Local-Regional News Oct 31

 A St. Paul man is looking at 50 years in prison for dumping bodies in Dunn County after a murder back in 2021. A jury yesterday convicted Darren Osborne of being a party to a crime. Osborne dropped-off an SUV filled with bodies in rural Wheeler. His son, Antoine Suggs, killed the four after a fight in Minnesota. Osborne then helped hide the bodies. Suggs is serving 101 years in prison for the killings. Osborne will be sentenced in December.

Trick-or-treaters in Western Wisconsin will need coats tonight, but they shouldn't see any snow. There's a Winter Weather Advisory in effect for parts of northwestern Wisconsin that means snow for some folks. Forecasters say the snow should be done by the time trick-or-treaters head out, but they say it will be cold. The Weather Service says temperatures in the 30s combined with winds could mean wind chills in the 20s later tonight.   Trick or treat hours are 5-7pm in Durand and Mondovi, 4-7pm in the Village of Elmwood.

The Tarrant Park Pool project is about 50% complete.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says residents may not see changes on the site, but many things are happening inside the new building.  The City is currently looking for a pool director.  Contact Durand City Hall for more information.

A two-year project to replace city streets and sewer and water lines in downtown Wabasha is now complete.  The city of Wabasha reports that all the streets downtown that were under construction are now open to traffic and parking.  The construction company picked up the last of their signs and traffic barrels last week.

Eau Claire's parking study says there is more demand for evening parking downtown. Deputy city manager Dave Solberg says Eau Claire's parking plan is geared toward daytime parking. He says the study shows that people want to come downtown to eat or enjoy the nightlife, and the parking options aren't always there. Solberg says Eau Claire may extend the two-hour limit on downtown parking or may switch to paid parking on downtown streets. The city has been pushing to do that for a while but has run into opposition from downtown business owners. 

An Eau Claire man, charged with distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine is headed to prison.  Mario Aviles was sentenced to two years in prison in federal court in Madison yesterday.    Earlier this year, the US Postal Service intercepted a package at the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport with a western Wisconsin address that contained two pounds of methamphetamine.  Authorities say the drugs had a street value of $250,000.

Prosecutors in the Adam Fravel murder trial could rest their case today.  The prosecution plans to call one more witness before allowing Fravel's lawyers to present their defense.  Friends of Madeline Kingsbury testified about Fravel's behavior yesterday, talking about incidents of possible abuse and violence.  Fravel was arrested and charged with murder following Kingsbury's death last year.  Closing arguments in the case are expected Monday.

Voters in Wisconsin are running out of chances to vote early. Early, in-person voting ends for most communities tomorrow. Election managers say nearly a million voters have already cast a ballot here in Wisconsin, either through the mail or in-person, If you don't vote today or tomorrow, you'll have to wait til Election Day next Tuesday to cast your ballot. 

More than 60 people reported eating THC-contaminated foods from a Dane County pizzeria, including children as young as one year old.  Public Health Madison and Dane County says Yeti's Pizza in Stoughton [[ STOW-tun ]] will not be cited, since Delta-Nine THC is legal in Wisconsin.  Health officials say a worker ran out of oil while making the pizzas and accidentally used cannabis oil.  The department says more than 25 people went to the emergency room after eating the contaminated food, and five people were hospitalized for at least one night.  A final report will be shared in the next couple of weeks. 

The final Marquette Law School Poll prior to Election Day has Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly leading former president Donald Trump in Wisconsin. Harris’ 50 percent to 49 percent edge over Trump is within the 4.4% margin of error. In the US Senate race, Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin still leads Republican challenger Eric Hovde. Poll Director Charles Franklin says the numbers have narrowed.  Baldwin’s lead is within the poll’s 4.4% margin of error.

A central Wisconsin faces life in prison after pleading no contest for stabbing another man.  Frank Jackson was found guilty by a Portage County Judge, meaning he will face a mandatory life sentence at a sentencing hearing in late January. Jackson had been thrown out of the Stevens Point library last summer after asking another patron for a loan. Investigators say the 71-year-old victim had loaned money to Jackson earlier in the day and was unwilling to give him more money because Jackson had used the first loan to buy alcohol. The victim suffered a punctured lung but survived. The judge does have the ability to grant the 30-year-old the possibility of parole after he served 20 years of his sentence

The mother charged in the death of her three-year-old son in Two Rivers is pleading not guilty. Katrina Baur was in court for her arraignment this morning, where she entered her plea. Her son, Elijah Vue, was found dead in September, just three miles away from where he was reported missing more than six months earlier. Both Baur and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, are charged for his death. 

The owners of the New Glarus brewery broke ground Tuesday on what will eventually become a 65-thousand square-foot expansion. There will be new brewing and distilling spaces, as well as a hospitality space. The new building will be four stories tall, and have a grass roof as part of its environmental footprint. The hope is to be finished with the expansion by 2026. 

Researchers at the University of Minnesota say fear can help people feel good about their relationships and help form new friendships.  The researchers recently teamed up with the Mall of America to learn why people pay to enter scary attractions like Onionhead's Revenge.  More than 300 people took part in the research, with 77-percent saying they felt a high level of relief once the experience was over.  Seventy-three-percent said going through the attraction with a partner strengthened their relationship.  Participants also said the act of going through something scary increased their connection to others doing the same activity.

Local-Regional News Oct 30

 The city of Durand is looking at borrowing a small amount of money each year to continue doing small street projects.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the idea would be to borrow $140000 each year for another project.  That additional money would then be levied on the tax rolls.  The proposed 2025 budget will be discussed and voted on during the November 20th council meeting.

Dunn County leaders want Wisconsin to expand the state's healthcare program. This week, the county board approved a resolution that calls on the state legislature to expand Medicaid. Human Services director Paula Winter says there are too many uninsured people in Dunn County, and that means the county has to foot the bill when those people get sick or need medical care. Winter says the county's Community Support Program and Crisis Intervention Services are the most expensive. Lawmakers in Wisconsin have resisted expanding Medicaid for years, saying adding more people to the system will be too expensive. 

Seven people are hurt in a Western Wisconsin crash. The Altoona Police Department says a semi lost control and hit two cars while exiting Highway 53 onto Highway 12. Lanes were closed for several hours while the crash was being investigated. It's unknown how badly the seven people were injured. 

Schools across southeast Minnesota are helping their students to explore promising careers by giving them opportunities for up-close tours of local manufacturing companies and in-depth knowledge of skills-based careers.  Students from Wabasha-Kellogg, Red Wing, and Plainview Elgin Millville will attend Construct Tomorrow and tour companies like Crenlo Engineered Cabs.  According to Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), manufacturing roles constitute 11% of all available jobs in the state. Last year, manufacturing contributed $57.2 billion, or 12%, to the state's economy. The average annual manufacturing wage in Minnesota is $79,000 — 10% above the average for all jobs. Going forward, more than 93,000 job openings can be expected for manufacturing production positions in Minnesota through 2032. 

There are an even-ten-thousand-students at UW-Eau Claire this year. The University of Wisconsin released its official 10th day enrollment figures yesterday, and the Eau Claire campus has ten-thousand students. That makes Eau Claire the sixth-largest campus in the state. UW-Madison is, obviously, the largest with nearly 52-thousand students. UW-Stout has just under seven thousand students, while River Falls has just over five thousand. UW-La Crosse has almost 500 more students than the campus in Eau Claire. 

 The teenager accused of killing Lily Peters is finally going to answer the charges against him.  A judge in Chippewa County yesterday set an arraignment for December 16th. The hearing comes after the teen's lawyer did not appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to try and keep the case in juvenile court. The teenager is accused of killing and sexually assaulting Peters as she was walking home back in April of 2022. She was ten-years-old, he was 14 at the time. The case has been delayed because of the back-and-forth over where the teenager would be tried. Even with the new movement, it will be sometime next year before the trial could begin.

 A southern Minnesota man has been sentenced for his role in a drive-by shooting in Wisconsin.  Police arrested 32-year-old Deandrew Grant following last year's shooting at a pizza restaurant in La Crosse.  Several people were wounded and the restaurant suffered significant damage.  Grant pled guilty last month to charges including attempted homicide, battery with a dangerous weapon and reckless endangerment.  He was sentenced to 32 years in prison and eight years of supervised release earlier this week.

Wisconsin election managers say nearly a million people have already voted. In Milwaukee, the city's Election Commission said 63-thousand people have already voted. The tallies are different in each community, but local clerks all say they are seeing more interest in early voting this year. Voters can continue to cast their ballots in-person until Friday. After that, voters are going to have to wait for Election Day to actually vote.  

Wisconsin's new rules of the road book is supposed to be easier to read. Yesterday, the state's Department of Transportation said it had updated the rules of the road. The new book is supposed to be easier to read, simpler, and more straightforward. Wis-DOT says they want to make sure that everyone can understand the rules for driving in the state. You can find the updated version at Wis-DOT's website. 

The Supreme Court has ruled that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must remain on the ballot in Michigan and Wisconsin.  Kennedy, who dropped out of the presidential race in August, was looking to be removed from the ballot in the key swing states after endorsing Donald Trump.  State election officials had already said early and absentee voting in the states was already well underway, with the Supreme Court giving a decision on the emergency appeal with no further explanation.

 A former Minnesota State trooper accused of causing a deadly crash is asking a judge to dismiss eight of nine charges against him.  Shane Roper faces several offenses including second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide.  Both charges carry a maximum sentence of ten years in jail.  Roper's attorneys recently filed a motion claiming prosecutors failed to meet their burden of offering direct evidence that shows their client's actions led to the cause of death.  The defendant is expected back in court on November 21.

