Monday, October 21, 2024

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.  

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