Local-Regional News Feb 28

 A vacant lot in Downtown Durand is now up for sale.  The property of the old Bubba's Bar at 205 4th Avenue West in Durand has been listed by Pepin County on the Wisconsin surplus dot com auction site.  Bidding on the property began Monday and the opening bid is $40,000.  Bids close on March 22nd.  

The victims of Sunday's house fire in Menomonie have been identified. The Dunn County Sheriff's Office yesterday said 74-year-old William Dahl and 66-year-old Bonni Bukkila both died in the fire at their duplex on 410th Avenue in the township of Menomonie. Investigators say there's no reason to think foul play is involved in any way. The sheriff, though, did not have a cause for the fire.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has awarded $1 million in grants intended to increase access to mental health and substance use care for underserved communities.  Arbor Place is Menomonie is one of 10 organizations set to each receive $100,000 intended to develop projects that build on the ability of behavioral health professionals to support people with diverse values and beliefs, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Arbor Place will use the money to hold forums on how to meet the needs of people who live in rural communities.  The grants are funded by Wisconsin's share of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding allocations that states receive from the U.S. Department of Treasury.

They are moving barracks at Fort McCoy. Not troops, not guests, the base is moving entire barracks complexes this week. Crews loaded the first of four barracks buildings onto trucks this week and will move them across the base. The hope is to set the barracks on new foundations and get a few more years of life out of the World War II-era buildings. Commanders say the barracks should be ready for troops to move back in by the summer.

Xcel Energy has filed a request with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to help low-income households. Xcel officials hope to create a new program to expand assistance to lower-earning households who need more help to pay their energy bills.  If approved, to the program would lower eligible customers' bills to no greater than 4% of their annual income for each utility service Xcel provides them, with a maximum reduction of $600 a year.  Officials estimate roughly 10,000 customers could qualify. The program would be funded by regular residential customers at a cost of $1 a month added to their bill.

Eau Claire's city council will vote tomorrow on a plan to pay a developer five million dollars to build apartments above the city's new bus transit center. City attorney Steve Nick says it's been tough to find a developer who wanted the project, so the five million dollars in grants and incentives is necessary. Planners hope to make the new transit hub a marquee project in Eau Claire. Work began on the transit hub a year and a half ago. Work on the apartments will begin after tomorrow's vote.

Wisconsin's governor is ready to let Republicans drink early into the morning when they come to Milwaukee next summer. Governor Tony Evers' new state budget proposes a 4 a.m. bar closing time for the Republican National Convention. It's not an uncommon request for convention host cities, in fact, Evers made a similar request for the Democratic National Convention back in 2020. Currently bars close as late as 2 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. The governor's proposal is not just for Milwaukee, his plan would allow bars in Kenosha, Racine, Walworth, Rock, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Jefferson, Dane, Ozaukee, Washington, Dodge, Columbia, Sheboygan, and Fond du Lac - 14 counties in all - to stay open til 4 a.m. during the convention. The RNC is set for Milwaukee from July 15h through the 18th next summer.

One of Wisconsin's Republican congressmen wants more answers about where COVID came from. Congressman Mike Gallagher said the Biden Administration needs to use every tool at its disposal to ensure we understand the origins of COVID-19. Gallagher is a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and heads Congress's special committee looking into China. Gallagher's demand comes after a series of reports that say COVID came from a lab in China. Gallagher said that used to be labeled a conspiracy theory, but now it looks like the truth.

Wisconsin lawmakers are turning their focus to reading in public schools this week. Both the Assembly and Senate Education Committees will hold a hearing Thursday to get expert testimony from the state's Department of Public Instruction and literacy experts at the University of Wisconsin. The latest test scores show most kids in Wisconsin cannot read or write at grade level, and several studies show more and more kids cannot read properly by the fourth grade. Lawmakers have been working for years to find an agreement on how to reverse those numbers and get more kids where they need to be when it comes to reading.

There's a new person in charge of the Great Minnesota Get-Together.  Renee Alexander has been selected as the Minnesota State Fair's next CEO.  She's been the deputy general manager for over a decade.  Jerry Hammer announced his retirement last year after 27 years in the position.  In a statement, Hammer said "Renee is a qualified and proven leader." 

Minnesota budget officials are giving an update on the state's record-breaking surplus.  The Star Tribune reports the estimated budget surplus remains largely unchanged at 17-and-a-half-billion dollars.  However, the new figure factors in inflation for the first time in two decades.  Budget officials project that inflation will bring up the cost of government services by one-point-four-billion dollars in the next two years.

Authorities uncover a meth distribution operation in southwest Wisconsin Thursday. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office says deputies conducted a narcotics-related search warrant near the Village of Gays Mills.  While there, the department says they found a substantial amount of methamphetamine, as well as drug paraphernalia, a firearm, currency, a scale, packaging materials, and more.  The action led to the arrest of 68-year-old Kim Wardell on drug charges, and 57-year-old John Haggerty of Gays Mills for possession of drug paraphernalia, bail jumping, and obstructing.

A Beloit man is killed in a Friday snowmobile crash. The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office says 55-year-old David Haseman was dead when emergency responders arrived at the scene of the head-on crash on Kelly Dam near the Town of Little Rice, which is just north of Tomahawk. The other driver involved in the crash was transported to a Tomahawk hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  The Wisconsin DNR is completing the accident report.   The fatality is the 12th from snowmobile crashes in the state this season.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is accepting entries for next year's wild turkey, pheasant, and waterfowl stamps.  The contest is open to all Wisconsin residents 18 years and older.  Entries will be accepted until July 15th and judging will take place in August.  Rules and application information are available on the DNR's website.

 A picture of a Twin Cities resident skiing behind a car in Shakopee is going viral.  Howard Bazinet says he and his fiancee were on their way to dinner Wednesday night when they saw a person wearing skis and being pulled behind a Jeep with a tow rope at Dean Lakes Parkway and Mystic Lake Road.  The picture was posted on Facebook, where it was shared thousands of times and received hundreds of comments.  Shakopee Police are warning people against what they say is a dangerous activity.

Local-Regional News Feb 27

Two people are dead after a fire in Dunn County. The fire happened early Sunday morning at a Duplex at E4576 410th Ave in the township of  Menomonie. Firefighters say neighbors tried to get the two out of the home, but they couldn't.   The two were found inside the home and pronounced dead at the scene by the Dunn County Medical Examiner's office.  No one else was hurt in the fire. Fire investigators are now looking for the cause of the fire.

One person was injured after a two-vehicle accident in the Villag of Maiden Rock last Wednesday.   According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, a semi-truck traveling southbound on Hwy 35 was struck by an SUV that was also traveling southbound on Hwy 35.  The driver of the SUV was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

The late February updated outlook for spring flooding in the upper Mississippi, Minnesota, and Chippewa River basins has been upgraded to above normal.  According to the national weather service, the addition of another 1-2 inches of water into the snowpack (from rain, then heavy snow) has increased the threat in just two weeks.   Though we have an ample snowpack, drier soils, and little frost depth will help alleviate at least some of the snowmelt threat. The threat of seeing major flooding will still depend on what kind of rainfall/temperature patterns we get during the snowmelt.  

The restaurant at Eau Claire's airport wants to sell drinks in the terminal. The folks who own the Hangar 54 Grill are asking for a new liquor license to sell drinks and maybe sandwiches from a mobile bar in the terminal. Co-owner Ryan Anderson says the new Sun Country flights mean a lot more people are flying, particularly on the weekend trips to Fort Myers. He says a lot of people want to grab something before their flight. There's no word when airport managers will make their decision.

One person is dead after being hit by a snowplow in Rochester.  It's unclear what led up to the deadly crash.  Police said 69yr old Linda Rud of Rochester was walking when she was struck by the plow around nine this morning.  Investigators are looking into the incident. 

US Senator Tammy Baldwin wants companies to help their employees, and not their investors, by discouraging stock buybacks. The Wisconsin Democrat says the proposed Stock Buyback Accountability Act would raise the tax on those buybacks from 1 percent to 4 percent. Baldwin's office says investors and companies bought back over a trillion dollars worth of stock in 2022, money that she says should be going back to the workers.

The plan to require judges in Wisconsin to send felons with guns to prison gets its first hearing at the Wisconsin Capitol this week. An Assembly committee will hear from law enforcement and maybe advocates on the plan that would create a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for felons who are caught illegally possessing guns. Felons are not allowed to have any guns, but many still do. Wisconsin currently doesn't have a mandatory sentence for felony weapons possession, this plan would change that.

The National Weather Service says the drought in Minnesota is easing.  Meteorologists confirm drought conditions in the state have been improving all winter.  The drought began nearly two years ago, and still covers about a third of the state.  Parts of southeastern Minnesota that include all of Cottonwood County are still in the category of a severe drought. 

The Wisconsin State Patrol stayed busy during the two days of winter weather last week.  The State Patrol says it responded to nearly 200 crashes and motorist assists during the storms, seven of which involved injuries.  Those statistics were taken between 6:00 a.m. Wednesday and 4:00 p.m. Thursday.

A former state Senator is headed to prison.  A federal judge in Madison sentenced 61-year-old Kevin Shibilski of Merrill to 33 months in prison. Shibilski, a Democrat who represented central Wisconsin in the Senate from 1995 to 2002, pled guilty in April to willfully not paying federal employment taxes for two companies linked to 5R Processors. That Ladysmith-based firm illegally stored and disposed of broken and crushed glass from lead-tainted cathode ray tubes at facilities in Wisconsin and Tennessee. Shibilksi ran the operation a decade ago and was indicted in 2020.   

