Local-Regional News Aug 31

 There is a proposal in Madison to allow schools to start before Labor Day in Wisconsin.  Currently, schools are required to start after Labor Day unless they receive a waiver from the Department of Public Instruction.  Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike is supportive of starting before Labor Day.  Over the last few years districts have been allowed to start before Labor Day under emergency rules from the Covid-19 pandemic.  This is the last year those rules will be in effect.

City of Durand Department Heads and staff are already planning the 2024 city budget.  City Council committees will be meeting in October to discuss budgets for all the departments.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the Madison Street Project next year will be a big part of the budget.  The city will be receiving an increase of nearly $100,000 in shared revenue from the state next year.  The city is planning a public hearing on the budget in November. 

The investigation into the system-wide service outages at HSHS and Prevea Health Hospital is expanding.  The two hospital systems have been offline since earlier this week.  The outage has caused problems for people looking to make appointments or follow-up with their doctors.  The two hospitals are not saying what happened, though the investigation is now looking into a possible data breach.  Prevea said in a statement that the "top priority is continuing to provide consistent, quality care to our patients and restoring our systems and applications for our colleagues as quickly as possible."

Chippewa Falls Schools are moving air conditioners into Hillcrest and Jim Falls Elementary Schools to deal with the summer heat.  The school district yesterday said it is bringing in spot coolers to help cool down hot classrooms.  A number of parents at Hillcrest and Jim Falls complained about the heat for their kids.  Temperatures over the weekend are expected to be in the 90s.  Chippewa Falls Schools say the spot coolers are not a permanent solution, adding that they cost 14 thousand-dollars a month and will only provide some relief from the heat. 

An Eau Claire man is charged in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm.   According to the US Department of Justice Office for Western Wisconsin, 25-year-old Nathaniel Larson possessed a loaded 9mm handgun on July 11th.   Larson has felony charges dating back to 2016 in Eau Claire County. He also has felony cases in Trempealeau, Barron, and Rusk Counties.   If convicted in federal court, Larson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. 

As deer season approaches, the DNR is out with its annual forecast for hunters. DNR wildlife biologists say it was a mild winter in the West Central District, so the deer herd was not significantly impacted. That includes Pepin, Pierce, Buffalo, Dunn, Eau Claire, Chippewa and Trempealeau counties.  The bow deer season starts September 16th. The gun deer season starts November 18th.

The chancellor at UW-La Crosse is stepping down.  Chancellor Joe Gow yesterday said he is leaving the job at the end of this school year.  Gow isn't leaving UW-La Crosse, he will remain on as a professor in the communications department.  Gow is the longest-serving chancellor in the UW System, and is the second longest-serving chancellor in UW-La Crosse history.  The school will start looking for a new chancellor in a few months. 

Eight Wisconsin Red Cross volunteers are headed south.  The Red Cross yesterday said the crew is going to Florida to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia.  The storm made landfall yesterday as a Category Four hurricane.  The Red Cross says two of the Wisconsin volunteers are from north-central Wisconsin, one is from northeast Wisconsin and the others are from the southern part of the state.

 The roads throughout Wisconsin will start to fill up later today.  Triple-A and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation are expecting a busy Labor Day travel weekend.  Triple-A isn't saying just how many people it expects to travel this weekend, but they are expecting more people to hit the roads.  Wis-DOT says all rest stops are open in the state, but the agency is warning about road construction.  Today and tomorrow are the busiest getaway days.  Monday is expected to be the busy day for people coming back home. 

Minnesota state legislators are asking Governor Walz to order a special session to talk about the concerns regarding the state's new school resource officer's law.  The new law says officers cannot be physical when restraining students unless there is bodily harm or death.  This has led several police departments to pull their resource officers out of schools in the last few days.  Minnesota Republicans say there needs to be a special session to clarify the concerns.  Governor Walz says lawmakers are misinterpreting the law.  

Cadott Schools might ask voters for more money next spring.  The schools' administrator yesterday said they are creating a community-driven facility advisory committee to look at last spring's ten-million dollar tax hike to see if it will be enough.  Administrator Josh Spaeth says the money is earmarked for a new career technical education center and classroom upgrades.  No one is saying just how much more money Cadott Schools are looking for, or where that money will be spent.  If there is a new referendum, voters will see it on their ballots next spring. 

It's the latest sign that UW-Madison students are back in town.  Police in Madison say they found 128 fake IDs during a sweep at a university bar Friday night.  Police say there were a lot of underage drinkers at the Church Key bar when they stopped by for a check.  Madison Police say they expect other young people also have fake IDs at other downtown and campus-area bars.  Last year, Madison Police found nearly the same number of fake IDs when they checked in on State Street's City Bar at the start of the last school year. 

A new report says public schools in Wisconsin are adding administrators, even as they lose students and can't find enough teachers.  The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty yesterday released a report that shows a spike in administrative hires since 2017.  WILL says most of those new administrators have something to do with diversity, equity, or inclusion.  Wisconsin schools have added about three-thousand teachers and administrators over the past five years.  Meanwhile, the same schools have lost over 30-thousand students in the same time frame. 

A data breach currently being investigated by the University of Minnesota is now the subject of a federal class action lawsuit.  The lawsuit was filed last Friday in U.S. District Court by a former student and a former employee.  The pair claims the breach has had "serious consequences" for them and accused the university of failing to take adequate steps to protect their personal information.  The university announced last week that it learned about the possible breach in July but didn't notify students or staff until recently.

 State and federal investigators are warning Minnesotans about a possible scam that uses phone numbers that appear to belong to law enforcement.  The FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension say the scammers impersonate members of their agencies to try to gain personal information.  The callers may ask for Social Security numbers, banking information, and addresses by saying they're conducting an investigation.  Both agencies say anyone approached by these scammers should ask for a callback number and then reach out to the FBI or the BCA to try to verify the caller's identity.

Believe it or not, the fall hunting seasons are just around the corner.  Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources this week urged hunters to get ready for their seasons by double-checking their licenses and double-checking their dates.  Early goose season begins September 1st, which is Friday.  Bear season opens next Wednesday, and archery season for deer opens on September 16th. 

The City of Durand and the Durand-Arkansaw School Board have reached an agreement on the library.  Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike says the original contract needed to be cleaned up.  Both Doverspike and Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren said the process toward a new agreement went easier and faster than expected.

Three  people were injured in a two vehicle accident in the Town of Hale on Monday.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, a truck pulling a trailer was backing into a driveway when it was struck by a southbound vehicle on Hwy D.  The driver of the truck was transported to a local hospital while the driver and passenger of the other vehicle received minor injuries and were treated at the scene and released.

Xcel Energy’s Wisconsin customers will soon see the benefits of an improved, high-tech electric grid as the company begins installing smart electric meters at their homes and businesses. Installation work begins today in the company’s southern communities as part of a multiyear project to bring customers cleaner, safer and more reliable energy through advanced grid technology.  The first meters will be installed in the communities of Alma Center, Coon Valley, Ettrick, Hixton, Melrose, Rockland and Sparta starting today as the company sets out to install more than 260,000 of the new devices in Xcel Energy’s Wisconsin service area this year and through 2025.

There’s more information on a man who led the Wisconsin State Patrol on an Interstate chase in a semi cab last Friday.  47- year-old Michael Steven Jones is from St Louis.  A criminal complaint says Jones had been fired from the semi company on Friday morning and reportedly flipped out.  Jones was in Chippewa County and decided to steal the semi while a woman was getting her belongings out of it. She was taken along for the wild ride and had called 911 several times, pleading for help. The police pursuit along I 90/94 finally came to an end near the Dells when the semi caught on fire and crashed into a ditch. Nobody was seriously hurt, but Jones also kicked out the glass of a police cruiser, which did injure an officer, as he was being taken to the Juneau County Jail.  

The Leinenkugel's strike in Chippewa Falls is over.  The union for the 45 or so striking workers at the plant yesterday said they are heading back to work.  The strike started on July 10th, and was focused on money.  The local Teamsters union is not saying just what the new deal looks like.  Molson Coors, which owns Leinenkugel's, yesterday said they are happy that the strike is over.  The new three-year deal means workers will be back on the job next week. 

 A Trempealeau County man has been charged with vehicular homicide after a crash that left a woman dead this past March.  According to authorities, Gavin  Becker of Independence was driving to work on Highway 53 around 8 a.m. on March 17th when he crossed the center line and hit an SUV driven by 64-year-old Jeannie Furlin.  She died at the hospital and a one year old child was ok.  An investigation showed Becker was on his phone at the time of the crash, Becker told police he'd been looking at his screen.   His next court appearance is in September.

Dunn County Authorities have dropped hiding a corpse charges against a Minnesota man who dumped  4 bodies in the county.  Authorities dropped the charges against Antoine Suggs because he was convicted of 4 counts of murder in Minnesota and is currently serving a 100yr sentence.  However, Suggs' father, Darren Osborn had admitted to helping his son dump the bodies and will still face charges of hiding a corpse.

 Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are trying again with a massive tax cut plan.  Republicans yesterday unveiled a three-billion-dollar tax cut plan that would give a tax cut to people making between 37-thousand and 405-thousand dollars a year. The plan would also eliminate Wisconsin's income tax on 150-thousand dollars worth of retirement income.  Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says the plan will mean a 700-dollar tax cut for most people in the state.  He says the money would come from Wisconsin's massive surplus.  Vos and the Republicans say they are returning that money to the people.  Governor Evers vetoed the last Republican tax cut plan, and it's likely he will veto this one as well. 

