The City of Durand is submitting the Water Rate Case study to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission for consideration of a water rate increase for Durand residents. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the PSC will review the study and if they agree new water rates could take effect in the fall. The study recommended water rates to increase 63% due to the need for the city to replace the Water Filtration Plant that is starting to fail and projected costs for the water utility over the next 10 years. This would be the first increase in water rates for the city of Durand in 7yrs.
A Dunn County woman has been arrested for OWI 5th offense. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, troopers pulled over 40yr old Catherine McQuality of Wheeler on Wednesday afternoon on Hwy 64 for a speeding violation. The trooper noticed signs of impairment and conducted a field sobriety test on McQuality. She was arrested and charged with OWI, operating after revocation, failure to install an ignition interlock devices, open intoxicants and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Local banks want to warn consumers about QR code scams. Rochley Gross, Fraud Analyst with Forward Bank said people may think a QR code is valid since it's at a bank but there are scammers who will place their own stickers over them. She said scammers are going to continue to find ways to get past preventative measures that protect peoples' accounts but there are tons of training programs for staff members at banks. While the banks do their part, consumers can help by not clicking on things you don't recognize. Other ways include never giving your information to people you don't trust and reaching out to your banker if you think you're being scammed.
A new report shows that about one-third of kids in rural Wisconsin get their healthcare covered through the BadgerCare system. The statistic is part of a nationwide study from the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. Researchers used census data to analyze rural Medicaid enrollment across the country. Roughly one-and-a-half-million total Wisconsin residents are on BadgerCare.
The Chippewa Falls City Council is moving forward on several big projects following a Tuesday night meeting. That includes building a new hospital by Aspirus. The facility will be 54-thousand-square-feet, with twelve inpatient beds, 18 exam rooms, and two procedure rooms. The Conditional Use Permit for the hospital will go before the Planning Commission on February 10th. The council will also listen to the second reading for Hope VIllage's request to turn the Indian Motel into efficiency apartments. Finally, a second reading for Lutheran Social Services' request to reopen the former L.E. Phillips Libertas Center will happen in two weeks. The organization wants to operate the facility under its own name to address the need for services related to substance use disorder treatment.
Officials at the Irvine Park Zoo are looking at options for large animal exhibits. This comes after the passing of Lulu, a white tiger. Parks and Recreations Director John Jimenez said the vision has "hit fast forward" with the tiger's passing and they really want to address three of the zoo's exhibits. That includes the two large exhibits that hold bears and hyenas and the tiger exhibit. Jimenez said the officials are thinking about remodeling the landscape to create a more open environment for the animals. Other large animal exhibits for the future are also on the discussion table. As for the tiger exhibit, Jimenez said the zoo is looking at bringing an animal that is more native to the Americas.
Eau Claire County is giving Western Wisconsin residents the opportunity to fight food waste with a sale on compost bins. Bins will cost 33-dollars and stainless steel kitchen pails are 25-dollars for Eau Claire County residents. Anyone who isn't an Eau Claire County resident can still purchase bins at full price for 68-dollars. Buyers can pick up their bin on May 2nd at the Eau Claire County Expo Center. More information can be found on RecyclingConnection.org
An Eau Claire man who tried to join the Russian army while on probation for his role in the January 6th, 2021 insurrection is being pardoned. Kevin Loftus was living in Eau Claire when he drover to Washington, D.C. for the "Stop the Steal" rally. He was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol Building but he was pardoned with President Trump's executive order. Loftus was recently sentenced to six months in prison for violating his probation while trying to board a place out of the country. He was also later arrested in Iowa and told the FBI he was going to Russia and planning on joining their military to fight against Ukraine.
A woman charged in connection with a deadly buggy crash in Fillmore County is due in court today. A settlement conference for Samantha Petersen will be held this afternoon in Preston, though attorneys say no final agreement has been reached. Investigators say Petersen was behind the wheel when a vehicle struck an Amish buggy in September of 2023, killing two children and injuring two others. She's facing 17 criminal charges, including criminal vehicular homicide.
The Defense POW / MIA Account Agency says Columbus native Lt. Col. Donald Downing was accounted for last month, almost 50 years after he was reported killed in action. Downing served in Vietnam with the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron in September of 1967 and during a nighttime reconnaissance mission one of his fellow pilots witnessed a large fireball and Downing stopped responding to radio calls. Search and rescue efforts were unsuccessful, and the Air Force reported Downing as Killed in Action in April of 1978. The DPAA says Downing's family was recently briefed about his identification and a funeral will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
Republican state lawmakers plan to introduce legislation allowing motorists to purchase a special, blackout license plate. The proposal, co-authored by Grafton Representative Paul Melotik and Mosinee Senator Cory Tomczyk, could also provide a new source of revenue for the state's transportation fund used to support roads and bridges infrastructure projects. Blackout plates have been popular in neighboring states, with Iowa generating more than $30 million from an all-black license plate since launching it in 2019. Minnesota started selling a blackout license plate just over a year ago and issued more than 270,000 plates generating roughly $7.8 million in revenue. The plates would cost $25 more than standard license plates and would come with a $25 annual renewal fee.
The man accused of setting fire to an Eastern Wisconsin Representative's office over the TikTok ban is held on a 500-thousand dollar bond. Caiden Stachowicz, a 19-year-old from Menasha [[ meh-NASH-uh ]], is facing four charges including arson. Investigators say he admitted to setting fire to Congressman Glenn Grothmen's Office because he voted yes to the TikTok ban. A judge set Stachowicz's bond at a hearing this morning. He's due back in court by the end of the month.
Madison is one of the best cities for people working in STEM. A new WalletHub report compared 100 large metro cities based on metrics like job openings for new STEM grads and median wage growth. Madison ranks seventh best, with Austin and Boston at number one and two. Milwaukee is about halfway down the list at 53.
Minnesotans are showing more enthusiasm for ice fishing this winter. The state Department of Natural Resources says over 56-thousand ice fishing licenses were sold between Thanksgiving and January 13th of this year. That's the highest number since the 2015-2016 ice fishing season. The increase could indicate a rebound for fishing license sales in the state, which have been dropping since 2020.
Patience is the key for clearing icy windshields. That’s the word from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. A social media post from the agency is discouraging travelers from using a current internet hack suggesting that hot water be poured on the windshield to quickly de-ice it. WisDOT says that could crack the windshield’s glass, and recommends turning on the defrosters, waiting for the car to warm up, then using a scraper to remove ice and snow.
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