Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Local-Regional News March 22

 The Durand-Arkansaw School Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on the settlement with Juul as part of the Vaping Class Action Lawsuit, an amended joint library agreement with the city of Durand, and reports from the district superintendent and school administrators.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6 in the Board Room at Durand High School.


The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a request from the Gruber trust to divide one lot into three, along with reports from the mayor, city administrator, and department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live-streamed on our youtube channel.


Pierce-Pepin Cooperative Services is launching a Community Solar Energy Project with One Energy Renewable of Madison.  The project will be located along Highway 35 and County Road K on property that was owned by Tim and Christine Truttma.  The solar project will generate around 4,290,000 kilowatt hours which is enough to power approximately 525 homes.  Pierce-Pepin will purchase the output of the array from OneEnergy. OneEnergy will own, operate, and maintain the facility including working closely on a productive vegetation management program that uses sheep to graze between the panels during the summer and fall.  Construction is slated to begin this year and its hoped to be operational by the end of the year.


The state is weighing-in against the plans to annex part of the town of Washington into Eau Claire.  The Department of Administration yesterday said the move is "not in the public's interest."  The ruling from the state comes after Eau Claire's Plan Commission voted Monday night against the annexation as well.  A local developer has been trying for three years to build a new subdivision in Orchard Hills, despite stiff opposition from neighbors.  The city of Eau Claire, however, continues to support the plan.  City Attorney Steve Nick says the state is both "factually, and legally incorrect."  City leaders are going to vote on the annexation next week.


Nearly one-in-five school districts in Wisconsin are asking for more money this spring.  The Wisconsin Association of School Boards this week said 82 schools across the state have tax hike questions on the April ballot.  That's just under 20 percent of the 421 school districts across the state.  Most of the referendum questions are for day-to-day operations, though some school districts are asking voters for more money to build or improve buildings.  There were 81 school districts that asked for more money back in November.


Oktoberfest is a big money maker in La Crosse.  A new report from UW-Whitewater says the annual beer and brat fest is worth 26 million dollars.  Researchers say that includes all of the money spent at Oktoberfest, the gas, hotel rooms, other food, and of course beer that visitors buy each fall.  The report says a lot of the money goes to or comes from local non-profits that then use the money raised for other good works.  A.J. Frels, executive director of Explore La Crosse, says Oktoberfest is the area's largest festival and is an example of the hospitality that La Crosse has to offer.


The candidates for Wisconsin Supreme Court, as expected, disagreed entirely during their only debate yesterday. Liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz and Dan Kelly met on the stage for the only time this campaign. Protasiewicz tried to paint Kelly as extreme on abortion, while Kelly hammered Protasiewicz for light sentences for criminals and her politicization of the race for the high court. The race is being closely watched across the country and is the most expensive ever. Reports have the price tag somewhere between 20 and 30 million dollars so far. Voters will choose between the two on April 4th.


Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is moving forward with a bill designed to make it harder to sell stolen catalytic converters in Minnesota.  Walz signed a bill yesterday making it a crime to possess an improperly marked detached converter.  The new law comes as the market for reclaimed precious metals in exhaust components is skyrocketing.  St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon says the community has seen a 700-percent increase in catalytic converter theft in the most recent reporting period.


Democratic lawmakers in Wisconsin are working on a bill to make abortions legal again.  The bill was introduced today and Governor Tony Evers says it would restore Wisconsin's abortion laws to what they were before Roe v. Wade was overturned.  Right now abortions are banned in Wisconsin except for when the mother's life is at risk.  Republicans recently introduced their own bill that would continue restricting abortion access but allow exceptions in certain cases of rape and incest.  However, Evers says he won't pass legislation that doesn't return Wisconsin to Roe v. Wade abortion laws.


Minneapolis-based Foxo Technologies Incorporated is under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Officials with the biotechnology company said the regulatory agency is seeking documents related to Jon Sabes termination as CEO and his resignation from the company's board of directors.  The SEC is also looking at Steven Sabes's termination as chief operating officer.


“An odd story.” That from Governor Tony Evers, on suggestions from some Republican lawmakers regarding his pick for Secretary of State  That’s Sarah Godlewski, the former state Treasurer and US Senate candidate who dropped out of the primary. Mandela Barnes later lost to incumbent Ron Johnson.  Doug LaFollette, who’d been Secretary of State for decades, abruptly resigned last week, and Evers tapped Godlewski for the job. LaFollette was just reelected in November. Evers won’t call a special election to fill the remainder of his term, as called for by some Republicans. 


About 60 unlucky people got stuck on the ski lifts on Granite Peak in Wausau on Sunday. Ski hill general manager Greg Fisher tells WAOW-TV that says it it's something that ski parks have to be ready for.  Ski Patrol managed to get everyone down safely from the chairs using a rope system. The lifts are expected to reopen later this week after repairs and testing.


A man accused of stealing a van from a Rockford, Illinois funeral home with a corpse inside is arrested in Green Bay.  The Brown County Sheriff's Office says Deon Howard was arrested following a traffic stop Sunday morning.  A search of the vehicle Howard was a passenger in led to a gun stolen from Outagamie County.  Authorities then learn of Howard's warrants through Appleton and Rockford.  Police in Rockford say the van with the corpse in it was stolen on January 21st.  It was found without the corpse the next day by Chicago police.  The missing body was found on Chicago’s south side on January 23rd. Police identified Howard as the suspect in the case after a follow-up investigation.


Madison Police arrested a burglary suspect last week for the third time in eight days. Officers arrested the 37-year-old last Thursday after getting a 911 call that he was inside a woman's home on South Blair Street. Madison Police arrested the same man last Wednesday after he was found in an apartment building where he does live. He was also arrested back on March 9th after police say they found him checking the doors of cars in a parking deck.

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