Local-Regional News July 13

 The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a zoning variance to allow a proposed Dollar General Store to have a smaller parking lot, discussion and possible action on the proposed site for a dog park, and reports from the mayor and city department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall.

A Pepin County man has settled sexual assault charges against him.  On Monday in Pepin County Court, Michael Wulff of Durand, pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting a 10yr old girl in a separate case from 2021.  Charges of sexually assaulting an 11yr old girl in 2022 were then dismissed in return for the no-contest plea.  Wulff will be sentenced in August and faces up to 60yrs in prison.

Authorities in Dunn County are searching for 23-year-old Jesse D. Nelson.  He failed to show up for his jury trial which was supposed to start Tuesday.  W-E-A-U/T-V reports Nelson faces two charges of sexual assault of a child.  He’s also accused of having sex with a child under 16.  Jurors and witnesses were all in the courtroom in Menomonie Tuesday – but Nelson wasn’t there and his defense attorney told the court he didn’t know where his client was.  He has another appearance scheduled in Dunn County for July 26th in another case.

A 24-year-old convicted armed burglar in Chippewa County has been sentenced to three years’ probation.  Quinnten Schug and Antonio Obrien were taken into custody after a reported home invasion in March 2021.  Chippewa County deputies were called to a home south of Cadott and two men – Schug and Obrien – matched the suspect description that had been given.  Authorities recovered a loaded handgun and face masks.  Obrien is scheduled to return to court next week.

A new report calls for the continued support of broadband expansion in Wisconsin.  In its second annual report released on Tuesday, the Governor's Task Force on Broadband Access calls on state leaders to continue support for broadband expansion in Wisconsin, which so far has included nearly 300 million dollars in state and federal funding. The governor's task force was established in 2020 and called for more funding, better data, and streamlined permitting among other things, in order to bring high-speed internet to all of Wisconsin by 2025.

Flags in Wisconsin are at half-staff Tuesday in honor of a slain former judge.  The funeral for retired Juneau County judge John Roemer was Tuesday in Mauston. Police say a convicted criminal broke into Roemer’s home last month and shot him to death. Roemer was retired from the bench, but years ago had sentenced the suspect to prison for a burglary conviction

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (D-P-S) is awarding more than three-point-seven-million dollars to 42 schools and bus companies for stop-arm cameras. The grants will reimburse schools and companies for purchasing and installing stop-arm camera systems and supporting software programs. Traffic Safety director Mike Hanson says when the stop arm is out and somebody goes through that stop arm, it will take a picture of a license plate so the bus driver can turn that information over to law enforcement. Authorities have cited more than 46 hundred drivers in Minnesota for stop-arm violations over the past five years.

School safety officials have met to talk about the plans at Wisconsin schools to be ready for a shooting incident.  The latest discussion covered topics like staff and leadership turnover, a lack of dedicated safety professionals on campuses, and increasing mental health issues.  The head of Wisconsin’s Office of School Safety says it is trying to implement a public health approach to school safety.  W-I-S-C/T-V reports that all of the school officials at Monday’s meeting in Madison say state policymakers could do more to support what they need.

 Republican State Representative Tim Ramthun is renewing his call to decertify the results of Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential election.  Ramthun wants a special session to be called.  He points to last week’s Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that absentee ballot drop boxes can’t be used in elections here.  Ramthun says that means all 2020 ballots placed in those drop boxes are invalid.  He says he’s not a conspiracy theorist but he maintains if the ballots in the drop boxes are invalid that would be enough to hand Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes to Donald Trump.  Election officials say decertification is impossible.

U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin is among two dozen Democrats supporting the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022.  The bill is set up to make sure people can cross state lines to get an abortion without breaking the law.  It would open the door for a civil lawsuit to be filed against anyone who tries to keep them from crossing a state line to access reproductive services.  Baldwin says the measure would protect health care providers in pro-choice states from being sued for working with patients from pro-life states.  The Wisconsin Democrat pointed to draft legislation in Missouri aimed at stopping residents of that state from getting an abortion in another state.

Astronaut Mark Lee is scheduled to make an appearance at a Sparta fundraiser next month.  He will be the featured guest at the Deke Slayton Memorial Space and Bike Museum August 4th.  W-K-B-T/T-V reports Lee is a native of Viroqua who flew four space shuttle missions during his 17 years as an astronaut with NASA.  He completed four spacewalks.  The event will be held at the American Legion in Sparta.

 Former House Speaker Paul Ryan says he’s not much of a crier but something snapped inside him when he watched the January 6th Capitol riots.  The former Wisconsin Congressman told author Mark Leibovich he was “absolutely horrified” by what he saw.  The revelation is included in a Leibovich book entitled “Thank You For Your Servitude.”  The Republican Ryan has kept a low profile since leaving Congress three years ago.  He reportedly hasn’t spoken to former President Donald Trump since he left office.  About Trump, Ryan told Leibovich he expects “never to speak to him again.”

The Department of Natural Resources is saying people are throwing away so much wasted food it is filling up Wisconsin’s landfills.  State officials estimate that 20 percent of everything at the dump is basically wasted food.  D-N-R Solid Waste Coordinator Casey Lamensky tells W-A-O-W/T-V that the decisions you make at home have a big impact as officials work on the food waste problem.  He says most of the food was still edible as it was tossed out.  That leads to an effort to get people to reduce, reuse, and recycle – through activities like composting.

