Local-Regional News July 14

 

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has approved a 56% increase in the city of Durand Water rates. The Commission held a public hearing on the rate increase on June 30^th, and according to Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren no one spoke at the meeting.  The new water rates will show up on the October bill along with a $10 charge for fire protection that has been taken off the city tax rolls and put on the water/sewer bill.

Menomoinie Police are announcing the release of a sex offender back into the community. 69Yr old Gary Wayerski will be released tomorrow back into the city of Menomonie after completing his sentence, and will be homeless. Wayerski will be subject to GPS monitoring with geographic restrictions to Dunn County and will be subject to the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Program for life. Wayerski was convicted of multiple sex crimes back in 2012.

The Wabasha County Board is meeting tomorrow morning. Items on the agenda include approval of a project agreement with the MnDOT, approve the new 2025 fees schedule and a grant agreement with emergency management. Tomorrows meeting begins at 9am in the old courthouse annex in Wabasha.

Air quality is once again poor across much of Wisconsin. Shifting weather patterns are once again pushing smoke from Canadian wildfires into the state, lowering air quality and making it hard to breathe. If you're going to be spending an extended period outside, be sure to wear a mask or air filter. Anyone with a lung or heart condition should avoid prolonged time outdoors. You can keep an eye on the conditions online at air quality dot W I dot Gov.

An 18-year-old Eau Claire man accused of trying to kill his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend is facing charges. Police say they responded to reports of an attack just before 7 a.m. Friday morning to find the juvenile victim suffering from six stab wounds. Investigators say suspect Orestes Kouris stabbed the victim while intoxicated, and was later found on the Lake Hallie Golf Course. Both the Eau Claire Police and Chippewa County Sheriff's Office assisted in his arrest. Kouris is facing five charges, including attempted first-degree intentional homicide.

A 69-year-old woman is hospitalized after officials say she was attacked by a black bear in Barron County. The incident happened Saturday afternoon in Comstock. Reports say the victim was able to make her own call to 9-1-1 following the attack but there has been no report on her condition since. Agents with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are working to locate the bear.

One person is dead after being found in the Chippewa River Sunday afternoon. According to Eau Claire Fire, First responders responded to reports that an unresponsive man had been found on the water near the Water Street bridge. The man was recovered and taken to a hospital for care, but later died at the hospital. That incident is still under investigation.

Wisconsin Congressman Bryan Steil says there are plenty of chances for people on Medicaid to find work. Speaking to WISN's UPFRONT, the Janesville Republican said he sees plenty of open positions in his district. Around 60-thousand Wisconsinites currently receiving Medicaid and Badgercare will now have to find work to keep those benefits under the recently passed Republican tax cut and spending bills. The Congressman also said he does not support offering amnesty to undocumented workers who have been caught up in immigration raids, but rather sees the increased enforcement as a first step towards fixing legal immigration. .

Two brothers wrongfully convicted of a 1987 murder are seeking over two-million-dollars each from the Wisconsin Claims Board. This follows testimony Thursday by Robert and David Bintz, who both spent more than 20 years falsely incarcerated. The two were exonerated in 2024 after DNA evidence identified William Hendricks as the likely perpetrator. A claim was filed in February by the brothers seeking compensation above the state's 25-thousand-dollar cap. A decision is expected in weeks, with the case potentially sent to lawmakers.

The DEI division at UW Madison had been effectively eliminated. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin wrote in a message that the university will “sunset” its Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement Programs, and the division’s approximately 100 staff will be shifted to other offices, and Mnookin said fewer than 10 duplicative positions were eliminated through layoffs. Mnookin wrote that diversity of viewpoint, identity and background of all kinds remains a core value of UW-Madison. DEI efforts on the Madison campus have been the object of criticism from Republican state legislators, who’ve charged that conservative viewpoints are underrepresented.

A man accused of making terrorist threats against Carroll University three years ago will head to trial this fall. Timothy Hoeller was charged after he allegedly made comments about a potential mass shooting at the Waukesha campus. Since then, Heller’s case has been suspended twice while the court ordered him to receive medication at a state mental hospital. Hoeller, who suffers from bipolar disorder, was offered a plea deal this week that he turned down despite his attorney’s urging to accept it. The three-day trial for Hoeller will begin in October.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has announced a special election to fill the seat of state Representative Melissa Hortman. On Friday Walz's office said the election will take place September 16th, with a primary set for August 12th if necessary. Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home last month in what officials say was a "politically motivated" attack. Vance Boelter [[ BELL-tur ]] has been arrested and charged with their murders. Candidates can file for the special election starting next Tuesday.

A program designed to provide nutrition education for low-income residents in Minnesota is ending. The University of Minnesota Extension Service experienced federal cuts as a result of the recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill. The program laid off all 60 of its full-time SNAP-Ed instructors. The seven-point-two-million-dollar initiative had worked with 700 partners, including clinics, daycares, and food banks. The funding cuts take effect on September 30th.

Three Wisconsin Lottery winners bought their tickets last week. The Lottery says two winners split a 146-thousand-dollar Badger Five jackpot. The two tickets were sold at a BP in Stoughton and a Kwik Trip in Boscobel, and won during Wednesday's drawing. A Powerball ticket also won Wednesday. The 50-thousand-dollar ticket sold at a Kwik Trip in Onalaska matched four out of five numbers and the Powerball number. All three winners will have 180 days from the drawing to claim their winnings.