Local-Regional News July 17

 

The US Department of Education has frozen grants to school districts across the country and the Durand-Arkansaw School District is no exception. According to Superintendent Ryan Nelson, funding for Title 1 programs has not been affect, but other title programs have been affected. Nelson says the district could lose $100,000. Wisconsin has joined 20 other states in suing the federal government over the freezing of the grant funds.

Dunn County Emergency Management is asking residents to take a preparedness survey. The survey will help Emergency Management set priorities and goals for training, equipment, planning and emergency response. Survey results will also support updates to Dunn County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. Dunn County Residents are encouraged to contact Emergency Management or visit the Dunn County Emergency Management Facebook Page to take the survey.

One person was injured in a single vehicle accident in the Town of Hale on Tuesday. According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Department, 23yr od Raeane Hamilton was traveling south bound on Hwy 53 when she fell asleep, left the roadway and crashed into a tree. Hamilton was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

State Senator Jeff Smith and Representative Jodi Emerson have introduced a bill that would restore the $1.9 million in funding for the Veterans Housing and Recovery Program that was removed from the recently passed state budget. The bill is in response to the announcement of the closing of the Homeless Veterans Facilities in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay on Tuesday. According to Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Deputy Secretary Joey Hoey, even if the bill would pass now, the closing of both facilities is most likely a done deal and only Union Grove will remain open. Hoey said that a Legislative Fiscal Bureau note during the budget process showed that $3 million was actually needed to keep all three locations open for the next budget cycle.

A Wisconsin nurse has been convicted after pleading no contest to charges stemming from an incident involving a patient in Pierce County. Authorities began investigating after the 2022 death of a 62-year-old man. The Medical Examiner took note that one of the man's feet had been amputated, though records show permission for that procedure had never been given. Mary K. Brown of Durand was convicted on a charge of negligently abusing patients-no harm, and faces possible discipline from the Board of Nursing.

The Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley is reporting damage by unauthorized individuals on their ballfield. The Eau Claire organization provides children living with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball at Miracle League Field without facing physical or social barriers. The field is specially designed to allow for that, but has reportedly suffered substantial damage during use by folks who were unauthorized to be on the diamond. Miracle League says they have come close to having to cancel games due to those issues. Anyone who sees unauthorized individuals on the field when the gates are locked is encouraged to report the incident.

Eau Claire Transit will be launching the newest addition to its transportation services on July 22. The Northern Lite is described as an on-demand, curb-to-curb flexible transportation option. Its attached mobile app matches riders with the routes of other riders, allowing for an efficient shared trip for the same price as a bus ticket. The option begins operations at 6:45 a.m. until 6:45 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Bond has been set at ten-thousand dollars for a defendant charged in a shooting incident at a La Crosse park. Police responded to Pettibone Park Tuesday morning with reports that someone was firing a gun. Forty-year-old Jared Duddles was taken into custody and charged with 2nd degree recklessly endangering safety.

The Lansing bridge will be closing down for demolishing soon. The Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation are moving forward with a revised plan to construct a new bridge replacing the current one. The Black Hawk Bridge will close and be demolished in the fall later this year. This will ensure that the new bridge is built and opened by 2027. The team behind the project is considering bringing back the water taxi service to serve commuters while the new bridge is built.

Wisconsin joins a $720 million settlement against opioid drug makers. Attorney General Josh Kaul and forty-five other attorneys general have reached an agreement requiring eight opioid manufacturers to make payments. Kaul says that would amount to about $12 million for Wisconsin to combat the opioid epidemic. The settlement hasn’t been finalized, and there will be a sign-on period for local governments. In March, Kaul announced an opioid settlement with Kroger, which he said would bring $21.8 million to the state.

Thursday marks the day LGBTQ+ Wisconsin youth lose access to specialized services on the Suicide and Crisis Prevention Hotline . According to a Trump administration directive, starting Thursday people contacting the 9-8-8 number will still have access to crisis services, but there won't be a "press three" option for the specialized line. Family Services, which administers the 9-8-8 hotline for Wisconsin, calls that deeply concerning, because LGBTQ+ individuals, especially youth, are among the most at risk for suicide. The sub-network was launched in 2022, and more than 14.5 million callers have used the line since then. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin helped created the hotline and calls the Trump Administration’s actions dangerous for LGBTQ youth.

Changes to the state budget will delay the opening of a potential Dane County Buc-ee's. Planned funding for road expansion to accommodate the mega-sized convenience store and gas station was cut in the final version of the recently passed state budget. DeForest had been asking for six million dollars in D O T grants for the expansion, however only four million dollars was provided. The total cost of the project is estimated to be 16 million dollars. That means either the village or the company will have to pay more to complete the project.

You can become a community scientist by participating in Wisconsin's Game Bird Survey this summer. The surveys will measure the reproductive status of game birds and provide Department of Natural Resources scientists with data needed to make informed management decisions for the species. No registration is required to participate in the survey and observations can be recorded using a mobile device. Participants are asked to collect information on the types and numbers of game bird broods they observe during the summer months. More information is available on the DNR's website.

A historic Dairy Queen in Rochester is reopening this week. The fast food business opened for the first time in 1947 and was closed last spring, and then sold. The Dairy Queen will start selling cones only to help the staff ease into operations. It hopefully moved into selling its full menu by the end of the week.