Wisconsin's state superintendent says she's asking for 60-million dollars to recruit and retain educators in the state. Dr. Jill Underly says her proposal would pay for licensures for new teachers, stipends to help student teachers reduce debt, and a new grant program to expand the education workforce. She also proposed free breakfast and lunch for all Wisconsin students last week. The full Department of Public Instruction budget proposal will be released next month.

A Minnesota woman is facing charges of voter fraud.  Authorities say Danielle Christine Miller of Nashwauk filled out the absentee ballot for her mother, who died back in August.  Miller says her mother was a fan of former President Donald Trump and wanted to vote for him.  Miller admitted to signing the deceased woman's name on the ballot.  She'll appear before a judge on December 4th. 

A leading sauerkraut producer is moving its headquarters to Wisconsin. Fermented Food Holdings will invest $13 million in its production facility in the Outagamie County village of Bear Creek and will relocate its corporate headquarters to Madison. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation awarded the company $500,000 in performance-based tax credits to make the moves. The kraut maker looks to increase its annual capacity by 20 million pounds of cabbage and add 60 jobs due to the expansion. Wisconsin is the fourth-largest producer of cabbage in the U.S.

 All Wisconsin counties are in high or very high fire danger. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says central and east-central Wisconsin is in very high fire danger. The rest of the state is in high fire danger. 

Local-Regional News Oct 29

 Western Wisconsin's congressman is the latest to ask for answers about Pure Prairie Poultry's closing. Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden yesterday sent a letter to the USDA, asking for more information. Van Orden joined congressmen from Minnesota and Iowa in asking about oversight, regulation, and a lack of transparency from the USDA. Specifically, Van Orden wants to know what's to become of the 46-million-dollars in USDA grants and loans that Pure Prairie received. Pure Prairie Poultry suddenly closed earlier this month, leaving farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa holding the bag for over 100-thousand chickens.

There's a warning about invasive carp in two western Wisconsin rivers. Yesterday, the Department of Natural Resources said silver carp had been found in both the Lower Chippewa River and Lower Black River. The carp are an invasive species in the Midwest and have done immense damage to other rivers where they've been found. The DNR started investigating after getting reports over the summer about carp jumping out of the water in both rivers. The fish were confirmed last month. As for now, the DNR says it doesn't look like the fish have spread. There's no word on what the DNR plans to do about the carp. 

Ntec is warning customers of a phone scame.  The Co-Op says someone is calling customers claiming to be from Ntec and threatening to turn off your phone service unless you give them credit card or checking account information..  While Ntec has a services that may remind you your bill is due, it doe not request any bank information.   If you receive a call asking for banking information, just hang up.

The establishment of a fire district between the Durand City and Rural Fire Departments is going to be delayed.  While both departments had hoped to have the district in place by the end of the year, some legalities need to be worked out first and it now appears the district won't be established until the summer of 2025.  The city will also be looking at some possible state innovation grants next year that would assist in some of the costs of the new fire district

The Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Artificial Intelligence — CAM-AI — has been created at University of Wisconsin-Stout to leverage the broad array of university expertise for solving technical issues and conducting research to support private industry. The center will provide the bridge between the UW-Stout Manufacturing Outreach Center and academic departments to bring applied research; modern technical methods; and laboratory, fabrication and testing services directly to private industry.

 Eau Claire Schools are moving ahead with two budget plans, at least until Election Day. The city's school board last night approved one budget that includes their proposed 18 million-dollar a-year tax increase, and one that doesn't. Voters will decide on the referendum question next week, and the school will pick the budget that fits after that. Teachers in Eau Claire Area Schools can expect raises in either budget, though the district says there will be some cuts if the tax increase fails. 

If you need assistance with energy or heating bills, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission encourages you to act now before the disconnection moratorium kicks in. Bureau of Consumer Affairs Director Brad Rose says the moratorium prevents utilities from disconnecting essential services to residential customers from November 1st to April 15th. Rose says customers should contact their utility provider before November 1st to make a payment or arrange a payment plan. Rose says utility providers are not required to reconnect service until payment arrangements have been made. More information is available on the Public Service Commission website. https://psc.wi.gov/Pages/Home.aspx

We're going to get the last look at the presidential race in Wisconsin tomorrow.  The final Marquette Law School Poll is due out tomorrow afternoon.  The last poll, which came out earlier this month, gave Kamala Harris a four-point lead over former President Trump.  But more recent polls say Trump is either leading or is tied with Harris here in Wisconsin.  Pollster Charles Franklin said the poll from earlier this month showed a much closer race in Wisconsin this year than in either 2016 or 2020. The new poll will be unveiled tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. 

There’s been a nearly 40% increase in early in-person absentee voting over 2020. Wood County Clerk Trent Miner says that’s reflected in his central Wisconsin county.  All those absentee ballots mean we likely won’t know the outcome of the presidential race in Wisconsin until the morning after Election Day.  The clerks' association supported a bipartisan bill to allow the processing of early ballots to begin on Monday passed the state Assembly but failed to advance in the Senate.

Rochester is getting nearly 85-million dollars to develop a new rapid transit project.  Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar announced the Federal Transportation Administration grant during a ceremony at the Mayo Civic Center on Friday.  The Link Bus Rapid Transit project is designed to create faster and more reliable public transit that connects key locations like the Mayo Clinic, the public library, educational facilities and businesses.  Construction is expected to begin in March.

The Biden Administration wants to require private health insurers to cover all approved forms of birth control, even over-the-counter options. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin president Tanya Atkinson it's a step in the right direction and makes sure people can have complete coverage when some birth control options don't work. The rule would make clear provisions in the Affordable Care Act that require insurers to provide contraception coverage. A number of plans have denied coverage of O T C medications, while others restrict access to just a few forms of birth control. It's unclear if the rule will be implemented by the time President Biden leaves office in January.

 Wisconsin is getting 138-million dollars to improve local roadways. Local governments will get most of the money, while just more than four-million dollars will go toward connecting highways, and more than 250-thousand will go to Milwaukee County for additional policing on expressways. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says the money comes from quarterly General Transportation Aids included in the 2023-2025 budget. 

 A woman has been arrested for stealing a sheep in Bloomington.   Mary Kay Bower was spotted walking a dog and a sheep down a road earlier this month.  She claimed she had bought the sheep, but the man she was with says she stepped over a fence, put a leash on the animal and led it away.  Police Chief Booker Hodges says "sheep rustling" is probably a crime that "city dwellers" don't often talk about. 

It's time again to keep a keen eye out for deer in roadways. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says crash numbers involving deer begin rising during mating season in October and November. Drivers are reminded to use their headlights at sunrise and sunset- deer are most active in the early morning and evening hours. Last year, 14 people died and 585 were injured in over 16,000 deer-vehicle crashes in Wisconsin.

Local-Regional News Oct 28

 A Buffalo County man has been charged after a body and dozens of animals were found in a mobile home in Fountain City last week.  Arthur McMullin was charged on Friday with one count of hiding a corpse, two counts of mistreatment of animals/cause death, four counts of intentional failure to provide food for animals, and one count of resisting/obstructing an officer.   Deputies responded to the mobile home on Wednesday and found the body of a woman along with dozens of dogs and cats in poor health and underweight.  He is being held on a $10,000 cash bond and returns to court on Friday.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include an update on the creation of a fire district and the council will go into closed session to discuss a personel issue.  Tonights meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall.

The new Amtrak train running between Saint Paul and Chicago through Wisconsin has had 100-thousand riders. Amtrak says the Borealis line reached the milestone in less than six months of operation. The trains stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, and La Crosse, Winona and Red Wing daily. Every passenger on the celebratory ride Friday got an extra 500 Amtrak rewards points and a 100 Grand candy bar. 

Minnesota Housing has awarded nearly 39-million dollars to small and mid-sized communities to create new rental units.  The City of Wabasha is getting nearly three-million dollars to build a 50-unit property downtown.The money  is awarded through the Workforce Housing Developments will fund the development of 832 units in areas with a population of 30-thousand people or less.  More than 24 projects across Minnesota will receive money through the programs.

Saturday was drug take back day in Wisconsin.  The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department says it colleted 87 pounds of expired pescription medications during the event in Fountain City.  If you still have unused or expired medications you can drop them off at the couthouse in Alma.  Drug take back day is held to help prevent pescription medications from getting into the water supply or being used by children.

The Northern Wisconsin State Fair is alerting businesses to a possible scam.  A poster has been circulating on social media asking for vendors for a Christmas market to be held at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds in Chippewa Falls for two weekends in December.  The Northern Wisconsin State Fair said in a social media post that this is not a valid event being held at the fairgrounds.   The fair said all public events the Fairgrounds hosts are posted on the Northern Wisconsin State Fair Website at nwsfa.com.

 It was a day of service yesterday to remember Lake Hallie's fallen Girl Scouts. Teachers and students at Halmstad Elementary School spent part of their day yesterday cleaning-up trash along the highway. They were there to remember Jayna Kelley, Autumn Helgesen, Haylee Hickle, and her mother Sara Jo Schneider who died while picking up trash along the highway back in 2018. A driver who was high at the time hit and killed them. Teacher Amy Woiniak says the idea is to be good for the world, and good for the community. Next Sunday will be the sixth anniversary of the girls' deaths. 

The Wisconsin Elections Commission is warning about fake election texts. The Commission on Friday said people need to be very careful when they respond to any text about next month's election. Commissioners say they've gotten copies of texts that tell voters there is a problem with their voter registration, or that their voter information may be wrong. The Elections Commission says those texts are not necessarily scams, but they likely have incorrect information. The Commission says voters can always check their registration and/or voter information with their local clerk, or at the state's My Vote system. 