Minnesota  officials are beginning a series of listening sessions to gather input on a plan to boost broadband access and advance digital equity.  The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will hold its first Digital Opportunity Program meeting today in Willmar.  Meetings will happen in 16 cities through the end of next month, including stops in Rochester, Winona, Mankato and Faribault. Two virtual meetings are also scheduled for anyone who can't attend in person.  Written comments on the draft plan will be accepted through September 29th.

Republican lawmakers continue to try and force the state's elections boss out of her job.  The Senate Committee on Elections held an hours-long hearing yesterday to take a look at Meagan Wolfe's performance as Elections Commission administrator.  A number of Republicans, and at least one Democratic senator, want Wolfe replaced because of how she handled the 2020 election in Wisconsin.  It remains to be seen if the Senate can fire Wolfe  Elections commissioners have refused to formally nominate her for a second term, and both Wisconsin's attorney general and some legislative lawyers say that means the Senate cannot vote her out.  Some local elections managers say pushing Wolfe out at this point will create nothing but chaos for next year's elections. 

Two off-duty Kenosha County sheriff’s deputies rescued a family from drowning in Lake Michigan.  The sheriff’s office says deputies Kelsey Schwuchow and Christopher Bischoff saw two children struggling to swim in the lake off Simmons Island in Kenosha Sunday afternoon.  After the children’s mother saw them drowning, she ran into the water to try to save her children but couldn't reach them.  That’s when the deputies went into action, battling three-to-four-foot waves and rip currents to bring the children to shore, then returning to bring the mother in from the waters.  Everyone involved was observed at area hospitals and is expected to fully recover.

Wisconsin's Supreme Court Justice says the court's new liberal majority is trying to pull off a coup. Chief Justice Annette Ziegler made the comments in a pair of emails. She said she has 'no confidence in the recent hostile takeover' of Wisconsin's high court. Ziegler continues to be furious that the new liberal majority fired the state's court administrator, then hired a new person, and moved to limit the chief justice's power within days of gaining the majority on the court. Ziegler accused the new court administrator of issuing orders in her name. Liberals on the court have defended their moves, but have not commented on Ziegler's accusations. 

3M has reached a six-billion-dollar settlement with military service members over defective earplugs.  More than 200-thousand claims were filed over the Combat Arms CAEv2 earplugs that allegedly caused hearing loss.  Claimants must register for a payment plan and provide proof of hearing damage.  Payments will be made through 2029.

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce is giving its stamp of approval to the renewal of a half-cent sales tax to help fund millions in public infrastructure projects.  The chamber issued its endorsement for the renewal of the tax yesterday, saying it will provide money for products that add to the city's quality of life and economic growth.  The sales tax was originally approved by voters in 1982 and was been renewed three times.  It's expected to generate over 200-million dollars that will be earmarked for the construction of a new recreation and sports complex, as well as road projects, water and flood-control improvements and regional economic development.  The tax will expire at the end of next year unless it is reauthorized by voters in November.

A proposal in the Wisconsin legislature would aid victims of gun violence. The bill, introduced by Fitchburg Representative Jimmy Anderson and Milwaukee Senator Lena Taylor, would add a point-five percent tax to gun purchases in the state which would pay for a fund for victims of gun violence.  That fund would be administered by the state Department of Justice.  Anderson and Taylor are now seeking co-sponsors for that legislation.

A Milwaukee  bar is offering Packer fans a way to cash-in on Aaron Rodgers' misery this season. Jack's American Pub is offering free drinks anytime the New York Jets lose this season. You have to be at the bar 15 minutes before game time, and you have to start a tab. If the Jets lose, the bar will pay off your drink tab. Jack's Ryan Cooke says it's a way to get people to the bar when the Packers aren't playing. That's another one of the rules, the free drinks offer is only good when Rodgers is starting, and when the Packers aren't playing. New York opens its season Monday, September 11th against the Bills.

Local-Regional News August 29

 One person was injured in single vehicle accident in Oak Grove Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 22yr old Cierra Wilson of Chanhassen, MN was traveling northbound on Hwy 35 when she lost control of her vehicle and entered the ditch.  Wilson was transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

One person was injured in a UTV accident in Trenton Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 54yr old Dulcie Anderson of Hager City had parked a UTV  and exited the vehicle.  The UTV started to roll forward and Anderson tried to stop it.  The UTV struck a pole and rolled over onto Anderson.  She was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

There are questions to answer about a fisherman whose body was pulled from the Chippewa Flowage yesterday. Crews in Sawyer County recovered 74-year-old Lowell Tesky's body yesterday, he'd been reported missing on Friday when other fishermen found his empty boat. No one is saying how Tesky ended up in the water. The Sawyer County Sheriff's Office is investigating.

 A new plan at the Wisconsin Capitol could have some kids in the state back to school sooner. The plan would allow schools to start their year before September 1st. Right now, schools need special permission to start in August.   The rules allowing for the early starts are ending this year, an the plan looks to give more flexibility to more local school districts. 

 Prosecutors in Jackson County are moving ahead with their case against the man who they say lit eight fires over the past five months. The D.A.'s office announced the charges yesterday against 46-year-old Daniel Johnson. He's accused of setting the fires in the Black River Falls area. The first fire was back on April 9th, and the last fire was August 10th. Firefighters say they ranged in size from a couple feet to more than 16 acres in one case. There are no reports of any injuries, though there are plenty of reports of damage. 

The state Department of Justice is investigating a fatal shooting by a sheriff’s deputy in northwest Wisconsin.   The shooting that left 44-year-old Jay Allen Claremboux dead happened the afternoon of August 15, when Ashland County deputies responding to a domestic dispute in a rural area south of Mellen encountered Claremboux assaulting one of two women. He was armed with a knife, and Patrol Sergeant Jason Janacek shot Claremboux. First aid was rendered but he died at the scene. The women received superficial injuries. Janacek, a 21 year law enforcement veteran, is on administrative leave while the Division of Criminal Investigation reviews the shooting.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking hunters to double-check their targets when the bear season starts this Friday.  Researchers within the agency are monitoring about three-dozen black bears around the state.  The bears are marked with ear tags and radio collars and are part of an ongoing study about how the animals react to changes in natural food supplies.  The department is asking hunters to avoid shooting the tagged animals because the researchers need long-term data from individual bears to complete their study.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says residents looking to visit state parks, forests, or trails during Labor Day weekend should buy their state park and forest vehicle admission stickers online. DNR says the stickers are required for all vehicles when entering state parks. They cost 28 dollars for most Wisconsinites. Daily admission passes are only available on-site and range in price depending on the state park and vehicle size.

The Minnesota Department of Health will soon be screening babies for a group of rare conditions that can cause serious problems if not treated early in life.  The state health department announced the addition of Krabbe Disease, G-A-M-T and M-P-S Two to its newborn screening program yesterday.  The state health commissioner said the additions will strengthen what is already one of the most comprehensive newborn screening programs in the U.S.  The agency is still working on adding the new conditions to the program and a date for implementation has not been set.

A new aquatic plant plan for Lake Eau Galle will be presented during the bi-annual meeting of the Lake Eau Galle Association.  Dave Blummer from LEAPS will provide the presentation to outline the proposed plan to manage the plant growth in the lake.  That meeting is September 6th starting at  6pm at the Sportsman's Club Shelter by the Eau Galle Dam.

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The First Lady is heading to Wisconsin this week.  Jill Biden will join Wisconsin U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Thursday in Madison for an event to highlight the importance of early detection and improving access to cancer screenings.  Mrs. Biden will then speak at an educator appreciation event with the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers in Madison before rejoining Baldwin that evening for a political fundraiser.   The First Lady’s Madison stop is one of three stops in the Midwest for her this week.

A well-known ferry boat participated in a rescue mission on Lake Michigan Friday morning. While the Lake Express was heading back to port in Milwaukee from Muskegon, Michigan, the ship’s captain noticed another boat smoking and taking on water.  As the captain turned his craft around and radioed for help, the ferry and several fishermen in the harbor arrived to quickly get the people aboard the sinking boat out of the water. The U.S. Coast Guard tweeted that all seven in the submerged boat were evaluated by EMS crews, and two of those rescued were seen at a local hospital. There’s no word on their injuries or condition.

Wisconsin students are not getting all the immunizations the state says they need. Last year, 90 percent of students met the minimum requirements for entry to school, but Wisconsin immunization program manager Dr. Stephanie Schauer tells WXPR those levels are still too low. Schauer says 5 to 6 percent fewer kids are getting their required measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines. If you're not sure if your child has gotten all their vaccines, talk to your doctor or check at a local clinic. 

A new bipartisan Assembly task force will explore the impact of AI in Wisconsin. Neenah Republican, Representative Nate Gustafson, will co-chair the panel. He admits, some or us are apprehensive about AI, with misconceptions "based of off the Terminator." Gustafson noted AI is already in use, and that his press release announcing his appointment was generated using chatgpt. Speaker Robin Vos named Gustafson and Onalaska Democrat Steve Doyle as co-chairs. It was one of four study committees Vos announced last week, and Governor Tony Evers’ administration has also announced formation of an AI task force.

A new U.S. House caucus has a focus on college football. The Congressional Historic Stadium Caucus launched Friday with the intent of preserving and modernizing 18 historic college football stadiums. Louisiana Republican Garrett Graves and Wisconsin Democrat Mark Pocan want to target security enhancements, technology upgrades and create infrastructure upgrades for the stadiums, some of which are more than 120 years old. Included on the list, UW Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium, which was built in 1917 and is the oldest in the BIG10 conference.     

