Local-Regional News May 9

 For the last 10 years, residents of nine counties in western Wisconsin have been able to receive personalized mental health, substance use and other services through a unique partnership called the Western Region Recovery and Wellness Consortium (RWC).   The RWC is celebrating its 10th anniversary in May, having been established a decade ago to stabilize and address mental health and substance use needs in the population.  The counties in the RWC are Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Rusk, and Washburn.   Chippewa County serves as the coordinating county. 

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 is tomorrow from 8-1 at the Mondovi Recycling Center.

Police are looking into cars being broken into at two different Altoona parks. Lake Altoona County Park and Otter Creek Dog Park are the two parks where cars got broken into. Police say the break-ins happened between 3:50 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. yesterday. Police are reviewing tapes and trends, but they believe it's an out of state group that's targeting parks. Anyone with information or saw anything is asked to contact police.

The Dunn County Sheriff’s Department and Menomonie Police Department are holding a fundraiser for the families of Corrections Officer Jeff Reynolds and Police Officer Sam Miller next month.  Sam Miller passed away unexpectedly while off-duty December 27, leaving behind his wife and two children. Jeff Reynolds passed away on Christmas Eve while on his way to work in a car accident, also leaving behind a wife and two children.  The event will be held June 1 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Lucette Brewing and Pizza in Menomonie. 

La Crosse Bishop Gerard Battersby was shocked that an American was voted pope. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was voted as the 267th Pope and first ever American to become Pope. Bishop Battersby said "I was completely surprised. I thought the truism that you could never have an American pope-because America's a superpower." The Bishop is excited to see the new Pope get to work.

Tomah police confirmed that a bomb threat message was sent in Tomah at Tomah High school. Police evacuated students and the staff from the school. The bomb threat message was written in a bathroom stall. Police searched the entire school and did not find the threat credible. Police are investigating the threat and will release more information when it becomes available.

Wisconsin is suing the Department of Transportation over more than 60 million dollars in blocked electric vehicle funding. Governor Tony Evers says the money was already approved by Congress and should not have been blocked. More than a dozen other states have also joined the lawsuit, which says losing the funds could halt infrastructure plans and job growth.

Building projects in Wisconsin are getting 125 million dollars in funding from the state. It's the first time the Building Commission has made a funding decision since disagreeing over Governor Tony Evers' 2025-2027 budget recommendations in March. Projects receiving the funding include utility infrastructure upgrades on the UW-Stevens Point and UW-La Crosse campuses, modernizing the Wisconsin Army National Guard's historic training facility, and maintenance repairs for thirty-one state agencies.

At the Capitol, a bipartisan win for Wisconsin nurses and patients. A bill would allow the state’s Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to care for patients without partnering with a doctor. State Senator Pat Testin of Stevens Point said it's the result of productive conversations with the various stakeholders along with Governor Tony Evers, who will sign the measure if and when it reaches his desk, The new license will allow nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and certified registered nurse anesthetists to care for patients without partnering with a doctor. Advocates say it will help alleviate gaps in availability of healthcare. 27 states have similar licenses in place. The bill adds educational requirements after Evers vetoed two earlier versions.

Another arrest by federal immigration agents at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Chief Judge Carl Ashley said ICE agents waited for a Wednesday morning hearing to end before making the arrest. The identity of the person taken into custody, the charges they face, and where the accused was being taken were not revealed. ICE has made several recent arrests at courthouses in Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties. Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested last month and is accused of helping undocumented immigrant Eduardo Flores Ruiz avoid immigration enforcement at the courthouse. Ashley says a policy on how to handle ICE agents inside the courthouse is still being worked out.

A bill at the Capitol would criminalize deep-fake pornography. The proposal would make using AI to turn someone’s visual image into a naked photo or sex video a felony. Bill co-sponsor Republican Senator Andre Jacque, addressed an Assembly committee hearing on Wednesday.  Proponents of the bill say deep-fake images used to harass and intimidate others could escalate as the use of AI increases. Jacque says 32 other states already have laws similar to what the measure advocates.

Several community leaders are demanding a woman face criminal charges after she was accused of calling a young African American boy a racial slur. The local NAACP held a town hall session at the Rochester Civic Theatre yesterday afternoon. The incident, which went viral, happened April 28th at Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial Park. A video shows Sharmake Omar confronting Shiloh Hendrix for calling a boy a racial slur. Rochester Police handed over its investigation to city attorneys. The Olmsted County Attorney's Office is also investigating.

Negotiations in state budget talks are moving at a snail's pace despite Governor Tim Walz's involvement. The Legislature has a May 19th deadline to produce a spending plan. DFL Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy says it's been slow progress, and it's a difficult budget to settle this year. But Democrats and Republicans agreed on legislation that creates an Office of Inspector General to oversee state government program spending.

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism has unveiled the newest State Highway Map. The Wisconsin DOT used geographic information system data to help improve the paper version of the map, which the department says is still in high demand. Department of Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers says the map is more than a tool for motorists, it's a resource for discovery. The map features Wisconsin's state parks, trails, and recreation areas, as well as historic sites and veterans memorials. Printed maps can be picked up for free at a number of locations, including state rest areas and welcome centers.