This should be the last day of winter weather worries in Eau Claire, at least for this round of snow. The National Weather Service is allowing the Winter Weather Advisory for western Wisconsin to end this evening. The advisory is set to end at 6 p.m. Till then, forecasters say there could be more snow and maybe some ice.
Buffalo, Pierce, Eau Claire, and Chippewa counties have new sheriffs. In Buffalo County, Mike Oswald takes over for outgoing sheriff Mike Schmidtknecht, while in Pierce County Chad Koranda takes over for Nancy Hove. Both Schmidtknecth and Hove retired. Meanwhile, Sheriff Dave Riewestahl and Sheriff Travis Hakes both took their oaths of office yesterday. Riewestahl takes over after not only the election but former Eau Claire County Sheriff Ron Cramer's suicide. Hakes takes over in Chippewa County after years as the police in Elk Mound.
There is an opening on the Pepin County Board of Supervisors. The board is seeking those living in District 6, which includes the City of Durand, Ward 3 that would like to take over the seat that Tessa King held. The term would be until April 2024. Those living in District 6 have until January 13 to send a letter of interest to the Pepin County Clerk's Office.
A hearing is scheduled for next month for a man accused of shooting and killing his neighbor. Shane Helmbrecht of Eau Claire was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Jenny Ward at her home in July 2016. In 2018 Helmbrecht was found not competent to stand trial, and he was ordered to be held at a mental health facility. According to Jamie Kirchoff, the victim’s sister, Helmbrecht is no longer at the mental health facility. She says a hearing scheduled for Feb. 9 will determine if Helmbrecht goes back to the facility or if he gets another competency exam.
One person was hurt in a fire in Eau Claire on Tuesday. According to Eau Claire Fire officials, firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire at 5346 Christopher Drive on Eau Claire’s West Side. It was reported that there was one occupant that was not able to evacuate the building. Crews knocked down the fire in the garage before it could spread. One person suffered “minor injuries” attempting to extinguish the fire. The person was treated at the scene. No one else reported to be hurt.
The speech to start the new year from Wisconsin's governor didn't go-over well with at least one statehouse Republican. State Senator Duey Stroebel slammed Governor Evers' speech yesterday, saying the governor's calls to work together fell flat. Stroebel said the governor asked for cooperation, then demanded a liberal policy wishlist. The governor began his second term yesterday by asking for more state spending and an expansion of abortion access in the state.
All of Wisconsin's Republican congressmen voted for Kevin McCarthy for speaker. McCarthy came up short three times yesterday as a group of hard-right Republicans that grew to 20 blocked the California congressman's ascension to Speaker on three ballots before the House adjourned for the day. None of those hold-outs, however, are from Wisconsin. Members will vote again today.
Minnesota lawmakers are back in Minnesota's capital city for the 2023 legislative session. Legislators were sworn-in on Tuesday. The DFL has control of both chambers for the first time since 2014. This year, lawmakers will need to draft a two-year budget, but may also try to pass a bonding bill early in the session after a bonding bill was not passed in 2022.
A teenager missing from Minnesota is found safe in North Dakota. Seventeen-year-old Chloe Lynn Garcia was declared missing November 9th. On Monday, she was found in Jamestown, North Dakota, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. She reportedly had ties to the area.
There is a warning about so-called forever chemicals in Green Bay. A team from the University of Wisconsin says it found a PFAS plume in the waters of Green Bay. Researchers say the chemicals are likely tied to the Tyco Fire Products plant in Marinette. Water and soil samples near the plant show contamination from the firefighting foam made there. No one is sure just how far the chemical plume extends into the bay, and no one is sure if the chemicals have made their way into Lake Michigan.
The Mega Millions jackpot is inching closer to a billion-dollars. No one won last night's jackpot, which means Friday night's drawing will be worth at least 940 million-dollars. The lump-sum cash payout on that would be 483 million, before taxes. Friday's jackpot will be the sixth-largest lottery jackpot ever in the U.S.
A fire causes damage at a Portage milk plant Monday night. Fire officials in Portage tell WKOW-TV in Madison part of the roof caved in at the Associated Milk Producers, Inc. plant. No one was injured from the roof collapse. Officials point out the blaze got to the butter stored in the plant, which made it harder for crews to work at containing the fire. They also voiced concern about the butter leaking into the Portage canal. The fire department says the blaze is still under investigation, and the plant will be shut down for the time being.
As Wisconsin state legislators get to work following Inauguration Day, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says he hopes his pre-Christmas meeting with Governor Tony Evers can lead to his chamber and the governor finding common ground during Evers’ new term. The face-to-face get-together was the first for the two in two years. Evers agrees with Vos, but that’s after setting the state record for the number of vetoes in a two-year legislative session. The governor says he’ll keep his veto pen at the ready, saying that vetoing bills he’s not happy with is “my job.” Common ground between the two may be found on items like infrastructure and broadband.
A reported Monday morning child enticement in Elkhorn has authorities giving tips on how children should act in such situations. Elkhorn Police say two girls, ages six and seven, were on their bikes on the sidewalk when a car with two men in it pulls up near them. The passenger in the car tells one of the girls to get in the car. When that girl yelled, "Stop," police say the driver of the car sped away. Police in Elkhorn are asking parents to urge their children in similar situations to remember “No, Go and Tell”…yell “No”; “Go”, or run away; and “Tell” a trusted adult or police.
Melissa Hortman remains the Speaker of the Minnesota House. Hortman was re-elected this afternoon in a 70-to-63 vote. This comes on the first legislative session of 2023, where Democrats have control of the House, Senate, and Governor's office for the first time in a decade. Today's session is mostly about members taking their oaths of office and getting back in the swing of things.
An anonymous threat is to blame for a police presence at a school in Portage this morning. The Portage School District says Portage High School went into lockdown this morning because of a shooting threat, but police responded and found no threat. All schools in the district remained with a secured perimeter for the rest of the school day. The person that issued the threat hasn't been identified.
It's going to cost about 200 dollars per-person to see the Packers and Lions in-person this weekend. Tickets for the final home game of the season are available, but they are expensive. Resale sites like Stub Hub have plenty of seats, but they're averaging at least 180 dollars per-ticket, plus fees. The Packers and Lions are playing for the final NFC playoff spot. If Green Bay wins, they're in.
No comments:
Post a Comment