Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Local-Regional News March 14

 One person was injured in a single-vehicle accident in River Falls Township on Friday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 45yr old Lisa Cary of River Falls was traveling northbound on Hwy E when she lost control on the snow-covered road, and the vehicle overturned.  Cary was transported to United Hospital in St. Paul.


The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on authorizing Ehlers to solicit proposals for a $250,000 General Obligation Promissory Note to finance equipment for the Public Works Department, an update from the Chief of Police Interview Committee, and a recommendation from the Finance Committee on the investment of City Funds.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.


Motorists along Hwy 35 from Alma to the Trempealeau County line are encouraged to slow down.  The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department along with the Wisconsin State Patrol has announced enhanced traffic enforcement for Hwy 35.  The enhanced enforcement will be this Friday from 7pm-Midnight and there will be extra patrols watching out for speeders and those driving under the influence.  


Residents here in Western Wisconsin in need of help to cover the costs of internet service should enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program from the FCC.  The program helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare, and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.  For more information or to apply, visit fcc.gov/acp


Six people are in jail in Black River Falls as the sheriff in Jackson County is investigating a death.  There aren't many answers about the case, but investigators say it began last week with a report of a missing person.  On Friday, deputies learned the missing person was actually dead.  They found the body and then arrested six people.  None of them, however, are facing any kind of homicide or accidental death charges.  They are all either facing drug charges or charges for obstruction.  The sheriff's office says the investigation is ongoing.


The standoff in Lac du Flambeau is over, for now.  The Lac du Flambeau Tribe on Saturday agreed to remove the barricades that essentially trapped more than 60 non-tribal members in their homes.  The tribe is upset over some roads that connect those homeowners to the Town of Lac du Flambeau.  The agreement pays the tribe 60 thousand dollars for the roads and buys the 60 people 90 days of negotiating time.  The tribe wants 20 million dollars for the roads, which it claims were built without permission.  The barricades forced people to travel over the frozen lake to get groceries or get to town, but that lake is starting to thaw and will soon be too dangerous.


There's a warning about a food stamp scam from the state of Wisconsin.  The Department of Health Services says it's received several calls from people who got a text asking them to verify their FoodShare account information.  The texters want pin numbers and account numbers.  DHS says that's a scam.  The state says people should treat their FoodShare card like an ATM card, and never give out their information.   Especially to a random text message.


There will be no shortage of money to close out Wisconsin's race for the Supreme Court.  Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming said over the weekend that he expects more money to flow into conservative candidate Dan Kelly's campaign in the final three weeks.  Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wickler said they will meet and beat whatever money Republicans find.  The race for the court is already the most expensive in US history, with 15 million dollars spent so far.  Voters will make their decision on April 4th.


There's a bit more information about the baby found dead in a field in Whitewater.  Authorities yesterday said the baby was a boy and was less than 48 hours old.  Whitewater Police found the little boy in a bag, inside a cardboard box in a field on Whitewater's north side on March 4th.  There is still no word about the baby's parents, or how he died.  Investigators say the case is open and they are looking for tips.


Ten more people are facing charges in connection to the massive "Feeding Our Future" fraud scheme in Minnesota.  U.S. Attorney Andy Luger made that announcement today, bringing the total number of people charged in the case to 60.  Together, the suspects allegedly used over 250 million dollars in federal funds to buy property, real estate, and more--rather than feed underserved children.  One of the new defendants is accused of buying an airplane with the money, and another is accused of purchasing a laundromat with the goal of laundering money through the business. 


 A Minneapolis GOP donor accused of federal child sex trafficking will stand trial next week.   Anton Lazzaro is scheduled to appear before Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz in Minneapolis on March 20.  Jury selection will begin the next day and prosecutors believe the trial will last 12 days.  Co-defendant Gisela Castro Medina is expected to testify about how she helped Lazarro track down young girls on social media.


 Don't expect the new state budget to look much different than the current state budget. The Republicans who will write Wisconsin's next spending plan were on Capital City yesterday. State Senator Howard Marklein and State Rep. Mark Born said they expect to follow the same path as they did two years ago, and write their own state budget. Both said there's very little from Governor Evers' plan that will make the final cut. Madison's State Senator, Melissa Agard was also on the show, she once again pushed for legal marijuana in the state.


Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to shed more light on the state's Parole Commission decisions. A Senate panel will meet tomorrow to take up a plan that would force transparency on the Parole Commission. Currently, the commission is exempt from the state's open meetings law. The new proposal would require the Commission to not only give the public notice of when it is meeting but also to post any parole decisions on the state's Department of Corrections website. The legislation comes after a series of questions about just who the Parole Commission was letting out of prison last year.


A boy was mugged on the streets of Sheboygan this weekend.    Police say the 11-year-old was walking home late Sunday morning with a shopping bag of items when he was attacked by a 57-year-old man.  The boy was taken to the hospital to get checked out. With the help of neighbors, Sheboygan police arrested the man, who they say has an extensive criminal history.


The Department of Natural Resources is looking for input on a possible restart of commercial trout fishing on Lake Michigan. DNR Fisheries Supervisor Brad Eggold says they're holding a series of meetings to get input from researchers and anglers to see if the current state of the fishery is strong enough to support a commercial season. The fishery collapsed in the 40s and 50s after invasives like sea lamprey made it into the Great Lakes. The next meeting is March 20th at Lakeshore Technical College. You can find out more online at D N R dot W I dot Gov.


The State Capitol got a visit from hundreds of Girl Scouts over the weekend. Nearly 300 Girl Scouts were in Madison to take part in Girl Scouts Democracy Day. Scouts of all ages got to meet state legislators, took part in debates, and cast mock ballots on voting machines. They also got to meet several Scouts from other countries and heard from Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, who is also a Scout. Democracy Day is designed to help scouts learn about being a citizen.

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