Local-Regional News June 9

 

One man and his dog are dead in an alleged train crash in Buffalo County. Buffalo County Chief Deputy Colin Severson said it happened south of Fountain City near the 5A Dam on Friday. He said the man and his dog were on the train tracks when the incident happened. Police are still investigating.

Durand Fun Fest wrapped up yesterday. Good crowds were on hand all three days and there were no reports of any issues. Fun Fest committee members will take a few weeks off before starting planning for next year’s event. The committee would like to thank the community volunteers and sponsors who helped keep fun fest possible.

An improvement project on I-94 is underway. Bridges on the interstate throughout Western Wisconsin including Dunn and Eau Claire Counties are being sealed. That includes bridge decks and columns. Crews began their efforts on Sunday. Work is to take place in the evenings and is expected to be finished near the end of next month.

The city of Wabasha is inviting residents to provide impute on areas of flooding concerns as part of a Flood Resiliency Study. The goal of this study is to identify infrastructure improvement opportunities and solutions that are needed in Wabasha to protect property and support the transportation system to facilitate effective emergency response or evaluation during flooding. The goal is to protect city facilities, homes and businesses, and residents in the community from reoccurring flood concerns. Comments are needed by Friday. Visit the City of Wabasha Website for more information.

A pre-trial hearing is scheduled today for the defendant charged in the killing of ten-year-old Lily Peters. Investigators say that Peters was killed in Chippewa Falls on April 24th of 2022 with her body found the next day. Seventeen-year-old defendant Carson Peters-Berger was just 14 when prosecutors say he took the young girl's life. Today's hearing will be to consider a number of motions filed in the case, including one regarding the possible movement of the upcoming trial to another county.

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Board of Regents is approving the addition of three new majors for the fall of 2026. The university will offer College of Business majors in digital marketing analytics and in professional sales. The College of Arts and Sciences will offer a major in philosophy, politics and economics. A spokesperson for the university says these three programs reflect UW-Eau Claire's commitment to renewing and refreshing program offerings to address changing workforce needs and student interests.

A bipartisan bill at the Capitol would create a grant program to help smaller police agencies in Wisconsin address staffing shortages. Beloit Democrat, Representative Clinton Anderson says very few of these smaller departments are able to send someone to the police academy. The proposed grant program would cover costs of academy training and on-the-job training for a recruit if a department has an officer retiring within six months or has more than 20% of officer positions unfilled. Anderson introduced the legislation alongside Democratic Senator Brad Pfaff and Republican Senators Jesse James and Representative Bob Donovan.

You can help stop the spread of invasive species this summer. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources invasive plant specialist Mackenzie Manicki says after you're done recreating outside, clean off things like your clothes, ATV tires, and even dogs to make sure seeds aren't spreading from one area to another. Manicki says if you're going camping, make sure you buy your firewood locally so you're not spreading things like emerald ash borer. More information on invasives species, both aquatic and terrestrial, can be found on the DNR's website.

A Rochester woman accused of attacking a young child with a pizza cutter is being found guilty. An Olmsted County jury convicted Andrianna Newburn Thursday of first-degree assault, child torture, second-degree assault, third-degree assault, terroristic threats, and two counts of fifth-degree assault. Prosecutors say the defendant and another woman got into a fight last June at a KinderCare childcare center. Newburn slashed the other woman's child, leaving the toddler with a cut on the leg and a cut on the face that had to be surgically repaired. A sentencing date is set for August 18.

Trying to curb wrong-way driving in Wisconsin. A newly formed Wisconsin Department of Transportation task force focusing on wrong-way driving is considering adding 10 more locations for wrong-way driver alert systems to the 20 currently in place statewide. The DOT reports 270 wrong-way driving incidents so far this year around Wisconsin, and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department said they respond to wrong-way drivers about four times a week. In the meantime, the department has added more signs at intersections and ramps saying, "wrong way" or "do not enter".

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has joined a multi-state coalition to secure a court order against the Trump Administration to block the dismantling of AmeriCorps programs. The U.S. District Court of Maryland ordered the Trump Administration to restore AmeriCorps programs in Wisconsin and other states, securing the nationwide restoration of National Civilian Community Corps members. Kaul said, " Congress should also step in and prevent the Trump Administration from doing further damage to AmeriCorps."

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled a Wisconsin charity doesn’t have to pay state unemployment taxes. Thursday’s unanimous ruling involves the Catholic Charities Bureau, which argued the state violated the U.S. Construction’s religious freedom guarantee by requiring payment of the tax while exempting other faith-based groups. Wisconsin argued Catholic Charities has paid the tax for decades and isn’t exempt because day-to-day operations don’t involve religious teachings. Catholic Charities said it’s due to the exemption because its disability services are motivated by religious beliefs. It appealed a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling, which upheld the state’s position to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Republican lawmakers introduce legislation to increase transparency in hospital pricing. Advocate MD owner Dr. Nicole Hemkes believes some of the complexities of medical costs are designed to keep charges hidden and very difficult for healthcare consumers to understand and navigate. In a release, the Wisconsin Hospitals Association says Wisconsin ranks first in the country in hospital price transparency. The legislation authored by Senators Julian Bradley and Mary Felzkowski and Representative Bob Wittke, would require hospitals to publish clear, accessible pricing information online for both common procedures and the full range of hospital services.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is calling for a Special Session on today. He and the narrowly divided Legislature struck a deal on the state budget. Some of the bills that will be worked on are those that deal with medical care for undocumented residents, consumer protection, and transportation financing. Legislators have a deadline of Tuesday morning to reach a compromise on bills for the two-year spending plan. Budget bills must be signed into law by July 1st, or much of the state government will shut down.

Eau Claire is the best city to live in, in Wisconsin. That's according to U.S. News and World Report's Best Places To Live List, which also ranked Eau Claire at 49th for best places to live in the country. The rankings were based on an analysis of public data and user opinions.