As the tax season approaches, the IRS is encouraging you to sign up for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number. Spokesperson Christopher Miller says, it's an extra layer of security that helps prevent people from filing a tax return using your name and Social Security number and then stealing your refund. Miller says people should sign up for a PIN by November 23rd so they can get it in time for tax season. More information is available online at irs.gov. 

We're waiting for more specifics on a weekend crash near Wazee Lake. Firefighters from Black River Falls say they responded to a crash yesterday morning at the recreation area that left a vehicle on fire. One person was flown to the hospital with serious injuries. No one, however, is saying just what happened in the crash.  

The state superintendent is proposing free meals for all Wisconsin students. Dr. Jill Underly says all students would get free and healthy breakfast and lunch if her proposal is approved. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction says a quarter of high school students in the state report a lack of food at home. Dr. Underly says children need their basic needs met in order to succeed. The universal meals idea is part of her 2025-2027 biennial budget proposal, which would also create a program that encourages school districts to buy food locally.

THC-contaminated pizzas at a restaurant in Stoughton were reportedly made by accident. Yeti's Pizza says an employee ran out of oil while making pizzas, and grabbed another container from a shared industrial kitchen in the same building. The pizza shop says the oil was in a clear container and looked like other cooking oils, but the employee didn't notice a note on the cap saying Delta-Nine cannabis was an ingredient. Public Health Madison and Dane County say Delta-Nine THC compliant with federal law isn't illegal in the state, but the Yeti's employee should not have used supplies from another operator in the industrial kitchen. The department says it's gotten dozens of reports related to the contamination, but is still collecting more information.

Twelve nature conservation projects across Wisconsin are getting more than seven-million dollars in funding. The Department of Natural Resources says grants are coming from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. Beloit will get more than three-quarters-of-a-million dollars to complete Riverwalk construction downtown, and Milwaukee gets more than 400-thousand for a paved walking loop at Metcalfe Playfield. Other projects include recreational boating facilities and park land development.

Artificial Intelligence research at UW - Madison is getting a multi-million dollar boost.  The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation is giving $160 million in total to the university, with $15 million of that going to AI research. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin says the award will help UW - Madison lead the way in shaping AI's role in our future. The grant will also help speed up the hiring of 120 to 150 new faculty over three-to-five years, help fund cutting edge tech, bolster research staff, and provide start-up costs. WARF has been awarding grant money to the university since 1925, and this year's total is larger than last year's grant of roughly $134 million.

The ACLU of Wisconsin says it wants to know why some inmates in the state's prisons aren't getting their mail. The ACLU yesterday said it's filed an open records request to the Department of Corrections about missing legal mail. The ACLU says inmates need their legal filings on time if they're going to be able to participate in their own defense. The DOC has not yet said anything about the case. 

A man from Western Wisconsin is the winner of Friday's Elon Musk Million Dollar Lottery. American PAC says Brian Bauer of Eau Claire won after signing a petition to support the first and second Amendments of the Constitution.  There are questions about the legality of the lottery.  It is against federal law to pay someone to register to vote -- and the Elon Musk lottery specifies only registered voters can win.   The Justice Department is investigating and sent a warning letter to American PAC.

Local-Regional News Oct 25

 We are getting some more answers about a death investigation in Buffalo County. The sheriff's office says deputies went to serve an eviction notice on Wednesday, that's when they found a 57-year-old woman who'd died. Investigators say she was likely dead for more than a month. Deputies arrested a man who lived in the woman's trailer, but they are not saying why. In addition to the body, deputies say they found more than 70 pets. They have all been turned over to the Buffalo County Humane Association, Tails of Hope, and the Trempealeau County Humane Society. The sheriff's office says charges in the case could be filed later today. 

Stepping Stones in Menomonie says it can't afford to hand out turkeys or hams this holiday season. Stepping Stones yesterday said the high costs mean they are struggling to keep the basics on their shelves. Stepping Stones has worked with local grocers and donors in the past to provide holiday turkeys and hams but said that's just not possible this year. Instead, the group is asking for donations like peanut butter, tuna, and pasta so it can provide more help to more people. Stepping Stones says they provide help to about ten-percent of people in Dunn County. 

Some Pepin High School students are looking to help out area seniors this fall.  Mr. Ingli's High School Active Outorrs Class is offering to help those in Pepin who may need help raking leaves.  If you live in the village of Pepin and need some help, call Pepin High School.

The Pepin County Sheriff's Department is once again helping families in need this holiday season with the 5th Annual Christmas is for Kids program.  This free and anonymous program helps any Pepin County Parent or guardian provide for the needs and wants of children in Pepin County.  To be considered, contact the Pepin County Sheriff's Department on the non-emergency line at 715-672-5944 by November 7th.

 

It's 12 years in prison for one of the suspects in Barron County's home invasion last year. A judge yesterday sentenced Ricardo Dominguez to a dozen years in prison for tying-up a 70-year-old man in his home, tazing him, and eventually robbing him of guns and 13-thousand-dollars in cash. Dominguez is the second person sentenced in the case, another suspect was sentenced earlier this month to five years in prison. Investigators say they are still looking for a third suspect who they believe set-up the home invasion.

The attorney for Adam Fravel says he will call for a mistrial if witnesses for the prosecution don't modify the way they refer to Madeline Kingsbury in court.  Fravel's murder trial continued yesterday in Mankato.  Defense attorney Zach Bauer told the judge that he objects to witnesses calling Kingsbury "Maddie" or "Madeline" during their testimony.  He also objected to witnesses calling the home Fravel and Kingsburg shared in Winona a crime scene.  Fravel was arrested after Kingsbury's body was found in southern Minnesota last year.

Wisconsin and South Dakota based healthcare systems plan to merge.   Marshfield Clinic Health System and Sanford Health, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, announced Wednesday they plan to merge. The joint press release said the integration of the two health systems aimed to improve patient care with new technology, research and training. The merger is expected by the end of the year, subject to regulatory approval and closing conditions, the companies said.

Wisconsin's election managers say they are trying to pinpoint the problem that is slowing in-person, early voting. The Wisconsin Elections Commission yesterday said they continue to get complaints from local clerks about slow label printing. A Commission spokesperson says they're not quite sure what the problem is. Yesterday was the third day for early, in-person voting and many voters said there were once again delays. The Elections Commission continues to tell clerks to hand-write voter information on those early ballots as a way to speed things up. 

There are worries about Wisconsin's new law that allows police to charge for edited body camera video. Tom Kamenick with the Wisconsin Transparency Project says the new law is poorly written and was hastily passed by lawmakers. He says the law has too many unanswered questions, while also having a threat toward people who make too many requests of the police. The law allows for a ten-thousand-dollar fine. Kamenick says it's going to take some court cases, and rulings either from the attorney general or Wisconsin Supreme Court to settle things out. The law is supposed to create a framework so police can charge media outlets or everyday citizens for the cost of redacting sensitive things out of body cam footage that is released to the public. 

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly is requesting increased access to mental health services   Underly says she'll propose more than $304 million in new investments to support youth mental health in her 2025-27 biennial budget request. That includes providing every local education agency in the state $100 per pupil, expanding mental health costs eligible for aid to all pupil services staff, increasing funding to expand mental health training, and allowing middle-school students to participate in the Peer-to-Peer Suicide Prevention Grant Program. Data from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed 59% of high school students experienced a mental health challenge in the last year. The full budget request will be released in November.

 Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan is touting the state program that provides free school meals to students.  She says the initiative is completing its first full year and over 150 million meals were served last year.  Osseo Area Schools officials say free meals have led to better attendance and better classroom performance. Superintendent Kim Hiel says the district served 42 percent more breakfasts and 18 percent more lunches.

The latest Quinnipiac Poll says both the presidential race and the race for U.S. Senate are too close to call in Wisconsin. Quinnipiac released a poll yesterday that says the race between Kamala Harris and Former President Trump is tied, 48-48. The poll says the U.S. Senate race between Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin and Republican challenger Eric Hovde is 49-48, in favor of Baldwin. Pollsters say that's within the margin of error, and too close to call. Quinnipiac also looked at the presidential race in Michigan, and gave Harris a 50-46 lead in that state. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues his quest to be taken off Wisconsin’s presidential ballot. Wednesday, Kennedy asked the U.S. Supreme Court to remove him from the ballot in the battleground state. Kennedy argued in his longshot emergency request that Wisconsin is violating his First Amendment rights by keeping his name on the ballot, which is already being used for early voting in the state. Kennedy suspended his independent presidential campaign in August to endorse former President Donald Trump. While asking for his name to be removed from ballots in battleground states, Kennedy has encouraged supporters to vote for him in other states.

The WNBA may be coming to Milwaukee. The Sports Business Journal reports the Milwaukee Bucks have submitted a bid to bring a women's professional franchise to Fiserv Forum. Other cities including Philadelphia, Denver, Cleveland, and Nashville have also expressed interest. The WNBA has franchises in 12 cities, with an expansion team coming to the San Francisco Bay area starting next year. It wouldn’t be the first time Milwaukee had a women’s pro basketball team. The Milwaukee Does played one season in the Women’s Professional Basketball League back in 1979.

 It's Bat Week in Wisconsin. The Department of Natural Resources says four out of eight native bat populations found are threatened in the state of Wisconsin. Another species, the silver-haired bat, is of special concern and needs immediate conservation action. The DNR says bat populations are declining partially due to white-nose syndrome, caused by a fungus that attacks bats while they're hibernating. The department recommends planting native plants, building a bat house, and avoiding insecticides and herbicides to protect the remaining bats. 

