Local-Regional News Jan 11

 Only one Pepin County Board of Supervisors Seat will be contested in the spring election.   Former Supervisor Frank Milliren is challenging incumbent Tessa King for the 6th district.  Meanwhile, three current supervisors decided not to run for re-election.  Kris Keys Winkler in District 3, Bill Ingram in District 7, and John Mcdonough in District 11 all decided not to run for re-election.  

The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include a review of bids for the new water tanker for the fire department, discussion and possible action on submitting a state grant application for municipal flood control, and discussion on extending the city's cable franchise agreement with Ntec to the city's Westside Industrial Park Development.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 tonight at the Marten Center.

Two people were hurt after a two-vehicle accident near Elk Mound on Monday.  According to the Chippewa County Sheriffs Department,  a vehicle traveling on 20th Street Ran a stop sign and crashed into the side of a truck traveling eastbound on Hwy 29.  Both people in the vehicle were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries while the truck driver was not hurt.

The person killed Saturday in La Crosse has been identified.  According to La Crosse Police, 36yr old Ernest Knox died at the hospital after being shot in the 700 block of Rose Street early Saturday morning.  Authorities believe the shooting is not a random act and the shooting remains under investigation.

Students and families of the Melrose-Mindoro School District were notified Monday that because of the large number of staff and students testing positive for Covid-19 the district was close to transitioning to virtual instruction.  In the letter, the district said that there was not enough staff to supervise the remaining students and that families should develop backup plans now if the district is forced to go to virtual instruction in the next few days.    Meanwhile, the Eau Claire School District is also considering virtual learning due to staffing shortages.

 A southeast Minnesota woman who received large amounts of methamphetamine through the mail won't be going to prison.  Freeborn County prosecutors say 46-year-old Marivel Ramos was sentenced to ten years of probation after pleading guilty to second-degree drug possession.   Court records say three packages sent to Ramos contained teddy bears stuffed with ten-and-a-half pounds of meth.  Ramos admitted to sending cash to California for the drugs.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says there is “zero chance” the Legislature will take over Wisconsin elections.  The Republican Vos says he also is against the dissolution of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission.  There has been national attention focused on Wisconsin since President Joe Biden won the state’s 10 electoral votes by just 21 thousand ballots last November.  Vos calls such a takeover a false argument.  He says rules need to be changed so that things are fair for everybody and not just one side.  Those rule changes could be taken up during the regular legislative session in March.

Look closely at your pay stub next time and you should see a little less state income tax being withheld.  The Wisconsin Department of Revenue revised its withholding tax tables Monday.  This is the first change in eight years.  Single filers making 50 thousand dollars a year should see a total of about 550 dollars more in their paychecks this year.  If you’re paid twice a month, that’s about 23 dollars per pay period.  The last two-year state budget included about two billion dollars in individual tax relief for just over one-point-six million Wisconsin taxpayers.

The head of the Republican-led legislative rules committee is demanding that the state elections board issue rules on drop boxes and absentee ballots.  The joint committee for review of administrative rules voted on party lines on Monday to order the Wisconsin Elections Commission to issue rules for review within 30 days on absentee ballot dropboxes and ballot fixing. Senator Steve Nass says the committee has the authority to prevent the elections commission from issuing directives on these matters. Previous Republican attempts to pass laws that would limit dropbox usage and change how absentee ballots are handled were vetoed by Governor Evers.

A judge in Madison has declined to issue a temporary injunction, against subpoenas issued as part of a partisan probe of Wisconsin’s 2020 election. Michael Gableman, who’s heading the effort, was trying to compel testimony from Meagan Wolf, the head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Attorney General Josh Kaul had asked for a temporary injunction; he said the interviews could not be done in private, as Gableman wanted. Dane County Judge Rhonda Lanford on Monday ruled against Kaul on the injunction. But Lanford also said there are no grounds for contempt charges against Wolfe, for so far ignoring the subpoena. Judge Lanford also denied Gableman’s motion to dismiss the case.

 A Waukesha fire inspector has formally determined the Horizon West condominium building should be torn down.  A raze order has been issued and sent to the homeowners association and the unit owners.  They were evacuated last month after deterioration was found in some building supports.  The Waukesha Fire Department evaluated the structure and determined it was at imminent risk of collapsing.  The order issued last week means the building has to be torn down within 120 days.  Condo owners have 30 days to file an appeal.

A Minnesota airport is among 50 that will have a buffer zone when cell phone companies turn on 5-G service in a few weeks.  Experts are worried using frequencies on the C-band could impact flight operations.  A-T-and-T and Verizon recently agreed to delay the rollout.  Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is on the list.  Activity on the C-band could impact altimeter readings as commercial planes are landing.  Wireless carriers plan to turn on the 5-G service January 19th.

Wisconsin school districts are being asked to step up their efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.  A letter to school administrators from the Department of Health Services urges them to require masks for everyone, follow the CDC's new quarantine guidelines, and offer school vaccination and booster clinics. The request comes as Wisconsin is experiencing an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases. DHS on Monday reported the 7-day average of new confirmed cases at 9,063 – a one hundred and fifty percent increase over two weeks. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly supports the recommendations from DHS.

