Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Local-Regional News Jan 25

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a resolution declaring the city will operate the Tarrant Park Pool this summer along with any capital expenditures for the pool, a resolution to vacate and discontinue portions of 10th avenue east and Hardy Street along with reports from the mayor and department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall.


An Alma woman is facing charges in connection to a fatal accident in the town of Nelson in May of 2022.    Buffalo County authorities filed homicide by vehicle and use of a controlled substance against 55yr old Jacqueline Britt in Buffalo County Court.  According to authorities, on May 31st,  Britt was northbound on  Highway 25 coming from Wabasha, crossed the centerline, and struck a southbound motorcycle on the Wabasha Bridge, killing the driver.  A blood test found evidence of methamphetamine.   Britt's next court appearance is March 8.


There's no word what the UW System's TikTok ban means for UW-Eau Claire, Stout, and River Falls. The UW-System yesterday said TikTok can no longer be used or installed on university-owned phones, laptops, and computers. There's a fear that TikTok's Chinese owners can spy on American users. But the university isn't saying just how many employees have university-owned cell phones, and there is no word how many of them actually use TikTok. Students will continue to be able to use TikTok if they like.


An escaped inmate from St. Croix County is back behind bars. The sheriff's office in Hudson says they found Brian Fern in Washington County, Minnesota yesterday. He walked away from the jail earlier in the day. Deputies say Fern had special privileges and was allowed to leave, but he didn't come back. New charges are likely coming against Fern.


There's a search for a long-missing woman in western Wisconsin. La Crosse Police are asking for help in finding 37-year-old Jennifer Peterson. Investigators say her family hasn't heard from her since September. She was living in La Crosse at the time, but she may have moved. Her pictures are online, and police are asking anyone who knows anything about her whereabouts to please contact them.


Chippewa Valley Habitat for Humanity hopes to convert a two-story classroom wing of Grace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire into affordable housing for veterans.  Officials said a $1.14 million federal grant should help them purchase the property from Grace Lutheran.  Habitat would then retrofit the classrooms and offices into 10 to 14 condominiums for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or are soon-to-be homeless.  If the project is approved, construction could begin this summer.


Tax season has officially started as the Internal Revenue Service has started taking digital tax returns. IRS Spokesman Christopher Miller says most Americans qualify to file their taxes online for free. You can find out more online at I R S dot Gov. This year's tax filing deadline is April 18th.


Wisconsin's governor is sticking with his theme of more. Governor Tony Evers last night used his state of the state speech to push for billions in new spending. The governor says he wants to spend two billion dollars more on public schools in the state, and earmark 20 percent of the state's sales tax to spend more on local government. The governor says Wisconsin is in the best fiscal shape ever, and he wants to spend some of the state's record six-point-six billion-dollar surplus. The Republicans who control the state legislature say the governor is asking for too much.


Minnesota school counselors are urging lawmakers to allocate funding for mental health teams.  A counselor testified at Capitol yesterday in front of the Senate Education Finance Committee.  She says the need for team mental health care has increased since the pandemic began.  The American School Counselor Association ranks Minnesota fourth-worst in the nation for counselor-to-student ratios.


A Central Wisconsin man who went on a statewide crime spree is sentenced Friday to a year and a half in prison.   Prosecutors say Curtis Mallory of Babcock stole a truck in Wisconsin Dells in December of 2019.  He then headed to Wauwatosa where police report he broke into two homes. Police finally caught up with Mallory during his attempt to commit a burglary in Whitefish Bay.   Mallory pleaded guilty in August of last year to charges of driving or operating a vehicle without the owner's consent and carrying a concealed knife, while a burglary charge was dismissed. He was also sentenced to two years of extended supervision. 


Democratic lawmakers at the Wisconsin Capitol continue to ask for a spring vote on abortion. A group of Democrats Monday again said Republicans are refusing to budge on the state's 1849 abortion law. A similar group of Democrats made a similar request last week. In order for an advisory referendum to make the statewide ballot in April, the Republicans who control the legislature would have to agree to a ballot question. That's not likely to happen because many Republicans are happy with the state's current abortion law. The Democrats say they're not giving up.


The Minnesota House is advancing legislation that would extend unemployment benefits for laid-off mining workers.  The measure passed Monday and would offer an additional 26 weeks of benefits for over 400 workers laid off from Northshore Mining's facilities in Silver Bay and Babbit.  The extension would also apply to workers from associated businesses offering goods and services to Northshore, especially the explosive manufacturing industry.  The Senate approved the bill earlier this month, which is now headed to Governor Walz's desk for signature.


January is National Radon Action Month. Jessica Maloney is with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services says radon is colorless, odorless, and it's radioactive, and it enters buildings through cracks and foundations, sump crocks, and utility lines. And radon decays pretty quickly and gives off radioactive particles. And it causes lung cancer.  You can find out about radon testing and mitigation on the DHS website.  


An investigation's underway after Madison police say over six-thousand dollars worth of lottery tickets are stolen from a gas station on the near east side.  Police say two men wearing facemasks broke into the BP on Sherman Avenue Saturday night.  They say one of the suspects held a worker at gunpoint while the other stole cash and lottery tickets.  So far the suspects haven't been found.


A missing corpse from Rockford has been located in Chicago.   The weird saga began on Saturday when Rockford police tweeted that a funeral home van...with a body inside.... was stolen. The next day, the van was found abandoned in Chicago....without the corpse.   But then late Monday, police gave an update that the body, which was that of a 47-year-old man, was found. Apparently, it was not covered in a bag - it was just dumped on the street. The search for the suspect continues.

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