they've had some conversations with the governor. Republicans spent the past two years saying the governor had frozen them out at the Capitol. No one is saying what they are talking about, but LeMahieu indicated there could be some agreement around spending Wisconsin's record six-and-a-half billion-dollar surplus. Lawmakers will return to the statehouse to craft a new budget and possibly pass some new laws in January.


Six people were shot in hunting accidents in Wisconsin's first weekend of deer season. The state's Department of Natural Resources yesterday said three of those accidents were self-inflicted, the three others were people shot by someone in their own hunting party. One of those hunting accidents left an eleven-year-old boy dead. The DNR says the six hunting accidents this year is double the number from the first weekend of deer season last year.


It was a good start to deer season for hunters in Wisconsin. The state's Department of Natural Resources says the harvest for this year's first weekend is up 14 percent. Hunters bagged just over 103 thousand deer this year, compared to just over 90 thousand deer in last year's first weekend. The DNR says this year's snow likely helped hunters track down the deer. Gun deer season will close after one more weekend of hunting this weekend.


The Sun Prairie teacher who's accused of filming students in a school bathroom has resigned. The school district yesterday accepted Matthew Quaglieri's resignation. He'd been on leave from Prairie View Middle School since early October, that's when police arrested him as part of a child pornography investigation. Quaglieri's resignation means the school won't have to fire him and makes some parts of the investigation into the case a little easier. Quaglieri is facing federal charges in the case, he is free on bond on the condition that he stay off the internet and stay away from his former students.


The Minnesota Medical Association and a half-dozen healthcare systems are speaking out about the staggering increase in pediatric RSV and flu cases.  Officials say the amount of respiratory illnesses is unprecedented this early in the season.  The level of illnesses is leading to packed emergency departments, clinics, and urgent care centers, along with near-capacity pediatric ICUs and shortages of antibiotic amoxicillin.  Healthcare providers are recommending that parents only come to the hospital if their child exhibits severe symptoms.  They say the treatment of runny noses and mild fevers can take place at home in consultation with a pediatrician or family doctor.


Over 40 percent of Minnesota manufacturers surveyed are predicting a recession next year.  The survey was administered in August and September by Enterprise Minnesota.  Less than 20 percent surveyed last year expected a recession.  Since the survey was completed, the Federal Reserve has hiked interest rates twice, increasing recession fears.  The survey has been conducted annually since 2008.


It's the latest snapshot of just how big UW-Madison is getting. The school says 276 students this year accepted either five thousand dollars or a free year's worth of meals to live off campus. University housing leaders say this year's record-breaking freshman class led to a housing crunch. UW-Madison offered either the five thousand dollars, a free spot at the Eagle Heights community, and in some cases a free dining plan for one year. The university said there are over 86 hundred people in the freshman class this year. There are just nine thousand dorm rooms on the entire campus.


A New Jersey telemarketing company is promising not to make any more calls to Wisconsin.  The Wisconsin Department of Justice accuses the company of selling extended vehicle service plans without being registered as a telemarketer and calling people on the "do not call" list.  Today the DOJ announced the company has agreed not to make calls to Wisconsin and try to stop third-party partners from making calls to Wisconsin, as well as pay up to 350-thousand dollars in fines.


The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is warning people about thin ice.  The agency reports that its currently unsafe to walk across bodies of water, but kids and out-of-state visitors might not understand the danger.  They're urging residents to talk with their loved ones and neighbors about thin ice to prevent a holiday tragedy. 


The Governor of Wisconsin is calling on residents to shop local this holiday season.  In a video message this morning Governor Tony Evers announced Shop Small Wisconsin will take place November 26th through December 31st.  Evers says Wisconsinites will be asked to focus on shopping local during that time.

No comments:

Post a Comment