Senate Republicans late Friday released their plan for redrawing Minnesota's legislative and congressional district boundaries to reflect population shifts in the 2020 census. That paves the way for possible negotiations with House Democrats as the mid-February deadline draws near. Both sides are at least publicly optimistic for agreement, but Hamline University analyst David Schultz doesn't share that optimism, adding it is likely to be a decision made by the courts, just as it has every decade but one over the last 50 years.

Local-Regional News Jan 10

 Firefighters from 10 departments including Durand battled a house fire at 103 North 2nd Street in Alma Friday Afternoon.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, the multi-family dwelling was heavily damaged in the blaze but all of the occupants as well as neighbors on both sides of the residence were evacuated and no injuries were reported.  The Red Cross was assisting the displaced families and no word on the cause of that blaze.

State Senator Kathy Bernier says she won't be running for another term. Bernier served 12 years in the State Legislature and 13 years before that as a county clerk in Chippewa County. She says she will be stepping back from politics to focus on her family and grandchildren. Bernier has most recently been an outspoken critic of the ongoing G O P investigation into the 2020 presidential election, a stance that has put her at odds with other members of her caucus. Bernier says that didn't factor into her decision not to run.  Brian Westrate has announced he is running for the open seat representing the 23rd Senate District.

A 32-year-old La Crosse mother could go to prison after her infant son ingested heroin last month.  Emergency responders were called to Jessica L. Borger’s home three days before Christmas.  They were told her 10-month-old son was choking then became unresponsive.  The boy regained consciousness after paramedics administered Narcan.  When police told the mother Narcan had been used to revive him, she blamed an overnight guess who had used heroin.  She said that person may have left some of the drugs behind.  Borger has been charged with child neglect.

La Crosse police are continuing to investigate a fatal shooting early Saturday morning on the city’s north side.  Officers responding to a call say they found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound at about 2:30 a-m.  That person was taken to a nearby hospital but doctors weren’t able to save them.  Traffic was routed away from the 700 block of Rose Street through early Saturday afternoon as evidence was being recovered from the scene.  No names have been released.

A Minnesota man was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Saturday night.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, troopers responded to a wrong-way driver on Interstate 94 near mile marker 78 Saturday night.  After stopping the vehicle near Osseo, troopers did field sobriety tests on 66yr old Kim Dali of Detroit Lakes, MN.    Dali was taken to the hospital for a blood test and then taken to the Eau Clair County Jail and is facing operating while intoxicated 6th offense charges.  

Wisconsin Senate G-O-P Leader Devin LeMahieu says the governor should send more federal aid to the state’s hospitals and nursing homes.  LeMahieu says the help is needed during the current surge in COVID-19 cases.  Democratic Governor Tony Evers has a broad authority to determine how to spend more than five billion dollars in federal funding Wisconsin has received.  Evers has mostly ignored Republican input about how the money should be spent.  LeMahieu says staffing shortages could be addressed by boosting pay for workers.

U-S Senator Ron Johnson has officially confirmed he is running for a third team.  The Wisconsin Republican had said he would serve only one more term after his re-election in 2016.  In an Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, Johnson noted the country is in “too much peril” for him to leave.  He wrote that he didn’t make the decision lightly.  The veteran politician will be challenged by Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, and Milwaukee Bucks team executive Alan Lasry, among others.  Johnson was first elected to represent Wisconsin in 2010.

State consumer protection says you should be taking a look at your credit card or bank statements for unwanted subscription services. Director Michael Domke says it's very easy to get tricked into paying or overpaying for an app or service these days.   Domke says you should also check to see if a service you signed up for has just raised its price without telling you, or if you're paying for streaming services you aren't using.

Interim UW System President Tommy Thompson will resign from his post in March.  In a letter to Board of Regents President Edmund Manydeeds, Thompson said he took an interim position with the understanding he was needed, and that it would be temporary. Wisconsin’s longest-serving governor was brought aboard in July 2020, after a failed search to find a replacement for the retiring Ray Cross. In his letter, Thompson noted the regents will soon identify a candidate to become the full-time president.

Prosecutors are releasing details about a southeast Minnesota man accused of attacking an Olmsted County detention deputy.  The Olmsted County Attorney's Office filed three assault charges against 32-year-old Joseph Martin for the December 12th incident.  One of the counts alleges Martin, "specifically intended to inflict substantial bodily harm when he targeted” the victim’s head.  That victim was another inmate Martin attacked before punching the 70-year-old deputy in the head.  The new criminal complaint also outlines an incident last summer where Martin punched two victims in the head at a bar, knocking them unconscious.

Even though there is a strong push at the Wisconsin Capitol to rewrite the state’s voting laws, a top Republican says he wants to end the regular session in March.  Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu isn’t giving much credence to the idea of extending the session to make some big changes.  A review of the 2020 presidential election should be complete by the end of this month.  That would leave less than two months for the Legislature to complete its work and pass a series of election law changes – changes the Democratic governor would be expected to veto.  LeMahieu has been skeptical about suggestions that lawmakers should take over the administration of Wisconsin elections.

