Local-Regional News March 9

 Durand Public Works employees will be working into the evening and weekends over the next few weeks.  During last nights Durand City Council meeting, Public Works Director Matt Gillis told the council that the Scada System, which monitors water levels in the water tower and reservoir had failed.  Because of the failure, public works employees will have to manually fill the water tower and reservoir three times a day, seven days a week.  The new system should arrive and be installed in about three weeks.

A long-time tradition of fireworks during Durand Fun Fest is returning this year.  In a social media post, the Durand Fun Fest Committee announced the fireworks show on June 10th after the Chris Kroeze performance.  The 60th Annual Durand Fun Fest will be June 9th-11th in Memorial Park in Durand.

Eau Claire's Winter Weather Advisory starts later today, but there's a Winter Storm Warning for folks just to the south. The National Weather Service has Eau Claire under a Winter Weather Advisory from 3 p.m. today til 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. Forecasters expect between three and five inches of snow. The Winter Storm Warning that's posted for just south of Eau Claire could mean as much as six inches of snow with strong wind gusts. Road crews are asking for patience today and into tomorrow.

There were more layoffs at 3M in Menomonie than first announced. The company announced back in January that it planned to layoff 22 workers at the plant. Yesterday, a spokesperson said there were 53 layoffs at the plant. Before the cuts, 3M had 673 employees in Menomonie. The layoffs are part of a global reduction for 3M. The company eliminated 25 hundred jobs in all.

Western Wisconsin's congressman wants to make it clear that milk comes from animals, not plants. Congressman Derrick Van Orden signed on to the Dairy Pride Act. That's the federal plan to classify milk as coming from cows or other animals only. He says Wisconsin dairy farmers work incredibly hard to produce top-quality milk and he doesn't want to see nut-based or vegetable-based products horn in on their success. Wisconsin's dairy groups are all in agreement. The Dairy Pride Act comes not long after the FDA said nut-milk producers can continue to call their products 'milk.'

The Republicans who will write Wisconsin's next state budget are not going to Milwaukee or Madison. The budget-writing Joint Finance Committee yesterday released the schedule for their budget hearings. They will be in Waukesha, Eau Claire, the Dells, and Minocqua next month. The hearings are the beginning of the process to write the next state budget. After the public hearings, lawmakers will begin their work at the Capitol. They hope to have something for the governor to sign sometime in May.

The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says the governor's plan to help with American Family Field is dead. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told reporters yesterday that he doesn't see a path forward for the governor's proposal to spend nearly 300 million dollars in state money on repairs at American Family Field. Vos said the governor wants to use one-time money for a deal that would keep the Brewers in Milwaukee for just an extra 13 years. Vos says he hopes lawmakers will come up with a different plan to pay for the ballpark and keep the team in Milwaukee long-term.

A fresh warning about the risks of bird flu.  The state Ag Department reminds poultry owners of the ongoing threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The spring migratory period for wild birds brings an increased risk, so DATCP recommends that poultry owners continue using the strongest biosecurity measures to protect their birds. In Wisconsin last year, 29 domestic flocks in 18 counties were confirmed with bird flu. Nationwide, more than 58.5 million birds have died, in the largest animal disease outbreak in U.S. history

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is identifying the man killed in a Stillwater officer-involved shooting.  Okwan Rahmier Sims died on March 4th from multiple gunshot wounds.  The agency says the 21-year-old man died after an "exchange of gunfire" with Stillwater Police.  KARE11 is reporting that the BCA hasn't determined who shot first during the incident.

 A bill set to address hospital staffing is moving forward in the Minnesota Legislature.  The Senate Health and Human Services Committee advanced a bill yesterday that would require nurses and administrators to work together in every hospital to set staffing levels.  The measure also sets reporting requirements and penalties if hospitals don't meet agreed-upon levels.  Backers say the bill has been brought before the Legislature every year since 2007.

The largest Methodist congregation in Dane County has voted to separate from the United Methodist Church.  That split by Asbury United Methodist Church is over disagreements regarding the denomination’s support of gay marriage and gay leadership. The Wisconsin State Journal reports members voted 224-76 Sunday to disaffiliate from UMC. The Madison congregation appears to be in the minority - UMC reports 6.1 percent of its US churches - 1,831 congregations out of 30,000 - have been granted permission to disaffiliate since 2019.