The road to the Republican presidential nomination will begin and end in Milwaukee.  Republican National Committee planners yesterday said Milwaukee will host the first presidential primary debate later this year.  That debate is now scheduled for August, to coincide with RNC meetings in the city. Milwaukee, of course, will also host the Republican National Convention next summer.  Wisconsin Republican Party boss Brian Schimming says he's looking forward to showing off 'our exceptional city.'

One of Wisconsin's Republican congressmen and the man in charge of the House's select committee on China is back after a trip to Taiwan.  Congressman Mike Gallagher made the under-the-radar trip two weeks ago.  He says he met with Taiwanese officials who talked about a "wake-up call" over China's posturing toward their island.  Gallagher says leaders in Taiwan say they are still waiting for promised American-made weapons which he says are necessary to defend the island if China attacks.

The University of Minnesota is asking lawmakers for 950 million dollars to buy and operate its own healthcare facilities.  UofM wants to take control of its East and West Bank facilities, Masonic Children's Hospital, and the Clinics and Surgery Center facilities before a Fairview/Sanford merger takes place. In a letter to the state, the university said it doesn't want an out-of-state entity to control Minnesota's academic healthcare systems.  The preliminary request states 300 million would go toward acquiring the facilities, while 650 million would be used for operations and investments. 

The Wisconsin Historical Society will be moving to temporary quarters while a new history center is under construction.  The State Historical Society closed its doors in November to prepare for a move to a new state-of-the-art building that will go up on the site of the current museum.  Society staff announced on Thursday that they'll move to the main level of the U.S. Bank Plaza on South Pinckney Street.  Construction of the new center is expected to be completed by 2026.

The recent winter storm plays an assist in the arrest of an alleged drug dealer.  A 27-year-old Milwaukee man called 911 after driving into a ditch along snow-covered Highway 45 near Richfield Wednesday night.  Once deputies got to the scene, Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulties tells Fox 6 Milwaukee a strong odor of burnt marijuana wasn’t the only thing a deputy found coming from the man’s vehicle.  The deputy also found a pound and a half of marijuana, cash, and some cocaine.   The driver involved in that wreck is now in the Washington County Jail.

Local-Regional News Feb 24

 Pepin County will keep an Extension 4-H educator on staff.  The Land Conservation and Extension Committee approved moving forward with the position.  According to Land Conservation and Extension Committee Chair Angie Bocksell, the goal is to continue and grow 4-H in Pepin County. Pepin County will continue to collaborate with Buffalo County for the fair and the Teen Court program.

With the recent snow, snowmobile trails in Western Wisconsin have re-opened.  According to the Travel Wisconsin Snow Report, trails in Pepin and Pierce County are in poor condition as groomers have not been out yet, while Dunn Buffalo and Eau Clair County Trails are reported in good condition.  In Pepin County, trail 33g to the Rock Falls Co-Op is closed for the rest of the season due to off-trail riding.  

No one was injured when a semi crashed into a Chippewa County Snowplow on Hwy 29 on Thursday.   According to Chippewa County, the semi was traveling eastbound on Hwy 29 when it rear-ended the snowplow.  The collision caused the snowplow to lose its load of salt.  Both drivers only suffered minor bumps and bruises as a result of the accident.

Western Wisconsin Homeowners are being warned of a mailer scam.  According to St. Croix County officials, homeowners are receiving a mailer from Home Warranty Direct with the title County Deed Records.  The mailer urges homeowners to purchase a home warranty claiming the warranty is ending and if a purchase is not made there would be loss of coverage.  Authorities say the letters all contain the same claim even if no home warranty coverage has ever been purchased.  If you receive one of these letters you are advised to discard it.

Xcel is reminding people to clear their gas meters after this week's snow. The company yesterday said you should keep the snow and ice off the meter to prevent it from freezing up. Xcel says you should also clear any vents on the outside of your house to avoid a build-up of carbon monoxide inside your house.

Wisconsin could get a second train to the Twin Cities sometime later this year. The state's Department of Transportation yesterday said they will use 32 million dollars in federal money, plus 10 million from the state of Minnesota, six-and-a-half million from Wisconsin, and five million dollars from Amtrak to launch the new line. The train will run along Amtrak's current route, which means stops in Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah, and La Crosse. Wis-DOT officials say they are still trying to work out expanded service to Madison and Eau Claire, but that will be a separate project.

An Eau Claire man is looking at more than 20 years behind bars for a sexual assault at the Oakwood Mall. A jury yesterday convicted 32-year-old David Allen of second-degree sexual assault. He started blackmailing an 18-year-old for nude pictures back in 2020, which escalated to a meeting at the mall in December of 2021. Allen told the woman he'd give her 40 thousand dollars to see her naked in person. She agreed because she said she needed the money. But once in the mall's family bathroom, she said Allen sexually assaulted her. He's due to be sentenced in March and could get 26 years behind bars.

A young man from Marshfield has died while fighting in Ukraine. Andrew Peters' parents yesterday said he died last week while fighting with the International Legion. Peters is a U.S. Army veteran and joined the international force in Ukraine last November. His parents say he felt he needed to use his military skills to help the people of Ukraine. The State Department says it's working to bring his remains back from Ukraine.

Two of the top three cheeses in the country are from Wisconsin. Judges at the United States Championship Cheese Contest yesterday named a smoked Gouda from a cheesemaker in Connecticut as the top cheese in the country. A hard raw milk cheese made by Door Artisan Cheese Company of Egg Harbor came in second, and Medium Cheddar made by Dillon Sylla in Blair, Wisconsin came in third. The cheese championship brought in more than 22 hundred different cheeses from 197 dairy companies in 35 different states. Overall, Wisconsin cheesemakers won the most gold medals, taking home 54 Best of Class finishes.

Minneapolis-based Sun Country Airlines flight attendants want more pay.  They staged a picket yesterday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for higher wages.  Entry-level flight attendants start at 21 dollars and 53 cents an hour and top out at 53 dollars and 56 cents.  Contract negotiations are ongoing.

Former Wisconsin Governor Tony Earl has died.  Governor Tony Evers’ office made the announcement on Thursday. Earl, the state's 41st governor from 1983 to 1987, had recently suffered a stroke and was receiving palliative care. Earl, a Michigan native, and U.S. Navy veteran, had served in the state Assembly in the 1970s, and was also Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources from 1975 to 1980. Tony Earl was 86 years old. Evers has issued an executive order for flags around Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff as a mark of respect through sunset on Friday, March 3. 

Wood County authorities urge a man to turn himself in, for an armed robbery in the Village of Rudolph.  The Wood County Sheriff's office says they've identified 58-year-old Eugene Schmidt as the suspect who walked into the Food Tree, flashed a weapon, then made off with cash, lottery tickets, and cigarettes. They say he may be in the Marathon County area, and in a press release on Wednesday dared him to come out of hiding and turn himself in, adding "be an adult by facing the consequences for the dangerous actions you took."  The sheriff's office says Schmidt should be considered armed and dangerous.

UW alumni living in South Korea will promote Wisconsin as a good place to invest and do business. Missy Hughes, secretary, and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, will sign a memorandum of understanding on Thursday with the Wisconsin Alumni Association in Korea. She will also be meeting with the South Korean leaders of Wisconsin companies and working with the alumni association on future possible investment opportunities. Under the agreement, WAAK members will promote Wisconsin as a destination for South Korean businesses and investors as well as a good choice for South Korean students. 

UW Law School has decided not to participate in the annual US News and World Report ranking of law schools, and the head of the State Bar says it's a good choice. President Margaret Hickey agrees with the numerous other schools who have dropped out that the rankings did little to attract local students. In a statement last month, the head of UW Law School said that they're focused on helping students join the legal profession at affordable costs. UW joins over 40 other schools in the walkout, which was lead by Yale and Harvard.

Democrats at the Minnesota statehouse say they have a deal to legalize sports betting in the state.  DLF lawmakers on Tuesday said they have an agreement with Minnesota's tribes and professional sports teams to move forward.  The proposal doesn't include the state's horse tracks, but supporters say they are still confident.  Lawmakers have been trying to legalize sports gambling in Minnesota for the past five years, but haven't been able to get the plan through the State Senate.  DFL leaders say they hope to get over that hurdle this year.

Local-Regional News Feb 23

 The worst of the winter storm looks to be in the rearview mirror. The National Weather Service is allowing the Winter Storm Warning for the WRDN Listening area to expire at noon today. Forecasters say western Wisconsin could see another few inches of snow before it ends later today.  

January home sales dropped by more than a third over the year as prices rose in Wisconsin. That’s according to the latest Wisconsin Realtors Association report which shows a total of 3,114 homes sold last month, compared to 4,702 homes sold in January 2022. That’s a 33.8 percent decline. Realtors Association President and CEO Michael Theo notes in the report that Wisconsin has been experiencing a seller's market for nearly six years. In the last three years, that trend has been pronounced with a persistent lack of available housing stock.  Here in Western Wisconsin, Pepin County had 4 homes sold in January, Buffalo and Trempealeau Counties 10, Pierce 18, and Dunn had 27 homes sold in January.  The median Price of a home in Western Wisconsin was $245,000.

