Local-Regional News April 28

 Durand Public Works crews are starting to prep the Tarrant Park Pool for the upcoming season.  Public Works Superintendent Matt Gillis told council members that the pool didn't winter very well and this could very well be the last year the pool can be used.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city will make every effort to have a pool season. Crews hope to do a test fill of the pool coming up in the next few weeks.

With prom just around the corner, the Durand Police Department with help from the Wisconsin State Patrol, Durand Fire and Ambulance, and Rhiel Funeral Home is conducting a mock drunk driving crash for Durand-Arkansaw Students.  Durand Police Chief Stan Ridgeway says the demonstration is as realistic as possible.  After the crash demonstration, students meet in the gym with everyone involved in the demonstration for presentations to discuss what had happened.

The Mondovi City Council is looking at reviewing Chapter 9 of the city ordinances in regard to excessive noise.  Over the last few years, residents have complained about people playing loud music, shooting off fireworks, and having loud outdoor parties well into the night.  Last fall the council did raise the fines for violation of the ordinance and is wanting to see if the extra enforcement of the noise ordinance will help reduce the complaints.

The Pierce County Sheriffs' Department has announced the release of a sex offender back into the county.  61yr old Michael Condon Sr will be released on May 2nd back into the county and will be under electronic monitoring.  Condon will also be required to continue to have contact with law enforcement, no unsupervised contact with minors, and comply with all sex offender rules.  At this time Condon's address is homeless.  

One woman is dead after a two-vehicle accident in the town of Washington on Wednesday.  According to the Eau Claire County Sheriff's Department, 44yr old Jacqueline Matz of Eau Claire was killed when her vehicle was struck head-on while traveling on Hwy 53 near North Road.

There is now more help for police officers and deputies in Eau Claire County. The Eau Claire Community Foundation yesterday said it has created a mental health fund for law enforcers. The idea, Sheriff Dave Riewestahl says, is to make sure police officers and deputies can speak to someone about mental health struggles without having to pay for anything out of pocket. There's no word on how much money is available, though the Community Foundation says the fund will be paid for with donations.

The driver who hit and killed a woman earlier this month in the town of Lafayette won't face any charges. Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes says the deadly wreck happened April 14th. No one is saying just what happened, or why prosecutors are deciding against charges in the case.

Minnesota 2nd District Congresswoman Angie Craig is no longer requiring her staffers to have a bachelor's degree.  Craig announced the new policy yesterday.  The move is designed to expand the pool of candidates as enrollment at colleges declines and higher education costs continue to skyrocket.  Craig told KARE11 News that she is the first member of Congress, to her knowledge, to take this step. 

The Winona Police Department and Winona Emergency Manager are making new requests to property owners in Winona and Filmore Counties in the search for Madeline Kingsbury, who has been missing for nearly a month. Investigators are asking property owners in these counties to report old wells from before 1925, old homesteads, windmills or windmill bases. Investigators are also asking people to report any sinkholes that are accessible by car. Authorities said this information is not available in records and could lead to new searches.

A former northwestern Wisconsin prosecutor is looking at a decade behind bars for making sex tapes with women without their knowledge. A jury yesterday found former Burnett County Assistant District Attorney Daniel Steffen guilty on all three charges of capturing an intimate representation. Investigators say Steffen used his iPad to secretly make the sex tapes. One of those tapes was with a woman who Steffen was prosecuting at the time. She said they had sex so she could get a break on her case. Steffen is facing ten years in prison when he is sentenced.

 Wisconsin's governor says he's been briefed on the train derailment in the southwestern corner of the state that injured four people. As many as 20 cars from a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train left the trucks near De Soto, Wisconsin yesterday afternoon. Two cars carrying paint went into the Mississippi River, but they were later secured to the bank. Other cars carrying lithium-ion batteries and oxygen containers didn't make it into the river. BNSF is not saying what caused the derailment.

The plan from Assembly Republicans to send more money to local governments in Wisconsin comes with a lot of strings.  Local Republican lawmakers, including Warren Petryk, yesterday unveiled a plan to send as much as a half-billion dollars to local governments.  About half would come from an increase in shared revenue, the rest would come from an innovation fund designed to get local governments to share things like police and fire services.  The proposal dedicates almost all of the new money to public safety, like police, fire, and EMS.  But the proposal has a ways to go. Republicans in the State Senate yesterday said the shared revenue plan is still a work in progress.  Democrats at the Capitol say the plan needs some changes.

Chippewa County's largest bridge has been downgraded again. The county's highway commissioner this month cut the weight limit on the County Highway M bridge in Holcombe. It's the second time the county has limited the weight on the bridge, highway managers issued a similar order back in February. The new weight limit is just 20 tons. That means most semi-trucks and some fire trucks can no longer use the bridge. School buses and most cars are fine. Chippewa County says crews found distortions in the bridge's trusses.

Some of the worst flooding in decades in many Wisconsin communities along the Mississippi River.   Those along the Upper Mississippi scrambled Wednesday to stack sandbag walls, close off flood-prone areas, and evacuate some from their homes.  The melting of a huge snowpack in northern Minnesota along with heavy spring rains has led to the swelling of the river from St. Paul to Davenport, Iowa to near-record levels.  The river stage at LaCrosse is forecast to crest Thursday near 16.1 feet.  That’s the third-highest in the city’s history and its highest since 2001.   Downstream from LaCrosse, the river is expected to crest on Saturday

Wisconsin’s only oil refinery is resuming operations in Superior. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that it took $1.2 billion to rebuild the facility following an April 26, 2018 explosion and subsequent fires. Three dozen workers were injured and thousands of residents were forced to temporarily evacuate. WPR reports that the refinery — now owned by Calgary-based Cenovus Energy — began introducing crude oil last month and is on track to resume full operations by the end of June. The cost to rebuild the refinery tripled from initial projections, and it took years longer than expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Minnesota House and Senate are taking different approaches to their public safety and tax bills.  The Senate tax bill proposes slightly larger tax rebates than the House bill. The House public safety bill includes controversial gun control measures, including expanding background checks.  The bills in both DFL-led chambers have had very little Republican influence.

Minnesota's Democracy for the People Act is headed to Governor Walz's desk.  The state Senate passed the bill last night that is designed to make it easier for Minnesotans to vote.  The act allows pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, criminalizes voter intimidation and interference, and creates automatic voter registration for all Minnesotans who interact with government agencies.  Republicans attempted to amend the bill's ban on "dark money" without success.

Madison’s baseball team offers a toast to a Wisconsin tradition this summer.  For their July 1st game only, the Northwoods League Madison Mallards will rebrand itself as The Old Fashioneds.  The team will don special uniforms with the Old Fashioneds name, and they’ll also try to break the record for the world’s largest brandy old fashioned, which will be split up and served to those  attending the game at Warner Park, also known as the Duck Pond.  By the way, the alternate nickname for the alternate nickname of the Mallards will be the Brandy O’s.

Local-Regional News April 27

 The City of Durand is moving forward with its ash tree removal program.  At last night's city council meeting the council approved moving forward with offering residents that have ash trees in the boulevard a program where the homeowner would cover 50% of the cost of the tree removal, with 25% covered by the city and 25% covered by a DNR forestry grant.  The $5000 DNR grant matches whatever the city pays for tree removal.  The cost to a homeowner will be approximately $290 per tree.

The Mondovi City Council has ended Tax Increment District 1 and created a new district for the industrial park.  The council approved to end District 1, which had been created in 1989, as it has met its goals and the city is looking to develop the new industrial park on the west side of the city.  The new district's goal is to foster economic development and new residential development and will include the construction of new streets, water and sewer service, and fiber optic internet service.  District 1 will continue to send money to help with District two until the end of the year.

The Durand-Arkansaw FFA held the first annual ag day for middle school students yesterday.  FFA members had different stations set up for middle school students to learn about different facets of agriculture.  Durand-Arkansaw Middle School Principle Sara Sabelko says it was a great chance for middle school students to see their classes working in real life. The FFA is hoping to make ag day an annual event and expand it to the entire student body of the Durand-Arkansaw School District.

The Elmwood School District has received a nearly $25000 fab lab grant to train students in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.  A fab lab, short for fabrication laboratory, is a high-technology workshop equipped with computer-controlled manufacturing components such as 3D printers, laser engravers, computer numerical control (CNC) routers, and plasma cutters. Through its Fab Lab Grant Program, WEDC is supporting the purchase of fab lab equipment for instructional and educational purposes for K-12 students across the state.  A total of 25 districts received the grants.

There are formal charges, but not a lot of details about a weekend shooting death in River Falls. Prosecutors in St. Croix County yesterday filed charges against Michael Price for Sunday's shooting of his neighbor. Police say Price was drunk, and asking for a lawyer when they arrested him. No one is saying what led up to the shooting, or what Price's relationship was with the victim beyond being neighbors. Price is being held in the St. Croix County Jail on a 750 thousand-dollars bond.

While gas prices continue to fall in Wisconsin, prices in Durand seem to be on an island. According to Gas Buddy dot Com, as of early this morning, gas was still at $3.59 in the city, while in Mondovi gas was at $3.34.  Alma had gas at $3.28, Plum City 3.25, Menomonie  3.26, and Colfax at 3.19.   The average price of gas is Wisconsin this week was $3.41 a gallon.

Eau Claire's marathon will kick-off this weekend, even if the Chippewa River doesn't cooperate. Race director Emi Uelmen says they've been watching the flood for some time, and are ready to move the race's path if need be. Uelmen says the goal is always to make the marathon a Boston Marathon-qualifier. Runners can start with a 5k and 10k on Saturday, then the full marathon kicks off at 7 a.m. Sunday morning.

The state of Wisconsin is finally ending its coronavirus emergency. The state's Department of Health Services yesterday said it will 'transition' away from emergency footing as the Biden Administration prepares to end the national emergency declaration in about two weeks. DHS boss Kirsten Johnson says just because Wisconsin is ending its coronavirus emergency, that doesn't mean the coronavirus is going away.