An elections fraud case against a former Town of Newbold supervisor is moving forward.  69-year-old James Staskiewicz is accused of forging signatures on his nomination petitions as he ran for re-election. He waived a preliminary hearing on Tuesday and now faces one count each of election fraud and misconduct in public office. Oneida County Sheriff's investigators say Staskiewicz admitted to the forgeries. If convicted, he could face three years in prison. 

A group of Wisconsin business leaders is joining together in an effort to make sure the Brewers stay in Milwaukee.  Today the group announced the Home Crew Coalition.  Members plan to work together to show community support for the Brewers, find a bipartisan solution to keep the team in Milwaukee and raise awareness of the team's economic impact.  The coalition includes Wisconsin developers, attorneys, philanthropists, politicians, and sports leaders, among others.  You can join the team online at action-dot-home-crew-coalition-dot-org.

Wisconsin's governor continues to add priorities to his state budget proposal. The governor yesterday said pay raises for prosecutors and prison guards in the state is a must. Governor Evers says low pay is hurting D.A. offices across the state. He wants prison guards in Wisconsin to get a 13 dollar-an-hour raise. The Republicans who will actually write the new state budget say they could agree to a raise, but it won't be anywhere near the 13 dollars extra the governor wants.

The Madison Common Council moves forward with a lawsuit.  The council votes unanimously Tuesday to sue automakers Hyundai and Kia following a rash of thefts of those vehicles last year due to a a lack of anti-theft features.  Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, tells WKOW-TV in Madison the matter is about public safety, stating she is ”…making sure that we are tackling this particular problem of stolen cars from every angle."  Rhodes-Conway says Madison saw a 270% increase in Kia and Hyundai thefts over the summer. That’s almost half of all cars stolen in Madison during that same time. 

Minnesota is exporting a record number of products.  The Department of Employment and Economic Development recently announced the state's exports of agricultural, mining and manufactured products reached 27-billion dollars last year.  That's a new record high and up 16-percent from 2021.  Oil, electrical equipment, and cereals were exported the most. 

Local-Regional News March 8

 No one was injured when a semi went off the road north of Nelson this morning.  According to Buffalo County Sheriff Mike Osmond, the accident happened at the intersection of Hwy 25 and 35.  The intersection may be limited or shut down this morning at 11 to remove the semi.

Six adults and three kids are rescued after a sheet of ice breaks away from the shore and float out into Lake Pepin.  According to the Goodhue County Sheriff's Department, the group had entered on ice from Maiden Rock for ice fishing Sunday evening and had to leave behind a snowmobile, ATV, and fishing gear when rescue crews came with airboats to take them back to shore.  The Sheriff’s Office says the combination of a warm winter along with the recent precipitation has created dangerous conditions. The current from the Mississippi River also complicates the ice conditions of Lake Pepin.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a Facade Grant Application for Ryan's Sports shop, reports from the mayor, city administrator, and department heads, and the council will go into closed session for a discussion of the purchasing of public properties.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall.

Police in Chippewa Falls say an elementary school student is responsible for the 911 call about a threat at the high school yesterday. Investigators tracked down the young student after a series of calls to 911, most of them were just filled with curse words, but police say one call mentioned an active shooter at the high school. Chippewa Falls' superintendent sent a note home to parents yesterday explaining the situation, and saying there was never a real threat. Police say the young caller's parents are dealing with the situation.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is the best hospital in the world.  That's according to Newsweek's annual list of the top 250 hospitals across the globe.  The magazine analyzed more than 23-hundred hospitals in 28 different countries based on consistent patient outcomes, innovation, and research to identify the best institutions. 

Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to block the state's new meningitis and chickenpox vaccine rules. The legislature's rules committee yesterday took the first step toward overturning the new rules, established earlier this year by the state's Department of Health Services. DHS wants to add a meningitis vaccine requirement for 7th graders and change the rules for chickenpox shots. State Senator Steve Nass says the suggestions are 'arbitrary and capricious.' Lawmakers blocked the same request from DHS last year as well.