Gov. Tony Evers has signed and executive order declaring an energy emergency in the state of Wisconsin due to the severe winter storm that has affected the state causing widespread power outages.  The executive order will provide waivers from federal and state requirements to give additional flexibility to in-state utility workers and allow for out-of-state utility workers to come to Wisconsin to help restore power and waives hours of service, certain driver qualifications, and International Fuel Tax Agreements and International Registration Plan requirements for utility workers. 

The Ellsworth Senior High School Band Director has been charged with multiple crimes after allegedly having sex with a 17yr old student.  23yr old Brandon Fuhrman was charged in Pierce County Wednesday with two counts of sexual assault of a child by a person who works with children, and two counts of sexual intercourse with a child over 16.   He was released on a $50,000 signature bond and ordered not to have any contact with the victim and is due back in court March 27.

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is applauding a Department of Labor (DOL) announcement that Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) will receive more than $4.99 million to help expand access to education and training for good-paying jobs in health care and address the health care workforce shortage that is impacting rural Wisconsin.  The federal investment will support a regional effort designed to recruit, train, and prepare underserved individuals for critical healthcare careers across rural western Wisconsin, with a focus on addressing existing equity gaps preventing widespread access to educational and economic opportunity. CVTC’s partners include Mid-State Technical College, Western Technical College, and Northwood Technical College, who will also benefit from the federal funding. 

 Eau Claire County voter turnout topped 17 percent on Tuesday. Election managers say that's much higher than last spring's primary when just 10 percent of voters cast a ballot. Voter turnout in off-year, February elections is traditionally low. More people will vote in April, but still not nearly as many as those who vote during presidential elections. Eau Claire County Clerk Sue McDonald says the Supreme Court race drew many voters to the polls this week.  In Dunn County, 16% of eligible voters cast a ballot

There's a new plan at the Wisconsin Capitol that would guarantee health insurance for police officers and firefighters. State Senator Van Wangaarrd has legislation out for co-sponsorship that would clarify state law, and require cities to offer health insurance coverage to first responders and their families. The legislation is a response to a ruling from Wisconsin's Employment Relations Commission last summer that said cities do not have to offer insurance benefits if they don't want to. Wangaarrd said he's spent his career in Madison fighting for police officers, firefighters, and their families. He says his plan would make sure that the people who put their lives on the line for their communities are taken care of.

Get ready to pay more to see the Packers. The team yesterday said ticket prices are going-up for next season. Tickets will cost between three and nine-dollars more per-game. Preseason tickets are also getting more expensive. Those tickets will cost anywhere between one and five-dollars more. CEO Mark Murphy says Packer tickets remain just below the average cost for NFL teams. No one is saying just how much money the new ticket prices will bring-in, or just where the money will go.

It is a sign of just how many people turned-out to vote in Madison Tuesday.  Dane County's clerk says some polling places in the city ran out of printed ballots.  Clerk Scott McDonell says no one was turned away, voters used touch screen voting machines until new ballots could be printed.  McDonell says he doesn't have a voter turnout number yet, but Madison's clerk says she prepared for 40 percent of voters to cast a ballot.  That's twice what the clerks normally see for an off-year, February primary.

The gunshots that closed a Dane County polling place Tuesday had nothing to do with Election Day.  Dane County's sheriff says someone fired their gun in Brooklyn Tuesday morning as part of an argument over a tree.  That gunfire closed the poll in Brooklyn's Community Building and forced a 'secure hold' at the local school.  No one was hurt, the sheriff says a 75-year-old man was arrested a short time later.  Voters in Brooklyn were given an extra hour and a half to vote because their poll closed earlier in the day.

There’s more information about an ailing former Wisconsin governor.  During a Monday stop in Eau Claire, Governor Evers passed along news about former governor Tony Earl being “seriously ill.”  More details on the former governor’s illness were provided Tuesday by Earl’s oldest daughter, who said he suffered a stroke and is now receiving palliative care.  The 86-year-old Earl served one term as the state’s governor from 1983 to 1987, and was defeated in a re-election effort by Tommy Thompson.  Earl also served in the Wisconsin State Assembly, and as the head of the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

There are questions about Milwaukee's latest officer-involved shooting.  Police commanders say an officer shot and killed a 31-year-old man yesterday afternoon following a traffic stop on the city's north side.  Investigators say the man sped off, crashed his car, then ran with a gun in his hand.  Chief Jeffry Norman says the officer shot the suspect after the suspect refused to drop the gun.  The questions, however, come after a bystander uploaded a video that appears to show officers dragging the dead man's body after he was shot.  Milwaukee Police say they are aware of the video and are looking into it.

 Minnetonka-based Cargill Incorporated is moving two women into executive roles.  The agriculture giant has named acting chief financial officer Joanne Knight to take on the position permanently.  Cargill also named Philippa Purser as the head of strategy and global process leader.  Before the promotions, women held just under half the seats on Cargill's executive team.

Target is set to invest 100-million dollars in a larger network of sorting centers.  The Minneapolis-based retail giant aims to push its e-commerce strategy in order to speed up and lower the cost of online order delivery.  At least 15 facilities are planned to be open by the end of January 2026.  The announcement comes even though Target anticipates slower sales.  The company is also set to report its holiday-quarter earnings Tuesday.

Local-Regional News February 22

 Forecasters are using terms like "historic" to describe the snow Durand and the Chippewa Valley could see today.  The National Weather Service has the entire area under a Winter Storm Warning until noon tomorrow. Forecasters expect as much as 13-17  inches of new snow today.  That's in addition to the snow already on the ground, and the 45-mile-per-hour wind gusts that have been howling.  The Weather Service says travel is not recommended, and says people should just stay home today.

The Durand City Council is still scheduled to meet tonight.  Items on the agenda include a presentation from the state of Wisconsin honoring Pit Plumer, discussion and possible action on the design engineering services proposal from Cedar Corporation for the Madison Street Reconstruction Project, and reports from the mayor and department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall.

The Cities of Durand, Wabasha, and other communities are under a snow emergency.  In the city of Durand, that means no parking on city streets until your street is plowed from curb to curb.  For those that live in downtown Durand there is parking available in Memorial Park and at the boat landing. In Wabasha, there is alternate off-street public parking for downtown areas located under the bridge on Main Street and Second Street and across from the Public Library.   Expect the snow emergencies to remain in effect today and into tomorrow.    

United States Postal Service is asking customers to clear snow and ice from sidewalks, stairs, and mailboxes.   Customers receiving door delivery should make sure their sidewalks, steps, and porches are clear.  Customers receiving curbside delivery should remove snow piles left by snowplows to keep access to their mailboxes clear for letter carriers.  Delivery service may be delayed or curtailed whenever streets or walkways present hazardous conditions for letter carriers or when snow is plowed against mailboxes.  Any mail not delivered will attempt to be delivered the next day.

 

Xcel Energy is warning folks to prepare for any outages due to the winter storm.  Residents are urged to have an emergency kit ready to go, be careful with space heaters, and keep natural gas meters clear.  The utility also said it's a good idea for everyone to keep their thermostats at 68 degrees or below.

Two people were injured in a two-vehicle accident in the town of Arcadia on Tuesday.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, a truck was traveling eastbound on Lewis Valley Road toward the intersection of Hwy 93 and attempted to stop but slid through the intersection, hitting a southbound vehicle on Hwy 93 head-on.   The two occupants of the second vehicle were taken to the hospital.

The Town of Eagle Point has suspended its EMS services because it no longer has a medical director.  Dr. Ethan Young officially resigned on Monday.  Eagle Point's mayor says Dr. Young stepped down after complaining that EMS providers were not following proper protocol.  State law requires a licensed medical director to oversee EMS operations.  Eagle Point will now rely on Tilden and Anson and ambulance services from Cornell and Chippewa Falls until the town can find a new medical director.

The race for state supreme court has been narrowed to two.   Milwaukee County judge Janet Protasiewicz and former State Supreme Court justice Dan Kelly are advancing to the spring election. They defeated two other judges, Waukesha County Judge Janet Dorow and Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell. Political spending in the race topped over 9 million dollars, for what is ostensibly a nonpartisan race. If Protasiewicz wins the seat, it will shift the balance of the court from conservative to liberal ahead of major decisions like the state's ban on abortion.

 The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is suing over the Biden Administration's new rules for socially aware investing. WILL filed a lawsuit in federal court in Milwaukee yesterday accusing the Biden White House of breaking federal law with its ESG investment rules.  That rule allows retirement plan managers to consider things like environmentalism and social justice when making investment decisions.  WILL says that directly violates a federal law from the 1970s that requires investment managers to try and get the best returns possible for their clients.

The Minnesota National Guard, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and state troopers are helping coordinate the response to the severe storms hitting Minnesota.  Governor Walz issued executive orders yesterday to mobilize the state agencies to deal with the storm.  The groups began prepositioning equipment yesterday and put some guard members and staffers on alert.  Some National Guard armories are being set up as shelters from the storm.  The governor encouraged residents to stock up on essentials and be prepared for power outages. 

Governor Tony Evers insists he’s confident his shared revenue proposal will survive the state budget process.  Evers promoted his plan during a stop in Wausau and Eau Claire on Monday. He’s proposed using 20 percent of the state's sales tax for shared revenue to local governments. There is some bipartisan support for that in the new two-year budget, which is currently in the hands of the legislature's Joint Finance Committee.

