An Alma woman has been sentenced to the death of a Minnesota man in May of 2022. 57yr old Jaqueline Britt was sentenced on Thursday to 10yrs in prison and ordered to pay restitution after pleading no contest to homicide by driving while using a controlled substance. According to the criminal complaint, was traveling northbound on Hwy 25 on May 31 of 2022 crossed the center line, and struck a southbound motorcycle, killing the driver. An investigation revealed Britt had been using methamphetamine at the time of the accident.
Those interested in the future of deer hunting are encouraged to attend the Dunn and Pepin County Deer Advisory Council meeting on Monday. The County Deer Advisory Council will review public input and make its final recommendations for the 2024 deer hunting seasons, including recommendations on the holiday hunt, extended archery season, and antlerless deer quotas for public and private land. The recommendations are made to the Wisconsin DNR. Monday's meeting begins at 6pm at the Pepin County Government Center.
A western Wisconsin man faces six charges of first-degree sexually assaulting a child in Trempealeau County. According to authorities, Ulises Grandos of Arcada assaulted the girl several times between 2015-2016 while the girl was between the ages of 7-9. Grandos has denied the charges and will return to court on Tuesday.
An application to allow Xcel Energy to store additional spent nuclear fuel at the Prairie Island Nuclear Power plant has been completed. The application suggests that additional storage will be needed before 2033. Part of Xcel’s pending plan is to extend the plant’s life to 2053-54. Over the next year, the Department of Commerce will prepare an environmental impact statement and hold public meetings and hearings to discuss the scope of the EIS. The first meeting, scheduled for April 24-25, will take place in Red Wing and online.
Police in Eau Claire are looking for a missing 16-year-old. Officers say Colin Robaidek went for a bike ride Wednesday evening and hasn't been seen since. He was last spotted in the Mt. Washington neighborhood. His pictures are online, and police are asking anyone who may know anything about his whereabouts to please reach out.
A Wisconsin woman is looking at charges after police say she shot at her boyfriend because he didn't have his taxes done. Prosecutors filed formal charges against Lily Hawkinson Wednesday. They say she fired one shot near her boyfriend's ear on Monday, then fired a second shot at him as he was walking away from their home in Fall Creek. Police say Hawkinson's blood-alcohol-level was two-and-a-half-times the legal limit when she was arrested. The boyfriend said she was angry because he had not finished filling out his tax forms. She's facing recklessly endangering safety, disorderly conduct, and weapons charges.
The vice president is coming back to Wisconsin. The White House yesterday said Vice President Kamala Harris will be in La Crosse on Monday. It is her third visit to Wisconsin so far this year. The VP will once again be focusing on abortion during her stop. Harris' visit underscores just how important Wisconsin is in this fall's race for president. She was in Madison last month, and in the Milwaukee suburbs back in January as well.
The latest snapshot of Wisconsin's economy shows little has changed. The state's Department of Workforce Development yesterday released the unemployment numbers for March. The state says Wisconsin's unemployment rate continues to hover at three percent, while the state's labor participation rate continues to sit below 66 percent. The only good news is Wisconsin's labor participation rate is almost three points better than the national rate. In all, just over three million people are working in Wisconsin.
In March, Minnesota experienced robust job and labor force expansion, with the state gaining 11-thousand jobs, marking a 0.4 percent increase. The private sector saw an increase of eight-thousand jobs. The unemployment rate held steady at two-point-seven percent. Industries such as Leisure & Hospitality, Government, Education & Health Services, and Construction contributed significantly to the job gains, signaling positive trends in the labor market.
Wisconsin's high school sports managers may allow high schoolers to get NIL money in the future. The WIAA will vote next week on whether to allow high school athletes to be paid. The NIL proposal would ban any NIL deal with ties to gambling, smoking, or drinking. It would also not allow students to wear their uniforms or school logos, and ban boosters from offering NIL money as a way to recruit kids to a specific school. Some high school coaches say NIL could help kids earn a little money, while others are worried that the WIAA could be opening the door to pay-to-play.
“Death threats and late-night swatting.” Representative Mike Gallager provided more insight this week, on his decision to leave Congress before his term ends. Gallagher said that while he “signed up for the death threats and the late-night swatting” his family did not. Gallagher was one of a small handful of House Republicans to oppose the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. The Green Bay Republican announced last month that his last day would be April 19, tomorrow. However, Fox News has reported that Gallagher may stick around through the weekend to help pass a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum shows the state's general fund will be dropping significantly from record highs following the pandemic. Researcher Jason Stein says the fund will be dropping from over 6 billion dollars to under 4 billion. That drop in the fund comes after the Republican-led Legislature and Governor Tony Evers raised some spending and lowered taxes last year. W P F says Wisconsin will be able to cover any current short-term debt spending but will need to carefully consider any major new spending or cuts.
There is an arrest warrant out for the owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company tied to his defamation case. A judge yesterday ordered Kirk Bangstad to be arrested after he missed his court date. He was supposed to be in Oneida County Court last week to answer questions about when he will be able to pay the publisher of the Lakeland Times. A judge ordered Bangstad to pay the publisher 750 thousand-dollars after he was found guilty last fall of defamation. Bangstad says he simply got the dates mixed up. He's due back in court in that case next month.
Wisconsin's liberal-majority supreme court is questioning just how much power the state legislature has. The court heard oral arguments yesterday in a case brought by Governor Tony Evers. The governor wants the court to limit the power of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee. He says the Republican-controlled committee went beyond its power when it moved to hold-back pay raises for UW employees. The governor says the JFC is infringing on his executive powers. But liberal Justice Jill Karofsky said if the court does what the governor wants, the legislature's power as a co-equal branch of government would all but disappear. There's no word when the court will issue its decision.
Minnesota Republicans are urging their colleagues in the legislature to give more funding to struggling EMS providers around the state. Republicans called for the additional money during an event at the state capitol yesterday. The GOP says providers need 120-milion dollars to keep from reducing services or closing down due to low reimbursement rates. DFL leaders have proposed 16-million in funding this year, with more discussion about long-term solutions when the next state budget cycle begins.
Wisconsin leads the nation when it comes to fatal crashes involving wrong-way drivers. From 2013 to 2022 , the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says just over 9 percent of fatal crashes in Wisconsin involved wrong way drivers. That compares to the national rate of 3 and a half percent. A study a few years ago by Triple A found that drunken driving, older drivers and driving alone increased the risk of fatal wrong-way crashes. Nighttime driving is also a factor, with 78 percent of wrong-way collisions occurring between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
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