A new report warns that Wisconsin's record budget surplus could turn into a deficit if lawmakers and Governor Evers aren't careful.  The Wisconsin Policy Forum yesterday released a report that says the surplus is not large enough to pay for everything that Governor Evers wants and is likely not enough to pay for a switch to a flat income tax in the state.  The report also warns that the U.S. economy may be headed into a recession, and that could mean a deficit for Wisconsin.  The report says lawmakers have a unique challenge this year, not in terms of budget cuts or reductions, but in deciding where they will spend more money.

The federal government is looking to pour more help into Wisconsin to replace lead pipes across the state.  Wisconsin is one of four states chosen to be part of the Lead Service Line Replacement Accelerator program.  That means more help from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Labor to take out old pipes, and replace them with new, safer ones.  Ten communities in Wisconsin will see that help. Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey were also chosen to be a part of the accelerator program.

US Senator Tammy Baldwin proposes giving the federal government a more comprehensive way to address online threats posed by foreign governments. The Wisconsin Democrat says a recent example is Bytedance, the Chinese technology company that owns Tik Tok.” The bipartisan “RESTRICT” Act (Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology) would, among other things, require the Department of Commerce to come up with procedures to evaluate software, hardware, and social media platforms owned by foreign governments.

There are new calls for baby boxes across Wisconsin after police in Whitewater found a baby dead in a field over the weekend.  State Representative Barb Dittrich yesterday said while parents can surrender a baby to police officers or firefighters no questions asked within 72 hours, state law doesn't allow for baby box surrenders.  Dittrich says the baby's death shows the need for a new law and more education.

Lawmakers in Madison are considering a plan that could allow inmates in the state's prisons to have more things. Current state law caps inmate possessions at 75 dollars worth of stuff, plus a TV, radio, or musical instrument worth as much as 350 dollars. The new law would bump that up to 150 dollars worth of stuff, or a musical instrument worth up to 350 dollars. 

Madison may sue Kia and Hyundai because some of their cars are too easy to steal. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway yesterday accused the two carmakers of 'cutting corners' and 'putting people at risk.' Madison Police reported a huge spike in Kia and Hyundai thefts over the past few years. One of the reasons is the rise of Kia Boys videos, which show how easy it is to steal some Kia or Hyundai models with nothing more than a USB cord. Madison's city council will consider a motion to file a lawsuit at tonight's council meeting.

A Central Wisconsin food cannery is penalized for safety violations. The Del Monte Foods cannery in Plover faces possible fines of over $200 thousand after a seasonal worker suffered a partial finger amputation while trying to unjam an unguarded palletizer machine.  Investigators for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration discovered workers routinely using their hands to redirect pallets stuck in the palletizer's dispenser.  That led to a determination that the cannery's lack of machine guarding and safety procedures exposed employees to machine hazards.   The company was cited for violations of machine safety and fall protection standards. 

The Better Business Bureau continues to see a rise in employment scams. Those types of scams ranked number 2 in their Risk Report in 2022. BBB Wisconsin spokesperson Lisa Schiller says most employment scams they see are a variant of the bad check scam. That's when a scammer sends you a fake check, asks you to cash it for your payment, and then send back the rest. When that check bounces, you're out the money. People who were caught in this scam lost over 15 hundred dollars on average, as opposed to the total average loss of around 170 dollars. 

It was a lucky weekend for some Wisconsin Lottery players. The lottery yesterday said four winning tickets were drawn between Friday and Sunday. The first was a 100 thousand-dollar All or Nothing ticket sold in Pulaski on Friday. The next was a 350 thousand-dollar SuperCash winner sold in Turtle Lake. A Kwik Trip in Sparta then sold a 150 thousand-dollars Powerball ticket on Saturday. And someone then bought a 100 thousand-dollar All Or Nothing ticket in Franklin on Sunday.

Experts believe they found a new form of life inside a cave in southern Minnesota.  A manager at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park told MPR News that their staff found some potentially unknown millipedes in the 13-mile Mystery Cave.  They're tiny, translucent, and have no eyes.  The park sent samples to the University of Minnesota researchers to learn more, but it could take years to determine if they're a new species. 

