The Dunn County Board has approved the new 2025 budget. The budget includes $11 million in borrowing for a geothermal and solar project for some Dunn County buildings. The project will install a geothermal heat pump system for the Judicial Center, 615 Stokke Parkway in Menomonie, as well as adding to the current geothermal system serving the Government Center and Neighbors of Dunn County. The budget calls for total county spending of $111.2 million with a total tax levy of $24.7 million. The 2025 tax rate will go from $4.83 for each $1,000 of equalized value to $4.53, a reduction of 6.2 percent.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Department is reporting an increase in phone and email scams. The Department is reminding residents that no legitimate business or government agency will ever call or send you a message demanding you pay them using cryptocurrency. If someone tells you they only accept cryptocurrency they are almost certainly a scammer. If you receive one of these calls, hang up, if you receive a text message or email, do not click on any links in the message.
Two people were injured after a two-vehicle accident in the town of Buffalo last Wednesday. According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, a pickup truck was traveling westbound on Hwy 54 when the driver lost control, overcorrected, and hit an eastbound SUV. Both drivers were taken to a Winona Hospital. Weather and speed are believed to be a factor in the crash.
A western Wisconsin judge is not stopping the challenge to Wisconsin's wedding barn law lawsuit. A judge in Trempealeau County last week refused to dismiss the lawsuit brought against the law that will force wedding barn owners to get liquor licenses or close. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is challenging the law, saying it violates the rights of wedding barn owners. Lawmakers approved a plan last year to end the practice of wedding barns allowing people to bring their own beer and liquor to weddings. The state's Tavern League says wedding barns need liquor licenses just like every other place that serves alcohol in the state. Wedding barn owners say the new rules will force them out of business.
Eau Claire is looking at new rules for Airbnb's and VRBO's. Assistant city planner Katrina Running said the city is looking to differentiate between bed and breakfasts and Airbnbs. She said the city wants a quicker permitting process that also allows Eau Claire to cancel permits for Airbnb's or VRBO's that break the rules. Running says they are also looking to make sure there's enough long-term housing in Eau Claire. There are some Airbnb's and VRBO rentals in Eau Claire, but Running says there aren't many.
The former Hudson teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with one of her fifth-grade students pleaded not guilty Monday. Madison Bergmann has been charged with child sexual assault, enticement, and sexual misconduct by school staff. Authorities allege that Bergmann exchanged more than 35,000 text messages with the boy between last December and this past April. She resigned from Hudson Elementary School in May following the charges. She is due back in court in December.
We will soon get a look at the new memorial to two western Wisconsin police officers killed in the line of duty. Cameron Police say they will hold a ceremony to dedicate the memorial to officers Hunter Scheel and officer Emily Breidenbach next month. They were both gunned down during a traffic stop last year. The new memorial will be at the village hall in Cameron. The ceremony in Cameron will be next Wednesday. Chetek unveiled a memorial to Officer Breidenbach back in April.
Wisconsin will see more Thanksgiving travelers this year than last. The state will likely have about one-point-six million travelers this week for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to Triple-A -- about 35-thousand more than last year. The vast majority of people will be driving. Triple-A says tomorrow and Wednesday afternoons will be the busiest times for travel, and Thanksgiving Day will see lighter traffic.
The University of Wisconsin is close to the top of the latest list of research universities in the country. UW-Madison is ranked sixth on the list of research universities according to the National Science Foundation. There are 920 public and private schools on that list. Johns Hopkins is the top school on the Science Foundation's list. UW-Madison comes in behind the University of Michigan, but well ahead of Ohio State University. The National Science Foundation list says UW-Madison spent one-point-seven billion-dollars on research in 2023.
The latest change to Wisconsin's park passes means more people should get to visit more parks. The state's Department of Natural Resources says it is moving to 12-month park passes. That means park passes are good for a whole year after you buy them, as opposed to just the calendar year. The DNR says the change eliminates the worry that a pass you buy at Christmas is almost worthless. The new change comes with a new design, and a new date that shows when the pass expires. You can find out more, and buy a new pass, at the DNR's website.
Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig is seeking the top spot on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee in January. The DFL lawmaker sent a letter that made her pitch today to colleagues. So far, California Congressman Jim Costa has also shown interest in the position.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos weighs in, on alleged ethics violations by the man he hired to conduct a review of the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin. The Office of Lawyer Regulation accuses the former state Supreme Court justice of violating several court conduct rules during his investigation. On WISN’s ‘UpFront’ Sunday, Vos said Gabelman "went off the rails" while conducting the investigation, which ultimately failed to uncover any actionable election malfeasance. Vos hired Gabelman in 2021 and ended up firing him the following year. On 'UpFront' the Speaker said he hopes Gabelman loses his law license and "goes back to work at Home Depot."
Lake Elmo-based Bremer Financial will merge with Old National Bank to become the third-largest bank in the Twin Cities. Old National announced this morning that they bought Bremer in a deal worth one-point-four billion dollars. The proposal comes months after Bremer came to a legal settlement with their owner Otto Bremer Trust. The trust wanted to sell the bank claiming it would be more profitable while Bremer Financial sought to merge with Great Western Bancshares. The two sides reached a deal in July paving the way for today's announcement.
Arson may be the cause of a fire that destroyed a historic Burlington mansion. More than a dozen agencies took a defensive approach to extinguish the five-alarm fire early Friday morning at the Meinhardt Mansion. The fire is still under investigation, but on Saturday police announced the arrest of the homeowner. Recommended charges include negligent handling of burning materials, unsafe burning of a building, and resisting or obstructing an officer.
Governor Tony Evers issues more than 150 pardons in latest round. The 172 pardons granted by Evers bring his total number to 1,436. Evers says it's a privilege to hear the stories of people who have worked to make amends and give back to their communities. A pardon is an official act of forgiveness that restores rights lost when someone is convicted of a felony, including the right to serve on a jury, hold public office, and hold certain professional licenses. A pardon does not expunge court records.
A woman known for her singing and her love of animals is giving a Minnesota rescue dog a permanent home. Pink was in St. Paul last month for a performance and found an Australian Shepherd mix named Graham Cracker at a Minnetonka animal shelter. Pink often fosters rescue dogs on tour to help them find forever homes and decided to do so with Graham Cracker. But the shelter announced on Friday that Pink has decided to keep the dog permanently. It's a big turnaround for Graham Cracker, who was found in the woods in Arkansas before winding up at the Minnesota shelter.
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