Western Wisconsin's congressman wants the Biden Administration to do more in the dairy dispute with Canada. Congressman Derrick Van Orden yesterday said the USDA must find a solution after a ruling will allow Canada to continue to keep America, and Wisconsin-made, milk and cheese out of their country. Van Orden said the decision is 'an insult to the farmers, producers, and marketers' in Wisconsin who produce top-quality dairy products. Van Orden said Wisconsin dairy farmers need an 'equal seat' at the table.
The chances are growing for Amtrak service in Eau Claire. Wisconsin Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin yesterday said the federal government has agreed to make five train routes in the state a 'priority.' The routes include a Milwaukee to Minneapolis route that would bring trains to both Madison and Eau Claire. There's also a Twin Cities to Eau Claire route, and a Chicago to La Crosse to St. Paul route. Baldwin says the federal government is also interested in the Chicago to Milwaukee route, and a train that would connect Milwaukee and Green Bay.
There were nineteen children in the school bus that rolled over in Chippewa County. Sheriff Travis Hakes says two kids were taken to the hospital along with the bus driver to get medical treatment for their injuries. He says the Sheriff's Office responded to a call yesterday afternoon about the bus leaving the roadway, driving into a ditch, and rolling. It still is not known what caused the bus to roll.
Investigators in Eau Claire think they've solved a series of arson fires. Prosecutors yesterday charged 34-year-old Joshua Stromme with seven counts of arson. Eau Claire Police say Stromme set several fires at local parks, inside dumpsters, and even at an Eau Claire bus stop between November 20th and November 30th. Detectives say Stromme admitted setting the fires and said the fire at the bus stop near Sacred Heart Hospital was tied to his mental health struggles. He's being held on a 25-thousand dollar cash bond.
A couple of local non-profits support the plan to bring refugee families to Eau Claire. Leaders with the Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, Joining Our Neighbors Advancing Hope, and Welcoming New Neighbors all spoke out yesterday. They say their work with refugees, or their experience as refugees has them looking forward to welcoming 75 mostly Somalian refugees to town. Eau Claire City Councilman Larry Mboga also spoke in support of the effort from World Relief to resettle the refugees. Many others in Eau Claire, however, continue to oppose the plan out of concerns over housing, jobs, and cultural differences.
Police in Altoona are asking for help in finding the last driver involved in a wreck on Highway 53 yesterday. The crash happened about 12:30 p.m. near River Prairie Drive as officers were handling another crash. The second crash left a car on fire, and sent a couple of people to the hospital. Altoona Police say the driver they are looking for sped away from that crash. There's more information over at the Crime Stoppers website.
Wisconsin's public health managers are reminding parents that there is an applesauce recall over lead. The state's Department of Health Services yesterday issued a notice that four different brands of applesauce, all in kid-friendly pouches, have been pulled from shelves because they might contain too much lead. DHS says parents should toss out any applesauce packets that they have that are covered by that recall. The brands include WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches, Schnucks cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches, Schnucks applesauce variety pack, and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches. You can find out more about the recall at DHS' website.
There are reports of a deal between Republican lawmakers and the University of Wisconsin to spend less on DEI in exchange for more money for UW pay raises. Wisconsin's Republican Assembly Speaker put a hold on that pay raise money to pressure the university to cut diversity, equity, and inclusion spending. He also held up money for a new UW-Madison engineering building. Now, the university is reportedly willing to 'restructure' up to 60 DEI administrators, and shift their jobs to 'student success.' There would also be, according to the reports, a three-year freeze on new DEI hires. Lawmakers would then release 32-million dollars for the university, as well as the millions for the university's pay raises.
Governor Walz isn't happy with the decision by the IRS to tax Minnesota's recently issued rebate checks. Walz used an expletive to describe the decision during a press conference yesterday. The decision could force Minnesotans who received the maximum rebate amount to pay up to 286-dollars in federal taxes. Walz said he will press the IRS to reverse the decision, as will Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig. She sent a letter to the IRS commissioner yesterday saying the decision to tax the rebate could create confusion and errors on federal tax returns filed next year.
A former deputy in Olmsted County is facing new charges after allegedly trying to destroy hard drives containing evidence of criminal actions. The county sheriff's office announced the new charges against Mathew Adamson on Wednesday. Adamson was arrested last month on charges related to sexual conduct involving a child. He reportedly went to his home after his release and tried to destroy two hard drives but was stopped by his wife. Investigators discovered images on the drives that were taken from cameras at the county's Adult Detention Center and from cameras hidden in several women's bathrooms. The new charges include possession of child pornography, placing hidden cameras and officer misconduct.
A group of Wisconsin Republicans who posed as electors for Donald Trump in 2020 are acknowledging their efforts were part of a scheme to overturn the election. The ten defendants settled a civil lawsuit brought by Democrats who served as electors for President Biden. As part of the settlement, the Republicans agreed they would not serve as Electoral College delegates in future elections and acknowledged Biden legitimately won the state in 2020. This comes as Trump is the leading presidential candidate in the Republican party.
Governor Tony Evers has vetoed a bill that would have banned gender-transitioning medical treatment for minors. The governor had said he would veto the bill and any other anti-LGBTQ legislation before the bill being sent to his desk. Evers says in a press release that healthcare providers should be trusted to give medically appropriate care to their patients. Republican Wisconsin Representatives introduced the bill in late September, and it was presented to the Governor on November 30th.
Wisconsin's governor says he hopes that free driver's education for some will lead to fewer reckless driving crashes. Governor Evers yesterday signed a law that will spend six-million dollars on free driver's ed classes for certain low-income teens. The idea is that by teaching young people how to drive properly and getting them a license, there will be fewer people on the road who don't know the rules of the road.
Wisconsin now has a baby box law. Governor Tony Evers signed the law yesterday. It allows local governments to install baby boxes at fire stations or other public buildings that are manned 24/7, and allows parents to drop off babies within their first 72 hours. Wisconsin has allowed parents to surrender babies for years, but it had to be face-to-face. The new baby box law will allow new parents to do it anonymously.
A Rochester native is getting a new tractor as part of a 100th-anniversary contest sponsored by a farm equipment manufacturer. Case I.H. asked customers to talk about how Farmall equipment has affected their lives and what they would do with a new Farmall 75-C tractor. Minnesota's Steve Wilson talked about his family's use of the brand as well as his survival after battling cancer three times. The company chose Wilson as the winner out of more than eight-thousand entries. He also received 15-thousand dollars, which he plans to use to buy accessories for the new tractor.
Eau Claire's Lego League team is headed for sectionals. The team from the Pablo Center, named the Confluence Coders, qualified for sectionals by grabbing first place in their last competition. The team is headed for a Saturday match-up with 28 other teams in Oak Creek. Just eight of those teams will move on to the next round.
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