A California man has been arrested in connection to a child sex abuse victim in Wabasha. According to Wabasha Police, in October of 2025, investigators received information from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office in California about a child victim from Wabasha who was solicited to become involved in a pornographic film. A search warrant was executed at the home of Michael James Gonzalez in Murrieta, California, on May 29. Gonzalez was taken into custody and is currently being held pending extradition to Minnesota to answer for the charges filed against him. Gonzales is charged with two counts of Soliciting a Child through electronic communication to engage in sexual conduct and eleven counts of Use of a Minor in a Sexual Performance/Pornographic Work involving a child under the age of 14.
A Durand Business is expanding again. Bauer Built Tire announced on Monday that the company has purchased Jack’s Tire and Service in Beloit. The acquisition will add locations in South Beloit, IL, and in Madison. The company says the purchase of Jack’s Tire and Service is a strategic step in continued growth and commitment to meeting the needs of commercial fleet customers. With the addition of the Jack’s Tire locations, Bauer Built operates 51 service locations, 5 Michelin Retread Technology Plants and 2 wheel refinishing operations.
Buffalo County Motorists using Hwy 54 between Buffalo County and Winona, MN can expect some delays today. Paving operations from the stoplights on Hwy 54 in Buffalo County to the Winona Bridge will be underway today. The operations may cause traffic delays at times and the Sheriffs Department advises motorists to plan accordingly.
Jail time for a former funeral director convicted on charges in St. Croix County. Benjamin Hanson had worked for a funeral home that handled arrangements for 92-year-old Minnesota resident Alyce Peterson back in 2001. Her skull was found by Boy Scouts in the town of St. Joseph in 2002 eventually leading to charges last year against Hanson. Hanson pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of hiding a corpse and was sentenced yesterday to a term of 90 days in jail.
A River Falls man is being identified as the St. Croix County Jail inmate who died over the weekend. Twenty-two-year-old Ethan Tjader was found unresponsive in his cell Saturday morning and died at the scene. There has been no word on his cause of death.
President Donald Trump will visit Wisconsin on Friday to shore up his support with farmers. The White House has yet to release details of where Trump will stop in Chippewa County. It will be the president’s first visit to Wisconsin of his second term. A Trump spokesperson told WisPolitics that the president will talk about efforts to lower costs, open new trade markets and reduce regulations. He’ll also promote creation of Rural Opportunity Zones, which include tax incentives for those who invest in rural areas. Farmers in Wisconsin and across the nation have been challenged by the effects of Trump’s tariffs and the war with Iran. According to figures cited by the Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin had 16 Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy filings in 2025, Trump’s first year in office, representing a 700% increase over the previous year.
Don Raihala is announcing his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the Wisconsin 7th congressional district. He's set to run as a Republican. On his campaign website, Raihala promises to visit each county five times a year and provide daily interactions on what's "factually happening in Washington D.C." He previously ran in 2016 and was defeated by incumbent Sean Duffy. The primary takes place in August.
Western Technical College will soon have a new president. The school has announced that Kirk Bennett will be its new leader effective August 1st. Bennett is currently the VP of administrative services at Lone Star College-Montgomery in Texas. He will take the position being vacated by retiring Western Technical College President Roger Stanford.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the company's new data center in Wisconsin is a model for reducing impact on the environment. Speaking at Microsoft Build 2026, Nadella said the 315-acre facility opened in 2025 will only use the same amount of water as a single restaurant would over the course of a year. The amount of water and electricity required to power AI data centers has been a focal point of protests against their construction in communities across the country. Nadella said the most important design criteria for a data center is getting permission from the community to build them.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission is urging the U.S. Postal Service to speed up absentee ballot delivery after hundreds arrived too late to be counted in April. The commission recently sent a letter to the postal service, asking them to enact "extraordinary measures" in future elections to make sure ballots are received on time. About two-thirds of clerks reported problems with getting ballots during the April election, according to WEC. Mail-in ballots need to be in hands of county officials on the evening of an election in order to be counted.
The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents is considering a tuition rate increase for this fall. The board is expected to vote on a proposal to raise rates for resident undergrads by two-percent during a meeting later this week. UW officials say the hike would remain below the current rate of inflation and would help the university handle rising operating costs. If passed, the change will go into effect for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The Fond du Lac County is considering closing its inpatient mental health facility. The decision stems from internal discussions that have lasted several years due to not filling enough beds to keep up with increasing operating costs. The acute unit is one of five county inpatient facilities in the state. A public hearing on the issue was previously held, with all but one person being against the closure. The human services board plans to discuss whether to pass a recommendation onto the county board for its closure at a meeting next Monday.
The
Rochester City Council revisited adding a dome to the Regional Sports
and Recreation Complex during last night's meeting. Developers have
pushed to add an indoor Dome as part of phase two of this project.
After more than an hour of discussion, the council voted to remove
the Dome language for now, citing concerns about funding, timing, and
public trust. The council ultimately voted unanimously to move
forward with an amended resolution. For now, the city is not moving
forward with a Dome. However, council members say the topic could
return for discussion at a later date.
Minnesota Republicans are responding after a moment of silence was held for George Floyd's killer. It happened over the weekend at the GOP convention in Duluth, when a delegate asked to for a moment of "silent prayer" to honor Derek Chauvin, who's now serving 22-years for murdering Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. Christopher Rocco tells KARE 11 he was that delegate, saying, quote, "Derek Chauvin and the four other officers are innocent and their voices have been lost." State Representative Danny Nadeau says he tried to discourage Rocco from making the motion, while Kendall Qualls, who won her party's nomination for governor, says would have asked to honor fallen law enforcement officers instead.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Free Fun Weekend is coming up. This weekend, state park admission fees, fishing licenses and trail passes are waived for all visitors. With 50 state parks, 15 state forests, 44 trails, and thousands of miles of waterways and inland lakes, the DNR says there’s something for everyone to explore. The weekend also gives residents a chance to try fishing without a license, making it perfect for beginners. Free fishing clinics will be held at parks and local sites across the state, with details available through the DNR events calendar and Wisconsin State Parks website.
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