It's that time of year again. UW-Eau Claire is less than a week away from move-in and the beginning of the school year. The dorms open next Sunday, and students will move in by next Tuesday. The school is not saying just how many students will be in the dorms this year. A full university headcount won't come until the semester is in full swing next month. 

Local-Regional News Aug 28

 We are waiting to see just how many chickens died in a coop fire in the town of Dover.  According to the  Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, firefighters got a 911 call about 4 a.m. yesterday morning about a fire at the coop in rural Mondovi.  Firefighters from Mondovi, Independence, and Waumandee all responded to the blaze.  The Coop is a total loss.   No people were inside, and no people were hurt.  Firefighters are looking for an exact cause of the fire. 

The city of Durand is looking for low to moderate homeowners to take advantage of a home repair and improvement program.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the money can be used in a variety of different ways. The program is anonymous and for more information please contact the city of Durand.  Currently the fund has nearly $155,000 in it and if is is not used, the city will lose access to it.

 

It was a weekend rescue for crews in Eau Claire. The fire department had to send firefighters over the side of an embankment Saturday morning after someone riding a bike fell off. Firefighters had to lower a stretcher down the embankment and help the rider out. They were then taken to the local hospital for treatment. 

A Woodville man is dead after a motorcycle accident on I-94 near Mile post 16 on Friday.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, 24yr old Trent Brinker was traveling westbound on I-94 and lost control of the motorcycle and was ejected.  Live-saving measures were provided but were unsuccessful.  That accident remains under investigation.

Authorities have released new details about a police pursuit of a stolen semi that tied up Interstate 90/94 near the Wisconsin Dells Friday afternoon.  The truck had been reported stolen out of Chippewa County and the chase started in Jackson County after people on the highway reported a semi without a trailer being driven erratically.  Wisconsin State Patrol troopers put down spike strips three times flattening the truck's tires, but the driver kept going, driving at highway speeds on just metal rims.  The truck threw off sparks and leaked oil for a mile before catching fire and crashing.  Troopers arrested the driver.  A woman who was riding with him got out safely.

 It's not going to be enough to simply broadcast the vote count next year under a plan at the Wisconsin Capitol. The Senate Committee on Elections is eyeing a plan that would require local election clerks to keep the tape as well. The plan says if a local election clerk broadcasts or livestreams the vote count on election night, they must keep a tape of that broadcast for 22 months. The proposal comes after some local election offices erased their vote counting tapes during the 2020 election. 

Wisconsin is shifting away from testing people for the coronavirus. The state's Department of Health Services last week said instead they are going to focus on testing wastewater. Dr. Ryan Westergaard says since most people either don't test themselves, or test at home, using single tests reported to doctors and public health managers isn't very efficient. He said it is much more efficient to test sewage samples, do some math, and estimate the number of COVID cases in Wisconsin. 

Cooler temperatures may have helped the Minnesota State set a new single-day record for attendance last week.  Nearly 165-thousand people went to the fair on Friday, setting a new record for second-day attendance.  It was a nice bounce-back from opening day on Thursday, which was down about 15-thousand visitors compared to last year.  Organizers noted that the first day of the fair has typically had the lowest attendance and that the extreme heat felt across much of the state may have kept people from coming on Thursday. 

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 The question of whether voters in Wisconsin can get a do-over ballot will be back in court this week. There is a hearing in Waukesha on a case involving ballot spoiling. That's the term for getting a new ballot. It's an issue because the Wisconsin Elections Commission wanted to allow voters to cast a new vote, if the candidate they originally voted for dropped out of the race. The judge last year said that's not allowed. An appeals court later agreed.

Wisconsin's elections chief will not appear before lawmakers about the future of her job. Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe yesterday said she will not appear before the Senate Committee on Elections when or if lawmakers call for a hearing. Wolfe is relying on an opinion from Wisconsin's attorney general that says she is not up for reappointment, which means the Senate cannot vote on her appointment. A number of Republicans, and at least one Democratic senator, want to remove Wolfe from the Elections Commission because of how she handled the 2020 election. 

Student loan payments will be starting again soon after years of pauses due to the pandemic. Nathan Nash from the Federal Trade Commission says you need to be on the look out for scammers who will try to make a quick buck by saying they'll handle payments for you.   The FTC says scammers have been posing as a "Biden Loan Forgiveness" plan to lure students. They were able to collect millions in upfront fees. If you need help with your loans, check online at Look Forward W I dot Gov to get help from the state. 

The owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company has filed a constitutional complaint against the city of Minocqua. Kirk Bangstad is accusing the city of violating his 14th Amendment rights by denying him a zoning variance for his restaurant. Bangstad has been bickering with Minocqua leaders for years, and the lawsuit is just the latest in that back-and-forth. Bangstad accused Minocqua of a pattern of authoritarian conduct, retaliation, harassment, and intimidation. The city has not yet responded to the lawsuit, but last month moved to close Bangstad's restaurant down because of zoning issues. Bangstad, who is an outspoken Democrat, says the whole thing is politically driven. 

 The state of Minnesota will adjust its minimum wage requirements to account for an increase in the cost of living.  The state Department of Labor and Industry announced yesterday that large employers will begin paying minimum wage workers ten-dollars and 85-cents an hour on January 1st, an increase of 26-cents.  Smaller companies will be required to pay workers eight-dollars and 85-cents an hour, an increase of 22-cents.  The wage increase mainly affects communities outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul, since those two cities require companies to pay a higher minimum wage than the state. 

Second quarter earnings dropped for a Wisconsin-based retailer.  Kohl's reported a drop in both profits and sales on Wednesday.  The department store chain headquartered in Menominee Falls has been caught in a trend of cautious spending as continuing inflation combined with higher interest rates are causing customers to back off on purchasing discretionary items such as clothing.  

 A door standing alone in a field in western Minnesota is gaining attention after becoming a subject of discussion in social media.  The blue door stands in front of a wooded area on County Highway Four near Vergas, which is about 60 miles southeast of Fargo.  A picture of the door generated interest on Reddit last year and a more recent post on Facebook created even more talk about why it's there.  The owners of the property call the door an art project and say they may add a lantern to create even more mystery. 

Local-Regional News Aug 25

 The City of Durand has approved a new five year agreement with the Durand-Arkansaw School District for the library.    Ddurand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city and school district were able to find changes to the agreement and remove policy issues.  The city and library  will pay the school district $21,500 in the first year with that amount increasing $500 each year of the agreement.  The agreement still needs to be approved by the Library Board and the Durand-Arkansaw School District Board.

The Mondovi City Council has approved a new agreement with area townships for fire protection services.   Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says while the townships are paying more, the city has made some investments into new equipment for the department.  The new agreement will take effect in 2024.  

The Red Wing Fire Department responded to a call reporting a structure fire in the 1000 Block of Putnam Ave in Red Wing at 12:14 a.m. Thursday. According to the Fire Department, when firefighters arrived, they found fire through the roof upon arrival and made entry into the residence to start extinguishing the fire.  The house sustained major fire damage throughout and was left uninhabitable. There was no one home at the time of the fire.  Firefighters encountered significant difficulties extinguishing the fire due to the extremely high heat and humidity.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The latest candidate for Congress in western Wisconsin doesn't live in western Wisconsin. Aaron Nytes is from Milwaukee, but is finishing-up law school at Harvard -- yesterday he jumped into the Democratic race for the 3rd Congressional District. Democrat Rebecca Cooke announced her bid for the same seat last month. Nytes says his age, just 25-years-old, is an 'X factor' in the race. He says he plans to move to La Crosse once he graduates from Harvard, likely next spring. If Nytes wins the primary he would take on Republican Derrick Van Orden next fall. 

The latest report from the Realtors Association of Northwestern Wisconsin shows home sales in the area were down 16-percent last month compared to July of last year.  Just 9 homes sold in Pepin County, while Buffalo County had 15 homes sold, Pierce County 26 and Dunn County had 52 homes sold last month.  Our area is not the only place in Wisconsin where home sales are down, the Realtors say almost every city in Wisconsin has the same problem. The Realtors blame a lack of houses to sell, high prices, and higher interest rates. 

The investigation into the sheen-like substance that was found on the Chippewa River last Friday is now complete.  The Wisconsin DNR was investigating the matter, and officials say the substance appeared to be oil-based.  They say the sheen originated a quarter to half a mile upstream of the dam from an unknown source, and is not from the dam or the Union Pacific railroad.  DNR officials did not observe any adverse impacts to aquatic life, wildlife, or vegetation, and say there is no threat to drinking water.

A Rochester man is being praised for his quick action after he spotted a man drowning at Foster Arend Park.  Ken Hartmark ran into the lake yesterday afternoon after he saw people pointing to the area where a man had gone underwater.  Hartmark says he had to dive three times to pull the man to the surface and then did C-P-R until paramedics arrived.  The man was revived and transported to Mayo Clinic St. Mary's for treatment.  The Rochester Police Department says the victim thanked Hartwell for his quick thinking after he regained consciousness.

A Minnesota power plant is getting approval from state regulators to store more nuclear waste, extending its life.  The Xcel Energy nuclear plant in Monticello received the okay from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission yesterday.  The approval will lead to the construction of a new area to store the spent nuclear fuel, a move that could extend the plant's operating life until 2040.  The plant has reported two radioactive leaks over the last year, and the company says it's building a barrier to shield the Mississippi River from radioactivity in the groundwater.

