Local-Regional News August 24

 On Saturday, three people were injured in a two-vehicle accident at the Hwy 25-35 intersection in Nelson Township.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, 28yr old Kylie Barningham of Pepin was traveling eastbound on Hwy 35 and attempting to turn north onto Hwy 25 when she failed to yield and was struck by a westbound vehicle driven by 43yr old Christina Gbejewoh of Woodbury, MN. Barningham, Gbejewoh, and a minor child were all taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion on the Main Street Bounce Back Program, approval of CBS Squared to administer the CDBG Grant for the North Eau Claire Street project for a fee of $20,000, and discussion of Airbnb rentals in the city.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

Business owners have a new grant program from the state of Wisconsin.  The Main Street Bounceback grant will provide up to $10,000 to new or existing businesses and non-profit organizations moving into vacant properties in the downtown or commercial corridors.  The fund can be sued to pay leases or mortgages, operational expenses, and other business costs related to the newly opened location.  Grant funds are part of the American Recovery Plan Act and will be distributed by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation's regional partners.  For more information visit the WEDC website.

A local bank is expanding.  Security Financial Bank announced yesterday it has completed its merger with Jackson County Bank.  The combined entity, which will operate as Security Financial Bank, now has about $850 million in assets and 150 employees.  “We are pleased to announce the completion of our merger with Jackson County Bank,” said Paul Rudersdorf, SFB president and CEO. “We welcome our new employees and clients to Security Financial Bank and look forward to being part of the local community.”    Established in 1934 in Durand, Security Financial Bank is a locally-owned financial institution now with offices in Alma Center, Black River Falls, Bloomer, Durand, Eau Claire, Ladysmith, and River Falls. 

 

The extreme drought conditions in the Upper Midwest are putting honey production at risk in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Beekeeper Eske Bennetsen at River Road Honey Farm in Prescott, Wisconsin says the three-point-six million bees on his farm usually produce 85 pounds of honey per hive.  This year, Bennetsen says the average is only 50 pounds per hive and he blames the dry conditions.  Wildflowers aren’t blooming when it is so dry.  The drought is causing plants to produce fewer flowers, which means less nectar and pollen for the bees.  The dropoff comes on the heels of a record-setting year in 2020.  Minnesota and Wisconsin are two of the top-producing states for honey.

 

A Facebook post from Fort McCoy reports the first Afghan refugees started arriving over the weekend.  Special immigrant visa applicants, their families, and other individuals at risk are included in the group arriving at the military facility near Tomah.  Afghan citizens have been flying into Volk Field Air National Guard base, then being transported to Fort McCoy.  The Pentagon had approved a request from the Army to house and support the refugees at the base.  About one thousand service members from the U-S Army and U-S Army Reserve will provide support to Operations Allies Refuge.

Cardinal Raymond Burke has been taken off the ventilator and returned to a regular hospital room in Wisconsin.  Burke was hospitalized after he tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse.  The 73-year-old Burke is one of the Roman Catholic Church’s most outspoken conservatives and a vaccine skeptic.  He served as bishop in the Diocese of La Crosse before becoming archbishop in St. Louis.  He left Missouri in 2008 to oversee the Vatican Supreme Court, becoming the first American to hold that position.  Burke was moved out of the court in 2014 and he has been a critic of the Pope since returning to the U-S.

The State of Wisconsin offers a 100-dollar payout to anyone who gets their first COVID-19 shot between now and Labor Day. The money comes in the form of a VISA gift card. The incentive offer was announced the same day one of the three available shots received the stamp of approval from the F-D-A. Neighboring Minnesota just wrapped up a similar program after nearly 80-thousand people applied for the reward.

A conservative group wants the state Supreme Court to take jurisdiction over redistricting in Wisconsin.   The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is suing to have the court step in, if Governor Evers and Legislature fail to agree on new congressional district maps. WILL is also asking the justices to redistrict "making the least number of changes to the existing maps as are necessary." The existing maps were drawn by Republican lawmakers in 2011. The lawsuit comes after Democrats sued in federal court, asking a three-judge panel to redraw Wisconsin's political maps.

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A Missouri man who rescued two children Sunday afternoon has died after he was pulled out of the water.  The incident happened in Lake Michigan at about 3:00 p-m.  The man jumped into the water to help two children who were in distress near the North Pier.  After helped them to safety, he never emerged from the water.  The man was found about an hour later and he was taken to a hospital, but doctors weren’t able to save him.  His name hasn’t been released.

The executive committee of the Wisconsin Republican Party has elected a new state leader.  Paul Farrow will replace Andrew Hitt as party chairman.  Hitt recently gave up the position after two years.  As state party chairman, Farrow will oversee party strategy and fundraising in preparation for the 2022 election cycle.  Hitt will continue his role on the executive committee as immediate past chairman.  Farrow plans to continue his work as Waukesha County executive.  He previously served terms in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate.

More than two dozen people have died so far this year in ATV/UTV crashes in Wisconsin.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says most of those 26 crash victims were not wearing helmets or seatbelts, which are two things the agency recommends for the safe operation of offroad vehicles. Alcohol was also a factor in a number of fatal crashes. Lieutenant Martin Stone, DNR Off-Highway Vehicle Administrator, said nearly half of this year's fatalities were due to rollover crashes, and that monitoring speed and using caution on rough terrain is critical. He said some terrain in Wisconsin is too steep for ATVs and UTVs.

