Xcel Energy says it has received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to move forward with the Western Wisconsin Transmission Connection project. The roughly 80-mile transmission line will connect new and existing substations, beginning near Blair in Trempealeau County, connecting to a substation near Eau Claire and linking to an existing 345-kV line near Owen in Clark County. WWTC will interconnect with new and existing transmission lines under development in southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin and central Wisconsin.
With Fall Hunting Season underway, the Pepin County Sheriff’s Department is using technology to help locate lost hunters. Pepin County Chief Deputy Matt Roesler says the department is using a software that can help rescuers find a lost hunter. Roesler reminds hunters to let loved ones know when you will be returning from the hunt and where you will be hunting, and make sure your cell phone is fully charged.
The Dunn County Board of Supervisors will hold its annual budget hearing at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, to vote on a proposed 2026 budget that continues the recent trend of reducing the tax rate used to assess property taxes. The 2026 tax (mill) rate is projected to drop to $4.30 per $1,000 of property value, a nearly 6 percent reduction from the 2025 rate of $4.53. The total operating budget would increase 1.54 percent to $83.4 million, while the tax levy would increase 1.73 percent to $25.2 million. Debt service would increase slightly to $5.172 million.
The Durand-Arkansaw School District held a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday for the new Early Learning Center. Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Ryan Nelson says the district is aware of the lack of child care in the area and wanted to do something to address that issue. The facility is expected to open in September of 2026.
An agreement has been reached in a child sexual assault case in Buffalo County. 24Yr old Kaleb Doerr, was charged in 2023 for allegedly sexually assaulting three children. Doerr pleaded guilty to three counts of fourth-degree sexual assault as part of a plea deal. He was ordered to pay $886 and entered into a deferred agreement. It says if doesn't commit any new crimes for the next two years, and meets the other terms, his case will be dismissed.
Eau Claire Police are investigating after a man's body was found Sunday morning along London Road. Reports say the 65-year-old's death is not believed to have been connected with any foul play. An autopsy is being performed.
Wisconsin FoodShare recipients will receive partial November benefits amid the federal government shutdown. The shutdown has caused delays in distributing benefits through QUEST cards, which may take weeks to months. Officials from the Department of Health Services say delays will affect around 367-thousand households. Around 700-thousand residents rely on the fully federally funded program each month. Meanwhile, the Trump administration will partially fund SNAP benefits using emergency federal funds.
Voters in Goodhue took to the polls Tuesday and passed the proposed referendum for the school district. The board asked voters to increase its general education revenue by $800 per pupil for 10 years. The referendum passed with just six votes, totaling 296. There were 290 NO votes.
Investigators say no credible threat was found after an online post targeted a Jackson County school. Officials say a report came in late Monday night targeting the Melrose-Mindoro School. Evidence showed the suspect from Juneau County had no access to the school. The suspect reportedly had a history of making threats toward the school, prompting an investigation. Authorities say the case is resolved and there is no ongoing threat.
Proposed legislation would define and establish criminal penalties for grooming. It would define grooming as a “course of conduct, pattern of behavior, or series of acts intended to condition, seduce, or entice a child for the purpose of sexual activity or exploitation.” Examples include sexualized conversations, inappropriate physical contact, digital communications designed to lure a child, and efforts to isolate a child from family or peers. Republicans, State Representative Amanda Nedweski and Senator Jesse James are circulating the measure, introduced in the wake of a yearlong investigation by the Capitol Times into how the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction investigates and reports allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming by school staff. State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly is scheduled to address an informational hearing on Sexual Misconduct Allegations in Wisconsin Public Schools before the Senate Education Committee at the Capitol on Tuesday. Underly was a no show for a similar hearing in an Assembly committee last week.
Some Minnesota sheriffs are hesitant to partner with ICE. So far, only eight of 87 Minnesota counties have signed agreements with the agency. The partnerships give sheriffs the authority to enforce federal immigration laws, and these agreements are much more popular in conservative-leaning states with big immigrant populations. Immigrant rights groups fear these partnerships with ICE will lead to local officers working alongside masked federal agents who are arresting people in unmarked vans. The rights groups have had success persuading sheriffs to not work with ICE but some are claiming they haven't done so because of limited resources and a lack of need to do so.
Police in Wisconsin Rapids say there is no evidence linking a pair of homicides from last Thursday. 34-year-old Antoni R. Quinones died at a Wisconsin Rapids emergency room after he was dropped off with life-threatening injuries. Officers are still investigating his death, and haven't named a suspect. The second incident involved 56-year-old Randall Harris Senior, who police say was killed by his 34-year-old son- Randall Harris Junior, who is in jail awaiting formal charges. Autopsies were conducted on both victims on Monday.
Hormel Foods is cutting 250 jobs. The Austin-based food processing company is reportedly getting rid of corporate and sales employees through layoffs, voluntary early retirements and closing instead of hiring for open positions. Hormel President John Ghingo says the business is directing its resources toward technology, innovation, food safety, and quality. Interim CEO Jeff Ettinger hinted at job cuts were on the table this summer after lowering the company's earnings outlook for the second time this year.
You can help the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with its black bear studies. The DNR is asking you to report any black bear den locations you might come across. The Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey will generate new estimates of black bear reproductive rates within each of the state's bear management zones. DNR investigators are also using the study to investigate a connection between consumption of human food sources and bear reproduction. If you think you've come across a bear den you should log its GPS coordinates, take photos, and describe the site and any signs of bear activity. More info can be found on the DNR's website.
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