There is now a call for Chippewa County's sheriff to step down. Chippewa County Board Supervisor Rob Teuteberg late Tuesday said Sheriff Travis Hakes should step down immediately. Teuteberg is a former Chippewa Falls Police officer, he said it's his opinion that Sheriff Hakes is unfit to lead the sheriff's department. The county this week released a 100-page report on the investigation into the sheriff, it focused on sexually suggestive memes and complaints that the sheriff is a loose cannon. Sheriff Hakes yesterday said the report was poorly done, biased, and inaccurate. He says his political opponents are driving the push to get him out of the sheriff's office.
A 25yr old man was arrested for robbing a WestConsin Credit Union on Monday. Eau Claire Police said Wednesday the suspect is Maxwell D. Luebeck. He was identified by tipsters in less than 20 minutes of the police posting his photo to social media. Police said he was arrested by the Wisconsin State Patrol near Superior.
State Representative Katrina Shankland has announced she's running for Wisconsin's Third Congressional District seat next year. Shankland made the announcement on Tuesday outside Point Brewing Company in Stevens Point with the endorsement of seven local unions. She's one of four Democrats that have already announced for the seat. Should all of them remain in the race, a primary will be held next August to see which one of the four faces incumbent Republican 3rd District Representative Derrick Van Orden.
It's unclear if prosecutors in Eau Claire are going to be able to get the wanted man who walked away from a halfway house in Tomah back to Wisconsin. Authorities in New Mexico found Shane Helmbrecht Monday night. The Eau Claire County DA's office says they've filed a motion to have him brought back to Wisconsin, but because walking away from the halfway house is a civil matter not criminal, the DA doesn't have the authority to order his return. Prosecutors say getting Helmbrecht back to Wisconsin is a matter of public safety. Authorities in New Mexico released Helmbrecht after detaining him Monday, it's not clear where he is right now.
We have names to go along with the two bodies recovered from the St. Croix River On Tuesday. The St Croix County Sheriff's Office yesterday identified the two as 51-year-old Demetrius Kekedakis and 65-year-old Perry Montpetit, both from Hudson. Deputies found the two after getting a 911 call about a fishing boat that was going in circles on the river Tuesday morning near Troy Beach, which is south of Hudson. The sheriff's office is not saying how the two ended up in the water. The medical examiner's office is looking into their deaths.
Camp Nawakwa has been sold, but it's going to stay open. A new non-profit called Our Camp Nawakwa recently purchased the camp that had been owned by the Girl Scouts since 1951. The Scouts announced last fall they were going to sell the camp to reduce the number of properties they own. Former scouts across western Wisconsin were upset by the announcement and decided to do something about it. The Scouts and the non-profit say they've come to an agreement, but they're not saying just how much the camp is selling for. The new nonprofit says it will start raising money soon to update the camp and its facilities.
Commissioners in Olmsted County say they aren't ready to take public comment on a proposed ban on cannabis use in public spaces. Commissioners said yesterday that they still need a few questions answered before they put the policy in front of the public. The ordinance would ban the use of all forms of cannabis in parks, schools, hospitals and common spaces in apartment buildings. Cannabis would also be banned in areas that cater to the public like businesses, unless they are licensed for on-site use. A date for a public hearing on the measure could be set during a meeting later this month.
There is more support across the rest of the state of Wisconsin than there is in Milwaukee to spend public money on the Brewers' ballpark. Milwaukee's tourism office, and the city's chamber of commerce yesterday released a poll that shows 66 percent of people want the governor and Republican lawmakers to work together on a solution to pay for the work at American Family Field, and keep the Brewers in Milwaukee. That's far more than a poll last month that showed most voters in Milwaukee don't want to spend taxpayer money on the ballpark. The poll came out one day before today's first hearing on the plan to use about 600 million-dollars in taxpayer money to fix American Family Field, and keep the Brewers in Milwaukee till 2050.
The president of the Wisconsin Senate wants state representatives to impeach the state's elections chief. Senate President Chris Kapenga yesterday wrote a letter to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, asking him to begin impeachment proceedings against Meagan Wolfe. Kapenga said he does not believe that Wolfe is entitled to hold her office, because Senators rejected her reappointment. Wolfe is refusing to leave the Wisconsin Elections Commission based on an opinion from the state's attorney general that says she does not have to step down until a replacement is approved. Kapenga says her refusal to leave could rise to the level of 'corrupt conduct in office.' A handful of state representatives have already introduced articles of impeachment against Wolfe, but that push has stalled. There's no word as to what Vos may be thinking.
A state law designed to help Minnesotans who have trouble paying their electric or gas heating bills is now in effect. The cold weather rule protects utility customers from having their electric or natural gas service shut off between October 1st and April 30th. Affected customers must agree to a plan with their utility that allows them a reasonable monthly payment during the winter. The cold weather rule does not apply to companies that deliver fuels like oil and wood to Minnesota homes.
Some Wisconsin dairy farms are using FitBits to track their cows' eating, breathing, and other vitals. Ag Daily reports they're often worn as collars, and help farmers keep their dairy cows healthier and more productive. Wisconsin has the second-highest dairy industry in the nation, at 45-Billion dollars each year, and is the number one cheese producer in the U.S. The World Dairy Expo is this week, through Friday in Madison.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is offering grants to livestock producers to help prevent wolf attacks. The agency is allowing producers who live within Minnesota's wolf range a chance to apply for money to purchase guard animals, build wolf barriers and install other means of stopping wolf attacks. Eligible livestock producers must have the purchases approved and will then be reimbursed for 80-percent of their costs. Applications will be accepted by the Department of Agriculture through January 5th.
There will soon be more choices for flyers to get from Madison to New York City and Washington D.C.. Dane County Regional Airport managers yesterday announced they're adding more daily flights to LaGuardia and Reagan National airports. The change means there will now be multiple daily flights to both cities. County Executive Joe Parisi says they are always looking for the opportunity to add more flights, and more flexibility for travelers.
The latest plan from Democrats at the Wisconsin Capitol would create an automatic voter registration system in the state. That means the plan would make it easier for high school students to get information about voting and have elected officials work at the polls on Election Day. State Representative Lee Snodgrass says elections are "central to representative government in the state," and said voting is the "primary language of democracy." Democrats hope the new focus will get more people to turn out on Election Day in the state. It's unclear just how far the proposals will go, the Republicans who control the state legislature have shot down similar plans in the past.
There is a plan at the Wisconsin Capitol to name the monarch butterfly as Wisconsin's official butterfly. State Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara introduced the legislation yesterday. She says monarch butterflies migrate through Wisconsin each and every summer, and thanks to conservation efforts their numbers have grown in the state. Cabral-Guevara says an official designation will build on Wisconsin's tradition of conservation and enjoying the outdoors. The monarch butterfly is currently the official butterfly of the state of Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia.
A Minnesota agency is working with about 100 community libraries to allow Minnesotans a chance to "check out" state parks for free. The program offered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources allows participating libraries to offer seven-day passes allowing free admission to the parks. D-N-R officials say the goal of the program is to allow low-income Minnesotans to visit parks without the barrier of an entry fee. The state's contract for the program runs through 2025, and officials are planning a review to determine if the program should be expanded to other libraries
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