A Wabasha man had to be rescued yesterday near Lock and Dam #4 in Alma. According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, an employee of the dam called authorities after a boat was spotted floating toward the dam and the operator looked unresponsive. The boat hit the dam and was hung up on a roller. The sheriff's department, WI DNR, and Alma Fire Department rescued 64yr old man and he was not injured. He was arrested for suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol and operating a watercraft.
A town of Canton home is a total loss after a fire yesterday. According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, firefighters were called to the Jennifer and Michael Stevens home on Wittig Road in the Town of Canton. Crews found the home totally engulfed and firefighters from Alma, Mondovi, Durand, and six other departments battled the blaze for nearly 3 hours. The fire is believed to have originated in the garage due to an electrical issue. No one was hurt in that fire.
Mondovi residents will have some traffic issues starting on Monday. The city announced that Hwy 10 East from Washington Street to Memorial Drive will be closed next week for utility work. The work is being done for the new Kwik Trip that is being built near Washington Street. Motorists should be aware of possible delays and make appropriate plans during the road closure.
The Mondovi City Council is asking for public input on possible changes to the city's ATV/UTV Ordinance. During this week's council meeting, members had a long discussion about the ordinance and possible changes. Some council members were concerned that the ordinance does not require those operating an ATV on City streets to have insurance, unlike the Buffalo County Ordinance which requires insurance. Other members felt the ordinance needed to be revisited as the original intent to allow ATVs/UTVs on city streets was to access the trail, but now it appears the equipment is being used for regular transportation. The council has invited all members of the public to comment on the ordinance during the June 26th city council meeting.
Eau Claire Police are still not saying if an officer hit the man she fired at last Friday. The city's police department yesterday detailed last Friday's shooting at a drunken domestic violence call. An Eau Claire Police report says Officer Ariana Down-Larson fired at Thomas Burback when he pointed a pistol at her. It's unclear if she hit him, or if he was injured when officers used tear gas to pull him out of his house. Officer Down-Larson is now on leave as the Wisconsin Department of Justice looks into the shooting. Burback is out of jail on a signature bond.
The old Schwan's delivery service is closing four warehouses in the state. The company, which is now known as Yelloh, yesterday said it is closing operations in Eau Claire, Marshfield, Wausau, and Rice Lake. The company announced the layoffs in a note to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The closings will mean layoffs in each city. In Eau Claire, Yelloh says nine people will lose their jobs.
A man in Eau Claire is charged with sexually assaulting two girls. Twenty-seven-year-old Jonathan Rowan is accused of assaulting a girl starting in 2020 when she was nine. She says he was bribing her with money and toys in exchange for sexual contact for two years. The second girl says he assaulted her multiple times, with reports of other attempts over the past year.
The new owners of the Regency Inn are promising to make it a better hotel. Eau Claire's city council signed-off on a new purchase agreement for the Regency earlier this week. It's been a troubled hotel for years, and there have been several plans to buy it and turn it into something else. Now, new owners Tarek Menesi and Jado Hark, are asking for city permission to rehab the hotel. The two say they've already turned around a troubled hotel and a troubled daycare in Minnesota. The two are promising to spend 600 thousand-dollars to update the Regency, and are promising to work with Eau Claire Police to clean the place up.
It's been two years since a sexual assault kit tracking system was introduced in Wisconsin -- and nearly three and a half thousand have been turned in. The Wisconsin Department of Justice says the system gives victims more detailed information about the status and location of their kits. The state DOJ says the number of sexual assaults is likely higher since not every victim gets tested. Test results do not guarantee the outcome of investigations or prosecution.
US Senator Tammy Baldwin was in Green Bay on Wednesday to discuss the fentanyl crisis. Baldwin says more detection equipment and more personnel are needed at the southern border to stop the flow of the drug into the US. Wisconsin health officials want to spend the state's 36 million dollar share of a drug lawsuit settlement on improving access to life-saving Narcan and doing more community outreach to the state's tribal nations. The Democrat is running for a third term in November.
Governor Tony Evers has weighed in on a lawsuit challenging provisions of Act 10. The Democratic Governor was asked Wednesday whether he thinks the Dane County judge who’s considering the case should recuse himself. Evers said he didn’t think that was necessary, and that the process should play out. Media reports show that Judge Jacob Frost appears to have signed the petition to recall Republican Governor Scott Walker in 2011. That recall was precipitated by anger over Act 10 and its restrictions on the ability of public employee unions to collectively bargain. Those are the very provisions that the lawsuit seeks to overturn. Evers appointed Frost to the Dane County bench in 2020. Evers also said he doesn’t believe that allowing public employee unions in Wisconsin to once again collectively bargain would necessarily lead to widespread strikes. The suit is expected to eventually end up before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, where liberal justices now hold a 5-3 majority.
Governor Tony Evers has issued an executive order, in preparation for this summer’s Republican National Convention Evers’ office said the executive order is at the request of the city of Milwaukee and Wisconsin Emergency Management. The governor issued an executive order declaring an emergency in preparation for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. It’s a standard part of the preparation and planning process for large-scale events. An emergency declaration is aimed at helping make sure the necessary resources are available to respond to any potential emergencies, continuing event planning and preparation steps, and ensuring the safety of the hosting community as well as event participants. The RNC is scheduled for July 15-18 at Fiserv Forum.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is looking for landowners to host hunters with disabilities this fall. Applicants must have at least 60 acres available and host a minimum of three people. The Gun Deer Hunt For Hunters With Disabilities has been held annually since 1992 and gives 400 people the opportunity to hunt. The hunt will be between October 5th and 13.
Minnesota will permit marijuana cultivators to start growing weed later this year. This is a result of Governor Tim Walz signing a cannabis bill on Friday that makes changes to the year-old recreational marijuana law. The measure will also award cannabis business licenses through a vetted lottery instead of a merit-based application process.
Rural southern Minnesota faces a divide between traditional farmland and renewable energy production. The Kaehler family is choosing solar energy on their fifth-generation farm in St. Charles. Novel Energy Solutions has seen significant growth and is now the largest community solar developer in Minnesota. While concerns exist about prime farmland being used for solar projects, the Kaehlers view solar as a way to secure the future for their family and the next generation. Solar energy offers a stable income with minimal risk compared to traditional crops, and the family sees it as a long-term conservation project.
An attraction that advertises itself as the world's largest bounce house will be returning to Minnesota next month. The Big Bounce America Tour will stop in Shakopee on June 8th and 9th and June 14th through the 16th. The attraction will include multiple inflatable play areas, including an obstacle course and a sports arena. The tour hasn't stopped in Minnesota since 2022.
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