 Campus safety is a growing concern for the University of Minnesota community. Around 100 parents and Dinkytown residents met Monday and pleaded to a panel of police and Minneapolis leaders for a solution to a rise in violent crime near campus. Minneapolis Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman says crime is up 45 percent since the COVID pandemic but also says the department and campus police share a strong relationship and are committed to combating crime. Out of 278 shootings in Minneapolis this year, 10 percent have happened in the precinct that includes the U, while 40 percent happened on the city’s north side. The University says it invested 60 million dollars in public safety in two years, including mobile lighting and a new safety awareness campaign.

Gas prices are slowly dropping in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota. Gas-Buddy reports that prices have trickled down five cents in the last week. The average price for a gallon of regular is currently four-63 in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Meanwhile, some stations across the state have gas priced below four dollars a gallon. However, the money-saving app and website says Minnesota drivers were paying one-65 less a year ago.

The Minnesota State Fair is out with its list of 38 new foods for 2022. Fair spokeswoman Maria Hayden says she’s most excited about the “new rice and meat options from Union Hmong Kitchen.” Other new items this year include deep-fried ice cream, two vegan dishes called poultry-geist and steak-x-orcist, lemon cookie tortilla chips, and pickle pizza. For a full list of new state fair foods, you can visit m-n-state-fair-dot-org. The Great Minnesota Get Together runs this year from August 25th to September Fifth.

Local-Regional News July 12

 One person was injured in a two-vehicle accident north of Stockholm on Friday.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, 68yr old Kimmyko Ly Pham, of Red Wing pulled out of the south entrance of the Maiden Rock Scenic overlook to travel north on Hwy 35 and was hit by a southbound truck and trailer driven by 71yr old John Stark of Mindoro.  Pham was airlifted to Mayo Rochester with critical injuries.

One person was injured in a motorcycle accident on Hwy 35 near Deer Island Road on Saturday.  According to the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, 74yr old James Randolph of St. Paul was traveling southbound on Hwy 35, when a deer entered the roadway.  Randolph lost control of the motorcycle when he struck the deer and was ejected from the motorcycle.  Randolph was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.

Two people were injured in a motorcycle accident in Ellsworth township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 44yr old Kyle Fautt of Ellsworth was traveling northbound on Hwy 63 near the Hwy 10 intersection when he lost control and laid the motorcycle down.  Both he and passenger 34yr old Alicia Fautt were ejected from the motorcycle.  Both were taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

Two people were injured in a motorcycle accident in Diamond Bluff Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 58yr old Gregory Sutton of Savage, MN was traveling southbound on Hwy OO near 410th aven when Sutton left the roadway while on a curve, entered the west ditch, and both he and passenger 58yr old Shelley Tan of Prior Lake, MN were ejected from the motorcycle.  Sutton was med-flighted to Regions Hospital while Tan was transported to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

A man has been sentenced to three years in prison for a fatal 2021 shooting in Eau Claire.  Le’fon Dru Luce Cantrell and a second man were charged after people in one vehicle had been shooting at the occupants of a second vehicle.  W-E-A-U/T-V reports that two months after the shooting Cantrell came to the Eau Claire police headquarters to speak with investigators.  During the visit, he suddenly ran outside and into the Chippewa River.  It took authorities three hours to convince him to come out of the water. The second suspect, Xavier Luce, has a court hearing next month.

 A child under the age of 12 has been getting a stern talking to after making several 9-1-1 calls that led to a big law enforcement response.  During one of the three calls, the person on the phone said somebody had a gun at the scout camp near Rhinelander – then they hung up.  Tesomas Scout Camp was locked down but it was quickly determined that there was no emergency.  The Department of Social Services says the child’s parents are cooperating while the issue is addressed.

 Mass testing is underway for monkeypox, even though the number of confirmed cases remains in the single digits in Minnesota. Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester are testing for the disease using the Centers for Disease Control’s orthopoxviral. The laboratory’s response aims to increase nationwide testing capacity as the country has seen 790 monkeypox cases through July Eighth. There have been nine cases of monkeypox reported in Minnesota and a second case of monkeypox has been reported in Wisconsin.

Former University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank has given up her new job at Northwestern University.  Blank says she has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and will return to Madison to start a treatment program.  She says fighting cancer will require all of her strength.  Monday was supposed to be her first day as president at the prestigious Illinois school.  Blank had served as U-W-Madison chancellor for eight years.  Officials here say they are “devastated” by the turn of events.

Mayflies took over parts of downtown La Crosse last week.  Some state officials are saying even though they are annoying, the annual return of the mayflies means local waterways are healthy.  They only live for about 24 hours after they come out of the water.  Lower numbers would mean they are being affected by low oxygen levels in the water.  Hallie Rassmussen is the visitor services manager for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in La Crosse.  She tells W-K-B-T/T-V that more pollution means less oxygen in the water so a good mayfly hatch means a healthy ecosystem.

Hundreds of firefighters from 67 departments took more than 24 hours to finally put out a large fire at a warehouse in Combined Locks.  No injuries have been reported.  The first responders arrived on the scene at about 10:00 a-m Friday.  Bales of paper pulp were burning.  A mill worker for McKinley Paper Company tells W-B-A-Y/T-V that large bales were stored at the warehouse and all of them were destroyed.  Authorities are working to determine the cause of the fire but they say they don’t think it was set intentionally.