Wisconsin will not have a shortage of task forces this year. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos yesterday ordered the creation of four new task forces for lawmakers. They include a task force on artificial intelligence, a task force on childhood obesity, a task force on truancy, and a task force on human trafficking. The speaker's assignments come after Governor Evers created his own task force on A-I earlier this week. Lawmakers will start holding hearings this fall, though it's not clear just when the groups will wrap up their work. 

A merger affecting hundreds of Wisconsin workers is being called into scrutiny.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said she's asking the Federal Trade Commission to do a retrospective analysis of a 2018 merger between Energizer and Spectrum Brands.  Baldwin said the amalgamation of the companies resulted in Energizer controlling around 40 percent of the United States’ battery market, 60 percent of the world hearing aid battery market, and 85 percent of the total battery market. Baldwin believes that domination of the battery market has led to higher prices. The company plans to close plants in Fennimore and Portage.

Attorney General Josh Kaul says Republican lawmakers can't replace the head of the state elections commission. The Democrat AG sent a letter to the head of the legislature's legal council this week. Kaul says the elections commission hasn't voted to replace Meagan Wolfe so the Senate can't replace her. That's because the state supreme court ruled last year a person isn't removed from a commission or board just because their term is over. The decision was in favor of a Republican appointee to the state Natural Resources Board who stayed on the board two years after his term ran out. Kaul argues the same applies to Wolfe. A hearing on Wolfe's potential replacement is set for next week. 

An 18-year-old driver charged with striking and killing a 13-year-old child as she boarded a school bus last May was allegedly texting at the time. The Wisconsin Department of Justice announced Thursday that Kevin Green, of Reedsburg is charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. The criminal complaint alleges Green was behind the wheel of a pickup the morning of May 12 when he failed to notice the bus stopped in front of him. Green, who was 17 at the time, swerved into a ditch and struck Evelyn Gurney while she was standing in her driveway. She died of her injuries. The complaint alleges that Green was texting while driving at and before the time of the crash.

You can help the American Red Cross help victims on the island of Maui. Jennifer Warren is regional communications director for the American Red Cross of Wisconsin. She said to help people affected by disasters such as the Maui wildfires, you can make a gift to Red Cross relief by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-Red Cross (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word “redcross” to 90999 to make a ten dollar donation. The Wisconsin Red Cross currently has seven volunteers who are assisting the victims of the Maui wildfires. 

The Minnesota State Fair is underway.  It runs through Labor Day and fairgrounds are open from 7 a.m. through 11 p.m. every day except Labor Day.  Metro Transit State Fair Express buses will be available for fair-goers to shuttle to-and-from the fair.  The entertainment today at the grandstand will be The Black Keys.

It's not every day you see a mountain lion roaming around your backyard.  Duluth resident Nathaniel Smith had that experience earlier this week at his house in the Kenwood neighborhood.  He was awoken at around 3 a.m. to see a mountain lion pacing his backyard through his security camera.  According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, only 51 sightings have been recorded in the state since 2004. 

Local-Regional News August 24

 There is just one more day of heat for Durand and the Chippewa Valley. The National Weather Service is leaving a Heat Advisory in effect til 7 p.m. tonight for folks from the Twin Cities down to La Crosse. Temperatures will once again be in the 90s, with the heat and humidity making it feel even hotter. After today, temperatures return to normal and even cool down into the 70s over the weekend. 

The city of Durand will begin the bidding process for the new Tarrant Park Pool Today.    Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the bidding will be open for a month.  The city will open the bids on September 26th.  Meanwhile, the new sewer line at Dollar General is now installed and according to Public Works Superintendent Matt Gillis, Prospect Street should be re-opened later today after the road is paved where the line was installed.

The City of Mondovi will hold a groundbreaking ceremony this Saturday for the new library.   Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the project will be great for the city.  The Groundbreaking Ceremony will be Saturday morning at 10.

Some downtown business owners in Eau Claire say they may have to close their doors if the city moves ahead with paid parking. Erin Klaus, co-owner of Tangled Up in Hue, said making people pay to park downtown could be the make or break point. Eau Claire city engineer Dave Solberg says the city is considering parking meters. He says the goal is to create some turnover in downtown parking spots, as well as to raise money for the city. No one, however, is saying just what the paid parking will look like, or how much it would cost. 

A Western Wisconsin man, who went missing during the Korean War was laid to rest in Fairchild yesterday.  U.S. Army Corporal Donald "Donny" DuPont of Alma Center went missing in action on December 2, 1950, during the battle near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea.   His remains were returned in 2018 and identified earlier this year by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

A Minnesota city that lost its entire police force just a few weeks ago has decided to let the county sheriff's office for its law enforcement needs.  The mayor of Goodhue announced yesterday that the city has signed a contract with the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office.  The city will pay 43-thousand dollars for law enforcement services through the rest of the year.  The city's entire police department resigned on August 11th, just two days after the police chief announced his resignation to take another job.  Pay and recruitment of new officers were among the concerns that led to the resignations.

 A Mayo Clinic in Rochester will now bill patients who ask questions through the patient portal. The clinic said the hospital will bill a patient if the question asked requires a doctor to make a diagnosis or clinical decision. However, appointment and prescription refill requests won't be billed. Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association say they plan to testify against the billing because it can compromise resident's access to health care. 

It was a day of tough questions for members of Wisconsin's DBR Board. A senate committee yesterday pressed board members for answers about wolves, Sandhill Cranes, and PFAS contamination. The answers they got were vague. Wisconsin's DNR is finalizing a new wolf management plan, and is inching toward an agreement on PFAS pollution. Republicans disagree with Governor Evers on all three issues, but it remains to be seen what they can do to stop the governor. 

 Wisconsin is going to study AI. Governor Evers yesterday created a blue ribbon commission to study artificial intelligence, and how it could be used in the state. The governor says he wants the commission to figure out how to adapt to and capitalize on AI for the state's workforce. The governor wants to have a report from the commission and plan to vote on by 2025. 

Republicans in the Wisconsin senate are asking the state Supreme Court to remove one of their own from the coming case on redistricting. A dozen Republican state senators yesterday asked the court to remove Justice Janet Protasiewicz from the case because of her comments during last spring's election. Protasiewicz called the maps 'rigged' and 'unfair,' and said she'd give them a second look. The Republicans say she prejudiced herself with those statements. Progressive groups have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to redraw the maps, which they say are too favorable to Republicans. 

Minnesota's cannabis market tax revenue is surpassing expectations. The Department of Revenue told the Star Tribune it had received nearly 600 thousand dollars from 571 businesses for July's sales. Officials say residents and visitors spent at least six million dollars last month on legal hemp-derived THC gummies and drinks. The new Minnesota marijuana law imposed a 10-percent tax on all sales. Analysis say the state's cannabis market is expected to grow significantly once licensed marijuana dispensaries open. 

Minnesota Congressman Brad Finstad says he'd like to see changes in the way the federal SNAP program is administered.  The First District Republican was in Rochester yesterday speaking to members of the Chamber of Commerce at Two Discovery Square.  The congressman said limitations placed on the use of SNAP benefits are sometimes confusing, noting that foods like rotisserie chicken and sliced apples can't be purchased with those benefits.  SNAP benefits are part of the Farm Bill, which must be re-authorized this year.  Finstad says the bill is one of his top priorities when Congress resumes after Labor Day. 

 

Child care in rural Wisconsin will be affected, as the federal funding for Wisconsin’s Child Care Counts program ends next year. Ruth Schmidt with the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association “family care,” operating out of homes, has already been declining.  Governor Tony Evers wants lawmakers to provide additional money for child care providers and has called a special session of the Legislature for next month.

Teacher turnover significantly increased in Wisconsin this year.  A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum found in the most recent school year, 15.8% of teaching jobs in the state turned over.  That number includes moves of teachers between districts or leaving the profession altogether.  Between 2009 and 2023, an average of 11.5% of the state's teachers turned over each year.  Solutions to stop the trend include providing financial incentives to hard-to-staff classrooms, schools or districts; supporting teachers' working conditions and allowing opportunities for teachers to make decisions and grow as leaders.

Investigators said William Pinkin was working as a security guard at a gas station on Milwaukee’s north side when he spotted 29-year-old Isaiah Allen taking the Little Debbie cakes without paying for them. Prosecutor Arthur Thexton read the description of the shooting from the criminal complaint, which refers to Allen by his initials. Pinkin, who was convicted of first-degree reckless homicide in 1990, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is turning down a plan to raise pay and protections for rideshare drivers.  But he did announce a deal with Uber over pay minimums.   The plan was passed by the City Council last week and the mayor believes it needs more work.  Mayor Frey says Uber has agreed to raise the effective pay of drivers in Minneapolis to at least minimum wage.  The rideshare company also agreed to pay drivers a minimum of five bucks for every ride, regardless of how short.

A western Minnesota teen is getting high praise after making an unusual catch at Lake of the Woods.  Fourteen-year-old Connor Halsa was fishing at the lake during his family's summer vacation when he managed to reel in a wallet containing two-thousand dollars.  The family found a business card inside the wallet and called the number, which eventually led them to Iowa farmer Jim Denney.  Denney lost the wallet in the lake a year earlier and thought he would never see it again.  Connor turned down a cash reward, but Denney did talk the teen into accepting dinner and the gift of a personalized cooler.  Denney also said he'd be proud to have Connor as a grandson and "would fight for him any day."