Wisconsin is in the top ten when it comes to high property taxes.  That's according to WalletHub, which ranks Wisconsin seventh-highest when comparing real-estate and vehicle property taxes.  WalletHub says Wisconsin's effective real-estate tax rate is one-point-seven-three percent.  The state with the highest property taxes is New Jersey and the state with the lowest is Hawaii.

A coalition of groups wants driver's licenses for people in Wisconsin without documentation. At a Capitol press conference on Tuesday, the Safe Roads for Wisconsin Coalition, which includes Voces de La Frontera, demanded lawmakers keep a provision in Governor Tony Evers’ budget to allow those undocumented people to get driver’s licenses. Proponents claim that will make roads safer for everyone.    Republicans pulled a similar provision out of the last budget.

A special school board meeting in Kenosha turns into a standoff.   The Monday night meeting was called to clarify the situation with Kenosha school board member Eric Meadows.  The Kenosha Unified School District plans to end Meadows’ term on the board in April after the Wisconsin Elections Commission found a clerical error in January showing the seat Meadows won was only a one-year term, rather than a three-year term voters believed it to be.  The school board members, who planned to take public comment, walked out of the meeting after audience members refused to take campaign signs supporting Meadows off school property.  The board later returned to announce the meeting was suspended and would be rescheduled for a yet-to-be-determined date.  

Governor Tony Evers wants to spend some of the state budget surplus shoring up pay for prosecutors and public defenders. The plan is to hire 50 more of both prosecutors and defenders, and State Bar President Margaret Hickey says the state is hurting for justice.  Evers also wants to raise the base pay for prosecutors and defenders by over 7 dollars an hour to 35 dollars an hour. It's unclear if that proposal will make it through the budget process. 

There's a new push to legalize sports betting in Minnesota.  DFL Representative Zack Stephenson introduced the bill today.  It would allow the state's tribal groups to run all operations and has the support of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association.  Thirty-six other states and Washington D.C. have made the move in the past five years. 

The Kids From Wisconsin are auditioning for this year’s tour.  Talented Wisconsinites ages 15 to 20 are eligible to be a part of the state’s legendary performing group.   The performers chosen through auditions around the state will receive room and board along with a weekly per-diem payment plan, as well as be eligible for a scholarship.  February and March auditions will happen in Madison, La Crosse, Stevens Point, Milwaukee, Manitowoc and Eau Claire.  More information, including audition dates, can be found at “Kids from W-I dot org.”

Local-Regional News Feb 21

 Western Wisconsin is bracing for up to 20 inches of snow from this winter storm. There is a Winter Storm Warning for the WRDN Listening Area that runs from this afternoon til Thursday morning. Forecasters are warning of two rounds of snow. One that could drop as much as seven inches of snow today, and another that could drop as much as 19 more inches of snow tomorrow into Thursday. There will also be high winds with gusts of up to 45 miles per hour.

The City of Durand is purchasing a new front-end loader for the public works department.  The new loader will cost $216,000 and the city will receive approximately $87,000 in trade-in value for the old loader for a total cost of $133,000.  According to Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren, the city had expected to pay over $200,000 for a new loader even with the trade. The city had decided to delay the purchase of a new street snowblower to help cover the cost of the new front-end loader.

UW-Eau Claire is launching a new mental health initiative. The university says it is offering more mental health services to meet the demand for mental health services. A lot of it will be online, but the university says students can always choose to see someone in person. The new ULifeline is offered at all UW Campuses and was paid for by the state's coronavirus stimulus money.

An Eau Claire man faces 15 charges in connection with a string of catalytic converter thefts. WEAU TV reports that 33-year-old Brandon Gee is accused of felony bail jumping and multiple misdemeanor thefts in the case. Police allege that Gee has stolen at least 15 converters since the start of the year. He's already facing charges in multiple other cases in multiple counties and is now being held on a 10-thousand dollar cash bond. He'll be in court for formal charges on the theft cases on Tuesday.

Governor Ever's was in Eau Claire yesterday touting his proposed budget and how it would improve public health and safety.  The Governor made the stop yesterday and met with members of the Eau Claire Fire Department and city officials to talk about the budget proposal which would send 20% of the state's sales tax revenue back to communities to fund fire ems and law enforcement.  The proposal would over $5 million to Eau Claire alone.  He said the cities would be allowed to decide how the new funding would be used for public health and safety.

A suspicious death of a child in La Crosse County is being investigated.  According to the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department, on February 11th, first responders were called to a home in the town of Medary for an unresponsive child.  First responders attempted life-saving measures, but 6yr old Alexavier Pedrin died.  The cause of Pedrin's death is being investigated and an autopsy is scheduled.

Former Wisconsin Governor Tony Earl is reportedly not well. Governor Evers mentioned Earl's health during a visit with reporters yesterday in Eau Claire. The current governor says the former governor is 'seriously ill,' though he didn't have any more details. Earl was governor of Wisconsin from 1983 to 1987.

The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says the University of Wisconsin can pay for its own free tuition program. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos yesterday told the UW-Madison student newspaper that he doesn't see lawmakers agreeing to pay for tuition for some needy kids in Wisconsin. The UW announced its Tuition Promise Program last year, it promises free tuition for students from families making under 62 thousand dollars a year. Vos said all families in Wisconsin are struggling with inflation. He also said the university should look at private donations to cover the cost of the program, not taxpayer dollars.

It is time to vote again in Wisconsin. Today is the Primary Election Day for the April election. Voters could see a handful of local races on their ballots and will see the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court.   Voters will narrow the field of four candidates for the high court down to two. The top two vote-getters will then face off again in April.  In Spring Valley, voters will be voting on 2 referenda questions.  The first is asking if the district is allowed to exceed revenue limits by $500,000 per year in 23-24 and 25-26 school years, and the second question is about spending $7.1 million for a school building and facility improvement project which includes a new track and field complex.   The polls are open from 7 a.m. till 8 p.m.

 The Minnesota House is advancing a bill that would crack down on catalytic converter thefts.  The bill passed yesterday and would require detached catalytic converters to carry the vehicle identification number of the car where it originated.  Police would be able to seize detached converters that don't have those markings.  Precious metals in the part that are worth more than gold are fueling the increase in thefts.

A central Wisconsin is sentenced to life in prison for a 1984 murder.  The Wisconsin Department of Justice announces in a release the Friday sentencing of 59-year-old John A. Sarver of Port Edwards, who was found guilty in November of the murder of 73-year-old Eleanore Roberts in the town of Saratoga.  Sarver reportedly entered Roberts’ home, then beat and stabbed Roberts with scissors.  The release says advanced DNA testing later showed Sarver’s DNA on evidence presented at trial.  Sarver won’t be eligible for parole until he has served at least 20 years of his sentence.

It's a first for the Evers Administration this week.  Senators will finally begin hearings on the governor's nominees for various boards and commissions.  It's not exciting, but it is the first time in over four years that the Wisconsin Senate will begin the process to vote on the governor's people.  This week's hearings are all for minor boards or commissions.  There's still no word when the Senate will get to the governor's nominees to head state agencies.

The Minnesota House is sending a free school lunch bill to the state Senate.  The 190-million dollar a year measure would expand free and reduced lunch to all students, regardless of family income.  Governor Walz supports the bill and included the cost in his budget proposal for the next two years.  If the measure passes, it could be in place for summer school and be fully implemented for the 2023-2024 school year.

The DFL-controlled legislature in Minnesota is making an effort to enact a red flag law.  The Extreme Risk Protection Order would allow a judge to take firearms away from someone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others.  The ERPO proposal has been met with strong Republican opposition at the Capitol, as well as from gun rights advocates.  The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota is also expressing concern with the red flag bill.  The bill has cleared two committees in the House, but hasn't been heard in the Senate.

There's a plan to turn Milwaukee's old Air Reserve warehouse into a cargo hub.  A group out of Texas is proposing the plan.  They want to take the 288 thousand-square-foot warehouse that used to be home to the 440th Airlift Wing, and use it as a hub for packages.  The planners say a Milwaukee cargo hub would be much cheaper and less congested than Chicago's O'Hare Airport.  Mitchell Airport managers say the proposal is exciting, but it's a long way from becoming reality.  City and state leaders would have to sign-off before anything can be done.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wants to know where the state's black bear dens are.  The DNR is asking residents to report when they find black bear dens.  It's part of the Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey, which aims to determine black bear reproduction rates and manage their population.

Local-Regional News Feb 20

 The Chippewa Valley is bracing for blizzard-like conditions this week. The National Weather Service has already issued a Winter Storm Watch for the entire area. It runs from tomorrow evening through Thursday afternoon. Forecasters say the Chippewa Valley could see as much as 12 inches of snow, and winds that could hit 45 miles-per-hour. The Weather Service says there will be two waves of the storm, the first will be tomorrow night into Wednesday. The second will come Wednesday evening into Wednesday night.

Wisconsin gas prices have been holding steady over the past week but prices could slowly start to climb.  The statewide average for regular unleaded is three dollars and 17 cents a gallon, the same as last Friday.  Triple-A says gasoline stocks have been going up but demand remains low, which is keeping prices from going up quickly. 