Two months after former President Donald Trump harshly criticized Wisconsin’s Assembly Speaker over election fraud, the two politicians rode a private plane to a rally in Alabama Saturday.  Republican State Representative Robin Vos says he spent the day explaining his plans to restore integrity and trust in Wisconsin elections.  Vos says Republicans have doubled down on their top-to-bottom investigation led by special counsel Michael Gableman.  Trump had accused Vos in June of working to help cover up the fraud that he insists did happen during the 2020 presidential election.  Vos says he will keep the former president updated on the investigation.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is trying to put a halt to a lawsuit in tribal court over the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline project.  The D-N-R filed its legal action in federal court last week.  The White Earth Band of Ojibwe had sued the D-N-R claimed the state agency had taken actions on the pipeline that threatened the protection of tribal land.  The replacement pipeline runs from Alberta, Canada to the Enbridge terminal in Superior, Wisconsin.  In its federal suit, the state agency claims no part of Line 3 crosses any part of the White Earth Reservation – meaning the tribal court doesn’t have jurisdiction.

Late summer is the time to "fight the bite" of illness-bearing mosquitoes in Wisconsin.  On average, 44 human cases of illnesses spread by mosquitoes - Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile Virus - are reported to public health agencies in Wisconsin each year, with many more mild infections going undiagnosed. Eastern equine encephalitis is spread through the bite of a mosquito carrying the virus, which mosquitoes can get after biting an infected bird. It can cause severe symptoms up to and including death. The state Department of Health Services recommends eliminating mosquito breeding habitat on your property, and wearing repellent and protective clothing when outdoors.

Local-Regional News August 23

 The first day of school today for Durand-Arkansaw School District Students.  As part of the back to School Plan, masks will be optional for students according to Superintendent Greg Doverspike.  As part of the federal covid relief money, the district was also required to included teaching students proper hygiene to prevent the spread of germs, something Doverspike says the district has been doing for decades.

One of three suspects in the death of a Hayward man has reached a plea deal with Dunn County Prosecutors.   Ashley Gunder pleaded no contest to being party to reckless homicide on Friday in Dunn County Court.  Gunder told investigators that Ryan Steinhoff and Chad Turgeson beat Bruce McGuigan for hours and that after McGuigan died, Turgeson told her to clean up the scene.    She will be sentenced in December while Turgeson returns to court in September and Steinhoff in October.

The truck of the missing fire chief of the Arcadia-Glencoe Fire Department has been found.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, the department received a call from Sawyer County Sheriff's Department that they had found the truck belonging to Jeff Halvorsen in a wooded area near Hayward.  Sawyer County reported there was a deceased body in the truck.  The investigation is ongoing to determine the identity of the deceased person, and at this point, there is nothing that leads authorities to believe that foul play is suspected.

Treasure Island Resort and Casino near Red Wing  is now requiring all guests to mask up indoors.  The company says everyone will have to wear one regardless of vaccination status starting today (Friday).  The measures are being introduced as Goodhue County faces high transmission of COVID-19 and the Delta variant.  Barriers, sanitizing stations, and reduced hotel capacity are also being implemented at Treasure Island.

Former Altoona superintendent Daniel Peggs is pleading guilty to one count of possession of child pornography as part of a deal with federal prosecutors.  U-S District Judge James Peterson conditionally agreed to the deal Friday but won't officially approve it until sentencing in November.  Peggs is looking at ten years in federal prison and a possible 250-thousand-dollar fine.  The plea agreement dismisses the more serious charges Peggs faced including sex trafficking a minor and production of child pornography.  Peggs initially claimed he thought the girl was age 19 and cut off contact with her after learning she was only 17.  Prosecutors say he did admit to keeping an explicit photo of her on his phone.

One person is dead and two others injured after a single-vehicle accident involving high speed in Taylor County on Saturday.  According to authorities, the driver of the vehicle was traveling on Hwy M in the town of Grover at speeds of 100mph when he lost control on a turn and the car flipped into the ditch.  The driver and another passenger were taken to the hospital, while a second passenger, 20yr old Hunter Ried of Medford died in the crash.  Authorities say speed and negligent operation of the car appears to be the cause of the accident.    Charges against the driver a possible.

American Family Insurance will require vaccinations for employees working in-office.   The Madison-based company plans to reopen its offices on September 13, and employees who want to return to office work will need to get vaccinated before doing so. The company said in a statement that the vaccination requirement will be in place "for the foreseeable future." Employees who currently work onsite because of job responsibilities will have extra time to get vaccinated if needed. The policy doesn’t apply to American Family agency owners, who are independent contractors.

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A Q-Anon supporter has admitted he shot paintballs at Army Reserve members in Pewaukee.  Ian Olson of Nashotah pleaded guilty to one count of an attack on U-S servicemen Wednesday.  Witnesses say Olson pointed what appeared to be a rifle at the servicemen last March, saying, “This is for America.”  That weapon turned out to be a paintball gun that jammed before the service members subdued him.  He will be sentenced in Waukesha County Court on November 18th.

A closed company in Merrill has agreed to pay its former employees 650 thousand dollars.  Semling-Menke Company failed to give legal notice of its shutdown in December 2019.  A spokesperson for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, Luke Kramer, calls the settlement a “win for blue-collar workers” in Wisconsin.  The 130 employees got a letter telling them the window-and-door company was ceasing operations the very next day.  Wisconsin law requires employees to be given 60 days’ notice.  Attorney General Josh Kaul says the checks went out to those employees last week.

Jennifer Carnahan is getting more than 30-thousand dollars for stepping down as chair of the Minnesota Republican Party.  Some G-O-P members aren't happy that Carnahan will receive three months' pay.  Carnahan reportedly cast the tying-breaking vote at Thursday night's executive committee meeting to approve the 38-thousand-150-dollar severance package.  Members say she initially called for eight months of annual salary.  Carnahan insists she did nothing wrong and didn't know about the alleged child sex trafficking by G-O-P donor and campaign manager Anton Lazzaro.  She was also accused of running a “morally bankrupt” operation that was rife with verbal abuse, intimidation, and sexual harassment.  Deputy Chair Carleton Crawford is now the acting chair of the state Republican Party until a new leader is elected.