 A Wisconsin nonprofit has had 10 thousand dollars worth of production equipment stolen during a Friday break-in.  Camp Createability trains people living with autism in film production and editing.  W-M-T-V reports that helps them share their stories and find work in the media.  Security camera footage shows that a thief climbed through a broken window at about 11:15 p-m and took a special camera, computer, sound equipment, projector, and a film backdrop.  The Madison organization's latest project was put on hold because the equipment is gone.

Derek Chauvin is now serving concurrent sentences on state and federal charges for the 2020 death of George Floyd. Former U-S Attorney for Minnesota Tom Heffelfinger says that while there is some degree of accountability as a result, “it’s still not going to bring back an innocent citizen, nor is it going to have a curative effect on the people of Minneapolis who have been through a lot with this.” Sentencing dates have not yet been set for the three other former officers convicted of depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights by failing to stop Chauvin from using excessive force. Thomas Lane pleaded guilty to state charges of aiding and abetting manslaughter in May to avoid a trial. The state trial for J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao is set for October.

A man from the southern Minnesota city of Bird Island is the new president of the Lions Clubs International. Brian Sheehan was elected at the international convention in Montreal on June 28th and says he never envisioned that he would be leading a world organization. The Lions Clubs’ main goal is still fighting blindness and vision loss, but he says they also combat hunger, environmental threats, childhood cancer, diabetes, and more. Sheehan will travel the globe during his one year as president, then become chair of the Lions International Foundation.

Local-Regional News July 11

 Now being part of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls 1 year ago in July 2021, Chancellor Maria Gallo is appreciative of the opportunities students are part of on-campus.  While the success rate is increasing, the adaptability and flexibility of a program is also critical for students.   The university is also finding more ways for collaboration between universities, to strengthen the talent amongst students.  Many colleges, including technical colleges around the area at UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout, are seeking similar ways to adapt to students' needs and build a pipeline of talent to fill roles in the workforce. UW-River Falls will continue to build with an optimistic Chancellor Gallo, celebrating 1 year since starting in the new role.

The former General Manager of St. Croix Casino in Turtle Lake is going to Federal Prison.  Leva Oustigoff Jr., from Cumberland, was convicted of stealing more than $72000 from the casino between 2015-2018.  He was sentenced to a year and a half in prison and ordered to pay more than $40,000 in restitution.

Not everyone supports the new law allowing edibles and beverages containing T-H-C to be sold in Minnesota. Willmar State Representative Dave Baker says a lot of the members of his caucus were caught "flat-footed" about the measure. Baker says the language was included in a large health and human services bill that came up very late in the session.   House Democratic Majority Leader Ryan Winkler said earlier in the week that his party "absolutely did this on purpose. It was an intentional step" toward making legal recreational marijuana a reality in Minnesota.   The law has led to increased sales at Southeastern Minnesota retail locations from not only Minnesota Residents but Wisconsin Residents crossing the border.

A newly released study finds Wisconsin’s K-12 school funding has continued to decline relative to other states, along with its tax burden. Wisconsin Policy Forum researcher Sarah Shaw says per-pupil spending ranked 25th in 2020. In 2002, Wisconsin had the fifth-highest tax burden in the country and had dropped to 23rd by 2019.

A Cornell man who led authorities on a high-speed chase has been sentenced to a year in jail.  In 2021, Chippewa County Sheriffs Deputies attempted to pull over Gregory Knitter for a traffic violation, but he refused to pull over.   The chase reached speeds of up to 100mph and ended after stop sticks were deployed.  There were three children in the car and deputies also found methamphetamine and marijuana in the vehicle.

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days begin tomorrow in Clark County.  The event will be held at Roel acres near Loyal Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  To get to Farm Tech Days from the Durand Area, take Hwy 10 to Hwy 73 North in Neillsville.  Follow Hwy 78 to Hwy 98 eastbound into Loyal.  Then Take Hwy K to the Farm Tech Days Grounds.  Farm Tech Days will be held 9-4 each day.

A political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison says the president’s executive order won’t change abortion in this state.  Biden signed the order Friday that provides some protection for emergency medical care access to women who seek abortions in states that ban it.  Ryan Owens says the president doesn’t have the power to legalize abortion and the order doesn’t undo the U-S Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe-V-Wade.

Search and rescue teams from White Sands National Park in New Mexico have found the body of a missing Wausau man.  K-T-T-C/T-V reports 27-year-old Brad Utegaar was last seen July 3rd and his car was found two days later at the Alkali Flats Trail parking lot.  New Mexico State Police say Utegaar had a backpack and water bottles with him.  Foul play isn’t suspected.  The Wisconsin man’s family says he was making a cross-country trip alone.

Tim Michels has picked up another endorsement in his campaign for Wisconsin governor. Former Republican governor Tommy Thompson has endorsed the pipeline construction company executive, who already has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Republican candidate Rebecca Kleefisch has the endorsement of former Governor Scott Walker, in whose administration she served as lieutenant governor, as well as Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. Michaels and Kleefisch will face off in the August Republican primary, along with State Representative Timothy Ranthum. The winner advances to the November general election to face incumbent Democratic Governor Tony Evers.

The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that local health officers have the right to issue public health orders without consulting with elected officials.  In a 4-3 decision, Justice Brian Hagedorn sides with the court's liberal justices in deciding that Dane County health officer Janel Heinrich was correctly issuing public health orders to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and that the county board did not have to sign off to allow enforcement. Writing for the majority, Justice Jill Karofsky says that health officers have had those powers dating back to Wisconsin's territorial days and that nothing in state law has preempted those powers.