Eau Claire's city council vice president is optimistic that the state may send cities more money in the new state budget. Vice President Emily Berge said during her State of The City speech on Friday that both Republican lawmakers and Governor Tony Evers are talking about sending more shared revenue to local governments. No one knows just how much will be coming from Madison, but Berge says it will help. The talk of more state money comes as city leaders are looking at creating a 25 dollar wheel tax. They will talk about that tax at tomorrow night's meeting.

Friday, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin visited Hudson and Eau Claire to highlight federal funds delivered for the St. Croix Valley Food Bank to help provide nutritious food to the communities they serve and the City of Eau Claire to remediate PFAS in their drinking water. Senator Baldwin visited the St. Croix Valley Food Bank in Hudson to highlight $4.3 million in federal funds for a new food bank. The funding will be used to construct a new facility that will allow the organization to accept more fresh and healthy food, and expand its reach to receive, store and distribute food to their service region of St. Croix, Pierce, Polk, and Burnett Counties.  She then went to Eau Claire to highlight the $1.6 million dollars the city received to help with PFAS remediation for the city's water system.

Firefighters in Ladysmith are looking for the cause of a weekend fire that killed a woman. The fire happened Friday night, and crews found the woman inside the home. Investigators say it looks like she died in the fire, though they say the case remains open.

It's time to vote again in Wisconsin. Tomorrow is the primary for April's spring election. There is all manner of local races on the ballot, but the big race is for Wisconsin Supreme Court. Voters will narrow a field of four down to just two. There are two liberal and two conservative justices running for the court. The top two vote-getters will meet again in April.

Wisconsin's governor wants to get tougher on drunk drivers in the state. Governor Evers is proposing ignition interlock devices for all OWI cases. Currently, there's no requirement for ignition locks for drunk drivers, and first-time OWI cases in Wisconsin continue to be treated like traffic tickets. The idea of mandatory ignition locks for OWIs has been pitched before at the Capitol. It has faced stiff opposition in the past and has never become law.

The remembrances are pouring-in for former UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank after she died from cancer.  She died Friday.  Blank led the Madison campus for 10 years before leaving last year to become the president at Northwestern University.  She never started that job because of her diagnosis.  President Obama is one of the people who remembered Blank over the weekend, she worked in his treasury department before becoming chancellor.  Blank leaves behind a husband and an adult daughter.  She was 67-years-old.

The Brewers' business president says that American Family Field will need more funding sooner or later to maintain the park. Rick Schlesinger tells WISN's UPFRONT that the stadium district will need to continue to maintain and repair AmFam Field as part of its contract with the Brewers. Governor Tony Evers has proposed sending 290 million dollars from the state's budget surplus to the stadium board to both keep the field maintained and also extend the Brewers' lease on the facility to 2043. The five-county sales tax used to pay for the construction of the field expired in 2020, and there are about 87 million dollars left in that fund. 

A Wisconsin firm is fined for employing children in dangerous jobs.  The U.S. Department of Labor said Packers Sanitation Services, with corporate headquarters in Kieler, had at least 102 children ages 13 to 17 working in meat processing facilities in eight states. The Labor Department said the kids were working dangerous jobs like using caustic chemicals to clean razor-sharp saws, head splitters, and other high-risk equipment. Packers Sanitation Services has paid $1.5 million in penalties, and Under the Fair Labor Act, must pay $15,000 for each minor who was employed in violation of the law.   

Legislation to stiffen reckless driving penalties in Wisconsin is introduced. One bill would double reckless driving citation fines and allow judges to double the jail time for criminal reckless driving offenses, with the maximum sentence increasing to three years in jail.  A second would let municipalities pass laws authorizing police to tow vehicles if a reckless driver who is caught has a previous fine for the offense within the past four years, and the fine hasn’t been paid.  The measures have bipartisan support.  They come a week after Governor Tony Evers allocated tens of millions of dollars in his proposed budget to help communities 're-engineer' roads to decrease reckless driving.

The Department of Natural Resources has awarded more than six-point-five million dollars to benefit nonprofits, lake associations, and local governments across Wisconsin.  The DNR said on Friday the money will go toward a variety of projects and that many local and regional partnerships are working to improve water quality, habitat restoration, runoff and pollution reduction, and aquatic invasive species control.  The DNR's Surface Water Grant program received close to 450 applications for grants.

It's almost time to get those ice shanties off Wisconsin lakes, rivers, and streams.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the first deadline is February 20th when ice shanties that are on Iowa boundary waters must be removed.  A full list of deadlines is available on the Department of Natural Resources' website.  The DNR says portable ice shanties are still allowed but they must be removed when not in use.

A Marathon County man is now a member of the Packers Fan Hall of Fame.  John Breske of Elderon became the 25th inductee at an event at Lambeau Field Thursday morning.  The Green Bay Press Gazette reports that the 92-year-old Breske has rarely missed a game since the Lombardi era.  He also has hosted numerous bus trips to Lambeau Field on home game Sundays. Breske, who was selected from among 10 candidates during January voting on the Packers website, will have his name permanently displayed in a place of honor in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

Spring break is on the horizon, and TSA officials have tips for travelers heading through the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.  The agency says spring break season starts today and lasts through late April.  Travelers are encouraged to arrive to the airport early to give plenty of time for traffic, check-in, security, and all that jazz.  They also suggest enrolling in TSA PreCheck to avoid long wait times.  Last month, 92-percent of people with TSA PreCheck got through security in less than five minutes.

Local-Regional News Feb 17

 The nurse accused of cutting off a man's foot without permission has pleaded not guilty.  Mary Brown of Durand was in court in Pierce County in western Wisconsin yesterday to face charges that she amputated a patient's foot without getting the okay from doctors, or the man.  It happened last May at Spring Valley Senior Living in Spring Valley. Brown's lawyers say she cut the man's foot off to make him more comfortable.  He later died.  Brown is looking at 40 years in prison if convicted.

 Western Wisconsin's congressman is making the case that problems at the southern border are leading to fentanyl deaths in Wisconsin.  Congressman Derrick Van Orden ended his trip to the southern border yesterday.  He went with a group of fellow-Republican congresspeople to see the situation along the Texas side of the border for himself.  Van Orden says there is a direct link between the drugs that flow across the border and deaths in Wisconsin.  He says Gundersen Health in La Crosse reported nine overdoses last month alone.  He says those should be blamed on the problems at the southern border.

High School artists in Western Wisconsin are encouraged to submit their work for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition.    Students have until  April 7th to submit work for the competition to 3rd District Congressman Van Orden's office in Eau Claire.  This year's theme is a day in the life of Wisconsin.  The winning student from the 3rd District will have their artwork displayed at the US Capitol Building for a year.   Other winners of the competition will have work displayed at the Congressman's District offices and Washington DC Office.  

Police in Altoona say their new license plate readers could help solve crimes faster.  City leaders this week said they will install six license plate readers across the city, including at Highway 12 and Mayer Road near Kwik Trip, in the River Prairie area, and near Spooner Avenue and Harvest Lane.  Sergeant Jake Henning says the cameras can make tracking down vehicles much easier, and that can lead to breaks in all sorts of cases.  Henning said the cameras are not designed to catch people speeding or running red lights.  Wisconsin doesn't allow for those kinds of cameras.

An Amery woman will spend 18 months in federal prison for stealing over half a million dollars from a trust fund.  43-year-old Sarah Tischer was sentenced on Wednesday for stealing 526-thousand dollars from the trust fund for a special needs person. Tischer was the manager of the fund, which was set up in 2017, but in 2020 one of the banks attached to the fund noticed that large amounts of money were being withdrawn and spent on personal items, and at the casino in Turtle Lake. She was removed as the trustee and charged with wire fraud. Once she's free from prison, Tischer will have to pay back the money, if she can. 

An armed and wanted man in La Crosse is in custody thanks to help from the U.S. Marshals.  La Crosse Police say they found 28-year-old Jerel Jenkins with a number of guns, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest when they arrested him yesterday.  Jenkins was wanted on federal firearms charges.  The Marshals say police in La Crosse, Onalaska, La Crescent, Minnesota, and as far as Eau Claire helped in the investigation to find and arrest Jenkins.

The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says lawmakers are going to see if there's a way they can help the Brewers pay to fix American Family Field.  Assembly Speaker Robin Vos yesterday said Governor Evers has made a stadium funding deal much more difficult by pitting taxpayers against the team.  Vos said he's looking for a deal similar to the one former Governor Scott Walker signed in 2016 that paid for about half of the cost to build Fiserv Forum for the Bucks.  Vos says he thinks there is a way to make it cheaper to keep the team in Milwaukee.

UW Regents say they may have to raise tuition if lawmakers don't give them more money in the new state budget. Regents yesterday said Governor Evers' proposed budget would leave the university about 130 million dollars short of what they asked for. The university asked for 435 million over the next two years, the governor proposed just over 300 million. Regents haven't raised tuition since the legislature rolled back the state-mandated tuition freeze back in 2021. A UW spokesman yesterday said everything is on the table. The governor said UW Regents can raise tuition if they'd like, but he said he doesn't see it happening.

Minnesota overdose awareness and prevention nonprofits are expressing support for a proposal that would make an opioid overdose reversal drug available over the counter.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to make Narcan, a brand-name naloxone nasal spray, a nonprescription drug.  The move would allow the public to purchase it from locations such as gas stations, grocery stores, and vending machines.  FDA officials say a major concern would be the packaging and label instructions for administering the drug.

