Local-Regional News June 3

 

The Durand Council has changed meeting times. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the council will now meet at 6pm on the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday of the month.  Milliren said the city council had gone to two meetings a month to have less committee meetings back in the mid 2010’s.

A plea agreement has been reached in a Dunn County child sexual assault case. 38Yr old Steven Bignell pleaded no contest to second-degree sexual assault of a child in Dunn County Court yesterday. Bignell was accused of assaulting the victim in 2022 and was sentenced to one year in jail with Huber privileges and must register as a sex offender and undergo a sex offender assessment.

The Sojourner House in Eau Claire will stay open year-round. Catholic Charities of the Diocese La Crosse announced it has secured the necessary funding to operate all year long. The shelter was facing a potential service reduction due to financial shortfalls. The funding gap was bridged through the collaboration with local government, nonprofits, and community members.

The American Red Cross is in need of blood donations. Red Cross officials report donations typically drop during the summer months. Several donation sites are available in Chippewa Valley and Menominee. Those who donate blood from now through June 30th will receive a 15-dollar gift card and a chance to win a seven-thousand-dollar gift card. More information is available online at redcrossblood-dot-org.

Two new measles cases are being reported near Western Wisconsin. The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed the cases are in the Twin Cities metro area. The first case involves an adult in Washington County, which borders Wisconsin. The other case involves an unvaccinated child from Dakota County. Health officials say the child visited Mall of America on May 24th between 5 pm and 9 pm. Both individuals are quarantined at home. Health officials warn those possibly exposed should be on the lookout for symptoms.

Canadian wildfires are causing unhealthy air quality levels in the U.S., including Wisconsin and Minnesota. The fires have caused more than 25-thousand people to be evacuated across Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Firefighters from Alaska, Oregon and Arizona have traveled to Canada to help fire fighting efforts. Smoke will clear in northwest Minnesota early this morning, and air quality will begin to improve from northwest to southeast from Tuesday through Wednesday morning.

Don't get scammed while booking a summer vacation. Lisa Schiller with the Better Business Bureau says you should only be working with a trusted travel agent or online booking site, rather than third parties. Also be sure to only pay with a credit card and never use strange payments like wire transfers or gift cards. If you're going to book a short term rental, don't be afraid to check a map website to see if the property that's being offered actually exists. Schiller says any deal that seems too good to be true shouldn't be trusted.

Many organizations are providing free healthy meals to kids during the summer months. The Summer Food Service Program is a federally funded program that provides free healthy meals to kids under eighteen-years-old in low-income areas. The program is to make up for the lack of free school lunches during the summer. More information about participating organizations are available at the Summer Meals for Kids Site Finder. As part of the summer school program, the Durand-Arkansaw School District will be providing lunch to students attending summer school.

No one is hurt following a structure fire at the Rochester Public Utilities facility. The blaze started Sunday night near the corner of 7th Street Northwest and Valleyhigh Drive Northwest. Officials say the flames caused major damage to the contents inside, and the structure itself had minor to moderate damage. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

The union representing striking nurses at a Madison hospital has reached tentative agreement with management. The Service Employees International Union Wisconsin strike began Tuesday and was set to end Sunday morning. Officials with Meriter Unity Point Health announced the pending agreement in a statement Saturday. SEIU said wage increases and what it termed “historic” contract language were achieved through the strike. A Meriter nurse who was a member of the union bargaining team said management has agreed to address “key safety and security concerns.”

State of Minnesota workers will be returning to the office this week in St. Paul. Many employees have not been in the downtown area since the pandemic shutdown in 2020. Meanwhile, St. Paul city workers have been back in the office since April, but the return of State employees can give an economic boost to the recovery effort of the downtown area. Governor Tim Walz imposed a return to office policy in March that requires the state workforce to exchange working remotely for appearing in office at least 50 percent of the time.

Wisconsin's largest state forest is turning 100 years old. W X P R in Rhinelander reports a celebration is planned this weekend for the centennial of the Northern Highland American Legion state forest. The nature reserve got its start in 1904, and was expanded to include the headwaters of several major rivers including the Wisconsin River in 1925. Events include a fishing lesson, a visit by Smokey Bear and a tree planting. The party starts at 9 am this Saturday at Crystal Lake in Boulder Junction.

A pro golfer says she's O-K after an alleged attempted break-in at her Airbnb. Amari Avery competed in the U.S. Women's Open at Erin Hills this weekend. She said her and her family woke up to loud noises and saw someone at the front door on Friday. That person ended up leaving right before police arrived. No injuries were reported.

Construction of the state’s largest fully inclusive playground for all children begins this week in southeast Wisconsin. The 13-thousand square foot Never Say Never Playland in Delavan will feature ADA compliant design and construction, including wheelchair-accessible swings and merry-go-rounds, sensory-friendly zones for children with autism or sensory processing challenges, and static-free slides safe for children with cochlear implants. The city has pledged to match funds raised by the non-profit organized to build the playground up to $350,000. An estimated one-thousand volunteers are expected to help with the construction of the project.