Local-Regional News January 25

 Today is the day those 65 and older can start receiving the covid-19 vaccine.  Angela Jacobson, Director of Emergency Preparedness at Advent Health of Durand says the hospital, the Pepin County Health Department, and Heike Pharmacy have established waitlists for the vaccine. If you qualify for this next phase of the vaccinations, you are encouraged to contact your health care provider or your local county Health Department.

An Eau Claire County man is being accused of stealing and killing a dog.  Charges have been filed against Joshua Erickson for allegedly stealing the dog from his neighbor, then killing it later.  Authorities aren’t saying why Erickson might have done that and no other information about the case has been released.  The suspect initially told investigators he had no idea what happened to the dog, but text messages were found where Erickson admitted he had killed the pet.

 The man who crashed into a Red Wing restaurant last fall will spend about a year-and-a-half in jail.  Twenty-eight-year-old Donovan Plank pleaded guilty to one count of D-W-I and four other charges were dropped as part of a deal with prosecutors.  Police said Plank was driving his S-U-V 60 to 70 miles per hour when he crashed into Liberty's Restaurant on September 2nd, partially collapsing the building.  No one was inside at the time.

Authorities in southeastern Minnesota are identifying the body found inside a burned-up vehicle near Kenyon on New Year's Eve.  The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office says the medical examiner identified the remains as 36-year-old Corey Cassidy of Dodge Center.  The sheriff said in a news release, "Our investigation indicates that accidental carbon monoxide asphyxiation may have been the result. During this investigation, there has never been any indication of foul play."  It is believed the fire started by the vehicle and spread to the nearby home.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation

 A West Salem woman is charged with seven felonies after allegedly holding a man against his will for two-and-a-half months.  Fifty-six-year-old Lori Anne Holton is being held in the La Crosse County Jail on a 25-thousand-dollar cash bond.  Prosecutors say she physically assaulted the victim while recording several of the attacks.  The man told West Salem police Holton held him captive from June 22nd to September 7th of last year.  The victim’s name hasn’t been released.  She was arrested last Tuesday and is scheduled to return to court on February 2nd.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office reports an early Saturday morning house fire has left two people dead and four others injured.  Firefighters were called to the location in the Village of Blue River at about 3:30 a-m.  Investigators say a 33-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy died in the fire.  A 15-year-old boy was flown to U-W Health in Madison for treatment and a 14-year-old girl was flown to a Milwaukee hospital.  Two others who were in the house at the time of the fire were treated at a local hospital and released.

The Evers administration is getting ready to sue companies responsible for PFAS contamination in Wisconsin.   The governor's office announced Friday that it is working with Attorney General Josh Kaul and the Department of Administration to select an outside law firm to help the state pursue potential lawsuits against companies responsible for producing the chemical. Also last week the DNR announced it found elevated levels of the chemical in several lakes and waterways in the Madison area. PFAS have also been detected in wells on Paris Island in the La Crosse area.

Despite the benefits that many workers have found working from home during the pandemic, don't count out the idea of going to the office just yet. UW-Madison business professor Hart Posen says both employees and businesses will have to contend with figuring out why a physical space to get together and work is needed. Posen says that for many businesses, the idea is to have employees be together to innovate and come up with ideas, and for some, there is a need for a physical space due to research and other hands-on work.

The State Senate is set to hold a floor session on Tuesday that could challenge Governor Evers public health emergency and mask order.   That session and resolution is backed by Senator Steve Nass, who says the Governor has acted illegally in repeatedly issuing health emergencies as the pandemic continues.  Previous attempts to stop the Governor through the courts have had mixed results. Experts say that masking and social distancing remain the most effective methods of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

 

A 4-3 vote by the state Natural Resources Board means there will not be a February wolf hunt in Wisconsin.  Republican lawmakers were pushing for an immediate hunt and the D-N-R heard from supporters and opponents Friday.  Proponents say they fear the Biden Administration will put the gray wolf back on the federal Endangered Species List.  Officials say Wisconsin has never held a wolf harvest in January or February and there are a lot of unknowns related to the breeding season.  A wolf hunt is planned for November.

The Dairy Business Association says it wants a truth-in-labeling law passed.  The Green Bay-based organization released its priorities for the 2021 legislative session Tuesday.  D-B-A President Amy Penterman says environmental regulations are at the top of that annual list, but there needs to be a balance.  Association members want labeling to be clear between milk, ice cream, and cheese that actually comes from plants.  Wisconsin dairymen say they want lawmakers to declare that milk is milk and products not from a cow need to be labeled differently.

 Senator Ron Johnson is seeking more information about the security planning done before Trump supporters stormed the U-S Capitol on January 6th.  The Wisconsin Republican sent a letter to current and former sergeants of arms of the U-S House and Senate asking for details about the plans for the day of the Electoral College certification.  Johnson wrote, "the American public has the right to know exactly what happened, what actions were and were not taken, and what planning and discussions occurred prior to the breach."  He says he's asking for full and prompt cooperation "so we can learn what went wrong and how to prevent a similar tragedy in the future."  Johnson said he was planning to object to the presidential election results until the anarchists breached the Capitol building.

State Senator Van Wanggaard says it’s "unconscionable" to let a 33-year-old convicted murderer be vaccinated for COVID-19 before someone who is at risk from the virus.  A Wisconsin Senate panel has heard from lawmakers who want to prioritize people who are at risk – and not in prison or in jail.  Senate Republicans are pushing Wisconsin prison toward the back of the line when it comes to who gets the coronavirus vaccine first.  The head of the state’s Department of Corrections says inmates have a right to receive medical care, just like everyone else in Wisconsin.