A Wisconsin man tells authorities he got lost in a wooded area of Columbia County and was gored by a buck.  Portage firefighters and Columbia County deputies were able to rescue the man Wednesday afternoon.  Deputies say they found his A-T-V and began to follow his tracks.  He was found in a drainage ditch with a leg wound.  The man’s name hasn’t been released.  Authorities say he was disoriented and might have been suffering from hypothermia.  He was airlifted to a hospital and is expected to recover.

A Rochester woman charged in the U-S Capitol attack is now suing the Washington, D-C police chief and other Metropolitan officers.  Victoria White filed a civil suit alleging she was engaged in protected speech or a peaceful protest when she was "beaten with a metal baton approximately 35 times and punched in the face five times."  She claims her constitutional rights were violated and she did not threaten or harm any federal or state agent.  There is video evidence of White being assaulted by police on January 6th.  She's facing federal charges of civil disorder, entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a restrictive building, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Hospital officials are urging Minnesotans not to go to emergency departments or urgent care centers for COVID tests.  The Minnesota Hospital Association says a high volume of patients has driven up wait times for medical emergencies at several hospitals.  The association says "we have run out of words to describe what we are undergoing - a crisis does not even come close; hospitals are literally full."  Officials are urging those who need a COVID test to go to one of the many state testing sites or use a home test kit.  They say I-C-Us are full, emergency departments are full, medical-surgical units are full, hallways are full, and surgeries are being canceled.

Local-Regional News Jan 7th

 The number of Covid-19 cases in Pepin county has jumped due to the omicron variant.  According to Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart, since December 29, there have been 89 positive cases in the county.   Testing has become an issue across the country and Stewart says Advent Health and St. Elizabeth in Wabasha have a quick turnaround time.  Those wanting a test at Advent Health should call the hospital first to schedule a test.

 

A 36-year-old Chippewa Falls man has changed his plea and will serve eight years in a state mental facility.  Cory Gudmanson had been accused of trying to kidnap several young women.  He entered a guilty plea to charges of recklessly endangering safety, stalking resulting in bodily harm, and attempted false imprisonment Wednesday.  He will be treated at the Mendota Mental Health Institute near Madison.  Gudmanson’s attorney told the court his client suffers from schizophrenia.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is talking safety as the state’s snowmobile season hits high gear.  Alcohol, excessive speed, and inexperienced drivers are said to be the leading causes of accidents and fatalities.  There were 13 fatal crashes involving snowmobiles during 2021 – nine on public trails, two on frozen water, and two on highways.  Snowmobile safety week starts one week from today (Friday).  The D-N-R is backing a campaign called “Think Smart Before You Start” emphasizing safety on state trails.

Authorities are investigating a scene where human remains were found in a burned vehicle at a Southeastern Minnesota state park.  According to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to Beaver Creek Valley State Park Wednesday morning after 7a.m. When officers arrived, they confirmed the vehicle was completely destroyed and human remains were present.  The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the remains and has not yet identified the victim.

There's no word yet on the cause of an early morning fire Thursday that destroyed two historic warehouses in Superior.  The fire forced about a one-hour closure of the Blatnik (BLOT'-nick) Bridge, a major thoroughfare connecting that city and Duluth.  Officials say they closed the bridge because smoke threatened to affect visibility for motorists.  Fire Chief Scott Gordon says the destruction of two buildings from the late 1800s is a loss to the community. No one was injured.  The fire started in an empty warehouse and spread to the adjacent building.

 Former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy will not be getting into the 2022 race for governor.  He said he wants to focus on raising his family.  Duffy tells WISN-AM, "you have to be able to give 110 percent to a race, and right now in my life, with my kids, it’s just not the right time.”  The Republican is now a lobbyist living in New Jersey.  Duffy’s wife, Rachel, works for FOX News.  Duffy said former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch has worked her heart out in the race so far but did not officially endorse her for governor.

Many Wisconsin churches may go back online due to the current COVID surge.   The Wisconsin Council of Churches says it “strongly recommends” that people skip in-person services for the next four to six weeks. The Reverend Kerri Parker says the council is asking churches to pause in order to protect vulnerable people and to help keep hospitals from being overwhelmed. The Council of Churches represents more than two-thousand churches in Wisconsin. 

An attorney for Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich says the former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice investigating the 2020 presidential election needs to take out newspaper ads to correct some of his statements.  Genrich is asking a Waukesha County Circuit judge to impose sanctions on Michael Gableman.  The request was filed Tuesday in a case originally brought by Gableman.  He’s trying to force Genrich and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway to appear for questioning about the election behind closed doors.  The judge has been asked to jail the two mayors if they don’t comply.

Stoughton Trailers President and C-E-O Bob Wahlin says his company would hire another 500 people right now if it could.  The south-central Wisconsin transportation equipment maker is adding a new plant in Waco, Texas, and wants to expand its operation in this state.  Wahlin says the difficulty of finding workers in Wisconsin is one of the reasons for buying the Texas plant.  No Wisconsin jobs are moving south.  Adding a new chassis production line in Stoughton is expected to bring 125-to-150 new jobs to Wisconsin – if job candidates can be found.

Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman says "everything's on the table now" about COVID bonuses for front-line workers when the legislature goes back into session at month's end.  Hortman said, "what I would expect is that... given the projected surplus, we will see more money dedicated to this effort, and that that will break the logjam."  She says "a reasonable place to start the conversation" is Democrats' proposal to use one billion dollars of the surplus to give bigger COVID bonuses to a larger number of essential workers.  But Republican Senator Karin Housley from Stillwater said earlier that lawmakers need to get an agreement on distributing the 250 million dollars already allocated, "before we go and expand the program."

 Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he has no plans to issue a statewide mask mandate as COVID-19 cases surge.  Walz says he does support a move by Minneapolis and St. Paul to reinstate local indoor mask mandates.  The new masking requirements went into effect in the Twin Cities  Thursday.  Positivity rates and hospitalizations in the state are trending sharply upward as the highly infectious omicron variant fuels a nationwide spike in cases.

It’s already dangerous to whip out your cell phone as you pass a crash on Wisconsin highways.  Now, it can be expensive.  A law that went into effect last month means a driver could be fined up to 10 thousand dollars and spend nine months in jail if they use their phone within 500 feet of a crash site.  Penalties are higher if you hurt someone while committing a traffic violation in construction zones, near utility workers, or in emergency response locations.  Law enforcement authorities say they really haven’t seen much of a change in driver behavior yet.

Hormel Foods is sending more than 93-thousand pounds of ham to tornado victims in Kentucky.  The state was ravaged by nine tornadoes in December that left 77 people dead.    The Austin-based company is partnering with Convoy of Hope to provide more than 490-thousand meals to people and families in need.  Seventy-five hundred hams were also donated for distribution at food shelves throughout Texas.

Local-Regional News Jan 6

 A bitterly cold night is expected.  The National Weather Service says skies will clear out later today and that will allow temperatures to drop to the teens below zero tonight with wind chills near 25 below.  A wind chill advisory is in effect from 6pm until 10am tomorrow for the entire WRDN listening area.

A ticket sold in Wisconsin and in California matched the winning Powerball numbers last night.  The ticket holders will split a $632.6 million dollar jackpot.  Each ticket is worth $316.3 million if paid annually or $225.1 million if paid in a lump sum.  The winning numbers were 6-14-25-33-46 and the Powerball was 17.

A 31-year-old accused rapist in Eau Claire has been freed on a 10 thousand dollar bond. A woman tells authorities David J. Allen sexually assaulted her inside a restroom in the Oakwood Mall. The victim admits sending him topless photos two years ago when he offered to pay her one thousand dollars. After that, he blackmailed her by threatening to show the photos to her family and friends. After almost two years the two agreed to meet last week. She says he pulled out a gun and raped her inside the restroom. Allen was taken into custody the next day.

A 31-year-old suspect has been sentenced to probation for breaking into his neighbors’ home, stealing women’s underway, and leaving a recording device in a bathroom.  A La Crosse County judge ordered Robert Kautzman to undergo mental health assessments.  The woman living next door said she noticed some of her underwear was missing, but thought she had misplaced it.  She says Kautzman walked into the home she shared with her boyfriend shortly after midnight one night, but he left when she ordered him out.  When the boyfriend confronted Kautzman he admitted his actions and police were called.

The Department of Health Services has received the first, extremely limited supply (of molnupiravir and Paxlovid) to treat patients diagnosed with mild to moderate COVID-19. Health care providers are encouraged to prioritize prescribing the new therapeutics to patients at greatest risk of serious illness or hospitalization from COVID-19. People who may be eligible should talk with their health care provider.

 A report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum reveals that the state’s tax burden has risen for the first time in a decade.  State and local taxes rose from 10-point-three percent of income to 10-point-five percent.  The Department of Revenue collected 34 billion dollars last year.  The report from the nonpartisan group blamed a surge of pandemic-related economic activity.  The Policy Forum says the growth is also driven by collecting taxes on online and out-of-state retailers.

 Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu says he opposes the idea of “blowing up” the Wisconsin Elections Commission.  The Republican from Oostburg played a role in creating the bipartisan group to run elections in the state.  LeMahieu says changes are called for after getting the results of a nonpartisan audit.  It recommended almost 50 law and administrative changes.  Some of his Republican colleagues have called for the six commissioners now serving to resign.  Making any changes would have to be signed into law by Democratic Governor Tony Evers and he has already vetoed one major change.

MyPillow C-E-O Mike Lindell says his phone records were subpoenaed by the U-S House committee investigating last January's Capitol riot.  The ally of former President Trump confirmed to C-N-B-C he filed a complaint against the committee and Verizon to invalidate the subpoena Lindell describes as "corrupt."  The Minnesota Republican allegedly attended pro-Trump events in the days leading up to the attack on the Capitol.  Lindell has also spent 25-million dollars since Election Day 2020 to push claims of election fraud.

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About 700 employees across all Mayo Clinic locations will be losing their jobs for not complying with the health system's vaccine mandate.  They had until Monday to either receive a first dose or obtain a religious or medical exemption.  Rochester-based Mayo says nearly 99 percent of staff have complied, and the proportion of those to be released from employment is "comparable to what other health care organizations have experienced."

