A rural Pepin man is dead after an ATV accident Saturday. According to the Pepin County Sheriff’s Department, 73yr old Richard Bignell was operating his ATV in front of his garage when he was ejected from it and the ATV came to rest on his body. First responders arrived on the scene but life-saving efforts were unsuccessful. Bignell was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police in Illinois have confirmed that four people that died in a small plane crash were from Menomonie Wisconsin. Illinois State Police said the incident took place on County Road 14 North in Trilla, Illinois. The four people in the plane were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Police said that the plane hit power-lines and crashed in a nearby field. The investigation is ongoing.
School Districts across Wisconsin are waiting for the ruling on the constitutionality of ACT10, the law that limited collective bargaining for teachers and other public employees. Durand-Arkansaw Superintendent Ryan Nelson says there will be many questions that need to be answered if the act is ruled unconstitutional. Last December, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jacob Frost ruled that Act 10 is unconstitutional.
The Dunn County Dairy Promotions Committee has announced there will not be a June Dairy Month Breakfast this year. The current committee is in a season of transition and will forgo an official dairy breakfast this summer; however, the group is planning on some smaller events in the upcoming year, including a presence at the Menomonie Farmer’s Market and Music Over Menomin. Please look for more information on these events as they develop. The committee has plans to put together a breakfast for June Dairy Month in 2026 and will be sharing more information and requests for assistance as it gets closer to the planning stages.
An Eau Claire man was sentenced to 9yrs in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine. Corey Hobbs was charged in May of 2024 with three counts of distributing meth after an investigation found he had been selling the drug in 2023. Hobbs entered a plea deal last week where two of the three counts were dismissed.
An Eau Claire County man is facing multiple charges after a police chase left seven squad cars damaged. 41Yr old Nathan Stevens is charged with two counts of 1-st degree recklessly endangering safety, two counts of fleeing an officers and possession of methamphetamine. The chase last week started when officers tried to pull Stevens over and a pursuit ensued. Stevens is being held on a $35,000 cash bond and his next court appearance is May 27th.
Fire crews are investigating how a fire took place at a vacant house in La Crosse. The fire took place late Friday on the 1400 block of Caledonia Street. When crews first arrived, they saw heavy smoke coming out from the house as well as searched for people inside. It was later determined that the house was vacant. The house suffered major smoke and fire damage.
You have an opportunity to comment on Wisconsin’s deer management plan. The Department of Natural Resources and County Deer Advisory Councils remind the public to attend local county meetings to share feedback on local deer management ahead of the 2025 deer season. Each if Wisconsin’s 72 counties has a County Deer Advisory Council that meets annually to provide input and recommendations to the DNR on local deer management. Recommendations are reviewed and set annually to allow for adjustments in response to the previous year's deer harvest, winter severity and other factors. This year's meetings will take place today (Monday) through May 1. More details, including meeting locations, are available in the 2025 County Deer Advisory Committee Meeting Schedule on the DNR website.
Ten structures are destroyed by a major fire on the Minnesota Renaissance Festival grounds in Shakopee. The blaze started Friday evening. Several retail shops and food vendors were lost in the flames. One Shakopee firefighter suffered a minor injury after being struck with a fire hose. They were treated at the scene and quickly returned to duty. The Renaissance Festival is scheduled to open on August 16th. Organizers say they are planning ahead and will work to rebuild.
The Wisconsin State Supreme Court is ruling in favor of Governor Tony Evers [[ EE-verz ]], upholding his veto to lock in a 400-year school funding increase. In the decision posted on the court's website, the vote was four-to-three affirming the partial veto power Evers used. Wisconsin is the only state that allows governors to partially veto spending bills by striking words, numbers and punctuation to give bills new meaning or change dollar amounts.
Wisconsin's latest unemployment rate holds steady at three-point-two percent. The Department of Workforce Development says that's a full percentage point lower than the national unemployment rate. The labor workforce participation rate decreased in March, but is still higher than the same time last year.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is turning down Title VI certification. It's part of the Civil Rights Act that prevents race-based discrimination in federally funded programs. The President ordered in January that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are discriminatory because they advance opportunities for only some people based on race. By not signing the certification, Wisconsin may lose 568-million-dollars in federal funding from the US Department of Education.
Rochester-based Mayo Clinic is changing the name of its DEI office. It will now be known as the Office of Belonging. Under that change, staff with titles related to diversity, equality, and inclusion will now be branded Belonging employees. Mayo is also restructuring its websites to reflect the new language. The changes come as President Trump continues to target DEI programs at academic and medical institutions that receive federal funding. The president says the programs violate federal civil rights law, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
Milwaukee's police union is threatening charges against Froedtert Hospital. Froedtert issued a written apology to police after a uniformed officer who wasn't feeling well was refused medical care after not removing his firearm at a clinic last week. The Milwaukee Police Association said officers carry their service weapons in preparation for dangerous situations and is considering filing obstruction charges against Froedert staff. Froedtert is working to clarify its policy regarding law-enforcement officers and their firearms.
There's only a couple of weeks left to get the new REAL ID. Officials with the transportation department say this I.D. is required for those that plan to fly and visit federal buildings. Current driver license or ID status are still valid for other uses like driving. Enforcement begins May 7th.
A Wisconsin technical college is selected as the best in the U.S. The Aspen Institute awarded the 2025 prize for Community College Excellence to Southwest Technical College in Fennimore. The school received the prize in recognition of its strong completion rates and exceptional wage outcomes for graduates. The college exceeds the national average for community college graduation rate by nearly 20 percent. Southwest Tech will receive $700,000 for winning the prize, which the Aspen Institute calls “…the nation’s signature recognition for high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges.”
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