Around 750 Minnesota National Guard members return home this weekend after supporting the presidential inauguration in Washington, DC.  The 133rd Airlift Wing is transporting members of the 148th Fighter Wing and soldiers from the 1-94th Cavalry Squadron and the 682nd Engineer Battalion.  Around 400 will arrive in St. Paul Saturday and the other 350 come home Sunday.  U-S Senator Amy Klobuchar said in a Tweet that the Minnesota troops and airmen were not sent to rest in any parking garage.  Klobuchar said what happened was appalling - and can never happen again.

Two men from Saint Paul are pleading guilty to federal arson charges in connection with a fire that destroyed the Third Precinct Minneapolis police station during riots after the death of George Floyd.  Prosecutors say 25-year-old Davon De-Andre Turner and another person lit an incendiary device and took it into the building.  They say 23-year-old Branden Wolfe admitted he pushed a barrel into a fire that had already been set in the entrance, with the intent of accelerating the blaze.  Wolfe and Turner will be sentenced this spring.  Two others, Bryce Williams and Dylan Robinson, have also pleaded guilty to federal arson charges.

Wisconsin election officials are starting the preparation of absentee ballots to be used in the February primary and April elections.  Those absentee ballots are scheduled to be mailed out starting next week.  The coronavirus pandemic has created record-setting demand for ballots by people who don’t want to come to polling locations.  Local election officials are getting ready for a higher voter turnout now that those voters are more familiar with the process of voting absentee.  The typical voter turnout for the spring election season is about 25-percent.  In-person absentee voting begins February 2nd.

Local-Regional News January 22

 As Wisconsin gears up for the next phase of covid 19 vaccinations, other states are further along.  Angela Jacobson, Director of Emergency Preparedness with Advent Health Durand says other Advent Health Locations are starting to vaccinate the general population.  Wisconsin receives approximately 70,000 covid 19 vaccination doses each week.  Last week, Jacobson says she ordered 300 doses and received 100.

Pepin County is still searching for a new Highway Commissioner.  Pepin County Board Chairman Tom Milliren says the Highway and Admin Committees did offer the position to a candidate, but that person declined.  The Admin and Highway Committees are meeting today to review other applicants for the position.

The Durand-Arkansaw School District is searching for a new principal for the middle-senior high school.  Superintendent Greg Doverspike says while the school board will not have direct involvement in the interview process, they will have input.   Current principal Bill Clouse is retiring after 16yrs with the district.

Three people were injured in a one-vehicle accident in the Town of Prairie Lake on Wednesday.  According to the Barron County Sheriffs Department, 38yr old Lisa Olson was traveling northbound on 20th Street when she failed to negotiate a corner at 9 1/2 Avenue, went into the ditch, and struck a tree.  Olson was airlifted to the hospital while two passengers in the truck were also airlifted to area hospitals.  That accident remains under investigation.

A scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee warns students across the state are struggling to stay on track during the coronavirus pandemic.  Curtis Jones is head of Socially Responsible Evaluation in Education at the university.  He says some minority students could fall one year behind in learning by the time virtual classes let out for the summer.  Jones says when students aren’t in a classroom, it’s harder for them to stay on track.  The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction says this isn’t a Milwaukee issue, it’s a statewide issue – and it’s making the racial disparity worse.  Students of color may have lost three-to-five months of learning in math, while white students lost one-to-three months.

Mandatory deer feeding bans will be renewed in Wood, Juneau, and Adams Counties because another deer has tested positive for C-W-D.   The Department of Natural Resources says a wild deer has tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Port Edwards, which is within ten miles of the border of Juneau and Adams counties. The CWD-positive deer was an adult buck harvested during the 2020 gun deer season. This is the first time a wild deer has tested positive in Wood County.

 U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin is applauding President Biden for expanding federal funding for the Wisconsin National Guard to support its COVID-19 response efforts.  Baldwin said, "this is a new day and we are grateful to have a new President and administration that is committed to working with us to protect the health of Wisconsinites and build back better than before."  Baldwin claims the Trump Administration cut federal funding in August for the work the Wisconsin National Guard was doing, forcing the state to cover part of the cost.  The Biden Administration announced today (Thursday) it will restore full funding to Wisconsin with a 100-percent federal cost-share extension during the pandemic.

Many people have experienced sleep-walking, but a Milwaukee man is offering a new excuse to police.  The 35-year-old tells investigators he was asleep when he obtained and fired a handgun.  The bullet hit a 29-year-old woman who is expected to recover.  No names have been released.  The woman was treated at a local hospital after the Tuesday night shooting.  Milwaukee police say they took the man into custody and the incident is being referred to the District Attorney’s Office for a decision on criminal charges.

A Missouri man accused of killing two Shawano County brothers won't go to trial until next year.  A February 2022 trial is scheduled for Garland "'Joey" Nelson, for the murders of Nick and Justin Diemel. Nelson allegedly killed the Diemels and hid their bodies on his Missouri farm in July of 2019, after they demanded money they were owed for cattle they had sold to Nelson. The trial is expected to last three weeks. A conviction could carry the death penalty in Missouri. 

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will conduct an environmental review of Eau Claire’s public drinking water supply before the city gets any state money.  Eau Claire officials are asking for funding to improve the system.  That funding would come from the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program dedicated to replacing lead water service lines.  The public comment period lasts through February 2nd.  Eau Claire first applied for money through the state program in June 2019.

There were no dangerous protests at the State Capitol this week, but law enforcement agencies say they were ready.  Windows on the building have been boarded-up since last week and there were barricades near the entrances.  Those barricades have been pushed to the side.  The Department of Administration isn’t saying how much longer the windows will be boarded up.  A spokesperson says details about current or future security measures aren’t shared to protect the safety and security of Capitol Police, as well as members of the public.  Capitol Police officers were walking around the outside of the building Wednesday to monitor any developments.