A teen suspect in a deadly shooting at the Mall of America will stand trial as an adult.  Lavon Longstreet is accused of shooting 19-year-old Johntae Hudson inside the Nordstrom department store at the mall the day before Christmas Eve last year.  Hudson later died.  Longstreet is charged with second-degree murder and assault.  An accomplice faces the same charges, while two other teens face riot charges for their role in the fight that led to the gunfire.

The plan to change Wisconsin's unemployment system is moving at the Wisconsin Capitol, but it isn't going far. Republicans in the State Assembly Tuesday approved plans to tie unemployment benefits to the state's jobless rate, require people on unemployment to actually look for work and take jobs if they are offered, as well as a plan to have people prove they are eligible for BadgerCare. Not a single Democrat voted for any of the plans. The reforms now head to the Wisconsin Senate, where they're expected to pass, before going to Governor Evers who will almost certainly veto them.

A member of the state's legislative joint finance committee wants to see more funding in the budget for rural roads and bridges. State Senator Joan Ballweg says lack of maintenance has led to stricter and stricter weight limits on rural roads. The Markesan Republican says those roads are vital for farmers and the ag industry to get their equipment and harvests where they need to go. She's hoping to get 150 million dollars in the budget for road repairs.

A judge in Racine has dismissed the felony corruption charges against Wisconsin's former parole chief. The judge yesterday tossed the case against John Tate the Second. Prosecutors initially filed felony charges alleging Tate used his position as Racine Common Council president to create a new job as a violence interruption coordinator and then negotiated his way into that job. The charges say that violated Wisconsin's law about getting a personal benefit from a public contract. Tate was at the center of last year's scandal at the Wisconsin Parole Commission after questions surfaced about just who was being let out of prison early. Tate resigned as Racine council president last week, he's now free to start his new job.

 Minnesota lawmakers are considering a proposal that would empower the state attorney general to serve as a gatekeeper for Minnesota healthcare mergers.  The bill would prohibit hospital and clinic mergers that "substantially lessen competition" and would allow the attorney general to go to court to block transactions that don't benefit Minnesota.  The bill was amended Monday to focus on larger mergers and exempt smaller, rural hospitals and clinics from reporting requirements. 

The collapse of a parking structure at a Milwaukee-area mall is leaving those affected by it caught in the middle. The insurance company for Bayshore Mall has denied claims of those whose vehicles were damaged or stranded following the February incident.  The insurer says the liability lies with the company contracted to plow snow for the mall due to their piling up of snow on the upper floors of the garage.  The collapse crushed two cars and trapped 56 cars inside the structure for a week.  

Wisconsin is one of the least gambling-addicted states in America.  WalletHub's latest study ranks Wisconsin sixth-to-last for gambling addiction, saying it's not a gambling-friendly state.  Wisconsin is the least-gambling addicted state in the Midwest, one spot ahead of Kansas and two spots ahead of Nebraska.  WalletHub says the most gambling-addicted state is Nevada and the least is Utah.

NASCAR racing will return to the Milwaukee Mile this summer.  The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will hold the Clean Harbors 175 race at the historic oval at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis on August 27th.  It’s the first time since 2009 that a NASCAR event will happen at the track.  Outside of the years during World War II, the state fairgrounds has hosted at least one auto race every year since 1903.  

Local-Regional News April 26

 Two people were injured in a 2 vehicle accident yesterday on Hwy 85 near Vrandenburg Road.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, 58yr old David Goodrich of Deer Park, WI was traveling northbound on Hwy 85 and was attempting a left turn into a business driveway when he was struck by a southbound vehicle driven by 78yr old Forest Kobernick of Cameron.  It's unclear why Goodrich did not see the oncoming traffic and turned in front of Kobernick.  Goodrich was taken to an Eau Claire Hospital with serious injuries, while Kobernick was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

There's some worry that a wet weekend will only make western Wisconsin's flooding worse. Forecasters say there's at least a chance for rain tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday across the western part of the state. The Chippewa River in Durand and the Mississippi River in Wabasha are already flooded, and the National Weather Service says the new rain could push them even higher. The Chippewa River has been falling since last weekend and was at 13.8 feet in Durand as of this morning, while the Mississippi in Wabasha was reported at 16.9 feet.

One person was injured in a single-vehicle accident in Clifton Township Monday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 47yr old Ann Weiss of River Falls was traveling eastbound on Hwy M when she lost control of the vehicle and entered the ditch.  Weiss was taken to River Falls Area Hospital.

One person was injured in a single-vehicle accident in the town of Arcadia yesterday.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, 21yr old Valeria Lopez-Sandolva of Arcadia was traveling westbound on Hwy 95, entered the westbound shoulder, overcorrected, and rolled several times in the eastbound ditch.  Lopez-Sandolva was med flighted to an area hospital with serious injuries.

Reconstruction of North Eau Clarie Street is underway in Mondovi.  The construction began yesterday and drivers will need to take Columbia Avenue to Franklin Street as a detour.  Residents along North Eau Claire Street will have temporary mailboxes set up on Glen Avenue during construction.  The project includes the widening of the street, and replacing of water and sewer lines and sidewalks.  The $4.4 million project is expected to be completed by this fall. 

Xcel Energy and the Wabasha County Sheriff's Department is warning of a phone scam.    According to a social media post from the Sheriff's Department, there have been numerous complaints of someone calling residents claiming to be from Xcel Energy asking for payments upfront to complete transactions.    According to Xcel, customers should contact the company directly using the customer service line at 800-895-4999 in order to start new service or conduct business.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action regarding the Ash Tree Program grant the city received, applying for a Federal Cops Grant, and reports from the mayor and city department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live-streamed on our YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN.

3M is cutting six thousand jobs globally.  Officials say the move is to save money and to become a stronger company.  3M previously announced 25 hundred manufacturing layoffs for a combined reduction of close to ten percent of the businesses' workforce.  The recent cuts are expected to save 3M 700 million to 900 million dollars annually.  No word on how the job cuts would affect the Menomonie location.  Yesterday's announcement comes alongside a sales report detailing a nine percent drop in sales compared to this quarter last year and a 25 percent drop in net income.

Eau Claire's Fourth of July Fireworks aren't moving, but at least one member of the city council isn't sure the city needs fireworks this year. The council on Tuesday deadlocked over whether to move the fireworks show from Carson Park. Firefighters and other city leaders say the show at Carson Park could be dangerous and expensive. They want to move the fireworks show to the High Bridge. Councilman Andrew Werthmann, however, said there are some 'downsides' to having a fireworks show at all. City manager Stephanie Hirsch said Tuesday's vote leaves the Fourth of July show in limbo because of the 'unanswered questions.'

Supporters of a flat tax in Wisconsin are willing to play the long game. A Senate panel heard from lawmakers, budget reformers, and small business owners yesterday on the plan to tax Wisconsin to a flat, three-and-a-quarter percent income tax. The idea is to make Wisconsin a standout in the Midwest, and a competitor to zero-income-tax states like Tennessee and Florida. Governor Evers has promised to veto any flat tax proposal the legislature sends him. Chris Reader with the Institute for Reforming Government says it is what it is, but says this year's tax reform will be just the first step toward eventually getting a lower and flatter tax rate in Wisconsin.

The candidates for chancellor of Minnesota State University are down to two.  The finalists are Winona State University President Scott Olson and the University of Alabama official Tonjanita Johnson.  The next leader of Minnesota State will replace Chancellor Devinder Malhotra, who plans to retire in August.  The finalists will be interviewed tomorrow by members of the board of trustees followed by public forums on Thursday.  The selection will be made on May 9.

A proposed bill would have drunk drivers that kill a parent in the state pay child support.  The idea, called Bentley’s Law, started in Missouri when a grandmother advocated that her grandson be granted child support after a drunk driver killed his parents and younger brother. A point legislators say would need to be ironed out before a vote on the bill happens is whether a vehicle that caused a fatality would include such non-automobile vehicles as snowmobiles, ATV’s or boats.  Tennessee is the only state to pass Bentley’s Law while a dozen other states, including Wisconsin, are trying to turn the concept into law. 

Wisconsin health officials introduce a tool to help detect lead poisoning in kids.   The Childhood Lead Poisoning Data Explorer breaks down the state by the number of children under the age of six poisoned by lead.  The Wisconsin Department of Health Services also says the tool, which was presented to legislators last week, provides such other data as the number of children tested for poisoning, and the age of housing in specific areas of the state.  State health officials say poorly maintained houses and apartments create high-risk environments for children to be poisoned by lead.  Governor Evers’ proposed budget includes $17 million for lead poisoning prevention and response. 

Wisconsin's Republican U.S. Senator continues to push for a statewide vote on abortion. Senator Ron Johnson told a crowd in Milwaukee yesterday a statewide referendum may be the best way to set limits on abortion in Wisconsin. He said he doesn't see voters in the state allowing abortion much past 12 weeks. Johnson first brought up the idea of a statewide vote before the November election. Wisconsin law, however, doesn't allow for a binding statewide referendum.

A federal judge is staying her own order that would have struck down Minnesota's minimum age requirement to obtain a permit to carry a gun.  U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez issued the stay yesterday, putting a 30-day hold on her ruling last month that would have eliminated a requirement that residents be at least 21 years old to get a permit to carry.  The judge said yesterday that there could be issues if her initial ruling was overturned. 

There is something new in the skies above Madison. The Air National Guard says the first F-35 fighter jets arrived at Truax Field yesterday.  In all, Madison's 115th Fighter Wing will get 20 F-35 jets over the next year. They are replacing Madison's current group of F-15 fighters. Many local leaders didn't want the jets to come to town and even tried to stop their transfer. Guard commanders say the new jets will ensure Truax Field's future for years to come.

Local-Regional News April 25

 Due to the flooding of the Mississippi River, Hwy 35 is closing in parts of Buffalo and Trempealeau Counties.  Crews from the Buffalo and Trempealeau County Highway Departments are setting up a detour of WIS 35, closing the highway in Buffalo County from Hwy 37 in Alma to just south of Fountain City because of flooding.  The detour will follow Hwy 37, US 10, and  WIS 93.   South of Fountain City, Hwy 54 from the Minnesota/Wisconsin border east to its intersection with WIS 35 will remain open as will WIS 35/54 from WIS 54 to the east.

