The Durand City Council is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include discussion of implementing a Room Tax, discussion and possible action on a lease agreement between the City of Durand and Nelson Communications Cooperative for EMS/PD facility needs and reports from the mayor and department heads. Tonights meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live streamed on our website.
An Eau Claire man that's accused of trying to hire fellow inmates to kill a prosecutor is pleading no contest. According to online court records, Jay Conklin pleaded no contest to one count of solicitation of first degree intentional homicide. The 51-year-old is accused trying to hire inmates at Stanley correctional Institution to kill the prosecutor in his case after he was found guilty of sexual assault of two children. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 8th.
An Altona woman is being sentenced to 15 years in prison for a homicide she committed almost three years ago. On Tuesday, Tracy Clark pleaded no contest to an amended charge of reckless homicide for being involved in the murder of 79-year-old Dennis Schattie. In 2022, Schattie's body was found decapitated in the Rock River in Rockford, Illinois. Clark lived in the 79-year-old's home and investigators believe her and her boyfriend committed the murder for financial gain. Clark was originally facing a charge for intentional homicide. On top of her 15-year prison sentence, she was also ordered to serve ten years of extended supervision and seven and half years of probation.
A former member of the Durand Community Club and owner of Durand Implement has passed away. Sigfried Weiss Jr passed away on Saturday. In 1959 he became owner of manager of Durand Implement which later became Tractor Central and was involved in the early years of Durand Fun Fest and the Miss Durand Program. A celebration of life will be held at a later day.
A man who turned a small Minnesota fastener business into a global brand will be buried this weekend. Winona native Bob Kierlin died on Monday. Kierlin and his three partners founded Fastenal in 1967 and grew the business into the largest fastening distributor in North America. He served as CEO from 1968 to 2002 and served on the company's board until 2014. The 85-year-old was also noted for his philanthropy, funding the construction of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum and supporting other community projects. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Winona.
UnitedHealth Group is agreeing to pay about 20-point-25 million dollars to settle a federal lawsuit. The U. S. Department of Labor accuses the Eden Prairie-based health system of wrongly denying thousands of claims to pay healthcare providers for emergency room services and urinary drug screenings. A federal judge recently ruled that a division of UnitedHealth Group, URM, must reimburse out-of-pocket costs that patients incurred when coverage was denied. The suit also accused URM of not using the right standard when deciding whether to pay for certain ER claims.
Some GOP state lawmakers are proposing a measure that would place a time limit on referendums that generate school funding through property taxes. Representative Cindi Duchow and State Senator Chris Kapenga are co-sponsors of the legislation. They want school funding referendum initiatives to be capped at four years, saying that will reduce the burden on taxpayers. Under current rules, some tax initiatives are temporary while others are permanent.
The Durand Funfest Committee has announce the entertainment for this years Funfest. The Johnny Holm Band will perform on Friday Night, The Dweebs on Saturday and The Bear Creek Band will be on stage on Sunday. In addition to the live entertainment, Funfest will have a carnival, car show, kids pedal pull and more. Funfest will be June 6-8 at Memorial Park in Durand.
The state Supreme Court race is getting expensive. You’ve probably seen or heard ads supporting Dane County Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Judge and former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel. January campaign finance reports show the Crawford campaign raised $2.8 million and Schimel’s $2.0 million. The 2023 election in which Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated former Justice Daniel Kelly saw more than $51 spent by both sides, an amount this race could surpass. While Supreme Court elections are officially non-partisan, Protasiewicz’ win gave liberals a 4-3 majority on the court. In this race, Schimel is backed by Republican and conservative groups, while Crawford has support from liberals and Democrats. The winner of the April 1 election will serve a 10-year term.
Wisconsin set weather records in 2024. That’s according to the Annual Climate Summary from the State Climatology Office at UW Madison. This past year was officially the warmest on record since 1895, with a statewide average temperature of 47.6 degrees - 3.8 degrees above the 1991 to 2020 normal. This surpassed the previous record of 47.4 degrees, set in 2012. Most areas of the state had temperatures three to four degrees above normal. A few pockets even reached four to five degrees above normal. The second warmest February on record contributed significantly to the year’s exceptional warmth. Last year was the 13th wettest on record with a statewide average of 37.0 inches, compared to the normal of 34.05 inches. This included the wettest March-through-August period on record.
Wisconsin and 21 other states are suing the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for unlawfully cutting funds that support cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country. According to a release from the office of Governor Tony Evers, the coalition is challenging the Administration’s attempt to unilaterally cut “indirect cost” reimbursements at every research institution throughout the country. These reimbursements cover expenses to facilitate biomedical research, like lab, faculty, infrastructure, and utility costs. The University of Wisconsin - Madison says the proposed cuts would delay discovery and disrupt vital research.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice is updating their guidelines and initiatives that are aimed at protecting students in classrooms across the state. Attorney General Josh Kaul and other officials announced the new Comprehensive School Safety Framework yesterday during a visit to Green Bay Area School District. The plan includes resources to assist district leaders in conducting safety assessments, creating "speak up, speak out" policies, and intervening when a student may pose a threat. Governor Evers is expected to include renewed funding for the Wisconsin DOJ's Office of School Safety in his upcoming budget proposal.
The IRS is offering more help this tax season. Spokesman Christopher Miller says the I R S dot Gov website has a number of new tools for you to use while doing your tax return, including more forms that can be filed by tablet or phone and a new phone chat bot that will help you with your refund. Miller says the best way to file your return is e-filing, and for the first time Wisconsin residents will be able to freely file their taxes directly with the IRS at I R S dot Gov.
The
Minnesota State Fair is accepting applications for this year's
Century Farm Program. The fair has worked with the Minnesota Farm
Bureau since 1976 to recognize farms that have been continuously
owned by the same family for 100 years or more. Applications for
recognition must be submitted by March 3rd. More information is
available on the state fair website.
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