The chair of the Assembly Health Committee wants to speed up the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine to the general public.  Instead of June, Joe Sanfelippo wants the shots to be available by mid-March.  A public hearing on the idea was held at the Capitol Wednesday.  The bill is emerging from criticism by Republican lawmakers about the way the vaccine has been distributed by the Evers administration.  It isn’t likely to become law because it has to make it through the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly, then be signed by Governor Evers.

Nearly one-in-three adults in Wisconsin could be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine under the state’s next phase.   A state government vaccine subcommittee is recommending an expansive list of people get the shot under Phase 1b. Anyone 65 and older, plus teachers, prisoners, grocery store workers, mink farmers, transit bus drivers, and a host of others are all on the list. In all, Phase 1b could include one-point-six million people in the state. The list still needs to be approved by the entire committee. Doctor Jonathan Temte with the University of Wisconsin Medical School says with that many people in the next phase, it will take a long time to get everyone vaccinated. 

The unemployment rate in Minnesota fell slightly to four-point-four percent in December after it was revised to four-and-a-half percent in November.  The Department of Employment and Economic Development says the tick down was due to people temporarily leaving the labor force.  The state lost 49-thousand-800 jobs last month - the second straight month of job losses in Minnesota.  DEED Commissioner Steve Grove said," today’s employment data confirms what we’ve expected – the spike in COVID cases in late fall had an impact on the economy."  Many sectors depend on people gathering in restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and fitness centers.  Leisure and hospitality dropped 41-thousand-100 jobs in December.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue says it is going to extend its customer service hours during the 2021 tax season.  The office will remain open for an extra one hour and 15 minutes during the last two weeks of January and the first two weeks of April on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  The hours on those days will be from 7:45 a-m to 5:45 p-m.  The agency’s website includes a comprehensive list of commonly-asked questions on revenue-related topics and online tools to help individuals and businesses.

Local-Regional News January 21

 The Pepin County Board has approved a CBDG grant totaling $180,000 for three separate projects.  The projects include ADA updates to Holden and Silver Birch and Stockholm Village Parks.  Pepin County Economic Director Kevin Trushenski says two areas of blight in Arkansaw and Durand will be removed.  

As the next phase of the covid 19 vaccine rollout begins in Wisconsin, area health departments are designing waitlists.  Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says the waitlists will help the Health Department get ready for the larger groups wanting the vaccine.  Visit the Pepin County Website and click on the Covid 19 link to get to the waitlist.  Stewart says so far nearly 400 people have signed up.  

A Cameron woman has been arrested and is accused of trafficking a child.  According to authorities, Amanda Eyman sent messages to Paul Osterman on the web site Meet Me discussing trading a child under the age of 10 to Osterman in exchange for money and drugs.  Osterman who is going by the name of Jake George is currently facing charges of trafficking a child in Marathon and Lincoln Counties.  

 Wisconsin's members of Congress are reacting to the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.  Congressman Ron Kind says it’s time to set aside the bitter partisanship and join together to tackle the unprecedented challenges facing all Americans, starting with the need to implement a national, coordinated plan to defeat COVID-19.  Fellow Democrat Mark Pocan said, "after four years of corruption, bigotry, chaos, and crisis, we have a chance to build our country back to better serve all Americans who have been left behind for far too long."  Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher said despite our political disagreements, I stand ready to work with them on enormous challenges facing our country and I will be praying for them and their families.  The Republican Party of Wisconsin issued a statement thanking President Trump for his service but did not mention President Biden or Vice President Harris.

Three people are facing drug charges after a traffic stop near Rochester led to large amounts of methamphetamine and oxycodone.  The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office says 47-year-old Matthew Lyman of Mantorville was pulled over Sunday.  Deputies found about five pounds of meth and four-thousand oxycodone pills in the car along with two handguns.  Investigators searched a home Tuesday and seized another nine pounds of meth.  Fifty-seven-year-olds Douglas Howard and Ann Jessen-Ford were both arrested.

A group of Minnesota parents, coaches, and athletes is challenging a mandate requiring kids to wear masks while playing sports.  Let Them Play MN filed a motion in federal court Tuesday, claiming the Minnesota Department of Health and Walz administration were inconsistent in their attitude towards youth sports.  The group argues outbreaks linked to youth sports were less severe than in other areas and didn't warrant an earlier shutdown or the mask requirement.  They cited health risks including reduced visibility while wearing a mask that could lead to an increase in injuries.  The group's previous lawsuit was rejected.

Three Wisconsin state senators – two Republicans and a Democrat – have introduced a bipartisan package of police reform bills.  The legislation backed by Republican senators Van Wanggaard and Alberta Darling, and Democratic senator Lena Taylor, would establish an independent board to review use-of-force situations.  The package of seven bills proposes banning the use of chokeholds, establishing Community Oriented Policing grant programs, establishing protections for whistleblowers, and introducing reforms to fire and police commissions in Milwaukee and Madison.  Taylor says the legislation isn’t perfect but is a good start.  The independent board would include attorneys, police union members, academy training instructors, and a mental health advocate.  The Wisconsin Professional Police Association supports the reforms.

The nomination of state Agriculture Secretary Randy Romanski has been referred to a Senate committee, a sign he may be confirmed to the post.  Governor Tony Evers made Romanski interim secretary in 2019 after the Senate rejected Brad Pfaff's nomination, and then appointed him to the post in June. Pfaff is now in the state Senate. Safety and Professional Services Secretary Dawn Crim and Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson are the only members of Evers' original cabinet who have yet to be confirmed by the state Senate. Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm and Tourism Secretary Sarah Meaney both left the Evers administration without ever being confirmed.

