The City of Durand has approved allowing the city administrator to line up financing from local institutions for a project on 6th Ave East. The project could cost up to $170,000. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says its part of a plan by the city to do these small road projects every year. The cost of the project will add approximately $114 in tax per $100,000 of valuation.
The Dunn County Board of Supervisors approved additional money in 2024 to begin an accelerated road improvement project, and it paid off in 2025, county officials said. Dustin Binder, Dunn County Highway Commissioner, said his department completed 16.07 miles of Highway improvements in 2025, a 31 percent increase from the 12.28 miles completed in 2024. Three of the higher profile 2025 projects were a reconstruction project on Highway D from 420th St. to Highway K in Irvington; a reconstruction project on Highway D from Highway 25 to 816th Avenue in Tainter; as well as pavement replacement on Highway BB from Highway 12 to Highway 25. Binder said the County Board will be asked to support improving nearly 17 miles of county roads in 2026.
Riley Costello, Wabasha’s Emergency Management Director and Assistant Public Works Director, won the “Outstanding Performance in Emergency Management” award from the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers. This was for his work on the recent flood events that took place in Wabasha and for his disaster prevention work for the city. Kristen Tschida, AMEM President, presented the award, with Marlyn Halvorson, 2nd Vice President stating “During the 2024 flood, Riley with the support of the public works department, took on an extensive cleanup of contaminated flood debris, supported emergency by-pass operations on our sewer system, and disinfected all parks from contaminated waters, and helped the city with FEMA Grants and assistance.
An Eau Claire man charged in connection with the death of a Dunn County corrections officer is pleading guilty. Officer Jeff Reynolds was killed in a Christmas Eve 2024 vehicle collision on US 12 near Menomonie. Defendant Mark Sokolowski faced charges including homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle in relation to the incident. Sokolowski pleaded guilty Wednesday and will be sentenced at a later date.
A man who tried to evade Eau Claire Police Wednesday morning by jumping into a lake is in custody today. Officers dispatched to the Do-Dodge-Inn on Menomonie Street were investigating a fight when they say 28-year-old Deaundray Houston ran from the scene and entered Half Moon Lake. Police spotted Houston and took him into custody when he returned to shore. He was arrested on an outstanding warrant.
Prison is being ordered for an Eau Claire man convicted on federal weapons charges. Thirty-seven-year-old Dustin Cullins was on probation last year and prohibited from possessing a firearm when he was found hiding a handgun inside a clothes dryer. Cullins pleaded guilty to charges and was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison.
A La Crosse County truck driver has pleaded guilty to a 2024 attack against another driver. 60-year-old Paul Stokes pleaded guilty in La Crosse County Court Tuesday to second degree recklessly endangering safety in connection with the attack last October. Police say Stokes was aggressively following the victim and honking repeatedly before the two pulled into a Kwik Trip in West Salem. When the victim confronted Stokes, Stokes pulled a blade and slashed the victim in the neck and chest. Stoked fled, but was caught two days later in Tennessee. He will face up to 10 years in prison at his sentencing in December.
Republican Jessi Ebben is announcing another bid for Congress. Ebben -- who previously ran an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional district in 2022 -- is running for the GOP nod in the state's 7th district. The 7th's current Congressional Representative Tom Tiffany recently announced his candidacy for governor. The 7th Congressional district includes all or part of 20 counties including St. Croix, Chippewa, Barron and Rusk.
Viterbo University is acknowledging receipt of a one-million-dollar gift. The money comes from the family of Nancy Haggerty who graduated from the La Crosse university with a degree in nursing in 1974. The college says the donation will be used to fund scholarship opportunities for nursing students.
At the Capitol, Assembly Republican lawmakers are proposing bills with the goal of alleviating Wisconsin’s affordable housing shortage. It’s hard for young people to purchase homes. Wisconsin Realtors Association President and CEO Tom Larson says the average age of a first-time home buyer is 38. Any legislation that passes the Assembly this session would also need state Senate approval before going to the governor. The Senate has not been on the floor at all this month.
The parent company of We Energies is proposing to restart a shuttered Wisconsin nuclear plant. WEC Energy Group and Utah based EnergySolutions are exploring a reactivation of the Kewaunee Power station that was shut down in 2013. EnergySolutions purchased the property in 2022 to decommission the site, but has since reached out to WEC Energy to build a new generation facility that would be smaller and more efficient than the one built there in the 1970s. The plan would require permitting from the US Department of Energy to start, along with several state agencies. Lawmakers in Madison have already floated the idea of increasing nuclear power in the state, with several bills aimed at exploring the energy option currently in the committee process at the Capitol.
Making up for a lost Sunday at the Wisconsin State Fair. The fair announced its plan Tuesday for exchange of tickets for the 2025 fair’s final day August 10th, cancelled due to flooding at the fairgrounds the night before. In-person exchange of tickets for that Sunday only for 2026 admission tickets will happen November 10th through the 15th at the State Fair Park Ticket Office in West Allis. Fair officials say not all ticket types qualify for the exchange programs. Contact the Ticket Office to find out if your ticket type qualifies.
Governor Tim Walz is calling out President Trump over rising health insurance costs. Minnesotans who buy their own health insurance will pay more out of pocket next year as premiums are expected to jump. Walz is blaming Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress for the allowing health care tax credits to expire. The governor said that next year, national insurance rates are going to be as high as they've been in 15 years. According to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the largest insurance providers have proposed price increases of 12 to 26-percent.
No comments:
Post a Comment