Local-Regional News April 2

The City of Durand is holding an open meeting tonight to discuss economic development. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the meeting will start with Mark Tallman from WHEDA and then be open to the public.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at Durand City Hall.

Western Wisconsin Poultry farmers who were abandoned by Pure Prairie Poultry last fall are still waiting for payments for claims made under the Packers and Stockyards Act. The Company is still going through federal bankruptcy and is under receivership. Terry Filla a poultry farmer who was abandoned by the company says he has been informed that he may receive 30% of his claim.  In its bankruptcy, Pure Prairie Poultry listed 937 creditors owing between $100 million and $500 million and having assets between $50 million and $100 million.

Yesterday was election day in Wisconsin. In Western Wisconsin incumbants Rachel Henderson, Abe Smith and Dominique Stewart were all re-elected to the Menomonie School Board, Jen Plemon was elected to the Elk Mound School Board, and Heather Logslett was elected to the Colfax School Board.

An invasive insect has been found in La Crosse County. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection says tracking data shows the spongy moth in La Crosse County. The invasive moth feeds on the leaves of hundreds of tree species, leaving them weak and susceptible to disease. As a result, plant nurseries like Christmas tree farms, loggers, and sawmills will have to prove their trees don't have spongy moths before transporting them into non-infected areas. Spongy moth has also been found in Eau County here in West Central Wisconsin.

Parts of the Chippewa River Trail are closed in Eau Claire as the Chippewa River is at an elevated level. Recent rain, snow, and snowmelt has elevated the river, making it unsafe. That's because the currents are stronger, and the river is unpredictable when the water levels are high.  According to the National Weather Service, the river has crested, and it will gradually fall over the next few days. 

A Rice Lake man accused of a fatal hit and run is being sentenced to just over a year in jail. Prosecutors say 33-year-old Tyler Baker was one of two motorcyclists who crashed on County Highway M in 2023. The other cyclist, Charles Kee, died. Baker will get work release while he's in jail, and eight years of probation after his sentence is complete. Four other people are also facing charges after leaving the scene of the crash before responders got there.

Fire officials are investigating how a fire started at the La Crosse State Street post office. The fire took place yesterday afternoon. Fire officials said the fire was located outside and was a small fire not connected with the building. No injuries were reported, and the fire did not interfere with the post office operations.

Winona County Authorities are warning residents of incidents of attempted burglaries. The Winona County Sheriffs Department says there have been multiple incidents across Winona, and Wabasha Counties where a suspect drives to a victim’s home in rural areas, and knocking on the door. If no one answers the suspect enters the home. The suspects vehicle is a light blue Chrysler Town and Country van with Minnesota plates, driven by a 69yr old black male, 215lbs, 5’10 with brown eyes and black hair. If anyone has any information on the suspect they are to contact law enforcement.

Governor Tony Evers has declared a state of emergency for northern Wisconsin. The state of emergency stems from the winter storms that hit the area over this last weekend. This will help efforts in clearing debris, get warming shelters open and keeping the community safe during this time. More severe weather is on the way with high winds and snow on the way to the area. Crews are still working around the clock to restore power to the area. Over 130 thousand people lost power in northern Wisconsin.

Advocates fear how cuts to federal Medicaid spending will hit Wisconsin’s unpaid family caregivers. Congress is considering at least $880 billion in Medicaid cuts as part of a bill to extend existing tax cuts. Janet Zander with Wisconsin Aging Advocacy Network says impacts of Wisconsin’s aging population are already being felt, with many people leaving the workforce to care for relatives. Zander says Medicaid-funded programs like Family Care, IRIS, and CLTS help people remain in their homes - and are the reason why many family members can continue working. The extent of the cuts is unclear, but Zander says people should be contacting their Congress members

Wisconsin is joining a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over the termination of about eleven-billion dollars in public health grants nationwide. Attorney General Josh Kaul is joining 22 other states in the suit. The lawsuit argues the grant terminations were sudden and disrupted state health agency operations. HHS says the grants were provided through COVID legislation, and are no longer necessary. Wisconsin could lose as much as 235-million dollars from the cancellations.

The Universities of Wisconsin have stayed in-house selecting the next leader for the Milwaukee campus. UW Stevens Point Chancellor Thomas Gibson has been unanimously approved to take over as UW M Chancellor this summer. Gibson came to the Stevens Point campus in 20-21 and has helped secure millions of dollars in donations for academic programs including a ten million dollar gift from Sentry Insurance to help create the Sentry School of Business and economics, and a partnership with Milwaukee Tools that helps outfit forestry students with the latest in protective equipment and tools. Gibson was one of four finalists for the job, Regents will announce an interim Chancellor and search procedures for the Stevens Point campus in the near future.

Minnesota U.S. Senate candidate Royce White is defending his campaign finance report. The most recent report he filed showed over one million dollars of donor money went toward credit card fees. The fund amounts to 70 percent of his operating expenses in the 2024 campaign against Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar. He told KSTP-TV that the business that bundles his donations keeps 85 percent of the money donated to his campaign, and he gets the remaining 15 percent. White is running again in 2026 for the U.S. Senate Seat now held by Tina Smith, who is not seeking re-election.

Some Minnesota legislators want to do away with the proposed Northern Lights Express passenger train service between the Twin Cities and Duluth. Plans call for the federal government to cover 80 percent of the 719 million dollars to build the project. GOP lawmakers question whether the Trump White House will support the plan. Minnesota Republicans now are in favor of moving the nearly 200 million dollars set aside by the state for the Northern Lights project should be diverted to the Minnesota Department of Transportation to maintain state highways. Supporters of the proposed initiative say it would be transformative, considering Amtrak service between the Twin Cities and Duluth was discontinued 40 years ago.

Two Wisconsin middle schoolers will head to Washington, D.C to complete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Sixth grader Jacob Martonito and seventh grader Ethan Robert came in first and second place, respectively, at this weekend's Badger State Spelling bee held at Madison College. Martonito is from Classical Charter School in Appleton and Robert is from Eisenhower Middle School in New Berlin. The two middle schoolers actually tied for third place last year. This year's Badger State Spelling Bee featured 54 contestants grades four through eight from all over Wisconsin. The Scripps National Spelling Bee will be held in Washington, D.C at the end of May.