The Durand City Council is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on the bids for the Madison Street Project, reports from the mayor, city administrator, and department heads and the council will go into closed session to discuss the use of public funds to help in the process of hiring a new city administrator with the expected retirement of the current administrator this summer. Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be livestreamed on the WRDN website.
Wintery weather is expected here in Western Wisconsin tonight. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather advisory for the area tonight through early Thursday morning. After a mild day, a cold front will bring rain that will change to snow later tonight. 2-4 inches of snow is expected. The snow won't last long as temperatures in the 40's are expected by next Monday.
A Western Wisconsin community organization is looking to purchase a home in Buffalo County to help out the homeless. The group used to rent a home in Mondovi but after the home was sold, the group is struggling to find a place to rent that falls under federal guidelines. Western Dairyland hopes to raise $500,000 to purchase a home that could be used as a shelter for families with children. The money would also be used for maintenance, staffing, and other expenses for the home.
A Dunn County woman, charged with possession of child pornography had her first court appearance yesterday. According to authorities, in December, they received a cybertip regarding two videos and two photos of suspected child porn associated with a snapchat account connected to 33yr old Shelly Horn of Colfax. After an investigation and a search of Horn's phone, they found what they believed to be the same images associated with the cybertip. Horn was released yesterday on a $1000 signature bond and will return to court on Friday.
Wisconsin's Democratic U.S. Senator is asking for a delay in western Wisconsin's hospital closures. Senator Tammy Baldwin yesterday asked HSHS and Prevea to not close their hospitals and clinics in and around Eau Claire this spring. Baldwin says she doesn't want patients to be left without healthcare options. She said she expects HSHS to 'consider in good faith' any offers to buy Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and St. Joseph's in Chippewa Falls. HSHS and Prevea announced they are closing sometime in April because of workforce issues, the lingering effect of the coronavirus, and other industry trends.
Chippewa County leaders are officially on the record against the move to resettle 75 refugee families in the Chippewa Valley. The county board last night approved a resolution that asks for an immediate pause in World Relief's plans to move the refugees to Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls sometime this year. County leaders say they want to see the proof that the refugees have been vetted, and are cleared to come to this country. World Relief has never said where the refugees will be coming from, or what they will do once they arrive in the Chippewa Valley. Eau Claire County's board rejected a similar resolution last month.
It's probation for the two people who faked an armed robbery at Ace Hardware in Rice Lake. A judge yesterday sentenced Jesus Miera from Chippewa Falls, and Krista Buckwalter from Rice Lake for the robbery at Jacobson's Ace Hardware back in 2022. Buckwalter worked at the store, and police say she and Miera cooked-up a scheme where he would come in and rob her. Investigators say they found a flurry of phone calls between the two just before the robbery. In addition to their probation, the judge ordered Buckwater and Miera to repay the 14-hundred dollars they stole.
Wisconsin lawmakers have signed-off on a plan to guarantee admission to the UW for top students in the state. Both the State Assembly and the State Senate approved the plan yesterday. It guarantees students in the top five percent of their class a spot at UW-Madison, and guarantees students in the top 10 percent of their class a spot at any other UW campus. Supporters say the idea is to keep Wisconsin's best and brightest in Wisconsin. The plan is part of the agreement between lawmakers and the UW System that also included those pay raises and a pause on DEI hiring. The guarantee now heads to the governor's desk for his signature.
Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin have signed-off on the Democratic governor's proposed political maps, but it remains to be seen if he will sign them. Both the State Assembly and State Senate yesterday approved the maps that the governor drew. Those maps could give Democrats control of the legislature for the first time in more than a decade. Republican Senator Duey Stroebel said Republicans have a 'gun to their head,' and are approving the maps to try and head-off a worse set from the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Democrats say the vote was rushed, and say they want to see what the Supreme Court does. Governor Evers yesterday said he'd sign the maps if lawmakers approved them without changes.
A new bill is being proposed in Minnesota that will fine anyone up to a thousand dollars that interferes with a youth athletic activity. Republican John Huot, a former referee, is proposing the bill after he says colleagues claim they have been followed home, have food thrown at them, and one had their whistle ripped off. Thousands of refs, umpires, and officials reported in a survey, with 70 percent saying sportsmanship is worsening, and about 50 percent say they fear for their safety. The bill will also create a special revenue fund, where all fines will be allocated to hire and train more referees, have new clinics, and pay off administrative fees.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission has set the rules for absentee ballot witness addresses this year. The Commission on Friday sent a note to the state's election clerks, explaining what legally passes for an address on an absentee ballot witness slip. The Commission says any address that includes a house number and a street name should be counted, even if the city, state, and zip code are missing. A Dane County judge last month ordered new guidance on absentee ballots after he struck down the state law that dealt with witness addresses. The judge said that law was inconsistent. Republican lawmakers say the new rules from the Commission open-up a possibility for voter fraud.
We have another damage count from last week's tornado in Rock County. Emergency managers yesterday said the tornado that touched-down near Evansville damaged 31 homes. Crews say three homes were destroyed, 10 suffered major damage, 11 others had minor damage, and seven others were touched in some way. Just one person was hurt by the storm, though neighbors say a couple of cows were killed. Rock County officials say they'll have another update for folks in Evansville tomorrow evening.
The Minnesota legislative session is underway. Policy issues on the agenda include gun control, abortion rights, and whether to make Minnesota a sanctuary state for immigrants. The majority of the work in this session will be developing a package of construction projects in a bonding bill. The first topic addressed yesterday was a bill passed last year banning school resource officers from using restraints on students. Under a proposed fix, officers who work in schools would need special training but they would be exempt from rules that regulate how and when teachers may restrain students.
A federal program connecting thousands of Wisconsinites to the internet is scheduled to run out of funding soon. The Affordable Connectivity Program provides free or low-cost internet to low-income households. In Wisconsin, nearly 420,000 people are enrolled in the program which offers discounts of $30 to $75 a month on Internet. However, the state’s Public Service Commission says the program is likely to run out of money by this April, and there’s no additional funding in sight. The program stopped accepting applications last Thursday. Those who may lose internet service with the end of the funding are advised to connect with internet services provided by many public libraries to find another program that can keep you connected to the internet.
The Wisconsin State Assembly has approved a bill eliminating work permit requirements for more teenagers. Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill in 2017 that eliminated work permit requirements for 16- and 17-year-olds. The bill the Assembly approved Tuesday eliminates permit requirements for 14- and 15-year-olds. It doesn't change any state laws limiting the hours minors can work. Supporters say the bill would help businesses hire much-needed workers faster. The Senate passed the measure in October. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will likely veto the proposal, however. He nixed a bill in 2022 that would have allowed 14- and 15-year-olds to work longer summer hours.
Rescuers with the Eau Claire Humane Association are asking for help to get a dog into surgery. The Humane Association yesterday said it needs to raise about 18 hundred-dollars for bladder surgery for Miska, a Husky mix that came in as a stray. The Humane Association says Miska can't pass her bladder stones on own and needs to have a rather invasive surgery. You can donate at the Humane Association's website.
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