Dangerously cold weather is hitting the Chippewa Valley. The National Weather Service says wind chills as low as 45 below is expected. The cold weather is expected to remain in the area into the weekend. An extreme cold warning is in effect for the region. The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as ten minutes.
Dunn County Representative Clint Moses is introducing legislation to ensure transparency and accountability in data center development across Wisconsin. The bill would prohibit data center developers from entering into nondisclosure agreements or similar arrangements that conceal material information from local governments or property owners. If a developer violates this transparency requirement, no city, village, town, or county could approve the project. The proposed bill comes in response after a Menomonie put a proposed data center on hold after community concerns.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will be holding a public meeting on January 29th from 5-7pm at the Marten Community Center in Mondovi to talk about a pavement replacement project on Hwy 37 from Hwy 88 in the town of Mondovi to Hwy 10 in the city of Mondovi. The pavement is nearing the end of its life and will be replaced, along with widening the shoulders, installing new storm sewers and water mains in the city of Mondovi. The project is scheduled for 2027.
An area lawmaker is pushing an effort to make schools safer. Wisconsin State Senator Jesse James has introduced the Senate version of bills that would update how Wisconsin schools handle safety plans. If approved, the measures would standardize school lockdown announcements for emergencies and require safety plans to include procedures for informing students and families when an incident happens. The Thorp Republican says these bills are in response to the deadly Abundant Life school shooting in Madison in 2024.
Home sales in Wisconsin ended the year with moderate growth. According to the Wisconsin Realtors Association, December home sales in the state rose 4% compared to 2024. In Western Wisconsin, Pepin County reported 7 homes sold, Buffalo County 15, Pierce County 19 and Dunn County had 34 homes sold in December. The median price of a home in Western Wisconsin was $290,000 below the statewide median of $312,750.
People’s Energy Cooperative (PEC) is warning its members of scammers, who are targeting PEC members. PEC says multiple members have been targeted in this scam, where the scammer calls and indicates they have a bill that is past due, and needed to pay immediately or be disconnected. Members are reminded that if they receive a call from someone claiming to represent a utility company, and the caller asks for personal information or threatens disconnection without immediate payment, to hang up and call the customer service number on your bill. PEC adds that staff will never request bank or payment information from its members over the phone.
A Rochester-area man accused of causing a deadly crash while using Snapchat on his cellphone is getting probation. Eric Wittlief was sentenced yesterday in Winona County District Court. The collision involving the Oronoco man's pickup truck and a car happened in 2021. Wittlief's passenger, Christ Brown, died from blunt-force injuries. The defendant agreed to reckless driving and careless driving as part of a plea deal. Wittlief was also ordered to perform 40 hours of community service.
Senator Amy Klobuchar is inching closer to a run for Minnesota governor. Klobuchar has publicly confirmed an interest in running for governor, and she filed paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board on Thursday. The move comes after current Governor Tim Walz announced he would be dropping his bid for a third term over recent criticism surrounding a statewide fraud scandal. A Klobuchar governor campaign would be a boost for Democrats who welcome the prospect of her running.
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress is asking residents to submit ideas for new or updated laws affecting the state’s natural resources. Vice‑Chair Paul Reith says the Congress—created nearly 90 years ago—serves as a way for the public to advise the DNR on issues like wildlife, air, and water quality. Citizens can submit resolutions now through February 9th, and those proposals will be reviewed for the 2026 Spring Hearing, held in every county on April 13th and available online through April 15th. Reith notes that major policies, including Wisconsin’s blaze orange requirement, have come from this public process. More information is available on the DNR’s website.
Organizers are revealing several headliners for this summer's Northern Wisconsin State Fair. Country band Sawyer Brown will perform opening night on July 8th. Sugar Ray and Uncle Kracker take the stage on July 10th, while 1980s tribute band Hairball will entertain the crowd on July 9th. The Northern Wisconsin State Fair will be held July 8th through the 12th in Chippewa Falls.
Wisconsin GOP members are asking for mental health services to be expanded across to Wisconsin high schoolers. The two-year pilot program would be launched in the 2026-2027 school year and would provide at least 50-thousand-students help through an online tool. It would provide behavioral health education resources, peer-to-peer support and access to private virtual sessions with licensed mental health professionals. A report by the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health found that only half of the state's high school students felt like they belonged in the classroom.
A bill to regulate data center projects in Wisconsin passed the state Assembly this week – but Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu says it needs work. Prior to the Senate's Wednesday floor session, the Republican leader said it seems as if often bills are rushed through the Assembly, while the Senate takes its time. Senate. LeMahieu said he likes the intent of the bill, but Senate Republicans haven't had a full caucus discussion on it yet. The Republican authored bill would require the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to make sure that utility ratepayers are insulated from new costs linked to data centers, and that any renewable energy facilities intended to mainly serve a data center to be located on-site. The bill passed the Assembly with few Democrats in support, and Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein said it would need a lot of changes to get Democratic support in that chamber.
WisconsinEye, the state’s version of C-SPAN, has been offline since December. State Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu provided an update on Wednesday. The Republican leader said that on December 23rd, the co-chairs of the joint Legislative Audit Committee sent WisconsinEye a letter asking them specific questions, with a deadline of January 9th to respond. LeMahieu said there was no response from WisconsinEye until Wednesday morning, which he hadn’t had a chance to review. The Senate’s Wednesday floor session was livestreamed on the Legislature’s website. WisconsinEye is currently fundraising to resume operations. LeMahieu said the outlet has not contacted lawmakers to access $10 million in matching funds.
Another central Wisconsin community has brought a PFAS treatment facility online. WAOW-TV in Wausau reports the village of Rothschild received 7 point 5 million dollars in grants to build the facility to remove PFAS from the city's water supply. Tests in 2022 detected the contaminants in the village wells. The system is similar to one that Wausau installed several years ago. Village Administrator Ryan VanDeWalle says PFAS levels are dropping to near non-detectable levels.
Former
broadcaster Michele Tafoya is running for U.S. Senate. On Wednesday,
the former "Sunday Night Football" sideline reporter
announced her bid for Minnesota's open U.S. Senate seat. Tafoya
described herself as a "political outsider and a reformer"
who will "clean up the system" by "fighting corruption
and ending fraud." Despite getting early backing from the
National Republican Senatorial Committee, Tafoya will still need to
prevail in a crowded GOP race this fall. If she wins the GOP
nomination, Tafoya will still need to defeat either Representative
Angie Craig or Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan in November.
The Department of Natural Resources is looking for some seasonal help in state parks. A wide range of position types are available that include opportunities in land management, outdoor recreation and education. The DNR says these seasonal jobs in the State Park System are a great way to spend your summer outside and help the public enjoy Wisconsin's natural resources. Some of the positions available include park rangers, natural resources educators, and campground attendants. Jobs typically start in the spring to early summer and extend through late summer to fall. More info can be found on the DNR's website.
No comments:
Post a Comment