This year’s outdoor graduation ceremony for the Durand-Arkansaw School District will be the last. During last nights school board meeting the board voted to rescind the policy approved last month that set minimum weather guidelines for outdoor graduation and approve a policy that has graduation held inside at the gym. School Board President Bill Yingst asked for the change after learning that the district has to pay $1500 for a stage for outdoor graduation and the district would not be refunded the money if graduation had to be moved indoors due to the weather. Board members also felt that the outdoor graduations started during the pandemic and it was time to revert back to pre-covid graduation ceremonies inside.
The Pepin County Board has approved a resolution supporting the continued funding for FEMA. During last nights meeting the board vote for the resolution as there is concern that funding for FEMA would be eliminated in 2026. The Wisconsin Emergency Management Association is asking Wisconsin Counties to pass a resolution in support of continued funding for FEMA.
Dunn County has earned a gold-level certification as a Family Friendly Workplace, recognizing its commitment to supporting employees' well-being and work-life balance. Dunn County earned this certification after a comprehensive evaluation of its workplace policies, including flexible work options, parental leave, healthcare benefits, and family-centric support programs. As a certified employer, Dunn County is now entitled to use the Family Friendly Workplaces logo in their talent attraction and retention work, as well as access a range of other benefits.
The City of Wabasha, in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, has applied for Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for upgrades to the Lawrence Boulevard Lift Station. The Lift station is located adjacent to the Mississippi River and is the single most critical piece of infrastructure in the City’s sewer system, as it collects wastewater from over 90 percent of the users in the system. The project will include installing a new generator on the lift station and make some safety improvements to the existing manhole structure, and replace the existing manual bypass pump.
\The West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition has released the findings of a recent survey showing strong support for a proposed rail line connecting Eau Claire to the Twin Cities. The coalition gathered more than 1,100 responses, with 97 percent of participants indicating they would use the service. Respondents said they would use the train to commute and attend events in the Twin Cities. Others were concerned about the cost of the passenger route. The Coalition is now working on securing funding for the project.
The Eau Claire City-County Health Department is calling the installation of a Narcan-dispensing vending machine a success. The machine, which also dispenses fentanyl testing strips, has sat in the lobby of the Eau Claire County Jail for about two years. Department officials say that an estimated 37-hundred doses of Narcan have been dispensed in that time and have resulted in the saving of lives. Grant dollars from the state cover the cost of maintaining the machine.
A teenager is in custody following a recent incident that had the potential for violence in Polk County. The Polk County Sheriff's Office says the 16-year-old suspect showed up outside of an Osceola home last week dressed in black, peering through windows and armed with a gun and a knife. Police say the teen had wanted to make someone who had been bullying them suffer. Charges against the suspect include attempted first-degree intentional homicide and attempted kidnapping.
The state Senate is running the risk of not passing the next fiscal year budget on time as there is at least one Republican senator who doesn't like either Governor Evers' proposal or what's before the Joint Finance Committee. The GOP has an 18-to-15 majority, but Senator Chris Kapenga of Delafield says he would rather allow the existing budget to continue. Republican Senator Steve Nass is also unhappy with the budget proposals and has said it "might be the worst process used" in his 35 years in the legislature. If they join all Democrats in voting no, the budget won't pass.
The state supreme court is siding with Attorney General Josh Kaul in a battle over a law signed more than six years ago. In 2018 Republican Gov. Scott Walker passed a law weakening the powers of the incoming governor and attorney general. The law requires the attorney general to get approval from the legislature's finance committee before settling some civil cases. This resulted in a backlog of unresolved lawsuits. The supreme court ruled unanimously that the finance committee doesn't have the authority to approve settlement agreements, adding that the law violates the separation of powers clause.
Governor Tony Evers urges Republicans in the legislature to approve investments in broadband. The Democratic governor requested $400 million in his executive budget for the Broadband Expansion Grant program to provide or improve broadband internet in underserved areas. The governor's request comes as the Trump administration has made sweeping changes to the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program. Evers’ office says that will further delay bringing affordable, high-speed internet to more Wisconsin homes and businesses. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin estimates that 39 percent of Wisconsinites lack access to affordable internet.
Harley-Davidson is recalling thousands of its motorcycles. The Milwaukee-based company says over 82,000 Softail motorcycles built between 2018 and 2024 are affected. A recall report filed earlier this month with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that a rear shock adjuster mounting tab could fracture and possibly touch and dig a groove into the rear tire. That could cause the tire to quickly lose pressure. Owners of the motorcycles can expect a letter later this month from Harley-Davidson informing them of the recall.
The founder of Chaska-based MyPillow, Mike Lindell, will have to pay more than two million dollars for defaming a voting machine employee. A federal jury in Colorado ruled that the business owner spoke out against Eric Coomer with unproven claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The former Dominion Voting Systems worker sued for defamation in 2022, claiming he received death threats after Lindell called him a traitor and a criminal. MyPillow, which was not named in the suit, was not found liable for defamation. But the jury did find FrankSpeech, now known as LindellTV, liable.
Minnesota school leaders appear to be seeking voters for more money by way of property tax increases. The state teachers union, Education Minnesota, says 45 local chapters have reached out for its support with possible Vote Yes campaigns. School districts still have until August to create funding requests to appear on ballots in the fall elections. Last year, 435 school districts sought additional taxpayer funding, and just eleven of 28 operating levies on that list won voter approval. This fall, a more intense get-out-the-vote campaign could have a bigger result.
A kayaking trail in north central Wisconsin is getting federal recognition. About 20 miles of the Great Pinery Heritage Waterway were recently designated as a National Recreation Trail by the Department of Interior. Visit Wausau Executive Director Tim White says the national recognition helps bring people to the area and highlights how significant the Wisconsin River is. White says signage with the National Parks logo will be going up soon. The Great Pinery Heritage Waterway stretches more than 100 miles between Oneida and Portage Counties.
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