Local-Regional News March 7

 Forecasters say this wet end to winter could mean more spring flooding in the Chippewa Valley. The National Weather Service says there's a 55 percent chance of minor flooding along the Chippewa river, and a 50 percent chance of moderate flooding. The models suggest just a 15 percent chance of major flooding on the Chippewa river. Bill Borghoff with the Weather Service says as the snow melts over the next few weeks, they'll get a better sense of just how high the rivers may rise.

Eau Claire's school board president says they are not closing the Montessori Charter School, but he does want more diversity there. Board President Tim Nordin yesterday said rumors that the school district is going to close Montessori are 'false.' Though he did say that he wants to address some issues at the school and see how Eau Claire can move forward as a district. Nordin and other board members have criticized Montessori for being too white, and not in-line with Eau Claire's diversity goals.

Hundreds of people at the Hutchinson Technology plant in Eau Claire are out of a job. Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development yesterday said Hutchinson is laying off 237 people. That's about 55 percent of the company's employees in Eau Claire. The state says the layoffs are set to take effect on May 5th.

Xcel Energy plans to build more than 700 electric vehicle charging stations.  The company says it is leading the way in electric vehicle charging.  Owners of other charging stations say the plan could limit investment by businesses, creating a monopoly for Xcel.  Xcel customers express concern about the cost to their utility bills.

 The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities is looking for weather observers across Western Wisconsin and Southeastern Minnesota.  The agency is asking people to come forward to share weather reports from their homes when it snows, rains, or storms.  The NWS says signing up is free and online training classes are available.  Experience isn't needed to participate.

Area farmers can get started on their spring planning needs at the 59th annual Eau Claire Farm Show today and tomorrow.  There will be more than 150 exhibitors from heavy equipment to seed dealers to different water sources.  The Farm Show is today and tomorrow from 9 a.m to 3:30 p.m. at the Chippewa Valley Expo Center in Eau Claire.  Admission is free. There will also be concessions, health clinics, and a silent auction that benefits FFA.

Plans to bring a second Amtrak train through Western Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota every day is nearing completion.  Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois are finalizing splitting the $6.8 million operating costs for the second train.  The Federal Government would spend $40 million to improve tracks, signals, and bridges in Minnesota.   The $53 million project is estimated to double the 124,000 passengers riding the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago route annually. 

Seven staff positions will be cut from Dover-Eyota Public Schools payroll, after a unanimous vote by the school board Monday night. The cuts are coming as a result of the district going well over its budget.  Board members say they don’t take this decision lightly, and believed these cuts would have the least amount of impact on students. Community members say the enrollment numbers, which have been declining, need to reverse in order for this situation to improve.  The board said the cuts came now at this magnitude so there would be no more staffing cuts made later.

The Minnesota House is advancing a nearly two billion-dollar public works package.  The bills were approved yesterday evening with bipartisan support.  The package includes funding for fixing roads, bridges, water systems, college facilities, and parks and trails in the state.  Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman says the bills include projects that will "strengthen communities."

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is the best in North America.  That's according to the Airport Service Quality program's annual survey.  It asked 465-thousand travelers to rate their experiences at airports across the continent.  MSP scored the highest for the second year in a row.  It's the 16th busiest airport in North America.

A man who went missing from a Grant County farmhouse in December is found dead.  The sister of Ronald Henry tells WKOW-TV in Madison the body of her brother was discovered in the woods near the farmhouse near Lancaster Sunday.  Tytiana Henry says an Amish man searching for deer antlers near the farm found Henry's remains.  An extensive search of the area for Ronald Henry lasted weeks after he was reported missing December 5th.  The Grant County Sheriff's Office has not responded to the TV’s station’s request for comment.

UW System President Jay Rothman says students participating in the Wisconsin Tuition Promise have “skin in the game.”   Rothman was asked about it recently, by Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee Chair Dave Murhpy, who asked whether a "free" education would be "somewhat devalued.” Rothman recounted a meeting with students who are working while in school, and told Murphy that they have "a whole lot of skin in the game.” The Wisconsin Tuition Promise funds up to four years of tuition and fees for students from families earning less than $62,000 a year, at any UW campus except Madison. It also carries a work requirement.