The number of Wisconsin households receiving food assistance has increased during the coronavirus pandemic.  Enrollment in the FoodShare program in Wisconsin has risen 30-percent since 2019. Food stamp spending jumped 33- percent in the same two years, to well over a billion dollars. Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services says more people are getting the maximum amount of benefits. In all, more than 792-thousand people are on FoodShare in Wisconsin. 

Meteorologists say it would take about 18 inches of rain over the next three months to end the drought in the Boundary Waters area.  That is currently the driest part of Minnesota.  National Weather Service forecaster Brent Hewett says a lot of the rivers in western and northern Minnesota are at less than 10 percent of their average or normal flow.  It’s dry in the Twin Cities metro, but it is worse the farther north you go in Minnesota.  Many streams and rivers are said to be hitting a critical stage.  Getting a lot of rain over the next three months isn’t likely because Minnesota only averages 10-to-14 inches of precipitation total between September and March.

Employees at Cedar Creek Marketplace in Appleton know their jobs are going away in a week.  The store that has been doing business there for 50 years is permanently closing.  A sign has been posted inside asking customers to quit questioning workers.  They are already sad about losing their positions and their uncertain futures.  Store manager Maggie Spierings says everyone keeps asking what’s going on.  Since some of the employees have been working at Cedar Creek Marketplace for more than a decade, the questions are painful.  The sign says, “Please don’t question our staff,” but, so far, the questions haven’t stopped.  The store closes a week from Saturday.

Some rainy weather and COVID-19 hangover can be blamed for lower attendance figures at the 2021 Wisconsin State Fair.  Officials report over the 11-day run a little over 841 thousand people walked through the gates.  Wisconsin State Fair Park C-E-O Kathleen O’Leary says seeing smiling faces come in after 724 days “was a tremendous accomplishment.”  More than eight thousand animals were entered in competitions and seven thousand competitive exhibit entries were judged.  Twenty-five hundred exhibitors took part in livestock shows, horticulture, textiles, crafts, culinary, cheese, meat, wine, and other competitions.

Local-Regional News August 13

 One person was injured in a one-vehicle accident in Salem Township Wednesday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 53yr old Martin Wright of Maiden Rock was traveling westbound on Hwy 10 when he lost control of his vehicle on a curve, crossed the centerline, and entered the ditch.  Wright was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

Two people were injured in a two-vehicle accident in Oak Grove Township on Wednesday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 82yr old Dianna Ristow was traveling eastbound on Hwy 10 and attempted to pass another vehicle near the intersection of Hwy 10 and Hwy QQ when she collided with a vehicle driven by 70yr old Dwight Nelson of River Falls that had turned off of Hwy QQ onto Hwy 10 westbound.  Nelson did not see Ristow making the passing maneuver and hit Ristow's vehicle on the driver's side.  Ristow and Nelson were both taken to Regions Hospital.

A Menomonie man will spend 81 months in federal prison for his conviction on gun and drug offenses.  The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin says 34-year-old David Hartwig tried to run from undercover officers when they approached him last year.  While he was trying to get away he showed a pistol to his pursuers.  When they caught him they also found heroin packaged for sale and a small amount of meth.  At the time, Hartwig was on community supervision for previous convictions.

A former Eau Claire County treasurer has been told to hire an attorney before his petition for early release from prison can be considered.  Larry Lokken appeared by Zoom Thursday from Thompson Correctional Center in Deerfield.  Lokken is serving a nine-a-half-year prison sentence for stealing 625 thousand dollars from taxpayers in Eau Claire County.  He is scheduled for release in 2025.  He told the court his attorney could no longer represent him during Thursday’s virtual hearing in Eau Claire County Circuit Court.  Judge Jon Theisen told him he has to have an attorney representing him before another hearing will be scheduled.

A 42-year-old La Crosse man was arrested Wednesday for an attack in March that put a man in the hospital. Cory W. Tharpe was charged in April with substantial battery, disorderly conduct, and felony bail jumping. The victim suffered a broken arm, a cracked skull, bleeding in the brain, and cuts on his face. A 9-1-1 caller told police a man was lying in the street and another man was kicking him. When officers arrived, Tharpe gave them a false name and address.

The release of detailed numbers from the 2020 Census will start the Wisconsin battle over political district boundaries.  The state population grew by about four percent meaning it keeps its eight congressional districts.  The final local numbers are expected to show losses in rural areas and a growing diverse population in urban areas.  New district lines will be drawn for the congressional districts, 99 Assembly seats, and 33 Senate seats.  Republicans are in charge of the process, but Democratic Governor Tony Evers will be able to veto their maps if he doesn’t like them.  Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says he’s confident his party will draw a map that Evers will sign.

The effort by a Republican chairwoman of an Assembly committee to force local election clerks to turn over ballots is running into some obstacles.  State Representative Janel Brandtjen is investigating the 2020 election results in Wisconsin.  She issued subpoenas last week to clerks in Brown and Milwaukee counties, citing two state laws supporting her action.  For a second time, attorneys for the Wisconsin Legislative Council have said only Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Chief Clerk Ted Blazel can authorize those subpoenas.  Vos isn’t a supporter of Brandtjen’s investigation.

Election officials in Clark County are defending themselves against claims by the "My Pillow" man that their voting machines were hacked last fall.   The county clerk says voting machines are not connected to the internet, and therefore, can’t be hacked. Entrepreneur and Trump supporter Mike Lindell has claimed the machines could be hacked after the fact. Republicans in Clark County say they want a full accounting of their votes, just to make sure. Local Democrats say there isn’t any evidence of election tampering. 

