The fire danger risk will diminish significantly now that snow has fallen overnight. Fire crews in Durand and Mondovi have battled fires this week. According to Durand Fire, the wildfire near the intersection of Hwy T and L. Poeschel Road in the town of Lima on Wednesday burned approximately 80 acres. Firefighters were on the scene for approximately 5 hours. The cause of that fire is still under investigation. No injuries were reported.
Funding is still available from the Pepin County Health Department for the nitrate mitigation reverse osmosis project. Eligible landowners or renters can receive a grant to install mitigation systems that remove nitrate from a private well water supply. For more information on the project and to apply, contact the Pepin County Health Department.
Pepin County Supervisors will be looking for money in the budget to help pay for interpreter fees related to a case in January. Pepin County Judge Thomas W Clark told board members that a case in January involving a child and two adults who did not speak English has caused the court to use up all of its budgeted amounts for interpreter fees. The judge told the board that they should expect a request for the extra money during the April board meeting.
The new substitute Superintendent for the Durand-Arkansaw School District is settling into his new position. Troy Gunderson was named the substitute during this week's Durand-Arkansaw School Board meeting and says his main goal is to keep things running smoothly for the rest of the year. Gunderson will be in the district 2 days a week and working from home during the rest of the week through the end of the school year. The Durand-Arkansaw School Board will begin the process of hiring a permanent superintendent on March 28.
Xcel Energy is urging customers to prepare for possible power outages as winter weather returns to Wisconsin. The utility says it's preparing for the incoming storm on Sunday and that customers can help by immediately reporting any outages. Xcel also recommends brushing snow and ice from gas meters to prevent leaks and pressure buildups. The National Weather Service says a large winter storm could affect the region Sunday through Tuesday.
The Prairie Island Indian Community is hoping to open the third cannabis dispensary in Minnesota later this year. Tribal leaders announced this week that they hope to open southern Minnesota's first dispensary this summer after getting the necessary licenses. The Prairie Island community is considered a sovereign nation, giving it the right to enact its own cannabis regulations. The Red Lake and White Earth nations have both opened dispensaries in Minnesota. The state is still ironing out details of a cannabis licensing system for Minnesota, though licenses may be issued beginning next year.
Wisconsin is distributing more than 320-thousand dollars to improve county forest roads. Governor Tony Evers says the money will benefit more than 900 miles of roadway spanning 24 counties. The Department of Transportation says the money should help decrease the amount counties have to pay for the road improvements. To qualify, roads must be located in county forest limits and be open to the public for travel.
A northern Wisconsin county is ready to by a health clinic that’s slated to close. The Rusk County Board of Supervisors voted on March 7 to pay $1.6 million for the Prevea Health primary clinic, with the contingency that the county could lease the building to a healthcare provider. The tentative closing date for the sale is April 19. The clinic in Ladysmith is set to close by April 21, along with 18 other locations, as Prevea and Hospital Sisters Health System exit western Wisconsin.
Swatting would be a felony offense in Minnesota if a new proposal being considered at the Minnesota State Capitol becomes law. Whether swatting is meant as a prank, or to get someone in trouble, it is a fake emergency call that brings police, and often armed tactical teams called SWAT teams to someone's home or work. It's already a crime to make a false emergency report in Minnesota, but the new law, if approved, would elevate the crime to a felony with up to a year in jail for anyone convicted.
The ongoing probe into a baby found dead in the Mississippi River more than a decade ago may have found a new focus. The infant known as "Baby Angel" was found near Winona in 2011. The Winona County Sheriff's Office says forensic evidence may have led them to the baby's mother. The sheriff's office says DNA and forensic genealogy point to a 41-year-old woman who was found in Winona last year. Initial testing using a genetic sample from the woman's trash showed a possible match to the baby's DNA. Investigators are now asking for a warrant to get a blood sample directly from the woman.
The Wisconsin legislature has passed a bill that mandates the teaching of Asian American and Hmong American history. It's headed to Governor Tony Evers for his signature. Wisconsin public school districts are already required to offer instruction in the histories of Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics.
Some Wisconsin farmers are planting early this year because of record warm weather, but they're hoping for rain. The continuing drought plus unusually warm, dry weather this winter will be challenges for farmers. Wisconsin's average temperature in December was the hottest on record. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects farm income to be 25-percent lower this year than last because of higher expenses, and possibly lower yields caused by the drought.
The Mall of America is stepping up its security. The mall is now using K-9s to sniff out guns that someone might be carrying. The mall originally started using police dogs over 20 years ago, but the K-9s were focused on detecting explosives. The Mall of America's security team says the new security measure won't change a shopper's experience. The vice president of mall security says police dogs are "out on the floor every day, so if you're the average guest, you might not even know what they're doing."
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin has signed a letter calling for a two state solution to end the Israel-Hamas war. The Madison Democrat - who is up for reelection in November - was among 19 Democratic senators sending the letter to President Joe Biden calling for a two-state solution amid the ongoing war. The letter led by Senator Tom Carper of Delaware proposes the establishment of a “non militarized Palestinian state” led by a reformed Palestinian Authority. Wisconsin Republicans criticized Baldwin for signing on to the letter. A state Party spokesperson said she wants to reward Hamas for its October 7 attacks, with a Palestinian state.
Winona State University has a new president. The Minnesota State College and University system's Board of Trustees selected Kenneth Janz to lead WSU yesterday. Janz has been the interim president of Winona State since August. Before that he served the university for 15 years in different roles, including associate vice president of academic affairs, CIO and dean of the library.
Wisconsin is ranked the tenth best state in the nation for singles. The study by Consumer Affairs reports Wisconsin's median income is nearly 71-thousand dollars, with a lower than average cost of housing, overall cost of living, and low crime rate. Wisconsin has an average size population of singles and the third-highest number of bars per person in the nation. Neighboring Minnesota ranks ninth best for singles. Illinois ranks fifth.
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