A longtime Durand resident and business owner has passed away. Robert Heike passed away last Thursday. Following his service in Vietnam, Heike became a pharmacist and returned to Durand to work at the family pharmacy. He took over Heike Pharmacy in 1991. A celebration of life will be held on Friday June 12 from 3-7pm at the Durand Rod and Gun Club.
The Madison Street Project keeps moving forward. Crews completed the underground work from 1st Ave to 4th Ave West, and according to Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren are now working on areas just south of Durand Fresh Market. Crews will begin working on sidewalk and curb and gutter between 1st Avenue and 4th Avenue West next week after Fun Fest.
Two people are injured after a two-vehicle crash in Pierce County. Authorities were called to the crash Thursday afternoon on US Highway 10. Investigators say a car operated by 29yr Davis Lunde of River Falls was traveling westbound on Hwy 10 when he collided with another car driven by 59 yr Alice Averbeck of Prescott. Both Lunde and Averbeck were taken to the hospital with undetermined injuries.
A search warranted carried out at Red Wing Glass Friday morning resulted in police finding nearly five pounds of suspected methamphetamine and a large amount of cash. An additional search warrant was executed in Pierce County, at a residence. No other details were provided. Red Wing Police arrested Shawn Goulette, and charged him with first-degree possession and sales of a controlled substance.
A Baldwin resident is being identified as the person who died after a Thursday crash in St. Croix County. Fifty-seven-year-old Darin Ofstie was riding a motorcycle in Baldwin Township when a car turned in front of them. Ofstie hit the car and sustained fatal injuries. The car's teenage driver sustained injuries that are described as minor.
Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate at the Saint Croix County Jail. The sheriff's office says a 22-year-old man was found unresponsive in the jail's Huber dorm early Saturday morning. Jail staff and first responders attempted life-saving measures, but the inmate was pronounced dead at the facility. Officials have not released the man's name or cause of death. The Dunn County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation under department policy.
Officials with the state Department of Agriculture are setting spongy moth traps in western and central Wisconsin, including Pepin, Pierce, Dunn and Buffalo Counties. Over six-thousand traps are being placed across Central and Western Wisconsin now through early July. The small green boxes will be stapled to or hung from trees to attract male spongy months in an effort to lower future populations. State officials are asking residents to avoid disturbing the traps once they are in place.
Wisconsin State Patrol is sharing the results of last week's aerial patrols over Eau Claire County. The department flew drones over construction work areas on I-94. With the aid of ground support, 21 traffic stops were made for speeding with those drivers being caught going anywhere from 15- to 24-miles-per-hour over the speed limit.
Crews were dispatched Sunday morning to the scene of a house fire in Tomah. The fire was reported shortly before 4 a.m. with officials saying it likely started with a portable battery jump starter that was on the front porch of the Kilbourn Avenue residence. No one was hurt.
Rural emergency medical services in Wisconsin are under growing strain. The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health reports as many as 40 to 50 percent of ambulance services can’t provide round-the-clock coverage. Officials say funding gaps, staffing shortages, and rising call volumes are all contributing factors. The demands are also taking a toll on mental health. EMS Outreach Manager James Small says many experienced responders face PTSD, depression, or anxiety due to repeated trauma. Despite the challenges, crews remain committed, but low pay and volunteer reliance are making it harder to keep services running. A new EMS Forward plan aims to improve reliability, support workers, and strengthen rural systems statewide.
A deal to avoid jail time is reportedly in the works for a former principal at Sun Prairie West High School, charged in connection with a sex abuse scandal. Jennifer Ploeger (PLOO-ger) is expected to enter no contest pleas to misdemeanor counts of failure to report child abuse during a court appearance next month. Court filings indicate that Ploeger is being pre-screened for the deferred prosecution program. The case unfolded last year when the former dean of students at Sun Prairie West was arrested following an investigation into child sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography. Robert Gielke-Meisegier has been sentenced to 18 years in prison in federal court. He also faces over a dozen felonies on the state level. That case continues to play out in court.
A Kaukauna teacher who mocked an assassination attempt against the President on social media has been fired. The Kaukauna School Board on Wednesday voted 6 to 1 to fire high school social studies teacher Patrick Meyer. Last month, Meyer posted on social media that multiple attacks against President Trump have failed and that assassins need to do better. This was a reference to the failed attack at the White House Correspondents Dinner in April. The district states that the post "created material disruption to school operations" in its cause to fire Meyer. Meyer had been on leave for several weeks while the board decided his fate.
A former candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General is now formally back in the race. Republican Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney submitted his nomination papers to the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Thursday. Candidates for all state offices have until Monday to do so. Toney lost to current AG Josh Kaul in 2022 by about 35-thousand votes. Toney says he's been working to improve efforts to protect children online and increase pay for public defenders. If no other attorney general candidates register, the November election will be a rematch between Toney and Kaul.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is revealing her running mate in her bid for governor of Minnesota. The Democrat has selected ex-Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer to join her on the ticket. He also was a candidate for state Auditor to replace incumbent Julie Blaha. Klubuchar says Schierer know what it takes to hammer out results by collaborating with the private and public sector, as well as residents.
A
federal immigration agent is facing multiple charges after state law
enforcement officers arrested him in Texas in connection to a
nonfatal shooting in Minneapolis earlier this year. According to the
Hennepin County Attorney's Office, Christian Castro was arrested
after authorities issued a warrant for him last week. Minnesota
prosecutors allege the ICE agent was attempting to arrest a suspect
after a car chase and the suspect fled to his home where Castro fired
into his front door, shooting his roommate. Castro told investigators
he had opened fire on the men while they hit him with a shovel, but
officials later said Minneapolis police footage revealed what was
described as a different set of circumstances. Castro has been
charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of
falsely reporting a crime.
New safety laws for ATV and UTV riders take effect Monday across Wisconsin. The Department of Natural Resources says one major change now requires everyone in a UTV, including the driver, to wear a seatbelt. Officials say many recent injuries and fatalities are linked to riders not buckling up. UTVs are also growing in popularity, with registration numbers, and crashes, on the rise. Other new rules include limits on tinted windows and a ban on towing objects on trails. The DNR is also reminding riders to avoid alcohol, wear helmets, and consider taking a safety course as the summer riding season gets underway.
