Firefighters from Township, Rock Creek, Mondovi, Elk Mound, and Eau Claire responded to a structure fire in the town of Brunswick last night just before 9. Firefighters responded to the blaze just off of Mitchell Road and found heavy smoke coming from a shed. There were no reports of any injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Those wanting to help Gina and Tony Hurlburt recover from the house fire this week can drop off donations at St. Vincent DePaul in Durand. St. Vincent will take all donations including gas, gift cards, clothing, and other items at the store in Durand. When dropping off items let the staff know it is for the Hurlburt family.
Some changes are coming for the Durand Police Department explorer program. During last week's city council meeting, Chief Ridgeway said that the program would run for two Sundays for 6hrs instead of the 6 Sundays at 2hrs each week. Ridgeway said the goal was to get more participation in the program. The Explorers program is open for 6th-12 grade students to let them learn about law enforcement, firefighting, and emergency responders. More details on the dates of the program are expected in the coming months.
There's a warning about using too much power from the Eau Claire Energy Co-op. The Cooperative's Adam Westaby yesterday said there is only so much power available each day, and when it's cold outside people tend to use more power. The Co-op yesterday asked people to not use their electric water heaters, heat pumps, or boilers. The Co-op says peak times are the toughest, which means energy use is stretched to both start the day and once again when people get home from work.
One of the Democratic candidates for the 3rd Congressional District is ending her campaign. Tara Johnson cited in a statement to supporters that while having three women in a primary demonstrates the progress women have made, having a crowded field means the contenders are "consumed with competing for the money to win the August primary when beating Derrick Van Orden in November is the most important thing." Rep. Katrina Shankland, Rebecca Cooke, and Eric Wilson are headed to the August primary for the right to face incumbent Republican Representative Derrick Van Orden in November. Van Orden has not yet said if he is seeking reelection.
Wisconsin lawmakers want to spend more than five million-dollars to help kids in the state lose weight. The Speaker's Task Force on Childhood Obesity released its report this week. Among the recommendations are two plans that would spend five million-dollars to come up with childhood obesity prevention and management programs. Another plan would spend about a half-million dollars to help parents on food stamps buy more fruits and vegetables. In Wisconsin, 10 percent of children between two and five-years-old are obese, 15 percent of six to 11-year-olds are obese, and 18 percent of 12 to 17-year-olds are obese.
Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to update the rules for strip searching students in the state's schools. The State Assembly is scheduled to vote today on a new plan that would expand strip searches to include students down to their underwear. The proposal would also make it clear just when someone can order a student to take their clothes off. The changes come after a superintendent near Green Bay ordered a group of high school girls to strip down to their underwear as part of a vape cartridge search. Prosecutors weren't allowed to charge the superintendent because Wisconsin law didn't cover underwear searches in school.
Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to legalize lemonade stands for kids. A Senate panel will hold a hearing today on a plan that would stop local governments from requiring kids and teens under 18 from needing a license to open-up a lemonade stand, or something similar. The proposal says as long as the stand is 'operated only occasionally,' and doesn't sell 'potentially hazardous food,' then kids can open up a stand as they see fit.
A Minnesota lawmaker is planning another effort to legalize sports betting in Minnesota. Republican state Senator Jerry Miller of Winona unveiled his proposed legislation yesterday. Miller made an unsuccessful effort to get sports gambling legalized last year but says he's been working to gather bipartisan support for his latest proposal. Minnesota's 11 tribal nations would have the chance to offer retail and mobile sports betting, and licenses could also be issued to allow sports betting at horse tracks and sports stadiums. According to Miller's proposal, Minnesota would levy a 15-percent tax on sports betting revenue.
There is now a challenge to Wisconsin's congressional maps. Elias Law Group, which has ties to the Hillary Clinton campaign and has filed election lawsuits across the country, filed its challenge yesterday. The new challenge asks the Wisconsin Supreme Court to order new congressional maps be drawn ahead of this November's election. The new liberal-majority court ordered just before Christmas that new maps be drawn for the state's legislative districts. The Elias challenge claims the maps drawn in 2022 were drawn with the idea of 'least change,' which gave too much power to Republicans. Wisconsin has eight congressmen, six of whom are Republicans.
It could soon be much easier to find an EV charger in Wisconsin. The State Senate Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a plan that will allow gas stations and other businesses to build their own chargers. The proposed law changes Wisconsin's utility regulations that currently stop anyone who isn't a utility from selling electricity. The hope, lawmakers say, is to allow gas stations to add EV charges and build a network of chargers across the state. Senators also approved a nearly 80 million-dollar federal grant that will cover up to 80 percent of the costs to build new EV chargers across Wisconsin.
Minnesota is reducing the limit of PFAS chemicals, also called forever chemicals, found in water before they are deemed dangerous to consume. It is the first time the guidelines are being revised. Data shows these chemicals can cause cancer, causing the change. From the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Tom Higgins says a project to create healthier drinking water can cost a billion dollars.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is proposing a bonding bill of 982 million dollars with nearly half of the funds going toward repairing state infrastructure. His plan is an early step in the process that sets the tone for the Legislature that goes into session on February 12. Both Walz and Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Erin Campbell said the chosen projects address deferred maintenance on state buildings. The governor added that 45 percent goes to preserving infrastructure, 22 percent toward water and transportation, 14 percent to public safety, 10 percent to housing, and nine percent to other projects.
Potential sites for a Madison Amtrak station are being narrowed down. The city of Madison is deciding whether the 3,200-square-foot station should be in its downtown area, near the Madison Public Market, or at the site of the old Oscar Mayer factory. A study on where to place the station recommended that it not be put on UW-Madison's campus, near the airport, or on the city's east side. The studies add that necessities for the site would include equitable access, ridership potential, rail operations, land use and development, and multimodal connectivity. The station is projected to be built and operational between 2028 and 2031.
Country music legend Willie Nelson isn't slowing down now that he's hit his 90th birthday. Nelson will be coming to Minnesota in May as part of his Willie Nelson and Family concert tour. Nelson will play shows in Moorhead on May 20th and 21st before moving on to Duluth on May 23rd. Tickets for the shows go on sale on Friday.
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