Beware of N-F-C championship game tickets offered online right now. There’s a good chance they’re fake.   The real tickets for Sunday’s big game are sold out. While there are some reputable online sites to buy tickets second-hand, the Better Business Bureau says offers from individuals should be viewed with skepticism. The B-B-B says since tickets are digital, do not send money ahead of time, and double-check to make sure the seats you’re buying actually exist.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will hold a special meeting Friday to discuss the implementation of a wolf hunt.  Republicans on the Legislature’s sporting heritage committees have demanded that a hunt be scheduled immediately.  Members of the Natural Resources Board got a letter last week saying wolves need to be hunted now before the Biden administration returns them to the federal Endangered Species list.  They were removed last fall and the D-N-R had planned to have a season this year in November.  Wisconsin statutes call for annual hunting and trapping seasons if federal protection is removed.

If you’re over the age of 65, you can be vaccinated against COVID-19.  The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says starting next week anyone that age and older will be eligible to get the vaccine.  There is a catch.  A D-H-S spokesperson says it may be weeks or even months before everyone who is eligible can get the shot.  There are an estimated 700-thousand people over 65 living in Wisconsin.  Right now, the state is finalizing the list of people who will be declared eligible in the next round – which reportedly will include teachers and prisoners.  As of Tuesday, 40-thousand people in Wisconsin have received both shots and are fully vaccinated against the virus.

 Two of the three people charged with first-degree intentional homicide in a Rusk County double murder have made a court appearance.  Twenty-two-year-old Adam Rosolowski and 18-year-old Joseph Falk appeared from the Rusk County Jail by Zoom Tuesday.  There are accused of killing Rosolowski’s grandparents last year.  Sixteen-year-old Tristan Shober is also charged, but he didn’t make a court appearance.  The judge ordered an evaluation for Falk after his attorney changed his plea to not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.  The victims were killed near the Village of Sheldon last June.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction reports that nearly half of the state’s schools used seclusion or physical restraint with a student.  The numbers come from the 2019-2020 school year.  Seclusion was used just over 87-hundred times and physical restraint nearly 98-hundred times.  The vast majority of instances involved students with disabilities.  The D-P-I says it will continue working with school districts to identify better strategies and increase the use of intervention techniques that work.  Any time either approach is used, Wisconsin schools now have to send a report to the D-P-I.  The parents also get a written copy.

Prosecutors are asking the judge to reconsider his decision to hold two trials for Minneapolis police officers in the George Floyd case.  They point to the dangers of COVID-19 exposure as a major reason.  As it stands now, Derel Chauvin’s trial is set to start March 8th, while former officers Thomas Lane, J-Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao go on trial August 23rd.  University of Minnesota infectious disease expert Doctor Michael Osterholm says holding one trial in the summer would present fewer health risks due to the pandemic.  Osterholm says holding Chauvin’s trial in March could have “potentially catastrophic consequences for public health.”  He and prosecutors think more people will have been vaccinated by August.

Milwaukee will accept nearly ten-million dollars for new police officers after all.   The city’s common council is accepting the latest federal COPS grant. Milwaukee has accepted COPS grants for years, but objections were raised last year, amid the national conversation about police brutality. Alder Chantia Lewis says Milwaukee can accept the money -- and reform its police department at the same time. The grant will help Milwaukee hire 30 new police officers. 

Wisconsin’s largest farm organization accuses the Department of Natural Resources of dragging its feet on wolf management. The Wisconsin Farm Bureau's Tyler Wenzlaff says the D-N-R has had months to go through the process and there's is no reason to delay a hunting season until next winter. Wenzlaff says it's quite clear in state law that they can hold a wolf hunt yet this winter. The gray wolf was removed from the Endangered Species List in October and officially delisted on January 4th. The D-N-R is planning for a wolf season in the fall of 2021. Wenzlaff says the agency does not need additional time to develop that.

Local-Regional News January 20

 The Pepin County Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda including discussion and action an authorization to submit a community development block grant application, approval of the 2021-2030 land and water management plan,  and discussion and possible action on an acknowledgment of Policy to Prohibit the Use of Excessive Force and the barring of Entrances and Exists for Non-Violent Civil Rights Demonstrations.  Tonight's meeting begins at 7pm at the board room of the Government Center in Durand.

Home sales in Western Wisconsin continued at a fast pace in December.  The Wisconsin Realtors Association reports that home sales in Western Wisconsin were 35% higher in December of 2020 compared to December of 2019.  Buffalo County reported 12 homes sold, Pepin County 17, Pierce County 23, Trempealeau County 29, and Dunn County had 61 homes sold.  The median price of a home sold in Western Wisconsin was $220,000. 

An Osseo man has been charged in Trempealeau County Court with theft by a contractor.  According to authorities, Travis Thronson entered into a contract with a woman in June of 2019, to complete the construction on her home.  The woman paid Thronson $128,000 to complete the project but subcontractors told the woman they had not been paid.  By December the subcontractors billed the woman over $57,000 for work they had completed on the project and the woman ended up paying them instead of Thronson.  

Eau Claire County residents near the Town of Washington are resisting the development plans for 235 acres where they live. The town board will take up the proposal to build 116 homes on that land when it meets Thursday. Neighbors are worried about traffic and hundreds of new people invading the country living lifestyle they enjoy. They say they’d like to work with C-and-E Wurzer Builders on its plans for the development and may be offering bigger lots and fewer homes. The Eau Claire County Planning and Development Board has recommended the project move forward.

