Local-Regional News July 22

 

Charges are being filed against a Minnesota man accused of killing his girlfriend's service dog. According to the report, on July 10th, 21-year-old Quintin Ehlo called the woman to Aghaming Park in Buffalo County saying that the dog -- a German shepherd named Tru -- had died of heat stroke. It was later discovered that the dog had died of blunt-force trauma. Charges against Ehlo include mistreatment of animals causing death.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight. Items on the agenda include approval of the picnic license and open container application for Blues on the Chippewa, reports from the Mayor and Department head and the council will go into closed session to conduct the annual review of the city administrator. Tonights meeting begins at 6pm at Durand City Hall.

The Durand-Arkansaw School District has received a $40,000 pledge to support the new Panther Cub Academy Learning Center from Security Financial Bank. The money will be given out over the next three years to support the learning center. The center is expected to provide early learning opportunities for children and help address the growing shortage of childcare and early learning options in the area.

Family members of students involved in Dunn-St. Croix Conference Sports will now have a new platform for athletic activities. The conference has announced that it will be using the website Bound as the platform. Family members will be able to create a family account on the website. Those that have questions are encouraged to contact their schools activities and athletic directors.

The Dunn County Fair gets underway today. The fair gates open after 3pm today. The fair has a new midway with Badgerland Midways this year. Entertainment on the free stage includes Khris Kroeze on Thursday. There will be races at the Red Cedar Speedway Friday night and the demolition derby is Saturday night. The fair runs through Sunday at the Fairgrounds in Menomonie.

Officials are sharing the name of a man who died last weekend in the Chippewa River. Eau Claire Police responded at around 2:30 a.m. Saturday to reports of a fight on a Galloway Street sidewalk. A man who had fled the scene was later found standing in the river, but -- rather than comply with officers calls for him to come back to shore -- the man -- now identified as 29-year-old Joshua Watson -- went further out into the water. Watson began to struggle in the river and his body was later recovered.

A man charged in connection with a deadly 2024 UTV crash in Monroe County is pleading no contest. Twenty-three-year-old Danielle Fields was a passenger on a UTV that crashed on St. Patrick's Day of that year in the Township of Wells. She died at the scene. The UTV's operator -- Keegan Savor -- has now pleaded no contest to charges of reckless homicide and OWI and been sentenced to 12 months in jail.

Wisconsin's Democratic Party is asking the state elections commission to let primary voters change their ballots if a candidate drops out of the race. Earlier this month, the elections commission approved new guidance that said absentee voters who already mailed in their ballots would not be able to change it. The guidance came days after Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez withdrew from the contest and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley re-entered the race. But Elections Commission Chair Don Millis says the panel has no plans to change its guidance.

The UW System expects to send a record number of Direct Admit offers to Wisconsin high school seniors this fall. The Universities of Wisconsin plans to offer automatic admission to about 40,000 students entering their senior year this August. That's nearly 6,500 more than last year through the Direct Admit Wisconsin program. The initiative, launched in 2024, allows eligible students to be admitted to up to 10 UW campuses without completing a traditional application. Participation has also grown, with 510 high schools taking part this year, up from 467 last year.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Airlines plans to cut hundreds of Sun Country flights at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The move is expected at MSP in September. Airline executives say the cuts are taking place due to a pilot staffing shortage.

A plane on its way to E A A AirVenture crashes. The single engine plane on its way to Oshkosh from Colorado crashed in a marsh in Montello Sunday afternoon. The pilot reported mechanical problems and managed to land safely with no injuries. The crash is under investigation.

It's official: Tony Evers is endorsing in the race to succeed him. Governor Evers on Saturday announced he’s backing Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in the August Democratic primary. This comes after current Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez dropped out of the race amid campaign finance irregularities. Crowley re-entered the race over the weekend and accepted the endorsement at an event in De Pere.

A trifecta of bad behavior behind the wheel. Oregon police pulled the 25-year-old Fitchburg man over just before 8:30 Sunday morning after clocking him at 127 miles per hour in a a 70 mile per hour zone, so nearly 60 miles over the limit. In addition to extreme speeding, police saw him toss a beer can from the vehicle prior to pulling over so he was arrested for an OWI. And he was operating without a license, his third such offense in 3 years.

Rochester is getting more playground equipment without increasing its 300-thousand-dollar budget. On Monday, the City Council approved a 290-thousand-dollar state-supported contract which should save about 25-thousand dollars. The playground will include slides, swings, climbing equipment and accessible rubber surfaces. The 97-hundred-square-foot playground is part of the new 65-million-dollar Rochester Sports and Recreation Complex.

A Minneapolis man is accused of trying to run over a couple at a campground in Washington County. Michael Fritz has been charged with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of fleeing a peace officer. The incident happened July 14 at the St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park. The couple that was allegedly targeted were not hurt.

As families start preparing for the new school year, UW Health experts say now is the time to help children get back into a healthy sleep routine. Dr. Casey Freymiller recommends gradually moving bedtimes earlier, about 15 minutes at a time, rather than making a sudden change. She says lack of sleep can lead to grumpiness, emotional outbursts, and difficulty learning. Freymiller also urges families to limit screen time before bed, noting that light from phones, tablets, and TVs can make it harder to fall asleep and stay on a consistent schedule.