A southern Minnesota agricultural educator is being honored by the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation.  Nick Schlitz of Riverland Community College has been named the 2024 Post-Secondary Educator of the Year.  The judging panel noted that Schlitz exhibited a commitment to agricultural education and innovative teaching that inspired students and community members.  He'll be honored at an awards banquet in Minnetonka next month.

Local-Regional News Oct 24

 The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department is investigating a death in Fountain City.  According to the Sheriff's Department, deputies were at a residence on Court Lane in Fountain City when they learned there was a 57yr old deceased female inside.  The death is being investigated by the sheriff's department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.  

There is a warning about a road closure in Buffalo County. The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department is telling people that Sand Road is closed between County Road B and State Road 88. A bridge on the road failed and is no longer safe to drive on. No one is saying how long Sand Road will be closed. 

One person was injured in a single-vehicle accident in Buffalo Township on Tuesday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, 32yr old Michael Scialo was traveling on Hwy P when he went onto the gravel shoulder, overcorrected, and lost control.  The vehicle went into the opposite ditch and rolled over landing on the tires.  Scialo sustained minor injuries in the accident.  Speed is considered a factor in the accident.

The Durand-Arkansaw School Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on future projects for fund 46,  a Library Media Specialist Agreement with Mondovi, and approval of the early college credit course for the spring.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6pm in the board room at Durand-Arkansaw High School.

Pepin County is one of nine Wisconsin counties with a record-low unemployment rate. Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Langlade, Oconto, Pepin, Rock, and Sawyer counties have broken records. Governor Tony Evers says it's an impressive feat, especially since eight of the nine counties are rural northern counties. Wisconsin's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate last month was two-point-nine percent, more than one percent lower than the national average.   In Pepin County, the unemployment rate is currently at 2 percent.

A human case of West Nile Virus in western Wisconsin. Public health officials say the case was confirmed in Eau Claire County. It's the county's only case so far this year, and will likely remain the only one as mosquito season winds down. West Nile is transmitted by mosquito bites and can be dangerous to people with weakened immune systems or other complications.

One of the two women who accused Eau Claire Police of police brutality has accepted a plea deal in her case. Keyana Robinson pleaded no contest to charges that she was underage in a bar, and also pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct charges. Robinson and Makayla Patterson accused Eau Claire Police of brutality after their arrest in August. Police body camera footage, however, showed the two women were the aggressors, and threatened officers and resisted their arrests. Patterson's case remains open. 

The Minnesota Department of Corrections is investigating the death of a juvenile inmate in Red Wing.  The agency says the unidentified inmate was found unresponsive on Saturday.  Lifesaving measures were attempted but the inmate died before he could be taken to the hospital.  The DOC has not released any information about the person who died or the possible cause of death.

The head of Wisconsin's Elections Commission is asking for patience with poll workers this week. Yesterday, Elections Commission chairwoman Ann Jacobs took to Twitter to ask people not to get upset with local clerks and poll workers who are overwhelmed by early voting. Many voters are waiting in long lines because of the crush of early voters this year. Jacobs said yesterday that the problem seems to be with printing labels for in-person absentee ballots. She said clerks can always hand-write that information if it's faster. 

McDonald's believes slivered onions may be the cause of an E. Coli outbreak that killed one man and sickened nearly 50 others.  The chain says the onions in question came from a single source and were packaged and sent to restaurants raw.  McDonald's has pulled the sliced onions and beef patties used for their Quarter Pounder burgers in affected areas.  49 people across 10 states were affected, and one Colorado man was killed.  CDC officials say they expect the number of illnesses to rise in the coming days. 

Some folks in Eau Claire are going to have to find a new place to take their dog for a few days. The city says it's closing the Otter Creek Dog Park next week for maintenance. That means crews will deal with dying trees, and fix the fence. The park will close Monday, and reopen the next Sunday. Eau Claire says people should use Sundet Dog Park or the Southwest Dog Park instead. 

Nearly 100,000 people cast early ballots on the first day of in-person absentee voting in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Elections Commission reported 97,436 in-person absentee ballots cast on Tuesday with long lines in Madison and Milwaukee. That compares to 79,774 ballots cast the first day of in-person absentee voting four years ago. That heavy turnout slowed down the WisVote system, and Elections Commission Chair Ann Jacobs posted that the commission worked with the state Department of Enterprise Technology to create more computer server space.

Testimony continued on the fifth day of the Adam Fravel murder trial.  Jurors yesterday heard from a forensic pathologist about the death of Madeline Kingsbury.  Fravel allegedly killed his ex-girlfriend, who went missing back in March. Her death has been listed as "homicidal violence." 

UW - Madison was granted over $150 million by the National Institutes of Health to lead the study, the largest NIH grant in UW history. It’s called the Clarity in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Research Through Imaging study, or CLARiTI. The goal is to track the presence, absence, or change in molecules that are biomarkers in people with dementia or at risk of developing it. UW - Madison was selected to pilot the study’s first series of brain scans because of its established network of participants. The five-year study of about 2,000 participants launched in August and involves 37 Alzheimer’s research centers across the U.S.

A judge has issued his decision on several motions filed in the Connor Bowman murder case.  The former Mayo Clinic doctor was indicted in January after investigators accused him of poisoning and killing his wife.  Defense attorneys have challenged search warrants issued during the investigation, saying Bowman had a reasonable expectation of privacy.  An Olmsted County judge dismissed five of those motions this week while granting two others.  Briefs on the remaining motions are due late next month. 

McDonald's Quarter Pounders are being linked to an E. Coli outbreak across multiple states.  On Tuesday, the CDC announced they're working with McDonald's to determine what ingredient in the burgers was contaminated.  The fast-food chain has halted use of fresh onions and quarter-pound beef patties in several states as a precaution.  At least 49 people in ten different states were sickened, and one person has died.  Cases have been reported in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. 

There's a new proposal at the Wisconsin Capitol that would give counties a bit more local control over their taxes. State Rep. Dave Maxey yesterday introduced a plan that would allow counties to raise taxes by degrees. Right now, counties have to choose between no sales tax and a half-a-percent sales tax. Maxey says that one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work. Maxey, who is from New Berlin, introduced the plan as Waukesha County is considering a new half-a-percent sales tax. That sales tax pitch is now on hold. 

The Wisconsin State Patrol is looking for new troopers and inspectors. The state Department of Transportation says openings for two recruit classes are now open. One will focus on people newer to law enforcement, and the other is for those who have already been certified and trained. Candidates are required to pass physical, medical, and psychological tests, and go through a background check. More information and applications can be found on WPS-dot-WI-dot-gov. 

Local-Regional News Oct 23

 The Chippewa Valley Technical College Board has approved the tax levy for 2024-2025.  The board approved keeping the rate at 66 cents per $1000 of valuations.  This means a person with a $150,000 home will pay $99 in property taxes for the year to support the technical college.  While the tax rate stayed the same, the tax levy was increased by just over $2 million for the year.  CVTC says new construction in the district increased by 1.69 percent while property values increased by 8.12 percent over the last year.  The levy will be certified on November 1.

With colder weather on the way, energy assistance is now available from the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program.  The Buffalo County Human Services Department says the program is to help prevent the disconnection of utilities or help get utilities reconnected before winter sets in.  There are income guidelines and for more information, contact Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, or Dunn County Human Services Departments.

The ADRC of Buffalo and Pepin Counties will apply for a transportation grant to provide transportation services to seniors and individuals with disabilities in Buffalo and Pepin Counties.  The grant is from the Specialized Transportation Assistance Program for Counties. A public hearing on the proposal will be on October 29 from 11-Noon at the Mondovi Public Library and from 1-2 at Riverside Grill in Durand.

Eau Claire County is looking to mow its parks a lot less. Parks managers say they are considering a plan to turn more green spaces in the county park system into 'pollination zones.' Parks manager Steve Plaza says county crews spend a lot of time mowing parks, bike baths, and boulevards. He said the county can save both time and money by mowing less. Plaza said allowing more parks to grow wild will be a win-win. He said it will save the county money, and give birds, bees, bugs, and other wildlife a chance to thrive in a new habitat. 

A pair of roommates in Chippewa Falls are both facing charges after police say they fought each other with gas and a machete. Robert Lybert is accused of pouring gasoline on Matthew Blake earlier this month at their home in Chippewa Falls. Police say Blake then hit Lybert with a 15-inch machete to stop him from lighting the house on fire. Police say Lybert is also accused of throwing a woman and a baby across the room. Lybert had to be flown to the hospital in Minnesota because of his machete wounds. Both are facing charges in Chippewa County court. 

It costs at least six figures to fire UW-La Crosse's former chancellor. The Foundation for Independent Rights and Expression, which defended former chancellor Joe Gow, says an invoice shows the university spent at least 130-thousand-dollars to remove Gow as a professor. FIRE says spending even one -dollar would have been too much. University regents voted this month to fire Gow as a professor after his porn career came to light last year. 

A man from Rice Lake is being federally charged in connection with a sex trafficking case connected to the former CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch. James Jacobsen and two others are accused of recruiting and paying men to perform sex acts for the former CEO, Mike Jeffries, who was also arrested this morning on criminal charges. Prosecutors say Jacobsen made the victims believe the sex acts would help them in their careers. He faces between fifteen years and life in prison if convicted. 

Wisconsin's election managers say so many people turned out to vote yesterday that their system developed a lag. The Wisconsin Elections Commission yesterday said there were problems with the online My Vote system. Some clerks in some communities had to keep a tally of voters by hand until the system was back up to full speed. Election Commission managers say the lag was caused by an overwhelming number of people who turned out to vote early. The Commission also says it fixed the problem with the My Vote lag, and says voters' ballots should be counted and accounted for. 