Local-Regional News August 23

 Durand and the Chippewa Valley are expecting the hottest day of the year today. The Excessive Heat Warning for the city continues until 10 p.m. tonight. A Heat Advisory then takes effect til tomorrow evening. Forecasters say western Wisconsin could see triple-digit temperatures, and say the Heat Index will definitely feel like 100-plus. The Weather Service says folks should stay inside as much as they can today. The good news is that the weekend looks nice, with temperatures in the 70s. 

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include a discussion on the 2024 budget process and preliminary meeting dates, an update on the Tarrant Park Pool Project, and reports from the mayor, city administrator, and department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live-streamed on the WRDN YouTube Channel.

The City of Mondovi is unhappy with the engineering services for the North Eau Claire Street project from CBS Squared.  During last night's council meeting, Mayor Weiss told the members of his intention to send a formal letter of complaint to the company in regard to the poor service.    Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says he is not happy with CBS Square's involvement in the project. The project must be completed by October for the city to be allowed to use a CBDG Grant so it is not clear what if any other actions the city will be able to take in regards to their complaints.

The City of Eau Claire has filed a lawsuit against PFAS manufacturers.  PFAS chemicals have been detected on the City Well Fields property and the groundwater the community depends upon for drinking water. Costs for Eau Claire’s PFAS response – which included shutting down the use of nearly half its wells - are already over $1 million and expected to rise to over $20 million with construction and long-term maintenance of new treatment facilities, according to a news release. The release says the suit filed in Eau Claire County Court is a further step to protect the city’s rights and ensure those responsible for the contamination are held accountable for clean-up and damages.   

Eau Claire County is getting two-and-a-half million-dollars in opioid settlement money. The county is now trying to figure out how to spend it. The county's Department of Human Services says there is a community survey that is looking to get feedback as to just what the county should do with the money. Last year, Eau Claire County spent almost 80 thousand dollars in opioid money on Narcan and fentanyl test strips. There's no word when the county will make its decision. 

A woman from Rochester has entered a guilty plea to charges related to the violent riot that took place in Washington, D.C. more than two years ago.  Victoria White has agreed to plead guilty to one count of civil disorder-aiding and abetting.  White drove from Rochester to Washington, D.C., and was present when the riots at the U.S. Capitol happened on January 6th, 2021.  She faces up to six months in prison when she's sentenced in November.

The seven-mile stretch of Highway SS in Barron County is now officially the Officer Emily Breidenbach and Officer Hunter Scheel highway. Barron County leaders yesterday named the portion of the highway between Chetek and Cameron for the two officers who were gunned down there during a traffic stop in April. Both Breidenbach and Scheel were killed by a wanted man. Yesterday, police chiefs from both communities helped unveil the sign that they say will serve as a forever marker that remembers Breidenbach and Scheel's sacrifice. 

Extreme heat leads to buckled pavement.   That’s the warning from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.  The agency says very hot conditions that much of the state will experience this week can cause pavement slabs to expand and push against one another.  The pressure exerted could lead to buckling and unexpected bumps or dips.   The department advises drivers to keep their full attention on the roadway, watch for slowing traffic, and to report pavement issues to law enforcement, providing specific location information.

Wisconsin lawmakers are looking at a plan that could rewrite the rules for UW tuition reciprocity with Minnesota. A State Senate committee will hold a hearing later this morning on the plan which should send more money to UW schools. Currently, Minnesota kids will pay Minnesota tuition to attend a UW school. The Minnesota rate is higher, but UW schools don't get the extra. That is split between the state of Wisconsin and the State of Minnesota. UW managers want lawmakers to allow the university to keep the difference instead. Last school year, that would have meant an extra 13-and-a-half-million dollars for UW-Madison alone. 

Wisconsin solar companies fear regulations wanted by two utility companies will make solar panels too expensive.  Madison Gas and Electric and Alliant Energy are considering changing how they charge net metering, the practice of lowering solar costs by allowing the utilities to use customers' excess energy.  They could lower the compensation rate of net metering for new solar customers, which may no longer make it profitable for them to switch to solar.  The Wisconsin Public Service Commission will consider approving those changes later this year.

 There is a plan to get rid of work permits for 14 and 15-year-olds in Wisconsin. A trio of lawmakers is looking for support for legislation that would do away with the state requirement for young workers. State Rep. Clint Moses says a work permit is just another hurdle for a young worker to overcome. Moses says the work permit requirement slows down the hiring process and makes it more difficult for both teens and businesses in the state.

The first Badger to get an NIL deal from Kwik Trip doesn't wear a football helmet or a basketball jersey, he carries a mellophone. Kwik Trip yesterday announced its first ever name, image, and likeness deal with William Hazeltine, a member of the Badger Marching Band. Hazeltine reached out to Kwik Trip first, but the company quickly embraced the idea. Hazeltine is a huge Kwik Trip fan and said he's excited to share his Kwik Trip story with everyone. The NCAA okayed NIL deals back in 2021 as a way to pay college athletes, mostly in football and basketball. 

The University of Minnesota is investigating a data breach from 2021 and earlier.  Officials notified law enforcement last month along with state and federal regulatory agencies about a huge data breach.  University spokesman Jake Ricker says that an unauthorized party claimed to have possession of data taken from the university's systems.  He adds that outside global forensic professionals have been hired to determine the validity of the party's claims.  They will also be responsible for ensuring the security of the university's systems.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will soon send mobile phone alerts statewide to warn about road conditions and other hazards.  Mn-DOT has reached an agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to allow alerts that warn Minnesotans about road problems that impact public safety.  The alerts will only be sent when road closures due to weather or crashes are expected to last more than four hours.  The alerts will typically include a brief description of the problem and a link to www-dot-511-M-N-dot-org for more information.

 A large group of Minnesota residents set a world record over the weekend. Officials say 330 people floated on pool noodles in Lake Minnetonka at the same time on Saturday. They broke the previous world record of 253. Minnesota-based foundation Project Got Your Back put on the event and it plans to use all proceeds to help veterans transition to civilian life. 

Local-Regional News August 22

 The WRDN Listening area is under an Excessive Heat Warning for the next couple of days. The National Weather Service has issued a warning that runs from 11 a.m. this morning to 10 p.m. tomorrow night. There's a Heat Advisory that then kicks-in til 7 p.m. Thursday. Forecasters say the Chippewa Valley will see highs in the upper-90s, but the heat and humidity will make it feel closer to 110 tomorrow. The Weather Service says people should stay inside if they can. 

A motorcyclist is dead following a Saturday morning crash in western Wisconsin.  The Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Office says a vehicle driven by 18yr old Nadia Nguyen of Holmen reportedly failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a group of motorcycles at the intersection of Hwy 93 and Hwy E  in the Town of Hale. 55yr old Daniel Sonsalla of Arcadia was ejected from the motorcycle and died at the scene, while the other two suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were treated and released at the scene of the incident.   Nguyen was not injured.  The Sheriff's office is processing all evidence including cell phone data, vehicle data, and vehicle inspections.  

The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and action on allowing open containers during the Oktoberfest Celebration along with the closing of parts of S. Franklin and West Hudson Streets for Oktoberfest, discussion of the fire agreement between the city and area townships, and reports from the mayor and department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

School board members in Altoona are going to continue to listen to parents, for now. The city's school board last night dropped plans to limit public comments at school board meetings. The decision came after dozens of parents and teachers turned out to shout-down the idea. Altoona's proposed policy stated that Wisconsin law doesn't require public comments at school board meetings. The parents accused the school district of not wanting to hear their complaints. 

Someone in Dane County is the first person in Wisconsin to get West Nile this year. The state's Department of Health Services on Friday said an individual in Dane County is the first confirmed case for 2023. No one is saying where the person lives, or how they came down with West Nile. In addition to the Dane County case, DHS says horses in Dunn and Clark counties and mosquito pools in Milwaukee and Lafayette counties have also tested positive for the virus. 

Three people were arrested in Menomonie over the weekend after a rash of vehicle thefts.  According to Menomonie Police , Saturday afternoon officers responded to a motor vehicle accident at Wilson and 13th Ave South and found one of the vehicles involved had been stolen.  The department received reports of 4 other vehicles stolen later Saturday, and all four were recovered and with assistance from the Dunn County Sheriff's Department, 18yr old Richard Baier, 18yr old Cobain Nelson and 19yr old Warren Sallee were all arrested in connection with the thefts.

Officer Emily Breidenbach's former K9 partner has a new job with a new police force. The police department in Wautoma yesterday said it has adopted K9 Officer Grizz. Breidenbach was gunned down on the job back in April while on a traffic stop in Barron County. She and another officer were shot and killed by a wanted suspect. Grizz will partner with Wautoma's school resource officer and will serve as a therapy dog. 

A Rochester resident is out thousands of dollars after falling victim to a scam. Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, somebody posing as an associate from Think Bank contacted a 66-year-old woman, and used emails or text messages to acquire passwords and financial information. The scammer allegedly asked for access to the woman's personal device and made away with 16-thousand dollars of her money in Bitcoin before ceasing communication. The sheriff's office says it's very difficult to trace money once it's transferred to Bitcoin.

 Wisconsin and Minnesota are pursuing federal funding to replace a key piece of infrastructure.  The Blatnik Bridge carries more than 33,000 vehicles daily between Duluth and Superior. The 60-year-old span has significant structural deterioration and load restrictions, with anticipated closure in 2030. It’s jointly owned and managed by the Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Transportation. Governors Tony Evers and Tim Walz have announced the agencies have requested federal funding from more than $1 billion available through a grant that’s part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  Each of the two states have committed 400 million dollars to the project.  