One person was injured in a single-vehicle accident in Ellsworth Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 77yr old Thomas Phernetton of Beldenville was traveling southbound on Hwy J when he suffered a medical emergency and became unconscious and the vehicle crashed.  Phernetton was taken to Red Wing Hospital, while two passengers in the vehicle were not hurt.

The Durand Citywide spring clean-up is underway.  Residents will be able to collect leaves and small branches and put them curbside for city crews to pick up and remove.   Leaves and small branches should be put in separate piles.  Durand Public Works Superintendent Matt Gills says crews will pick up those piles in two separate rounds.  The clean-up continues until May 7th, and for a complete list of what is and is not eligible for the clean-up, contact Durand City Hall or visit the City's Facebook Page.

The high water on the Mississippi River has forced the Army Corps of Engineers to close the river to all commercial and recreational traffic.  The Corps made the announcement over the weekend and the closures include lock and dam 4 in Alma and lock and dam 5 and 5a in Minnesota City and Fountain City and lock and dam 6 in Trempealeau.  All of the locks are expected to be closed for around a week to 10 days depending on the location and river levels and when it is safe to resume navigation. Lock and Dam 2, Hastings, Minnesota; Lock and Dam 7, La Crescent, Minnesota; and Lock and Dam 9, Lynxville, Wisconsin, are not expected to close at this time.

A 47yr old River Falls woman was found dead on Monday.  According to the River Falls Police Department, the woman's body was found on the 500 block of Bandle Street early Monday morning.  Police say she died from an apparent gunshot wound.  Police say there is no threat to the community and are investigating the death.

Larry Lokken isn't getting out of prison early, but he does have an outside job. A judge yesterday dismissed Lokken's request to end his nine-year prison sentence. Lokken is serving time for stealing a million dollars from taxpayers while he was Eau Claire County's treasurer. Lokken is working outside the prison, under close supervision, at a rehab program in Fort Atkinson. He's had that job for about a year and a half. But it's not earning him much money, he still owes over a half-million dollars in restitution to the county.

It was a sad anniversary in the Chippewa Valley yesterday; it's been one year since Lily Peters was murdered. Family and friends marked the anniversary yesterday. The teenager accused of raping and killing Peters awaits trial while in jail. The D.A. says the case is not going to trial anytime soon -- in fact, the next hearing in the case isn't scheduled until later this summer. That hearing will determine if the teenager is tried as a juvenile, or tried as an adult.

Western Wisconsin's congressman is blasting the Biden Administration for how it's handling the war in Sudan. Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden took to Twitter yesterday to say the president is abandoning 16 thousand of Americans in Sudan as that country falls into civil war. Van Order said President Biden evacuated government employees and 'left the everyday Americans to fend for themselves' in a war zone. The U.S. evacuated some of its embassy staff over the weekend. Van Orden called it 'repulsive' and 'Afghanistan 2-point-oh.'

A Wisconsin senator wants some answers about this month's wildfire at Fort McCoy. Senator Tammy Baldwin yesterday sent a letter to the Army asking about the controlled burn at the fort that may have sparked the wildfire. That fire burned over three thousand acres and forced some people to evacuate their homes. Commanders at the fort say they have not yet determined if their controlled burn started the fire, though Fort McCoy is currently accepting damage claims because of the fire. Baldwin wants to know what kind of risk assessment the Army does before starting its controlled fires.

The Biden Administration is siding with the Lac du Flambeau Tribe in the lawsuit over road closures on its reservation. The federal government this month filed a brief in the case, urging the court to dismiss it. Several non-tribal members are suing the tribe over its barricade of their neighborhood last winter. The tribe says it's owed millions of dollars for the roads that connect those people's homes with the community off the reservation. The case is pending. The roads remain open under a 90-day negotiation window, but the deadline to reach an agreement and keep the roads open is in June.

A Missouri man already in prison for the 2019 murders of two Wisconsin brothers has been sentenced to 32 years in federal prison for a cattle fraud scheme.   The Western District U.S. Attorney’s Office reports Garland Joseph “Joey” Nelson of Braymer was sentenced by a federal judge, who also ordered Nelson to pay 261-Thousand dollars in restitution to his victims. Nelson admitted he defrauded Diemel’s Livestock of $215,000 in a cattle contract. Nelson is serving two life sentences for murdering the two principals of the company, brothers Nicholas and Justin Diemel to cover up the scheme.

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The former Minnesota police officer accused of killing Daunte Wright during a traffic stop is out of prison and living in Wisconsin.  The Minnesota Department of Corrections says Kim Potter was released this morning out of an abundance of caution for her safety.  Potter was sentenced to two years in prison for Wright's 2021 death and has served 16 months.  She'll be on supervised release in Wisconsin until her sentence is up in December.

Commanders at Fort McCoy say they are accepting claims from anyone who saw damage from this month's wildfire. The fort posted online on Friday that anyone who saw property damage or an injury because of the fire can submit a claim to the base's claims office. No one was hurt in the fire which burned about three thousand acres near the fort and started back on April 12th. The fire did damage some buildings and prompted some evacuation orders. Fort McCoy was working on a controlled burn at the time, but no one is saying if that burn is responsible for the fire.

A bill giving parents the ability to monitor their kids’ social media usage will be presented in the Wisconsin Assembly this week.  The measure from Howard Representative David Steffen proposes parental controls for social media accounts started by their children under the age of 18.  Among those restraints would be an overnight “sleep mode” prohibiting online activity, an ability for parental monitoring of the account, and restricting non-friend users from messaging their kids.  Steffen says he connects the decline of youth mental health and a rise in anxiety and depression to social media use.  The bill is similar to a law put in effect in March in Utah.

Minnesota lawmakers are considering a measure that would reduce the length of juvenile prison sentences.  The proposal is part of the Senate Omnibus Public Safety Bill and would give juveniles who were sentenced to life in prison as an adult a chance to petition the court for early release under certain conditions.  Under the proposal, juveniles sentenced to the maximum sentence could ask a judge to consider early release after 15 years.  Currently, in Minnesota, minors can be sentenced to life in prison and are eligible for parole after serving 30 years of that sentence.

An environmental group wants the Public Service Commission to reconsider approval for a gas power plant. Jadine Sonada with the Sierra Club says the Nemadji Trail Energy Center, which has yet to start construction, isn't what Wisconsin needs.  The PSC approved construction in 2010, and it's unclear if they will take up the request from the Sierra Club before construction is scheduled to start this year. 

The urge to get up and clean your home as spring arrives is an ancient tradition. Christine Whelan from the UW Madison School of Human Ecology says the practice dates back thousands of years when people opened up their homes after a long winter.  If you're looking at your home and can't figure out where to start cleaning, Whelan says start small. Pick a corner and work from there, and maybe ask for help if you need to. 

Local-Regional News April 24

 The Mississippi River in Wabasha has hit Major Flood Stage and is expected to rise some more. The National Weather Service says the river will top at 17.2 feet by tomorrow and will then slowly begin to fall.  Hwy 60 and other roads in the Wabasha Area are still closed due to the flooding.  Meanwhile, the Chippewa River at Durand topped 16.4 feet yesterday and will also begin to fall and should be below flood stage by Friday afternoon.

The two people were arrested in Pepin County after a pursuit on Hwy 25 last Monday.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, 57yr old Trong Kim Huynh of Rochester was pulled over on Hwy 25 near the Pepin-Buffalo County Line for speeding.  Huynh initially pulled over but then fled the scene with speeds reaching up to 90mph on Hwy 25, and throwing drugs out of the car window.  Before entering the city of Durand, Huynh turned right onto Pleasant Ridge Lane but lost control and crashed in the ditch.  Huynh fled the scene but was taken into custody with assistance from K-9 Jack.  Huynh and passenger 20yr old Jazmyne D. Cannon of Rice Lake was arrested on various drug charges, bail jumping, and taken to the Pepin County Jail.   

A new passenger trolley is coming to Eau Claire this summer.  The trolley is expected to start operating in July and will offer tours of the city and its historic locations.  Volume One is the company running the trolley and is also hiring tour guides and drivers on its website.  The last time trollies ran in Eau Claire was over 100 years ago.

After weeks of rising gas prices, there's some evidence Wisconsin gas prices are going back down.  Triple-A says the statewide average is three dollars and 50 cents a gallon, down four cents from this time last week.  Here is Western Wisconsin Gas was still at $3.59 a gallon as of early this morning.  Triple-A says right now the U.S. is seeing gas demand go down alongside oil prices.

The Pepin and Buffalo County Sheriff's Departments joined more than 280 Wisconsin law enforcement agencies in Drug Take Back Day on Saturday.  At a gathering of law enforcement leaders in McFarland, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said Drug Take Back Day has the power to save the lives of children and pets who might get into medications they shouldn't.  Barrett also said the event can save the lives of people struggling with addiction.  Drug Take Back Day happens twice a year, in April and October.  Law enforcement officials said people turned in 27 tons of medications during October's Drug Take Back Day.

A ten-month-old child injured in a Cannon Falls apartment fire has died.  Officials say Seqouyah Johnson was pulled from the fire last Wednesday and died early Friday morning from the "inhalation of products of combustion."  Two other children younger than eight rescued from the same fire remain hospitalized.  Hospital officials say the children have been stabilized and placed in a medically-induced coma while being treated for burns.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the Department of Administration (DOA) today are alerting Wisconsinites to a potential “spoofing” scam through which scammers are using the Wisconsin State Capitol Police dispatch number and impersonating law enforcement officers.   In these scam calls, the caller states that there is a warrant for the person’s arrest, they should not contact local authorities, and then the caller demands payment. In at least one instance, a scam victim sent money to the caller.  If you receive one of these calls, do not give out any information and just hang up.

One person was killed in a police shooting in Wood County last Friday night.  The State Department of Justice says an officer encountered someone walking just outside of Wisconsin Rapids in the Town of Grand Rapids. The officer went to check on the person, who then produced a handgun. The officer fired and struck the person. The individual died at the scene. The DOJ will turn findings over to the Wood County District Attorney who will decide on potential charges. The officer involved was not hurt, and has been put on leave. 

