The Durand-Arkansaw School District is now accepting bids for the five-acre parcel on Marilyn and Grant Streets, also known as Hansen Park. The District will accept bids on the parcel through January 8th. Bids must include an outline of the anticipated use of the property and the district will reserve the right to refuse any and all bids. The property was returned to the District earlier this year after the city of Durand decided it was not going to use the property for a park.
Firefighters from Alma, Nelson, Tri-Community, Waumandee, and Mondovi responded to a fire at a grain bin /grain dryer fire yesterday. Firefighters were called to the farm on Hwy N yesterday morning and found the fire and it was also close to propane tanks that are used for the grain dryer. There were no reports of injuries and the cause of that fire is still under investigation.
The Durand Police Department has a new member. Yesterday the department introduced Sam, a Labradoodle who will be the department's therapy dog. The therapy dog program has been completely funded with community donations and Sam was donated by Blueberry Cottage Labradoodles. After a year of training and certification, Sam will help officers, victims, emergency responders and others during emergencies and other extreme events.
Wisconsin's latest bird flu case is in Trempealeau County. The state's Department of Agriculture yesterday said a commercial flock in the county tested positive for the flu. DATCP says over 51 thousand birds will be destroyed to try to contain the flu. Wisconsin's only other bird flu case this year was in a flock of backyard chickens. Five birds in Taylor County were infected there.
The Chippewa Falls Police Chief says he will be resigning from the force. In a letter sent by Matt Kelm to the Chippewa Falls Mayor, he says he expects to leave after February 16, giving a 90-day notice. Kelm has been the police chief for seven years, and it is unknown what he will be doing next.
The search for a missing Goodhue County man is focusing on an area of the Mississippi River near Red Wing. Water patrols were conducted by members of law enforcement on both sides of the river yesterday. Searchers are trying to find Brad Nagel, who has been missing since last week. Authorities say Nagel's truck was found underwater about 40 yards from a boat landing on the Wisconsin Channel. The search of the area where the truck was found will continue today.
Shane Helmbrecht may once again be looking at homicide charges when he returns to Eau Claire. Prosecutors in Eau Claire this week said they are looking to resume their case against Helmbrecht, after police say he killed his neighbor back in 2016. Helmbrecht was originally found unfit for trial in the case, but that decision is under review after he fled from a halfway house in Sparta back in September. Authorities in New Mexico arrested Helmbrecht on Sunday. He's in jail in Chicago, waiting to be brought back to Eau Claire to face charges here.
Deer hunters in Wisconsin didn't get nearly as many deer this year. The state's Department of Natural Resources yesterday said hunters took 10 thousand fewer deer than during the opening weekend of gun season last year. This year's harvest stands at just over 92 thousand deer. That's compared to over 103 thousand last year. The DNR is blaming the weather and a decrease in the number of antlerless deer. The second weekend of gun deer season in the state ends on Sunday.
Democratic lawmakers in Wisconsin are pushing what they are calling 'health herd' deer hunting laws. A number of Democrats yesterday introduced plans that would spend millions of dollars on CWD prevention. The first would use two million-dollars to better research CWD testing. The other would spend another two million-dollars to help get rid of deer carcasses across the state. State Rep. Katrina Shankland says hunting is a way of life in Wisconsin, and says a healthy deer population is key to keeping that going.
The state panel discussing a new design for the Minnesota state flag and seal has narrowed thousands of submissions to a small group of finalists. The Emblems Redesign Commission spent several hours debating the choices yesterday before selecting six flag designs for final consideration. The commission also narrowed the field for a new state seal to five finalists. The panel plans to accept public comments on each of the designs before making its final choice for a flag and seal next month.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on a case challenging the state’s current legislative maps. The topic considered by the court Tuesday involved "islands," or small areas disconnected from the rest of their legislative districts. Opponents say the “islands” violate the Wisconsin Constitution, which requires districts be of "contiguous territory," while conservatives say they have been in approved Wisconsin legislative maps for years, adding that the state maps have had them because municipal maps have had them.
Public school libraries across the state will be getting a financial boost in 2024. The Common School Fund, which the state’s Board of Commissioners of Public Lands oversees, will distribute $65 million to allow library staff to purchase new books, technology, and education materials. The distribution from the Common School Fund is a 25% increase from 2023.
Animal health experts are warning dog owners about a new illness. There haven't been any confirmed cases of this mystery respiratory illness in Wisconsin – yet - but it has shown up in Illinois. Veterinarians aren't sure what is causing it, but the good news is that it doesn't seem to have a high fatality rate in healthy dogs, but older dogs and those with pre-existing conditions are obviously at a higher risk for death. In the majority of cases, dogs have symptoms such as a cough, runny nose, trouble breathing, and being overly tired. You might want to steer clear of busy dog parks for the time being and also, make sure your pup is up to date on vaccinations.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has advice if you’re hitting the road for the Thanksgiving holiday. The DOT is urging Thanksgiving travelers to watch their speed, focus on the road and expect many other motorists on major highways this week. According to AAA more than 960,000 Wisconsinites will be driving this weekend. Anticipated peak travel times are Wednesday from 2:00 to 6:00 pm, Thursday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, Friday 12:00 to 4:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Motorists can visit 511.WI.gov for real-time information on travel conditions including live traffic cams, construction and detours.
Annual passes for Wisconsin state parks and forests will be on sale later this week. The 2024 admission stickers will be available starting Black Friday, and will give recipients access to more than 60 state parks, forests, and recreation areas across the state. Vehicle admission stickers will be sold on the Wisconsin DNR's website at 28-dollars for residents, and trail passes will be 25-dollars. They will be valid from the time they're purchased until December 31 of next year.
A book checked out of a Minnesota library more than a century ago has finally been returned. A Hennepin County resident found a book called "Famous Composers" while looking through a relative's property. The book had been checked out of the St. Paul Public Library in 1919 and never returned. The library did away with late fees in 2019, but a spokesperson estimates the fine for a book missing for that long could be about 36-thousand dollars. The book won't go back into circulation, but is likely to be kept by the library as a historic artifact.
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