The Pepin County Health Department is currently conducting a survey and community assessment on the health of the county. Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Steward says the assessment is a state requirement. The survey can be found at the Pepin County Health Department website, and hard copies are available at the Health Department. The assessment is expected to be completed by the end of July.
Western Wisconsin continues to experience some areas of drought. The latest drought monitor shows a small portion of Pepin, Buffalo and Trempealeau Counties remain under a moderate drought, while the rest of the WRDN listening area is under abnormally dry conditions. The drought conditions should continue to improve as more rain is in the forecast for today before a sunny weekend is expected.
The future Druand-Arkansaw dog park continues to move forward. In a social media post, dog park organizers said that crews continue to remove invasive species including black locust and buckthorn and cleaning out dead trees from the location. The new dog park is expected to open this fall and is located across from Tarrant Park.
The co-defendant of Brandon Gaston -- who's charged in the murder of an Altoona man four years ago -- took the witness stand in Gaston's murder trial yesterday. Gaston is charged with first degree homicide in the death of 79-year-old Dennis Schattie. Investigators believe Schattie was killed in Eau Claire -- though his body was found in the river near Rockford Illinois in April of 2022. Yesterday, his former girlfriend -- Tracey Clark -- told the jury how she and Gaston cleaned up after killing Schattie and took Schattie's body to Rockford. She pleaded no contest to a charge of reckless homicide in the case last year.
La Crosse County leaders have approved an 18-month moratorium on new data centers in areas where the county has zoning authority. County Board members say the temporary ban will give them time to study the potential impacts of data centers before they make long-term policy decisions. They say the review process will also provide opportunities for the public to weigh in on data centers. .
PFAS have been found in all 27 groundwater testing wells in Dakota County. PFAs, also known as "forever chemicals" were also detected in 94 of the 114 private drinking wells tested. Some samples exceeded state and federal drinking water guidelines. A new online dashboard allows residents to view testing results near their homes. Officials say private well owners concerned about PFAS should consider testing and filtration.
New grant funding will help provide meals for Tribal elders and their families. Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture announced $1.5 million in grants to help provide healthy, locally sourced, culturally relevant food to thousands of Tribal elders and their families. The funding supports the Tribal Elder Community Food Box Program and will be distributed through Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Hunger Task Force. The groups will work with Tribal leaders to deliver food at no cost through local distribution centers. The program also supports Indigenous producers and local farmers. The governor has proposed another $3 million for the effort in the next state budget.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court rules a race-based college grant program is unconstitutional. The unanimous decision released Thursday saw conservative Justice Annette Ziegler authoring an opinion in which she was joined by conservative justices Rebecca Bradley and Brian Hagedorn and liberal Janet Protasiewicz. The court’s three other liberal justices wrote a concurring opinion. The conservative Wisconsin Institute For Law and Liberty represented plaintiffs and calls the ruling which will end the state’s Minority Undergraduate Retention Grant a “major win for students.” The program provides $2,500 annually for Black, Indigenous, Hispanic and certain Southeast Asian students attending private, tribal or technical colleges. Wisconsin voters in November will be asked to approve a Constitutional amendment to prohibit consideration of race by the UW System or state government.
The victim from Monday's deadly Atloona house fire has been identified. The victim is said to be suspect Tyler Stanton's dad. The DA's office is still reviewing the case, but they anticipate to have formal charges filed in a criminal complaint Friday. Stanton's home was found to be fully engulfed Monday, with the body found inside.
A proposed park development on Madison's east side could be called off because of a rediscovery of a Ho-Chunk burial mound. The Wisconsin State Journal reports tribal survey teams have mapped out a possible burial site at Hartmeyer-Roth Park near the site of a pair of low-income residential developments. Current city plans call for a fully developed park with amenities, but the survey could push the park to become a natural preservation site instead. City policy forbids development on mound sites, but the park would need a formal designation by the state Historical Society and tribal leaders.
A new grant initiative hopes to strengthen financial literacy education. The Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Financial Institutions are offering a total of $300,000 in grants, with awards up to $75,000 each. The program supports innovative teaching, student engagement, and partnerships. State Superintendent Jill Underly says financial literacy helps students build critical thinking and decision-making skills for life after high school. The grants will also help schools meet new graduation requirements for personal finance education. The grants are available for Wisconsin schools and community groups.
A well-known ice cream brand in Wisconsin is sold. Hoffmann Family of Companies announced Tuesday that they have purchased Cedar Crest Ice Cream. As part of the transaction, Renato DePaolis, CEO of Oberweis Dairy, will assume leadership of Cedar Crest, bringing together two heritage brands with longstanding reputations for quality. Cedar Crest President Ken Kohlwey says he and his brothers wouldn’t have handed over the reins to just anyone as they retire, but they knew they could trust the company to continue to grow their beloved business. Cedar Crest Ice Cream is made in Manitowoc while their headquarters is in Cedarburg.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is experiencing the lowest approval rating of his eight years in office. The Star Tribune/KARE 11/ Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication poll shows the lawmaker's support has dropped to 39 percent. Respondents blamed Walz's handling of the state's fraud crisis for not backing him. His support has slipped among Democrats and Minnesotans who backed the governor and Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Last year, 91 percent of Harris voters in Minnesota said they approved of Walz's performance as governor. Now 69 percent say they do.
Don't just plug your phone or device into any public charging station. Wisconsin Consumer Protection administrator Michelle Reinen (RY-nen) says you can never know if an offered "free" charging station is there for just power, or if it can also look at the data on your phone. When in doubt, use a standard outlet with your own charging cable, or bring a battery from home.
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