 Ashwaubenon-based Schneider Trucking is spending 263 million dollars to buy Midwest Logistics Systems of Ohio.  Midwest has more than a thousand drivers operating out of 30 locations in the central United States.  The transaction gives Schneider a 100-percent equity interest in the company.  M-L-S will run as an independent subsidiary and its employees and assets will keep operating under the Midwest banner.

A former Appleton teacher has been sentenced to six months in jail for having an inappropriate relationship with an eighth-grade student.  Forty-seven-year-old Brian Dimmer will have to register as a sex offender after his Tuesday sentencing.  If he violates any of the conditions that have been set for him he could have to serve another 18 months.  Judge Mark McGinnis said a prison term would likely cause Dimmer to return as a higher risk to re-offend than he is now.  Prosecutors told the court Dimmer was a teacher at Wilson Middle School and a coach at Appleton West High School when he started sending sexually explicit messages to the victim.  There was no physical contact.

Authorities in Vernon County report a 41-year-old Amish man suffered severe injuries in a Monday logging accident.  Witnesses say Alvin Miller of rural Cashton was cutting down a tree when part of the tree broke away and hit his upper body.  He had been working with two other men.  One went for help and the other stayed with Miller.  He was airlifted to Vernon Memorial Hospital and a full recovery is expected.  Duty to the local terrain and snow cover emergency responders had to use four-wheel-drive trucks and U-T-Vs to reach the injured man.

A Medford man is charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle for a fatal November collision with a horse-drawn buggy in Taylor County.   A 36-year-old woman was killed and her eight children suffered injuries.  Thirty-five-year-old Skyler Opelt initially denied using drugs, then later changed his story saying he wasn’t sure what drugs he had snorted.  Narcan was administered to revive him when he passed out at the crash scene. Investigators say he was on his cell phone before, during, and after the crash.

Don't expect your grocery bill to drop anytime soon.  Jamie Pfuhl (pool) of the Minnesota Grocers Association says the ripple effects of supply chain issues will continue at checkout lines.  She says "packaging and shipping and all of that are.... everywhere there is a pressure point that's all being wrapped in. We are probably going to continue to see a little bit of an increase."  Pfuhl says there are products on the shelves and people don't need to panic or get overly concerned.

Local-Regional News Jan 5

 Xcel Energy is asking state regulators for permission to use a different type of protective cask to store radioactive waste outside its Prairie Island nuclear plant near Red Wing.  But it's still unclear how soon that spent fuel could be shipped to proposed interim storage sites in either Texas or New Mexico.  Xcel's Pam Gorman says the U-S Department of Energy is bringing back a blue-ribbon report from the Obama administration and asking for input on a siting process.  She said, "it's certainly not going to be anything fast, but it is a step forward and I think it's a recognition of the administration that we do have to address the used fuel side."  Gorman notes emerging technologies could allow spent nuclear fuel to be re-used.  And she says the new-design casks will cut costs and make it easier to ship spent fuel to storage sites outside Minnesota.

Multiple scams against senior citizens are being reported in Olmstead County.  According to the Olmstead County Sheriff's Department scammers are calling claiming they are lottery officials, the IRS, or utility companies demanding payment.    In December, 7 seniors were targeted and lost over $466,000.  The department reminds everyone that if it sounds too good to be true it probably isn't and that the utilities, law enforcement, or the IRS will never call you demanding payment over the phone or payment via gift cards.

 One plan being discussed would pay police officers for their experience if they agree to relocate to Wisconsin.  Local law enforcement and state lawmakers met Tuesday in Wausau to talk about legislation addressing staffing shortages.  The bill would offer two thousand dollars to existing officers and 10 thousand to new officers.  It also includes a five-thousand-dollar bonus for new officers and would pay for their enrollment in a law enforcement academy.  State Representative Patrick Snyder, a Republican from Schofield, would federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act to cover the cost.  Portage County Sheriff Mike Lucas says recruiting new deputies has been a challenge.

A southern Minnesota man is pleading guilty for his role in the January 6th attack on the U-S Capitol.   Daniel Johnson of Austin and his father - Daryl Johnson of Iowa - were initially charged with five counts but entered guilty pleas Tuesday to one count of civil disorder.   The Johnsons were seen in photos and videos inside the Capitol building after entering through a broken window.  A social media tip to the F-B-I helped identify them.   Daniel and Daryl Johnson could face between six months and five years in prison at sentencing in April.

A Black River Falls man has been arrested by the Wisconsin State Patrol for 5th offense OWI.  According to the State Patrol, troopers pulled over 42yr old Harold Hill for an equipment violation on I-94 near mile marker 73.  Hill showed signs of impairment and after a field sobriety test, HIll was arrested and taken to the hospital for an evidentiary blood draw.  Hill faces OWI 5th offense, operating after revocation, open intoxicants in the vehicle, possession of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. 

A Dane County judge has denied efforts by Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and his attorneys to block a series of depositions.  The liberal watchdog group American Oversight wants to see records from the Republican-ordered investigation into the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin.  Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn ruled during a Tuesday hearing that Vos has to sit for a deposition.  The Assembly leader has turned over some documents, but the American Oversight group wants him to be found in contempt for failing to comply with various court orders quickly enough.

