The Durand Safety Committee met this week with members of the Durand Rural Fire Department to discuss the creation of a new fire district. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the hope is to have the new district in place by January 1. If approved the Durand City and Rural Fire Departments would be merged to create the new fire district.
Prison was ordered for a Menomonie man convicted on federal weapons charges. Thirty-four-year-old Demetrius Howard was prohibited from possessing a firearm when one was found in his vehicle during a traffic stop last year in Dunn County. At the time, Howard told the arresting officer that he had found the 40-caliber gun the day before and was planning to throw it into the water. Howard pleaded guilty to the weapons charge in June of this year and has now been sentenced to a term of two-and-a-half years in federal prison.
The Eau Claire City-County Health Department is reporting successful results in their sharps collection effort. Nine sharps disposal boxes are located around the county -- providing places where folks can safely and easily rid themselves of needles and syringes. The program began last year and the department says that more than a thousand pounds of sharps have been disposed of through the effort. The department is considering placing additional disposal boxes around the county.
Charges are being filed against a La Crosse man who police say was involved in a road rage incident earlier this week. In the Monday afternoon incident, 23-year-old Isaac Avery reportedly became upset with another driver who was going the speed limit on Highway 16. The report says that Avery pulled up alongside that other driver and pointed a gun at him and his fiancé. Police stopped Avery in West Salem, found a gun and ammunition inside his vehicle and arrested him on charges including second-degree recklessly endangering safety with a dangerous weapon.
A Rochester woman is pleading not guilty to a disorderly conduct charge over a racist park incident. She is accused of saying racist slurs at an eight-year-old autistic Black child who took a container of applesauce from her bag. The suspect garnered online attention after a witness recorded the aftermath of her confrontation with the boy in late April. An online fundraiser raised more than 800 thousand dollars from people across the country with many donors expressing white nationalist views in the comments and usernames. Leaders of the Rochester branch of the NAACP have called on the Olmsted County Attorney's Office to file further charges against the suspect.
A recall has been issued for a baby food brand sold in Wisconsin. Sprout Organics says contaminated baby food pouches were sold in Walgreens stores between September and December last year. Illnesses related to the recall have not been reported. More information can be found on FDA-dot-gov-slash-safety.
An employee with Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources died while working in Kewaskum on Tuesday. The Washington County Sheriff's Office announced on Thursday that the employee had not returned home that night, adding that his car was found in Fond du Lac County. His body was found in a wooded area around 7:40 p.m. Investigators were also able to confirm that there was a lightning strike around 10:15 a.m. the day the employee's body was found.
Use local firewood this fall to avoid the spread of invasive species. The Department of Natural Resources reminds you that pests like spongy moth, emerald ash borer, and invasive fungi can be on or in firewood. When untreated firewood is transported away from the tree where it was harvested, those pests and fungi can later emerge to attack trees at the new location. The DNR recommends purchasing firewood from a local distributor instead of transporting it from farther away. More information can be found on the DNR's website.
Transferring credits between schools in the University of Wisconsin system could be getting easier. The UW Board of Regents will be reviewing a new policy that would ensure the transfer of all core general education credits between the 13-school system. Officials say the new policy will reduce the amount of time it takes to finish a degree. The board will review the policy this fall and if approved, would go into effect by fall 2026.
Another Democrat has emerged in Wisconsin's race for governor. Former state Representative Brett Hulsey announced on Wednesday that he was launching a campaign. Hulsey previously represented Madison in the Assembly, and also served on the Dane County Board for 14 years. He also ran for governor in 2014 but lost against Mary Burke in the primary.
A Texas-based convenience store chain has the go ahead to build its first Wisconsin location. The City of Oak Creek has given approval for Buc-ee's to build a massive gas station and convenience store along I-94 near Milwaukee. The site is approved for an over 73-thousand square foot facility with numerous pumps and a large retail space. Buc-ee's is hoping to open the location by 2027. A similar plan to build a Buc-ee's in the Madison suburb of DeForest is still in the works but is delayed.
Legislation creating overtime and wage law exemptions for minor league baseball players in Wisconsin advances at the Capitol. The bill would create an exemption to employment law and make minor leaguers salaried workers not eligible for overtime pay. It would apply to about sixty platers for the state’s Major League Baseball affiliates, the Beloit Sky Carp and Appleton’s Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The bill doesn't apply to independent league teams. If passed, teams would have to track all work-related activities for players and count rehab, any training and time spent at the ballpark or with the team toward overtime requirements. Similar bills have passed in California, Florida, and New York.
A Minnesota woman is accused of taking part in a 14 million dollar autism fraud scheme. Asha Hassan has been charged with wire fraud. The defendant is accused of sending hundreds and thousands of dollars abroad and even bought real estate in Kenya. Hassan's lawyer says his client is cooperating and is expected to plead guilty. Prosecutors say the woman and others defrauded the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention benefit. Hassan is the owner of Smart Therapy, which was supposed to provide treatment to children with autism. She allegedly hired unqualified people to be behavioral technicians. The defendant allegedly recruited children from the Minneapolis Somali community. If they weren't autistic, Hassan worked to get them qualified for autism services and provided their parents with monthly kickback payments.
Country music star Eric Church is making a stop in St. Paul this winter. The Free the Machine Tour is set for February 7th at Grand Casino Arena, which is formerly known as Xcel Energy Center. The opening act will be Alabama newcomer Ella Langley, who sings the hit song You Look Like You Love Me. Tickets go on sale on October 3th.
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