A Wisconsin couple has filed a lawsuit against TikTok after their daughter died while doing the “Blackout Challenge.”  An attorney for the Social Media Victims Loss Center says TikTok knew – or should have known – “that its algorithm was leading children down this horrible path and didn’t do anything about it.”  Nine-year-old Arriani Arroyo died leading to the suit filed last Friday.  A TikTok spokesperson says the challenge “long predates the company’s platform and has never been a TikTok trend.”

A 28-year-old Madison man who admitted helping tear down two statues outside the Wisconsin Capitol has been sentenced to three years probation.  Jacob Caps and others were protesting over racial injustice.  As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Capps admitted pulling down the “Forward” statue on June 23rd, 2020.  A second felony charge was read at his sentencing Wednesday and dismissed.  The night the statues were knocked down Capps and others were protesting the arrest of local activist Devonere Johnson.

A handful of airports across Minnesota have received nearly 25 million dollars in federal funding to upgrade their terminals as part of a broader one-billion-dollar effort by the federal government to improve airports nationwide. Airports in Glencoe, Preston, Bemidji, and Minneapolis-St Paul International will receive funding under President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law. The purpose of the program is to expand capacity at airports, increase energy efficiency, promote competition, and provide greater accessibility for individuals with disabilities. The biggest chunk of money coming to Minnesota -- 21-point-three million -- is going to M-S-P to upgrade its main terminal.

The August primary is just over a month away and local election officials say now is the time to be thinking about it.  Voters need to figure out where their polling location is and learn what will be on the ballot.  The partisan primary determines who will be running in November – including statewide races for governor and U-S Senate.  During a partisan primary, you are only allowed to vote for candidates of one political party.  You choose the party.  Voters are reminded to check because their polling location may have changed since the last time they cast a ballot.

Local-Regional News July 8

 The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department has released the name of the person found in the Mississippi River near Winona.   Authorities recovered the body of 61yr old Dianna Bork of Independence on Tuesday.  Borks body was found by fishermen that were fishing on an island in pool 6, and that island was determined to be in Buffalo County.  The Sheriff's department is continuing the investigation into Bork's death.

A 41-year-old Chippewa Falls woman has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for her part in a kickback scheme.  A news release from the U-S Attorney’s Office says Joleen Minnich pleaded guilty in April to charges of wire fraud and filing a false income tax return.  Federal prosecutors told the court Minnich used her position as office manager for the Chippewa County Veterinary Hospital in Bloomer to steal more than 224-thousand dollars.  She also admitted she didn’t remit the hospital’s payroll taxes to the I-R-S because she used that money to hide her embezzlement.

Republican state Senator Cathy Bernier has sent a letter to Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug LaFollette, demanding that he send documents to Congress and other states as required   The documents are an application to Congress and other state legislatures for a Convention of States, as called for in a joint resolution passed by the Wisconsin legislature in January. La Folette told the State Journal his office has been dealing with staffing and budget issues, but that he expects to meet Bernier's August 1 deadline.

 An early morning power outage affected over 5700  customers in Eau Claire County for about four hours on Thursday according to Xcel Energy.  Xcel Energy said the outage was caused by animal contact to its downtown Eau Claire substation.  The company said power was restored to all customers around 10:30 a.m. after Xcel Energy made repairs to the equipment damaged by the animal contact.

Last week, youth members of Farmers Union from around the country participated in the 84th annual National Farmers Union (NFU) All-States Leadership Retreat at Wisconsin Farmers Union's Kamp Kenwood on the shores of Lake Wissota.  Participants in the retreat ranged from ages 18 to 22 and heard from speakers including motivational speaker and a former North Dakota Farmers Union camper Toby Kane, NFU Vice President of Advocacy Mike Stranz, as well as NFU President Rob Larew and Wisconsin Farmers Union President Rick Adamski.   

A soon-to-be father is still in a coma following a 40-foot fall last week near Grandad Bluff.  Eighteen-year-old Branden Hellrud suffered a punctured lung, four broken vertebrae in his neck, seven broken ribs, two skull fractures, and other injuries.  W-K-B-T/T-V reports he was diagnosed with pneumonia Tuesday but his temperature is coming down and a draining tube has been removed from his skull.  The doctors are said to be removing him from sedation as they plan to bring him out of the medically-induced coma.

A preliminary hearing for a La Crosse man charged with killing a kitten has been scheduled for September.  Thirty-year-old Kenneth Becker faces a felony charge of mistreatment of animals as a repeater.  W-K-B-T/T-V reports he was accused of grabbing the family kitten and throwing it against a wall after it had scratched him.  The animal died.  Becker is being held in the Fond du Lac County Jail on a 21-thousand dollar cash bond.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says ex-officer Derek Chauvin’s 245-month federal sentence for depriving George Floyd and Jonathan Pope of their civil rights is “another step of accountability on the road to justice.” Chauvin pleaded guilty to violating Floyd’s constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer, resulting in his death. He also admitted to willfully depriving the 14-year-old Pope’s civil rights in 2017 by kneeling on his neck and causing injury. Ellison’s office led the state’s successful prosecution of Chauvin on second-degree murder and manslaughter charges. The federal sentence will be served concurrently with his 22-and-a-half-year state prison sentence.