  Prosecutors in Ozaukee County Circuit Court have charged the pharmacist who destroyed hundreds of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine with a  misdemeanor.  Steven Brandenburg was arrested December 31st and made a court appearance Tuesday.  He is accused of removing 57 vials of Moderna vaccine at Advocate Aurora Health in Grafton and allowing the contents to go bad.  Investigators say Brandenburg admits he is a conspiracy theorist and he was convinced the vaccines would mutate people’s D-N-A.  He’s charged with property damage.

A Pet Rescue Center from Madison is warning Western Wisconsin residents of a scam involving pet adoption.  The Underdog Pet Rescue says a scammer with a Facebook Profile of Alora Allen is claiming to be an employee and posting pictures of dogs up for adoption.  The scammer is requesting deposits to hold a dog for adoption however there is no dog available.  The company says they do not take a deposit before an application or meeting is completed.  

Wisconsin lawmakers have held another special legislative session that lasted only a minute or so.  Republican leaders gaveled the session in at 12:30 p-m Tuesday, then immediately gaveled it out.  Thirty minutes later Senate Republicans did the same thing.  Governor Tony Evers had called the session to take action on his plan to upgrade Wisconsin’s unemployment benefits system.  Legislative leaders say Evers has the money and the means to advance a five-million-dollar upgrade for the benefits system.  They call the governor’s actions a “dog-and-pony show.”  A spokesperson for Evers says the funds aren’t available to him.

Governor Tony Evers issued a new statewide public health emergency and face mask requirement.   The order continues through March 20 and, with some exceptions, requires everyone age 5 and older to wear a mask indoors when they're around people who they don't live with. The order comes amid heightened concerns over a new, more easily transmissible strain of COVID-19.

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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is being criticized for blocking responses on his official Twitter account, after being told by the courts he's not allowed to do that.  On Tuesday, reports surfaced that Speaker Vos was once again blocking Twitter users from his official government account, something that a federal court specifically told him he couldn't do two years ago. Handling that lawsuit cost taxpayers 200-thousand dollars in legal fees. Vos has been increasingly derided on Twitter and other social media platforms after the Legislature spent most of last year out of session during the pandemic.

The premier of the Canadian province of Alberta is saying he will seek legal damages if President Joe Biden stops the Keystone X-L pipeline project after he takes office.  Premier Jason Kenney says he hopes to speak to Biden to make the case for letting the multi-billion-dollar work continue.  Biden has said he’s going to cancel the pipeline that would deliver oil sands crude from Canadian fracking operations to a terminal in Wisconsin.  The pipeline has been in the middle of a 12-year battle between environmentalists, native American tribes, and Enbridge Energy.

State security officials are asking people who don’t have planned activities or specific business at the Minnesota Capitol to visit another time.  The request comes as concerns grow about the possibility of attacks at state capitols during inauguration week.  Even though the ceremony where Joe Biden will take the oath of office is in the District of Columbia, federal authorities say there is a possibility of attacks in all 50 states.  The insurrection at the U-S Capitol on January 6th by supporters of President Trump heightened the threat awareness.  Governor Tim Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard last week to protect the Capitol in St. Paul.

A 22-year-old man is in federal custody for allegedly trafficking homemade firearms and threatening to kill members of law enforcement ahead of protests at the Minnesota Capitol last weekend. The suspect, Dayton Sauke of Owatonna was arrested by federal agents on Friday. Records show Sauke was already under investigation for illegally selling firearms when he posted on social media that he intended to murder members of law enforcement or public officials days before protests of the presidential inauguration.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says he doesn’t see the diversity of the city in the first round of coronavirus vaccinations.   Barrett says he wants to see more Black and Hispanic people get the vaccine in the next round. The first round of shots in Milwaukee went to either front-line health care workers or people who work at the city public health and fire departments. Barrett says he wants more diversity when it comes to the vaccine, but he also acknowledges it will be some time before the general public moves to the front of the line.

Meteorologists say the Alliant Energy Portage Power Plant played a role in creating a Monday morning weather event – a snow plume that extended for about 100 miles.  It started at the plant’s smoke-stack.  The W-I-S-N Weather Watch 12 team says the plant was emitting enough condensation into the air to form snow.  Cold air turned the mist and steam into snowflakes and a wind out of the west sent the plume of snow all the way from Portage to the shores of Lake Michigan.  The snow fell for about four hours.  The National Weather Service reports there was a half-inch of accumulation in Rio, about 15 miles away.

Local-Regional News January 19

 The second semester for the Durand-Arkansaw School District begins on Wednesday.  Durand Arkansaw School Superintendent Greg Doverspike says the district is expecting more students to return to in-person learning.  At the end of the first semester, 50% of middle-high school students were remote learning, while most of the elementary students were attending classes in person.

The Pepin County Health Department is developing a covid 19 vaccine request list.  Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says if you believe you are part of phase 1A you should be calling the health department now to schedule your vaccine appointment. For those in phase 1b and the general public, the health department has a link to the request list on their Facebook page.  We have a copy of that link on our station Facebook page as well.

The U-S Supreme Court has decided it won’t review the legal challenge of Winona County’s ban on silica sand mining.  Minnesota Sands L-L-C argued the ban is unconstitutional.  The case was filed in October and the high court’s decision is another legal defeat for Minnesota Sands.  It holds mining leases for silica sand deposits in several parts of southeastern Minnesota.  The state Supreme Court had ruled against the company last March.  The county ban prohibits the mining and processing of industrial silica sand, but it doesn’t prohibit the mining of sand used in construction projects.

Less than two days after he was last seen, the body of a missing Juneau County man has been found in his submerged car in the Lemonweir River.  Witnesses tell authorities 21-year-old Garrett Georgeson was last seen as he left Randall’s Uptown Bar in Mauston Saturday at about 2:40 a-m.  Nobody had seen him since then and he was reported missing that night.  The submerged car was discovered Sunday night.  The Juneau County Sheriff’s Office says the incident is still under investigation.