A new report shows Wisconsin is seeing historically high teacher turnover.  The Wisconsin Policy Forum says nearly 16 percent of Wisconsin teachers left their jobs last school year, the highest percentage in 13 years.  The average percentage of teacher turnover from 2009 to 2023 was eleven-and-a-half percent.  The Wisconsin Policy Forum is recommending creating more incentives to keep teachers in classrooms.  Area students are gearing up for the first day of school over the next few weeks. 

Hundreds lose their jobs after a trucking company with statewide locations issued layoffs. The job cuts by Yellow Corporation were reported on the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development website Tuesday.  The Tennessee-based company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sunday, stated that the cuts began toward the end of July.  In total, Yellow eliminated 261 jobs across Wisconsin, with the greatest job losses happening at the company’s Neenah and Oak Creek facilities, where 80-plus jobs were cut; and Tomah, where 46 people are now unemployed.

Charges are pending for a 16-year-old accused of running down an 18-year-old girl at an underage drinking party in Sawyer County. It happened Saturday morning near the Town of Sand Lake. The Sawyer County Sheriff's Office says the 16-year-old suspect had been at the drinking party, and ran the 18-year-old over about 7 a.m. Deputies say the teen then fled and was arrested later in Washburn County.

 Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to clarify the rules about having an open beer on an ATV. Lawmakers will hold a hearing today on a plan to make it clear you cannot have an open beer bottle or beer can while riding an ATV on a public trail or a public road. It is already illegal to ride an ATV in Wisconsin while drunk. 

While the Republican candidates for president will be on the debate stage, folks at home in Wisconsin will see some Democratic ads. The Biden-Harris campaign on Friday announced a 25-million-dollar ad buy. The new blitz of pro-Biden commercials will run for 16 weeks. That means the commercials will run through the start of the NFL season and until the World Series. There will also be targeted ads that run on the internet. The president has been running ads in Wisconsin since last year. 

Former President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social yesterday that he will not take part in the Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Trump said that the public already knows who he is, and how successful he was as president. The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump was looking to sit down for an interview with Tucker Carlson instead. The former president's decision clears the way for other candidates to try and cut into his lead when they appear on Wednesday. 

A new exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo is giving visitors a shock, but not in the way you might expect. The Treetop Trail opened to visitors late last month, which is an elevated trail that follows an old monorail track that closed long ago. However, zoo patrons say they're experiencing static shocks when they touch the handrails along the path. While there were concerns the shocks had something to do with the old monorail track, the zoo says the issue is due to the material the trail was constructed with. Zoo employees are applying anti-static solutions on the trail deck to combat the problem.

A church congregation in the town of Marshall was reunited with a piece of its history after nearly a century. The descendants of a one-time pastor at the Marshall Methodist Church last year found a so-called 'friendship quilt' with over 900 names of people from the town and its surrounding areas. The Steen family presented the embroidered piece to the congregation on Saturday, 94 years to the day after it was presented to the former Reverend Roy Steen. The quilt will spend a week on display at the Marshall Community Library before it heads to the Marshall Area Historical Society for preservation.

Local-Regional News August 21

 One person was killed, and another injured in a motorcycle vs automobile accident in Trenton Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 58yr old Michael Cardell of Red Wing was traveling northbound on Hwy 63, when traffic slowed in front of him.  He went into the southbound lane and struck a southbound vehicle driven by 35yr old Jade Helsper from Red Wing.  Helsper had a passenger in the vehicle identified as 34yr old Alicia Doane of Red Wing.  Cardell was thrown from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene by the Pierce County Medical Examiner.  Doane was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

One person was injured in a UTV accident in Trimbelle Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 22yr old Tyler Gerhardt of Hammond was traveling southbound on Hwy 65 when he attempted to make a sharp turn and lost control of the UTVV.  A passenger, 25yr old Tyler Kattre of Hammond was med flighted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

One person was injured in a single motorcycle accident in Oak Grove Township on Friday.  According to the Pierce  County Sheriff's Department, 59yr oild David McMahon of Prescott was traveling northbound on Hwy 35, when he lost control of the motorcycle and entered the ditch.  McMahon was med flighted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

 It gets hotter after today. The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for the WRDN Listening area from 11am tomorrow until 10pm on Wednesday.  The weather service says we could have heat index values near 110 and with overnight lows in the 70's there will be little relief from the effects of the heat during the nighttime periods. The extreme heat may also lead to buckling roads.  A heat advisory is in effect for Wednesday night through Thursday.

There is a search for a missing teen in Boyceville. Boyceville Police say Caleb Olson has been missing since Friday. They say he left his house with a backpack. Investigators say they got a report of Olson in the area north of Glenwood City yesterday. His pictures are online, and police are asking anyone who knows anything to please reach out. 

 Gas prices are a little lower across Wisconsin this weekend.  Triple-A reports the statewide average was down a penny on Friday, to three-71 a gallon for regular.   Here in Western Wisconsin, Gas prices are averaging $3.68 in Durand, $3.54 in Eau Claire and $3.72 in Ellsworth.

There is more union support for striking workers at Leinenkugel's brewery in Chippewa Falls. Public workers union AFSCME and the local Wisconsin Allegiance for Retired Americans joined the Teamsters on the picket line yesterday. About 45 union workers at the brewery have been on strike for more than a month. They want a bigger pay raise and other concessions. Leinie's says the offer they've made to the striking Teamsters is competitive and exceeds local rates for similar jobs. 

Eau Claire County is looking for a grant to build a bike trail along McKinley Road. The county is applying for a Safe Routes to School grant. The idea is to create a bike path along McKinley from Highway 312 to River Prairie Drive. Planners say that will give kids at both the McKinley Charter School and Northwoods Elementary a safe way to get to and from school. The total cost of the new bike trail would be about 700-thousand dollars. Eau Claire County would have to come-up with about 150-thousand dollars of that money.

There is a manhunt in Barron County for a woman who authorities say cut off her ankle bracelet. The Barron County Sheriff's Department is looking for Lorie Mullins. Deputies say she cut off her ankle monitor while on work release earlier this week. She was allowed out of the county jail to go to work but never returned. The sheriff's office thinks she fled with a man. Her pictures are online, and the sheriff's office is asking anyone who knows anything to reach out. 

Interstate 35 was temporarily shut down near Faribault on Sunday due to a six-vehicle crash. The crash occurred just after noon in the northbound lane of the interstate, when an SUV and a semi-truck collided and caused a chain reaction crash. The Minnesota State Patrol responded to the scene and say while there were some injuries, nobody was killed in the wreck. An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing at this time. 

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 Wisconsin's jobless ticked up slightly last month. The latest numbers from the Department of Workforce Development show the unemployment rate in Wisconsin jumped to two-point-six percent. It was at two-point-five percent in June. DWD says Wisconsin added about 11-thousand jobs, which brought the labor participation rate up to 65-and-a-half percent. That's a half percent jump from June. 

Folks to the north and west of Madison continue to see the worst of Wisconsin's drought.  The latest drought report for Wisconsin shows things improved across the state over the past week.  It helped that Wisconsin saw a couple of days of soaking rain last week.  In Madison and Dane County the drought continues to be severe, but areas to the north and west are in an extreme drought.  As of this week, 78-percent of Wisconsin is seeing some kind of drought conditions. 

We have a few new details, but not many answers about the two crashes at EAA in Oshkosh this year. The NTSB yesterday released an update about the crashes. Investigators say the crash that killed Devyn Collie-Reiley and Zach Colliemoreno saw the plane climb to nearly four thousand feet, before plummeting back to the earth. The other crash which killed Mark Peterson and Thomas Vol happened about 250 feet above the ground when a helicopter and a gyro-copter collided. 

Researchers at UW-Madison say they've hacked voice ID protections with PVC pipes. The university this week announced a team figures out a way to use modified PVC pipes to get around the voice ID security systems that many banks are using. Researchers say they are trying to stay one step ahead of hackers and scammers who are getting creative in their attempts to steal people's identities and/or money. Using custom-cut PVC pipes and paper towels, the team fooled the voice ID protections about 60 percent of the time. The UW researchers say voice ID protections are advertised as 'as secure as a fingerprint,' but say their test proved that's not true.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is getting a regional award for the Flex Lane on the Beltline.  This week the D-O-T was awarded the America's Transportation Award by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.  The Flex Lane received the award for cutting down on commute times.  The Flex Lane is now entered into a national competition and the winner will be announced next month.

A Germantown hotel had some unwanted, unpaid guests last weekend: a bunch of snakes. Video footage shot at the Country Inn and Suites and posted to social media shows a number of snakes in the hotel's pool, the hot tub, and in the hallways. The Washington Ozaukee Health Department reports the snakes are likely northern water snakes that entered the hotel from nearby wetlands. Choice Hotels, which operates the Country Inn, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel management at the location has gotten rid of the snakes. 

Local-Regional News August 17

 The City of Durand continues to work on the replacement of the concrete on River Street along the Chippewa River.  The road needed replacement after heaving from a large drain box underneath the street caused damage to the roadway, curb, and sidewalk.  Durand Public Works superintendent Matt Gillis to council members that the drain box was being removed in hopes that the heaving underneath the roadway will end.

The Dunn County Sherrif's Department has released the name of the driver killed in an automobile crash on Hwy 85 near Carryville on Saturday.  The man is identified as 27-year-old Jamison Fedie of Mondovi, Wis.  Fedie's cell phone called authorities after the crash.  The Sheriff’s Department says a preliminary investigation shows the sedan was heading northbound on State Hwy 85 when it left the roadway and went into the ditch. The vehicle then rolled multiple times and Fedie was ejected.