 The Pepin County Sheriffs Department, Land Conservation, and Durand Fire are working together to purchase some drones.  The drones would be used by the Sheriff and Fire Departments in search and rescue, tracking criminals trying to flee, and will be equipped with a thermal imaging camera.  Land Conservation would use drones for mapping the county.  Its hoped the drones will be in service after the first of the year.

The number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow rapidly, meaning a decision on a vaccinate mandate for Wisconsin state workers could come as soon as next week.  Governor Tony Evers announced Thursday his administration is still considering the imposition of a mandate.  Evers say all options are being considered.  During the news conference, he and officials with the Department of Health Services emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated and wearing masks while indoors.  The seven-day rolling average for new cases as of Thursday was 11 times higher than at this point in July.

UW-Health is taking part in a study on how to safely administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to children. Dr. William Hartman says the important question is safety and effectiveness.  The trial will be split up into three groups depending on the age of the children involved, from 12 years old down to six months. Hartman says the project is vital seeing as newer variants of COVID-19 seem to be more contagious in children.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety reporting 294 agencies across wrote 17-thousand-205 speeding citations during the month of July extra patrols and awareness efforts. That's up more than one thousand from last year's campaign at the same time. During the campaign, 55 agencies reported issuing citations for speeds of 100-miles-an-hour more compared with 40 agencies during last year’s campaign.

The latest Marquette University Law School poll finds a majority of Wisconsin residents think government – state and national – is broken.  The poll released Wednesday discovers lower approval ratings for Republican U-S Senator Ron Johnson and steady ratings for Democratic Governor Tony Evers.  Those responding to the poll give President Biden a 49-percent approval rating, Evers gets 50 percent, Johnson 35 percent, and Democratic U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin 40 percent.  Poll takers say people who responded showed a growing feeling that Wisconsin is on the wrong track.

U-S Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has visited a farm in Cannon Falls to see the effects of drought on Minnesota.  Vilsack was joined Thursday by U-S Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, plus Congresswoman Angie Craig.  A Callister Farms south of the Twin Cities visitors say dust is plentiful and rain is well short of normal.  Farmer Chip Callister says he thinks, as bad as it is, you can find areas that are a lot worse.  He says his hay supply this year is one-seventh what it has been on this date in the past.  Vilsack says the federal government is ready to help.

The fiscal outlook for state government is getting better. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau says Wisconsin is on pace to end the current budget cycle with a record one-point-seven billion-dollar surplus. That’s the largest surplus in Wisconsin history. The fiscal bureau says the budget will also end with one-point-five billion dollars in the state’s “rainy day” fund.

Local-Regional News August 12

 The Durand City Council has approved a resolution to begin the process of a special assessment for property owners on Drier Street and Laneville Road.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says this is the first step in the process to have the special assessment and Cedar Corp will be out measuring properties before notifications are sent to owners.  The resolution passed on a 3-2 vote with one abstention.  During the debate council members opposed to proceeding felt it was unfair to special asses because some property owners on the 3rd Ave East portion of the project were not subject to a special assessment due to the CBDG Grant.

Mondovi residents will be seeing an increase in their sewer rates.  Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the rate increase was something that was not unexpected due to the new wastewater treatment plant.  New residential rates will be $120 per quarter in 2022 with a usage rate of 9.65 per 1000 gallons with an increase to $135 a quarter with a usage rate of $10 per 1000 gallons in 2023.  Commercial and industrial rates will also be increasing in 2022 and 2023

This week Pepin County Health issued a health alert after someone was at three establishments last weekend came down with Covid 19.  Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says the recent spike in covid cases was why the alert was issued.  Stewart says so far there have been no deaths due to the spike and she reminds everyone that if you need to get tested, you are to call your provider or Advent Health in Durand to schedule a test.

For six straight days, strong storms have hit at least some areas of Wisconsin.  Trees and powerlines were knocked down overnight into Wednesday, interrupting electric service to about 180 thousand customers in southeastern Wisconsin.  Weather observers confirmed two tornadoes touched down in west-central and northeastern parts of the state.  One destroyed the Norwalk Sportsman’s Club building with winds in excess of 100 miles an hour.  Tornado warnings were issued for Juneau, Monroe, Iowa, Dane, and Marathon counties.  Weather problems last night were limited to hail and some flooding.  No serious injuries have been reported, but a lot of damage was done.

Not everybody is happy about plans for a million-square-foot warehouse near Interstate 94 in western Wisconsin.  Many people living in Roberts, a village in St. Croix County, have voiced their opposition.  They say Project Mallard will create traffic congestion, but village officials say the big structure will also create about 800 jobs.  Roberts has just over 16 hundred residents.  Village leaders haven’t said what company wants to build the warehouse.  If it is approved at a meeting later this month, the ground could be broken in the fall, and the building would be open late in the summer of 2022.

A Jackson County man who used a child as a shield during a standoff is going to serve 11 months in jail.  The sentence for Juan Aguilar is for a separate bail-jumping conviction.  Aguilar is on four years’ probation for recklessly endangering safety in the case involving the child during the standoff.  Deputies were executing a search warrant in 2018 when they say Aguilar pointed a gun at them and made threats.  He later came out of the house while holding the child in front of him – before eventually surrendering.  Deputies had been looking for a stolen car.

A quota has been set for this fall’s wolf hunt in Wisconsin.   The Natural Resources Board voted 5-2 Wednesday to set aside a Department of Natural Resources recommendation to cap fall wolf hunting kills at 130, and set the quota instead at 300. However, Wisconsin’s Chippewa tribes are entitled by treaty to claim up to half of the quota but do not hunt the animal which they consider to be sacred. That could mean only about 150 wolves for state-licensed hunters to kill. In February, a court-ordered season was capped at 119 kills, but hunters and trappers killed 218 wolves before it was shut down.

