Five new mental health crisis centers are open in Wisconsin including one in La Crosse. Tellurian will operate the facility that will serve those in need in Buffalo, Dunn, Pierce, Pepin, and 14 other counties here in Western Wisconsin. The state Department of Health Services says the crisis stabilization facilities will be used to help people who don't need to be hospitalized but can't stay in their communities. That includes people with substance abuse and mental health crises who can use these services. The department set aside ten million dollars in 2021 to fund the facilities.
Chippewa Falls says the owner of a downtown building that partially collapsed has to fix it or tear it down. A city inspector yesterday issued a raze or repair order for the building that's home to the Iris Boutique. That's the building where the upstairs apartment collapsed into the back of the boutique earlier this week. No one was hurt. Inspectors are not saying just what happened to cause the collapse. The building's owner has 60 days to decide what they plan to do.
Only minor damage was reported across parts of Western Wisconsin from yesterday's severe storms that moved through. Reports of trees down onto power lines were common reports. Xcel Energy reported 1500 customers lost power in Mondovi as a result of the storm. Power outages were also reported in Plum City and Wabasha because of the storm. Today will be cooler but the winds will still be brisk out of the northwest.
The issues with Mondovi's new Wastewater Treatment plant continue. During the last council meeting members discussed the issues including the new algae treatment portion of the plant not working properly. The company that designed the algae treatment is claiming ammonia is killing the algae, but the council says this system is having similar problems in other municipalities. The council is weighing its options, including pursuing liquidated damages against the contractors that built the plant.
Consider this proof of just how dangerous dams are in Wisconsin. Two Chippewa Falls firefighters and a city worker needed to be rescued yesterday after their boat got stuck on the edge of the Glen Loch Dam in Chippewa Falls. The three were placing safety buoys near the dam when their boat got caught up by the current. The trio spent about two hours on the lip of the dam while other firefighters set up rescue ropes. Chippewa Falls firefighters say all of the recent rains have made the river near the dam fast and dangerous.
The owner of an Eau Claire beauty shop who is accused of touching his clients says he's innocent. Chris Devlin pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges yesterday, Investigators say he assaulted clients and took inappropriate pictures of them while he was working at Renew Aesthetics. Eau Claire Police say six victims have come forward so far. Devlin is due back in court in September.
There won't be charges for a northern Wisconsin midwife who handled the birth of a baby who died in labor. The D.A. in Price County yesterday said he;'s decided against charges in the case from last year. The baby's family believes the midwife is to blame for the baby's death, but District Attorney Matthew Elroy said he doesn't think he can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The medical examiner says the baby died from complications of prolonged labor, and the midwife told investigators that she was never told just how long the mom was in labor before she was called-in.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a public hearing in Ashland this week on Enbridge’s application to relocate a 12-mile segment of Line 5 and build a new 41-mile segment outside lands of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The proposal comes after a federal judge ruled in 2022 Enbridge had illegally trespassed on the tribe’s northern Wisconsin reservation. The decision is now on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals. Tribal leaders and environmental activists argue not building the line will protect the region’s waters, while business groups maintain the project will provide employment and access to reliable energy.
Some folks in Rochester continue to question the plan to replace the Silver Lake Dam. The city wants to remove the dam and replace it with a series of cascading pools. Opponents held a meeting yesterday to question why the city is pushing to charge an iconic piece of the city's history. City planners say the cascading pools will cut down on maintenance and repair costs, and will provide just as much protection for people downriver as the dam.
A prison warden from Wisconsin was arrested this morning after an investigation into the deaths of four people at the Waupun Correctional Institution. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt says Warden Randall Hepp, who turned in his resignation last week, is charged with misconduct in public office. He says two inmate's bodies were found up to twelve hours after their deaths. Schmidt also says routine rounds were skipped and medication logs were inaccurate. Correctional officers and deputies, along with medical staff, are also facing charges. The cases are now closed, but Schmidt says they could be reopened.
Madison's Democratic congressman is happy to see charges filed against three Republicans for supporting former President Trump's electors back in 2020. Wisconsin's attorney general filed charges yesterday against two attorneys and a former Trump aide for the legal strategy to have a second set of electors in case a judge overturned the election results in Wisconsin. Congressman Mark Pocan called the three "democracy lawbreakers," and asked if anyone associated with the Trump campaign "who isn't a criminal."
August primary elections in Wisconsin will feature a lot of challenges to Legislative incumbents. Analysis by WisPolitics shows four Democrats and 22 Republicans in the state Assembly will face primary challengers under redrawn district maps. Those Republicans include Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Joint Finance Committee co-chair Mark Born. Nomination papers turned in to the Wisconsin Elections Commission this week have Democratic candidates in all 16 Senate races in November and 97 of the 99 Assembly seats. Republicans turned in papers in 11 Senate seats and 84 Assembly districts. Representative Travis Tranel of Cuba City won’t face a Republican primary challenger, but in November he’ll face a Prairie du Chein Democrat named Scott Walker. Tranel is the last Republican in the Assembly to have voted against ACT 10, the signature achievement by former Republican Governor Scott Walker.
The Wisconsin Lottery will phase out a drawing that offered ten weekly $1,000 winners. The Wisconsin Lottery’s weekly Super Second Chance drawing required non-winning lottery tickets and scratch-offs to be sent in for entry. It will be discontinued at the end of the year. Wisconsin Lottery Director Cindy Polzin said the drawings are outdated and labor-intensive and have become inconvenient for many players, especially with the increasing cost of postage. The Super Second Chance drawing will continue through December 26, and there are no plans to replace it with another drawing.
Minnesota's launch of the electric-assisted bike rebate application period is not going as well as planned. The state's online application website crashed this morning. The Minnesota Department of Revenue released a statement apologizing for any inconvenience caused to potential applicants. They add that they're working on a fix and will update when the issues have been corrected. The state has earmarked two-million dollars for rebates this year and next year, offering residents a discount of up to 15-hundred dollars on qualifying e-bike purchases.
Iconic forestry mascot Smokey The Bear is getting his own showcase in Wisconsin next month. Portraits and classic films reminding you to prevent forest fires will be on display at Pioneer Park in Rhinelander the first week in July. The collection of original artwork by Smokey's artist Rudolph Wendelin is from the U S D A archives in Washington D C. It's part of National Forest Week celebrations in the Northwoods. Kids can also take a fire safety quiz and make a birthday card for Smokey.
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