Eau Claire Schools are no longer facing a lawsuit over what children were told about one of their teachers' transitions. The city's school district agreed yesterday to release the statement read to students about the teacher's change from a man to a woman. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty sued after Eau Claire Schools initially refused to turn that statement over. Eau Claire Schools continue to say they are investigating just what was said but have not been able to make much progress on the case because teachers are gone for the summer. 

An Eau Claire man is being held on two million-dollars bond after police say he admitted to beating his wife to death with a bottle of booze. Prosecutors yesterday filed charges against 81-year-old John Berthold. Police say he told them he killed his wife for being a narcissist, and family members say they were getting divorced. Investigators say Berthold tried to kill himself after killing his wife, but his son found him before he could. Prosecutors say Berthold told detectives that he takes full responsibility for killing his wife, and said he'd do it again. 

Foxconn is selling its buildings in Green Bay and Eau Claire as it gives-up on the idea of regional centers across Wisconsin. Economic development managers in Green Bay say the WaterMark building on Pine Street in downtown Green Bay is now up for sale, as is Foxconn's Haymarket Landing space in Eau Claire. Foxconn originally promised a series of regional centers across the state, but that idea quickly fell flat. Foxconn also originally promised 13 thousand jobs at its main facility in Racine County, but that too fell flat. Governor Evers reworked a deal with Foxconn to pay the company to create just 14-hundred jobs. 

The Farming and Industry Short Course is moving to UW-River Falls after over a century at UW-Madison.  Program director Steve Kelm said the hands-on learning experience is vital for Wisconsin’s agriculture industry.  The 2-year course will teach students the business side of agriculture, and the cow-side of farming. They will be working alongside the 120 adult cows for dairy production at Mann Valley Farm, just miles from the university’s campus.    A state bipartisan bill to support the program with more funding is in the works.  Classes begin October 25.

A soil sampling crew accidentally knocked out power to many Chatfield-area residents on Tuesday morning. The crew was working along Interstate 90 near Dover, when one of the workers struck a buried power line. The worker suffered a medical emergency and was taken to a hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The incident caused over 700 customers to lose power in Chatfield, and caused an additional 676 customers to lose power in nearby Elmira Township. All power was restored shortly after noon later that day.

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit preventing a northern Wisconsin tribe from barricading roads on its reservation.  U.S. District Judge William Conley said in his decision that the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has sovereign rights over the roadways and that his court can’t force the tribe to keep the roads open to the public.  The decision continues an ongoing and intense disagreement between the tribe and several non-tribal landowners in the town of Lac du Flambeau.  In January, tribal leaders set up barriers on four reservation roadways they claimed were being used illegally.  A suit brought forward by the landowners led to an agreement in March between the tribe and the town allowing for a 90-day opening of the roads. 

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There is a warning about fake 100-dollar bills in The Dells.  Police yesterday took to Facebook to warn about counterfeit money in the area.  The warning told shops and restaurants to be on the lookout for bills that say 'motion picture' and/or 'replica.'  Counterfeit bills also don't have a watermark.  Dells' Police, however, did not say if anyone was actually using the funny money. 

There is a plan to shrink just how much land the state can hold for roads, sewers, or ditches. State Rep. Dave Murphy has a plan that would shrink Wisconsin's current 100 foot set-back to just 50-feet. Wis-DOT says landowners must have 100 feet of open land next to highways, Murphy says that takes away usable land and value. He says the governor can give people their land back simply by signing his new plan. 

 State media in North Korea says Racine soldier Travis King crossed the border because of racial discrimination in the U.S. Army, and that he wants to stay in the country.  The Korean Central News Agency yesterday said King says he was "disillusioned at the unequal American society."  King ran across the border with North Korea in mid-July, the same day he was to be sent home to possibly face military punishment for a fight in South Korea.  The announcement from the North Korean news agency is the first word on King since he bolted across the border.  His family in Racine has not responded to the North Korean claims. 

Dane County is going to spend 12 million-dollars to add 625 acres to the Sugar River Wildlife Area.  Officials say it is the largest conservation land buy in county history.  The land is largely farmland right now, but it will be restored to woodland and wetlands over time.  The new conservation land is sandwiched between the county's hunting easement and a forest owned by Madison Metropolitan Schools. 

Wisconsin's new drought information hub lets people track just how dry the state is. The Department of Natural Resources yesterday announced a new website that tracks drought conditions and gives people more information about water, wildfires, and conservation efforts. The DNR launched the website after last week's drought report said 82-percent of the state was seeing some sort of drought conditions. This week's report comes out tomorrow.

Wisconsin is seeing its worst outbreak of spongy moth caterpillars in over ten years.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the caterpillars are invasive and can destroy several different species of trees.  The DNR says so far this summer spongy moth caterpillars have caused about 370-thousand acres of deforestation in Wisconsin.  The last time they did that much damage was 2010. 

The Wisconsin State Fair saw more than a million visitors this year.  Fair managers yesterday released the numbers for the 2023 Fair.  The headcount for this year jumped by about 40-thousand people, which is a four-percent increase over last year's numbers.  The Fair saw well over a million people before the coronavirus, and this year's numbers are not quite there.  In addition to the million people, the fair says visitors bought 300-thousand cream puffs and rode the giant slide 100-thousand times. 

Local-Regional News August 16

 One person was injured in a single vehicle accident Tuesday in Salem Township.  According to the PIerce County Sheriff's Department, 45yr old Brenda Kkrogstad of Elmwood was traveling southbound on Hwy CC when she lost control of the vehicle, entered the ditch and overturned.  Krogstad was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

The Durand-Arkansaw school board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include approval of a donation to the Durand Police Department for the Therapy Dog program, acceptance of the Hanson Park property from the City of Durand, and reports from the superintendent and building administrators.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6pm at the board room at Durand-Arkansaw High School.

The Pepin County Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include annual reports from the Clerk of Courts, Sherrif's Department, and Extension, approval of a resolution to use ARPA money for an Economic Support Program, and a presentation from the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission on the Pepin County Dump and outdoor recreation plans. Tonight's meeting begins at 7pm in the County Board Room at the Pepin County Government Center in Durand.

One person is dead and another person is hurt after a single-vehicle crash in Trempealeau County Monday.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the crash occurred on I-94 eastbound at mile marker 91 near Osseo.  Investigation shows the vehicle lost control during a rainstorm, left the roadway, and hit a tree.  Troopers found a 41-year-old woman from St. Paul, Minn., with minor injuries and a passenger, a 66-year-old woman from Oakdale, Minn., who had died due to the injuries she suffered.  Authorities are not releasing the names of the women at this time.  The Wisconsin State Patrol is investigating the crash.

Some downtown Eau Claire businesses are worried about plans to start charging for parking. A number of businesses are passing around a petition to ask the city council not to move ahead with plans to charge people to park downtown. City leaders say nothing has been decided yet. Erin Klaus is one of the business owners who worry that parking meters will mean fewer customers in her shop, Tangled Up in Hue. Eau Claire recently started enforcing block street parking which requires people to move their cars a block away, every two hours. The city says charges for parking spots may be a part of next year's city budget. 

 Not everyone is on-board with the plan to turn the old Mt. Washington building into apartments. Neighbors turned out last night to oppose the plan that would convert the historic building into another mixed-use development. The Eau Claire Plan Commission last night gave its approval to the project, and the city council will have the next vote. If the city approves the project, work could begin next month. 

A teacher's aide in western Wisconsin is looking at a warrant for child sexual assault. Prosecutors in Polk County yesterday announced the charges against 21-year-old Trey Jensen. He was an aide in the Osceola School District. The superintendent in Osceola says the alleged assault did not happen in school. Investigators say Jensen abused a boy he was watching, though it's not clear when the alleged assaults happened. Jensen has been placed on leave by the school district, and the superintendent says he's been banned from school property. 

 Miller Lite looks to be picking up Bud Light's former drinkers. Molson Coors is reporting its best quarter of sales since the two beer makers merged back in 2005. The company says sales from April to June jumped 12-percent, to just over three-billion dollars. Molson Coors says Miller Lite and Coors Light sales are now 50-percent larger than Bud Light sales, and 30-percent larger than Modelo sales. Bud Light sales have nose-dived since the company partnered with a trans influencer back in the spring.   Currently, workers at Lienkugles in Chippewa Falls are on strike..Leinkugles is ownen by Molson Coors.

The Goodhue City Council wants to rebuild its police force rather than contract with the county after the entire police department resigned last week.  Police Chief Josh Smith stepped down at a City Council meeting on August 9th for another job with nearby Lake City police over pay and recruiting concerns.  Another full-time officer and five part-time employees resigned on August 11th after hearing that Smith quit.  The City Council will seek extra law enforcement from the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office.

A proposal in the state legislature would make changes to Wisconsin state park passes.  The measure, proposed by Harrison State Representative Ron Tusler and Green Bay State Senator Robert Cowles, would allow state park passes to be valid for a full year, regardless of the date you bought the pass.  A current park pass is only good until December 31st of the year you purchased it. The proposed bill would validate the pass for a full year, based on the month of sale.  In essence, if you bought the pass this month, it would be good until August 2024.  If approved, the change would not take effect until 2025.