Before you go out and drop a bunch of money on Halloween, make sure you're not breaking your budget. Lisa Schiller with the Better Business Bureau says everything's more expensive this year, from candy to costumes. Consider thrifting your outfit this year at second-hand stores, and see if you don't have something in the house that can work for your party. Schiller says you might also need to hold back a little on candy this year because that's seen the same price increases as other food items.

 Drug Take Back Day is this weekend in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Justice says more than 150 events are planned across the state this coming Saturday. People will be able to safely get rid of unwanted or unused medications. The DOJ says trace amounts of pharmaceutical drugs are showing up in waterways, most likely due to people flushing unwanted drugs, or pouring them down the drain. Wisconsin State Patrol and the Department of Health Services will assist during Drug Take Back Day events. 

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services wants to prevent childhood lead poisoning. It’s National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, and DHS is highlighting methods to prevent and detect childhood lead exposure. Earlier this year, DHS issued updated lead testing recommendations, calling for all children to be tested for exposure at ages 1 and 2. Children between 3 and 5 years old who have not been previously tested should also undergo screening for lead poisoning. In 2023, only 40% of 1- and 2-year-olds in Wisconsin received a blood lead test. Over the past decade, nearly 27,000 Wisconsin children under the age of 6 have been poisoned by lead. Visit the DHS website for more information.

3M officials are moving into a hybrid work policy for their employees.  The Maplewood-based company has been operating out of a fully remote policy much longer than other businesses.  Starting in November, senior leaders will be required to work on-location at 3M headquarters on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.  Other employees are urged but not required to come to the office for those same days.

 One of Wisconsin's Republican state senators is accusing the state's attorney general of abusing his power in Wausau's ballot drop box investigation. Senator Cory Tomczyk yesterday accused A-G Josh Kaul of turning the Wisconsin Department of Justice loose on Wausau Mayor Doug Diny. Tomczyk says DOJ agents raided Diny's house last week. Tomczyk says it was an abuse of power, and a political decision. Kaul's office is investigating Diny for moving Wausau's ballot drop box earlier this month. Tomczyk said Kaul is using his office as an arm of the Democrat party, and called the raid B.S.

North America's largest wood-fired kiln is cooling off after being lit for ten days.  The kiln at St. John's University in Collegeville is so large that it is only lit every two years.  Tenders fed the kiln about eight tons of wood before allowing the kiln to start cooling on Sunday.  More than ten-thousand objects were loaded into the kiln before it was fired, including items created by artists from around the world.  The kiln will be allowed to cool until next month, when it will be unsealed and the items will be removed.

During a September hunting trip in Siren, Owen Beierman shot a black bear, which ran off into the woods but returned to attack his father. Owen then shot and killed the bear with his rifle. His father received several stitches for wounds and bite marks from the bear. Over the weekend, the Burnett County Sheriff’s Office presented Owen with their Hero Award for his calm, swift action, stating that most people would freeze or panic in such a situation.

Local-Regional News Oct 22

 The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include a presentation from Mondovi Business Association, budget inquiries from the Police Department, and reports from the Mayor and Department Heads.  The council will also go into a closed session to consider a strategy to be adopted with respect to litigation in which the council is or is likely to become involved.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

 Some of the leftover chickens from Pure Prairie Poultry's closing are headed for the dinner plate thanks to UW-River Falls students. The students processed about 100 of the chickens. The original idea was to teach the students about agriculture and show them how food comes into being. The plan was to then donate the meat to local food pantries, but the university doesn't have the proper license.   River Falls says it will instead sell the chicken meat, and donate the proceeds. 

The dry weather and high fire danger in Western Wisconsin continues.  Area Fire Districts, including Durand and Mondovi, have burning bans in place.  Over the weekend firefighters responded to several fires that destroyed 5 buildings.    High winds are expected over the next few days and the best chance of rain is Thursday night.  Even with that rain, the fire danger will still be high until we receive snow cover.

Drive through voting is opening today in Eau Claire, and the City says it's expecting a large turnout. Voters will be able to update their voting address and registration information while in the drive-through at City Hall. The drive-through will be open from nine A-M through four P-M on weekdays until November first. Several streets in the area will temporarily switch to one ways during these hours, and detours will be available for those who aren't in the area to vote. More information is available on the City of Eau Claire website.

A man from Western Wisconsin will spend three years in prison for federal wire fraud. A jury found 45-year-old Robert Carter from Eau Claire guilty. He was accused of faking interest in buying a trucking company in Fond du Lac to learn detailed financial information. Carter then altered his own company's documents using that information, and fraudulently bought several semi-trucks and trailers. The U-S Department of Justice says he stole more than half-a-million dollars in the scheme.

The Pierce County Veterans Service Office is bringing an award-winning play to River Falls.  The Play, "The American Solider will be performed on Veterans Day starting at 6pm at the Meyer Middle School Audoritium.  The play is a one-man show based on letters from veterans and their families spanning from the revolution to the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The event is free and for more information contact the Pierce County Veterans Service Office.

 It could soon cost Eau Claire's garbage companies a lot more to pick up your trash.  The city's new budget includes a 400 percent increase in the fee that Eau Claire charges to its garbage companies. The city is also looking at a nearly 300 percent fee increase for garbage trucks. Deputy city manager Dave Solberg says the idea is to raise money for Eau Claire's Neighborhood Services Department. Trash companies in Eau Claire say they don't know how they are going to afford the fee increases. Solberg says the people of Eau Claire could end-up paying for the extra costs. 

Prosecutors in Rusk County say an inmate wanted his cell mate to help him kill two people. The D.A.'s Office announced the charges against 65-year-old Malcolm Young yesterday. Investigators say he asked his cell mate to find three or four guns with guns and eliminate two people. No one is saying who Young wanted killed, or why.  Young is looking at conspiracy to commit murder, and conspiracy to commit robbery charges.  Investigators say he told them that it was just 'jail talk,' and that he didn't have a reason to kill anyone. 

Residents are displaced from a pair of weekend fires at apartment complexes in southeast Wisconsin.  The first happened in West Bend Saturday morning. Residents of the six-unit building were fully evacuated and there were no injuries, but the building was deemed uninhabitable. On Sunday afternoon nearly 100 firefighters responded to fire at a 16-unit building in Waukesha. Strong winds helped spread the fire and a firefighter was injured. The lack of sprinklers was a contributing factor in each fire. The cause of each is under investigation.

Minnesota health officials are urging Minnesotans to make sure they are vaccinated against whooping cough.  The Minnesota Department of Health says just over a thousand cases have now been reported throughout the state, compared to 61 cases during the same period last year.  Vaccinations for the illness need to be updated every ten years to help decrease the severity of symptoms and the length of time it lingers.  The Department of Health says whooping cough can lead to pneumonia if it is left untreated.

One man is under arrest and accused in a fatal shooting at a flag football game in Milwaukee. Thirty-year-old Gavino Avalos-Morales is facing four charges, including a homicide charge, for the shooting earlier this month. He's accused of shooting another man, who died at the hospital. The shooting happened during a physical fight at the game, according to surveillance footage. The victim wasn't seen with a weapon on the video.

There's no word if there's any Spotted Cow in the shipment of hurricane relief that's headed from New Glarus to Tennessee. Volunteers loaded an ambulance with hurricane supplies over the weekend. The plan is to eventually drive the ambulance to Unicoi County, Tennessee. Crews say there's still some room in the ambulance, so they're looking to fill it up and head out tomorrow or the next day. Unicoi County is one of the counties in eastern Tennessee that is still recovering from Hurricane Helene. 

 A new report shows 85 people lost their lives to domestic violence last year in Wisconsin. The report from End Abuse Wisconsin comes right before the end of Domestic Abuse Awareness Month this October. The ages of last year's victims range from one year old to 84-years-old, and deaths occurred about once every four days. 

The creepy dolls are back at the History Center of Olmsted County.  The history center is holding its sixth annual Creepy Doll Contest through October 31st.  The theme this year is Circus After Dark, with eight dolls in the running for this year's title.  More information about the contest and how to vote is available on the history center's social media pages.

Local-Regional News Oct 21

No one is saying what started the fire in rural Eau Claire County that burned a couple of cabins and nearly 22 acres of land over the weekend. The fire started about 1 a.m. yesterday on some land near the Township of Clear Creek. By the time the fire was out, it burned three cabins, two outbuildings, a large propane tank, and 22 acres. No one was hurt, but the fire did plenty of damage. Strum firefighters handled the blaze. They say they are investigating the fire, and looking for the cause. 

The former Glenwood City School Superintendent is now facing 17 charges.  Tim Johnson is accused of theft of 290,000 from the school district.  According to court records, Johnson is facing charges of theft, money laundering, forgery, and misconduct in office after he allegedly pocketed money that was supposed to have gone toward classes at Viterbo University.  His next court appearance is November 21st.

Buffalo County Residents are reminded that County Road C will be closed Wednesday and Thursday from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. (weather permitting) for paving.  This will affect 2.19 miles of road between County Road CC and Bremer and Montana Ridge Roads.  Crews have been working on Hwy C with a milling and repaving project since the beginning of the month.

