We could be pushing 40 by Thursday. The National Weather Service says Western Wisconsin will see much warmer weather this week. Temperatures will rise into the mid 20's today, but forecasters say things will warm up quickly. Some parts of southern Wisconsin could see 50-degree temperatures by Thursday.
Eau Claire County is looking to spend some of the last of its coronavirus stimulus money on power and water. The county board last week voted to spend more than a half-million dollars on solar panels for the county courthouse, and a new water testing program. The money is the last of the unrestricted portion of the 20 million that Eau Claire County received as part of the stimulus program. In addition to the courthouse, the county plans to add solar panels to the Eau Claire County Agriculture & Resource Center in Altoona as well.
A fire on the day before Christmas killed three pets. Firefighters in Eau Claire say the pets died in a fire at a home in Seymour Saturday afternoon. No people were hurt. Township Fire and the Eau Claire Fire Department responded to the fire. Investigators say it looks like an electrical problem sparked the fire.
The sheriff in Taylor County says the suspect in a Christmas Eve armed robbery is behind bars. Deputies arrested 36-year-old Tommy Wilkes yesterday. Deputies say he pulled a gun on the clerk at the Cenex gas station in Gilman on Saturday. The sheriff's office says they arrested Wilkes at his home.
A community is mourning after the death of a Stillwater man who went missing Christmas Eve. Hundreds turned out yesterday for a candlelight vigil to remember 20-year-old George Musser. Musser was last seen at a downtown Stillwater bar early Saturday morning and his body was found the evening of Christmas Day more than two miles away. Authorities say his cause of death is still being determined, but there is no indication of foul play.
The latest Census snapshot shows Wisconsin gained about 12 thousand people. The Census Bureau released the numbers for the past year last week. The numbers show Wisconsin gained nearly 12 thousand new residents. Many of those people moved into the state. The Census numbers also show more deaths than births in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is doing okay, especially compared to our neighbors. Illinois lost over 141 thousand people last year, the third most of any state in the country. Minnesota added about five thousand new residents according to the Census.
Add Milwaukee to the list of cities seeing problems with Southwest flights. According to FlightAware, Southwest canceled more than 26 hundred flights across the country yesterday. In Milwaukee, they canceled 27. That left hundreds of people stranded or scrambling. Bad weather and a continued shortage of pilots and flight crews are being blamed for the cancellations. Southwest issued a statement yesterday saying the cancellations are 'unacceptable,' but also said it could be Saturday before some of the people who missed their flight can book a new one.
COVID-19 booster rates in Wisconsin have health officials concerned. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services COVID data dashboard, fewer than 18 percent of eligible state residents have received the updated COVID-19 bivalent booster. The numbers for those 65 and older are somewhat better at 42 percent, but still far short of what DHS had hoped for when the booster shots first became available. State and local health officials note that the COVID booster and flu shots are readily available at pharmacies. Being updated on vaccines and wearing masks in public settings remain the best defense against COVID and seasonal influenza.
The holidays and severe weather have contributed to the shortfall of blood donations to the Red Cross. Many blood drives were canceled or postponed in recent days. The Red Cross says there is a constant need for blood and blood products and they urge anyone who can donate to roll up their sleeve and give.
Nonprofits across Minnesota are concerned that a fraud investigation into Feeding Our Future is leading to decreased donations to other agencies. Nonprofits are also preparing for the possibility of new state regulations in response to the scandal. The investigation involves more than 250 million dollars in alleged fraud. Prosecutors say it's the largest pandemic-related fraud in the U.S.
A lot of people are looking to hit the latest half-billion dollar Mega Millions jackpot. Wisconsin Lottery managers say tonight's jackpot will be at least 565 million dollars. No one has won Mega Millions since October, and the jackpot has been growing ever since. The 565 million-dollar Mega Millions jackpot comes after someone in southern California won the two billion-dollar Powerball jackpot back in November. Tonight's drawing is at 10 p.m. local time.
A new audit says the University of Wisconsin spent almost all of its 563 million in coronavirus stimulus aid properly. The report from the Legislative Audit Bureau found just 239 thousand dollars was spent on 'unallowable expenses.' Lawmakers say there's room for improvement at the university, but they say overall the audit shows the university did a good job in spending its stimulus haul. The audit does ding the school for not having written policies as to how each campus could have or should have spent their money.
Snowmobile trails are opening up across the state and the Department of Natural Resources wants you to be safe and legal out on the snow. Warden Jake Holsclaw says you should keep yourself up to date on the rules so you don't get a ticket. Holsclaw reminds you that anyone born after 1985 is required to take a snowmobile safety course before going out on the trails. He also reminds people to respect people's property and stay on marked trails.
We're past Christmas and now's the time when people start to see more scams related to shipping in their inboxes. State consumer protection director Mike Domke says many scammers will be sending out fake messages about failed deliveries or deliveries you aren't expecting. Depending on what sort of info the scammers are asking for, you could be giving up anything from personal identifying information or financial data. If you are worried you have a stuck delivery, contact the shipper directly through proper websites or phone calls.
Twin Cities suburbs are enacting a variety of ordinances to address the recent legalization of edible THC products. The cities are trying to address questions not answered by state legislation or temporarily banning their sale to create time to research the issue. More than 25 suburbs have taken action on the issue, while others haven't addressed the law passed in July. The state law allows the sale of edible products containing THC to people 21 and older.
Minnesota wildlife officials plan to keep the state's wolf population stable. The Department of Natural Resources hopes to keep the count between 22-hundred and three-thousand. Gray wolves are an endangered species managed under federal protection. Most of the DNR plan would only go into effect if wolves are removed from the endangered species list.
There’s a rather “cheesy” option to mark the New Year in Sheboygan County this week. For the past 16 years, Sartori Cheese has held the Big Cheese Drop, which is a play on the ball drop in New York City. Over the years, the event has drawn thousands, with the highlight being a countdown and the lowering of a giant wedge of Sartori’s world award-winning BellaVitano® Gold Cheese. This year’s festivities will begin at 8:30 p.m. on December 31st in the Plymouth Arts Center Greatroom. For more information on the quirky event, visit PlymouthArts.org.
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