Local-Regional News Oct 3

 

No one was injured in a fire in Downtown Wabasha on Thursday. According to Wabasha Fire, crews responded to the apartments above Silver Star Saloon Thursday afternoon after people in the saloon smelled smoke and called 911. A small fire was found in an upstairs apartment likely caused by too many things plugged in. The saloon had minor smoke damage and no one was in the upstairs apartment at the time of the fire.

Two people were injured in a motorcycle accident in Clifton Township on Saturday. According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, 56yr old Gary Paananen and passenger 56yr old Shannon Paananen of Cottage Grove was traveling southbound on Hwy F when he lost control and entered the ditch. Both were taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

In Dunn County, sentencing is being ordered for a woman who has pleaded guilty on charges in the death of a Boyceville man. Prosecutors say that -- in an incident from February of 2024 -- motorist Barbara McLennan went left of center on Highway 25 in Menomonie as she was trying to pass another vehicle and hit a vehicle being driven by 57-year-old Tony Swanson head-on. Swanson was killed. McLennan avoids a trial -- at the request of the victim's family -- and has been ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and stay out of legal trouble for the next two years.

A Menomonie man was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison and 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty for possessing a firearm as a felon. According to the US Attorney for Western Wisconsin, On December 20^th of last year, Dunn County Sheriff’s Deputies pulled over 34yr old Demetris Howard for speeding. After further investigation, a gun was found in the vehicle which Howard claimed to have found as was going to throw in into the water. Howard has a prior conviction of armed robbery and is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.

University of Wisconsin-Stout is celebrated the opening of its new Esports Arena on Thursday with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Esports Arena is located in Room 111 of the Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center, 315 10th Avenue East, Menomonie. According to UW-Stout, the $1 million arena will serve as the home and competition venue for UW-Stout’s championship-winning esports program.

The old Sacred Heart Hospital that had been purchased by the UW-Eau Claire Foundation has been sold. The Foundation announced the sale of the building to Commonweal Development Corporation. Commonweal is considering transforming the site into a medical research and technology park. As part of the sale the Foundation will retain a five acre parcel for future expansion.

Kwik Trip will soon be rounding down future purchases to the nearest nickel. The change was announced after the U.S. Department of Treasury announced the end of penny production. Digital and card transactions won't be rounded down. CEO Scott Zietlow says the change reflects the company's focus on guest experience.

An important milestone at Wisconsin’s troubled youth corrections facilities. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections announced Thursday that it has reached full compliance with 50 orders placed by the federal government on the Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls. The orders stem from a 2015 raid and investigation at the Lincoln County facility that showed widespread abuse and lack of supervision. A subsequent judgement against the state resulted in the court orders and 25 million dollars in fines. Governor Tony Evers has made closure of Lincoln Hills/Cooper Lake one of his top goals since taking office. The process to open a new youth corrections site in southeast Wisconsin continues.

Minnesota is bracing for a double-digit health insurance rate hike. Health insurance premiums are rising more than 20 percent next year for thousands who are covered on the individual market. The Minnesota Commerce Commissioner said they were anticipating an increase, but what they're seeing is "a real gut punch." If Congress doesn't extend ACA tax credits, about 89-thousand Minnesotans will face an additional premium increase of nearly 200 dollars per month. Democratic lawmakers blame the Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress for not renewing the pandemic-era tax credits.

A man is now in custody after reports that he was armed and threatening violence against law enforcement. Police say 23-year-old Austin Juracich had an active felony warrant for bail jumping. Juracich evaded capture during an extensive eight-hour search by multiple law enforcement agencies. He threatened to shoot law enforcement rather than return to jail. Officials sent out warnings to residents not to approach him due to the risk he poses. Juracich was eventually arrested following a multi-agency takedown.

Concerning poll findings regarding political violence in the U.S. A new Marquette Law School national poll finds Americans deeply divided over political violence. The poll taken after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk did show 58% of respondents saying it is always unacceptable to be happy about the death of someone they oppose; and 89% saying political violence is always unjustified. But the poll showed partisan divides. Among Republicans, 57% say left-wing violence is the bigger problem, while 50% of Democrats see right-wing violence as the bigger problem.

A lead veterinarian at Ridglan Farms had their license suspended on Tuesday. It came as a result of a unanimous vote by the Veterinary Examining Board of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Doctor Richard Van Domelen was previously allowed to keep practicing under certain conditions. The board held an emergency vote on Tuesday to suspend him after a surprise inspection found issues with record keeping.

Wisconsin soybean farmers are struggling to find buyers as tariffs with China continue to stymie the market. A statement from the non-partisan Wisconsin Soybean Association says the organization is extremely concerned for the state’s farm economy after President Trump declared the U.S. trade deficit a national emergency and slapped tariffs on many of the US's largest trading partners. Wisconsin farmers typically grow around 1 point 3 billion dollars worth of soybeans a year, with two thirds of that exported. China has refused to buy any U S grown soybeans this year due to the tariffs. A similar situation arose during Trump's first term when a looming trade war with China cost the agricultural industry 27 billion dollars in losses. The American Soybean Association is urging the President to work out a deal with China before farmers again see major losses.

A new report from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources cites a northern Wisconsin papermill as being responsible for extensive PFAS contamination in Oneida County. The agency is completing an investigation into the contamination in Stella and Starks, just east of Rhinelander, to see if it qualifies as an E P A Superfund site. Officials say waste from the Rhinelander papermill, now owned by Ahlstrom and formerly owned by Wausau Paper, is to blame. The D N R says Wausau Paper spread waste from making microwave popcorn bags on fields in Starks going back to 1996. The agency is calling on Ahlstrom and Wausau Paper's current company Essity to submit documentation on how to remediate the area. Testing of wells in the affected area found PFAs levels thousands of times higher than federal drinking water standards.

Raising awareness of Wisconsin’s bat population during the Halloween season. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' International Bat Week observance from October 24th through the 31st will stress the importance of bats to the state’s environment, economy and public health. The DNR says bug-eating bats consume agricultural pests which helps farmers and foresters. Wisconsin has eight species of bats, with four of them classified as threatened in the state. A fungus-based disease known as white-nose syndrome is the primary cause of the decline of bat populations. The DNR will hold several educational bat events around the state this month. Find out more at “Bat week dot org”.