The farmland market continues to be strong across the Midwest. In southern Minnesota, corn and soybean farmer Tim Waibel says quality ground is going for ten thousand to 14-thousand dollars an acre. He also says larger parcels don’t seem to be scaring off farmers like they used to, noting that 160-acre parcels of land have been selling for close to what “an 80-acre” lot has gone for. Waibel, who farms near Courtland, says rising interest rates could soften the land market. But he doesn’t expect much immediate impact because “there’s a lot of cash in the country.”

Milwaukee appears to have jumped into the lead to host the 2024 Republican National Convention.  Mayor Cavalier Johnson says Milwaukee is in a great position to land the big political convention after city council leaders in Nashville took the city’s R-N-C proposal off the agenda for this week’s meeting. Even Nashville’s city council president says Milwaukee is the likely favorite between the two finalists at this point. Nashville will consider its convention bid again in two weeks. Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee says it will choose a host city in August. 

 Minnesota Governor Tim Walz admits that talks to revive a state budget deal are stalled, but says he’s still as committed to it as ever. He says while attending Fourth of July parades in several small towns, people told him “They want us to get this deal done.” Walz says people point to transportation, nursing homes, childcare, and putting money back in taxpayers’ pockets. But he also says calling lawmakers back for a special session without a signed agreement “opens up a whole lot of things that would make this more complicated.”

A Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling on open records requests is being called a “dark day for transparency” by one advocate group.  The court ruled four-to-three Wednesday on when people who sue over open records requests can recover attorney fees.  Liberals and advocates for open government say the ruling has gutted Wisconsin’s law.  The justices decided the attorney fees can only be recovered if the court issues a ruling.  The state’s open records law has been in effect for 40 years.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has announced that veterans who have served from 9-11 on can now apply for a bonus payment to recognize their service. The Post-9/11 Veteran Service Bonus program was included in the most recent legislative session as part of the first comprehensive Veterans Omnibus Bill in recent memory. The law consists of nearly 25 million dollars for service bonuses to post-9/11 era veterans and Gold Star Families. Eligible veterans or currently serving military members must have served sometime between September 11th, 2001, and August 30, 2021. To apply, veterans or their beneficiaries should visit the website MinnesotaVeteran.org.

Crews and volunteers are working long hours to prepare for the E-A-A AirVenture in Oshkosh later this month.  Many of the workers and groundskeepers are said to be camping on the site.  E-A-A reportedly has 350-to-400 buildings on its grounds and many need work done.  Director of Communication Dick Knapinski says “revenge tourism” will fuel the crowds this year.  People just want to get out after the pandemic and enjoy the annual event.  The 75th anniversary of the U-S Air Force will be celebrated and both “Top Gun” movies will be showing at the Fly-In Theatre.  The E-A-A AirVenture takes off July 25th in Oshkosh.

Local-Regional News July 7

 Governor Tony Evers has approved over $768000 for a culvert replacement project in Dunn County.  According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the project will replace the Hwy 25 culvert at the south fork of Lower Pine Creek just south of Ridgeland.  The project will replace the old pipe with a twin-cell box culver.  Hwy 25 will remain open during construction which will begin next Tuesday and is expected to be completed in October.

Area law enforcement agencies, including the Durand Police Department, will be hosting local National Night Out events on August 2nd from 5-8pm.  In Durand, the event will be held at Tarrant Park and will include a K9 demonstration, displays from the police fire and ems, free food and then the movie Sing 2 will be shown at the Bauer Built Sports Complex.  Admission is free.

Motorists traveling on Hwy 10 between Durand and Mondovi are reminded there may be traffic delays as crews replace the Holmes Creek Bridge just west of Mondovi.  The Bridge, built-in 1936 was at the end of its useful life.  While Hwy 10 remains open, a temporary one-lane bypass that is controlled by traffic lights is in use.  That project is expected to be completed by October.

Olmsted County -- home of Rochester’s Mayo Clinic -- is the number-one county in the nation for “access to care and population health” ... Carver County in the southwest metro is number five in “overall health” ... and Lake County in northeast Minnesota is number-five nationally for “food and nutrition.” That’s all according to a recently released survey by U-S News in conjunction with C-V-S Health. In overall health ratings, 52 of Minnesota’s 87 counties rank in the top 500 nationally. Nine Minnesota counties are in the top 100. Only neighboring Iowa does better, with eleven of its 99 counties in top 100 on health-related measures.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will again be offering free well water testing for nitrate at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days. Just bring one cup of well water in any clean container to Lot #485 on 4th Street east of University Avenue. DNR staff will do an on-the-spot screening and the results will be available in just a few minutes.  Wisconsin Farm Technology Days will be July 12, 13 & 14 just south of Loyal in Clark County. Show hours are 9:00 am to 4:00 pm all three days.

A Stratford man is facing multiple charges after a pair of high-speed chases and a standoff Sunday.  Forty-one-year-old John Strasser is accused of setting fire to his home.  When police tried to pull him over he refused to stop and led authorities on a chase reaching speeds of 100 miles an hour.  W-S-A-W/T-V reports that after his car was disabled by tired deflation devices he refused to surrender for several hours, then drove the vehicle into a field.  Police say he pointed both a pistol and a rifle at them during the incident.  He finally gave up and was booked into the Marathon County Jail.  Strasser has a hearing scheduled for July 13th.