The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office says four golfers were injured when they were struck by lightning while out on a golf course.  Deputies responded to a report Tuesday of multiple golfers being injured at the Big Fish Golf Course in the Town of Hayward.  No names have been released.  The four victims were found alert and conscious.  They were taken to a local hospital, but their medical conditions aren’t known.

Several Wisconsin lawmakers have traveled with the crowd across the state line to Illinois as part of a new push to legalize marijuana.  They say they want to stop millions of dollars from leaving the Badger State.  Democratic State Senator Melissa Agard of Madison says she knows Wisconsin is ready for legalization.  Agard and Milwaukee State Representative David Bowen held a news conference in a South Beloit dispensary parking lot filled with vehicles bearing Wisconsin license plates.  They estimate legal sales of marijuana could bring Wisconsin 165 million dollars or more in annual tax revenue.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services report reveals that opioid overdoses are much higher since the coronavirus pandemic started.  The rate of overdose incidents has nearly doubled, from about seven per 100 thousand people in January 2019 to about 13 per hundred thousand in March.  The number rose even higher in May.  Researchers say stress from the pandemic, a statewide stay-at-home order, increased access to drugs, and social isolation may have led to more dangerous behavior.  Officials say the recent trend shows overdoses headed higher again.

Seven hundred thousand dollars may be all the University of Wisconsin ever receives from Foxconn Technology Group.  Chancellor Rebecca Blank says she isn’t expecting the Taiwan-based tech giant to honor the 100-million-dollar pledge it made to the school three years ago.  At the time, it was promoted as the biggest research partnership in the university’s history.  The pledge was made as part of the multi-billion dollar agreement that Foxconn would build a huge factory near Mount Pleasant.  That project has been dramatically scaled back.

An Illinois man has been sentenced to 105 months in prison for setting a business fire during last year’s riots following the death of George Floyd.  Twenty-nine-year-old Matthew Lee Rupert entered guilty pleas to federal charges of causing civil disorder, rioting, and possession of unregistered explosive devices.  The federal prosecutor told the court Rupert drove more than 400 miles from his home “to engage in violence and destruction.”  He went on Facebook Live showing his actions, saying he came “to riot.”  The video showed Rupert handing out artillery-shell fireworks, encouraging violence against law enforcement officers, and urging others to damage property.

The U-S Department of Agriculture reports honeybee colonies are making a comeback in Wisconsin.  The 25 thousand operations in the state containing five or more colonies are up by 56 percent over last year.  That figure was as of January 1st.  Wisconsin producers brought the number of colonies up to 37 thousand by the end of March.  While the overall number was growing, an estimated 25 hundred colonies were lost in the first quarter of 2021.  Scientists say Varroa mites were the top stressors in Wisconsin.

 A special Minnesota legislative session could be called for September to determine which front-line workers would share 250 million dollars.  A special legislative commission is preparing recommendations for those payments.  The head of the AFSCME (AFFS me) union says all essential workers play a highly significant role in fighting the pandemic.  Deb Pavlica says clinical nursing staff, health care providers, dental assistants, laboratory technicians, admissions clerks, and many others deserve consideration.

Governor Tim Walz announced Wednesday that employees of all state government agencies will be required to show proof of receiving one of the emergency use authorized COVID-19 shots this fall or face regular testing. In a statement, the governor urged other employers to take similar steps. Those workers who exercise their right not to be vaccinated will be required to receive a negative COVID-19 test at least once a week in order to work on-site. Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka called a vaccine requirement divisive and unproductive. The deadline for workers to show proof of vaccination is September 8th.

 The U-S Postal Service is starting a big hiring campaign before the holiday season starts.  The post office needs more people to handle the expected increase in mail.  Last year, it hired 100 thousand people, but officials say the number of retirements is forcing them to recruit new bodies like they never have had before.  The application process is completed online.  Starting pay is almost 19 dollars an hour, with increases after you’ve been on the job for a year and a half.

Local-Regional News August 11

 The City of Mondovi has approved the contract for the new Wastewater Treatment Plant.  At last night's council meeting, members approved hiring C.D. Smith of Fond Du Lac as the lead contractor in the project.  C.D. Smith is the 4th largest contractor in the state and plans on using local tradesmen and subcontractors from around the area to construct the plant.  At peak construction, 30-40 workers will be on site.  The cost of the new plant is approximately $17 million and a ground groundbreaking ceremony is planned for sometime after Labor Day.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda included discussion and possible action on a special assessment levy on property owners on Drier Street and Laneville Road, and reports from the Mayor, City Administrator, and Department Heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and can be watched on our YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN.

Saying he's "out of gas" Congressman Ron Kind of La Crosse announces he won't seek reelection at the end of his current term  Kind's decision not to run again comes a year away from the 2022 primaries and sets up a wide-open race in the state's most competitive congressional district.

The Pepin County Health Department is notifying the public of the potential for Covid-19 exposure at local establishments August 6-8th.  A person with a confirmed case of covid was present at The Garden Pub in Pepin on August 6th from 5-9pm, at the Barn Again Lodge in Mondovi on August 7th from 3-9pm, and at the Durand Masonic Lodge Sunday from 12-3pm.  Anyone who was at those locations during those times should consider themselves at risk and should monitor for signs and symptoms of Covid.  Anyone experiencing symptoms should contact their primary care provider to arrange for testing.

One person was injured in a plane crash in Osceola Monday.  According to the Polk County Sheriff's Department, the pilot crash-landed at the airport in Osceola and was taken to Regions Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  The crash is being investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.  There were no other passengers on the plane at the time of the accident.

