The Durand Police Department and Durand-Arkansaw School District have hired a new school resource officer. Durand Police Chief Stan Ridgeway announced that Kenny Schuh was hired as the new SRO at last night's council meeting. Ridgeway says that Schuh was a student teacher at Durand High School. Schuh’s first day with the department is August 3, and he will be in attendance at National Night Out on August 4th.
The Buffalo County Highway Department will be working on multiple projects next week. Crews will be paving Hwy I from Hwy D to Center Creek Road next Tuesday, and then paving Hwy AA from Hwy K to Swan Lane on Wednesday of next week. The paving is all dependent on the weather. The road work could cause travel delays and motorists should plan accordingly.
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress will be holding a listening session on environmental issues next Wednesday in Menomonie. The public will be able to share their thoughts on topics including clean water, energy and data centers, and other issues. The listening session will be on July 29 from 6-8pm at the Menomonie Market Food Co-Op.
Firefighters responded Wednesday morning to a blaze at the Menomonie Family Restaurant. The fire was contained to the restaurant's cooking hood ventilation system and no one was hurt. Menomonie Fire Chief Denny Klass later released a statement saying that the fire was 100 percent preventable, that the restaurant has been in violation of building and fire codes for the past several years and that the restaurant failed to follow repeated requests to become compliant.
Prison is being ordered for an Eleva man convicted in his tenth OWI case. Fifty-seven-year-old Shawn Sosinsky was hit with the charge earlier this year in Pierce County. He has now been sentenced to five years in prison, fined $4,861 and had his license revoked for three years.
A Red Wing man now has a jury trial date scheduled in the murder of a 40-year-old woman inside a home. 41Yr old Daryl Nixon is charged with 2nd degree murder in the death of Andrea Broyld in November of 2024 after police found the body of Broyld in a Putnam Avenue home with multiple gunshot wounds after a standoff with Nixon. Nixon’s trial is set for September 28.
Chippewa County prosecutors say that Sheriff Travis Hakes does not meet the basic credibility standards necessary to continue in his office. District Attorney Wade Newell released a letter saying as much yesterday, signed by himself and all assistant D.A.s in his office. Sheriff Hakes was placed on Chippewa County's Brady list in 2023. That is a list of law enforcement officers whose history of integrity and other credibility concerns must be divulged to defense attorneys, according to standards set by the U.S. Supreme Court. Hakes -- who is running for re-election -- is calling the release of Newell's letter a last-minute political hit.
New income guidelines for free and reduced-price school meals in Wisconsin. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated income eligibility limits for free and reduced-price meals served through schools and day care programs. Under the new guidelines, a family of four earning $42,900 a year or less qualifies for free school meals. Families earning up to $61,500 may qualify for reduced-price meals. The changes took effect July 1st and run through June of next year. Applications are available through participating schools and childcare providers, and families can apply at any time during the year.
Prairie Farms announced it will be shutting down its creamery and cheese production facility in Shullsburg. The company sent letters to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Monday and said they're ending operations, leading to layoffs for all employees. The layoffs are permanent and impact both the White Hill Cheese location and Shullsburg Creamery. Some workers will remain on staff while they wind down operations. The date of when the remaining layoffs will take place is unknown.
Wisconsin is easing requirements for nursing instructors. To help address a growing nurse shortage in the state, Governor Tony Evers has approved an emergency rule allowing some registered nurses with bachelor's degrees to teach clinical nursing courses. Previously, instructors needed a master's degree in nursing. State officials say the change will expand the pool of qualified faculty and help train more nurses. Wisconsin hospitals reported nursing vacancy rates of up to 10% in 2023, and the state is projected to need nearly 14,000 additional nurses by 2045.
A fatal fall at Devil's Lake State Park. It happened early Tuesday afternoon along the Devil's Doorway Trail. Witnesses told emergency responders that the man fell about 75 feet before rolling down a hill an additional 75 feet and stopping near a rock field south of Devil’s Doorway. Authorities believe he ventured off the trail, which likely lead to his fall. The recovery took crews about three hours because of the trees, foliage and height of the cliff at the scene.
More people will be able to ride Amtrak’s Hiawatha line this fall. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Amtrak will be re-adding passenger cars to the service starting this fall. The train lost multiple cars in 2025 when older cars had to be pulled for structural failures. The service is currently running at a capacity of 260 passengers, but will return around 390 passengers once the new cars are put into rotation.
A new Marquette Law School Poll offers insights into what voters think of Democrats running for governor. Poll Director Charles Franklin offered a caveat to results – the poll finished interviews with 430 Democratic primary voters last Wednesday, before Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez dropped out and before Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley re-entered the race. The results, Madison state Representative Francesca Hong polled at 26%, former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes at 15%, Rodriguez at 11%, former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan at 2% and Madison state Senator Kelda Roys at 1%. The poll had a 6.1% margin of error with 45% of those Democrats polled still undecided.
Federal officials are withholding nearly 200-million dollars in Medicaid funding from Minnesota. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior says the pause follows a review of claims in 14 high-risk programs. He says Minnesota must provide documents showing the services were legitimate before the money is released. State DHS officials say the federal government has not explained how it calculated the amount. Governor Tim Walz says the action will hurt vulnerable Minnesotans who depend on Medicaid services.
Republican frontrunners in the Minnesota primary election are pulling away while DFL races are getting tighter. A new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll shows Mike Lindell and Michele Tafoya are increasing their leads in their GOP primary races for Minnesota governor and U.S. Senate. Meanwhile, in the DFL Senate primary race between Angie Craig and Peggy Flanagan is too close to call. Meanwhile, in the race for Minnesota Attorney General incumbent Keith Ellison still leads GOP-endorsed Ron Schutz, but his lead is shrinking.
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