There are more than 160-thousand coronavirus vaccine doses that are just sitting in hospitals and pharmacies across Wisconsin. The state's Department of Health Services said as of Friday, doctors and nurses have given 213 thousand of the 373-thousand doses that are available in the state. Wisconsin has been promised over 600-thousand doses, but many of those have not yet shipped. Governor Evers continues to blame the federal government for the slow-rollout of the state's vaccination program. He is not saying why there are so many doses just sitting idle.

Several big-box retailers have decided to quit selling the products from Minnesota-based My Pillow.  The companies say they made that decision because C-E-O Mike Lindell has continued to support conspiracy theories concerning Donald Trump’s loss of the presidential election.  Lindell says officials with Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s are dropping his products.  Lindell also heard from Dominion Voting Systems Monday.  That company is threatening to sue him for slander.  Lindell has continued to claim the machines were “rigged” and influenced the final vote totals illegally.  Dominion accuses Lindell of being a leader of a “misinformation campaign.”

Scammers are targeting Wisconsinites who are worried about the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. State consumer protection administrator Lara Sutherlin says they're getting reports of robocalls and spam emails from crooks claiming that they can bump people up on 'the list' of COVID-19 vaccinations, which just isn't true.  Currently, Pepin County Health Department is establishing a covid-19 waitlist for vaccine distribution, and visit their Facebook page for the link.  If you're worried about getting a vaccine, contact your doctor or insurance company, and never ever pay someone who calls you out of the blue asking for gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or money orders.

 An eight-year-old Wisconsin girl is set to be part of a virtual Joe Biden inauguration special.  Her parents say Morgan Marsh-McGlone of Belleville started out to raise 90-dollars to help feed food-insecure families.  Her virtual lemonade stand has raised more than 50-thousand dollars so far.  The Wednesday night even will air at 7:30 p-m.  Organizers say they are highlighting heroes who have helped unit their communities.  The girl says she started raising money after learning some kids who used to get their meals in school were going hungry due to the coronavirus pandemic.  The money collected goes to Little John’s Kitchens In Fitchburg.  Morgan is one of six people selected to share their stories.

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Just two-and-a-half months after the presidential election, another political season is picking up some momentum.  The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is releasing an ad calling for U-S Senator Ron Johnson to resign.  The spot tries to connect the Republican to the storming of the U-S Capitol January 6th.  Simultaneously, a new billboard has been placed along highways in central Wisconsin demanding Johnson and Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany step aside.  The state Republican Party counters by saying Governor Tony Evers and Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes “jumped the gun” over the August rioting and shooting in Kenosha.  Republicans say by Democratic Party standards, Evers and Barnes should leave office.  President-elect Biden isn’t sworn-in until Wednesday.

Fire officials in Sparta are blaming a spark from a fuel pump for starting a damaging fire last week.  Authorities with the Sparta Area Fire Department said 10 vehicles were destroyed Friday and several others were damaged.  Fire crews were called to the building shortly before 7:00 p-m.  A father and son say they were inside siphoning fuel out of one vehicle using a pump.  A batter on the pump sparked, starting the fire.  It took firefighters six hours to put all the flames out.  No injuries were reported and the names of the father and son haven’t been released.

Great Lakes shipping is on hold until March 25th.  The Soo Locks in Michigan was shut down at a minute before midnight Friday, ending the 2020 shipping season.  Officials say the 2020 season started with bright hopes and was crushed by COVID-19.  The Duluth Seaway Port Authority says the port will finish under 30-million tons of cargo for the first time in 35 years.  Slowdowns in steel production really impacted iron ore cargo numbers.  Coal was down, too.  Grain numbers and wind cargo were the only good news.  The U-S Army Corps of Engineers will be doing maintenance and repairs while the locks are closed.

President-elect Joe Biden has named Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to his administration.  Governor Tony Evers office confirmed Monday that Palm will be nominated to be Deputy Secretary of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, rejoining the federal agency in which she served during the Obama administration. Palm's last day will be Inauguration Day, Wednesday. Evers nominated Palm to lead DHS in January 2019, but her confirmation was blocked by then-Senate Majority Leader, Scott Fitzgerald. Republicans who opposed her job cited her decision to name a former Planned Parenthood lobbyist as deputy secretary. They've also been highly critical of Palm's leading role in the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Friday, nearly 31-thousand Wisconsin residents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk said just over 213-thousand vaccine doses have been administered thus far.   Willems Van Dijk said most of those second doses were administered this week. DHS reported 2,268 new positive COVID-19 tests as of Friday, for a seven-day positive test rate of 25.9 percent. There were 32 additional deaths for a total of 5,322.

Several hundred Minnesota music students will be among those getting 650-thousand dollars in refunds from a Colorado-based travel company.  Voyageurs International agreed to the settlement last Friday.  The students were scheduled for a 2020 “Ambassadors of Music” tour of Europe before it was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The company then refused to issue full refunds, saying it was keeping 19-hundred dollars in cancellation fees from all 344 students.  Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office investigated and that led to the settlement.

Local-Regional News January 15

 The Durand-Arkansaw School District may use its buildings for mass vaccination clinics later this year.  Superintendent Greg Doverspike says the district and Pepin County Health Department have worked together before on mass vaccinations in the form of flu shots for the students.  It is believed the covid 19 vaccinations will be available for the general public later this spring or early summer.

Eau Claire Firefighters responded to a fire at the Indianhead Warehouse on White Avenue last night.  When firefighters arrived they found the fire and requested additional units to control the blaze.  Crews were on the scene for about 3 hours, and no one was injured.  The cause of that fire remains under investigation.