Dunn County is looking at expanding the number of road miles repaired next year.  According to Dunn County Highway Commissioner Dustin Binder, the Highway Department would like to increase the number of miles of road repair to 18 for 2025, up from 10 in prior years.  The highest profile projects planned for 2025 are a reconstruction project on Highway D from 420th St. to Highway K in Irvington and a reconstruction project on Highway D from Highway 25 to 816th Avenue in Tainter.   Other projects being planned include Highway G from BB to D; Highway J from the Menomonie city limits to 410th Avenue; Highway C from Z to D; Highway S from N to Highway 170; Highway BB from Highway 25 to 12; and Highway G from D to 25. Three bridge projects are also planned.  

If there's going to be a debate between the candidates running for Congress in western Wisconsin, it will come just days before Election Day. Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden said he would attend the debate in Adams County on Thursday. The debate is being sponsored by the Adams County Chamber, and is set for the Saturday before Election Day. It remains to be seen, however, if Democratic candidate Rebecca Cooke will join him. Cooke and Van Orden have been debating about debates, but she has yet to agree to do any. Voters will make their decision in two weeks. 

One person is dead after a motorcycle accident in Winona County on Saturday afternoon.  According to the Minnesota State Patrol, 64yr old Marsha Kay was traveling southbound on Hwy 61, lost control on the ramp to I-90 eastbound, and crashed into the center median.  

The owner of the brewery in Rice Lake that burned to the ground last week says she's planning to rebuild. Dannyelle Moon says they lost everything when a fire tore through the Brewing Company. The fire also destroyed two other businesses in the same building. Moon says they have big plans to make a big comeback. Firefighters say a downed power line hit a gas line and sparked the fire. High winds then blew the fire through the rest of the building in downtown Rice Lake. 

There could be some movement in the future of the University of Wisconsin. The legislative study committee that is looking into the school's future is set to meet again this week.  But it's the first meeting where committee members will not hear from specific witnesses. Instead, the committee will talk solely about its assignment. The legislative study committee is supposed to come-up with some ideas for lawmakers about how best to support the UW System going forward. Those ideas aren't due til next year. 

Election Day isn't for another two weeks, but voters across Wisconsin can start casting their ballots tomorrow. Early, in-person voting begins tomorrow in Wisconsin. Local clerks say they are ready for people to vote. Turnout is expected to be high this year. The Wisconsin Elections Commission said there should be more than two million voters in Wisconsin. The state is, of course, a battleground state in the race for the White House. But there are also races for the U.S. Senate, the statehouse, and a constitutional amendment that would stop non-citizens from voting in future elections. 

A warning from the Better Business Bureau about phony debt collectors. Spokesperson Lisa Schiller says people are getting calls to pay for debts they've already paid off from agencies they've never heard of. Ask for their name, company, street address, and telephone number. Do not provide any bank account, credit card or other personally identifiable information over the phone. Schiller says a legitimate agency will provide you with a listing of what debts you owe and who you owe them to in writing by mail. If they won't, contact the B B B or your local consumer protection agency.

Travelers interested in signing up for the TSA Pre-Check program can do so at events at La Crosse Regional Airport. The Transportation Security Agency will host daily events on weekdays starting next Monday until the first of November. TSA Pre-Check allows faster security check in at more than 200 airports in the nation for U-S citizens and lawful residents.  Those interested can apply online at the TSA website and schedule an in-person appointment.  

Police are investigating a shooting in a Madison suburb that left one person dead and sent another to the hospital.  The shooting happened Friday evening shortly before 7 p.m. in Sun Prairie.  Sun Prairie Police did not release the identities of the two victims but did say they knew each other.  The deceased victim was pronounced dead at the scene.  No arrests have been made and police have not identified any suspects.

 The Green Bay Packers and the city of Green Bay continue to squabble over Lambeau's lease. The Packers sent two letters this week, one to the city and the other to Green Bay's Stadium District, that accuse Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich of avoiding new lease negotiations. The city responded with a letter of its own claiming that it doesn't want to negotiate a new lease in public. The issue is who will pay for about a billion-and-a-half dollars worth of repairs and renovations at Lambeau Field. The city wants the team to pay more, while the team wants the city and the Stadium District to kick-in.

Drought conditions have grown severe in parts of Wisconsin.  The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that the far southwest corner of the state along the Illinois border and the northeast corner of Wisconsin are experiencing the severe drought conditions. In addition, a strip stretching across the central portion of the state and dipping down into southeast Wisconsin has dry conditions. The drier-than-normal conditions in these areas could impact fall foliage, causing leaves to fall off trees too early to view their color change this season.

A Minneapolis couple is suing Fairview Health Services.  Jocelyn Pena and Luis Hernandez claim they received the cremated placenta from their stillborn daughters 's birth instead of their daughter's remains.   The pair sued the Minneapolis-based health system that is the operator of Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, where the May 4 stillbirth happened.  Two funeral homes that didn't discover the mix-up are also named in the suit.

Jolly Good Soda is officially the winner of the 2024 Coolest Thing Made In Wisconsin contest. The soda is made by Krier Foods in Random Lake, about 40 miles north of Milwaukee. The public has been voting from 16 original products in a bracket-style contest since mid-September.  Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce says about 150-thousand votes were cast in the final round to decide the winner.  

Local-Regional News Oct 18

 Firefighters in Rice Lake are blaming a downed power line and a broken gas line for a fire that destroyed several downtown businesses yesterday. The fire started at the Agonic Brewery yesterday afternoon. Chief Mike Hover said the power line fell, then the gas line broke open, and he said high winds pushed the fire through the building. In addition to the brewery, the chief says the fire gutted Cheese Louise and Finewood, Inc. Chief Hover says a Rice Lake firefighter was hurt during the fire. They were taken to the hospital with a torn bicep.

A convicted sex offender was released from prison back to Dunn County on October 8.  According to the Dunn County Sheriff's Department, 57yr old Michael Fodness is living at E5955 Hwy D in the Township of Tainter.  Fondness is on intensive supervision, subject to GPS monitoring with geographic restrictions to Dunn County, and is subject to the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Program for life.

The first of four men to be sentenced for a 2022 murder in Eau Claire will spend less than two years behind bars. A judge yesterday sentenced 29-year-old Kemone Golden to 22 months in prison. Golden pleaded no contest to murder charges back in July. Police say he's the one who shot and killed Christopher Conner back in September of 2022. Three others were in the car with Golden, they've all pleaded guilty as well. Golden was an out of state felon at the time of the shooting and then went on the run for almost seven months before he was arrested in Chicago. 

The NOAA Climate Prediction Center has released its Winter Oulook for the upcoming winter season.  The outlook predicts equal chances for above or below normal temperatures and a chance of above normal preceipitation.  Even with the above normal precipition, the drought conditionas are expected to persist through the winter.  

Wisconsin is seeing elevated fire risks this weekend.  The Department of Natural Resources is asking you to avoid burning due to elevated fire danger across the state. The DNR is partnering with the National Weather Service to monitor the situation over the weekend. Current wildfire concerns are primarily due to a lack of precipitation statewide and gusty winds. You should avoid outdoor burning, operate equipment early in the morning to avoid sparks at peak burn hours, and hold off on having campfires until later in the evening. More information is available on the DNR’s website.

A Winona man was seriously injured after being shot on Thursday morning.  According to the Winona Police Department, the shooting happened early Thursday morning at an apartment building on 10th Street.  When officers arrived on the scene they found the man seriously injured and a second man was taken in for questioning.   Authorities believe it was an isolated incident.

A new fall event is tomorrow in Durand.  Beers on the Chippewa will be held at Veterans Memorial Park in Downtown Durand and will feature live music, food and different craft beers from local breweries including the Durand Brewery.  Admission to the event is free and everything gets underway tomorrow afternoon at 1pm.

A substitute teacher at Woodbury High School is facing allegations.  This is for re-enacting the police restraint used in the murder of George Floyd during a class.  The teacher involved a student in the demonstration. The principal reported multiple inappropriate actions, including making racially harmful comments and discussing graphic details from his law enforcement career. The teacher, identified as Steve Williams, has been placed on administrative leave from his job as a patrol officer in Prescott, Wisconsin.

Voters will have to find a TV tonight if they want to watch Wisconsin's candidate for U.S. Senate answer questions. The only debate between Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin and Republican challenger Eric Hovde starts tonight at 7 p.m. The debate will be in Madison, but it will be broadcast across the state. Baldwin is leading in the race, but polls differ on just how big of a lead she has. Baldwin is looking for her third term in the Senate. Hovde is looking for his first.

The Libertarian Party in Wisconsin wants its chance to debate too. The party yesterday said they are being shut-out of tonight's U.S. Senate debate. That debate, which will air across the state at 7 p.m. tonight, will be the only chance that voters have to see Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin and Republican challenger Eriuc Hovde on the same stage, at the same time. Libertarian Senate candidate Phil Anderson says he's running too, and says he deserves to be on the stage as well. He says the Libertarian Party is tired of being deliberately excluded in Wisconsin. 

A former Western Wisconsin treasurer is getting probation for stealing 67-thousand dollars from the local library. Village of Hawkins official Marcia Lyons was charged over the summer and accused of transferring money from the library's account to her personal bank account. Investigators say she told them she was borrowing the money for a few days to buy gold. She pleaded guilty earlier today to misconduct, and a theft charge was dismissed. Along with her eighteen month probation sentence, Lyons is ordered by a judge to write an apology letter. 

Moderate and severe drought is increasing in Wisconsin, and most of the state has high fire danger. The U-S Drought Monitor shows the northeastern, northwestern, and southwestern corners of the state in severe drought. Forty-three-percent of the state is in moderate drought today, up from 26-percent last week. The Department of Natural Resources says all but eleven counties in north-central Wisconsin and the southwestern corner of the state are in high fire danger.