Get ready to hear more about the flat tax in Wisconsin. Republicans are holding a hearing tomorrow on the latest plan to move to a flat tax in the state. Republicans want to use the state's seven billion-dollar surplus to help pay for a shift away from the current income tax, to a lower flat tax. Governor Evers has promised to veto any kind of a flat tax, and Republican leaders at the Capitol say they're turning their attention to other ideas. Still, supporters say moving to a low, flat tax in Wisconsin will make the state much more attractive, and could get people to move into Wisconsin.

Wisconsin added nearly 13 million trees in the state last year. Governor Evers' office updated his Trillion Trees plan on Friday. The governor says more than 12-point-nine million trees were planted, and more than two thousand acres of forestland were conserved in the state in 2022. The governor signed a proclamation back in 2021 declaring that Wisconsin will plant 75 million trees across the state by 2030.

A boy is rescued from a capsized boat on an Adams County Lake.  The county’s sheriff’s office says in a Thursday Facebook post that deputies were sent to the Town of Quincy the afternoon of April 8th after dispatch reported that screams for help were coming from the water on Castle Rock Lake.  When deputies arrived on the scene, one located someone with a capsized boat near the shore of the Buckhorn State Natural Area.  Boats from the sheriff’s office and the DNR retrieved the unidentified youth, who wasn’t injured.  The boy was returned by deputies to his residence while the overturned boat was towed back to shore and returned to the parent of the boy.

Another call for full cannabis legalization in Wisconsin. State Senator Melissa Agard, a Madison Democrat, has pushed the issue for years - but noted at a Capitol press conference on Thursday that Republicans remain opposed. Agard cited Marquette pull results which indicated a majority of respondents in Wisconsin favor ending the prohibition on marijuana use by adults. Agard on Thursday - which is know as 4/20 to advocates - announced a “Grass Routes Tour” to gather public input on full legalization. Agard said the tour will make stops in Platteville, Wauwatosa, Eau Claire and Wausau.

Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan testified this week in a House committee hearing entitled “School Choice – Expanding Educational Freedom For All.” The 2nd District Democrat called the topic “somewhat ironic” Pocan said studies have shown Milwaukee voucher program students performed no better on standardized tests than their public-school counterparts, and that the Milwaukee voucher program had no effect on students’ likelihood of graduating college.

A former gym teacher at a Minnesota grade school will spend two days in jail beginning Sunday -- after she threw a hockey stick at a student last year, knocking out his front tooth.  The incident one year ago in March was caught on surveillance video.  In the video, the teacher is seen throwing the stick at the boy after he set it down following a practice.  The teacher -- Kimberley Neubauer -- was let go shortly afterward and has taken an anger management class.  She pleaded guilty to third-degree assault in the case.

Minnesota's unemployment rate dipped slightly last month -- falling to 2-point-8 percent.  Figures from the state show the private sector lost about 61-hundred jobs, while the government gained 400.  Nationally, the jobless rate edged up by point-two percent last month.

An Osseo Minnesota company is opening Minnesota's first major vinyl pressing plant.  Copycats Media is targeting about 20-thousand records per week.  Company officials say the process today is the same as it was back in the 60s, 70s and 80s.  Vinyl record sales overtook CDs this year for the first time since the late 80s.

Local-Regional News April 21

 We're getting some more details about this week's arrest of a man with a knife at the Walmart in Menomonie. Prosecutors in Menomonie yesterday said 32-year-old Tanner Marion knocked on the window of a car in the Walmart parking lot Wednesday and started threatening the couple inside. That sent police rushing to the parking lot and forced officers to put the store on lockdown. No one was hurt, and police arrested Marion without incident. He's now looking at weapons and disorderly conduct charges, and a charge for threatening to kill an officer.

Construction of the new Dollar General is underway.  As part of that project, the city of Durand will be replacing part of 12ave East with the new store.  During last week's council meeting the council approved bids from Pepin County Highway Department for $12,500 and Next Level Excavation for $35,694 for the project.  The replacement of 12 Avenue East won't begin until the Dollar General Store is nearly complete later this summer.

The Buffalo and Pepin County Sheriff's Departments in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Justice are participating in National Perscription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday.  It is a chance for area residents to bring expired and unwanted prescription drugs to be disposed of in a safe manner.  Unused or expired medicine should never be flushed or poured down the drain. Water reclamation facilities are not designed to remove all pharmaceuticals and trace amounts are showing up in rivers and lakes.  Buffalo County Residents can go to the Buffalo County Highway Shop in Mondovi and Pepin County Residents can go to the Sheriff's Department from 9-1 on Saturday.  

Governor Tony Evers was in Bloomer Thursday to talk about safe conservation farming practices.  Evers toured Breezy Haven Farm, talking about his proposed budget and why he wants to increase funding for the Watershed Protection Grant Program that allows counties to apply for sustainable farming practices including planting cover crops and other programs to improve soil and water quality.

Authorities have identified the body pulled out of the St. Croix River on Wednesday as a missing man. The Hudson Police Department yesterday said Hai Quoc Nguyen was pulled out of the water. He'd been missing since early March. Police found his car and personal belongings abandoned in downtown Hudson. Investigators say they are still looking into his death.

Three Children injured in an apartment fire in Cannon Falls on Wednesday have been placed into a medically induced coma.  The children were injured when the 12-unit apartment complex started on fire.  The children's mother was also injured in the blaze, and the Cannon Falls Fire Department and Minnesota Fire Marshall are investigating the cause of that fire.

Wisconsin's unemployment rate has hit another historic low. The latest jobless numbers say unemployment in Wisconsin fell to two-point-five percent last month. That's down from two-point-seven percent in February. The Department of Workforce Development says just 76 thousand people are officially unemployed in the state. The national jobless rate for last month is three-point-five percent.

Wisconsin's housing shortage is making it tougher for first-time home buyers to buy a home. The Wisconsin Realtors Association released a new report yesterday that says new home buyers are having a very tough time finding a place they can afford. The report says there are just 13 thousand homes for sale in the state, that's a 'historic low.' In addition to the low supply, prices are going up. The Realtors say the median price of a home in Wisconsin jumped almost seven percent to 272 thousand dollars. The price spike came even as home sales dropped nearly 24 percent compared to March of last year.

Loons are falling from the sky in Wisconsin. The folks at the Raptor Education Group in Antigo say Wisconsin's recent cold snap is too much for the birds, and is freezing their feathers and forcing them out of the skies. Loons can only fly and swim, so there's no opportunity for them to land where there's no water. The Raptor Group says it's gotten calls from Wausau, Stratford, Rice Lake, and other places in northern Wisconsin. Volunteers and vets check out the birds to make sure they are safe to be released back into the wild.

The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says he's building support for a medical marijuana program. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said yesterday that Republicans are still looking at a strict medical-only program. Vos has been clear that there is not enough support in the Wisconsin legislature for recreational pot. That hasn't changed. No one is saying when lawmakers may try to create a medical-only marijuana program. The top Democrat in the Wisconsin Senate, Melissa Agard, yesterday said she doesn't believe Vos will ever actually vote on marijuana for the state.

The Minnesota Legislature is one step closer to passing a measure to legalize marijuana in the state.  A House vote is anticipated to legalize the purchase of marijuana by those who are at least 21-years-old.  The bill would set up an Office of Cannabis Management, apply sales tax to purchases, and require sellers to be licensed.  Opponents say the bill doesn't go far enough to address concerns about the detrimental effects of legalization.

Health officials are looking into possible toxic impacts from last week’s wildfire near Necedah.  The Juneau County Health Department says piles of tires and drums of unknown contaminants in a former junkyard were burned in the blaze.  Several state and county agencies will examine soil and water samples from the one-time junkyard and nearby homes to determine potential environmental and health impacts connected to the fire.  Residents around that area are being provided bottled water as a cautionary measure.

Free speech advocates are cheering the latest vote in the Wisconsin Senate. Senators yesterday approved a measure that would charge local governments for legal fees in cases where they hold on to public information. The proposal comes after a Supreme Court ruling from last year that said local governments only had to pay legal fees if they lost an open records case. Senators say they want to avoid a situation where governments can delay and delay, then release the information at the last moment and avoid paying any legal fees.

Wisconsin's former parole chief is now facing a felony charge for public corruption. Prosecutors in Racine yesterday filed formal charges against John Tate the Second. The D.A. says Tate, a Racine alderman, voted to create a new violence interruption coordinator position last summer. He then accepted that job last fall. Prosecutors say Tate broke the state's 'private interest in a public contract' law by voting for a job that he had an inside track on. Tate never started as violence interruption coordinator because state law bars local officials from taking jobs that were created during their time in office. He resigned as an alderman on Monday. He could see as much as six months in jail if convicted.

U.S. Senator Tina Smith is working to improve maternity care in rural Minnesota.  The senator recently visited Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital to observe a live birthing simulation demonstration.  Smith says securing funding to expand Rural Obstetric Simulation Training is key to helping rural communities.  She has helped secure 520-thousand dollars in federal funding to expand the initiative.

Be wary of where and how you're buying prom and wedding dresses this spring. Lisa Schiller with the Better Business Bureau says the recent bankruptcy announcement of David's Bridal shows how important it is to get your dresses early and to make sure to pick them up after alterations.  Schiller says it's vital to make sure you know what your budget is and stick to it, so you won't feel pressured into overspending on an already emotionally charged purchase.

Deputies in Portage County will be telling this story for a while. The sheriff's office got a call Tuesday night from someone who said they had a bobcat in their car. The sheriff's office responded, as did a DNR warden, and they found a bobcat sitting behind the front grill of the caller's Toyota. The DNR warden was able to snag the cat, pull it out, and stash it in the back of his truck. No one was hurt. There's no word just how the bobcat got into the front-end of the car, or how long it was there. The DNR warden later released the cat into the wild.

Local-Regional News April 19

 The Durand-Arkansaw School Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include the swearing-in of board members, discussion and action on the renewal of the district health insurance plan, and reports from the district administrator and building administrators.  The board will also go into closed session to discuss employee contracts for the upcoming year.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6 in the board room at Durand-Arkansaw High School.

