One person is dead after a skid steer vs train accident in Diamond Bluff Township on Wednesday. According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, 72yr old Randy Anderson of Hagar City was attempting to cross a private railroad crossing when he was struck by a southbound BNSF train. Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene by by the Pierce County Medical Examiner.
The City of Durand is looking at possibly expanding the facade grant program to provide incentives for building owners on Main Street to improve their buildings that face the Chippewa River and Madison Street. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the economic development committee will look into the issue. Currently, the city offers $5000 grants to businesses and building owners to improve store fronts that face any street.
Two people were injured in a two vehicle accident in Hartland Township on October 27. According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 69yr old Deborah Griffin of Hudson was traveling southbound on 690th Street, when she collided with a vehicle driven by 68yr old Patricia Olafson of Bay City who was traveling westbound on Hwy V. Griffin was transported to Mayo Red Wing Hospital, while Olafson was med-flighted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.
One person was injured in a semi accident in Trenton Township on October 24th. According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, 24yr old Dillon Tincher of Pikeville, TN was traveling northbound on Hwy 35 when he lost control and entered the ditch, striking a tree. Tincher was transported to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.
A man charged with second-degree intentional homicide and substantial battery in two cases is pleading no contest. Officials say 19-year-old Du'Marion Stogner waived his preliminary hearing and accepted dismissal of other charges that were read in. The homicide charge stems from the January 2025 death of 21-year-old Andre Simmons Junior. Meanwhile, the battery charge involves an October 2024 assault on a footbridge. Stogner is scheduled for sentencing in February.
The College Republicans chapter on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus is drawing criticism for holding an event where a student dressed as a federal immigration agent was photographed arresting students. The original photo as posted online and was deleted but it was reshared elsewhere online. University officials say the event was not organized by the university. College and state Democrats have condemned the photos, calling them distasteful.
The La Crosse Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished construction of what it calls the largest public works project from the city of La Crosse in its history. The project is designed to meet low-level phosphorous compliance and reduce the biosolid footprint. It will also generate electricity from burning methane gas. La Crosse began planning the 68-million dollar project ten years ago.
The Village of Elmwood would like to inform residents that blasting will be taking place at the quarry today, 10am-2pm. You may hear loud noises or feel vibrations during this time. Village authorities say the blasting is a planned and controlled event.
Wisconsin
school districts
who
currently have no prohibitions in place on the use of cell phones
during class time will be required to put such a limit in place.
Governor Tony Evers signed a bill into law on Friday requiring all
school systems in the state to ban the use of cell phones during
classroom time by July 31st. Exceptions will be allowed for
emergencies.
Governor Evers has declared a state of emergency amid the ongoing federal shutdown and the looming lapse of FoodShare benefits. Evers announced the order yesterday, giving the state authority to combat price-gouging and direct resources toward mitigating economic disruption. This comes as President Trump says his administration will only fund SNAP after receiving court guidance. Evers noted nearly 700-thousand state residents could lose access to food assistance if federal funding is not restored.
Governor
Tony Evers is rejecting a measure requiring Wisconsin state employees
to spend most of their work time in a physical office. Assembly Bill
39 would've required state employees to spend 80 percent of their
work hours in an office starting New Year's Eve. Evers said he
rejected the bill in its entirety and accused the legislature of
"encroaching on the executive branch." He also argued it
would have an impact on Wisconsin taxpayers and "jeopardize the
efficiencies" of state government. It was one of 19 bills Evers
took action on last week.
Scammers are returning to an old trick to try and get your personal information. Wisconsin Consumer Protection Administrator Michelle Reinen says criminals are calling victims about fake loan offers, or loans that they never paid back. They're both scam attempts; there's no real offers or reminders out there. Reinen says this sort of scam is based on surprising or alarming you with large amounts of money, and scammers want you to hand over your information without thinking about it. As always, be sure to get anything having to do with loans or finances in writing before you make a decision.
Minnesota soybean farmers are fearing the long-term effects of the China trade war. Across rural Minnesota, steel grain bins sit filled with soybeans with no market to sell to. President Trump's trade war with China could not have come at a worse time. It's the lean years in the soybean markets, and up until this year, every third row went to China. Farmers are saying they're losing money on every acre they plant because of a crisis they didn't cause. After year of economic distress, being stuck in the middle is a pain felt particularly hard in rural Minnesota.
A
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire professor and his student
researchers are featured in two documentaries spotlighting their work
to find forgotten Holocaust history. Dr. Harry Jol and his team
appear in BBC and National Geographic documentaries titled "The
Hidden Holocaust" and "How he Holocaust Began." The
films show the university's Holocaust Mapping Program, which uses
advanced technology to locate mass burial and execution sites. The
research team travels overseas to collect data using
ground-penetrating radar, laser leveling and aerial drones. The
documentaries feature footage and interviews shot in 2022 when Jol
and his students did research in Lithuania and Latvia.
Six cruise ships will be visiting Green Bay next year. Officials say the visits are expected to bring about 785 passengers into the city and more than 327-thousand dollars in economic impact for the area. Two of the visits will be from Victory Cruise Lines and the other four from American Cruise Lines' American Patriot. This year, Green Bay welcomed two cruise ships.
