Local-Regional News March 12

 

The City of Durand has approved the contractor for the 6^th Avenue East project. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city received 11 bids for the project.  American Express was the winning bidder for the main project at a cost of approximately $115000.  That project is expected to be completed this summer.

Residents in Buffalo County are concerned about Bitcoin mining and its effects on electric rates in the county. Residents met with officials from Riverland Energy Cooperative in Waumandee last night to talk about a Bitcoin company called Anovary that has set up several locations in Riverland Co-Ops territory. Co-Op leaders told those attending the company pays for all electric expenses,  including any electric upgrades the company needed and the company is willing to shut down when Riverland needs electric capacity.

Buffalo County Road Bans are in effect  due to unseasonably warm temperatures we received earlier this week.  The restrictions are 10 ton maximum for single axle vehicles, 22 tons maximum for 3 or more Axles and combination vehicles have a 30 ton maximum. Exemptions are available on a case by case basis, contact the Buffalo County Highway department for more information.  

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is planning a resurfacing project in Dunn County. The nearly $9 million project, will resurface a portion of US 12 and WIS 40 between Elk Mound and Colfax. The planned work includes milling the existing pavement along the route and then paving new asphalt, placing centerline rumble strips in rural areas, and repairing the Eighteen Mile Creek Bridge. Canadian National will replace the railroad crossing in Colfax. The project is set to start at the end of the month and is scheduled to be completed in early October.

Officials are voting to increase the salary for the Chippewa County Sheriff. The Chippewa County board has opted to increase the sheriff's salary for the next four years to a little over 123-thousand dollars annually -- an increase of six-percent. The board is also raising the salaries of the clerk of courts and coroner.

Prison for an Eau Claire man convicted in a January 2025 fatal shooting. Du'Marion Stogner pleaded no contest last year to charges including second-degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of 21-year-old Andre Simmons Junior. Stogner was sentenced Wednesday to nine years in prison.

The verdict is in for a La Crosse County man charged with killing his wife. Zachary Fritz stabbed his wife to death in June of 2024 and claimed he was mentally ill at the time. On Wednesday, Fritz was found not guilty of first-degree intentional homicide due to mental disease or defect. Fritz will be required to spend the rest of his life in a psychiatric facility.

Rusk County is the latest county to experience a cybersecurity incident impacting the county’s computer network. County officials said they’re currently working with a team of forensic experts to fully understand the extent and implications of the incident and to restore operations within a safe and remediated network environment. Their comprehensive assessment is ongoing and may span several weeks.

The Sun Country Airlines is relaunching their Eau Claire to Las Vegas seasonal service. The flight path was last served in fall 2024. This relaunch builds on the momentum established during Sun Country's second year of successful winter service between Eau Claire and Fort Myers. Flights will be on Mondays and Fridays starting September 4^th. Customers can now book travel plans through December 15th, 2026.

The Eau Claire City Council is approving a proposal to increase water rates. The water rate will increase by 20-percent, with city officials saying the hike is needed to match higher operating expenses as well as infrastructure repairs and improvements. The increase comes after city officials shared an anticipated two-point-two-million-dollar deficit for the 2027 budget. The change will go into effect on April 1st.

Hundreds of gallons of oil are leaking from a Minnesota nuclear power plant. On Tuesday morning, officials discovered a leak at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant in Monticello, Minnesota. Xcel Energy said the plant has been shut down for maintenance since February 20th. Plant officials say no oil has reached the Mississippi River. Xcel says it has notified federal, state and local officials.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison's next second-in-command is a familiar face. The school announced John Zumbrunnen will be the permanent provost and executive vice chancellor of academic affairs. Zumbrunnen has held the position on an interim basis since last June. He was named as one of the three finalists after UW - Madison held a national search. Zumbrennen has been with the school for 17 years, including being a professor of political science.

Democratic lawmakers are pushing new legislation that would ban cosmetic testing on animals in Wisconsin, and it’s being led by a 14‑year‑old Wauwatosa student. Abby Wurzburger is championing the Wisconsin Humane Cosmetics Act, which would prohibit the manufacture, sale, import, or practice of cosmetic animal testing in the state. She says Wisconsin should join the twelve other states that have already passed similar bans. Wurzburger has been working with Wauwatosa Democratic Representative Robyn Vining on the bill. But with the legislative session nearing its end, it’s unlikely lawmakers will take it up this year.

Minnesota state lawmakers are proposing bills to regulate access to artificial intelligence. One proposal is to ban children from using AI chatbots. It would also prohibit health insurers from using AI to determine if a procedure is medically necessary. A separate bill would ban the use of AI algorithms to set different prices for the same goods and services for different consumers. Both Republicans and Democrats alike at the Minnesota State Capitol believe that in the absence of federal regulations, states must create their own.

Memorial services are set for longtime Green Bay Packers president Bob Harlan. A visitation and funeral Mass will be held March 16th at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay, with a public Celebration of Life following that same day in the Atrium at Lambeau Field. Harlan, who served as Packers President and CEO for nearly two decades, died last week at age 89. After joining the Packers organization in 1971, he ascended to the team’s presidency in 1989 and helmed a reorganization of the franchise that led to a Super Bowl XXXI (31) victory in 1997, and a nearly $300 million refurbishing of Lambeau Field. Harlan stepped down from his position in 2008.