With the closure of HSHS and Prevea some counties in Western Wisconsin will have to find a new provider for birth to three programs. The programs help infants that have special needs that need extra physical and speech therapies. Matt Roesler, head of Pepin County Human Services says the county contracts with CESA for those services. There is no word yet on when Prevea will end its birth to three services.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), yesterday announced that municipalities across the state received more than $138 million in the first quarterly payments for 2024 for General Transportation, Connecting Highway, and Expressway Policing Aids. Here in Western Wisconsin, Pepin County received $100,000, Buffalo County $215,000, Pierce County $357,000 and Dunn County $418,000. For calendar year 2024, local governments will receive more than $536 million in General Transportation Aids financial assistance to support transportation-related projects, a two percent increase over calendar year 2023 allocations provided by the 2023-25 biennial budget signed by Gov. Evers. Total funding for all local programs makes up almost one-third of the state transportation budget.
Stepping Stones of Menomonie has received a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture to assist in local food purchases. The group will use these funds to support the Farmers Feed Dunn County– Food Diversification Initiative. This initiative focuses on growing the Farmers Feed program by obtaining protein from local producers and increasing/diversifying produce for the pantry, pop-ups, and share-a-meal (SAM) bags. These grants were awarded through a competitive review process. This one-time funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service.
Attorneys for a man accused of committing a 2016 homicide in Eau Claire are asking the court to allow time for an independent competency exam. Shane Helmbrecht is accused in the shooting death of a neighbor. Defense attorneys asked yesterday for four months to have the evaluation completed. They were told that they would not have that much time.
A former Chippewa County daycare worker has pleaded no contest to charges in a child abuse case. Investigators say that Lyndcey Jordheim picked up a 2-and-a-half-year-old child and forcefully dropped them back to the floor leading them to hit their head on a metal door frame. The incident happened at Spots and Stripes Early Learning Center in Bloomer. Jordheim has been sentenced to six weeks in jail and has been given three years of probation.
A Chippewa County man has been identified as a victim in a fatal vehicle crash in Minnesota. Two vehicles collided Sunday on Highway 1 in Northhome. Three people were killed including Riley Scheidecker of Bloomer. The accident remains under investigation.
Eau Claire County District Attorney Peter Rindal is responding to questions being asked by a local YouTuber. The vlogger known as NeatMike says that he was attacked in a June 2023 incident involving a custody dispute. In a recently posted video that has been gaining attention, NeatMike questions why charges against the alleged attacker were dropped. In a statement issued yesterday, Rindal says that he has confidence in the skills and abilities of all the prosecutors in the Eau Claire County District Attorney's Office to make sound decisions in their pursuit of justice.
Wisconsin students involved in a worldwide robotics program are lobbying state lawmakers for the money to expand. Participants with "FIRST", a tech-centered nonprofit K through 12 development initiative, visited the Capitol Rotunda yesterday, bringing examples of their robotics projects along. Whitewater High School junior Maddison Lahaie says it takes about 70-thousand each year to fund the activities for her team, money that is typically raised through small grants and sponsors. She says the group would like to see more funding at the state level to expand access to the program to underserved Wisconsin communities.
The owners of a historic resort in Lutsen that was destroyed by fire say they plan to rebuild. The blaze started early Tuesday morning at the Lutsen Lodge on the North Shore. There were no guests at the site at the time of the fire. Lutsen Lodge has been in operation for almost 140 years and is known as Minnesota's oldest resort.
A Shawano County teenager is convicted of causing a bonfire explosion that injured more than a dozen people. Eighteen-year-old Sam Armstrong pleaded no contest in Shawano County Court on Monday to 13 counts of injury by negligent use of an explosive. Armstrong was 17 in October 2022 when he allegedly tossed a barrel containing gas and diesel into the bonfire near Pulaski. At least 17 teenagers suffered burns in the resulting explosion. Prosecutors will recommend six months in jail and five years probation for Armstrong, whose sentencing is scheduled for April 11.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is looking for volunteer campground hosts. The positions will have the volunteers greeting and guiding campers, helping with campground operations and setting an example for being a model camper. The DNR says volunteers are integral in the daily operations of Wisconsin’s state parks, forests, recreation areas, and trails. The agency is also seeking volunteer equestrian campground hosts. The opportunities are available at DNR properties all over the state. To find out more, and to apply for a campground host position, visit the online volunteer opportunities webpage on the DNR website.
Police in Rochester say a deadly weekend shooting was the result of road rage. Authorities say Jose Gutierrez Ojeda was driving a car with Isaac Gutierrez as a passenger when they blocked an SUV from backing out of a parking spot. The drivers got into a fight, which is when authorities say Gutierrez got out and shot the other driver in the head. The victim later died at the hospital, and the suspects were taken into custody, and Gutierrez was charged with second-degree murder.
Wisconsin lawmakers are debating a bill that would extend the window for prosecution in sexual assault and other serious crime cases involving D-N-A. Currently, prosecutors have one year to bring the potential offender to court. The new bill would extend that window to three years. Supporters say it can take longer than a year to match DNA to a suspect. Opponents of the bill say the state should hire more investigators to clear the backlog of DNA evidence waiting to be processed.
A Packers fan has a letter, and a story to tell thanks to his application to the team. Bill Port sent Packers' CEO Mark Murphy a letter about two weeks ago, asking to apply for the open defensive coordinator job. He jokingly said he thinks he could do the job, but prefers the weekend off. Murphy jokingly sent Port a note, thanking him for the application, but passing. Murphy did say that because of Port's fantasy football experience, he should perhaps try the Chicago Bears. Port shared Murphy's letter on Twitter, and the story has gone viral.
No comments:
Post a Comment