As many as 50 people were inside the O-A-W Sports Complex in New Berlin Tuesday night when part of its roof gave way.  No injuries were reported.  Heavy rain was falling shortly after 7:45 p-m when the New Berlin Fire Department received the emergency call.  New Berlin Mayor Dave Ament tells W-I-S-N/T-V rain water got trapped on the roof and may have caused the collapse. For now, no one is allowed to go inside the building because it is “very unsafe.”  City inspectors are working with structural engineers to determine why it collapsed.

The State supreme court has ruled that a sex trafficking victim who killed her abuser can argue self-defense in her murder trial.   State laws say that sex trafficking victims can be shielded from prosecution for "any offense committed as a direct result" due to their trafficking. The court ruled 4 to 3 on Wednesday that Chrystul Kizer can use that as a defense for the killing of Nelson Volar III. Kizer was only 17 when she shot Volar in Kenosha in 2018, set his house on fire, and stole his car and some cash. Kizer allegedly suffered years of abuse from Volar. The ruling doesn't clear Kizer from the crime itself, her attorneys will still have to make that argument at trial.

Wisconsin businesses are expecting a full recession within the next year.  A new poll from Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce shows that 71 percent of businesses expect there to be a full recession in Wisconsin within 12 months, with 40 percent saying it will happen by the end of the year. 55 percent of respondents say they believe the state's economy will remain flat or shrink within the next 6 months.

Milwaukee may have just moved into the driver’s seat to host the 2024 Republican National Convention.   It’s down to Milwaukee and Nashville, where city council leaders took the city’s offer to the Republican National Committee off the agenda for its regular meeting Tuesday. There’s been pushback to the convention in Nashville from all over the political spectrum. Some don’t like the cost; others fear violence in the streets. Milwaukee has already approved its pitch. The Republican National Committee says it plans to make a decision soon.

The Midwest Environmental Advocates are petitioning the Department of Natural Resources to list so-called “forever chemicals” as irritants under Wisconsin’s Groundwater Law.  PFAS (PEE foss) are long-lasting chemicals that have been linked to health problems for people and animals by the E-P-A.  They have been detected in the state’s groundwater.  An M-E-A spokesperson says almost one-million Wisconsin households with private wells depend on groundwater as the main source of drinking water.  W-M-T-V reports that since there is no federal law protecting groundwater, the groups say “it is the state’s responsibility to act.”

 Members of a Stevens Point garage band say they were in Highland Park ready to perform at a Fourth of July festival when it was canceled.  The festival was called off when a lone gunman opened fire on people watching a holiday parade, killing seven and wounding at least 30.  A man traveling with the band “Scorched Wave” tells W-A-O-W/T-V parade officials quickly moved people under a set of bleachers and did an excellent job of keeping everyone informed.  Everyone in the Wisconsin traveling party made it back to their hotel safely.

Supporters of legal cannabis are hoping to make it a major issue in the upcoming November election in Minnesota. Some Republican lawmakers appear to have been caught by surprise when a new law took effect July First that allows those 21 and older to buy edibles and beverages with a limited amount of T-H-C, the ingredient in marijuana that makes some people high. During a press conference Tuesday at a Minneapolis brewery, Democratic Representative Heather Edelson said the new law clearly defines what is and is not legal in Minnesota, while D-F-L House Leader Ryan Winkler said, “Minnesota favors this change.” GOP leaders in the Minnesota House and Senate oppose it, though some Republicans support legalizing recreational marijuana.

Happy birthday, SPAM! Minnesota-based Hormel is celebrating 85 years of the canned meat product. Here are some fun facts about SPAM. Over eight billion cans of SPAM products have been sold. It’s sold in 44 different countries around the world. Every second there are 12-point-eight cans of SPAM products eaten. And over 100 million pounds of SPAM were shipped abroad to feed troops during World War Two. SPAM is also known for its popularity in Hawaii.

Local-Regional News July 6

 One person is dead after a motorcycle accident in Clifton Township on Sunday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 58yr old Thomas Weijk of New Richmond was traveling southbound on Hwy F just south of River Falls, when he left the roadway on a curve, and entered the west ditch, struck a grove of trees, and was ejected from the motorcycle.  He was med flighted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul where he later died.  That accident remains under investigation.

Hwy F south of Durand to the Buffalo County Line is closed for construction.  The Pepin County highway department is replacing the pavement, guard rails, and culverts.  Homeowners who live on the section of the road will be allowed access, however dependent on the stage of the project they may have to go around from the top of the hill to access their homes.  All other drivers will need to use alternate routes to access Hwy F south into Buffalo County.  That project is expected to be completed in about 4 weeks.

One person is dead and another is in custody after a hit and run in Altoona on Sunday.  According to Altoona Police, 29yr old Jonathan Peacock was walking westbound on Hwy 12 between McCann Drive and 10th Street West when he was hit by a vehicle driven by 35yr old Brendan Barkovich.  Peacock died of injuries received in the accident.  Authorities later located Barkovich and the vehicle he was driving later in the day and was taken into custody.  He was being held on charges of hit and run causing death and possession of cocaine.  He is to appear in court today.

The body of a Buffalo County woman was pulled from the Mississippi River on Tuesday.  According to the Winona County Sheriff's Department, deputies responded to reports of the body in the water Tuesday afternoon.  A dive team recovered the female and it was determined she was from Buffalo County.  The identification of the woman and the cause of death has not been released at this time.  The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department is now leading the investigation.