Two more central Wisconsin deer have tested positive for the chronic wasting disease. The DNR reported on Wednesday that two deer from Marathon County tested positive for the degenerative disease. The two does hunted in the towns of Elderon and Ringle, were harvested as part of last year's deer hunts. The detection renews a feeding and baiting ban in Marathon County.

A Colby couple is charged with failing to provide safe living conditions for their kids. Court documents say an anonymous tip was received about an apartment that smelled of rotting garbage, was filled with flies, and had feces smeared on the walls.  When officers arrived, what was found included a living room floor covered with garbage, no safe place to prepare meals due to trash and clutter on the counters, a crockpot with rotting food, children’s beds with no sheets, and brown smudges on the wall which the children’s mother said was food and marker.  The children who live in the apartment are staying with a relative until the apartment is cleaned and inspected by Social Services.

The Minnesota National Guard is seeing a surge in recruitment.  More than a thousand new recruits enlisted last year.  The Minnesota Guard had the fourth-highest recruitment numbers in the nation last year, behind Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania.  The entire Minnesota Guard worked a combined 100-thousand days in 2020, drastically up from the typical load of a thousand combined days per year.  Guard members were also part of an unprecedented security force during the Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd.

The Green Bay Packers salute law enforcement with special awards.   The NFL team is accepting nominations for the “Packers Protect & Serve Award,” recognizing Wisconsin law enforcement officers who go above and beyond the call of duty.  A release from the team says nominees would be those displaying heroism or an extraordinary commitment to public safety.  Fifteen awards will be presented in the categories of Individual Officer, K-9, School Resource Officer, and Department. There’s more information available on the homepage of the Packers’ website.

St. Mary's University of Minnesota has received a 25-million-dollar donation.  The money will be used to revitalize the liberal arts school, which has campuses in Minneapolis, Rochester, and Winona.  A former student and his family made the massive donation anonymously.  President Father James Burns said this "major investment" motivates the university to advance its "inspirational Lasallian Catholic educational mission." 

Sturgeon season has one Wisconsin man near the top of the record list on Lake Winnebago.  Jim Gishkowsky this week pulled a 177-pound sturgeon out of the lake.  That's big enough to put him seventh on the list of the largest sturgeon ever caught in the Lake Winnebago system.  Gishkowsky says he and a fishing buddy both had to fight to haul the massive fish out of the water.  The largest sturgeon ever caught in the lakes is a whopper, weighing over 212 pounds and caught back in 2010.

Local-Regional News Feb 16

 About 50 workers at the 3M plant in Menomonie got a pink slip this week. The company announced a wave of layoffs tied to a planned 'workforce reduction.' There are about 700 people who work at the plant in Menomonie. The city's mayor says 3M notified his office about the pending layoffs. It's not just workers in Menomonie who are losing their jobs, 3M is planning to lay off 25 hundred people company-wide.

Western Wisconsin's congressman is at the southern border today.  3rd District Congressman Derrick Van Orden is touring the border in Texas. He said he's there to see for himself how millions of illegal immigrants and thousands of pounds of fentanyl are making their way into this country. Van Orden says there is a direct link between the drugs that are crossing the southern border and the people who are dying in Wisconsin from fentanyl overdoses.

Five puppies that were brought to the Dunn County Humane Society are looking for homes after being found in a box near Elk Mound.  The Dunn County Humane Society told WQOW-TV that the puppies arrived at the shelter after being found near the Muddy Creek Wildlife Area.  The humane society is taking applications for the puppies now and it's expected they could go to their forever homes sometime after February 22nd.

UW-Eau Claire is moving to wipe TikTok off of university-owned phones and tablets this week. Campuses across the system are wrapping up their efforts to block TikTok from all university-owned devices. The university says the deadline for that is tomorrow. The UW System is banning TikTok because of worries that TikTok's Chinese owners can spy on and track American users. Students and faculty members can continue to use TikTok on their own phones and tablets.

The trial is set for the two people accused of killing and beheading an Altoona man last spring. A judge yesterday said Tracey Clark and Brandon Gaston will go on trial in March of next year. They are accused of killing, then chopping 79-year-old Dennis Schattie's head off. His body was found in Illinois last April. Both are facing life sentences if convicted. The judge said he expects the trial to take a month.

Hudson schools were locked down yesterday after a report of a threat to attack a local McDonald's and local school.  Police did not know which school was the target so all schools in the district were locked down.  Police went to the McDonald's and the address of the person who tipped off Homeland Security as well as the suspect who allegedly made the threat.  After an investigation of the suspect, no weapons or ammunition were found and it was believed the tip was an attempt at swatting the suspect.   The suspect was released and police do not believe there was ever any threat to the community.  Swatting is the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address.

The state ag department says a meat recall this week in Rice Lake demonstrated the need to keep tabs on where our food is coming from. DATCP Section Chief James Kaplanek says Prime Cuts Meat Market sold pork from a private client to the public without making sure it was inspected, prompting a recall alert. Prime Cuts was only licensed to do on-order butchering for individual clients. Kaplanek says the meat never made it out of the Rice Lake area.

As expected, Governor Tony Evers wants to spend a lot more money in Wisconsin's new state budget. The governor delivered his budget address to lawmakers last night and proposed a nearly 104 billion-dollar spending plan. That's more than 20 billion larger than the current state budget. The governor wants to spend more on everything from public schools to a new paid-family-leave plan for Wisconsin, and he wants to expand Medicaid in the state. Governor Evers says his new budget will 'invest' in Wisconsin. The governor did not, however, mention his plan to spend 300 million dollars on maintenance at American Family Field.

The Republicans who control the state legislature, and who will actually write the new state budget, say just about everything in Governor Evers' proposed budget is not going to happen.  Republicans last night criticized the governor for wanting to spend so much, and expand or create a wave of new programs.  Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says the governor is proposing a 24 percent increase in spending.  He called that 'unrealistic,' and says the Republican budget will be 'dramatically different.'

It's time to start getting ice fishing shacks off the lake. DNR warden Ben Mott says that shifting weather conditions and the return of spring means some lakes are already seeing uneven and thin ice.   Failure to get your shack off the ice before the March 15th deadline could cost you over 250 dollars, and whatever fees it takes to pull a shack out of the water if it falls in.

The Minnesota Supreme Court will not overturn a law barring felons from voting.  In the ruling yesterday, the court essentially punted the issue back to the Minnesota Legislature.  Under the current law, those released from jail or prison are required to wait until they're off probation and have their fines paid before getting their voting rights back. Justice Natalie Hudson dissented from the decision made by Justice Paul Thissen.  She says the law was unconstitutional because it disenfranchises Black and Native American voters at much higher rates.

Wisconsin's race for Supreme Court now has a six million-dollar price tag. The ad tracker, Medium Buying, yesterday said there has now been six million dollars worth of ads purchased in the race. Most of the ads are coming from outside groups, as opposed to the candidates themselves. Voters will narrow the field down next week. There are four candidates, two liberals, and two conservatives. The top two vote-getters will then move on to the election in April. The record for spending in a Supreme Court race in Wisconsin is 10 million dollars.

Wisconsin will receive just over $25 million to address contaminants in drinking water.  The funding announced Tuesday by Wisconsin U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is made possible by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed last fall.  The funds will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities in the state while supporting local economies.  In 2023, Baldwin helped bring in over $8 million for several communities in the Northern part of Wisconsin for remediation of contaminants, including the forever chemicals PFAS, in their drinking water.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice gets just over $4 million to address gun violence prevention. The grant from the U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday aids in administering “red-flag laws” and crisis-intervention programs connected to gun legislation passed by Congress last summer.  The intent of the laws is to temporarily remove guns from people with potentially violent behavior and keep them from harming themselves or others.  Though Wisconsin does not have red-flag laws, the money the state’s Justice Department will get will fund research around gun violence in Wisconsin, behavioral health measures, court-based programs, and training or outreach programs.  

The state Department of Health Services is promoting peer support as a way to address youth mental health needs.  Peer support is a form of community care where those with lived experience help others navigate an issue through supportive relationships. Peer support helps fill gaps in the mental health workforce with roles such as recovery coaches, community health navigators, and certified peer specialists. DHS has a new fact sheet on supporting child well-being through peer support. 

The University of Wisconsin Health is pushing cholesterol screenings after seeing an uptick in kids with high cholesterol.  U-W Health Kids says preventative screenings can help prevent heart disease and death.  Doctors say screenings are important because kids oftentimes don't show symptoms of high cholesterol.  They say cholesterol screenings are especially important for families with a history of heart disease.

Earlier this month, a rescue dog named Koda woke up his owners in the middle of the night while their Brookfield home was going up in flames.  The family got out of the home safely, while Koda suffered smoke inhalation. Brookfield firefighters used a pet oxygen mask to keep the dog alive.  Koda’s owner, Steve Mehnert, tells Fox 6 Milwaukee the dog’s heroics happened on a special day as the fire was on the one-year anniversary of Mehnert's family rescuing Koda from a shelter.  Investigators said the cause of the fire was hot ashes left in a grill outside the home. 

Local-Regional News Feb 15

 The Durand-Arkansaw School board is holding a special meeting tonight.  Only two items are on the agenda and both involve personnel.  The board will take action on the resignation of the Middle School- Hig School Band Director and the resignation of the Caddie Woodlawn Title I Teacher.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5pm in the board room at Durand High School.

