Xcel Energy is looking to sell the old railroad right of way parcels in the city of Durand. Many of the parcels are odd shaped and very small. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city would be interested in the part of the right of way that goes past the wastewater treatment plant. As for the bike trail north of the city that would be a county project to purchase the right of way.
Two big summer projects for the Durand-Arkansaw School District are nearly completed. The parking lot with two new entrances has been completed and there have been some repairs to the entrance of the high school. Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Ryan Nelson says the repairs addresed some foundation issues. New railings and carpeting are expected to be installed at the new entrance in the coming weeks.
Don't be surprised to see more converted garages, tiny homes, or garden apartments in Dunn County. County leaders this week voted to ease the rules for 'accessory dwelling units.' County Manager Kristin Korpela says the people of Dunn County said in a recent survey that they want more types of housing. The idea is to allow people to convert or add on to their existing properties to meet the demand for places to live. There are some limits. The 'accessory dwelling unit' must be smaller than the main house, it must be hooked up to a sewer line, and there can only be one per property.
The Town of Washington wants to become a village to protect itself from being swallowed. The town filed the paperwork with the state this week to incorporate part of the town as a village. The change would allow Washington to set its boundaries, better control its land, and fend off annexation attempts. The town and village would operate 'separately but together.' The change would mean that the new village of Washington would send kids to Eau Claire Schools, while kids in the Town of Washington would go to Altoona, Eau Claire, or Fall Creek schools.
A man is heading to prison for killing his roommate at a state mental health facility. A judge in Taylor County yesterday sentenced Cory Carlson to life behind bars for his roommate's death back in January of this year. Investigators say Carlson strangled the man in their room at the Almost Home Again facility in Gilman, Carlson told investigators that he was hearing voices, and does not remember what happened. He pleaded guilty to first-degree homicide charges earlier this year.
A board that oversees Minnesota teachers has revoked the teaching licenses of a former high school principal. The Professional Educator and Licensing Standards Board ruled against Grant Klennert on Tuesday. Klennert was charged with criminal sexual assault in 2022 and entered a guilty plea earlier this year. The charges were related to sexual assaults committed when Klennert was a juvenile. Klennert was employed by the Hayfield school district for 16 years, including seven years as principal of Hayfield High School.
UW regents are on-board with the plan to ask for nearly a billion-dollars more for the university over the next two years. Regents yesterday approved President Jay Rothman's 855 million-dollar budget request. He says the UW needs the money to continue to pay employees more. They're due for an eight percent raise over the next two years. But he also wants to use the money to pay tuition for students from families making under 55 thousand-dollars a year. Republican lawmakers say they're willing to give the university some of that money, but not without reforms and budget cuts first.
Two major Canadian railways that serve Wisconsin have stopped operations during a labor dispute. Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Southern locked out union workers this week ahead of a possible strike by the Teamsters. Management claims the move prevents a later strike by the Union during the busier fall shipping season. The Teamsters say the freight carriers have refused to improve work conditions for employees or offer more sick days. 9000 workers are affected, along with wide swaths of the agriculture, manufacturing, and industrial sectors.
Wisconsin's Elections Commission says RFK Jr. could be on the ballot in November, even if he drops-out this week. The commission has not yet decided if Robert Kennedy Jr. will appear on the ballot, but if he does, there is no getting off. A Commission spokesman yesterday said Wisconsin doesn't have a drop-out law that would allow candidates to remove themselves from the ballot. Kennedy filed the paperwork to get on the ballot in the state earlier this month. He's scheduled a news conference for today that has many people speculating he is going to drop out of the race.
Oshkosh Defense continues to pile-up defense contracts. The company announced yesterday that it had landed a one-and-a-half billion-dollar contract to build trucks for the Army. The new deal covers another order of the Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles that Oshkosh has been building for years. Oshkosh, of course, landed a 30 billion-dollar deal back in 2015 to make the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, which is the U.S. military's replacement for the Humvee. Other countries, including Israel and Ukraine are also buying those trucks from Oshkosh as well.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court could decide who won a state wrestling title back in 2019. The high court Wednesday said it will hear arguments in the case of Hayden Halter who won the state title in 2019, then had it taken away by a court, only to have it reinstated by another court. The Supreme Court says it will decide if the WIAA is a "state actor," and will decide if Halter's family has the right to sue over a decision made by a high school wrestling ref. Halter was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct during a conference title match in 2019. Those penalties came with a suspension, and that should have kept him out of the state tournament. His family sued and got a judge to issue a restraining order against that suspension. Halter then went on to win the state wrestling title at 120 pounds.
A new report by Insurify reveals that car insurance rates in Minnesota have increased by 55 percent this year, the highest in the nation. The average comprehensive insurance plan in Minnesota now costs over two-thousand dollars, up from fifteen-hundred last June, with further increases expected. The rise in rates is attributed to factors such as severe weather, particularly hailstorms, which have led to more expensive repairs and increased claims. While Minnesotans may see steady rate increases in the future, the state's insurance rates still rank 19th in the nation.
A new invasive species is spreading across Wisconsin. The Department of Natural Resources says eastern Asia’s elm zigzag sawfly was first detected in the U.S. three years ago and was first seen in the state on July 4th in Portage County. The insect, named for the zigzag pattern its caterpillars chew in elm leaves, has now spread to 17 counties statewide. The DNR says the pests only cause minor or cosmetic damage to elm trees, but could lead to possible defoliation. Their presence is usually not a cause for alarm, but careful monitoring is recommended.
North Star Honor Flight is preparing to take off in 2025. The organization is part of the National Honor Flight Network which provides trips for veterans to the national monuments in Washington, D.C. North Star plans to offer a flight in the spring for an all-expense paid day trip to the nation's capital to visit the World War Two, Korean and Vietnam War memorials. Terminally ill veterans and veterans in southeast Minnesota and northern Iowa qualify. Wheelchairs and medical supervision are provided. More information is available NorthStarHonorFlight.org.
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