Four La Crosse County buildings have a new tool to help fight the spread of COVID-19. The Global Plasma Solutions ion air purifier cleans the air by emitting charged atoms in the building which attach to viruses and bacterias to eliminate them. County Board chair Monica Kruse says it’s comforting to know that we have technology in place that can clean our air and take out the virus that could possibly infect us. The La Crosse County Administrative Center, Courthouse, Health Department, and Lakeview Health Center and Assisted Living are all equipped with air purifiers.

There's rental assistance coming in the new federal COVID-19 relief bill. State consumer protection administrator Lara Sutherlin says that until the end of the month, landlords cannot start eviction proceedings.  Sutherlin says that people who are in need of help can visit the state's consumer protection website at D A T C P dot W I dot Gov and learn more about the rental assistance programs, as well as how to deal with rental and tenant issues in general. 

Former Governor Tommy Thompson who is now the interim President of the UW-System is proposing adding back 20 agricultural agents to the UW-Extension to help farmers.  Thompson says the University and Counties will need help from the state and federal government to make the expansion a reality.  Thompson unveiled the proposal this week during the Wisconsin Agribusiness Classic.

 Sheriff's departments across Wisconsin are calling for calm ahead of possible unrest on Inauguration Day.  The Badger State Sheriffs’ Association is recommending people stay home rather than head out to protest during President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.  Grant County Sheriff Nate Dreckman says that they appreciate people's right to peaceably gather but warns "If you step outside the law, there will be consequences."  Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney said, "our deputies and police officers will always protect the right to assemble and air grievances, but only in a peaceful manner."  The F-B-I is warning of potential violence at state capitols.

Conservative groups want the Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear redistricting lawsuits rather than federal judges.  During a hearing Thursday, Chief Justice Patience Roggensack said the high court is not equipped to draw new legislative and congressional districts.  Roggensack said, "I have a judicial assistant and one law clerk, and myself...and drawing maps would take a huge staff. We don't have them."  Former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty want the justices to change the court's rules.  A decision is expected at a later date.

A retired Los Angeles police captain who testified at the trial of officers who beat Rodney King is expected as an expert witness for the defense in the trial of Thomas Lane.  He's one of the former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd.  The Star Tribune reports Attorney Earl Gray filed notice with the court that he plans to call Greg Meyer, who testified in the 1992 trial that officers did not use excessive force against King.  Ex-officer Lane goes on trial in August along with two other officers.  Derek Chauvin will be tried separately in March for the second-degree murder of Floyd.

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The Evers administration says it’s optimistic about the future for Foxconn.  W-E-D-C Secretary Missy Hughes said her office continues to have ‘good conversations’ with the company about its plant in Mount Pleasant, and any future tax breaks.  Hughes and W-E-D-C have refused to give Foxconn tax incentives agreed to by former Governor Walker because Foxconn changed the nature of its plant.  Hughes did not offer any specifics as to just what a new deal may look like, or when that new deal may be finalized.

The Aurora Health pharmacist who may have ruined hundreds of doses of the coronavirus vaccine will no longer be working in the state.  The Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board unanimously agreed to suspend the pharmacy license of Steven Brandenburg of Grafton.  Brandenburg is waiting to see if the vials of vaccine that he admits to leaving out actually spoiled.  Prosecutors in Ozaukee County say they will decide about charges once they know if the vaccine is still usable.

The Mayo Clinic is outlining its plans to begin administering COVID-19 vaccine to its patients.  Health care workers and long-term care residents are still at the top of the priority list.  The second phase now includes patients at least age 75 and frontline essential workers.  The shots will then be offered to patients 65 and older and anyone over 16 years old with a high-risk condition and essential workers.  Mayo Clinic patients with an assigned primary care provider will receive an invitation to be vaccinated, while patients without an online account will be sent a letter when the vaccine is available for their priority category.  Mayo expects to learn this week when it can begin bringing in patients for doses.

A major health care expansion in north-central Wisconsin. Aspirus Health has signed agreements to acquire seven Ascension Wisconsin hospitals, 21 physician clinics, and air and ground medical transport services. Aspirus has no plans to close any of the properties it’s acquired from Ascension, which include hospitals in Stanley, Stevens Point, Tomahawk, Merrill, Rhinelander, Eagle River, and Woodruff.

The judge in the sexual assault case against Marshfield Police Chief Rick Gramza is asking for more evidence before he determines whether all of the charges against him will lead him to trial. Gramza is accused of sexually assaulting a department employee on several occasions, as early as 2014 and as late as this past summer. Portage County Thomas Eagon gave prosecutors ten days to make a case for felony misconduct in office charges.

The Green Bay Police Department is preparing for the Packers playoff game Saturday at Lambeau Field.  About six-thousand fans will be in attendance for the N-F-C divisional-round game against the L-A Rams.  Officers are stepping up security and traffic management since fans were not allowed in the stadium during the regular season.  There won't be any road closures due to the smaller crowd - but there will be a lot of fans walking and in the parking lot and officers on the streets. Fans cannot bring bags or stadium seats to the game.

Local-Regional News January 14

Staff Members of the Durand-Arkansaw School District will be vaccinated in groups.  During last night's board meeting superintendent, Doverspike told board members that the staff will be vaccinated in waves so the district is not short-handed in case there is some type of reaction.  Doverspike says 130 staff members are interested in receiving the vaccine.  The state is currently in group 1A and is working on moving to group 1B which would include educators.  Also last night  Durand Middle-High School Principal Bill Clouse has announced his retirement at the end of the year.  

