City of Durand Residents will be getting a notice that their water bills will be on the increase. The City is having a full study done with the WI Public Service Commission to raise the water rates. The rates need to be increased to help pay for the new water filtration plant and daily operations. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the rates could be raised by 60%, but reminds residents that just the water portion of their bill. If the Wisconsin PSC agrees to the rate increase they could take effect later this year.
The Buffalo County Highway Department has begun Seasonal Weight Restrictions. The restrictions will remain in effect until further notice. Single Axle Vehicles are restricted to no more than 10 tons, Tandem Axle Vehicle are restricted to no more than 22 tons and Combination Vehicles are restricted to no more than 30 tons. These restrictions are for County Highways, Town Roads may have their own restrictions which will be determined by the respective Town. Contact the applicable Town Chairperson for Town Road restrictions.
The replacement of the Bridge on HWY KK in Buffalo County is underway. Hwy KK is now closed between Hwy 37 and Rockwell Road. The bridge replacement is expected to be completed on April 25 and HWY KK will remain closed between Hwy 37 and Rockwell Road during the construction.
The Executive Director of the Northern Wisconsin State Fair is retiring. Rusty Volk has served as executive director for 17yrs and says it has been an absolute pleasure to serve the Northern Wisconsin State Fair Association. Volk was instrumental in the development of the Agriculture Campus on the fairgrounds with the building of new livestock barns and a new arena. His retirement is set for Jan 1, 2026. The Fair Association will now begin the process of searching for a new Executive Director.
Buffalo County is again offering an Ag & Household Hazardous Clean Sweep collection program to residents, businesses and farms. Funds for collecting hazardous waste are provided by Buffalo County and Grants from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Residents and farmers may bring their materials to the Clean Sweep collection site at no cost. The Clean Sweep will be March 13 at the Mondovi Recycling Center.
Authorities are searching for a suspect involved in a theft in Prescott, Wis. According to the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network, the suspect entered a vehicle and stole a backpack that contained the victim’s wallet. Before the theft was reported; the suspect used the credit card at three business in the City of Prescott. The suspect was seen driving a white in color Ford pickup truck. The security camera was not able to read the license plate. Anyone with information is to contact the Prescott Police Department.
An Eau Claire man is sentenced to 18 years in prison for child sexual assault. The sentence for Jonathan Rowan came down yesterday afternoon in an Eau Claire courtroom. Rowan faced 32 felonies including multiple charges of repeated sexual assault of a child. According to court documents, the children were eight and nine years old at the time of the assault. Rowan will be put on the sex offender registry, and once his 18 years are up, he will have 20-years of extended supervision.
The UW-Stout Police Department has a new therapy dog on staff. The department welcomes Harvey, who was named after several rounds of voting from community members over the past few weeks. Harvey will support victims of crimes, students and community members all year round. He will be out and about on campus putting smiles on people's faces.
A U-W-L student accused of sexually assaulting teen girls in his dorm room is pleading not guilty. Caden Atkinson is charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 16. Back in February, Atkinson signed a five-thousand-dollar bond and is not to have contact with any female under the age of 18. He will be back in court later this month.
The three finalists for superintendent of the Onalaska School District fielded questions from residents. Dr. Rainey Briggs, Lalisha Olson, and Ben Barton took questions from community members last night that the district had put together. The questions covered many topics. Community members were able to submit notes on a feedback form that district members will go through. The board would like to decide by the end of the month with the new superintendent starting July 1st.
Several children were left alone in a Madison apartment while their mom was out of state. Madison Police executed a welfare check last Friday and found seven young children between the ages of 2 and 13 living in "deplorable conditions". Officers learned that the mother had been in Illinois for a week. No reason was given on why she left the kids alone. Child Protective Services placed them in the care of a family friend. Their mother is back in Wisconsin and has contacted police as they investigate the situation.
Three people are charged in connection with a car sale odometer scam in Waukesha County. The Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation alleges the three from Brookfield bought high-mileage vehicles from private sellers across the Midwest through Facebook Marketplace. The suspects own an auto body shop and are accused of rolling back vehicle odometers and falsifying titles. 70 vehicles with an estimated 4.5 million miles taken off their odometers were allegedly sold at inflated prices between 2022 and last month. The three face multiple theft charges and have an April court date scheduled.
Wisconsin voters go to the polls April 1st to select a new state Supreme Court Justice and state Superintendent of Public Instruction. Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin said on Wednesday that not many are paying attention. The poll found 39% of respondents say they've heard or read a lot about the Supreme Court race, 42% say some, and 19 admit they've heard nothing at all. On the superintendent's race it's half that - only 18% have heard a lot, 47 a little and 35 nothing. The Supreme Court candidates are Waukesha County Court Judge Brad Schimel and Dane County Judge Susan Crawford. In the Superintendent’s race, incumbent Democrat Jill Underly is opposed by challenger Brittany Kinser, an education consultant backed by conservatives. The new Marquette Poll was released Wednesday.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Republican state lawmakers are at odds over tax cuts and the state budget. Republican leaders want to use a portion of the state’s projected $4.3 billion surplus on a tax cut – before tackling the next state budget. Evers has concerns. During a WisPolitics luncheon in Madison this week, the Democratic Governor said that doesn't make sense in light of the current uncertainty in Washington, D.C. Evers said he’d be likely such a tax cut if it reaches his desk prior to a completed two-year state budget.
Minnesota's projected budget surplus for the next two years has shrunk. State budget officials announced today the latest economic forecast. They say Minnesota now has a projected surplus of 456 million dollars for the next two-year budget cycle. It is 160 million lower than previous estimates. Meanwhile, the future projected deficit in the 2028-2029 biennium has increased from the last five-point-one billion dollar estimate released in December. The Legislature must work with Governor Tim Walz to pass a new two-year state budget by May 19th.
The U-W-L police have a new member of their staff. A ten-week-old puppy will now serve as the emotional support dog on the force. The police have named the puppy "Officer Bear". Officer Bear's job will be to reduce stress and provide emotional support for students on campus. Officer Bear will go into training for a year before he can fully be an emotional support dog.
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