An invasive species affecting lake populations is found in Western Wisconsin. The state Department of Natural Resources says zebra mussels were found in Lake Menomin [[min-OH-min]] in Menomonie [[muh-NOM-oh-knee]]. The mussels can reduce plankton, algae, and fish populations. The department is asking that anglers keep their boats and equipment clean and drain all water to prevent spreading the invasion. The DNR says boat ramps are being monitored.
City of Durand Property owners could have their properties re-assessed in 2026. The City Council was informed at the last council meeting that because current property values are under 80% of equalized value, the city will have to have a complete reassessment. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says that just because there is a reassessment, doesn't mean taxes would automatically go up. That reassessment could cost the city between $50000-$60000.
A Zumbro Falls woman faces burglary and theft charges in Wabasha County. 41-year-old Polly Calhoun was in Wabasha County court yesterday charged withfirst-degree burglary with a dangerous weapon and felony third-degree burglary and gross misdemeanor theft charges. Lake City Police alleged that Calhoun broke into Gerken's Town and Country Store on the night of April 13 and stole nearly $600.
The city of Eau Claire's attorney says he's 'baffled' by a jury that says an Eau Claire police officer violated a man's civil rights during a drug bust back in 2019. A federal jury last week found the officer not guilty of excessive force, but found him guilty of violating Sidney Coleman's civil rights. The jury says the officer didn't have probable cause to make the stop that turned-up marijuana, ecstasy, meth, and a concealed knife. Coleman argued that he was racially profiled. Eau Claire Police Chief Matt Rokus says the facts of the case show the officer's actions were 'appropriate and not malicious,' The jury awarded Coleman 550 thousand-dollars, the city says it plans to appeal.
Add this to the healthcare woes in northwestern Wisconsin. The Marshfield Medical Center in Rice Lake yesterday said it is 'pausing' its labor and delivery services. Marshfield's Dr. Brandon Parkhurst blames the pause on the decision to close HSHS' hospitals in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls. He says Marshfield has had to spread its resources to cover the entire area. Parkhurst says he expects the pause to last at least a month or two. HSHS closed its hospitals last month over what it said were cost challenges and industry trends.
Some new healthcare options are opening in western Wisconsin. OakLeaf Clinics yesterday opened offices in both Ladysmith and Cornell. The new clinics will replace the ones that Prevea [[ pru-vey-uh ]] closed over the past few weeks. OakLeaf says it will open a clinic in Menomonie next week, and then has plans to open a clinic in Rice Lake after that.
Eau Claire is paying for a study to look at possible new uses for the Oakwood Mall. Community development director Aaron White says the plan is to look into the future and see what can be done to keep the mall chugging along. White says the mall is doing fine right now, but he wants Eau Claire to be prepared. One of the ideas is to break the mall down into smaller retail centers and allow for more walkability.
Wisconsin is getting more Amtrak service. Amtrak yesterday announced a new train service between Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul. That means two trains each day that will connect Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, the Wisconsin Dells, Tomah, La Crosse, Winona, and Red Wing. One train will leave from Milwaukee in the morning, and the other will leave from the Twin Cities during the middle of the day. Amtrak is calling the new service the Borealis Line. It begins May 21st.
There's another hospital name change in western Wisconsin. Gundersen Health is changing its name to Emplify Health. The new name comes about two years after Gundersen and Bellin Health finalized their merger. The new name will cover both hospital systems. The name is the only thing that is changing. Emplify says it's not planning any closings as part of its now finalized merger.
Add this to the list of reminders as fishing season opens in Wisconsin. The DNR yesterday warned fishermen not to recycle their old fishing lines in their regular recycling. Those lines can get caught in the recycling machines, Instead, the DNR says " Bag up your old fishing line and take it to a special fishing line collection center. Sporting goods stores usually have those. As for lead weights, the DNR says those can be recycled, but only if your recycler accepts them. But the DNR is suggesting that people skip lead weights, saying they are a danger to both lakes and rivers and the wildlife that may eat them.
Wisconsin's governor says he's monitoring the pro-Palestinian protests at the UW, but he's ruled out calling in the National Guard to break them up. Governor Evers yesterday said protests are fine, but he said protesters can't break the law or the UW's rules. Camping on campus is illegal in Wisconsin. The governor said the tents on campus in Milwaukee and Madison will have to go 'at some point.' He said he hopes protesters choose to take the tents down, though he said he's not going to order the National Guard to campus to do it for them.
A new audit says police officers at the Wisconsin Capitol do a better job of responding to alarms in lawmakers' offices. The report looks at the response times from 2021 til last year. State Senator Joan Ballweg asked for the audit after her office pulled the alarm in 2022, and said no one came. Capitol Police say they are doing a better job, and have implemented some changes since the 2022 alarm. But Capitol Police continue to say they are shorthanded and say that is one of the biggest drivers of any delays in responding to emergencies.
Wisconsin's attorney general is reminding people that there is help available to try and prevent sextortion cases. A-G Josh Kaul yesterday said his Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has a video that can help young people understand the dangers of online sextortion cases. Sextortion is when someone gets nude pictures or videos, and then threatens to release them if they don't get more nude or money. Kaul says oftentimes the extortionists are from Africa or the Philippines. Kaul says learning about online safety ahead of time is the best protection that young people can get.
Planners for this summer's Republican National Convention are asking to move the protest zone back. RNC organizers this week sent a letter to the Secret Service, asking that protesters be kept out of Pere Marquette Park. Milwaukee chose the park as the designated protest zone and said it balances people's right to protest with the safety concerns of the convention. The RNC's letter says Pere Marquette Park is too close to the convention site in the Deer District, and protesters could make it hard for convention goers to get where they need to go. Some protest groups also don't like the idea of being in Pere Marquette Park. But they want to move closer to the convention, not further away.
A longtime member of the Minnesota House is in a tough fight to get re-elected this fall. District 26-B Representative Greg Davids of Preston failed to win the endorsement of Fillmore and Houston County Republicans during a meeting late last month. The endorsement went to businessman Gary Steuart, who won exactly 60-percent of the vote. Steuart claims Davids has been in office too long and is out of touch with voters. Davids said he was disappointed by the decision but still plans to run in the August 13th GOP primary.
A high school employee in southeastern Minnesota has won an online contest to determine the nation's top custodian. Bob Galewski was honored as the winner of the Cintas Custodian of the Year contest yesterday during an assembly at Wabasha-Kellogg High School. Galewski has worked at the high school for 22 years. Galewski will get ten-thousand dollars and a trip to Las Vegas for winning the online competition.
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