The man accused of hiding the corpse of a missing Gilmanton man made a court appearance yesterday in Eau Claire.  Roger Minck is charged with hiding a corpse, selling drugs, and burglary in relation to the death of Toby Cleasby of Gilmanton.  In November of 2018, Cleasby went missing and was found a month later inside a duple in Eau Claire.  DNA evidence indicated Minck was involved and he was arrested.  A $10,000 cash bond was issued and if Minck posts bond, he must maintain sobriety and not contact Cleasby's family.  His next court date is February 10th.

Wisconsin Congressman Ron Kind says Donald Trump's refusal to take responsibility for last week's U.S. Capitol riot by a mob of his supporters helps make the case for impeachment.   Kind spoke to reporters on a ZOOM call just prior to voting on the article of impeachment. 

Wells downstream from the La Crosse airport are now showing PFAS contamination.  Those wells are on Paris Island, which sits downstream from La Crosse Regional. All but one out of 100 wells tested showed some levels of contamination, while 40 wells have levels above DNR safety standards. One well was over 160 times higher. The DNR is continuing to test to see how far the contamination has spread since it was first detected in 2016.

 Governor Tony Evers says around 500 Wisconsin National Guard soldiers are headed to Washington, D-C to assist with the presidential inauguration.  The troops and airmen are from several Wisconsin Army National Guard and Air Guard units.  They will support security efforts next week alongside National Guard soldiers from other states.  Evers said, "I'm confident these members of the Guard will assist in any way they can to help maintain peace and security in our nation's capital in the days ahead.”  Wisconsin soldiers were also mobilized for safety and security efforts this week at the State Capitol building in Madison.

Legislative Republicans are rejecting Governor Evers' call for a January 19th special session to address Wisconsin's trouble unemployment program.  Evers said that he understands revamping the outdated and aging system will take years, and that's why it's got to be done as soon as possible.  G-O-P leaders claim legislative audits have shown the major issues with the backlog at the Department of Workforce Development during the pandemic were not due to an old computer system "but rather mismanagement of the agency itself."  Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement, "we are always open to passing necessary legislation, but unfortunately, this Special Session call is about politics; not about policy.”

Minnesota  officials have approved permits for two events at the Minnesota Capitol this weekend: a Saturday "Freedom Fest" and a smaller Sunday gathering billed as a "Church Service."  The Star Tribune reports the applicant for both events is the leader of a group that attracted 500 people to the "Storm the Capitol" rally in Saint Paul last Wednesday, the same day rioters broke into the U-S Capitol. But the paper also reports a Facebook post from the organizing group, Hold the Line MN, warns supporters not to go the Capitol Sunday because "this is an infiltration and set up tactic used to incite violence and blame us."

Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina are calling for an independent commission to investigate the attack on the U-S Capitol.  The two Republicans write "Congress should not be allowed to investigate itself when it comes to the massive security failure of January 6th."  Johnson and Graham say "the commission must be comprised of nationally recognized non-partisan security experts."  The U-S House impeached President Trump Wednesday on a charge of "incitement of insurrection" in connection with his supporters storming the Capitol building.

State health officials are confirming the presence of the new variant strain of COVID-19 in Wisconsin. The Department of Health Services say someone in Eau Claire County tested positive for the virus first detected in the U-K in. Doctor Ryan Westergaard says the infected person traveled internationally two weeks prior to testing positive. D-H-S says while the new strain is more easily transmissible, there is no evidence that it causes more severe illness or increased risk of death. Secretary-designee Andrea Palm says taking preventative measures like wearing a mask and physically distancing are even more important.

A resolution by Wisconsin Democrats condemning last week’s attack on the U-S Capitol never made it to the state Senate floor.  Republican Senate President Chris Kapenga said it wasn’t relevant.  Democratic State Senator Jeff Smith was the sponsor of the resolution that acknowledged that Joe Biden won the November 3rd presidential election, condemned the deadly riot and the president’s claims the election was stolen – and offered condolences to the family of U-S Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick who was killed.  Smith argued his resolution was relevant due to recent F-B-I warnings that armed protests were being planned at all 50 state Capitols.

U-S Senator Ron Johnson tweets that anyone protesting should do so “PEACEFULLY,” the message in all-caps.  The Wisconsin Republican says he hopes anyone engaging in violence while exercising their First Amendment rights will be “arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”  Before protesters stormed the U-S Capitol last week the Associated Press reported Johnson had planned to object to the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.  He didn’t follow through on that, but he has released a statement saying he would have objected based on claims of voter fraud.

 A report released Tuesday shows Wisconsin’s state and local tax burden has fallen below the national average.  The Wisconsin Policy Forum report finds taxes as a share of income last year reached the lowest level in at least 50 years.  People living in Wisconsin paid a little over 10-percent of their income for state and local taxes.  The percentage hasn’t been that low since 1970.  Overall, taxes increased by two-point-three-percent in the fiscal year that ended June 30th, but total personal income rose by three-point-four-percent at the same time.

Florida-based veterans non-profit is being forced to pay the State of Minnesota 95-thousand dollars in a settlement.  Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office says Healing Heroes Network solicited tens of thousands of dollars from Minnesotans from 2015 to 2017.  The A-G's office says only a small amount of that money actually went to veterans.  In addition to the fine, the charity is prohibited from asking for donations in Minnesota for the next five years.

How would you like to order an Old Fashioned to-go the next time you’re at a bar, restaurant, or supper club?  Two Republican lawmakers are moving forward with a bill that would allow the sale of cocktails to-go.  State Representative David Steffen and state Senator Mary Felzkowski say local bars and restaurants are suffered in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and all the restrictions placed on them.  The two lawmakers say allowing for bar sales on drinks to-go would help bring some sales in.  The Wisconsin Tavern League is on board with the plan, but the Wisconsin Grocers Association isn’t – because the legislation would allow for the delivery of six-packs or 12-packs.