Two Madison women were found dead in Richland County Sunday. A Richland County deputy found the 60-year-old and 25-year-old women dead in their vehicle along the Lone Rock highway. A family member reported the two missing -- they'd gone for a hike in Devil's Lake State Park and had not returned. No one is saying how the two died, but investigators say there's no threat to the community. 

Congressman Mark Pocan says the conservative House Freedom Caucus is holding up vital legislative work. Speaking to Wisconsin Eye, the second district Democrat says that normal appropriations bills are being sidelined for policy arguments. Pocan says those same lawmakers have also broken agreements on increasing the debt ceiling and are holding up budget bills that need to be done by the end of September. If they aren't signed, there will be a government shutdown.

Editors at the online resource Wikipedia say State Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradly has been editing her own article. Users say Bradley logged into the site this summer and edited parts of her own page, something that's considered a conflict of interest by the website and its members. The account attributed to Bradley removed links to news articles that were critical of her and replaced them with links to decisions she wrote on those topics instead. Bradley told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she was removing quote Dishonest information unquote. Wikipedia administrators say they're keeping an eye on her account in case Bradley makes any more changes and could take action if she does.

Sentry Insurance of Stevens Point is making a six-figure contribution to the recovery efforts following the wildfires in Hawaii.   Chairman and CEO Pete McPartland announced the $275,000 initial donation on Monday, citing Sentry’s ties to the islands through their sponsorship of a PGA golf event. The $250,000 donation will be made to the Maui United Way to help bring immediate relief to island residents. Sentry will also donate $25,000 to the University of Hawai‘i–Maui, aimed at helping alleviate tuition and related costs for students directly affected by the fires. Sentry Foundation will also match any contributions to these organizations made by employees.

A Fennimore man has been charged for driving with a revoked license for the 16th time.  The Grant County Sheriff’s Office says 44-year-old Joshua McGraw was pulled over Friday morning after a deputy recognized him behind the wheel of a vehicle.   When the deputy ran the driver's license check for McGraw through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Wisconsin court records showed McGraw’s 15 other convictions for the violation that happened since May 2020.  McGraw also faces charges of failure to install an ignition interlock device and not having insurance.

The NFL's commissioner was in Green Bay yesterday to talk about the 2025 NFL Draft. Commissioner Roger Goodell stopped by Packers training camp yesterday morning. He made the official announcement that the 2025 Draft will be held in Titletown. Green Bay learned months ago that it will host the draft in April of next year. The state is even throwing in a couple million dollars to help pay for the extravaganza. 

Wisconsin is one of the best states to live in.  That's according to WalletHub, which ranks Wisconsin the ninth-best state to live in.  Some of Wisconsin's best categories are quality of life, safety, and education and health, ranking in the top 15 in all three.  WalletHub says the best state to live in is Massachusetts and the worst is New Mexico

Local-Regional News August 15

 The City of Durand and the Durand-Arkansaw School District continue to work toward renewing the agreement for the library.  Earlier this summer the district notified the city of their intention to end the agreement at the end of 2024.  Since then the city and district have been meeting and both sides agree the agreement has been beneficial for both parties and are confident a new agreement can be reached in the coming months.

One person was injured in a single vehicle accident in Trenton Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sherriff's Department, 54yr old Chrystal Heimerman of Stewartville, MN  was traveling southbound on Hwy 63 when her vehicle was hit by a piece of wood that flew out of a trailer.  A passenger, 60yr old Denise Johnson of Rochester was injured and taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing. 

The sheriff's office in Dunn County says an iPhone automatically dialed 911 and alerted them to a weekend rollover wreck. One person died in the wreck early Saturday morning along State Highway 85, near Caryville. Investigators say the diver went off the road and into a ditch, that's when his car rolled several times. Deputies say the driver wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from his car. 

 The trial of a Rochester man accused of shooting his girlfriend last Christmas Eve begins today. Authorities say Phillip Turner shot the woman in her apartment and then left her seriously wounded in the residence with her children. The victim, who hasn't been publicly named, wasn't found until later on Christmas Day. Phillips has been charged with multiple crimes, including 2nd-degree attempted murder. The trial will be held at the Olmsted County Courthouse.

The strike at the Leinenkugel's brewery in Chippewa Falls is showing no signs of ending anytime soon. About 45 members of the Teamsters have been on strike at the plant since mid-July. Yesterday, the workers said they are 'digging in' and plan to stay on strike for as long as it takes. The union wants more money and other concessions. The brewery is owned by Molson Coors. The company says it has made a competitive offer to the union. There were some talks last week, but the union said the offer didn't change, so the strike didn't end. 

Green Bay based Associated Bank will close more branches this year. Associated, the largest bank based in the state will close six of its approximately 200 branches beginning in mid-November. One Milwaukee stand-alone branch will close while another will consolidate into an Oak Creek branch. Additional Wisconsin branches closing include those in Allouez, Menomonie, and Manitowish Waters. A Chicago branch closing is part of a consolidation of two branches in The Loop. It’s the third consecutive year Associated will close branches, reflecting trends in the banking industry.  

A La Crosse man is charged with taking more than $86,000 from a Galesville woman.   WQOW reports that Keith Burch was charged last week in Trempealeau County Court on four counts of false representation.  The complaint said that Burch, through his private investigations business Coulee Investigations, met the woman as she was going through a divorce. During the course of several years, the complaint said Burch never provided the woman any kind of reports for his investigations. He later convinced the woman to give him money to invest in a "growth distribution fund." The complaint said that he would pay her back, but never did. He returns to court next month.

 The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that the investigation into a 2021 illegal deer harvest has ended with a three-year revocation of the hunter’s hunting and fishing privileges. In November 2021, an anonymous tip of a buck illegally shot with a rifle during archery season came through the DNR’s Violation Hotline. The harvested buck had an estimated green score rack measurement of 218 inches and had been showcased in several local hunting contests.  Through the wardens’ investigation, evidence revealed the person shot the deer with a rifle, had placed illegal bait on the property to attract deer, and had used a relative’s license in previous years to continue hunting after harvesting two other bucks.

Wisconsin's liquor laws may be changing soon. A State Senate committee will take-up the plan tomorrow that reworks the rules for everything from wineries to wedding barns. Some of the changes make it easier for breweries and wineries to serve more of their own drinks to their customers. There are some critics, though, who don't like the rules that will force wedding barns to get liquor licenses or limit themselves to just a handful of weddings each year. The changes have been years in the making, and have support from both Democrats and Republicans at the Capitol. 

The latest bear sighting in Waukesha County was in Eagle. A woman driving along Highway 67 Saturday evening spotted the black bear in the road near the town of Eagle. No one is saying if this is the same bear that's been spotted throughout Waukesha County for the past couple of months, or if this is a new bear. Wisconsin's DNR says there are more than 24-thousand black bears in the state. The DNR says unless a bear is doing something to you, just leave them alone. 

The latest criticism of Wisconsin's wolf management plan is coming from Bear hunters in the state. The Wisconsin Bear Hunters' Association on Friday said it is disappointed that the DNR is not including a wolf population number in the plan. Instead, the DNR is looking at population ranges that would not allow for a wolf hunt until there are more than a thousand wolves in the state. The Bear Hunters want that number back down to 350 wolves. The Bear Hunters say wolves have 'significantly recovered' in the state, and the DNR needs to allow hunters and trappers to manage the wolf population, particularly in the northern part of the state.

A lawmaker says the amount of money Governor Tony Evers wants for child care providers in Wisconsin is unreasonable. State Senator Cory Tomczyk said Republicans are making sure that state taxpayer are not being trapped into spending money that the federal government has pulled away from the state. The Mosinee Republican is referring to the federally funded Child Care Counts. Funding for that will expire early next year and Republicans are rejecting Evers’ call for a special session to sustain it with $340 million in state revenues.

School will be back in session soon and with it stressful changes for students. Dr. Marcia Slattery from UW Pediatrics says parents should be mindful of the social pressures facing children at school. She says you should keep an eye on your child's social life and make sure they're getting support at a time when they're figuring out who they are as a person. She says focusing simply on academic outcomes can put more stress on kids going through a rough time. 

Volunteers with the Red Cross of the Dakotas and Minnesota are heading to Hawaii to help with wildfire relief. The Maui area community of Lahaina has been left in smoldering ruins, and at least 96 people are dead following the fires. A total of 11 volunteers from the Dakota-Minnesota region have been sent to the island to assist. Local Red Cross volunteer Dave Schoeneck says the organization ranks disasters on a scale that goes up to 7, and the Maui fire has been ranked a 6. According to Schoeneck, the Red Cross relief operation in Hawaii could last for months. 

President Biden is coming to Wisconsin this week.  Biden is scheduled to visit Milwaukee on Tuesday, eight days before Republican presidential candidates gather there for the first debate of the 2024 election cycle.  The White House said in a release that Biden will "deliver remarks on how Bidenomics is Investing in America to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down."  This will be Biden's sixth visit as president to Wisconsin, which is one of a handful of swing states.

Madison's police chief will not become Chicago's new police superintendent. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson yesterday chose the city's chief of counterterrorism to be the new top cop. Madison Chief Shon Barnes was a finalist for the job in Chicago. He worked in Chicago before coming to Madison. Barnes is not saying what is next for him in Madison, or perhaps in another city. 

The Valley Vineyard Church in Chippewa Falls has a thousand backpacks to give away this year. Church members have been taking donations and collections to help with the back-to-school effort this year. Pastor Michael Houle says they gave away about 600 of the backpacks yesterday, that's 150 more than the year before. The other backpacks will be available for other kids in need as they head back to school next month