 The Clark County Sheriff’s Office reports a 57-year-old highway worker has been killed and another worker injured when they were hit by a suspected drunk driver.  The fatal accident happened early Saturday while the men were removing a tree that had fallen across a county road at about midnight.  Authorities say 28-year-old Cory D. Neumueller hit both the workers and the tree at about 1:20 a-m.  Russell J. Opelt died before emergency responders arrived.  Sixty-year-old David L. Murphy was injured, but he’s the one who called 9-1-1 for help.  Neumueller was taken into custody for homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and causing injury through intoxicated use of a vehicle.

Wisconsin's U-S Senators split their votes Tuesday on President Joe Biden's roughly one trillion-dollar infrastructure investment plan. Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Oshkosh voted against the plan. On "Fox Business" Tuesday morning, Johnson called the bill "disastrous," and said he had "no idea why Republicans would want to have any of their fingerprints" on it. Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin said "the Senate has finally turned the ‘Infrastructure Week’ talk of the past into real action. Nineteen Republicans voted with Democrats to approve the bill and send it to the House for consideration.

A local gun owners' group is suing the Minnesota State Fair and Ramsey County, asking that permit holders be allowed to carry handguns on the grounds during the fair. The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus is arguing that the State Fair's ban on weapons violates the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. In a statement, State Fair officials say they don't  comment on pending litigation, they add "we will maintain our time-honored Minnesota tradition of peaceful, family-friendly fairs by protecting the safety and security of our guests."

New Wisconsin Parks Director Steven Schmelzer says he wants to add tech services at state parks, including G-P-S mapping on all state-owned properties and expanded WiFi service.  Schmelzer says he wants to improve the experience for people visiting Wisconsin state parks.  He’s taking over at a time people are using the parks at record rates.  There have been more than nine-and-a-half million visits this year alone, an 18 percent increase over 2020.  Schmelzer is in charge of 49 Wisconsin state parks, more than 500 boat launches, 15 state forests, 44 state biking trails, and more than five thousand campsites.  He assumed his new duties on July 19th.

A Republican state lawmaker says he wants to change the Wisconsin Constitution to give the Legislature more control over how federal money is spent.  State Senator Dale Kooyenga wants to introduce a constitutional amendment.  Kooyenga says they already decide how state money is spent.  He thinks lawmakers should decide how billions of federal dollars are spent as well.  The Republican-controlled Legislature has disagreed with the Democratic governor several times since he took office over how the money coming from Washington should be distributed.  Kooyenga says if the amendment is approved before January, then again next year, it would put the question before voters next spring.

Democrat Governor Tony Evers has vetoed a package of Republican-authored elections bills that would have addressed complaints made by the former Trump Administration after President Joe Biden's win in 2020. At Tuesday's press conference, Evers said Wisconsin has a fair and open election system already. The bills included one that would have prohibited local elections clerks from filling in missing information on absentee ballot envelopes. Another would have authorized the use of ballot drop boxes while placing various restrictions on their use. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says Evers is protecting the status quo on elections. 

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is planning a trade mission later this year to England and Finland. The governor's office says he will bring a delegation of about 30 people from state agencies representing medical, agriculture, environmental, and education sectors. The trip is scheduled for November 12th through the 19th. The mission is aimed to increase exports and urge companies to expand in Minnesota.

Coronavirus case numbers are spiking in Wisconsin, but the coronavirus death toll is flat.  State health officials reported more than a thousand new cases of the virus Monday, bringing the state’s seven-day positivity rate to over seven percent. But while more people are testing positive, they’re almost all recovering. The Department of Health Services says Wisconsin is reporting an average of just one coronavirus death a week. Doctors say the vaccine is lessening the virus’ impact, and they say treatments are much better than they were last year. 

A proposed industrial park site near Two Rivers is becoming a wetlands restoration site instead.  The old silo and barn owned by the Henry family are located on the 80-acre property.  A wetlands scientist says the location had been a farm field since the 1930s and the industrial park was proposed in the 1990s.  The Henry family wanted to see the land preserved and donated it to The Woodland Dunes Nature Center four years ago.  After two years of monitoring to determine how the wetlands could be restored, the project moved forward.  The D-N-R is overseeing the process.

Americans headed for Canada created a huge traffic jam at the border in International Falls Monday.  The Canadian government began allowing vaccinated Americans to enter after months of a closed border.  Pictures of vehicles backed up for miles were tweeted.  One family said it had to wait seven hours to get across.  The border had been closed since March of last year.  One Canadian business owner said about 99 percent of his business comes from the U-S.  People wanting to cross the border must also test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of the time they want to travel.

Local-Regional News August 10

 One person is dead after having a medical emergency on the fishing float near Alma on Sunday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, 38yr old Willam Korn from Chippewa Falls collapsed on the float and became unresponsive.  Witnesses began CPR and contacted emergency services.   Law enforcement and EMS also provided life-saving measures but were unsuccessful.

The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion of the Schmidtknecht Road Construction for the new Wastewater Treatment plant, grant funding for playground equipment at city parks, approval of the new Wastwater Utility Rates for the city, and approve a joint meeting with the Mondovi School Board on September 15th.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

The man that led authorities on a high-speed chase through Pierce, Pepin, Buffalo, and other counties made his first court appearance on Monday.   22yr old Timothy Chambers was charged in Wood County with Bail Jumping and Resisting arrest after the August 4th pursuit that led to $11,000 in damage to a Pepin County Squad Car.  Charges have also been filed in Buffalo, and Pierce County in relation to the pursuit.  He is being held on a $50,000 cash bond.

Today is the final day for residents in Martell, Trimbelle, Trenton, Ellsworth, Heartland, Diamond Bluff, and Isabelle townships to register for well-testing kits from the Pierce County Health Department.  Test kits will be mailed to those registered and then can be dropped off on August 30th.  Kits are $35 and for more information, you are to contact the Pierce County Health Department.