One Person was injured in a two-vehicle accident in Clifton Township on Monday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 65yr old Darla Ironside was traveling eastbound on Hwy 29 and slowing to make a left-hand turn onto 635th Avenue when her vehicle was hit by an eastbound vehicle driven by 18yr old Owen Wiltermuth of Prescott.  Ironside was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Wiltermuth was not injured.

It was not what shoppers at the Walmart in Menomonie were expecting on a Tuesday afternoon.  Police shut the store down yesterday after getting reports of someone waving a knife at customers. No one was hurt, but two people were arrested. Menomonie Police say the lockdown was brief, and the store was able to reopen. Prosecutors in Dunn County are reviewing charges in the case.

A judge is giving an 18-year-old a second chance after he admitted to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.  The judge allowed Bradley Loew to enter into a deferred prosecution agreement, which means if he completes his community service, pays a 300-dollar fine, and doesn't have any contact with girls under 18-years-old, he can avoid a felony on his record.  Loew admitted to forcing himself on the 15-year-old in a church parking lot on Halloween of 2021.  She told the police she didn't want to, and asked him to stop.  Loew told police he never heard that.

Add Menomonie to the list of No Mow May communities in Wisconsin. The city council yesterday approved a No Mow May pilot program. The idea is to let homeowners grow out their grass to help bees, butterflies, and other pollinators do their jobs. No Mow May lifts any local rules about the height of someone's lawn. Eau Claire is also a No Mow May community. Folks in Menomonie can sign-up for No Mow May until May 1st.

Wisconsin's governor has declared a State of Emergency over flooding concerns. Governor Evers yesterday signed an executive order that puts Wisconsin's emergency responders, and the National Guard on alert ahead of what could be statewide flooding. The governor says rivers and streams are rising because of recent rains and the melting snow. There are already road closures in, Durand, Eau Claire, and near Portage. The National Weather Service says the Chippewa River is almost at major flood stage in Durand and Wabasha. Forecasters say there's more rain in the forecast this weekend, so things could get worse.

A Necedah woman accused of killing her boyfriend in 2019 pleads guilty Friday.  Crystal Pharis was originally charged with first-degree homicide, hiding a corpse, and four counts of bail jumping in the death of Jason Dailey.  Prior to her scheduled trial Monday, court records say Pharis’ first-degree charge was amended to second-degree status.  The other charges against her were dismissed.  An autopsy from the Juneau County Medical Examiner’s Office listed Dailey’s cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.  Pharis will be sentenced in July.

The big hand of the government would be prohibited from banning the sale of gasoline-powered equipment or vehicles in Wisconsin, under a bill passed by the state Assembly on Tuesday. Governor Tony Evers said he doesn’t see the need for such a bill, signaling a likely veto should it pass the state Senate.        

Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol have killed the largest conservation land purchase in state history.  The legislature's Joint Finance Committee yesterday scuttled the Department of Natural Resources' plan to buy a huge chunk of the Pelican River Forest, east of Rhinelander.  Adding the land to Wisconsin's conservation program would close it to development, logging, and even snowmobilers.  Senator Mary Felzkowski says locals wanted to keep some of the land open, and accused the DNR of ignoring their wishes.  State Rep. Mark Born says the DNR tried to force the project through.  Democrats say adding the land to the conservation rolls would protect it from future misuse.

Cargill is ending a contract with a janitorial service that employed underage workers.  The Minnetonka-based beef producer cut ties this week with Packers Sanitation Services after the cleaning service violated federal labor law.  PSSI currently cleans 14 of Cargill's plants.  The fallout comes from a U.S. Department of Labor investigation that revealed widespread violations of child labor laws at meatpacking plants in the Midwest.

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A 17-year-old boy was caught with a loaded gun outside a Waukesha high school.  The boy who was arrested Friday near Waukesha North High School had what police say was a modified semi-automatic pistol and two magazines on him at the time.  Waukesha Police Captain Dan Baumann tells Fox 6 Milwaukee he credits high school students for reporting the teen, who Bauman says was "tactical" in his movements.  Baumann said the boy, who was not a student at the school, will be charged as an adult.  Baumann said the boy, who was not a student at the school, will be charged as an adult.

Chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in another county.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reported Monday that a wild, 3-year-old doe in southwestern Winnebago County was found to have CWD and was euthanized. It is the first confirmed wild deer to test positive in the county and because it was found within 10 miles of Waushara, Green Lake and Fond du Lac counties it means renewal of a state-mandated two-year baiting and feeding ban in those counties and a three-year ban in Winnebago County.

A report from Minnesota shows job vacancies fell last year across Minnesota -- but demand for workers did not.  The report from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development says job vacancies in the second quarter of last year totaled 185-thousand -- down ten-and-a-third percent from the same quarter in 2021.  Overall demand for workers remained high, especially in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, retail and food service. 

The latest push to get more teachers into some Wisconsin classrooms comes with just a nine thousand-dollar price tag. School Choice Wisconsin and Concordia University in West Allis on Monday announced the new Concordia Teaching and Learning Academy. It is a year-and-a-half long program designed to help people who already have bachelor's degrees to become teachers at private, choice schools. The students will both take classes and have one-on-one mentorships with current teachers to learn what it takes to become an educator. School Choice Wisconsin's Nicholas Kelly says it's a win-win for both new teachers, and the choice schools across the state who are facing educator shortages.

Two people were found dead in the Oneida County Forest Monday.  A Facebook post from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office says the bodies were found in the forest in the town of Enterprise, southeast of Rhinelander.  The department adds they’ve joined with several other agencies, including the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, to investigate the deaths.   However, no one is saying if the bodies are those of 17-year-old Aiden Grefe and 16-year-old Dakota Brown.  The two missing Lincoln County teens were last seen Sunday morning in the town of Harrison, 15 minutes south of Rhinelander.

Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to end the state's requirement that state tourism officials give away cheese.  A plan that is up for a vote in the State Assembly today would change the state law that requires the Department of Tourism hand out cheese at Wisconsin's tourist information centers.  The state no longer operates those centers.  The proposal would also repeal the requirement that Wisconsin feature its famous citizens in state tourism ads.

Local-Regional News April 18

 Even though we had summer-like weather last week, the facilities at Durand Parks are still not open.  Durand Public Works Superintendent Matt Gillis says with the possibility of colder weather it doesn't make sense to open up the facilities at this time.  Gillis expects crews will open up the facilities sometime during the first week of May.

The Buffalo Couty Sheriffs Department has released the name of the man arrested after a pursuit on Hwy 35 in Nelson.  47yr Dennise Lemke of Winona was arrested in Pierce County after  Buffalo County Deputies attempted to stop Lemke in Nelson. After a pursuit into Pepin and Pierce Counties, the pursuit was called off for public safety.  Lemke's vehicle was found by a Pierce County Deputy and after a search, Lemke was arrested.  He is charged with fleeing an officer, 1st degree recklessly endangering safety, possession of methamphetamine, and felony bail jumping.  Lemke is currently on probation and out on bond for two drug-related cases in Pepin County.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is announcing the ramp from westbound I-94 to WIS 25 at Menomonie Exit 41 will be closed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. today for concrete repairs.  In addition, the right lane on westbound I-94 will be closed from WisDOT rest area 62, located between the I-94 interchanges at County B and WIS 25, to the I94/WIS 25 interchange ramps. Westbound I-94 traffic wanting to access WIS 25 can take Exit 45, head south on County B, and west on US 12/WIS 29 to WIS 25.

A Colfax man has been arrested and charged with 2nd and 3rd-degree sexual assault after an incident over the weekend.  31yr old Russell Anderson was charged after a woman told police that he had invited her to Elk Point and they both went into a camper for some beer.  It was at that point the victim said Anderson locked the door and refused to let her go unless they had sex.  She was able to send a text to a friend, but Anderson pinned her on the bed and raped her. Dunn County authorities arrived at the camper and arrested Anderson.  He is due back in court on May 30th.

United Way of Dunn County Announces Realignment Period.  Due to an increase in expenses and a lack of financial resources, the C3 center has been closed. The UWDC is committed to the community and will be working with donors and partner organizations to align resources where they are most needed.  The United Way of Dunn County seeks community-minded people to serve on the UWDC board of directors to support the realignment process and our community. For more information on how to offer support, please reach out to Tim Bartels, acting chair of the United Way of Dunn County Board of Directors at executivedirector@uwaydunn.org.

The Pepin County Historical Society will be holding its annual membership meeting on Sunday at the Durand Fire Department Hall.  The meeting will begin at 1 and at 2 there will be a presentation on the history of the Durand Fire Department from Don Hayden.  There is no admission charge to attend.

There's still no plan for what to do about Chippewa Falls' public pool. City leaders say the pool will open again this summer, but they're not sure about the future. Chippewa Falls almost closed the pool last year because of costs and maintenance issues. People who use the pool want to see the city invest more in the pool, and possibly add some upgrades. The pool is set to open June 9th.

Western Wisconsin's Republican congressman looks to be gearing up for a run for U.S. Senate.  Congressman Tom Tiffany this week bought two website names for a potential run against Tammy Baldwin. Tiffany now owns ThomasTiffanyForSenate.com and TomTiffany4Senate.com. Tiffany said he is weighing his options, and said he will do what is best for the state of Wisconsin. Tiffany is in his second term in Congress, before that he spent six years at the Wisconsin Capitol. There are no declared Republican candidates yet, though there is a long list of people who may get into the race. Wisconsin's Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is seen as a tough opponent for Republicans this year and already has millions of dollars in her campaign account. Baldwin announced last week that she will run again next year.

A new plan at the Wisconsin Capitol would ban government-funded guaranteed income programs. Republican state Rep. Amy Binsfeld says taxpayers shouldn't be on the hook to pay someone to not work. Currently, only Madison has a guaranteed income program in Wisconsin, and it is privately funded. Binsfield said Wisconsin has too many people not working, and she wants to do all she can to help get people back into the labor force. Even if the plan gets enough votes, it's unlikely that Governor Evers will sign it into law.