A Merrill woman is sentenced to prison for the straw purchase of two guns.  The Wisconsin Department of Justice says in a release Ashley Zastrow bought the firearms in Wisconsin Rapids in January of last year, stating she was the actual buyer of the weapons. An investigation later revealed the purchase was made for someone who accompanied her to the store and gave her the cash for the purchase.  The release says the person the 32-year-old Zastrow bought the firearms for was prohibited from possessing them due to previous felony convictions. One of the firearms was later used to commit a homicide.  Zastrow was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison.

Mourners remembered former UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank over the weekend. Blank, who died last month after a short battle with cancer, was remembered as a kind woman and an excellent university administrator. Blank spent about 10 years at UW-Madison, she was supposed to go on to become the president at Northwestern University, but she never took that job because of her diagnosis. She leaves behind a husband and an adult daughter

Minneosta Governor Walz will be temporarily transferring power to Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.  The office announced the transfer yesterday after the governor sent a letter to House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate President Bobby Joe Champion.  The transfer will take place today just before he undergoes general anesthesia for a colonoscopy.  The transfer of power will be in effect until Walz sends the legislative leaders that he is able to resume his duties.

A medical software company in southern Wisconsin unveils expansion plans.   Epic Systems is expanding with two new buildings at its Harry Potter themed Wizards Academy campus In Verona.  In announcing the expansion, the  company said the new buildings will create space for 17-hundred new employees as it looks to grow its workforce by ten-percent this year.  The new buildings, the sixth and seventh in the Wizards Academy cluster, are expected to open in 2024.

Local-Regional News March 6

 Wisconsin gas prices are back on the rise.  According to Triple-A the statewide average is three dollars and 22 cents a gallon.  That's up four cents overnight and up 12 cents since this time last week.  The average is 3.19 here is western Wisconsin, up 13 cents from a week ago.

The Wabasha County Board is meeting tomorrow morning.  Items on the agenda include approval of a new highway department technician, reject all bids in a concrete box culvert extension and approval of purchase of a plow truck for the highway department.  Tomorrow's meeting starts at 9am the Wabasha County Government Center.

We could get some more answers this week about layoffs at the Hutchinson Technology Plant. Eau Claire TV station WEAU reported on Friday that it had learned of layoffs at the company. No one is saying just how many people lost their jobs, or why. Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce President Dave Minor says we could learn more about the layoffs this week when the state issues a report.

Eau Claire's school board is going to look at the Montessori Charter School's contract tonight. The school board is deciding whether to renew, or change the contract with the charter school. Some board members worry there are too many white students at the school, and say the Montessori enrollment doesn't meet Eau Claire's equity goals. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is warning the school board, however, that making changes to the school based on race would be discrimination.

A suspect is dead after police say he opened fire at a Stillwater apartment complex.  Police responded to a report of gunfire in the 22-hundred block of Orleans Street West on Saturday.  Officials say the suspect had fired a gun inside and outside the complex before police arrived, injuring several.  Stillwater Chief Brian Mueller says the suspect shot at arriving officers who returned fire, hitting the suspect.  The suspect later died at the hospital.  No official word on how many were injured or their conditions.  The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is coordinating the investigation.

Wisconsin lawmakers are going to take a look at the state's vaccine requirements this week. The legislature's Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules has a hearing scheduled tomorrow morning to talk about the Department of Health Service's new vaccine rules. DHS made a handful of changes for schools and daycare this year, including changing the rules of chickenpox vaccines and when kids can miss school because of the chickenpox. DHS is not requiring a flu or COVID shot for kids this year, though the state does strongly encourage them.

Republicans on the legislature’s finance committee say raising the minimum age to buy tobacco and nicotine products doesn’t belong in the state budget.   Governor Tony Evers included the language in his two year budget plan. Bills raising the purchase age passed the state Assembly with bipartisan support in 2020 and again last year, but failed to advance in the Senate. The state’s minimum age of 18 to buy nicotine, tobacco, or vape products conflicts with the federal Tobacco 21 requirement. 

A nearly 800-thousand dollar grant from the Defense Department will help prepare Madison for the deployment of F-35 fighter jets at Truax Field this spring.  The funding Senator Tammy Baldwin's office announced on Friday will go toward initiatives including town halls and multilingual education efforts.  It also will pay for a study to determine what the state's Department of Military Affairs can do for surrounding neighborhoods affected by the noise. 