Masks will be optional this year for students and staff in the Menomonie School District.  At last night's board meeting the board voted 5-4 after a 3hr debate on the topic.  Those opposed to mandatory requirements felt it was the parent's decision and not the district on whether or not students should wear a mask.  The district will not require vaccination among students or staff but is strongly recommending it.

The Wisconsin State Patrol will conduct aerial enforcement of speed and traffic laws this Thursday in Eau Claire County and on Saturday in Dunn County.  The patrol will be conducting the enforcement over I-94 in both counties.  The State Patrol says the goal of the enforcement is voluntary compliance of the traffic laws.  In a social media post, the patrol said during aerial enforcement over I-43 in Walworth County, they cited one driver for speeding at 105 mph.

The chairperson of the committee conducting one of three election reviews in Wisconsin is defending the validity of the subpoenas her group has issued.  The Legislative Counsel said only Assembly Speaker Robin Vos had the authority to issue subpoenas to compel testimony or produce records or documents.  State Representative Janel Brandtjen says she didn’t use Chapter 13.  The Republican says Chapter 885 spelled out how the subpoenas should be made out,  Officials in Milwaukee and Brown counties have been ordered to appear before her committee next month.  Those officials haven’t said if they will comply.

University of Minnesota officials say they will require students to be vaccinated against COVID once the vaccine receives full F-D-A approval which is expected in the coming weeks.  President Joan Gabel  says it will give the University the best chance for normal campus activity this fall and uninterrupted in-person, on-campus instruction.   Faculty and staff must either be vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19.  And Minnesota State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer said Monday that, although no decision has been made, masks could be required at indoor attractions.   The State Fair opens on August 26th and runs for 12 days.

The National Weather Service says the tornado that hit the Boscobel area last weekend was the strongest storm in Wisconsin since 2008.  Survey teams increased their estimate of the top wind speeds to 160 miles an hour after examining the damage.  More than a dozen homes and more than two dozen outbuildings were destroyed by the E-F-3 tornado.  The storm was on the ground for 10-and-a-half miles and its path was up to 11-hundred yards wide.  The last tornado that strong touched down in Kenosha.  Starting Sunday and lasting through Monday, hundreds of neighbors worked together on the clean-up.

Demolition on some old buildings will start in a couple of weeks at the Port of Milwaukee.  That will clear some space for construction on a new agriculture export terminal.  Port officials say the 35-million-dollar project will create a facility for products like dried distillers' goods, grain, corn, and soybeans.  Port Milwaukee Director Adam Tindall-Schlicht says when it is in operation it will increase the activity by 300 to 500 metric tons of product each year.  Backers hope to have it going by April 2023.

The president of the Wisconsin Senate is urging health care workers to take action against vaccine mandates if they’re opposed.  The stance by Senate President Chris Kapenga is alarming some health care officials who are dealing with a surge of new infections.  The Republican Kapenga said he wanted to encourage the groups that are forming to stick to their principles and “don’t give in.”  Kapenga told reporters he wasn’t suggesting that health care workers should go on strike, but just be persistent in their beliefs.

A Milwaukee man has been sentenced to 46 years in prison for a home invasion and sexual assault.  Prosecutors told the court 22-year-old Bobby A Clayton and some accomplices broke into the home in January 2018.  Clayton is accused of sexually assaulting the 76-year-old woman who was living there.  He was arrested in Juneau County after he crashed the vehicle he had stolen from the victim.  Clayton was sentenced in Monroe County Circuit Court last week by Judge Mark Goodman.

Environmental protesters in Green Bay maintain that there has never been a pipeline that doesn’t leak.  A group showed up at the City Deck Saturday to demand construction on two pipelines that run through Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan be stopped.  Organizers say work on the pipelines violates treaties signed with Native Americans.  They say the oil companies are destroying wild rice fields.  Enbridge Energy says its construction permits include conditions specifically to protect wide rice waters.  They say the two pipelines have co-existed there for more than seven decades with no major problems.

 The Wisconsin hotel industry is getting a boost from money from the American Rescue Plan Act. Governor Evers says grants of two million dollars were released this weekend to nearly 900 lodging businesses around the state to help them offset some of the losses they incurred during the pandemic. The tourism industry supports more than 157-thousand jobs in Wisconsin and had an economic impact last year of more than 17 billion dollars.

Amid a surge in new COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin, state Superintendent Jill Underly is strongly recommending that Wisconsin school district require masks when students return to in-person classes this fall.  The recommendation is similar to that made last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state's largest districts, Milwaukee and Madison, are requiring masks, but many rural and suburban districts are not.

Crews broke ground on a new Minnesota Veterans Home in Preston Monday. Governor Tim Walz was on hand and said helping veterans is something everyone can rally behind. The administration plans to highlight the state's commitment to veterans over the next several days including efforts around suicide prevention and ending veteran homelessness.

No rain means no standing water and that’s good for mosquito control.  Officials with the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District in the Twin Cities say the drought is why there are so few of the pests buzzing around this summer.  The numbers are way down, well below the 10-year average.  Scientists say the mosquito numbers have been four to eight times lower than a normal year at some points.  Some areas got rain last weekend, but it’s too late.  Most mosquito species in Minnesota have already gone through their life cycles.  This could also affect next summer.

Local-Regional News August 9

 As the fall harvest approaches, a reminder that passing farm implements in a no-passing zone is illegal. Pepin County Sheriff Joel Wener says not only is it against the law, but it's extremely dangerous.  Farmers will try and pull over to let traffic pass, but many times it is safer and easier for them to drive to the field they are working on.