 Wisconsin's attorney general says three cases have been made from his hotline for clergy sex abuse claims.  A-G Josh Kaul yesterday said prosecutors last week filed formal charges in two cases, and formalized accusations against a third, now-deceased priest.  Kaul opened his abuse hotline two years ago.  Since then, he said nearly 250 survivors have called in with reports of abuse.  Almost all of them are old -- decades-old in some cases. Kaul said he intends to wrap-up his probe soon, but he's not saying just when that will be.

The board chair of the University of Minnesota Regents is stepping down.  Regent Ken Powell announced yesterday that he would be leaving his role as the university begins its search for a new president.  Regent Janie Mayeron has taken over as board chair.  Mayeron was elected vice chair in December.  She announced yesterday that the board would hold a special meeting Thursday to discuss the presidential search.

Marshfield Clinic is lifting its mask requirement (for employees, patients, and visitors).  Chief Medical Officer Dr. Samantha Klebe said given the current trends showing lower rates in hospitalizations and community transmission, the system believes they are in a position to adjust some COVID-19 guidelines while maintaining a high level of safety and precaution. That means starting today you won't need a mask for your checkup or lab tests in any Marshfield Clinic facility. The masking requirements had been in place since the start of the pandemic in 2020, along with other requirements for visitor restrictions and patient testing- those items were lifted in March.   The federal government is set to sunset the public health emergency for the virus in May.

The 3000-acre wildfire in Monroe and Jackson counties is extinguished over the weekend.  DNR officials made the announcement Saturday.  The fire had been burning since Wednesday when it started on the north border of the Fort McCoy military base. The state agency says all but 109 acres of the burned property were on the base.  The Army is investigating after Fort McCoy reported the Army National Guard was conducting controlled burn training exercises on the day the wildfire started.

Ripon’s historic Little White Schoolhouse was successfully moved to a new location on Monday - though not without controversy. Republican Party of Fond du Lac County Chairman Timothy Bachleitner says a more appropriate location could have been found.  According to a letter from the Wisconsin Historical Society, the move building known as “Birthplace of the Republican Party” may have led to its delisting as a National Historic site. Bachleitner says at a meeting of the State Historical Society last fall he pointed out that moving the schoolhouse would violate some national standards.  

University of Wisconsin System students will have more paid internship opportunities.  Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development announced $1.1 million in grants for the system through the Wisconsin Fast Forward Program.  The funds are designed to grow internship opportunities by Wisconsin employers in high-demand fields such as cybersecurity, agriculture, green energy, and clean water.  Milwaukee, River Falls, and Stout are UW schools expected to directly implement the programs for over 120 students.

An appeals court has upheld former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's [[ SHO-vin's ]] conviction for George Floyd's murder.  Chauvin claimed he was unable to get a fair trial due to media coverage and the threat of protests. The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday rejected that argument, upholding his 22-year sentence.  He's also serving a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights.

UW-Madison's new chancellor UW-Madison marked her investiture Friday with a new ice cream flavor named for her.  The Babcock Hall Dairy Plant celebrated Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin's investiture by serving Mnookie Dough ice cream along with other flavors during a community picnic following the ceremony.  Mnookie Dough is vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough bites and fudge caramel swirls.

Local-Regional News April 17

 One man is in custody in Buffalo County after leading authorities on a chase this weekend.  The department reported on its social media page that deputies tried to pull over a male in the Village Of Nelson, but the suspect fled north on Hwy 35 and was seen throwing suspected baggies of meth out the window.  The pursuit went into Pepin and Pierce Counties but was stopped for the public's safety.  Pierce County deputies located the vehicle abandoned in a field and the Pepin County Drone Unit was brought in along with the K-9 units.  The suspect was found and had to be tased as he resisted arrest.  

Wisconsin 93rd Assemblyman Warren Petryk has introduced a bill series of workforce reform bills.  During the Republican response to the governor's, weekly radio address Petryk says that voters overwhelmingly support the continued focus on assisting people to find work.  Petryk says the Reemployment Assistance Act would put a greater emphasis on workforce training. The bill would also require drug testing for those applying for unemployment.

Advent Health of Durand was awarded a $916,000 Federal Grant to build a new ambulance bay.  Advent Health Administrator Doug Peterson says without the grant it would have been impossible to build the new bay.  The new ambulance bay will be taller and longer to accommodate the size of current ambulances.  In addition to the new bay a drive-in port to accommodate the MRI Scanner Truck will also be built.  Construction is set to begin this spring and it is hoped to be completed before winter.

The Durand-Arkansaw High School Athletic Department announced the selection of Lauren Peterson and Ethan Whitwam as the 2022-23 Dunn-St Croix Conference Scholar Athletes.  Criteria for selection include grade point, number of varsity letters earned during the high school career, individual awards, and participation in lead-up competition to the State Tournament. These two student-athletes received recognition at the conference level and were honored as Dunn-St Croix Conference Scholar Athletes at the eighth annual Dunn-St Croix Conference Scholar-Athlete banquet at the University of Wisconsin -Stout Ballroom on Wednesday, April 12th.

With the snow and rain from the weekend, the fire danger has dropped.  The Buffalo County Fire Association has dropped the burning ban in Buffalo County.  However, those who plan on doing some burning are to call the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department prior to burning.

Somber faces crowded in a sea of blue at Saturday's memorial for western Wisconsin's two fallen police officers. Cops from across Wisconsin turned out to say goodbye to Chetek Police Officer Emily Breidenbach and Cameron Police Officer Hunter Scheel. They were gunned down on April 8th by the man they'd just pulled over. Governor Evers and several other state and local leaders also paid their respects. Cops say the man who allegedly shot the officers also died in the ensuing shootout. The state says the investigation into their deaths is ongoing.

 Menomonie's new police chief starts today. Commander Rick Hollister won't have to move very far, he's currently with the city and is simply moving up. Menomonie's Police & Fire Commission made the announcement on Friday. Hollister has 37 years of law enforcement experience and has worked his way through the ranks of the Menomonie PD.

The fire near Fort McCoy is no longer burning. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says crews contained and extinguished the Arcadia Fire on Saturday. DNR says the fire burned more than three thousand acres, closed roads, and sent people out of their homes while it burned for three days. No one was hurt, and it's not clear yet just what all was damaged. The fire near Fort McCoy was the biggest of last week's wildfires across the state.

High schoolers in Wisconsin could soon have to balance a checkbook in order to graduate. Lawmakers in Madison this week will hold a hearing on a plan to require a class on financial literacy for all high school graduates. The idea is to make sure kids have a better knowledge about things like credit cards and student loan debt. Some pushback is expected from local schools that don't want another mandate from the state legislature.

An April 1st trial date has been set for a man accused of fatally stabbing a Minnesota teenager and wounding four others in western Wisconsin.   It happened last July on the Apple River in St. Croix County, where inner tubing is a popular summertime activity. Fifty-three-year-old Nicolae Miu pleaded not guilty to charges including 1st-degree intentional homicide for the death of 17-year-old Isaac Schuman of Stillwater, Minnesota. Miu’s trial is scheduled to begin on April 1st and last 12 days. Miu told investigators he feared for his life after a group of people approached him while he searched for a lost cell phone. 

Authorities say Pope County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Owen was shot and killed during an arrest attempt in western Minnesota.  Owen, another deputy, and an officer from the Starbuck Police Department were struck by gunfire Saturday evening while responding to a domestic abuse call at a Cyrus apartment building.  Officials say the man involved fired the shots, and was shot to death when officers returned fire.  Owen was taken to the hospital, where he died.  The other deputy and the Starbuck officer suffered noncritical injuries.  Saturday was Owen's 44th birthday.

The children of a missing Winona woman will remain in the custody of the county.  A judge ordered Wednesday that the children of 26-year-old Madeline Kingsbury stay in the custody of the county.  The five-year-old and two-year-old were taken from their father, Adam Fravel, after Kingsbury disappeared.  Kingsbury was last seen March 31st when she was dropping off her children at day care with Fravel.

Speaker Robin Vos says Assembly Republicans aren’t jazzed about any American Family Field funding from the state.  Vos, who’s already rejected Governor Tony Evers' proposal to send $290 million to the stadium district board, did say Thursday that he’s working to help his caucus understand the economic impact if the Brewers were to leave Wisconsin. That includes $11 million in annual sales tax revenue and the $12 million in income taxes from players' salaries, including those from visiting teams. Vos said he wants a long-term deal that is fiscally responsible.

A 4-year-old overdosed on a marijuana gummy at an Oregon home.  Police say the child's mother and another adult found the child not responding at home.  The child was then taken to a Stoughton hospital late Tuesday afternoon.  An investigation by police determined the child had overdosed on the gummy.   The following day, officers searched the home where the child overdosed and seized drug paraphernalia.  The mother was arrested for child neglect and booked into the Dane County Jail.  Oregon Police say the child was treated and released from the hospital.

A Wisconsin Rapids man convicted of child sex assault while working as a camp counselor could spend 40 years in prison.   Remington Nystrom pleaded no contest Thursday to second-degree sexual assault of a child in relation to a 2009 incident in which he allegedly touched a sleeping child inappropriately at a Mount Morris camp in Waushara.  The case came forward after a report to the Attorney General’s Clergy and Faith Leader initiative. The 33-year-old Nystrom will be sentenced in mid-July.

The Racine County Sheriff’s Office loses a third K-9 officer in a half-year.  The department reports K-9 Murphy was euthanized after suffering an unexpected medical emergency at his home in March.  The Belgian Malinois began his work with the department in late 2013.  He was involved in searches, and drug detection, and was also with the department’s SWAT Team.  Murphy, who was scheduled to retire at the end of this year, was preceded in death by K-9 Friday in March, and K-9 Nitro in October of last year.

A "Price Is Right" contestant is the winner of a six-night vacation at the Mall of America.  On Tuesday's episode of the long-running game show, a contestant named Stephanie played a pricing game called "Bonkers."  She pulled out the win at the last second and exclaimed "I'm going to Minnesota!"  Her vacation trip includes two round-trip tickets in coach and a six-night stay at the Mall of America Radisson Blu hotel.  The prize package is valued at just over six-thousand-seven-hundred-dollars.

