Local-Regional News Oct 16

 

We are learning more about the six people who died when a small plane crashed in Sauk County Tuesday night. The Menomonie-bound flight went down in the Town of Dellona, killing all six people aboard. The Sauk County Sheriff's Office has released the names of those killed. They are 63-year-old Ronald Riek of Woodville, 36-year-old Tyler Harvey of Cadott, 67-year-old Mary Brion of Nelson, 39-year-old Kayla Turpin of Eau Claire and 45-year-old Amanda Haremza and 13-year-old Rylan Haremza -- both of Altoona. The NTSB is investigating the crash.

Authorities are investigating the death of a person found dead near train tracks in Pierce County. Officials received a call from BNSF Railway regarding a deceased subject laying along the tracks on October 13th. A press release says deputies found a female with fatal injuries that appeared to have resulted from contact with a train. The exact cause of death is under investigation.

The growing season is expected to come to an end overnight tonight. The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for the entire WRDN Listening area from 1am until 9am Saturday with low temperatures expected in the upper 20s. The freezing conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation.

Firefighters from Township Fire and four other departments battled a barn fire on Thursday. The fire started in a silo on a farm on Hemlock Road in the town of Brunswick. When firefighters arrived, they found the fire had spread to the attached barn. The barn was a total loss, and a second silo also caught on fire. The cause of that fire is under investigation.

Governor Tony Evers, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are announcing that Hewlett Packard Enterprise plans to invest $75 million over the next five years to expand its operations in Chippewa Falls, creating 75 new jobs in the area and supporting growing demand for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing solutions. To support the project, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is authorizing up to $5.1 million in performance-based Enterprise Zone tax credits, building on an $8 million EZ agreement with HPE previously announced by Gov. Evers in 2021.

The Chippewa, Dunn, and Eau Claire chapters of Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and Wisconsin Farmers Union are set to host a candidate townhall at the Town of Elk Mound Town Hall on Tuesday, October 27 from 6-8pm. The event is a non-partisan, informational forum with candidates for Wisconsin’s 31st and 23rd Senate Districts, and 91st, 92nd, and 93rd Assembly Districts. Candidates will share their agricultural and rural policy platforms related to Young Farmers, Rural Infrastructure, and the Cost of Doing Business.

Jurors deliberated for about an hour before returning Thursday with a verdict in the La Crosse County trial of Jacob Klaver. Klaver was charged in the killing of Josh Pigney, whose body was found inside Pigney's Holmen home last year. Klaver has been found guilty of charges including first-degree intentional homicide. He will be sentenced at a later date.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission is reassuring voters after authorities cleared a piece of suspicious mail sent to state election offices Wednesday. A staff member flagged the unopened package after recognizing similarities to hazardous envelopes recently mailed to election officials in other states. Emergency responders did field tests and confirmed the package contained no hazardous materials, though an investigation continues. Elections Administrator Megan Wolfe emphasized that the incident will have no impact on prep for the upcoming November 3rd election.

Healthcare Open Enrollment is here and that scammers are looking to take advantage of people entering the insurance marketplace. Lisa Schiller with the Better Business Bureau expects people are already receiving suspect messages about their coverage. Schiller says to only trust official websites, like Health Care dot Gov, and never follow links sent to you randomly from other sources.

A new youth correctional facility is set to open in Milwaukee. The Southeast Regional Care Center will open next month and house 32 youth from the region. It’s a crucial component in the Wisconsin Department of Corrections plan to move youth out of two northern Wisconsin facilities, Copper Lake and Lincoln Hills. Youth offenders will be closer to home, rather than 4 or 5 hours away from their families. A second regional facility is under construction in Dane County. A possible third center for northeastern Wisconsin has not yet received funding. Legislation calling for closure of Copper Lake and Lincoln Hills was enacted in 2017.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs wants the evidence from his recent battery conviction out of the public eye. Jacobs filed a lawsuit in Brown County, Wisconsin on Wednesday, asking the courts to keep surveillance video from his home sealed. His attorneys are citing security concerns after several athletes' homes were burglarized. Jacobs was convicted last month after pleading no contest to his role in a physical altercation with a woman back in May.

Xcel Energy is planning to freeze its power rates in Minnesota for two years. Minneapolis-based utility officials say the proposal will take place only if state regulators let them cash out its federal tax credits early. Xcel filed a proposal with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission stating that it won't increase rates until November 2028. The initiative comes while rising public frustration over the high costs of living. Xcel's recent rate case was approved in June and raised the rate of power by five-point-eight percent over two years. The Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota is reviewing the utility's proposal. Xcel is looking to receive federal tax credits totaling close to 382 million dollars for five large battery storage projects.

Health experts say life after breast cancer treatment can bring physical and emotional challenges, and support from family and friends can make a big difference. UW Health oncologist Dr. Kim Dittus says survivorship is about more than watching for cancer to return. It also includes managing long-term side effects, mental health concerns, and building healthy habits. Dittus says accountability from loved ones, along with counseling and support groups, can help survivors stay healthy and cope with fears of recurrence. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.