A now defunct poultry farming company is convicted of abandoning over 2 million chickens to starve to death across the Midwest. A Buffalo County judge found Pure Prairie Poultry guilty on Wednesday of 30 counts of mistreatment of animals. Prosecutors say P P P delivered 24-thousand chickens to a farm in Mondovi in October of 2022 with the intent to sell them for processing. But P P P ran out of money to pay for feed in 2024, and left its farms to fend for themselves. The chickens from the Mondovi farm were eventually given away, but not before they went more than three weeks without eating and hundreds of chickens died of starvation. Pure Prairie Poultry was fined over 13-thousand dollars, but it is unlikely the court will receive those funds since the company is bankrupt.
A longtime Durand-Arkansaw School District Employee is retiring. Food Service Director Lori Snap will retire at the end of the year. Durand-Arkansaw School Superintendent Ryan Nelson says the food service program is one of the most regulated parts of any school district. The district is now looking for a new food service director.
Spring Weight Restrictions are now in effect in Pepin County. The seasonal weight limits will be in effect on all Pepin County Roads effective on Thursday. Axel weight limits will be at 6 tons per axle with a 22 tons maximum gross vehicle weight. Restrictions will remain in place until road conditions stabilize. More information is available on the Highway Department Page of the Pepin County Website.
Democrats introduce a bill they say could make healthcare more accessible and affordable in Wisconsin. La Crosse County Representative Tara Johnson said the BadgerCare public option is designed to extend healthcare coverage to more residents, lower costs and expand BadgerCare enrollment to small businesses. Johnson said public health care keeps prices down because it is not beholden to insurance company stockholders or bonuses for executives, and those savings will get passed on to Wisconsinites. Republican leaders have already adjourned the state Assembly this session.
More details are emerging in an ongoing death investigation in Rusk County. The body of Ladysmith resident Terry DuSell was found on Tuesday. Sixty-two-year-old Charles Allers -- who is currently being held on an unrelated probation warrant -- has been identified as a person of interest in the case. Meanwhile -- DuSell's wife -- Terry DuSell has been taken into custody on a charge of hiding a corpse. Reports say the suspects were having an affair.
La Crosse City Council is considering a measure that would enforce a minimum age of 21-years-old for the purchase or possession of cigarette & tobacco products and electronic vaping devices. Council's Judiciary and Administrative Committee gave its approval to the idea this week with a full council vote planned for next week. If approved, the measure would being La Crosse in line on the matter with state and federal laws.
A Wisconsin-based bottler is recalling more than 600-thousand bottles of water. Nearly a month ago, Portage based Valley Springs Artesian Gold issued the recall, after the bottles were packaged in unsanitary conditions. Last week, the FDA upgraded the recall to a Class 2, which means use of or exposure to could cause "temporary or medically reversible" adverse health effects. The recalled bottled water was sold at retailers in Wisconsin and Illinois and sold mostly in 1 gallon jugs, which includes Valley Springs infant water and Daisy Doggy water, along with steamed distilled and natural varieties.
Over 650 federal agents are remaining in Minnesota nearly three weeks after the end of Operation Metro Surge. On February 20th, White House border czar Tom Homan told CNN that the DHS would return its regular footprint of 150 agents. Meanwhile, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem told Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar that fewer than 650 agents remained. At its peak, the operation had roughly four thousand federal agents and officers assigned to Minnesota. In February, Homan told Fox News that if federal agents need to return, they will.
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State Senate committee is considering a bill that would send an extra
$14.6 million to UW–Madison athletics and overhaul how athletes'
name, image, and likeness deals are handled. Badgers Athletic
Director Chris McIntosh told lawmakers the industry is changing fast,
and rising costs, including a $20.5 million expense from the House
settlement, are putting pressure on UW’s financial model. But
student‑athletes say the fallout is hitting them. Track and
field athlete Maggie Munson says she lost a $6,000 academic award and
that her team has lost nutrition support. She also noted the
university tore down the indoor track facility with no plan to
rebuild a competition track. The bill passed the Assembly last month
with just one “no” vote and would also make NIL contracts exempt
from public records laws.
Wisconsin signs off on PFAS and lead water regulations in line with federal standards. Democratic Governor Tony Evers says this updates state limits for several PFAS chemicals and lowers the action level for lead in drinking water, requiring all lead service lines to be replaced by 2037. The announcement comes as national utility groups challenge the federal regulations, and as Evers battles with Republican lawmakers over who can approve agency rules. Wisconsin’s new lead service line rule is set to be published March 30, but the PFAS rule is still pending. Lawmakers are nearing a deal to release $125 million in PFAS cleanup funds.
Governor Tony Evers is calling lawmakers back to Madison to ban partisan gerrymandering. The Democratic governor signed an executive order yesterday for a special session to be held beginning April 14th. Evers wants to see a constitutional amendment passed that doesn't allow gerrymandering, although the amendment wouldn't specify how to draw electoral maps. Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and both Democratic legislative leaders were absent for yesterday's announcement. It's unclear if the idea has any support from either side of the aisle.
Governor Tony Evers is urging Congress to change new federal restrictions on hemp. The law is set to take effect in November and will ban the sale of most products in the U-S as it sets the legal THC limit in hemp products to trace amounts. Governor Evers says that will jeopardize the 700 million dollar economic impact in the state, along with nearly 35 hundred jobs. Wisconsin had 470 federally licensed hemp producers as of last November. Evers also highlighted the importance of hemp products as lawful alternatives in Wisconsin, where marijuana, even medicinal use, is not legal.
A Republican candidate for Minnesota governor is selecting a running mate. Kendall Qualls has named business leader Brian Nicholson as his lieutenant governor. The GOP hopeful described his running mate as an everyday Minnesotan and a father with a lengthy background in business. Nicholson released a statement claiming that he's ready to step up and be the leader that the state needs. The primary election is set for August 11th. The general election is on November 3rd.
The World Championship Cheese Contest returns to Madison. Cheese producers from 25 countries and 34 U.S. states and territories are competing, entering cheeses, butters, cultured products, and dry dairy ingredients. International judges score each entry on a 100‑point scale, deducting for any defects in flavor, texture, color, finish, or packaging. More details are available at worldchampioncheese.org.
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