Local-Regional News April 14

 US Senator Tammy Baldwin was in Durand yesterday touring Advent Health to discuss with Advent Health Leaders the $916,000 Federal grant the hospital received to build a new ambulance bay.  Baldwin says the hospital is a critical part of the Durand and surrounding area, and it has outgrown its ambulance bay.  Construction on the new ambulance bay and a new drive-in bay for the MRI Scanner will begin this spring and it is hoped to be completed by this fall.

The Durand City Council will revisit the assessment of residents who have ash trees that need to be removed.  During this week's council meeting, residents continued to express concern over the plan to split the cost of the tree removal with the city.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the council has learned there may be some changes in how the 50-50 split from the DNR grant would work. The council agreed to take up the measure after the new city council was installed later this month.

The flooding of the Chippewa River is continuing.  The National weather service says as of yesterday the river was at 15.1 feet in Durand.  Because of the increasing snowmelt and rain in the forecast, the river is now expected to crest at 15.9 feet on Saturday evening.  At 16.5 feet, the north approach to the Hwy 10 bridge may flood.    The river is expected to fall back below flood stage by Wednesday morning.

The City of Mondovi has agreed to give a $15,000 donation to the new library fund.  During this week's council meeting, members agreed to make the donation after it was learned the city could use ARPA funds.  The donation will be matched by a private donor, and it will also allow organizers of the library fund to apply for additional grants that required a city donation.

The broadband internet expansion by  Pierce Pepin Cooperative is moving forward.  Over a year ago, the electric cooperative began SwiftCurrent Connect, with the goal of providing high-speed internet to all Peirce Pepin Cooperative members who did not have broadband access.  During the annual meeting, CEO Nate Boettcher updated members on SwiftCurrent, and said in the first 18 months of operation, 600 miles of fiber have been completed. When Phase 2 is completed, the fiber lines will pass by 4,500 homes. There are currently 1,200 active subscribers and by the end of 2023, 3,000 subscribers are anticipated.

A dog and two cats didn't survive a house fire in Eau Claire. The fire happened yesterday at a house on Woodland Avenue on the city's east side. Firefighters say the people who live at the home made it out okay. Fire crews are not saying just what started the fire, though they say yesterday's high winds didn't make fighting the fire any easier.

Buffalo County had two wildfires yesterday.  Mondovi and Durand Firefighters batted a wildfire just south of Mondovi at Hwy 37 and Hwy B, with firefighters from Cochrane responding to a fire along Hwy 35 and Hwy O.  Hwy 35 had to be closed for a short time.  No injuries in either fire were reported and there is no word on how they started.  The high fire danger will continue today across the WRDN listening area.  A burning ban remains in effect for Buffalo County and all residents in the listening area are asked to not do any burning again today.  Rain this weekend should lower the fire risk.

The wildfire at Fort McCoy burned for another full day yesterday. The state's Department of Natural Resources says the fire has burned nearly three thousand acres so far and is still burning. DNR teams called in the National Guard, and fire departments from across the area have been working to contain the fire. As of about 7 p.m. last night, DNR said the fire was 50 percent contained. The fire threatened a number of buildings at the fort yesterday, prompting the state to issue an evacuation order for the area near Arcadia Avenue to U.S. Highway 12.

Over a thousand people attend a candlelight vigil Wednesday for two slain Barron County police officers.   The vigil, held at Mosaic Technologies in Cameron had the chiefs of the Chetek and Cameron police departments sharing memories of the officer under their command.  Chetek Chief Ron Ambrozaitis recalled Officer Emily Breidenbach by saying “Emily was the type of officer that it didn't matter what you gave her.  It was 100% or nothing at all.”  Cameron Police Chief Adam Steffen said about Officer Hunter Scheel, ”He came to work every day with a smile on his face, and I'm not talking about just a ‘Hey, chief.’  It was a “What happened today?  What's going on?  What can I go get into?” every day.”  Governor Tony Evers signed Executive Orders Wednesday ordering flags across Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff this Saturday, the day the funeral for the fallen offers will take place at Cameron High School.

There is a new warning about two new phone scams in Wisconsin. The Better Business Bureau says scammers are pretending to be with Best Buy and PayPal, and are trying to steal banking information. The scam starts with an email from Best Buy's Geek Squad or PayPal asking about a charge or a new subscription. The BBB says when people call, the scammers get personal and banking information, then take money out of people's accounts. The BBB says never give out banking information over the phone, and always be wary of emails that you didn't sign-up for.

The Green Bay Packers pay respect to the two fallen Barron County police officers.  As a part of the Packer Tailgate Tour, team President and CEO Mark Murphy and Packer players and alumni stopped by both Chetek and Cameron Wednesday to honor Chetek Police Officer Emily Breidenbach, and Cameron Police Officer Hunter Scheel who was killed during a traffic stop last weekend.  The Packers also made $5,000 donations to each police department in remembrance of the officers.

The President of Xcel Energy says the company has learned its lesson after a radioactive leak in central Minnesota.  Speaking before a state Senate panel, Chris Clark said last year's leak of radioactive water at the Monticello Nuclear Power Plant "didn't present a public health risk."  However, he recognized local residents wanted to be informed about the leak sooner.  The public wasn't told about the incident until this past March.  Clark said the company will develop a better process to share information moving forward.

Wisconsin lawmakers are considering a plan that'd make it easier to shoot 'nuisance' animals at airports in the state. The Senate's Committee on Natural Resources will hold a hearing today on a proposal that would change some of the state's hunting laws to allow crews to drive away critters from airport runways. The legislation would make exceptions to Wisconsin's laws about hunting with a light, firing from the road or parking lot, and driving with a loaded rifle or crossbow.

Firefighters in Waupaca say a one-thousand-gallon propane tank leveled five buildings when it exploded yesterday. There was a fire at the home next to the tank, and fire crews say that led to the explosion. The two people who were home at the time were okay, but one of their pets died. Investigators are not saying what started the fire. Crews say it will take some time to clean-up and tear down what's left of the destroyed buildings.

Prosecutors say the Madison mom arrested on Monday left her kids in her car for at least an hour as she went shopping for shoes. Court documents say Meyberling Moreno Martinez's one-year-old and three-year-old children were found alone in her car in the parking lot of the East Towne Mall Monday afternoon. Police say they were alone for at least an hour. It was 70 degrees on Monday, but investigators say it was much hotter in the car. The court documents say Martinez told investigators she left the kids in the car because it was easier for her to shop without them.

Students from Sauk City High School, northwest of Madison, are teaching elementary school students about money.  It's a tradition that started ten years ago at Grand Avenue Elementary.  This year, one of the high school seniors teaching the younger students was herself one of the elementary students visited by high schoolers years ago.  WKOW-TV reports Madeline Gassman and another high school student are teaching the fourth graders basic money concepts like saving money and opportunity cost.

Local-Regional News April 13

 Chances are increasing for major flooding on the Mississippi River along the Wisconsin/Minnesota border because of the melting snow pack.  The National Weather Service says there's an 80 to 90 percent chance for moderate flooding in Wisconsin and a 30 to 65 percent chance of major flooding in some locations.  Flooding will likely start within the next week.  Flood Watches are in effect starting on Sunday for the Mississippi River.  Moderate flooding is now expected for the Chippewa River at Durand.  The National Weather Services says the river will now crest at 15.5 feet on Saturday morning and then fall back below flood stage by Tuesday.

With the Chippewa River Rising, the Durand Public Works Department has been busy preparing.  Superintendent of Public Works Matt Gillis says crews have been working on protecting the wastewater treatment plant. Crews have also moved equipment out of the city shop as the flood waters will reach the shop.  The river is expected to crest at 15.5 feet on Saturday morning.

The  Mondovi City Council is making decisions on new playground equipment at Mirror Lake Park.  The council is looking at two different playground packages.  Other decisions the council is looking at are to use black rubber chips or wood chips for the base of the playground, and whether or not to spend up to $30,000 to have the equipment professionally installed.  It's hoped to have the new park equipment installed sometime this summer.

Barron County District Attorney Brian Wright says he should have a report on last weekend’s fatal shooting of two police officers from the state Division of Criminal Investigation in about 30 days. He’ll then review that and release it to the public.  Officers Emily Breidenbach of the Chetek Police Department and Hunter Scheel of the Cameron Police Department died in Saturday’s exchange of gunfire following a traffic stop. Fifty-year-old Glenn Perry, who they’d stopped for a warrant and welfare check, died later at a hospital.

Eau Claire is moving ahead with the plan to spend coronavirus stimulus money on free bus rides for the homeless. The city council last night unanimously approved the idea, which will spend 12 thousand dollars in stimulus money to provide vouchers so the city's homeless can ride the bus for free. City Councilor Kate Felton says the vouchers help homeless people get to work or find housing. The vouchers will be available at Sojourner House or Eau Claire's public library.

April 12th, 2023 is in the record books. Forecasters say Eau Claire smashed its record high temperature yesterday. It hit 89 degrees yesterday afternoon, which breaks the old record of 82 degrees from back in 1931. Eau Claire could set another record today. Forecasters say the high temperature will be back in the 80s once again.

Unseasonably warm temps, high winds, and dry brush made for a day of wildfires across Wisconsin. Governor Evers declared a fire emergency, it remains to be seen if he will do so again today. One fire, in the Village of Necedah, in Juneau County forced a handful of people to evacuate their homes. Firefighters say that the fire burned over 100 acres. The state's Department of Natural Resources called in two helicopters, seven fire engines, and even a prison crew to help fight the fire.  Meanwhile, in Monroe County, I-94 had to be closed due to smoke from a  wildfire at Ft. McCoy. 

The father of Madeline Kingsbury's children is speaking out about her disappearance.  Adam Fravel called for Kingsbury's safe return yesterday and said he had nothing to do with the 26-year-old's disappearance.  Kingsbury was last seen on March 31st while dropping her children off at day care with Fravel.  Police have searched her van and home and found her phone, wallet, ID, and a jacket she had worn earlier in the day.  No suspects have been named in Kingsbury's disappearance.

 Authorities say two juveniles were rescued from the water late last week near Vermillion Falls Park.  Officials released a video yesterday of a helicopter from the Minnesota Air Rescue Team pulling the youths from the water.  The two juveniles reportedly got stuck on a large rock in the river last Thursday.  The Hastings Fire Department says the two individuals were safely rescued from the river.  There were no reports of injuries. 

