The Buffalo County Veterans/Health & Human Services Committee is looking for a citizen representative to serve as a member of its 9 person committee. Candidates need to be a Buffalo County resident and a Veteran. The Veterans/DHHS Committee meet monthly to set policy and oversee the operations of the Buffalo County Veterans Office and the Department of Health & Human Services. The role is a 3-year renewable term, which runs from June, 2023 – May, 2026. Mileage to and from the meeting is reimbursable and a per diem is offered for meeting attendance. If you would like to apply and if you have any questions regarding this role, please contact either Dave Rynders, DHHS Director at 608 685-6304 or Felicia Decker, Veterans Service Officer at 608 685-6219.
Folks in western Wisconsin could soon be paying more for electricity and natural gas. Xcel Energy last week asked regulators in Madison for permission to raise rates. The plan would hike electric rates by more than nine dollars a month and would increase natural gas prices by about four-dollars and 50-cents per-month. Xcel says the company needs more money to update its energy infrastructure. A decision is expected by the end of the year.
The Goodhue County Sheriff's deputy who shot a suspect back in November won't be charged. The Stearns County Attorney's Office determined that Officer Steve Sutton-Brown's actions were justified in shooting Fernando Carbajal to protect himself. According to the investigation, Carbajal was suicidal when he crashed his car into a utility pole in Red Wing on November 22nd. When Sutton-Brown arrived at the scene, investigators say Carbajal started charging at him and the two became engaged in a physical altercation. At one point, Sutton-Brown fell during the tussle and injured his foot. He then fired his weapon, striking Carbajal. He was taken to an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Carbajal is charged with three counts of assault and is scheduled for a court hearing on May 17th.
Three men were arrested in Trempeleau County for breaking into vehicles. The Trempeleau County Sheriff's Department says Alexander Barnum, Treyvon Boyd, and Izell Jeff are accused of smashing the windows of three vehicles in Osseo and Eau Claire and stealing personal items including credit cards. Osseo police report victims had their cards used to purchase gift cards at Walmart in Black River Falls. All three men are being held in the Trempealeau County Jail.
Hwy 53 was closed for a time on Tuesday morning after authorities pulled a man over suspected of making a threat against the Chippewa County Courthouse. After receiving the threat, police were able to pull over 39yr old Harley Alcala on Hwy 53 between Exit 110 and 102. Alcala refused to exit the vehicle and the highway was closed while authorities attempted to negotiate with Alcala. He was taken into custody after non-lethal use of force techniques were used. No information was released on what type of threat was issued against the courthouse.
It's 18 years in prison for a St. Croix County man who committed arson back in 2018. A judge yesterday sentenced 71-year-old Kevin Grant to prison for the fire he started at the Cubby Hole bar in December of 2018. Prosecutors say he lit the bar on fire as part of an insurance scheme. No one was in the bar, and no one was hurt. A jury convicted Grant back in February.
3-M is planning more layoffs. Last month the company announced as part of its reorganization plan, it would cut more than six-thousand jobs around the globe, with about five-hundred in Minnesota. Yesterday 3M announced it would layoff around 11 hundred employees at its corporate headquarters. The layoffs are expected to begin on June 30th.
Eau Claire will have a fireworks show this Fourth of July, but no one knows where. The city council yesterday agreed to have a show, but council members have not yet agreed where it will be. City Manager Stephanie Hirsch is suggesting the High Bridge, the Grand Avenue pedestrian bridge, or Plank Hill. Councilman Larry Mboga continues to insist the show be held at Carson Park. The city wants to move away from Carson Park because of safety concerns, but there are also limitations with the other sites. If the fireworks are at Carson Park this summer, there will likely be changes in how the show is handled, and just how many cars are allowed in for the fireworks.
Saturday is the Wisconsin Fishing Opener, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that all regulations and license requirements apply. Anglers will likely find a mixed bag of conditions throughout the state on opening weekend, but strong populations of their favorite fish. All Wisconsin residents and non-residents over age 16 are required to purchase a fishing license. Licenses can be purchased through Go Wild, the DNR’s license portal, or from a license agent. Regulations are available online and in print in English, Spanish, Hmong and large print versions.
Wisconsin's governor is reminding everyone that he has a say in the plan to send more money to local governments across the state. Governor Tony Evers told Milwaukee TV station TMJ4 yesterday that he hasn't signed off on anything yet. Assembly Republicans last week unveiled a plan to send a half-billion dollars more to local governments and allow Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to raise their sales taxes. The new money comes with a lot of strings, however. The governor will have to sign into law whatever lawmakers agree on. Democrats at the Wisconsin Capitol want to see more money sent to local governments, but they are skeptical of the strings that Assembly Republicans want to include.
A former Oneida County Sheriff Patrol Sergeant was sentenced in a stalking case on Monday. The Wisconsin Department of Justice says Stetson Okeefe Grant of Rhinelander was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years of probation after a jury found him guilty in February of stalking and disorderly conduct. A criminal complaint says Grant would stop by the house of a person he stalked from February of 2019 through August of 2020 without their consent and while he was on duty for the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. The complaint states Grant would make the victim feel uncomfortable and not leave the home when asked. When the victim warned him they would call the police, Grant replied, “I am the police.”
A Richland Center man has been charged in a stolen military valor case. The Washington County Sheriff's Office says Jakobie Timblin was charged after allegedly pretending to be a Marine and stealing thousands of dollars from his girlfriend and her stepmother. The sheriff says the 34-year-old Timblin purchased a fake uniform and medals online, and said he was "deployed” when he was actually in prison. Timblin started communicating with the victim online in 2015. In 2019, the two met in person and started dating. Timblin is reported to have received more than $11,000 from the victim and her stepmother.
Police in Madison think it's time to pull the plug on the long-running and problem-plagued Mifflin Street Block Party. WKOW 27 News reports that MPD Central District Captain Michael Hanson doesn’t want the party to go on. Hansen said his officers responded to dozens of incidents at last Saturday's party, with the most troubling being the recovery of a stolen handgun inside Badger Wide Receiver Markus Allen’s backpack. Hansen said the presence of a gun in a large, intoxicated, and unpredictable crowd was "scary" and that he wants to work with UW police to end the unsanctioned event.
There's a plan from a Wisconsin Republican lawmaker to limit social media for kids. Green Bay state Rep. David Steffen introduced a plan that would stop anyone under 18 from using social media between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Parents could opt out under the plan. Steffen says social media is a threat to the 'health and well-being of our children.' The specifics of the legislation would require social media companies to verify the ages of all accounts created after 2019, and get permission from parents for young people to use them. If not, Steffen wants to fine social media companies 100 dollars a day for each violation. Steffen is not the only lawmaker looking at social media limits, lawmakers in Utah and Arkansas passed similar plans earlier this spring.
A former Minneapolis police officer accused of holding back bystanders as George Floyd died under the knee of another officer was found guilty. Tou Thao was convicted of aiding and abetting manslaughter. The defendant's sentence could range between three and five years. Thao is currently serving a three-and-a-half-year federal prison sentence.
The Minnesota House is approving a bill to cover the cost of up to 104 million dollars for treatment programs for public safety workers. The legislation is designed to pay for the treatment of police officers who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The funding would also cover their wages and benefits while in treatment. A similar measure in the Minnesota Senate has a committee hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
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