Lawmakers want to know why it's so tough, and in some places so expensive, to find a home in Wisconsin. The Assembly and Senate committees on housing will hold a joining hearing tomorrow to hear from experts about Wisconsin's housing shortage. The experts include leaders from the state's realtors and home builders, and experts from the University of Wisconsin. The latest report from the Wisconsin Association of Realtors said prices are up across the state in-part because of a tight supply of houses for sale.

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A Jackson County nonprofit is raising money for equipment to be used for search and recovery of drowning victims.  Bruce's Legacy is trying to raise 40-thousand dollars for a slide-in camper that would make difficult missions easier.  The organization has recovered 45 bodies from lakes, rivers, and large bodies of water to provide families with closure.  The nonprofit is named for Bruce Cormican, who was a firefighter who died in a search mission.

A controversial Wisconsin attorney has been reappointed to a state committee.  Dane County attorney James Troupis will serve a second term on the Judicial Conduct Advisory Committee, reappointed by the state Supreme Court’s four conservative justices. The three liberal justices dissented. Troupis was involved in the 2020 scheme to deliver Electoral College votes for former President Donald Trump in Wisconsin and several other states. The nine-member committee was renders formal advisory opinions and gives informal advice to judges and judicial officers governed by the code of judicial conduct.

Another ethics complaint is filed against Michael Gableman.  Gableman is the attorney and former state Supreme Court justice who was tapped by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to conduct a taxpayer-funded probe into Wisconsin’s 2020 election. Attorneys with the liberal Law Forward firm filed the complaint Thursday with the Office of Lawyer Regulation. The more than 100-page complaint from attorneys attorneys Daniel Lenz and Jeffrey Mandell refers to "a shambolic, dishonest, and destructive campaign against Wisconsin’s democracy at taxpayer expense.”  This is the third known complaint filed against Gableman with the Office of Lawyer Regulation.

Wisconsin's governor is asking lawmakers for nine million-dollars to help build a new soccer stadium in Milwaukee. Governor Evers is including the cash in his state budget proposal. Milwaukee is preparing for a new soccer team, and looking to build a new stadium downtown. The governor said the state helped build Fiserv Forum, is looking to help the Brewers with American Family Field, and should help with the soccer stadium as well. Planners say the new stadium will cost about 45 million-dollars in all.

Around 55-thousand people with felony convictions will be able to vote next year in Minnesota.  That's because Governor Tim Walz signed a bill Friday that restores voting rights to ex-felons.  Previously, convicted felons would have to complete parole before being eligible to cast a vote.  The new bill ensures voting rights once they've served time.  It goes into effect on July 1st.

The Minnesota Senate is advancing a bill aimed at preventing catalytic converter thefts.  The bill would require those buying the part to keep detailed records about the purchase.  The House must now approve changes made to the bill by the Senate.  If the changes are approved, the bill will head to Governor Walz's desk

Local-Regional News March 3

 Compeer Financial is partnering with Community and Economic Development Associates to explore and learn the needs of rural communities and implement pilot projects in selected areas, including Western Wisconsin.   The goal of the projects is to first determine the needs of the communities and the counties and then develop a possible project.  Here in Western Wisconsin Compeer and CEDA will be meeting with leaders from the cities of Durand, Mondovi and Pepin, and Buffalo Counties.

There is a warning in Chippewa Falls about fake cash. Chippewa County's sheriff yesterday said someone is spending counterfeit 100-dollar bills. Police in Cadott nabbed ten of the fake bills. The sheriff says you can spot the fakes because they are stamped with the words 'play money,' and they all have the same serial numbers.

Governor Evers was in Eau Claire yesterday to talk about new buildings at the UW-Eau Claire campus. The governor wants to spend about two billion dollars on new projects at UW campuses across the state. In Eau Claire that would mean a new science building. The Eau Claire campus has been working to replace Phillips Hall for years, the campus needs 231 million dollars more to do it. But it's not clear if the legislature will go along with the governor's proposal.

The public is asked to be on the lookout for a missing man from Rusk County.  A missing endangered person alert has been issued for Jason Johnson, who was reported missing from Sheldon back on February 19th.  That's the last time he was seen by his family, but the Rusk County Sheriff's Office says his car was seen in Barron February 20th through the 23rd and he reportedly stayed in Millston and La Crosse in the days after that.  Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office.

