The Pepin County Land Conservation Department will hold a public hearing on proposed shore land protection zoning ordinance changes due to changes in state law. The changes to the Shoreland Protection Ordinance were required by the State of Wisconsin and include legislative changes related to bridges, fences, and the access and viewing corridor. The public hearing will be on Jan 13th at 8:30am in the Board Room at the Pepin County Government Center.
The Durand Community Library is now offering delivery services to area residents. The library now will deliver library materials including books, movies, puzzles, activity kits and other items. Delivery services are available during regular library hours. For more information on the service just call the library at 672-8730.
January is National Radon Action month and the Buffalo County Health Department is offering free radon test kits. With the heat on in homes it can draw radon gas into your home. Radon is an odorless, colorless gas and on is one of the leading causes of lung cancers so its important to get your home tested. The health department has a limited number of free radon test kits available on a first come first served basis. Contact the Buffalo County Health Department for more information.
A child sex crime case is being dismissed in Eau Claire. According to a criminal complaint, a twelve-year-old girl said that there were at least four occasions over the past two years in which Chad Osowski sexually touched her. In July, he was change with repeated sexual assault of a child but the case has been dismissed on a prosecutor's motion because they didn't believe they could meet the burden of proof at trial. It was dismissed without prejudice which means it can be filed again in the future.
All Chippewa County public schools will soon have overdose aid kits. The County Public Health department says the Clinton Foundation provided the 32 kits. Each kit will have Narcan and instructions how to administer it, CPR breathing barriers, and fentanyl test strips. Wisconsin Senator Jesse James says minors exposed to fentanyl aren't always at fault, and the county is just taking proactive measures.
Governor Tony Evers is looking for applicants for Rusk County Sheriff. The next appointed sheriff will replace Sheriff Jeffery Wallace as he'll be retiring in April. The new sheriff will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term, which ends in January 2027. Anyone interested in the position may contact the Governor's Office of Legal Counsel. Wallace's last day is April 1st.
A case of mumps is being confirmed in Clark County. The contagious disease causes the glands in and around your mouth that produce saliva to swell and it can lead to pain in the mouth and under the ears. People at high risk include babies under one, anyone with a weak immune system, and people who are pregnant. More information about mumps can be found on the CDC website.
The application period is now open for substance abuse recovery high school grants. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is accepting requests for funding to set up the new facilities. The program is meant to help public and private schools and nonprofits establish learning centers for students who are overcoming drug or alcohol addiction or suffering from mental health challenges associated with substance dependence. The grant application period will close at the end of the month.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is getting funding to study the long-term health effects of vaping. The university made the announcement on Monday. The National Institute of Health gave UW a five-point-seven-million-dollar grant over five years to support the Vape Check study. Over 600 people over 21-years-old will be involved in the study and periodically get their vital signs checked and blood sampled. Researchers will not be looking t the harmful effects of vaping but rather take a more neutral approach.
Governor Tony Evers wants to give Wisconsin voters more power, by requiring the Legislature to create a statewide binding referendum process. The Democratic governor said he’ll propose that when he releases his two year state budget. Evers said Republicans in the Legislature are ignoring voters on issues such as restoring abortion access, legalizing and taxing marijuana, and others. Those same Republican lawmakers, who continue to hold majorities in the Senate and Assembly, would need to approve the plan which Evers will include in his proposed state budget. The Democratic governor, who says he’s yet to decide whether he’ll seek a third term, will deliver his budget message on February 18th. According to a release from Evers’ office, more than 20 states including Michigan, Illinois and Ohio allow voters to change state law by referendum. Under the process outline by Evers, voters would be able to file petitions with the Wisconsin Elections Commission to hold a vote on proposed state laws or constitutional amendments or to repeal state laws.
Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin says she'll give all of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet nominations a fair shake, but won't compromise if somebody might hurt Wisconsin families, veterans, and businesses. Baldwin says she's worked with Trump's nominee for Transportation Secretary and former former 7th District congressman Sean Duffy before, and would be inclined to support him. Baldwin did say she needs to hear from Trump's controversial pick to lead Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and would question him about his positions on vaccines. All of Trump's nominees need to be confirmed by a Senate majority.
A California man has apologized for his chats with the Abundant Life School shooter in Madison. 20-year-old Alexander Paffendorf on Friday told a judge in San Diego he was sorry for communicating his plans to carry out an attack on a government building with 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow. Paffendorf was ordered to hand over all of his guns and ammunition and was issued a restraining order. F B I agents haven't revealed what building Paffendorf was planning to attack, only that he was plotting a mass shooting with Rupnow. Madison Police and the F B I are searching Rupnow's digital communications and files to finish their investigation into the shooting. That could take until February to complete.
A Hutchinson man awaits sentencing in federal court after he pleaded guilty last week to selling 21-million-dollars worth of stolen catalytic converters. Court officials say John C. Kotten spent two years buying and selling the automotive-exhaust components that contain significant amounts of platinum, a precious metal with a value equal to or greater than gold. Prosecutors say Kotten also conspired with a New Jersey-based business linked to a nationwide conspiracy linked to the theft and sales of stolen catalytic converters.
A man arrested for the theft of a pair of ruby slippers worn in the "Wizard of Oz" is expected to plead guilty in federal court this week. A change of plea hearing for Jerry Saliterman is scheduled in federal court in Minneapolis on Friday. The 77-year-old is the second man charged in connection with the 2005 theft of the shoes from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids. Terry Martin pled guilty to stealing the slippers in 2023 and was sentenced to time served last year. The government has not disclosed Saliterman's role in the theft. The slippers were recovered in 2018 and recently sold at auction for 28-million dollars.
A new Minnesota license with a very retro feel has been very popular during its first year. The state's Driver and Vehicle Services Division reports that more than 256-thousand blackout license plates were sold between January 1st and December 31st. State officials say the year-end numbers greatly exceeded expected sales of around 160-thousand plates. Six other new plates were introduced last year, with the new Minnesota Vikings design proving to be the second-most popular. Just under 58-hundred of those plates were sold.
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