There are a lot fewer ballot drop boxes in Wisconsin this year. The Wisconsin Elections Commission said there are just 78 drop boxes in 42 communities across the state. That's down from more than 500 drop boxes in over 400 communities in the last presidential election. Wisconsin's Supreme Court said over the summer that while there is nothing in state law that specifically allows for ballot drop boxes, there's nothing that bans them either. A number of  communities have banned ballot drop boxes this year, but cities like Madison and Milwaukee are using them. The Wisconsin Elections Commission isn't guessing as to why there are so few drop boxes in use this year. 

High schools across Wisconsin are getting new automated external defibrillators.  The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association says the new initiative is aimed at enhancing the safety and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, and spectators across the state. 24 schools throughout Wisconsin are getting the AEDs, with 14 distributed randomly and 10 given out using Department of Public Instruction data. Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death among young athletes. AEDs, when used promptly, can significantly increase the chances of survival.

The founder of Feeding Our Future will remain free as she awaits trial on charges linked to a huge fraud case.  Aimee Bock was summoned to federal court yesterday in Minneapolis after a probation officer said she violated the terms of her pretrial release.  She allegedly got a new line of credit without prior approval.  Bock's attorney told the court that his client got a loan consolidation and not a line of credit.  Prosecutors decided to not seek to have Bock detained.  A judge warned the defendant is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bribery.  She is expected to go on trial early next year. 

Pheasant hunting season starts in Wisconsin this weekend. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the season will start at nine A-M this Saturday and run until January fifth. Hunters will have a one-rooster bag limit during opening weekend. Starting on Monday, daily bag limits increase to two roosters per day. The DNR says it'll stock about 75-thousand birds on more than eighty properties across the state in the next few weeks.

Local-Regional News Oct 17

 Most of Wisconsin is in moderate fire danger this afternoon. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says most of the western two-thirds of the state, and the northeastern corner of the state is under moderate fire danger. A burn ban will also started in Dunn County yesterday. The Menomonie Fire Department says the ban will be in effect until conditions improve.  Meanwhile, Wabasha and Goodhue Counties are under red flag warnings today due to the fire danger.  Fire officials are asking that all burning be delayed until conditions improve.

Fiber optic internet is coming to the City of Mondovi.  After two years of planning and applying for grants, Ntec says its ready to install the fiber optic in the city.  Laura Gullickson says Ntec is asking for Mondovi residents to contact the company for input on where the fiber optic lines can be installed. Permission forms are available at Mondovi City Hall or by calling Ntec. Construction is expected to start in the spring.

The Elk Mound Police Department is warning people about fake cash in the area. The department posted a copy of the fake bills of social media this morning (Wed). The fake cash has the words For Motion Picture Use Only printed on the right side. Elk Mound Police encourage people to look over cash before they accept it. Police in Chetek warned people about similar fake bills two weeks ago.

The City of Menomonie will be holding a fall clean-up on the next four Mondays starting on October 21st.  The city will pick up yard waste from the curb on those Mondays and residents are asked to put out yard waste no earlier than a day before and no later than 7 a.m. on pickup day.  Leaves, grass clipping, and garden waste need to be in compostable paper bags.  Any branches must be tied up and no longer than four feet.  For more information, contact Menomonie City Hall.

Wisconsin's Democratic U.S. Senator wants the federal government to do something for the farmers who were left with thousands of chickens when Pure Prairie Poultry closed. Senator Tammy Baldwin sent a letter to the USDA this week, asking if there is anything that can be done to help the  Wisconsin farmers who were left with over 400,000 chickens, and were forced to sell them to the public for as little as $1 per bird. Baldwin said in addition to money, she's looking for potential new legislation that would help with what she's calling a 'farmgate emergency.' Pure Prairie Poultry recently closed, and left farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa holding the bag for over 2.3 million chickens between the three states.

Eau Claire County says its next budget will almost certainly have less money for local non-profits. County administrator Kathryn Schauf says they are looking at a five million-dollar budget deficit next year, and cutting support for non-profits is one of the ways to close that gap. That will likely mean 50 percent less money for places like the Bolton Refuge House, the  Sojourner House homeless shelter, Family Resource Center, the library, and the Chippewa Valley Museum. Schauf says the county has had to change its priorities since Sacred Heart Hospital closed. She said there's not enough money to pay for everything. 

An Eau Claire man has been accused of distributing methamphetamine.  According to the US Attorney for Western Wisconsin,  31-year-old Xa Xiong of Eau Claire, Wis., is charged with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and attempting to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.  The indictment alleges that Xiong distributed methamphetamine on July 26, 2024, and attempted to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 1, 2024.  If convicted, Xiong faces up to life in prison.

One of Wisconsin's budget reform groups has some questions for the state's superintendent. The Institute for Reforming Government came out yesterday with a list of ten questions for Superintendent Jill Underly about the recent change to state standardized test scores. Those changes led to huge jumps in Wisconsin reading and math scores but also led to huge jumps in the learning gap between white and black students, as well as rich and poor students. IRG wants to know more about Underly's decision to change the test scores, who she spoke to about the changes, and whether she ever told Governor Evers or state lawmakers that she planned to change the scores. Undelry has said she made the changes to better reflect what Wisconsin school kids are actually learning.  

The first trapping seasons of the year in Wisconsin will open this weekend. Coyote, fox, and raccoon trapping seasons will start on Saturday and run until February fifteenth. The Wisconsin DNR says traps may be on public lands throughout the season. The department recommends staying on trails and preventing pets from straying off to avoid injuries.

Before you send donations to help hurricane relief efforts, consider a monetary gift instead. Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin spokesperson Lisa Schiller says it can be hard to send physical gifts and supplies to groups in hurricane-affected areas. Instead, those monetary gifts can help an organization buy exactly the aid they need in a place they can use it. Also, watch out for anyone soliciting for charity or donations on social media. Scammers are known to copy the identity of reputable groups in order to steal charity donations. Schiller says you can find their list of reputable groups helping the southeast US recover online at Give dot Org.

Minnesota is sending more resources to help in recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.  Governor Tim Walz yesterday said that the state will be sending additional personnel and supplies to hard-hit areas of South Carolina.  That will include chainsaws, trucks, trailers and communications equipment.  

Two high school football teams suffer for a Milwaukee Public Schools clerical error. Teams at Pulaski and Bay View high schools will forfeit all games this season and be banned from the playoffs for two years after MPS didn’t report conference changes to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. In the Milwaukee City League the lowest team in one division of the conference and the top team in the other swap division spots. That swap, seen as a conference change by the WIAA, requires an official notification which MPS didn’t provide. The coaches of the two teams hope the WIAA can work out an alternative outcome.

The City of Green Bay is not exactly leaping to extend the Packers Lambeau Field lease, so the team is asking the Green Bay Professional Football Stadium District to step in.  On Wednesday the team released letters it sent both to Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and to the stadium district board. The Packers’ lease for Lambeau Field with Green Bay and the stadium district ends in 2032. There are options to extend it 10 additional years, but the Packers recently tried extending it by 30 years, until about 2063. The team says Genrich has not met with its officials since January, and that Genrich requested that any further discussions be preceded by a meeting with Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy. The Packers say the two met in May, but Genrich canceled a follow-up meeting in September, and has not rescheduled.

A mouse problem at some Door County campsites. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the campgrounds at Rock Island State Park were closed four days early after the mouse population increased there. The DNR plans to let natural predators reduce the mouse population, and a good winter should bring the number of the rodents under control. The rest of park remains open.

A new record for the heaviest pumpkin in Wisconsin. Jim Ford grew the 2,551 pound pumpkin near Fond du Lac. Ford’s huge pumpkin is now listed in the top 10 in the world for the heaviest pumpkins grown this year. You won't be able to see this great pumpkin in person - It’s being held on private property in Kenosha County and can’t be visited. Wisconsinites consistently grow what are among the heaviest pumpkins in the nation every year.

Local-Regional News Oct 16

 A St. Paul man was sentenced to two years in prison yesterday in connection with a high-speed pursuit in Dunn County in December of 2023.  John Richard Hill received the sentence along with four years of supervision.  According to authorities, Wisconsin State troopers tried to pull over Hill after learning the SUV he was driving may have been involved in a Minnesota carjacking.  Hill led troopers and Dunn County deputies on a 35 minute chase, driving recklessly and exceeding 110 miles an hour, and even running through the city of Menomonie.

 Dunn Energy Cooperative sent out a load of humanitarian supplies to South Carolina, including thousands of dollars in water and generators.  The donations were made on behalf of Wisconsin Electric Cooperatives and made possible through the Federated Youth Foundation, the Walmart distribution center (DC) in Menomonie, and Sam's Club in Eau Claire.  These supplies will benefit the members of Aiken Electric Cooperative, INC in South Carolina.  This is where two of Dunn's linemen spent nearly two weeks helping rebuild the electrical system.

The City of Mondovi will be holding the fall clean-up on Friday.  GFL will conduct curbside pick up of furniture items.  Each residence is allowed up to two items, the items must be able to be lifed by hand and not exceed 75lbs, and items must be placed curbside before 6am on Friday.  Items not allowed include mattresses and box springs, tires, computers, appliances, dehumidifiers, televisions, grills, hide-a-bed or sofa recliners, construction or demolition waste (anything that was permanently attached to your house), and anything that contains or is of hazardous material.  For more information, contact Mondovi City Hall.

An area legislator is speaking out after Pure Prairie Poultry abandoned its farmers and left over 160,000 chickens without feed in western Wisconsin.  92nd Assemblyman Trig Pronschniski, whose district is in the center of the issue wishes the state Department of agriculture would have at least come forward with a plan.  Pronschniski said he has been in contact with the Chairman of the Assembly Ag Committee to begin the process of legislation to prevent this from happening again.

