Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren would like the Parks Board to take a look at all city parks in the coming year. Milliren says with the focus on the pool over the last few years other park issues have been put on the back burner. Milliren has called for a park board meeting this month to begin those discussions.
Drones spotted flying over the Prairie Island this week are "no threat to the public." That according to police who confirmed the two drones that were called in Wednesday night. There's no word on who was operating the drones. Red Wing Police say they are no longer investigating the incident.
Durand Firefighters responded to a shop and barn fire in the town of Lima last night. The first call came in at around 8:40 last night and when firefighters arrived they requested assistance from Mondovi and Rock Creek, but were able to get the fire out quickly so both departments were canceled. There are no damage reports or reports of any injuries.
Dunn County will receive just over $330,000 from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services as part of the money from the opioid settlement. The Dunn County Sheriff’s Department is receiving $250,000 of that money for programs to keep those with an opioid use disorder out of jail. The rest of the money received will be used by the county to cover room and board costs for Medicaid members who are in residential substance use disorder programs that are related to opioid use disorder.
Two campers are in ruins after a propane tank explosion. According to Blair police, a one-pound propane tank exploded yesterday morning starting a camper on fire off West Mill Road in Blair. It had been hooked up to a portable heater. A camper parked next to the first one also caught on fire. The person inside was able to escape the fire and had non-life threatening injuries. Blair police said there weren't any suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident and the investigation is over.
The name of the suspect in the 2022 homicide of ten-year-old Lily Peters is being unsealed from court records. The suspect is 16-year-old Carson Peters-Berger. He's being charged with intentional homicide, sexual assault/great bodily harm and child sex assault. Peters-Berger will be tried as an adult since the defense didn't prove that the seriousness of his crimes wouldn't be deprecated if the case was moved to juvenile court. In 2022, Peters was reported missing and her body was later discovered in the woods in Chippewa Falls. During an arraignment in December, a judge said the trial could be delayed until 2026 due to issues with the court calendar.
Just one person has officially filed paperwork in the race for Chippewa Falls Mayor. Bridget Givens, the City Clerk for the City of Chippewa Falls, said that Jason Hiess is the only person who has submitted adequate paperwork to appear on the ballot for the mayor's seat. The deadline was January 7th. In December, Heiss announced his intention to run for Mayor of Chippewa Falls as well as his intention to run for re-election for his 7th DIstrict Alderman seat. The last contested race for Mayor was 18 years ago.
The Juneau County Sheriff's Office says a tip from the public is behind the arrest of the man accused of killing a woman and her two daughters in New Lisbon. Someone reported a suspicious person in the community of Elroy shortly before noon yesterday, leading to the successful capture of Virgil Thew, according to authorities. Local, state, and federal law enforcement officers have been searching for Thew since he was identified as the suspect in the murders of Elizabeth Kolba and 12 and 13-year-old girls. They were found dead on December 30th.
Governor Tony Evers is declaring an energy emergency in Wisconsin. The executive order waives certain state and federal house-of-service restrictions for 30 days. Severe weather across the country has been affecting suppliers' ability to obtain and deliver heating fuels like propane and heating oil. According to the Public Service Commission, trucks are facing long lines at distribution terminals and have to drive longer distances as supplies are limited. Governor Evers said "getting residential heating fuel like propane and heating oil moving now" to those who need it will help residents in Wisconsin stay safe as cool and freezing temperatures continue in the next months. The waiver only applies to motor carriers and commercial drivers who are transporting residential heating fuel to or from a terminal.
Respiratory illnesses are increasing across Wisconsin, including influenza. Department of Health Services epidemiologist Tom Haupt encourages you to get a flu shot. DHS is seeing an increase in hospitalizations for flu, as well as for Covid and RSV. Vaccinations are available for all three. Haupt says it’s unfortunate that the state’s current flu vaccination rate is only about 30%.
There's more information about the investigation into the Abundant Life Christian School shooting. Fifteen-year-old student Natalie Rupnow opened fire at the school in December, killing a teacher and another student before killing herself. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes says detectives are analyzing 21 bullet casings that were recovered from the scene. He says it seems two guns were brought to the school, but only one was used. The department is still working to find a motive and determine the validity of a manifesto that was widely shared after the shooting. Barnes says most details about the investigation will have to remain confidential for now.
The annual employment report for 2024 in Wisconsin shows some record-high numbers. The Department of Workforce Development says the state saw seven months in a row of record-high employment, along with consistent low unemployment. DWD says there were also more disabled workers and registered apprentices than ever statewide. Worker's compensation insurance rates also dropped for the ninth year in a row, saving employers more than ten-percent compared to 2023.
A new strain of norovirus is spreading across Wisconsin. The Centers for Disease Control says ten outbreaks were reported in Wisconsin in the last month - the most of all US states. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping, so the virus is commonly mistaken for a stomach bug. The CDC recommends hand washing often, since hand sanitizer won't kill the virus.
The Department of Health Services issues another round of opioid settlement funds. From October through December of 2024, DHS awarded more than $21 million to agencies across Wisconsin. That marks the largest amount awarded in a quarterly period since Wisconsin began receiving funds in 2022 from national litigation against pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy chains. Grants awarded support projects designed to prevent non-medical use of opioids, reduce the harms of opioid use, and expand access to treatment and recovery supports for people with an opioid use disorder. DHS has received about $75 million so far from the litigation, and is due to get another roughly $153 million in funds through 2038.
A Minnesota ex-con is charged with stealing more than seven-million dollars from Medicaid. Chavis Willis is charged with racketeering and theft by swindle. The Minnesota AG says Willis was posing as his mother and running an illegal, Medicaid-funded health care business. Because of his previous conviction of aiding and abetting a murder, Willis was not allowed to operate such a business by law.
Applications are open for the 2026 Wisconsin State Park and Forest vehicle admission pass design contest. The Department of Natural Resources says high school students are eligible to submit their artwork through April 30. The DNR asks that entries have visuals focused on outdoor recreation or local animals and plants. The passes provide access to more than 60 state parks, forests, and other recreation areas statewide. More information is available on DNR-dot-Wisconsin-dot-gov.
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