Three people have been picked to participate in Wisconsin’s elk hunt this year and the Department of Natural Resources still has one more tag to give away.  More than 25,000 hunters applied for what the DNR described as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to participate in this year’s elk season. The agency did not identify the winners, only saying they were from Fort Atkinson, Hudson, and New Richmond.  The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will award the fourth of eight tags via a raffle. Wisconsin residents (and Wisconsin residents only) can enter to win it on the foundation’s website.  The other 4 tags were given to the Ojibwa Tribe as part of their treaty rights.  The Elk Season in Wisconsin will start Oct 15th.

Many drivers in northwestern Wisconsin had apparently been drinking to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday weekend.  The Wisconsin State Patrol charged a dozen drivers with operating while intoxicated in the northwest region alone through Sunday night.  The number will likely be higher when the final totals are reported.  W-Q-O-W/T-V reports Trooper Bill Lindeman says estimates are it costs about 10-thousand dollars when you’re arrested for drunk driving.  Lindeman says there are fines, court costs, vehicle repairs, and increasing insurance premiums.  Drivers who have been drinking are encouraged to consider using a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft.

A man is reportedly in stable condition after being rescued from a grain bin near Dexter in southeastern Minnesota. The Mower County Sheriff’s Office says the 48-year-old man was trapped up to his neck Tuesday morning. First responders were able to free the man from the grain bin and he was taken to a hospital in Austin. No more information is being released.

Republican Kevin Nicholson has dropped out of the race for Wisconsin governor.  The business consultant and former US Marine said that over the past week it's become clear the only path forward for his campaign is attacking the other Republican candidates and running a very negative campaign. Nicholson said that was something he wanted to avoid. Nicholson's decision leaves former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca clay fish and pipeline construction executive, Tim Michaels, to square off in the August 10 Republican primary with the winner taking on incumbent governor Tony Evers in November. Nicholson said he has no plans to endorse any candidate prior to the primary and will support the nominee.

Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman has been ordered not to delete any records – even if no one has asked to see them.  Dane County Circuit Judge Jacob Frost issued the order Tuesday.  It comes about a week after the watchdog group American Oversight filed its fourth open records lawsuit aimed at Gableman’s review of the 2020 presidential vote in Wisconsin.  The latest suit was filed after he testified that he had deleted records that weren’t useful as he pursued the investigation.  Judge Frost issued a temporary restraining order.

A former justice with the Wisconsin Supreme Court says a challenge of the state’s 1849 abortion law is “certainly a legitimate argument.”  Attorney General Josh Kaul filed the suit in Dane County last week.  W-B-A-Y/T-V reports Kaul has asked a judge to ban enforcement of the 173-year-old abortion ban.  He says it conflicts with other abortion laws that have been passed.  Former Justice Janine Geske says one law passed in 1985 was consistent with Roe-V-Wade but conflicts with the 1849 statute.  Geske says that’s a legitimate argument.  She says she wouldn’t be surprised if the case goes to the state Supreme Court where conservatives have a four-to-three majority.

Congressman Tom Tiffany says the nation’s policymakers should make sure climate change really is man-made before changing energy policies.  The Wisconsin Republican appeared on W-K-O-W/T-V’s “Capital City Sunday.”  Tiffany says climate change “is always happening.”  He says the question is whether man is causing it.  Tiffany warns that changes to the nation’s energy policies on renewable energy sources could make electric power more expensive and lead to blackouts.

U-S Senate candidate and Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes is harshly criticized by Republicans for his comments about how slavery is taught and the founding of this country.  Barnes is running for Senate in the Democratic primary.  Speaking at an event in Portage last year he told the crowd, “Imagine being so ashamed of how we go to this place in America that you outlaw teaching it.”  Republican Rebecca Kleefisch (KLAY fish) said Governor Evers needs to call out Barnes for his “awful comments about our great nation.”  She added:  “Unless of course, he agrees.”

Two men have been arrested for allegedly shooting at a Willmar police officer.  The incident happened just before midnight on the Fourth of July.  The officer was responding to a report of a window being shot out.  While he was checking out the damage he was confronted by several people.  Shots were fired at the officer, he returned fire, and the suspects ran away.  The investigation led to a house where 25-year-old Christian Arevalo and 28-year-old Sebastian Arevalo were taken into custody.  Both men are charged with first-degree assault.

A new survey by the state and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis finds that professional firms such as accountants, lawyers, technical services experts, and other business service companies are most worried about inflation, followed by labor availability. Neal Young with the state Department of Employment and Economic Development says 85 percent of businesses surveyed expect inflation to be at least as bad in the coming year, if not worse. Sixty-one percent expect unchanged levels of employment. Young says, “it takes more time and more effort and cost to attract and train a new worker than it does to retain an existing worker.”

This is an intense week for hundreds of young musicians from all over the country, as the final roster of the Golden Gopher “Pride of Minnesota” Marching Band will be named on Friday. Band director Betsy McCann and her assistants are determining which incoming students will make the final cut and perform at seven home football games this fall. She says she’s reviewing about “130 videos” of “high school musicians, transfer students, even current U of M students who didn’t join the band right away.” McCann says there are about 320 total band members, and many of the very best musicians will receive partial scholarships for their commitment.