A lawsuit filed against the Eau Claire Area School District is dismissed. According to a media release from the district, the lawsuit filed by Parents Protecting Our Children was dismissed February 21. The parents group filed suit in September, claiming district policies on gender identity do not require parents to be notified. The district filed a motion to dismiss, arguing the plaintiffs did not have a protectable interest. A  judge in U.S. District Court agreed and dismissed the case due to the lack of standing, according to the release.  The group was represented by conservative law firms Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and America First Legal.

Officials are calling on Hyundai and Kia to issue some recalls due to a massive uptick in car thefts across the Twin Cities metro.  The Minnesota Attorney General, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter sent a letter to the car manufacturers, explaining that certain models lack crucial anti-theft technology.  Minneapolis has seen a nearly 900-percent increase in car thefts over the past year, while St. Paul has seen a more than 600-percent spike.  The letter says "this crime is preventable and has a clear solution." 

There's a new report that says taxpayers are paying millions of dollars for students who are no longer in Wisconsin's public schools. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty released its report on so-called Ghost Students yesterday. Ghost Students are students who are no longer enrolled in a local public school, but who are still on the state's rolling three-year-average enrollment charts. WILL says nearly 20 thousand students fall into that category, costing 360 million dollars a year. Wisconsin pays for public schools on a per-student basis and has a hold-harmless provision in state law designed to shield schools against a sudden drop in enrollment. WILL's report suggests getting rid of that system.

The University of Wisconsin is asking for its first tuition increase in nearly 10 years. UW President Jay Rothman told lawmakers yesterday that the school would like to raise tuition by five percent next fall. Wisconsin froze tuition at UW campuses back in 2013, and only lifted that freeze back in 2021. Rothman says even with a tuition increase, the UW System will be one of the most affordable colleges in the Midwest. Tuition varies from campus to campus, but in-state students pay just under 11 thousand dollars a year in tuition and fees at UW-Madison. Out-of-state students pay nearly 40 thousand dollars a year.

A bipartisan bill is aimed at a law that prohibits gas stations in Minnesota from selling fuel at below cost.  The bill would repeal the state's minimum markup of eight cents per gallon.  Lawmakers say the 1999 law has outlived its usefulness.  The House version is being considered on the floor.  The Senate version was laid over by the Commerce Committee, opening the door for it to be considered as part of an omnibus bill.

It's nearly time to remove ice fishing shelters from lakes in southern Minnesota.  The deadline is the end of the day Monday, March 6th, for ice anglers in the southern two-thirds of the state.  The Department of Natural Resources says all trash and equipment must be moved from lakes as well.  Anglers in the north have until March 20th to remove their ice fishing structures. 

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is offering some tips on how to stay safe on ice that continues to melt and refreeze.  The DNR says the thickness of ice changes quickly this time of year, so it recommends carrying a cell phone, having a rope, and staying away from unfamiliar areas.  A full list of recommendations is available on the DNR's website.

A 26-year-old man charged with making a terrorist threat against UW Madison's campus insists it was all a joke. Thomas Hansen was charged Tuesday. A criminal complaint says the threat itself was made on February 23rd on the social media site “YikYak.” Hansen told investigators the series of posts came about after a girl canceled a date with him.  Hansen first posted that because he got a haircut, the girl wouldn't know what he looked like.  A second post commented on  stopping dating and "sneaking guns" into "crowded school buildings." The third post specifically called out Bascom Hall, saying "don't go" to the building "next week."  Police ended up taking a "large revolver-style handgun" and two boxes of ammunition from his apartment.

A group of landowners cut off from their homes by a blockade of roads on tribal lands in northern Wisconsin is suing to reopen the roads. That lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court and claims that the Lac du Flambeau tribe is endangering the safety of those behind the barricades and that they are unjustly blocking public roads. Those blockades went up earlier in January after the tribe said they weren't getting any good-faith negotiations on expired easements to use the roads. The landowners claim that since the tribe receives federal aid to upkeep the roads they are public property and must be kept open. Tribal leaders want 20 million dollars to reopen the roads, while the town of Lac du Flambeau and the title companies that had the easements have offered much less than that.

