Local-Regional News Aug 7

 

Two Western Wisconsin State Fair Exhibitors sold their animals at last nights Governor’s Auction at the State Fair. Logan Bennett of Durand sold his Reserve Gran Champion Market Barrow for $15,000 while Josie Lorentz of Woodville sold her Grand Champion Steer for $35,000. The Wisconsin State Fair Continues through Sunday, and the Pierce County Fair gets underway today and also runs through Sunday in Ellsworth.

A Downtown Durand Business is planning on re-opening. The Rooster Tali Bar and Grill closed after a fire in February. In a social media post, the business announced that after months of planning and other challenges, the renovations to rebuild the business are underway. The business thanks the community for its patience and support while they make the necessary renovations to re-open in the future.

The Buffalo County Sheriffs Department is advising motorists that Hwy E in the City of Alma from Main Steet to 2^nd Street is closed due to a collapse of a retaining wall. Motorists are advised to use Cedar Street to Access 2^nd Street in Alma. Currently Hwy E will remain colosed until the retaining wall is repaired.

Over 110-million dollars have been approved for building projects across Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers announced Wednesday that the State Building Commission approved the projects. One seeks to improve sidewalk infrastructure at the State Capitol, while another will improve UW-Stout’s Robert S. Swanson Library and Learning Center. Evers stressed the importance of investing in Wisconsin's future in the announcement.

Authorities are releasing the name of an Eau Claire County Jail inmate who died at the facility this week. Authorities found 39-year-old Robert Manning-Harris dead on Monday. His cause of death remains undetermined. Autopsy results have shown no evidence of trauma.

The Eau Claire Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department's 2025 Doggie Swim Fest is just around the corner. Registrations are being accepted now from dog owners who want to allow their pets to take a dip in the Fairfax Pool before it is drained for the season. The cost is fifteen dollars per dog. More details on the August 24th event can be found at eauclairewi-dot-gov. The City of Durand is also considering allowing dogs to go for a swim at the end of the day on August 24^th at the Tarrant Park Pool.

Winona Firefighters responded to a building fire near Winona Middle School yesterday. According to fire officials, the building was a workshop used for ISD 861 and suffered moderate fire, smoke and water damage. The building was unoccupied and no injuries were reported. The cause of that fire is still under investigation.

Applications are now being accepted to fill a vacancy on the Chippewa Falls City Council. Folks interested in filling the opening for District Four Alderperson must live in the district. The positions opened after Council member Scott Sullivan resigned two weeks ago. Letters of application can be emailed to bgivens-at-chippewafalls-wi-dot-gov and must be received by August 31st. District Five Council Person Heather Martell has also announced she is resigning from the council.

More than 460 high schools including Alma, Durand-Arkansaw, Mondovi, Plum City and Pepin Schools are part of the Direct Admit Wisconsin program. Under the Universities of Wisconsin System program, qualified high school students from participating high schools are automatically admitted to up to ten UW schools without ever having to submit an application. Students must choose to participate in the program and are admitted based on their grades and coursework after completion of the junior year. They must meet all admissions requirements, enroll for their senior year of high school, and stay on track to graduate. In total, Direct Admit Wisconsin delivered more than 33,500 admission offers to high school seniors from 467 high schools.

Olmsted County drivers will pay an increased fee for their vehicles next year. The county will double its wheelage tax from ten dollars to 20 bucks. The tax is applied to the purchase of vehicle tabs and helps pay for road projects and improvements. Only the tax applied to the tabs will go up, not the actual cost of the tabs.

A former Green Bay Packer is convicted of running a dogfighting operation. The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that a federal jury in Oklahoma convicted LeShon Johnson on six felony counts for “possessing, selling, transporting, and delivering animals to be used in fighting ventures.” The 54-year-old Johnson surrendered 190 dogs as part of the verdict, which is the largest number ever seized from a single person in a federal dogfighting case. Johnson, a Packers running back in the mid-1990’s, faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.

Governor Tony Evers has announced a 100-million-dollar tax credit for an upcoming pharmaceutical development. Eli Lilly and Company announced last year it had acquired a manufacturing plant in Kenosha County previously owned by Nexus Pharmaceuticals. The company will receive credits depending on it meeting capital investment goals and job creation targets. The expansion plans to add 750 jobs to the facility.

A new study highlights a need for more housing in Central Wisconsin. The 2025 Regional Housing Study from Wausau-based Centergy, Inc. prepared in partnership with the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission provides an in-depth analysis of housing conditions and future needs across Adams, Lincoln, Marathon, Portage, and Wood Counties. The study finds a pressing need for housing priced within reach of working households, units renting between $900–$1,499 and homes priced between $200,000–$299,999. It also outlines how rising construction costs, limited new housing supply, and a competitive market are making it increasingly difficult for employers to attract and retain talent to the region.

There are new security changes at Minnesota's State Capitol, days after a man was arrested for trespassing there while naked. Starting today, there will be two entrances instead of three for the public to enter the state building. The two entrances will also have more Capitol Security officers assigned there. Access to the Capitol from the Minnesota Senate building ramp will only be for key cardholders. The regular business hours of the Capitol will stay 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday to Friday.

The new owner of "Deep Thought,” the boat abandoned on a Milwaukee beach last year, is the man who towed it off the beach. Jeff Piller of All City Towing won the boat for just over 25-hundred dollars as bidding closed on Tuesday. Piller says he and his staff just couldn't bear to get rid of it. The boat is covered in street art and murals and Piller says he will try to preserve parts of it as an art piece. His winning bid is far less than the 20-thousand dollars the county was hoping to get to recoup the costs of the boat's removal.