Two people were injured in a two vehicle accident in Pepin County on Saturday. According to the Pepin County Sheriffs Department, a vehicle driven by 43yr old Joseph Davidson of Durand was traveling on Hwy 25 when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a guardrail coming to rest in the northbound lane of Hwy 25. Davidson was standing by the vehicle when it was struck by a northbound vehicle driven by 42yr old Ryan Miller of Menomonie. Davidson was thrown into the air and a nearby ditch. Miller told police he couldn’t see the disabled vehicle due to it had no headlights on and the glare of headlights from southbound traffic reduced his visibility. Davidson was med flighted to Eau Claire, while passenger 43yr old Jessica Olson of Durand was transported to an Eau Claire Hospital. Miller was treated at the scene. After an investigation, Davidson was placed under arrest for Operating While Intoxicated-3rd Offense and Operating after Revocation.
Durand Police Chief Stan Ridgeway has announced his resignation from the Durand Police Department. In an email sent to WRDN, Ridgeway said he accepted a new position in the private sector outside of law enforcement, and the decision to leave law enforcement was not made lightly. His last day with the Police Department is November 20th. The Durand City Council will discuss the next steps at the city council meeting on November 18.
Local backlash against the flock cameras installed in Pepin County. Yesterday Herb Schneider and Jay Bauer held a protest against the cameras near the one installed by the Hwy 10 Bridge. Schneider says they are not arguing the cameras are not good, but the government should not be surveilling the public. Schneider and Bauer have an online survey about the cameras they are hoping the public will fill out.
Democratic control at the state Capitol could mean action on education funding. In an interview with WRDN, UW-La Crosse political scientist Anthony Chergosky says Democrats will control the Legislature’s most powerful committee and also have an ally in Governor David Crowley if they want to address school funding. Ahead of the election, 62% of school districts received notice from the Department of Public Instruction that they would receive less aid for 2026-27 school year than in the prior year. Of 79 K-12 referendum questions on local ballots last week, 44 were approved and 35 failed.
Derrick Van Orden -- defeated last week in his bid for reelection to Congress -- has filed papers to run again. Van Orden -- who lost his 3rd Congressional District post to Democrat Rebecca Cooke -- had made no public comment about a planned 2028 race. Cooke will be sworn in along with the rest of the new Congress on January 3rd.
The construction of the roundabout at the Hwy 10-25 intersection west of Durand is nearing completion. According to the Pepin County Sheriff’s Department, traffic will shift to the new roundabout starting today, but the three-way stop will remain in effect while crews complete additional work. Because of the three-way stop and additional work motorists are reminded to expect traffic delays. The roundabout is expected to be fully completed by December 10.
An inmate was found dead at the Barron County Jail. A press release from the BCSO says the inmate was found dead in his cell on Sunday. Jail staff began CPR and contacted EMS, but he was pronounced dead on the scene. He was the only occupant of his cell. The cause of death remains under investigation.
Many drivers in Western Wisconsin this week are seeing lower prices at the pump. Triple-A reports the average price of regular fuel in Eau Claire is now three-67 per gallon -- 23-cents less than the price one week ago. In La Crosse, the average cost of a gallon of regular fuel is three-82 per gallon -- 22-cents less versus the price last week. The average cost of a gallon of regular fuel in the State of Wisconsin is three-87 per gallon.
A defendant charged in connection with a pair of Jackson County bank robberies has pleaded no contest. Prosecutors say Alexander Pongratz robbed a Black River Falls bank in November of 2018 and an Alma Center bank in January of 2019. Pongratz will be sentenced at a later date.
At the Capitol, state Senate Republicans have a new leader. Democrats won all four of their targeted state Senate races on Election Day and will have an 18-15 majority in the new legislative session. Republican Julian Bradley said that shows the need for new leadership in Wisconsin. The two-term senator from New Berlin won the election for Republican Minority leader last week, succeeding Devin LeMahieu who did not to run for re-election. Bradley said he’s “honored” by the selection. Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara of Fox Crossing was elected Republican Caucus Chair, succeeding Van Wanggaard who also didn’t seek reelection.
Meanwhile,
Democrats will control the governor’s office and both chambers of
the Wisconsin Legislature for the first time since 2010. Newly
elected state Representative John Kroll cautions that shouldn't be
taken as a license to push one agenda. Kroll tells WSAU radio that
"people voted for change," but the only way for Democrats
to deliver is "to listen to everybody, and not just our base.”
Kroll is a former Marathon County Board supervisor who defeated five
term incumbent Pat Snyder with 54 percent of the vote. He’ll
represent the Wausau area 85th Assembly District when the new
legislative session opens in January. Democrats will have a 53-46
Assembly majority, and an 18-15 majority in the state Senate.
Measles spreads further in Wisconsin. Shawano-Menominee Counties health officials say the infected person made a trip to the E R at Marshfield Clinic Weston last week Thursday, and is still trying to track down everyone who came in contact with that person. The state recorded its first measles death last week as well, when an infant died in southwest Wisconsin. D H S reports 477 people have contracted the illness this year.
Viroqua's mayor says the spouse of a city council member trespassed in her home. 58-year-old Evan Blattner was arrested last month for trespassing at the home of Mayor Krista Browne. Browne says she hired Blattner to do some painting work in her house this spring but he never finished the job. Blattner allegedly entered Browne's house in late October after disagreements between the mayor and the council. Browne says she will not let threatening behavior change the way she leads the city.
Minnesota's aging railroads are getting a 28-point-six-million-dollar overhaul. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith detailed the federal grants Friday as part of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's "Golden Age of Rail" push. The money will buy 200 bigger grain cars for farmers, replace worn tracks in the Twin Cities, and repair 25 miles of railroad near Saint Cloud that carry hazardous materials. Construction dates have yet to be announced.
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