Residents in the city of Mondovi were without power for a period of time yesterday after a semi struck a power pole.  The semi was traveling eastbound on Hwy 10 when they hit the power pole near the intersection of Main Street and Memorial Drive.  Hwy 10 eastbound had to be closed while crews from Xcel Energy repaired the pole and the power lines.  No injuries were reported.

One person was injured in a semi vs vehicle accident in Buffalo Township on Thursday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, 65yr old Joseph Gassen of Trempleaeau was traveling northbound on Hwy 35, and was slowing to make a left turn into the 5A Dam entrance when he was struck from behind by a semi driven by 49yr old Shannon Modene of Wells, MN.  Gassen was taken to Winona Hospital.

One person was injured in a two vehicle accident in Trenton Township on Wednesday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 60yr old John Sullivan of Bay City was traveling southbound on Hwy 63 when he went left of center and struck a northbound vehicle driven by 49yr old Michele Schulte of Ellsworth.  Schulte was trapped in her vehicle and had to be extricated from it and was transported to Red Wing Hospital.  Sullivan was not injured.

One person was injured in a single vehicle accident Monday in River Falls Township.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 47yr old Patricia Bovee of Arkansaw was traveling southbound on Hwy 65 when she struck a deer.  There were two passengers in the vehicle and both were not injured.  Bovee was taken to Hudson Hospital.

There are layoffs coming at Xcel Energy in Wisconsin. The company this week filed a notice with the state that it is eliminating 28 customer service jobs, all of them in Eau Claire. Xcel is not saying where the jobs are going, but the company said it is 'making changes to operate more effectively and efficiently.' Most of the layoffs will start February 1st, but some folks will stay on the job til March. .

Eau Claire wants to know where the next Fourth of July fireworks shows should be. The city released a survey yesterday that asks people where the next fireworks show should be. The survey also asks questions about noise, the smoke, and the mess leftover after the show. Some folks in Eau Claire weren't happy with this year's show being fired from the High Bridge as opposed to Carson Park. Eau Claire Police say Carson Park was just too much of a hassle to continue hosting the fireworks show. 

 Wisconsin's governor says he's not going to stop using his email alias. The governor told reporters in Eau Claire on Tuesday that there is nothing wrong with his warren.spahn email alias, and that he intends to continue to use it.  A number of reports revealed the governor's secret email earlier this week, and found that he sent 17-thousand emails from his other account over the past two years.  Evers says having a secret email account allows him to better use his work time.  There is nothing illegal about having a second email, but Republicans and reform groups in Wisconsin say it makes it look like the governor is trying to hide something. 

 A bus full of Minnesota state lawmakers, all members of the Senate’s Capital Investment Committee (CPC), toured southeast Minnesota Wednesday to learn more about development projects in communities from Albert Lea to Winona.  In Rochester, lawmakers learned about what new features could come to Rochester International Airport, such as solar energy and an updated parking facility. The legislators also took a walk by the Zumbro River in downtown Rochester, where the city presented its plans to bring big time changes to the riverfront.

It could soon be a felony to steal a catalytic converter in Wisconsin.  An Assembly panel will hold a hearing today on a plan to add catalytic converters to the list of 'major car parts' that trigger felony charges.  Currently that list includes engines, transmissions, doors, the car's hood, grille, bumper, front fenders, and a number of others. Lawmakers say the felony charges are needed because of the spike in catalytic converter thefts. 

There could soon be crane license plates in Wisconsin. The state's Department of Transportation says it received a request from the International Crane Foundation to start issuing crane plates in the state. The DMV will listen to public comments on the idea through the end of December. Wisconsin currently has 53 specialty license plates that cover everything from the Brewers and Packers to veterans organizations and the Ice Age Trail. 

One Wisconsin congressman is warning about possible Chinese spying at the nation's ports. Congressman Mike Gallagher, who leads the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, yesterday said his committee is looking into whether the Chinese are using giant port cranes to spy. Gallagher said the Department of Homeland Security is looking into possible vulnerabilities at the nation's seaports, including whether the CCP is monitoring our activity. Gallagher says the Chinese Communist Party is an existential threat to U.S. security, and will use every lever of power to gain an advantage over the United States. 

The bishop in Green Bay is the latest to criticize the Satanic Christmas tree at the city's Festival of Trees.  Bishop David Ricken said the tree, which features red lights and satanic ornaments, is an insult to Christians during the Christmas season.  He said in a note this week that the tree 'is not something families and children should be exposed to at any time, but most especially at Christmas.'  Green Bay's Festival of Trees allowed the satanic tree at this year's festival, saying it doesn't promote hate, drugs, or violence. 

There are not a lot of details about who said what to interrupt a UW-Madison student group's meeting on Tuesday. Campus police will only say that a group of people who are not affiliated with the university interrupted a student group's meeting in the Humanities Building with 'racist and threatening comments,' including 'anti-Arab and anti-Asian sentiments.' No one is saying which group was meeting, what they were talking about, or who the people who interrupted them were. There's also no word about just what was said. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor yesterday said hate and racism have no place at the university. 

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to every fourth-grade student in Wisconsin.   It's part of the DNR’s annual Arbor Day tree planting program. Fourth grade principals, teachers and those who homeschool can now place seedling orders and coordinate delivery by completing the 2024 Arbor Day application by March 15, 2024. Planting seedlings from state nurseries is a great way to celebrate Arbor Day - April 26 - which is dedicated to increasing the number of trees across the country to help improve the environment. Annually, the DNR provides approximately 50,000 free tree seedlings to fourth-grade students throughout the state.

A 17-year-old boy is dead after a rollover crash in Dakota County.  The county sheriff's office says the boy was driving north on Highway 56 in Randolph when his vehicle left the road yesterday morning.  The teen was ejected from the vehicle as it rolled and he died at the scene.  The crash is under investigation.

There's a whole new set of fans looking forward to this weekend's Packers game. Green Bay will host Kansas City on Sunday night, and that means Taylor Swift may be at the game. No one has said anything, but Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce plays for the Chiefs. One Milwaukee bar, The Brewery, is planning a special Taylor Swift themes watch party. Tickets for Sunday night's game have also jumped in price because of the increased interest.