Wisconsin’s Medicaid fund is in the black.   In a letter to chairs of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, Department of Health Services Secretary designee Karen Timberlake said the Medicaid fund is projected to finish the 2021-23 biennium with a surplus of nearly 185-million dollars.  Timberlake cited several factors for the projected surplus, but the extension of the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration by the federal government accounts for a surplus of 116 million dollars.  Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health care coverage, long-term care, and other services to more than one million Wisconsin residents.

In 2021, members of the Pierce Pepin Co-Operative Services have donated over $510,000 to community programs like local food shelves, senior citizen programs, veterans’ programs, winter clothing for children, and equipment for law enforcement, fire departments, and EMS. On average, members who round up their monthly energy bill contribute only about $6.00 per year.  Operation round-up lets members round up their electric bills to the next dollar to help donate money to charitable causes.

Security Financial Bank (SFB) is currently accepting applications for scholarships it awards to graduating high school students continuing their education.   Each year, SFB awards up to two $500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors in each of its markets, including Alma Center/Black River Falls, Bloomer, Durand, Eau Claire, Ladysmith, and River Falls. Recipients are chosen based on involvement in school, youth organizations, and community events with particular preference given to students pursuing a career in finance, accounting, or business administration. The applicant or parent/guardian of the applicant must be an account holder of SFB.  For more information contact SFB.

Some people living in a Sauk City mobile home park say they don’t know where they will go in the middle of winter.  They have been given legal notice to vacate the property by the end of January.  One resident says a man served legal papers to her husband last Thursday morning.  It gave details about the property manager’s decision to terminate leases and close the community in Sauk City.  Escalating operating costs have been blamed.  A news release from the owner says the operation is no longer economically viable.  All residents have been on month-to-month leases – so the quick notice is legal.

The new cybersecurity center at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh has space for research, training, and outreach, working in partnership with the Wisconsin Cyber Threat Response Alliance.  The center is located on the Oshkosh campus.  It features a cyber range where users can experience real-world cyber threats in a controlled, educational environment.  Center director Michael Patton says it’s not just about helping students but the whole state when a security threat is encountered.

 Minnesota health officials say they are going to announce expanded COVID-19 testing options this week as demand surges.  Those seeking tests in the state over the last two weeks have been met with long lines and even signs saying testing supplies had been exhausted.  Some Minnesotans attempting to order home testing kits from Department of Health partner Vault Health got messages saying that all test kits for the day had already been shipped.  A Department of Health spokesperson says they are assessing their testing network and are preparing new options for residents.

A federal lawsuit has been filed against two former police chiefs and the city of Marshfield.  The woman who filed the suit last month says she is seeking monetary compensation for the injuries she suffered when she claims she was being sexually harassed and stalked by former Marshfield Police Chief Rick Gramza.  He was a detective at the time.  The woman alleges former Chief Gary Jepsen knew of the situation and should have protected her.  The woman says her rights were violated when Gramza used his position to extort sexual favors from a vulnerable person.

Three people who pleaded guilty to bringing more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine into Wisconsin are going to prison.  Attorney General Josh Kaul announced the Wood County sentencings of Darryl Matthews of Sturtevant and Dawn Jung and Arnold Ksionek both of Wisconsin Rapids.  Matthews and Jung were sentenced to nine years each and Ksinoek was given a six-year sentence.  The criminal complaint says the three imported more than 20 pounds of meth from Arizona during a nine-month period that began in March of 2018.

Traffic deaths in Minnesota last year reached a 14-year high.  The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says 497 lives were lost in crashes on roads in the state in 2021.  D-P-S officials say there were 162 speed-related deaths -- a 33-percent increase from 2020.  The report shows there were also 124 alcohol-related deaths, 24 distracted-related deaths, and 109 unbelted motorist deaths

There’s no more paying after you fill-up at Kwik Trip.   Wisconsin’s dominant convenience store chain made the change to pay-at-the-pump -- or pre-pay only -- on Monday. Kwik Trip says the change helps free clerks from having to keep an eye on the pumps for drive-offs while also serving customers. There is an exception for some diesel-only pumps.

Local-Regional News Jan 4

 Today is the day candidates for local offices must return nomination papers for the spring election.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says there are three at-large city council seats and the mayor's office up for election.  Those nomination papers must be turned in by 5pm today.

A Boyceville man is in custody on charges of sexual assault of a child.  33yr old Ross Hoffman turned himself in to law enforcement Monday.  Hoffman told investigators the assaults began six to seven years ago but ended two years ago. He also told investigators he assaulted the child more than a hundred times.  He is being held on a $75000 bond and will have a preliminary hearing in Dunn County Court on Thursday.  

The Dunn County Sheriff's Department is asking for the public's help in identifying the person or persons who took a dual-axel car trailer from an accident scene.  On Sunday a truck had entered the ditch after failing to negotiate a turn on Hwy 64 at 1230th Avenue.  The truck was pulling the car trailer with either a skid steer or golf cart.  The trailer was removed and the truck was left behind.  Authorities are looking for a white Dodge truck with a diamond plate flatbed at the scene.  Anyone with information is to contact the Dunn County Sheriffs Department. 

