Local-Regional News June 24

 

A western Wisconsin man is accused of repeated sexual assaults of a child. Charges against 35-year-old Christopher Jensen of Menomonie are filed in Pepin County, where the alleged assaults occurred. Jensen is charged with four felonies including repeated sexual assault of a child, child enticement and possession of child pornography. According to a criminal complaint the victim was 13 years old when the abuse began. The victim told police Jensen recorded one of the assaults on his phone. Jensen has been released on a $20,000 cash bond and is due back in court next month.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a $124,000 change order in the Madison Street Project to replace the manhole and sewer line on 5^th Ave West between Madison and Main Street, discussion on staffing issues with Durand Police and talking with the Pepin County Sheriff’s Department for assistance and reports from the Mayor and Department Heads. Tonights meeting begins at 6pm at Durand City Hall and will be live streamed on the WRDN website.

The Durand-Arkansaw School Board is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on the 2026-27 Preliminary Budget, renewal of property, casuality, workers compensation and cyber security insurance and reports from the district and building administrators. Tonights meeting begins at 6pm in the board room at Durand-Arkansaw High School.

The City of Mondovi has approved donating $1000 to the Buffalo County Humane Association and target those funds to assist in the trapping and removal of feral cats in the city. Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the Humane Association will target problem areas in the city. Council member Schultz questioned the $1000 amount as too little to address the problem, as it would only cover trapping 12-14 cats.

Xcel Energy has filed a proposal that would force large electric users like data centers to pay for all the electric grid upgrades themselves. In a filing with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, the company is proposing a Large Load Tariff, would apply to any new customer or significant load expansion of 100 megawatts (MW) or greater. If approved, the tariff would require those customers to cover 100% of the costs required to serve them and not pass the costs onto other customers.

After a review of county facilities, Eau Claire County is considering possibly selling or development of the Eau Claire County Expo Center. An advisory committee is being formed to look at the center to determine if its in the best interest in the county to continue to operate the center as a public-private partnership or sell it. The advisory committee will be made up of members of the public and organizations that use the center.

The verdict is in for a defendant charged in connection with the killing of an Altoona man. The body of 79-year-old Dennis Schattie was found in the river near Rockford Illinois in April of 2022. Investigators believe Schattie was killed in Eau Claire. Brandon Gaston was convicted in Eau Claire County yesterday of being a party to the crime of first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse. Gaston's former girlfriend -- Tracey Clark -- pleaded no contest to a charge of reckless homicide in the case last year.

A woman facing child abuse charges in Trempealeau County has now heard the court's verdict. Unlicensed daycare provider Maegan Valley was found guilty yesterday of charges including child abuse-recklessly causing great harm and neglecting a child where the consequence is great harm. The case involved a one-year-old child who was taken to a hospital in 2024 with second and third degree burns covering nearly a quarter of his body.

A Chippewa Falls man is facing drug charges in La Crosse. Thirty-nine-year-old Star Yang was arrested Monday night after police say they found him with fentanyl and cocaine inside his vehicle. Yang appeared in court yesterday where a bond was set at ten-thousand dollars.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down a challenge against the Menominee Tribe adding property to the reservation's trust. In a 4 to 3 decision Tuesday, the court upheld a dismissal of a lawsuit from the Legend Lake Property Owners Association that attempted to stop a tribal member from buying properties on Legend Lake in Menominee County and handing them back to the tribe. Liberal justices on the court ruled that a 1970s law re-establishing federal recognition for the Menominee Tribe and establishing its sovereign status means landowners' covenants do not apply. The move allows roughly 40 properties on the lake to once again return to tribal regulation, after similar rulings at the federal level.

It's a return of an unhealthy sight on Wisconsin lakes: blue-green algae. Recent sunny days following heavy rains have bloomed algae across southern Wisconsin, including on Madison's Lake Monona. The D N R says fertilizer and other runoffs can prompt the blooms of single cell plants, and winds easily move the resulting slime into piles on the shore. Some of that algae can be toxic, so just keep out of the water if you see it and keep pets out of the water as well to prevent serious illness.

Minnesota health insurers are seeking a double-digit rate increase for 2027. Medica is asking for an average increase of about 13 percent on individual MNsure plans. While HealthPartners is seeking a 12-percent increase and Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Minnesota is seeking a ten-percent increase. Regulators haven't approved the proposed increases, but final rates are expected by October 1st. About 125-thousand people bought coverage through MNsure as of last month.

Watch out for "free trials" you sign up for online. Lisa Schiller with Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin says you should be wary when a "free" trial requires you to pay anything upfront. In most cases, the company will have asked you to pay for shipping and handling, or to keep a credit card on file in case you want to keep the service. Be sure to read the fine print when you sign up, and mark down when you need to cancel that trial before you have to pay. Also be sure to keep track of any recurring subscriptions you do have, and regularly check your credit card or bank statements for irregularities.

The Madison School District has a new cell phone policy on the books. By law, all Wisconsin school districts must create rules surrounding student phone use by July 1st. On Monday night, the Madison school board, in a 5-2 vote, approved a bell-to-bell ban which covers phones, Smartwatches, Airpods and tablets. In grades K through 8, devices must be put away all day. For high schoolers, they have an exception to use devices during lunch - otherwise the items must also be stored for the day, including between classes, which was something supported by a number of parents and teachers.

A “stinky flower” is ready to bloom in Milwaukee. A corpse flower named Penelope is expected to bloom inside the Tropical Dome at Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Domes at any hour today or Wednesday according to the Milwaukee Domes Alliance. The timing is not exact. Penelope's last bloom took place two years ago and once the bloom opens it lasts 24 to 48 hours. It releases a strong odor as part of the blooming process, which gives the corpse flower its name. Updates on Penelope’s progress are expected to be posted on the Milwaukee Domes Alliance Facebook page.