Local-Regional News July 1

 The City of Durand's application to the Wisconsin State DOT for the reconstruction of Main Street was submitted.  The grant would cover the removal and replacement of the pavement and sidewalk.  While the grant would not include sewer and water replacement, according to the City engineer, the state will have nearly $700 million available for water system grants that could cover that cost.  The engineer is suggesting that the city applies for those grants for the Main Street and Madison Street projects.

A record number of Americans will be traveling 50 miles or more for Independence Day, with AAA reporting that approximately 42 million people will hit the road.  Here in Wisconsin AAA is expecting over 960,000 Wisconsinites to travel for the holiday.  The heavy traffic will begin after noon today.  If you're not planning on traveling, the city of Mondovi will be having a 4th of July Celebration all day on Monday with activities throughout the day and fireworks at Dusk at Mirror Lake Park.

Eau Claire City Council members are considering the idea of putting a referendum before the voters.  The potential increase in local property taxes was a topic of discussion at a Tuesday work session.  If the city moves forward it would go on the November ballot.  Officials say the additional money is needed.  Eau Claire is growing with miles of city streets, miles of recreational trails, parks, and other needs.  Some city departments haven’t created any new positions in 25 years.  Council President Terry Weld says the city has been getting by but being creative with the budget won’t cover things anymore.  Weld says Eau Claire needs another one-point-three to one-point-seven-million dollars for its budget.  A vote on a referendum is expected to be taken at the July 12th meeting.

The Chippewa Falls School Board has voted to remove a book from the district’s curriculum. The board voted 5-2 this week to require that the book, Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe, not be part of the curriculum in any classes as optional reading for students without parental consent. A parent appealed the decision after a panel had initially recommended keeping the book. Parents of kids younger than 18 would need to sign a consent form for their child to read the book. According to the Scholastic Book Clubs summary of the book, it contains mature language and references to sex, drugs, and alcohol and is only recommended for older readers.

Wausau city employees could become eligible for a two-thousand dollar incentive if they give six-month’s notice of their retirement plans.  Finance Committee chairperson Lisa Rasmussen says the idea originated as a proposal from the Wausau Police Department as it tries to control overtime costs.  A lengthy advanced notice gives the city time to train new people.  The incentive will become available after the human resources office drafts a memo of understanding for the city’s three unions.  The item is on hold for now and could become part of the next round of contract negotiations.

Hundreds of Minnesota National Guard members could be expelled from service for declining the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 95 percent of the Guard's 13-thousand members have been vaccinated. The Guard's State Public Affairs Officer says nearly two percent of the remaining soldiers have requested a religious or medical exemption and three percent have refused vaccination. The Department of Defense says today (Friday) is the deadline to get the shot.

Republican state lawmakers are telling the governor they want to use 10 million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act money on pregnancy resource centers.  Thirty-eight party members in the Wisconsin Assembly wrote a letter to Democratic Governor Tony Evers urging the move.  It says despite differences of opinion there is now an opportunity to come together to prevent unplanned pregnancies and support the ones that do occur.  Wisconsin’s abortion ban passed in 1849 became enforceable again when the U-S Supreme Court overturned the Roe-V-Wade decision last week.

Parents say they are worried as they speak out about worsening behavior issues at Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School.  One mother tells W-A-O-W/T-V her son was bullied all three years he was at the school.  She says he brought home notes from other students telling him to kill himself.  Superintendent Craig Broeren says he knows the problem is getting worse.  About 450 students at the school have received some sort of infraction related to their behavior in the last year.  Parents say district officials aren’t doing enough.

 A Sun Prairie manufacturing company says it has reached an agreement on a new contract with its 600 union workers. W-M-T-V reports Continental ContiTech and the United Steelworkers say the new deal will begin August 1st and it affects employees at facilities in Lincoln, Marysville, and Sun Prairie.  Both sides say they are relieved the deliberation came to a quick and fair end.  Common ground was found ahead of schedule, according to the company.  The company has been located in Sun Prairie for 54 years and it makes hydraulic brake hoses.

Beware of scammers impersonating CenterPoint Energy employees demanding payment via phone or door-to-door. CenterPoint spokesman Ross Corson says there have been recent reports of con artists threatening customers that their power will be shut off if they don’t pay immediately. Corson says the company “would never demand immediate payment” and wouldn’t demand payments through “things like a prepaid debit card or a gift card or cryptocurrency or some kind of third-party digital payment mobile application.” He says if you get a call and are suspicious that it may be a scam, immediately hang up.

 With Turkey dropping its objections, Sweden and Finland are on track to becoming NATO members, which Carleton College analyst Steven Schier says will bring significant resources into the alliance. Schier says Finland has an 830-mile border with Russia and has been in a state of preparedness for a long time. There are 380-thousand Finns “who are available immediately for military action, along with “an auxiliary force that could number up to 900-thousand.” Schier says while Finland brings to NATO a lot of land-based military power, Sweden has relatively sophisticated naval operations in the Baltic Sea, plus an island -- Gotland -- which is a major strategic asset. Schier contends Russia is not likely to try to do anything about it anytime soon, because all of their resources are on the line in Ukraine.

Minnesota state park campsites are a hot commodity this Fourth of July holiday weekend. The D-N-R’s Sara Berhow says while a majority of the campsites are already spoken for, keep checking back “because cancellations do happen” and their online reservation system has a “Notify Me” feature. Berhow says there are more than 45 hundred campsites across the state park system and currently around 400 open reservations. For more information head to the D-N-R’s website.