A Black River Falls man is facing attempted homicide charges after firing a handgun outside of a home early Saturday.  According to the Black River Falls Police Department, officers were sent to an apartment complex for a man reportedly running around shooting a handgun.    Officers arrested 50yr old Roy Thompson and charged him with attempted 1st-degree intentional homicide along with 5 counts of recklessly endangering safety and domestic violence.  

Students at La Crosse Central High School were evacuated to Longfellow Middle School Monday after the school received a bomb threat.  La Crosse police say the threat was emailed to the school's administrators Monday Morning and officers from La Crosse and the Wisconsin State Patrol responded to search the school but did not find any threats.  This is the second threat to the school in three months and authorities continue to investigate who sent the threat yesterday.

 

The former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice investigating the state’s elections has subpoenaed two Madison city officials.  Madison information office Sarah Edgerton and finance director Dan Schmiedicke were served last week.  Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway says the move shows Michael Gableman and his team have learned “nothing about election administration” in the state.  She calls the investigation “a waste of time and taxpayer dollars.”  Edgerton has been ordered to turn over election communications January 13th and 19th, then submit to questioning February 14th.  Schmiedicke would be questioned five days after that.

A newly discovered exploit in the Java programming platform means you need to get your business's programs updated. Madison College security expert Mike Masino (MAH-see-no) says a common part of many Java programs was exploited to run programs without authorization. For most home users, many of those programs have been updated, but any business that uses custom Java programs ought to have their IT staff or outside profession give their programs a once over to see if they need to be patched. 

Health officials are urging the public not to go to emergency rooms to get COVID-19 tests. Public health officials there are designated places to get a COVID-19 test, and the emergency room is not one of them. Jamie Lucas is Executive Director of the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals. She says people are clogging an already overloaded healthcare system when they use the E-R for tests. Hospitals in Wisconsin are struggling with staff shortages and burn-out as coronavirus cases are on the rise again.

A 19-year-old man is under arrest for his alleged role in a shooting Friday at the Mall of America.   Officers took Latrell Avonte Litts into custody at a Roseville hotel for aiding and abetting first-degree assault.  Two people were wounded during the shooting at M-O-A and police do not believe it was a random incident.  One victim was treated at H-C-M-C for minor injuries.  The shooting prompted a short lockdown at the mall in Bloomington.

Democratic state lawmakers are backing a bill that would end excessive fees for phone calls made by jail inmates.  The charges would be capped at the same rates that national prepaid wireless telephone providers charge.  Wisconsin Public Radio reports the move comes after a Prison Policy Initiative found that some counties charge more than 14 dollars for a 15-minute phone call.  Backers say the charges are a case of counties profiting from inmates who haven’t been convicted of any crimes.  They say it cuts them off from friends and family members.

People living in an apartment complex in the Town of Madison were scrambling for shelter last week when bullets started coming in through their walls.  Police say two groups of people in an S-U-V and a car were firing shots at each other as they left a nearby gas station.  One bullet ended up in a bathtub but no one was hit.  A child was home at the time.  Police Chief Scott Gregory called it another example of reckless individuals putting the public at risk.

Authorities in Wood County say one man has been hospitalized and a second man has been arrested after a Saturday morning stabbing incident.  Emergency responders were called to the Village of Vesper shortly after midnight about a man seen walking on the roadway after he had been stabbed multiple times.  The victim was treated and taken to a nearby hospital.  After a short standoff, deputies say they were able to take 64-year-old David Kelm into custody.  Charges are expected to be filed against the stabbing suspect.

A member of the jury that found former police officer Kim Potter guilty says jurors felt she had made an honest mistake – but she was still responsible for Daunte Wright’s death.  Potter was found guilty of manslaughter.  The juror agreed to speak with reporters on the condition of anonymity due to the “public animosity” surrounding the case.  The juror said last week no one felt Potter was a racist or meant to kill Wright, but that didn’t mean she was above the law.  Deliberations reportedly became heated at times and the juror said nearly every one of them cried at some point.

Several people were injured over the weekend as shootings continue in the new year in Milwaukee.    At least nine people were injured in shootings over the weekend.  That led Milwaukee’s acting mayor, Cavalier Johnson, to call the violence “unacceptable” and to say the “ongoing turmoil must end.”  One of the wounded people was a nine-year-old boy and a 40-year-old man was killed.  No names have been released.  Johnson says he will finalize the city’s new public safety and violence reduction plan.  He says reducing violence is the highest priority for his administration.

 Officials say more flights have been delayed and canceled at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.  As of Sunday night, 74 flights had been canceled and 121 delayed.  Airline officials report pilots and staff members are calling in sick in growing numbers after testing positive for COVID-19.  The omicron variant and hazardous winter weather conditions worked with the holiday rush to affect flights all across the country.  Travel experts recommend you check on your reservations frequently to get as much advanced notice of changes as is possible.

