Some poultry famers in Western Wisconsin have been left with huge feed bills and thousands of chickens after Pure Prairie Poultry abandonded its poultry producers. Joe Bragger Wisconsin Farm Bureau Vice President says the started back in April. Some of the farmers have been spending $20,000 or more each week of their own money to keep the flocks fed. While Minnesota and Iowa have state programs to help those farmers, Wisconsin does not and some of the farms are now giving away the chickens in the hope that the birds will not go to waste and have to be euthanized.
Local governments across Wisconsin are getting hundreds of millions of dollars more from the state. The state's Department of Revenue says it is sending over one-and-a-half billion-dollars in shared revenue to cities, towns, counties, and townships in this year's budget. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the increase from last year was used to hire a full time police officer. The City is currently working on its 2025 budget and is expected to have that approved in November.
A garage fire in Eau Claire caused 80-thousand dollars in damage. The fire department says it responded to the fire on Chauncey Street Wednesday night at about eight P-M. Responders say the flames were under control within minutes. The property owners say they were home at the time, and neighbors told them the garage was on fire. No injuries are reported and investigators are still determining a cause.
Xcel Energy's crews are on the move again. The company yesterday said that some of the linemen it sent to help with Hurricane Helene are now headed to Florida to help with Hurricane Milton. Xcel said 15 crewmen from the Chippewa Valley are heading from Georgia to the Tampa-area. That's the part of Florida that took the brunt of Milton when it came ashore earlier this week. In all, Xcel said it has about 100 crewmen from across the country working to help the victims on this month's two hurricanes.
A Jackson County 13-year-old is dead after what the sheriff's office is calling a farming accident. The sheriff's office says it happened last week in the Town of Manchester. Deputies say the teenager was 'submerged by crops,' and had to be rescued. The 13-year-old later died. The sheriff's office says it is investigating and has not said just how the teenager fell into the grain pile where he was found.
Add Tomah Schools to the long list of school districts in Wisconsin that are asking taxpayers for more money. The Tomah Area School District has a 177-million dollar referendum on next month's ballot. The money would go toward building a new high school. Tomah's superintendent says the plan is to build a new high school, then move the middle schoolers into the high school building, and move elementary school kids into the old middle school. There's a public meeting next Tuesday to answer some questions about the tax hike plan. More than 100 Wisconsin school districts are also asking their taxpayers to pay more, either for new schools or for day-to-day funding, this November.
Winona State University is planning a new program to promote civic engagement and ethical leadership. The Department of Defense announced Wednesday that it is sending one-point-one-million dollars to the university to fund the program for two years. The program will be called Civic Center and will feature programming put together by WSU's Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Ethnic Studies. The program will also engage the surrounding community, holding events to promote civil discourse.
Minnesota is experiencing a significant rise in cases of whooping cough and measles. Hospitals are on high alert. As of 2024, 826 cases of whooping cough have been reported, the highest in years. Health officials attribute the increasing infection rates to declining vaccination levels, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatricians emphasize the importance of awareness and vaccination to protect vulnerable populations, including young children and those with weakened immune systems.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court hears a challenge to the governor’s creative use of the partial veto. Wednesday’s arguments centered on Tony Evers’ deletion of digits to extend a school funding increase by 400 years. Plaintiff’s attorney Scott Rosenow said a governor may not use the partial veto power to extend a duration, and that the justices should hold that Evers' 400 year veto is unconstitutional. Liberal justice Jill Karofasky expressed concerns over Evers’ use of the most powerful partial veto in the nation, saying that "it does feel like the sky is the limit. the stratosphere is the limit." Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley pushed back on the argument from Evers' attorney Colin Roth, that the court's previous rulings set the stage for Evers' action. Bradley said "the governor is becoming the most powerful person in this state, arguably, to just make the law whatever he declares.” The court, is expected to take some time before issuing a ruling.
Donations of used books to Wisconsin prisons have stopped. The Department of Corrections made the decision because secondhand books are used to get drugs into prisons. Opponents of the move, including the Madison-based nonprofit Wisconsin Books to Prisoners, say the agency is limiting inmates’ access to information as it fails to pinpoint other entry points for drugs, including prison staff. The non-profit has provided used books to prisoners for nearly 20 years. The ACLU of Wisconsin has begun investigating the matter.
A UW-Madison business professor says we'll likely see work from home jobs becoming standard into the future. Professor Jirs (Ye-RIS) Meuris says many customer service businesses have already divested themselves of business property to cut down on leases and overhead. Meuris says studies over the last several years have largely dispelled the idea that workers need to be in a physical office to be productive. Meuris says that will mean a readjustment for the rest of businesses that relied on those officer workers making the commute every day.
Delays are being reported as jury selection continues in the Adam Fravel trial in Mankato. According to KIMT-TV, as of this afternoon six jurors have been selected. Due to long juror interviews, the judge now says opening arguments will likely happen October 16th, whereas they were originally expected on the 14th. Fravel is facing multiple charges of murder connected to the disappearance and death of Madeline Kingsbury last year.
Lucy, a 16-year-old tiger from the Mendoza Zoo in Argentina, has arrived at the Minnesota Wildcat Sanctuary. The sanctuary is in Sandstone, she arrived after a 72-hundred-mile journey. Advocates sought to rescue her due to the zoo's closure and her poor living conditions. Following her arrival, Lucy is now enjoying improved habitat features, including grassy areas and comfortable bedding. The move took several years to organize and involved extensive travel logistics.
A contest to decide the Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota has crowned a champion. The bracket-style competition began last month with 64 products, with the field cut in half each week based on online votes. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce announced this week that 3M Scotch-brand Magic Tape received the most votes. Magic Tape has been around since 1961 and is made at 3M's plant in Hutchinson.
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