Voters in western Wisconsin could see a rematch on their ballots in 2026. Democrat Rebecca Cooke yesterday said she's considering another run for Congress in two years. Cooke says she out-paced both Kamala Harris and Tammy Baldwin in the western part of the state. She said she was just three points away from winning the race against incumbent Republican Derrick Van Orden. Van Orden said on Twitter that Cooke spent a lot of money to lose, and said he's not sure she can do any better in 2026.
The judge in Lily Peters' murder says it could be 2026 before the case actually goes to trial. Carson Peters-Berger, the now 16-year-old charged with Peters' murder was in Chippewa County court yesterday. He pleaded not guilty. The judge said the case will proceed in adult court, but the judge also said he expects a number of roadblocks in the case. Investigators say Peters-Berger beat, strangled, then raped Peters as she was walking home back in 2022. The case has lingered because of a fight over whether to try Peters-Berger as a juvenile. Now, the judge says he expects a fight over which county to hold the trial in.
One of Eau Claire's state representatives is once again asking for the HSHS money. State Rep. Jodi Emerson yesterday said the legislature needs to release the 15-million-dollars that was set aside to help other hospitals in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls deal with Sacred Heart and St. Joe's closings earlier this year. She said the Chippewa Valley cannot afford any more delays. Republican lawmakers say Emerson needs to blame Governor Evers for the delay. He changed the plan to spend the money, and no longer wants to earmark the cash strictly for ER services to make-up for a lack of emergency care without Sacred Heart or St. Joe's.
Eau Claire is going to require licenses for Airbnb's and VRBO rentals. The city council last night approved a new license plan. The idea, supporters say, is to differentiate between traditional bed-and-breakfasts, and short term rentals like Airbnb's and VRBO rentals. The council, however, did not approve new rules that would have required week-long stays, or that would have limited local Airbnb and VRBO rentals to just six months out of the year.
A man is sentenced to four years in prison after he was found with five pounds of meth. Eau Claire Police say they got an anonymous tip about Dalton Clayton, and pulled him over last year. That's when officers say they found the drugs, worth about 118-thousand dollars. Clayton pleaded no contest in court today before his sentencing. He'll have six years of extended supervision once his prison sentence is complete.
The family of a Winona County woman who was found dead last year is asking a judge to allow cameras in the courtroom during the sentencing of Adam Fravel. Fravel was found guilty of murder in the death of Madeline Kingsbury last month. Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom during Fravel's trial in Mankato, but members of Kingsbury's family have consented to letting cameras into court to record their victim impact statements. Fravel will be sentenced on December 17th.
UW - La Crosse is adding two news majors to satisfy growing workforce needs. The engineering physics and data science majors will open for enrollment in the fall of 2025 and be typical four-year degrees. According to UWL, the engineering physics degree will focus on the physical and mathematical fundamentals of mechanical, civil, optical, and materials engineering. The new data science major is designed to help address the increasing demand for skilled professionals in Wisconsin and beyond. The number of data science jobs is projected to grow by 36% nationally over the next decade. The two new majors were approved by the Board of Regents during a meeting last week.
Two people are dead a crash involving a semi-truck in west central Wisconsin. The Wisconsin State Patrol says an SUV crossed a median on I-94 near Tomah Monday night and hit the semis. A 26-year-old Minnesota woman and a 47-year-old Wisconsin man in the SUV were killed, while the truck drivers from Michigan and Minnesota were hospitalized and are expected to survive. Shortly after that crash, another semi driver from Minnesota who didn’t follow cones and flares directing traffic around the crash rear-ended a State Patrol squad car. A trooper who hurt his head in that crash was hospitalized while the semi-driver involved wasn’t injured.
More year-end chances to harvest deer in Wisconsin. Though the gun deer hunt in the state has ended, the Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that a statewide anterless-only hunting period will happen this Thursday thru Sunday. In addition, an anterless-only Holiday Hunt will run from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day, and archery and crossbow deer seasons continue through January 5th, with those seasons extending through January in some areas with extended archery seasons. Check the DNR website for more details.
The Wisconsin outdoor recreation industry's latest numbers show a record-breaking boost to the state economy. The state Department of Tourism says eleven-point-two-billion dollars went toward the state's gross domestic product in 2023. Most of the money came from boating, fishing, and apparel. Last year was the second consecutive record-breaking year for tourism as a whole, with 25-billion-dollars of economic impact.
There are new charges in Wisconsin's fake electors case. Attorney General Josh Kaul yesterday added 10 new charges against the two attorneys who he says lied to the people who voted for President Trump after the 2020 election. Kaul is accusing Kenneth Chesebro and Jim Troupis of forgery to defraud. He says they lied to Republican electors about how to cast a vote for Trump after he lost Wisconsin four years ago. Kaul is also adding charges against a Washington, D.C. aide who helped get the slate of alternate electors to Vice President Mike Pence. Chesebro and Troupis have always said they were simply offering legal advice, and a what-if scenario to Wisconsin Republicans. They are due in court in Madison tomorrow.
Republicans in Wisconsin are asking a judge to strike down the state's presidential elector law, so there won't be any confusion next week. The Wisconsin Republican Party filed a lawsuit last Friday, asking a federal judge to invalidate Wisconsin's presidential elector law. That law says electors must vote on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. This year, that's next Monday. But the federal presidential elector law says the vote must be on the first Tuesday following the second Wednesday. This year, that's next Tuesday. The lawsuit says the discrepancy opens Wisconsin's electoral vote up to a possible challenge. Wisconsin's law has been on the books for years, but the federal law was changed back in 2022 to try and speed-up the presidential certification after the January 6th riot.
Officials with Michael Foods say they expect egg prices to go up again after an outbreak of the bird flu among their flocks. Parent company Post holdings has confirmed a third-party contracted egg-laying flock in Iowa tested positive for the bird flu. Almost four-and-a-half million hens -- or about 12 percent of Post's egg supply -- are housed at the Iowa facility.
All 19 protesters arrested at a UW Board of Regents meeting are getting citations. The pro-Palestinian protesters are accused of disrupting the board meeting last Thursday. Representatives for student groups involved in the protest say they're concerned about the university's investments with ties to Israel. UW-Madison police say the protesters will be ticketed for intentionally interfering with a university sponsored event
Add this to your next order of Glazers. Kwik Trip is now offering snow globes and ugly Christmas sweaters. The sweaters say See Ya Next Time, and are just part of the new holiday offerings at Kwik Trips website. The company already sells hats, shirts, and even boxer shorts. Kwik Trip says they are online specials only, so don't look for the sweater section the next time you're in one of their stores.
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