Local-Regional News Aug 25

 

No one is injured after crews put out a structure fire Sunday afternoon. Firefighters from Strum and 8 other departments responded to the fire on Sunday and found flames coming from the building. Officials say it took place at Koxlien Brothers Wood Products in Strum. A majority of the sawmill structure is considered a complete loss. Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.

The Buffalo-Pepin County ADRC Programs is reminding Medicare beneficiaries that your will NOT be receiving a new Medicare card, but scammers may try to convince you otherwise. Scammers are trying to get your Medicare information by telling you cards have expired, will be plastic or have a chip in them, that is false. Do not give out your Medicare or personal information over the phone. If you have any questions call the Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol at 888-818-2611.

Mayo Clinic of Menomonie and Menomonie Lions Club are partnering up for a sharps needle collection program in Dunn County. New empty sharps containers and Full or used container disposal is now available for free for Dunn County Residents. Containers can be picked up or dropped off at the Mayo Clinic Pharmacy or at local rural waste collection sites.

The City of Wabasha will celebrate the grand opening of the Wabasha Athletic Complex Skate Park on Tuesday, at 11am. The new skatepark is at the athletic field, along Pierce Avenue, behind the softball fields. The flooding at the old athletic field damaged the old skatepark and meant that there needed to be a new location. The new skatepark was funded through FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant program. City staff will be serving ice cream sandwiches and extends a special invitation to any skateboarders.

A Chippewa Valley contractor is facing charges after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from his clients. Anthony Brooks is being charged with 14 counts of theft by contractor. Court records say Brooks' company did an incomplete job after clients paid him anywhere between 18 thousand and 130 thousand dollars for work. He would then use that money to buy vacations and cars for him and his wife. A warrant for his arrest has been issued. Brooks is the owner of Brooks Home Renovation.

A winning Powerball ticket worth 100-thousand-dollars was sold in River Falls. The Wisconsin Lottery says the winner purchased the ticket at the Family Fresh Market on Main Street. The ticket matched four out of five numbers as well as the Powerball. Eight Powerball players have won at least 50-thousand-dollars this summer in Wisconsin.

Avoid ash trees when placing your deer stand this year. Most ash trees in the southern two-thirds of Wisconsin are dead or dying due to emerald ash borer, and infestations in the northern part of the state are rapidly expanding. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters it's important to place and maintain tree stands carefully as trees with emerald ash borer may unexpectedly snap or drop large branches. Ash trees will have two branches coming off the main stem directly across from one another, along with compound leaves with 5-11 leaflets. Emerald ash borer has been confirmed in all 72 Wisconsin counties.

Five more cases of measles have been detected in Wisconsin. Octonto County Health says the cases are linked to nine other cases that were confirmed on August 2. The total number of measles cases in Wisconsin this year is now at 14. The Department of Health Services is working with the County to contact people who may have been exposed.

Wisconsin's GOP legislators are pushing a bill that would end the state's income tax on tips. A bill authored by Representative Ron Tusler would allow up to 25 thousand dollars in tips to be deducted from state income tax returns. This would affect individuals earning less than 150 thousand dollars. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue says the state would lose more than 33 million dollars in annual tax revenue if the bill is enacted. No Democrats have signed onto the bill.

Alcohol sales at Camp Randall Stadium are producing big bucks. In its first year of selling alcohol, the venue brought in more than three million dollars worth of sales. University officials say the initiative to sell alcohol was aimed at improving fan experience and safety. The Morgan Wallen Concert last June is credited with setting a sales record. That concert was the first one Camp Randall Stadium hosted since The Rolling Stones performed in 1997.

An employee with the Wausau Fire Department is set to appear in court today for misconduct charges. Jared Thompson is accused of ordering fentanyl and other controlled substances on behalf of the Fire Department. The crimes are alleged to have happened between January 2024 and June 2025. The Department of Justice said Thursday he's being charged with misconduct in public office and theft. Thompson is the division chief in charge of the Wausau Fire Department's emergency medical program.

A corpse found at High Cliff State Park in Calumet County in 2021 may lead to a change in Wisconsin law. The body of Starkie Swenson was found 38 years after he was murdered by John Andrews in 1983. Andrews was charged with hiding a corpse but charges were dropped due to the statute of limitations, which requires felony charges to be filed within six years of the crime. Republican Representative Ron Tusler and Republican Senator André Jacque have introduced legislation where the statute of limitations would start when the body is found.

A man accused in the murders of a woman and two young girls is ordered to stand trial. According to online court records, Virgil Thew waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday and will stand trial in Juneau County on multiple charges including three of first-degree intentional homicide. New Lisbon police reported that a 33-year-old woman and girls ages 12 and 13 were found dead in a home in December of last year. A two-week statewide manhunt eventually had Thew taken into custody in Elroy, about 12 miles south of the crime scene. He's currently being held on a $5 million cash bond with an arraignment hearing scheduled for October 29th.

The Wisconsin Badgers football team will sport throwback uniforms in the coming season. The alternate gear designed by Under Armour will recreate the uniform the team wore in 1980, with a red block “W” on a white helmet and red jerseys with a block “W” and Bucky Badger logo on the sleeve. The Badgers will debut the throwbacks when they face Iowa for their homecoming game October 11th.