The City of Durand would support the governor's proposed increase in shared revenue.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city would support not only an increase in the shared revenue but also an increase in transportation aids for street repairs. The Governor is set to release he proposed biennial budget today.

One person was injured in a two-vehicle accident in Dunn County Monday.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, 60yr old Martin Pederson of Eau Claire was traveling on Hwy 64 and made a left turn onto Hwy 25 south in front of a semi driven by 44yr old Brandon Duffy of Jim Falls.   Pederson was trapped in his vehicle and was extricated by firefighters and med flighted to Mayo Hospital in Eau Claire.  The semi-driver was not hurt.  That accident remains under investigation.

Everyone is okay after a house fire in Chippewa Falls yesterday evening. Firefighters say they got a call to a house on Dover Street just before 6 p.m. That's when they found a sparking light fixture and a fire in the attic. Crews quickly put out the flames. The damage was limited to about 10 thousand dollars, but the family had to find a new place to stay last night because of the smoke and water.

Motorists in Buffalo County will have some construction zones to deal with starting Monday.  The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, says Governor Tony Evers has signed a $4.25 million contract with Prime contractor Larson Construction Co. of Chippewa Falls for the replacement of three bridges on Wisconsin Highway 35 that carry traffic over a tributary of the Mississippi River in Buffalo County.  Three structures, two in Fountain City and one southeast of Fountain City, were built in 1951 and have reached the end of their lives and will be replaced.  During construction, Wisconsin Highway 35 will be reduced to one lane over the structures, and traffic will be controlled by temporary traffic signals.  The project is expected to be completed in August.

The school aide in Black River Falls caught on tape saying something the school district deemed racially insensitive has resigned. The district confirmed the aide's resignation yesterday. A student, Naomi Thunder, recorded the aide suggesting that she 'collect a check' and said Thunder didn't care about her future. The aide was placed on leave earlier this month as the school district investigated.

Wisconsin's governor wants over two and a half billion dollars more for public schools in the state. Governor Evers released his education budget preview yesterday. In addition to a lot more money, the governor wants a statewide free school lunch program, a new focus on student mental health, and a look at student literacy before the fourth grade. The governor has proposed many of the ideas in the past, and the Republicans who control the state legislature have shot them down. Republican lawmakers are expected to do the same with almost all of the governor's suggestions this year as well.

Prospective school bus drivers in Wisconsin won't need to learn their carburetors and fuel pumps, at least not anytime soon. The DMV yesterday said it will continue the waiver for the engine parts portion of the bus drivers' test. Wisconsin began waving that part of the exam in January of last year to make it easier for schools to hire drivers. The new waiver will last until November of next year. The DMV says all other parts of the bus driver's test, including the written test and the road test will remain in place.

As a part of his biennial budget to be announced Wednesday, Governor Evers proposes putting a chunk of it toward keeping up the Milwaukee Brewers’ home stadium.   Evers says Tuesday he would ask for a one-time cash payment of $290 million to the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, which owns and leases American Family Field to the Brewers, to fund maintenance, repairs, and improvements to the stadium.  The proposal would also require the Brewers to chip in on the improvements, sign a non-relocation agreement, and extend the team’s lease to the ballpark to the year 2043.  The Brewers recently pointed out that the district didn’t have the money to fund needed upgrades specified in their lease. If the ballpark district can’t fulfill the lease obligations, the Brewers could leave Milwaukee.

The Oneida County Sheriff's Department cites eight people for operating a snowmobile while intoxicated over the first weekend of February.   The department tells WAOW-TV in Wausau most of the citations were issued after people crashed their sleds or were stopped by law enforcement.  Officials remind snowmobilers to be respectful while on the roads and trails and don't operate a snowmobile while drunk since alcohol impairs an operator’s ability to control their snowmobile and obey road signs.  The state Department of Natural Resources reports ten people have died in snowmobile-related crashes since the beginning of the year.

Bond is set at two million dollars for a former Manitowoc County man charged in a decades-old murder.   Sixty-seven-year-old Gene Meyer is charged in Outagamie County Court with the 1988 murder and sexual assault of Betty Rolf of Grand Chute, whose body was found under a bridge. In 2001 DNA was identified from Rolf’s autopsy, and a familial DNA search done in 2019 led to Meyer. Meyer was arrested in Washington State in December after a DNA sample from his truck matched that collected during the autopsy.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will not hear a challenge to the ruling on UW-Health's nurses' union. The justices yesterday refused to accept the case. SEIU wanted the Supreme Court to decide if UW-health must recognize its nurse's union. Wisconsin's Employment Relations Commission ruled back in November that it did not. Nurses are fighting for union representation, but the hospital is exempt from the state's union laws and can recognize the union if it wants, but the hospital is not required to recognize the nurses union.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is leaving for Norway today.  His office says the purpose of the trip is to strengthen Minnesota's military and economic ties with the nation.  Governor Walz is expected to take part in a signing ceremony for an official state sponsorship program in Trondheim, Norway.  They will observe the 50th anniversary of the Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange.  NOREX is the longest-running military exchange partnership between any two countries.

Data shows the most popular Valentine's Day candy in Wisconsin is a heart-shaped box of chocolates.  Candy-store-dot-com says second and third in Wisconsin are M and M's and conversation hearts.  Candy-store-dot-com says it uses 15 years of online bulk candy sales data to determine the most popular Valentine's Day candy in each state.  It says a record 57-percent of consumers are expected to buy Valentine's Day candy this year.

Local-Regional News Feb 14

 The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include a discussion on Police department staffing, and the foundational layout for the new library, a discussion and possible actions and recreating the parking regulations in the city, and reports from the mayor and city staff.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

A Spring Valley teen was killed in a three-vehicle accident on Saturday in Polk County.  According to the Polk County Sheriff's Department, a car with five people in it was going northbound on Hwy 65 at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control, crossed the center line, and hit two other vehicles.   18yr old Masen Powell along with two other people were thrown from the car.  Powell was pronounced dead at the scene while the other two were taken to the hospital.    That accident remains under investigation.

It's prison time for the Eau Claire man who stole guns, ammo, and some rocket launchers. A judge in Eau Claire yesterday gave 53-year-old Shaun Galloway five years in prison. Galloway pleaded no contest to charges that he stole 15 guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and rocket launchers during a break-in in the town of Drammen last fall. Two other people in the case have already pleaded guilty as well, they're due to be sentenced next month.

Police in Chippewa Falls think they have a serial catalytic converter thief behind bars. Officers yesterday said they've arrested 33-year-old Brandon Gee. He's wanted in connection to 15 different catalytic converter thefts in the area. Gee is also wanted for burglary and other crimes in Eau Claire and is wanted in Dunn County as well. Chippewa Falls detectives say more charges in more cases could be coming.

City Clerks and Election managers in Durand and all other local municipalities are giving their voting machines a once-over. Election managers are testing their election equipment ahead of next week's primary. That means running the machines and getting an audit list together.  Eau Claire city clerk Nicholas Koerner says not only does the test show that the machines are working, but the test should also give people confidence that they can trust the electoral process on Election Day.

Governor Evers wants to include automatic voter registration in the new state budget. The governor delivered another budget preview yesterday, this time focusing on voting. The governor wants to link the DMV and Elections Commission databases to automatically register voters in the state. He also wants to bring voter registration back to high schools, change UW student IDs to become voter ID-eligible, lower the number of days someone needs to live in Wisconsin before they can vote in the state, and make it easier for people to vote absentee. Evers is also proposing more money for local elections offices. None of the governor's voting suggestions are likely to make the final state budget. Governor Evers will deliver that full state budget tomorrow.

Congresswoman Angie Craig is speaking out after being attacked last week.  Craig told KARE11 in an interview that aired last night that she fought off the man who attacked her as she was trying to get out of an elevator in her apartment building.  The Minnesota Democrat says the man had demanded to go to her apartment.  D.C. police say 26-year-old suspect Kendrick Hamilin has a long criminal history in the area.  Hamlin appeared in court yesterday on an assault charge related to the incident.

There's a new plan at the statehouse to define, and ban, strip searches in schools. Three lawmakers from the Green Bay area have a piece of legislation that would make it clear that school officials cannot strip students down to search them. The proposal comes after the superintendent in Suring Schools ordered six high school girls to strip down to their underwear to search for vape cartridges. Prosecutors said they couldn't file charges because Wisconsin law defines strip searches as completely naked. The lawmakers say they want to ban all kinds of strip searches in schools and make sure no other students have to disrobe in front of a teacher or nurse ever again.

One Wisconsin congressman wants President Biden to provide some answers about the objects shot down over the weekend. Congressman Mike Gallagher yesterday said there are times to err on the side of caution, and then there are times to speak to the people. He said the spat of unidentified objects that were shot down over the weekend is a time for the president to speak up. Gallagher is in charge of the new House committee on China, and he said we need to know if these objects are from China or somewhere else, and he said we need to know just how long they've been flying over the United States.

New legislation is aimed at addressing overcrowding at Minnesota hospitals.  A bill unveiled yesterday would require hospitals to set up staffing committees to create sufficient nurse-patient staffing levels.  The bill would also eliminate boarding patients in ERs.  A lack of skilled nursing facilities and at-home caregivers is leading to hospital overcrowding across Minnesota.  Officials say delays in releasing patients are leading to backups in emergency rooms as people wait for beds to open up.  Lawmakers say they are trying to find ways to adequately address the problem of insufficient transitional care.