Local-Regional News Jan 3

 The Streetlights that the City of Durand ordered nearly two years ago should finally be delivered this month.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says all of the supply chain issues related to the pandemic caused the delay.  Once the lights are delivered, the city will work with local electrical contractors to have them installed.

Charges have been filed against a 30-year-old suspect who is accused of groping a girl inside an Onalaska Walmart.  Prosecutors say Josey Amann groped the 10-year-old victim inside the store last May.  The girl told her mother and she confronted Amann, then he ran out of the store.  Police tracked him down five months later.  He told officers he didn’t remember the girl or her mother, then he tried to run away.  That’s when officers say he told them he was sick and needs help.  Amann is scheduled to appear in La Crosse County Court Wednesday.  He is charged with first-degree child sexual assault and resisting an officer.

A Montana man could face up to five years in prison if he is convicted of third-degree assault.  David Gene Beckett is accused of breaking another man’s leg in an attack October 27th in Hastings.  The victim says Beckett followed him into the Walmart parking lot and started yelling at him saying he cut Beckett off.  The victim says he thought he could reason with Beckett, but he was immediately attacked.  His name hasn’t been released.  He reportedly had to spend nine days in a hospital after having surgery.  Beckett was arrested about nine days after the attack.

A shooting inside the Mall of America left two people injured Friday and forced the mall into temporary lockdown, Minnesota authorities said.   Bloomington Police Department officials said the shooting happened about 4:30 p.m. Friday. Media reports showed New Year’s Eve shoppers screaming and running from the mall.  Police said the lockdown was lifted by Friday evening and officers were no longer searching for a suspect inside.

Three people were injured in a one-vehicle accident near Siren on Sunday morning.  According to the Wisconsin State patrol, 45yr old Duane Vadner was traveling southbound on Hwy 35 near Godfrey Lake Road when he failed to negotiate a curve, left the roadway, and hit a tree.  Vadner was taken to Regions Hospital with life-threatening injuries, while passengers 28yr old Brett Frank of Centuria and 21yr old Cortney Lagerstrom of Fredric were taken to the hospital.  That accident remains under investigation.

Federal student loan payments will resume, beginning February First. Analiese Eicher with the group For Our Future Wisconsin notes candidate Joe Biden’s unfulfilled pledge to cancel ten thousand dollars in student loan debt per person was a factor in his win.  About 42 million Americans are carrying federal student loan debt. The average student loan debt for new college graduates is about 30-thousand dollars. Opponents of cancellation argue it would be unfair to those that have already paid off loans.

Jury selection begins today in the trial against a Madison man accused of killing his parents.   The trial against Chandler Halderson is expected to take up to three weeks. Police say Halderson killed his parents and dismembered them, before reporting them as missing over the 4th of July Weekend in 2021. Halderson has entered not guilty charges to two counts of intentional homicide, hiding a body and mutilating a body.

There are at least 28 geographic features in Wisconsin that bear a derogatory name for a Native American woman. Oneida Nation Councilwoman Jennifer Webster says “It puts women in a negative light. I don’t want my granddaughter to grow up and have someone call her a squaw.”U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland recently announced that more than 650 federal sites containing the slur would be renamed. Last March, the Wisconsin Geographic Names Council voted to approve a name change for Squaw Lake in Vilas and Onieda Counties and send it to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

A Rochester man is accused of attacking a 70-year-old deputy in the Olmsted County jail.  The sheriff's office says 32-year-old Joseph Martin hit another inmate with a food tray on December 12th and began punching the man.  The deputy tried to break it up, but Martin turned on him and started hitting him in the head.  That deputy was taken to St. Mary's Hospital for treatment of head and other injuries.  Martin has been jailed since a June assault left two men unconscious at a bar in Dover.  He now faces a new felony assault charge.

 Wisconsin's public health officials are asking parents to keep their kids home from school if they've been exposed to COVID-19.  The state's Department of Health Services issued guidance for families as students get ready to head back to school.  D-H-S says parents should get their kids tested for the virus, as well as vaccinated if they have not yet done so.  They're also encouraging parents to keep kids home if they've been around someone who's tested positive for the virus.

Days after closing three urgent care facilities because of the coronavirus, Advocate Aurora is now banning visitors from its hospitals.  The policy no longer allows visitors for adult patients.  The hospital system is dealing with both a spike in the number of patients and a lack of staff to treat them.  Advocate closed its urgent care centers in Brookfield, Menomonee Falls, and Milwaukee because of a lack of doctors and nurses.

 A number of new state laws go into effect on New Year's Day in Minnesota.  Any member of the 11 federally-recognized Native American tribes in Minnesota can receive an annual state park permit at no charge to display on their vehicle or they can get daily state park permits for free.  Employers with 15 or more workers are required to provide "reasonable accommodations" requested by an employee at the recommendation of a health care provider, for conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.  The law says that could include "temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position, seating, frequent restroom breaks, and limits to heavy lifting."  The employer is exempted only if they demonstrate the arrangements "would impose an undue hardship" on the operation of the business.

Finding home COVID-19 test kits in stores and pharmacies can be challenging. Amid the surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant, many people have turned to the home testing kits as an alternative to long lines at drive-through testing sites.