Local-Regional News June 12

 

Mavrick Drone Systems has donated a $17,000 drone to Chippewa Valley Technical College’s drone training program. The agricultural drone is intentionally inoperable, and will allow students of the program hands-on experience in repair, programming, piloting, and maintenance of the drone. The drone training certification program started at CVTC in 2019.

The Durand City Council heard a presentation from Ehlers and Associates on how the city could pay for the Madison Street Project. The $4 million project has been delayed after costs came in above expectations. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city could use funds from the Tax Incremental Finance District to pay for the project.  Even with the price, by using the TIF district, city residents wouldn’t see a rise in taxes.

Residents of Buffalo, Eau Claire, and Trempealeau Counties are invited to participate in a needs assessment survey being conducted by the Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council. The survey will ask residents of the three counties questions about jobs, child care options, health care, affordable housing, and quality of life. Visit the Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council Facebook page to take the survey.

Dunn County residents are encouraged to take an emergency preparedness survey being conducted by Dunn County Emergency Management. The survey will help emergency management set priorities and goals for training, equipment, planning, and emergency response. The survey will also support updates to the county’s hazard mitigation plan. Visit the Dunn County Facebook page to take the survey.

Two Chippewa Falls lawmakers are behind legislation that would help fund the reopening of a substance abuse treatment center. State Senator Jesse James and Representative Clint Moses authored a bill that would allocate one-million dollars to help cover re-opening costs of the former Libertas Center. Lutheran Social Services estimates it would cost three-million dollars to buy and renovate the building.

The City of Wabasha has announced that the new Eagles Basin playground is officially open . The park opened on June 5th and was a key project identified in the city’s comprehensive master parks plan, offers families and children play and outdoor activity.  Future enhancements of the park include the installation of a concrete sidewalk directly connecting the park to Wabasha’s popular city bike trail, further improving accessibility. Additionally, two new concrete pads will be poured to accommodate new park benches, offering comfortable seating for visitors.

A judge will announce later this month when the new trial will start for the woman accused of human trafficking in La Crosse County. A mistrial was declared yesterday because the victim in the case had a medical emergency. Shantylle Kibler is accused of working with her boyfriend to force the victim into prostitution. A status conference is scheduled for later this month to determine the date of the new trial.

Wisconsin lawmakers are considering a measure that would ensure continued funding for the state's 9-8-8 crisis hotline. Federal dollars for the service are currently set to expire next year. Legislation introduced in Madison would require the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to keep the hotline running. Officials say the service has received 200-thousand calls and messages from Wisconsin residents seeking help with mental health concerns since launching in July of 2022.

Wisconsin is joining a lawsuit against genealogy company 23andMe. On Tuesday Attorney General Josh Kaul announced the state is joining a coalition of states involved in a lawsuit against the company. The suit aims to stop 23andMe from auctioning off the genetic information of users. The personal information of about 15 million customers could be sold off after the biotechnology company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. The lawsuit, filed in federal bankruptcy court, challenges the company's attempt to auction off its assets without the consent of its users.

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism has announced a third consecutive record-breaking year. According to a press release from Governor Tony Evers' office, Wisconsin generated $25.8 billion in total economic impact in 2024, surpassing the previous record of $25 billion in 2023. The state also welcomed 114.4 million visits over the course of the year. Governor Evers credited the growth to strategic investments in tourism included in his budget, though he noted that some of those investments were cut by Republican lawmakers.

Officials in Wausau hope DNA science can identify the city’s unknown soldier. The unknown soldier died by suicide in 1930 - leaving behind no identifying information, just a note saying he was a World War One Veteran. Efforts to identify him went nowhere- and officials buried him with full military honors and a headstone marked "unknown Soldier" But last week multiple agencies worked to dig up his remains "with great care and respect"- they now await DNA analysis to see if a living match can be found- which could lead to identification and closer for his story. Officials say the effort could take months, with the University of Wisconsin Missing in Action (MIA) Recovery and Identification Project assisting the effort.

You can play a part in protecting Wisconsin's seniors from scams. Ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th, the Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection wants families to be aware of how scammers try to take advantage of older adults. The best things you can do to keep seniors safe is to be informed, plan ahead, stop and think, talk to others about possible scams and report them. According to the Federal Trade Commission, of those who lost money to fraud in 2024, the median amount for consumers over age 70 was more than $1,000. Visit DATCP's website for more information on scams and how to avoid them.

A boat made famous after being abandoned for months along Milwaukee’s lakeshore could sail into your life for the right price. Tuesday, the Milwaukee County Parks and Culture Committee discussed putting the vessel named "Deep Thought" up for auction. Parks deputy director James Tarantino says details about the public auction would be made available once legal details are figured out. The boat was abandoned along the lakeshore after running out of gas in mid-October and stayed there until last month when it was towed at the county’s expense. The county hopes to cover a funding shortfall for the $50,000 towing bill through the auction.

Republican lawmakers are pushing a new resolution that would limit the governor's power to veto parts of state spending bills. The proposed constitutional change would allow governors to strike entire sections or reduce funding -- but not remove individual words or numbers. The move follows Governor Tony Evers' 2023 veto that secured school funding for 400 years. The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld that action earlier this year. Supporters of the resolution say governors from both parties have taken the partial veto too far.

A group of Democratic state lawmakers are trying to change the primary voting process in Wisconsin. Several senators and representatives are sponsoring a measure that would allow voters to split tickets in partisan primaries. As it stands now, citizens are only able to cast a ballot for a single party primary. Wisconsin Democrats have also sponsored legislation that would allow voters to use a REAL ID from another state as an acceptable form of identification at the polls.