The Eau Claire County Board is holding two meetings for public comment on the proposed 2025 budget. The board of supervisors says its looking for feedback during a meeting at seven P-M. on November sixth. The hearing will be in the county board room in the Eau Claire Government Center on Oxford Avenue. Written feedback can be submitted on EauClaireCounty-dot-gov. 

Wisconsin's budget surplus is over four and a half billion dollars. The state's Department of Revenue released its latest figure yesterday. The final numbers show Wisconsin has four-point-six billion-dollars more than it spent. The state also has nearly two billion-dollars in its rainy day fund. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said the extra money should be reinvested in his next budget. Republican lawmakers, however, have said in the past that they want to give the money back to the people of Wisconsin. 

Most of Wisconsin's public schools will see more money from the state this year. The Department of Public Instruction released the general state aid figures yesterday. Two-thirds of schools will get more money, while about a third will get less. In all, Wisconsin is sending just over five-and-a-half billion-dollars to local schools.

A crew from Minnesota is continuing to help restore power in the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton.  Linemen from Dakota County arrived in the Tampa area last week.  Kyle Ryman tells KARE-TV the team has been working 16-hour days to help get the lights back on to hundreds of thousands of people who remain in the dark.  He says the Minnesotans are feeling the love from Floridians, who bring them meals in the field and even buy them dinner at area restaurants. 

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin is asking both state and federal investigators to look into texts that warn young voters about voting in the wrong state. The League joined the group Free Speech for People yesterday in asking the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin's attorney general to investigate. The text warns voters that voting in a state where they are not eligible is a crime, and could result in a ten-thousand-dollar fine and up to three-and-a-half years in prison. The League said that warning may intimidate some young voters here in Wisconsin. No one is saying who sent the text, or how they got the list of young voters here in Wisconsin. 

Voters in Wisconsin will finally be able to see the candidates running for U.S. Senate on the same stage at the same time. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association's debate is set for this Friday. It will be the first and only time that Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin and Republican challenger Eric Hovde will answer questions together. The debate will be Friday night in Madison, but it will be broadcast across the state. The latest Marquette Law School Poll gave Baldwin a seven-point lead in the race, but Baldwin later said her own internal polling shows the race much closer than that. 

 Two winning Mega Millions tickets worth thirty-thousand dollars each come from the same Kwik Trip location in Lake Geneva. Both of the tickets sold at the gas station on South Wells Street match four of the five winning numbers and the Mega Ball number. It's still unknown whether one person bought both tickets or if there are two winners, since the tickets haven't been validated at the Lottery Office. The same gas station also saw two winning scratch tickets worth 75-thousand and 30-thousand dollars last year, along with a 32-thousand Badger Five jackpot. 

As growers for Pure Prairie Poultry contine to deal with being abandoned by the company, there are calls for changes to USDA policies.  While the states of Iowa and Minnesota had some type of plan in place to feed or euthanize the birds, Wisconsin and even USDA did not. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin say USDA may not have the authority to take over the flocks when a company walks away, and maybe that should be changed.  Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Ag Committe says there is an opportunity to add some type of safety net for poultry producers in the farm bill.  In 2022, Pure Prairie Poultry received a $6.9 million grant and a $39 million dollar guaranteed loan to re-open a plant in Charles City Iowa.  Klobuchar said a Senate Investigation into what happened to the money needs to be done.  Because no feed was available and no help came from the state of Wisconsin or anywhere else, the affected farmers were forced to try and sell over 160,000 chickens to the general public for $1 each before the birds starved to death.

The trial for a Greenfield man accused of killing his seven-week-old daughter almost 35 years ago is underway. Opening statements in Ronald Schroeder's trial started this morning. Prosecutors say the 55-year-old man killed his daughter, Catherine, in 1991. Prosecutors say the events from the night she died suggest a pattern of abuse toward several woman and other infants by Schroeder. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner reviewed Catherine's autopsy in 2021 and ruled her death a homicide. Schroeder, her father, was charged two months later. His trial is scheduled to run into next week. 

The first headliner for Summerfest 2025 is announced. Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson will play the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on Thursday, June 26th. Tickets for the show go on sale Friday morning. The 2025 edition of the annual music festival will happen Thursday thru Saturday on the last two weekends of June and the first weekend of July along Milwaukee’s lakefront.

Local-Regional News Oct 15

 Voters in the Plum City School District will be voting on a $7.9 million referendum this fall.  The money would allow the district to exceed the revenue limits over the next four years.  Plum City School Superintendent Chris Kamrath says the money will be used for operational and maintenance expenses.  This district will be having an informational meeting on the referendum on Thursday at 7pm at Molly's on Main in Plum City.

Wisconsin  Senator Tammy Baldwin is reacting to the recent closure of Pure Prairie Poultry that left its growers in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa abandoned.  During a campaign stop in Osseo yesterday Baldwin said closure of the company and abandonment of its growers with millions of chickens is unacceptable.  The Senator said while USDA can take over flocks of poultry due to a natural disaster or disease, it lacks authority in this case.  She believes that Congress may have to give USDA that authority.

The Durand Fire Department is looking for more members.  The department is looking for 4-6 people to join the department.  The department will have training classes this winter.  Applications are available at Durand City Hall. the City of Durand Website or talk with a member of the fire department.

Residents in Mondovi are encouraged to attend an informational meeting Wednesday evening  on the installation of fiber optic phone and internet service.  The City of Mondovi and Ntec are hosting the meeting at the Roger Marten Community Center starting at 6:30 to answer residents' questions on how the installation process will proceed across the city.  

The Eau Claire school bus driver who crashed on the way to a field trip in the Twin Cities is no longer facing charges. Prosecutors in St, Croix County dismissed the misdemeanor charges in the case. The D.A. originally charged the bus driver after he drove into the back of a tanker truck on I-91 back in April. Eight people, including six students, were hurt in the wreck. Police gave the driver a ticket, and the D.A. filed charges because he didn't think the driver had the proper license. Turns out the driver did, so the charges were dropped. 

Wisconsin's attorney general is reminding people that it is a crime to threaten poll workers. A-G Josh Kaul yesterday made an announcement about election security ahead of next month's election. Kaul said his office is once again dedicated to protecting people's right to vote in Wisconsin, and said the state will have a fair and free election. Kaul said his Department of Justice will be monitoring for threats on Election Day next month. He is reminding people that threatening voters or election workers, as well as any kind of intimidation is a crime in Wisconsin.

Jury selection for the Adam Fravel murder trial is nearly complete.  Two jurors were selected yesterday, bringing the total number of jurors seated to 13.  Four additional alternate jurors need to be picked before opening arguments can be presented in the case.  Fravel is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend Madeline Kingsbury.  Her body was found in Fillmore County last year, a few weeks after she was reported missing from Winona.  Fravel's trial was moved to Mankato after a judge ruled that pre-trial publicity might make it hard to seat an unbiased jury.

A new fall event in Durand is this Saturday.  The Blues of the Chippewa present Brews on the Chippewa at Veterans Memorial Park starting at 2.  The event will feature music from 5 bands and feature beers from 4 area local brewers including Durand Brewing Company.  There is no admission to attend the event.

More than twenty dogs affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton are in Eau Claire County and Greene County shelters. The Greene County Humane Society says volunteers picked up a dozen dogs from shelters in Tennessee and North Carolina to make room for dogs that are misplaced after the hurricanes. Three dogs and four cats were also brought to the Eau Claire County Humane Society. Other shelters statewide are also accepting animals brought in as part of hurricane relief. 

There's a recall of nearly five-thousand Halloween Projector Flashlights online and at Target stores across the nation.  NPW, which sells the flashlights, says it's gotten nine reports of flashlights overheating, including smoke and minor burn injuries.  The flashlights, which are powered by two AA batteries, sell for about three-dollars.  They're orange with white stripes, a black end piece and three Halloween covers including skulls, ghosts and pumpkins.  Customers are being told to remove the batteries and return them to any Target store for a full refund.  Target has stores in all 50 states plus Washington, DC.

Thirteen Wisconsin counties are under a special fire order due starting tomorrow. The state Department of Natural Resources says people looking to burn in the southern and central Wisconsin counties will have to get a permit from the department, unless the ground is completely covered with snow. The DNR says dry conditions and a lack of rain have increased the likelihood of fires. The burn permit requirement will be in place until drought conditions improve.

The woman accused in the Slender Man attack again seeks release from a psychiatric hospital. Friday's request marks the fourth time Morgan Geyser has asked to be released from Winnebago Mental Health Institute. Geyser and Anissa Weier were 12 years old in 2014 old when they lured Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park. Geyser allegedly stabbed Leutner 19 times with Weier’s encouragement. Leutner survived. Geyser and Weier said they attacked Leutner to please the fictional character Slender Man. Weier was released from a hospital in 2021. Geyser's hearing is set for November 1st.

A weekend standoff with a man with a sword in the Fox Valley. Menasha police arrived at business Sunday morning to find broken glass and a man inside armed with a ‘large sword’. Other agencies, including a SWAT Team, were on scene as the 34-year-old man with the sword moved around the business and allegedly destroyed property. A K9 Unit was sent in several hours later to take the man into custody. He faces several charges.

Wisconsin’s Elk hunting season is officially underway. Department of Natural Resources Elk Zone Biologist Cristina Kizewski says this is the first time the central zone has been included in the hunt. Per treaty rights, the Ojibwe tribe will get the rights to half of the elks harvested during the hunt. The DNR received more than 25,000 applicants for elk bull tags, and just eight were selected for the 2024 season.