At the Wisconsin State Fair, some area farmers in Western Wisconsin will be recognized for having their farm and home in the same family for 100-150yrs The 2021 century and Sesquicentennial Farm and Home Awards will be awarded Tuesday.  Here in Western Wisconsin,  Janice Graner Trust in Nelson,  Becky and Steve Odegard, Mondovi, Cheryl and Glenn Aderson of Hagar City, Dianne, Larry and Chad Madson of Spring Valley,  Peterson's Dunnville Acres Farm, Menomonie and JoAnn and James Utphall of Boyceville will be among those honored for the continuous family ownership of their property.  The Century Farm and Home Program began in 1948 in conjunction with the state centennial celebration.

The district attorney’s office in La Crosse County has added a hate crime modifier to the substantial battery charge against a man.  Forty-year-old Travis Crawford is accused of attacking a transgender couple in Copeland Park on July 20th.  Investigators say Crawford punched a 17-year-old transgender boy in the face.  A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for next Thursday.  Witnesses say he called both teenagers a slur for gay men.  The boy he hit suffered a serious injury.

The western Wisconsin man accused of a deadly ax attack is pleading not guilty to five felonies in Monroe County.  Deputies say 36-year-old Thomas Aspseter of Sparta killed 87-year-old Bernard Waite and injured 76-year-old Michael Waite and 73-year-old Margaret Waite on June 6th.  Aspseter entered not guilty pleas to charges including first-degree intentional homicide, attempted homicide and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.  His next court hearing is October 4th.

Tomah police say a 36-year-old man involved in a standoff told officers he was armed and he threatened to kill them if they tried to take him into custody.  Police were called when Russell Clausen refused to leave his hotel room.  When he did finally come out, he barricaded himself in a second-floor stairwell.  Negotiators talked with him for more than an hour before he was finally arrested.  During those negotiations, the hotel was evacuated and police blocked off nearby business parking lots.  Clausen was booked into the Monroe County Jail.  He could face three charges, including two felonies.

A La Crosse man has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery and possing a firearm in a crime of violence.  32yr old Kenneth Lawson was sentenced to 9yrs in federal prison followed by 3yrs of supervised release.  In June of 2020, Lawson and a female associate robbed the occupants of a La Crosse apartment at gunpoint.   At the time of the robbery, Lawson was on Minnesota state supervision and had multiple prior felony convictions, and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.  

Most of Wisconsin's major health systems in Wisconsin have a vaccine requirement in place for staff.   The deadlines for employees to get vaccinated vary, but most will be required to do so by mid to late fall. 13 healthcare systems have requirements in place, including UW Health, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Prevea Health, and Mayo Clinic. Several others have yet to announce vaccination requirements, although of those have indicated it's being considered.

Officials with Grant County Emergency Management report no injuries from Saturday storms that destroyed six homes in Boscobel.  There were multiple sightings of possible tornadoes.  One tornado was officially confirmed to have touched down west of Boscobel Saturday at about 4:38 p-m.  In addition to the destroyed homes, as were at least a dozen outbuildings like barns, sheds, and silos.  A damage survey was conducted Sunday.  Several Grant County roads were reported to be impassable due to downed power lines.  At least 300 customers lost power as the storms passed through that part of southwestern Wisconsin.

The state of Wisconsin is sitting on millions of dollars that will help people avoid eviction.  In Milwaukee, the Social Development Commission says it has helped about 85 hundred families so far.  The federal government has given the state almost 700 million dollars, with a big chunk of it going to Madison and Milwaukee.  Officials estimate there are about 445 million dollars in the bank for people who fill out applications.  In the case of the S-D-C, that organization says it takes about a week-and-a-half to process an application.  If you qualify, you can get as much as 15 months of rental help.

A bill signed into law by Governor Tony Evers says Wisconsin law enforcement officers should only use deadly force as a last resort.  Evers said, “I am glad to sign this bipartisan bill today that provides clear use of force standards and clear requirements for reporting and intervening in non-compliant use of force incidents.”  The Democratic governor also vetoed a measure Friday that would have reduced state aid to communities that decrease police funding.  Evers cited what he called "onerous restrictions" on local governments setting their budgets.

A 70-ton boulder will be removed from the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus because minority students view it as a symbol of racism.  Chamberlin Rock is located at the top of Observatory Hill.  It is named in honor of Thomas Crowder Chamberlin, a geologist and former president of the university.  Chancellor Rebecca Blank approved the removal of the rock in January, but that action had to be approved by the Wisconsin Historical Society.  

The field of Wisconsin Democrats running for the 2022 U-S Senate nomination continues to grow.  Wisconsin Emergency Management administrator Darrell Williams is the latest candidate to join the race.  Williams was appointed by Governor Evers in 2019 and has a military background and served as an educator in Beloit and Milwaukee.  Republican Senator Ron Johnson hasn't officially announced if he'll seek a third term next year.  The list of Democrats hoping to win Johnson's seat includes Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, Bucks executive Alex Lasry, Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, and Milwaukee Alderwoman Chantia Lewis.

A threat to blow up the Houston County Courthouse and shoot people prompted a short lockdown in Caledonia Friday.  The Houston County Sheriff's Office says a man called a court employee and said he was going to shoot someone in the Houston County Attorney's Office and blow up the building.  Sheriff's deputies say they were able to identify the caller.  They say he also made threats of violence to a pair of local businesses and another county office.  Investigators say felony charges are expected against the suspect.  No other information was released.

 A suspected drunk driver has been arrested on suspicion of his 12th operating while intoxicated offense.  Fifty-nine-year-old Gregg Scotto of Clintonville told Waupaca police he planned to shop at the grocery store where he had parked his vehicle.  That store had been closed for more than an hour.  A check revealed Scotto was driving on a revoked license.  Officers say he was losing his balance as he talked to an officer, then said he would fail a breath test if he took it.  Scotto has a court appearance scheduled for next Tuesday.  If he is convicted, he faces a minimum of four years in prison.