Local-Regional News June 26

Buffalo County Sheriff Michael Osmond is resigning. Osmond released a statement on social media yesterday saying that he has accepted another position in law enforcement. His last day as Buffalo County sheriff will be July 12th. Chief Deputy Jake Laehn will take over for Osmond until Governor Evers make a decision on a replacement either via appointment or special election.

The Durand City Council approved a $124,000 change order in the Madison street project to replace a failing manhole and sewer line on 5^th Avenue West between Madison and Main Street. Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the discovery of the failing sewer line prevented a bigger problem. The city will be adjusting the water quality loans to help cover the cost of the replacement sewer and water lines on 5^th Ave West.

An Eau Claire man has been arrested on a Buffalo County warrant for possession of child pornography. According to the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department, investigators received information that child sexual abuse materials were being shared at a residence in Mondovi where 51yr old Justin Johnson had been living at for a time. After a search warrant, investigators found child porn materials on Johnson’s electronic devices. He was arrested and taken to the Buffalo County Jail.

A Lake City woman is facing multiple assault charges after a stabbing incident. According to Lake City Police, officer responded to a call of a man who had claimed to have cut himself while washing dishes. Witness said that the victim and 49yr old Katie Miles had been arguing before the incident became physical. Miles had a blood alcohol content of .235 and was arrested and charged with first and second degree assault and domestic assault.

A Western Wisconsin Food Bank is receiving a grant. The West Cap Food Pantry in Boyceville, received a 25 thousand dollar grant through Hunger Task Force to help the pantry obtain local food items. The pantry is focused on dairy and meat items due to rising grocery prices. Boyceville is considered a food desert as it has no grocery store.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is sharing bodycam video of an officer-involved fatal shooting in Chippewa Falls. The released video from the morning of April 9th shows Chippewa Falls police officers approaching a van when 44-year-old suspect Bradley Barnum -- begins to run. Barnum -- who appeared to be armed -- refused commands to drop his weapon and was fatally shot by Sergeant James Luckey. The weapon Barnum had been carrying was later revealed to have been a BB gun. Luckey was later cleared of any wrongdoing with his actions that day deemed as reasonable acts of self-defense.

Probation for a defendant convicted on charges following a deadly accident. In the incident from November of last year, La Crosse investigators say that Hayden Holinbeck had been drinking before he got behind the wheel of an SUV with his friend on the hood. Holinbeck drove and hit the brakes -- ejecting his friend from the front of the vehicle and leaving him with injuries that proved fatal. Holinbeck pleaded no contest to a charge of intoxicated use of a vehicle and was sentenced yesterday to four years of probation.

Officials say one person is dead after a plane crash at the Winona airport. Emergency dispatchers received a call about the crash at around 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. Authorities say an ultralight plane was found wrecked next to the runway. Life-saving efforts were performed on the 74-year-old pilot, but he died at the scene. The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture has announced that lactating dairy cattle from Wisconsin will no longer be required to test for highly pathogenic avian influenza prior to interstate movement. Wisconsin currently meet criteria for unaffected state status for HPAI through ongoing surveillance and testing of milk through the USDA National Milk Testing Strategy. The state also removed a state order requiring HPAI testing on state cows prior to attending a fair or exhibitions in Wisconsin. Only cows coming from states that do not have unaffected state status have to be tested.

Tech firm Oracle is suing Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission. The lawsuit filed in Ozaukee County Court comes as Oracle and We Energies want the PSC to reconsider credit rating requirements for data center developers. A “very large customer” rate approved by the PSC in April requires We Energies to exclusively bill data centers for new generation needed to serve them. And it requires developers with credit ratings below A- to post financial guarantees to reduce the risk of shifting costs if a data center developer experiences financial setbacks. Oracle’s current rating is BBB, and its subsidiary involved in a data center project in Port Washington would need to provide cash deposits or letters of credit exceeding $100 million annually to receive service from We Energies.

A plea deal in connection with sexual abuse means no jail time for a former school principal. 43-year-old Jennifer Ploeger pleaded no contest in Dane County Court on Thursday to one count of failure to report child abuse. Two counts were dismissed. Investigators determined that Ploeger failed to properly report two separate incidents of sex abuse at Sun Prairie West High School, one of which resulted in the conviction of former dean Robert Gilkey-Meisegier  on federal sexual assault charges. Ploeger’s deferred prosecution agreement means the charge will be dismissed if she completes the program.

A Friendship man convicted of shooting at deputies during a traffic stop has been sentenced to prison. Investigators say in 2024, Melvin Cornelius called 9-1-1 and said he was on meth and driving in Big Flats. During a pursuit, Cornelius stopped, got out and fired his gun at officers. He pleaded no contest to attempted first-degree intentional homicide during a plea in March. Cornelius was sentenced to 28-years in prison and five years of extended supervision.

Ridglan Farms has pleaded no contest to a manure pit violation. This comes after they were ticketed for constructing a manure pit without a permit back in April, days after more than one-thousand people met and attempted to break in. The company was fined a total of 452-dollars and 50-cents and has already provided the money to the court. Earlier this month, Ridglan Farms revealed that the remaining dogs at their location will be transferred out to rescue groups by the end of August.

Several candidates endorsed at their party conventions for Minnesota governor and U.S. Senate are trailing in the polls. The Republican-endorsed candidate for Senate, former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze, is in third place in a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll. He trails Michele Taforya and Royce White. In the GOP race for the nomination for governor, endorsed candidate Kendall Qualls, trails Mike Lindell and House Speaker Lisa Demuth. Meanwhile, in the DFL U.S. Senate race, Congresswoman Angie Craig intentionally missed the DFL convention endorsing process and it was won by Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. However, Craig leads Flanagan 41 percent to 36 percent.

It's "goat season" in Madison parks. Between May and September, Madison's Parks Division borrows about 80 goats from local herders. The animals are set to graze their way through 2 rotations at 4 parks in the city. Officials tell Madison Magazine that when the goats have a shift, the herders drive them to a park, where a low-voltage electric fence will be set up to keep them in a designated area. The city first turned to goats for "prescribed grazing” back in 2020 as a way of controlling woody invasive species.