UW Extension is reporting that phosphorus levels in the Red Cedar River are declining due to farming practices aimed at reducing runoff from farmland. According to extension over 11,000 lbs of phosphorus was kept out of the river in 2024 due to the cost-share programs that help farmers pay for soil health practices to improve water quality.
Klein Hall veterans home in Chippewa Falls and another home in Green Bay are now closed. The Wisconsin state government has failed to secure the funding to keep the facilities to temporarily house homeless veterans open. The last resident left Klein Hall on Sep. 12 and as of Tuesday the facilities in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay are now officially closed.
The City of Wabasha is planning a realignment of Highway 60 to improve safety, reduce flooding closures, and support community growth. The project will construct a new roadway segment that eliminates a dangerous T-shaped intersection with a roundabout at the foot of the steep bridge approach and raises the road above the 100-year flood elevation. The project would start in the spring of 2027 and be completed in the fall. A public hearing on the project is scheduled for October 23rd from 4-6pm at the fire hall in Wabasha.
A Pierce County Company has been nominated for the "Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin" Contest. Weiser Concrete was nominated for their Bunker Silos as one of the coolest thing made in Wisconsin. The competition, which is sponsored by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, enters its tenth year and highlights the importance of manufacturing in Wisconsin’s economy. Voting is underway at Made In Wis dot com.
Eau Claire County has announced that Jon Johnson has officially assumed the role of County Administrator, in September following his unanimous confirmation by the County Board of Supervisors on July 30, 2025. During his first day on the job, Johnson outlined his priorities for the County, emphasizing financial responsibility, increased departmental efficiency, and transparency in operations. Johnson, who has served as EauClaire County’s Highway Commissioner since 2015, steps into the position after the retirement of Kathryn Schauf, who led the county as Administrator since 2015.
A western Wisconsin woman accused of killing her husband and then burning his body is being convicted. Jackson County prosecutors say that Star Myers fatally shot Richard Bork in March of 2023 and then set his body on fire to try and cover-up her crime. Myers pleaded no contest yesterday to a charge of no contest to second-degree intentional homicide. She has been ordered to serve a 22-year prison sentence.
Firefighters in Zumbrota responded to a fire at a laundromat on Tuesday morning. According to authorities, the fire damaged both the laundromat building and a nearby adjacent building. Most of the damage appears to be external, with potential smoke damage inside. The apartment above the affected laundromat was vacant at the time, nor was there anyone inside the laundromat at the time of the fire. That fire is still under investigation.
Wisconsin’s sole nuclear power plant secures federal approval to continue operating for years to come. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved subsequent license renewal for Point Beach Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2, extending operations through 2050 and 2053, respectively. The approval ensures Wisconsin’s only remaining nuclear plant will continue to generate power for the next three decades. The plant is operated by Nextera Energy on a 1200 acre site along the Lake Michigan shore about ten miles north of Two Rivers. Point Beach supplies approximately 14% of Wisconsin's total electricity and has been operating for more than 50 years. Unit 1 went online in 1970, Unit 2 in 1973.
A Madison-area priest accused of child sex crimes stood mute in Waupaca County court Tuesday. 37-year-old Andrew Showers had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on charges of attempted child enticement, and attempted second degree sexual assault of a child. Showers is accused of driving to Clintonville to meet up with a 14-year-old girl for sex, but that girl was in fact an undercover police officer. Showers had been serving at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Madison, but has since been barred from all church ministries by the Diocese of Madison.
Sheridan is shutting down its Random Lake printing plant after promising more jobs and raises. The plant's closure is set for February 2026, putting all 104 employees at risk of losing their jobs. This follows Sheridan securing a 297-thousand-dollar state grant under the Wisconsin Fast Forward program to hire new workers and raise wages for existing staff. The company blamed declining print demand and lack of new work for the closure, while state officials called the grant's use and shutdown "highly unusual." Local leaders vow to work with county agencies to support displaced workers and pursue site redevelopment.
The clerk and treasurer for Hustisford is being accused of embezzling village funds. Dodge County officials say Kim Hopfinger allegedly misappropriated municipal and nonprofit funds, including from the Hustisford Soccer Club. Charges against Hopfinger include misconduct in public office and theft by virtue of employment, involving sums between ten-and-100-thousand-dollars. The case emerged after a September audit uncovered financial irregularities, leading to stronger oversight by local leaders.
Plans are moving ahead for another Microsoft data center in Racine County. The Plan Commission for the Village of Caledonia voted Monday night to approve rezoning 244 acres of farmland west of a We Energies power plant to light industrial to accommodate the center. The vote came after residents presented heated opposition to the plan. The full Village Board is expected to vote on the rezoning next month. Microsoft is already building a data center in the Racine County village of Mount Pleasant.
A new report finds alcohol induced deaths in Wisconsin are higher than the national average. The Wisconsin Policy Forum report examined deaths defined by the Centers for Disease Control as “alcohol-induced” -- directly attributable to excessive drinking such as alcohol poisoning and certain liver, neurological, digestive, or other diseases. That excludes many deaths to which alcohol use may have contributed, like motor vehicle crashes, falls, cancers, suicide, or violence. Wisconsin recorded 1,076 alcohol-induced deaths in 2024 according to provisional CDC data, for a mortality rate was 18.2 per 100,000 residents. That’s down from the pandemic but well above levels dating back to 1999. In addition, Wisconsin’s rate of alcohol-induced deaths has risen well above the national average.
This year's Thanksgiving turkey may be more expensive. The Iowa Department of Agriculture turkeys with the bird flu in Minnesota could bring the disease to turkey farms in Iowa as they migrate this fall. The H5N1 bird flu is making the rounds in Minnesota after first showing up three years ago. Since an outbreak of bird flu ten years ago, the state says Iowa turkey farmers have taken steps to limit their flocks contact with external birds.
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