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.
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