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A meat market in Rice Lake is recalling some of its pork products.  Prime Cuts Meat Market says it's voluntarily recalling ham and bacon sold in-store between January 25th and February 6th.  The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection says the products weren't properly inspected.

Minnesota DFLers are indicating that they might approve legislation to study the use of emerging nuclear technology to meet clean energy goals.  A new bill would commission research to investigate the potential costs, benefits, and impacts of "advanced nuclear technology reactor power generation."  Republicans attacked DFLers for refusing to lift a ban on new nuclear plants in the electricity regulations signed by Governor Walz on Tuesday.  GOP lawmakers are arguing that the newly-signed measure will lead to higher bills and possible rolling blackouts without a steady power source like nuclear energy.

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson says Social Security needs help. The Wisconsin Republican (on WISN’s Jay Weber Show Friday) said the program is "a legal Ponzi scheme" that will become unsustainable. Johnson said younger people who are now paying for current retirees are 'gonna get hosed.'   Johnson said putting Social Security in the federal budget every year would not mean sunsetting or eliminating the program but would force Congress to decide what spending needs to be prioritized.

Marijuana remains illegal in Wisconsin while lawmakers in neighboring Minnesota consider expanding its use. Medical marijuana is already legal in Minnesota, where former governor Jesse Ventura said it was effective in treating seizures his wife suffered from. Ventura admitted to the then-illegal treatment during a legislative hearing last week in St. Paul, where lawmakers are considering allowing the recreational use of pot. That remains off the table in the Wisconsin legislature, although there is growing Republican support for some limited medical use.

Wisconsin's largest business lobbying group again tops political spending in Madison.  A WisBusiness dot com report shows that Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce spent 1 point 4 million dollars on lobbying in the 2021-22 session of the Legislature. WMC was followed by the Wisconsin Hospital Association at 1 point 3 million and the Realtors Association at 1 point 2 million. All three were also the top lobbyists during the previous session. Overall, groups spent over 67 million dollars on lobbying efforts over the last two years. 

A Canadian airline is expanding into the Twin Cities.  WestJet will launch its first-ever service between the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Edmonton, Alberta, in June.  The airline is also launching service in Washington D.C. and Detroit, Michigan. 

Local-Regional News Feb 13

 Firefighters from Mondovi, Durand, Alma, Eleva, Nelson, and Strum responded to a structure fire at Five Sar Boat Hull and Auto Body Friday morning.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, when firefighters arrived they found the building fully engulfed with heavy black smoke.  No one was inside the building at the time of the fire and no one was hurt in the blaze.  Hwy 37 was closed for nearly 3hrs as crews battled that fire.  The blaze remains under investigation.

One person was injured in a vehicle accident in Alma on Wednesday.   According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, County Highway crews were working on Hwy 37 and had one lane closed, when an 89yr old from Alma failed to stay in the open lane and crashed into the rear end of a portable seal coat machine.  Highway workers were warned by a nearby flagger and were able to get out of the way prior to the accident.  The driver was taken to the hospital.    That accident remains under investigation, and drivers are reminded to slow down and move over for workers in construction zones.

Wisconsin gas prices are dropping back closer to where they were a month ago.  Triple-A says the statewide average is three dollars and 17 cents a gallon, down nine cents from last Friday.    That's also just 17 cents more expensive than this time last month.  Here in Western Wisconsin, Gas is $3.23 a gallon, which is 26 cents a gallon cheaper than just a few weeks ago.

Pierce Pepin Cares, the charitable foundation of Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS), recently awarded first-quarter grants to four local non-profits. The Pierce Pepin Cares board approved $1,500 grants to the Ellsworth Gift Box Program, Basics for Local Kids, the Assistance and Resource Center (ARC), and the Free Clinic of Pierce and St. Croix Counties.  Basics for Local Kids requested a grant to support two of its programs: purchasing winter wear for children in sizes that aren’t donated and the kids in crisis emergency transition program. ARC’s grant will be used for direct client housing support. The Gift Box Program grant will be used to bridge the shortfall between the number of families who apply and the number of sponsors. The Free Clinic of Pierce and St. Croix Counties will use the grant money to purchase equipment needed for physicians to dictate exam notes.  Pierce Pepin Cares is funded by PPCS members who generously round up their monthly energy bills to the nearest dollar through Operation Round Up®, as well as direct donations.

It was a series of crashes that closed Highway 53 near Altoona Friday night. Altoona Police say they first responded to a report of a truck on fire near the River Prairie exit. As they were clearing that, there were a couple of rear-end crashes in the backed-up traffic. As crews were finishing with those crashes, police say a drunk driver caused another crash. There were injuries in the crashes, but no reports of any serious injuries. In all, the highway was closed for about two hours.

The city of Eau Claire is looking to add a wheel tax of its own. The city council is set to talk about creating a new wheel tax tomorrow night. No one is saying just how much the new tax would be. Eau Claire County started its 30-dollar wheel tax back in 2019. The city of Eau Claire says it wants to use the money to pay for more road construction. Most wheel taxes in Wisconsin are between 10 and 30 dollars.

The sheriff in La Crosse County is not saying why a child's death over the weekend is considered suspicious. Deputies found the child dead at a home in the Town of Medary Saturday morning. Detectives say their investigation is ongoing. There is an autopsy scheduled this week.

The jets that shot down the unidentified object over Lake Huron came from Madison. The Pentagon yesterday said F-16s out of Truax Field found and destroyed the object. It was the fourth flying object shot down by American fighter pilots in the past week or so. The mission temporarily closed the airspace over part of Lake Michigan. The Pentagon says the F-16s found the flying object over the UP, and blew it up when it was about 15 miles offshore over Lake Huron.

Governor Evers' tax cut plan focuses on families who get the earned income child tax credit. The governor on Friday released another preview of his budget, this time talking about tax cuts. The governor has said he will not sign the Republican tax cut plan that would move Wisconsin to a three-and-a-quarter percent flat tax, instead, he wants to create or increase some tax credits. Evers' plan includes a new caregiver tax credit and would expand both the Earned Income Child Tax Credit and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. For businesses, the governor says he wants to end the personal property tax that many business groups in Wisconsin have wanted dead for years. The governor will deliver his full budget presentation on Wednesday.

There is growing support at the Wisconsin Capitol to send more state money to cities for their public safety needs.  Milwaukee Democrat Lena Taylor and Racine Republican Van Wanggaard were on UPFRONT over the weekend, and both said they could see an agreement on shared revenue this spring.  Shared revenue is the money that the state shares with local governments.  Taylor and Wanggaard said the sticking point is going to be how that money can be spent, and how much must go towards police, fire, and EMS.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is expanding its tuition promise program for low-income students.  Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin outlined the new Bucky's Pell Pathway in her first address to the UW Board of Regents on Thursday.  The program covers full tuition for Wisconsin students whose families earn below a certain income threshold.  The university guarantees it will provide enough money in grants, scholarships, and work-study money to cover all of the qualifying students' financial needs.  Mnookin estimates the program will benefit about 800 students when it launches in the fall.

Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature propose a bill that requires state residents convicted of felony crimes to pay restitution costs before they can vote. Current Wisconsin statutes have a person convicted of a felony denied the right to vote unless it's restored through a pardon or through the completion of a prison sentence, parole, extended supervision or probation.   Republicans in the legislature say the measure will put victims’ rights before the rights of criminals.  Democrats call it another form of disenfranchisement, pointing out its effect on low-income individuals and people of color. There’s been no hearing yet on the bill, and one of its sponsors, Two Rivers Republican Representative Shae Sortwell, says if Governor Tony Evers vetoes the bill, he’ll consider moving it into law through a constitutional amendment.

Dane County deputies say a Bristol woman is out 35 hundred dollars after she sent money to someone posing as a Sun Prairie police officer.   Sheriff's spokesperson Elise Schaffer (shay-fir) says deputies helped prevent another 35 hundred dollars from making it to the scammer.   Schaffer says your local police department or any police department is not going to call you over the phone and demand money right away. If you get one of these calls, simply hang up.

Milwaukee Police Officer Peter Jerving is being remembered in the city he served and across the state of Wisconsin. Jerving’s funeral will be held today and will have a police procession carrying Jerving's casket to Brookfield’s Elmbrook Church, and another procession carrying the casket from the church to the cemetery.  Thousands of people, including police departments from across the state and country, are expected to attend. The 37-year-old officer died after a shootout with a 19-year-old robbery suspect who also died.

A free school meal program is one step closer to becoming a reality in Minnesota.  The state House passed the bill last night despite opposition from Republicans who argue wealthy families don't need free meals.  DFL leaders say the measure will ensure students are set up for success and never go hungry.  It heads to the state Senate next.  Last night, Governor Tim Walz [[ walls ]] tweeted he's ready to sign the bill into law.

 More than 30 south central Wisconsin cheese and dairy manufacturers are competing in this year's U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.  Contest organizers announced this week that products from 31 regional companies and their cooperatives are among more than two-thousand entries across 113 classes of products from dairy processors in 35 states.  Entries will be judged February 21st through the 23rd at Resch Expo in Green Bay.  The champion will be announced on February 23rd.