The Department of Natural Resources’ wolf management plan will go before the Natural Resources Board this fall.   That from DNR Secretary Adam Payne, who told the board on Wednesday that the agency received more than 3,500 comments on the draft plan, and is in the process of reviewing and summarizing those before making changes. The state's 1999 Wolf Management Plan had a population goal of 350 wolves, and opponents argue any new plan also needs a goal for wolf numbers. In April 2021, the DNR estimated the population at about 972 wolves. 

Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin is again running for U.S. Senate Saying “The stakes have never been higher and our work isn’t over yet,”  Baldwin has announced she’ll seek a third six-year term in 2024. The 61-year-old Madison native defeated Republican Leah Vukmir by 11 points in her 2018 reelection. Baldwin became the first openly gay U.S. Senator when elected in 2012, defeating former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson. So far there are no official challenges to Baldwin from an either political party. Republican businessman Eric Hovde is considering a second Senate run after opting not to run for governor in 2022.

 A man's arrested after a stabbing in southwest Wisconsin.  The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office says a woman was cut across her neck and hands with a kitchen knife in Argyle earlier this week.  The sheriff's office says Joseph Wallgren was arrested at the scene and is expected to be charged with attempted homicide.  The victim is expected to be ok.

A Wisconsin city will benefit from both of next year’s major political conventions being nearby.   Chicago was named Tuesday to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention.  That’ll happen a month after Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum houses the Republican National Convention in July of next year.   Kenosha is just a cruise on I-94 away from both host cities, and Visit Kenosha marketing director Laura Gregorski tells Fox 6 Milwaukee she’s certain the city’s location will benefit from those looking for accommodations for either convention or to just visit while they’re going on.  Gregorski says Kenosha doesn’t necessarily have to make a pitch from a tourism perspective, calling Kenosha a natural destination for convention-goers of either party, with properties that work with both conventions and media planning.

Dane County animal rescuers are welcoming some new dogs from Arkansas' tornado zone. The Dane County Humane Society yesterday said it will get 20 dogs from Arkansas over the next couple of weeks. Most of the dogs are already in shelters there, but they will be moved so shelters in Arkansas can take care of the dogs left homeless by this month's storms. The first five dogs are expected to reach Madison today. You can find out more about the dogs, and about the adoption process at the Humane Society's website.

Close to 100 paper mill workers at an Upper Peninsula company may suffer from what’s called an “exceedingly rare” infection. Public health officials in Michigan say the workers at Billerud Paper Mill are affected by an outbreak of blastomycosis, which is caused by breathing in spores from a fungus often found in decomposing matter such as wood.  Nineteen cases of the ailment have been confirmed at the mill, with another 74 described as “probable” cases.  Billerud says a health hazard evaluation found no causal link between the outbreak and the mill, which has taken such measures as extensively cleaning common areas, inspecting ventilation systems, testing raw materials coming into the mill, and providing N95 masks to all employees.

A Viroqua man hit the jackpot in Wisconsin's two-million-dollar lottery scratch-off game. Wisconsin Lottery officials say Scott Hoffland won two million bucks on a single Tremendous Two Million scratcher. He says he started scratching the ticket at work but stopped and waited til he got home to finish it. Hoffland says he doesn't have any plans for the money, at least not yet. The odds of winning the jackpot in the Tremendous Two Million game is one-in 280 thousand.

Local-Regional News April 12

Two teenagers are dead after a two-vehicle accident in the town of Buffalo on Tuesday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, two vehicles traveling on Hwy M collied head-on after one of the vehicles crossed the centerline.  One vehicle had three teenagers in it, and a 15yr old female was trapped beneath the vehicle and had to be rescued by firefighters, but was pronounced dead at the scene.  A 16yr old male was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead, and a 17yr old male was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.  The 51yr old female driving the second vehicle had minor injuries.  The names of the victims have not been released, pending notification of family members.

The City of Mondovi has taken delivery of a new pumper truck for the fire department.  The truck replaces a 1947 pumper truck.  The truck can hold 3000 gallons of water, it has a portable holding tank, and can also be used at brush fires.  The $306,000 cost of the truck was covered by a grant from FEMA.  

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a contract between the city and the Durand-Arkansaw School District, acceptance of a bid for the 12th Avenue East project, reports from the mayor and department heads, and the council will go into closed session to confer with legal council.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live-streamed on our YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN.

One person was injured in a single-vehicle accident in Trimbelle Township Monday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 51yr old Renee Crick of Onalaska was traveling southbound on Hwy J when she lost control and entered the ditch.  Crick was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

The funerals for western Wisconsin's two fallen officers will be this weekend. The joint service for Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel will take place Saturday at Cameron High School. Both were killed in a shootout last Saturday in the city of Cameron. Police officers from across Wisconsin are expected to turn out in droves for the two. There will be a visitation, starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The service for the two will then start at 1 p.m. Wisconsin's Department of Justice says it will likely be several weeks before they finish their investigation into the officers' deaths.

The theme of Wisconsin's traveling budget hearings is clear: Local school leaders need more money. Members of the legislature's budget-writing Joint Finance Committee yesterday listened as another cavalcade of local school leaders pressed them for additional revenue. Neillsville School District Administrator John Gaier says schools used to have to ask taxpayers for more money only when they wanted to build new buildings, but now he says they have to go to taxpayers just to cover teacher pay raises. The JFC hearing was in Eau Claire yesterday; lawmakers will hold another hearing later today in the Wisconsin Dells. The point is to hear what the people want included in the new state budget. Lawmakers will start writing the new two-year spending plan early next month.

Wisconsin's Republican members of Congress say it's about time the president officially ended the coronavirus emergency. President Biden yesterday signed the law that Republicans passed that officially ends the virus emergency. Western Wisconsin Congressman Derrick Van Orden says it's now time to get back to work. Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany says the president said the pandemic was over last fall, he's glad the president finally got around to ending the pandemic emergency. Congressman Mike Gallagher says the end of the emergency also brings to an end all of the 'emergency' spending that the federal government has been doing for the past two-plus years.

Wisconsin's attorney general is joining other Democratic A-Gs in pushing to allow women to continue to have access to the abortion pill. A-G Josh Kaul yesterday signed a letter with 23 other A-Gs in asking an appeals court to strike down a Texas federal judge's ruling that revoked the FDA's approval of mifepristone. Kaul and the others say without access to the abortion pill there will be more late-term abortions, more sick and poor kids, and more 'educational disparities.' The ruling in Texas is at odds with a federal court in Washington state that ordered the FDA not to change how the abortion pill is distributed in the U.S.

Voters in the Winona Area Public Schools District rejected a two-question, $94 million referendum Tuesday.  The first question would have allowed the district to create personalized learning spaces at three elementary schools and remodel the industrial tech wing of the high school.  The second question would have had the district build a second gym, and new locker rooms, and renovate the fine arts area at the high school.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is pushing for an increase in fees for fishing, boating, and visiting state parks.  Lawmakers are considering a request from the DNR to approve license fee hikes in the agency's budget bill.  DNR officials say the increase would go toward paying for the ongoing upkeep of outdoor facilities and fish hatcheries used to stock lakes.  The House Ways and Means Committee advanced the DNR budget bill with the fee increases yesterday.

One of the officers shot and killed over the weekend in western Wisconsin used to work in Stoughton. Police officers in Stoughton are remembering Officer Emily Breidenbach. She spent about nine months at the beginning of her career in Stoughton, and she eventually moved to Chetek, where she was killed in the line of duty on Saturday. Stoughton Chief Daniel Jenks says Breidenbach was a good person and had an infectious personality. Investigators say she died in a shootout with a suspect Saturday afternoon. A second western Wisconsin officer also died in that shooting.

Two Madison police officers have minor injuries after being attacked while trying to arrest someone.  Police say they were called to a home on the city's east side late last night where a man had reportedly trapped a woman inside a room.  When officers arrived they say the suspect attacked them and two other men that were in the home.  David Harris is now charged with false imprisonment, attempted third-degree sexual assault, and resisting arrest.

Milwaukeee’s Cardinal Stritch University is closing permanently.    In his announcement video on YouTube posted Monday, school president Dr. Dan Scholz said multiple factors led to the decision to close the school, saying “…the fiscal realities, downward enrollment trends, the pandemic, the need for more resources, and the mounting operation and facility challenges presented a no-win situation” for the school.    The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi opened the school that eventually became Stritch in 1937. The university will close a day after its final commencement ceremony May 21st at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee.

A Wisconsin Congressman rode in a logging truck on Monday to promote new legislation.   Mike Gallagher took the vehicle into Green Bay to bring attention to the Safe Routes Act of 2023, which updates traffic laws preventing forestry vehicles from traveling on federal highways.  Gallagher says forcing the trucks to maneuver through country roads and roundabouts causes safety issues and increased carbon emissions.  The bill would allow logging trucks to travel up to 150 air miles on the Federal Interstate Highway System.

A Sauk County woman is run over by a tractor over the weekend.  The Sheriff’s Office there said the woman was riding on the tractor in Woodland Township late Sunday afternoon when she fell off and went under one of the tractor’s tires.  The woman was flown by way of Med Flight to an area hospital, while the 58-year-old man driving the tractor was charged with what would be his third operating while intoxicated offense if convicted.

A new report finds a big benefit for Wisconsin’s wealthiest residents under a proposed flat tax.    Jason Stein with the Wisconsin Policy Forum says the plan from state Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu would give an average tax cut of over $100,000 to the state's highest income earners. A plan from Governor Tony Evers would hit those with more than $1 million in adjusted gross income with an average tax increase of nearly $40,000.

A tradition in Sheboygan will take a year off.   Organizers of Sheboygan Brat Days announced Monday the event will not take place in 2023 as they work to change the format of the festival. The celebration of Sheboygan’s bratwurst legacy has been the biggest fundraiser for the Sheboygan Jaycees since its inception in 1953, with proceeds from the event donated to community projects.  The event includes a bratwurst eating contest, the “Adopt A Barrel” fundraiser, and live music.