A Red Wing school board member accused of stealing 500 dollars worth of merchandise from a Target store is sentenced. Rachel Schoenfelder will serve one year of probation. She was charged with September with gross misdemeanor theft. Schoenfelder shoplifted from the store eight times from March to July. She stepped down from her role as board treasurer in October after charges were brought. Schoenfelder was censured by the board in November.
The city of Altoona has failed to meet a deadline last year to complete an inventory of its lead service lines. Public Works Director Scott Kwick says it was his mistake that it didn't get done by October 16th, 2024, and says the inventory was submitted with lines left blank instead of putting in "unknown." He says they got "most of the inventory done, but it was just incomplete." The Eau Claire City-County Health Department says boiling water will concentrate lead in the water and won't help get it out.
Another candlelight vigil to remember and honor Dunn County Sheriff's Correctional Officer Jeff Reynolds was held last night. He was killed in a Christmas Eve crash as he was headed to work at the county jail. Dozens of friends, co-workers, and relatives gathered in the cold to share stories of Reynolds. He had been with the Dunn County Sheriff's Office since 2007, and Mark Sokolowski is charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.
The Menomonie Police Department is sharing details on a memorial fund for fallen officer Sam Miller. A memorial fund for Miller’s family has been set up through the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police. The police department said 100% of the funds would go directly to Officer Miller’s family to support immediate needs and future expenses. Miller passed away unexpectedly on Friday. More information on the memorial fund can be found on the Menonomie Police Department's Facebook Page.
Community members and Durand Business Owners are invited to an open house with the Durand Improvement Group on January 13th. The event will take place at the Riverside Grill from 5-6am and it will be a chance for community members and area business owners to connect and meet the Durand Improvement Group Board of Directors.
One UW expert is blaming the warm winter for the spread of the bird flu. Jerry Clark with the extension office at UW-Madison says not as many wild birds have migrated south this year, and that has kept the bird flu in circulation. Many of the bird flu cases in commercial bird flocks start with wild birds. Wisconsin has seen two recent bird flu cases, and has seen a human case in Barron County. Clark says it is a concern that small flocks of wild birds can potentially infect the large flocks of turkeys and chickens that dot western Wisconsin.
Eau Claire County Community Table is seeing more members facing homelessness and food insecurity. The non-profit's most recent report shows 80-percent of patrons are concerned about their access to food, and almost half are facing the possibility of homelessness. Executive Director TJ Atkins tells WQOW TV the non-profit is facing cost increases, but is also getting more donations than ever. Hot meals are served daily at the Community Table's location on Putnam Street in Eau Claire.
Firefighters in Eau Claire say the city didn't see any holiday season house fires. The city's fire department yesterday said it was able to keep its wreath green. Firefighters in Eau Claire put up a wreath outside of the firehouse with green lights. If there's a fire, they change one of the lights to red. This year, Eau Claire didn't have any red lights. The last time that happened was back in 2019.
A new tax for electric vehicle charging stations is in place across the state with the start of the new year. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue is now collecting an excise tax of three cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity that is used to charge EV's. Those who own and operate chargers must now register them with state officials as well. The tax does not apply to residential chargers. The funds generated through the tax will be used to maintain roads.
The 125th anniversary celebration for the Wisconsin State Park System is set to continue all year. Governor Evers and leaders with the Department of Natural Resources say plans are in place to highlight the parks system and the impact it has made on the state's culture, heritage, and economy over the last century. Residents are encouraged to enjoy the outdoor areas over the next 12 months. Officials say more than 20-million people visit Wisconsin state parks each year.
New laws are going into effect in Minnesota today. Consumers who buy event tickets online are getting new protections under the Ticketing Fairness Act. That includes a requirement for posting prices that include all fees before purchase and a ban on deceptive advertising. The ban on so-called "junk fees" will also apply to all Minnesota businesses. Guns with binary triggers are now banned in the state, as are products that include chemicals known as PFAS. Employers in Minnesota will be required to disclose starting salary ranges and pay rates in new job postings. The state's minimum wage also increases to 11-13 an hour beginning today.
A West Bend woman accused of leading a deer poaching ring doesn't have an attorney. 36-year-old Jessica Kroening is accused of killing and torturing deer and having three children take part in the crimes. A criminal complaint alleges Kroening and the juveniles would drive around with a spotlight shining fields and firing at deer from the vehicle. If a deer was shot, they would identify the sex of the animal leaving some to rot where they lay, while taking the heads of some bucks. Since Kroening does not have an attorney, the case against her is on hold until she can be assigned one from the public defender's office. The three juveniles also face charges in the case, but have not been identified.
A person of interest in the murder of three people in New Lisbon was previously with two missing juveniles. Investigators say 47-year-old Virgil Thew is suspected of killing three people at a home in Juneau County. Police say he was with one minor who was missing in New Lisbon, and another who was reported missing in Monroe County. Yesterday morning, two juveniles and an adult were found dead at a home in New Lisbon. Thew is wanted by both Wisconsin Probation and State Patrol. An investigation is ongoing. Officials say he could be armed and dangerous, and anyone who sees Thew shouldn't approach him.
A man from Tomah is under arrest and accused of shooting a man who is now in critical condition. Police say they were called to a home on Mary Kay Avenue in Tomah early this morning for a welfare check on Ryan Goad. Investigators say he was talking about killing an elderly man and had his children with him. Officers say they went to the home to find 80-year-old Robert Goad with gunshot wounds on his head and shoulder. He was taken to a La Crosse hospital and is still in critical condition. Ryan Goad was located at a home in Juneau County, and was taken into custody at 7 a.m. this morning. He's facing at least five charges.
UnitedHealth Group is forecasting to have a record financial year despite the murder of the insurance division's CEO, Brian Thompson. According to the Wall Street Journal, the health care company's CEO, Andrew Witty, has quietly been informing executives that the company will see record numbers by the end of the year. Witty has also been trying to calm employees and keep the company growing while facing public outrage over health-insurer practices following the killing of Thompson on December 4th in New York City. The Journal reports revenue at the UnitedHealth Group was more than 299 billion dollars through September, which is a record high and up from 277 billion last year. The company has a market capitalization of about 465 billion dollars and insures more than 50 million people.
A southeastern Minnesota city is getting a one million dollar grant to help create the state's first pig-to-human transplant center. Stewartville officials say they will use the money to build streets and public utilities near the Schumann Business Park, which is the future home of United Therapeutics' specialized research farm. The business that harvests pig organs for human heart and kidney transplants plans to invest 75 million dollars into the facility. The transplant center is scheduled to open in 2027.
Television journalist from Minnesota and former CNN anchor Aaron Brown is dead. The Hopkins native started his career as a radio talk show host in Minneapolis. Brown is known for his skillful coverage of the September 11 attacks for CNN. He was 76.
A peregrine falcon born at a Wisconsin power plant has been spotted in the wild. That bird, named Trapper, was spotted by a bird watcher in Sheboygan Falls this fall. Once peregrines leave the nest, they are rarely spotted in the wild again. Trapper was one of nine chicks that was born at a We Energies power plant in 2024. The falcon program at We Energies has helped raise over 450 chicks since it started in 1992.
Wisconsinites gathered in New Glarus on New Year's Day to look at a snowy owl. Over a dozen people showed up yesterday and they said they can tell it's female due to the color on her feathers, as male snowy owls are mostly white. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says they estimate over 50 snowy owls have been recorded statewide as of December 12th. People are urged to keep a respectful distance from the bird and move slowly around it.
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