Officials in Green Bay describe what led to installing audio surveillance equipment at City Hall.   In a 17-page brief filed Wednesday, three incidents from 2021 and 2022 were pointed out.  The three involve threats and verbal assaults of a staff member from the City Attorney’s office, a staff member of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, and someone delivering an absentee ballot.  The brief notes an email was sent to all city employees in December of 2021 informing them of the recording devices on the second floor, outside the council chambers. Another device was added outside the first-floor clerk’s office. The city opposes a temporary restraining order halting use of the devices.  

There is a plan that would make it more difficult for prosecutors in Wisconsin to dismiss certain charges.  The Assembly Committee on the Judiciary will hold a hearing today on a proposal that would require D.A.'s to get permission from a judge before dismissing certain reckless driving, domestic violence, weapons, car theft, or harm to a child charges.  Republican lawmakers say some prosecutors in the state are too quick to dismiss serious charges against dangerous suspects.  The plan may pass the Assembly and Senate, but Governor Evers is not likely to sign it.

The candidates for Wisconsin Supreme Court are drawing some lines around the cases they would not hear. Liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz yesterday said she will recuse herself from any case involving the Democratic Party of Wisconsin because the party has given her millions of dollars in campaign support. Conservative former Justice Dan Kelly says he will decide which cases he will not hear on a case-by-case basis. Kelly said he could step away from cases that involve the Wisconsin Republican Party or other donors. Protasiewicz said she would not recuse herself from abortion cases, despite criticism that she has all but promised to rule in favor of abortion while on the campaign trail. The two are headed for a showdown next month.

Three former employees of Sun Country Airlines say they were fired in retaliation for their support of the union.  The Minneapolis-based air carrier denies the allegations.  Last month, fleet employees voted 46-to-32 in favor of forming a union.  Sun Country's mechanics also unionized recently, and the flight attendants are in negotiations.

Local-Regional News March 2

 The Pepin County Sheriff's Department is investigating a suspicious death in the town of Albany.  On February 28th, deputies responded to a call of a deceased female inside a vehicle at the end of a driveway on Albany N Street.  The caller informed deputies that they did not recognize the vehicle or the female.  The deceased female was taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examier's Office for an autopsy.  The department says there is no danger to the public.  The name of the female is being withheld pending notification of family.

There's a suspect in custody following a shooting on Eau Claire's west side. The sheriff's office says the shooting happened at a home on Birchwood Lane in the Town of Union. Dozens of police cars and ambulances raced to the scene last night, as did Eau Claire's SWAT team. There's no word as to who was shot, or who was arrested.

There are pink slips coming for people who work for Marshfield Clinics. Marshfield yesterday announced 222 layoffs in its Wisconsin hospitals, as well as plans to not fill 500 other jobs. The layoffs are coming to 20 different Marshfield facilities, including 16 layoffs in Eau Claire and five in Chippewa Falls. Marshfield CEO Susan Turney says eliminating jobs is never easy, but she said the clinic system is not 'immune' from the pressure and challenges of the healthcare system. Marshfield is also laying off about 120 people in its Michigan facilities.

An Eau Claire man, who murdered his ex-wife in 1983 is asking for release from a state mental institution.    80yr old John Brown was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the killing of his ex-wife Rose Brown and was sent to the state institution.    The judge handling Brown's request has ordered a psychologist to examine Brown before a hearing that will be held in May.

Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin and bipartisan co-sponsors have reintroduced the Dairy Pride Act, in an interview with WRDN Radio Baldwin says its different this year because of a recent FDA decision.  The FDA recently issued guidance that non-dairy food products may be labeled with dairy terms, including milk.   

The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly is once again talking about tolls. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos yesterday told reporters he will look at adding tolls to Wisconsin's interstates as a way to pay for road maintenance and construction. Vos has talked about a tollway system in Wisconsin for years, but has never found enough support to make it happen. Vos, yesterday, said he's open to the idea but doesn't think the governor and other Republican lawmakers are 'there yet.'

Wisconsin-based Kohl's is reporting a drop in earnings.  Today's fourth quarter 2022 financial report shows a net sales decrease of seven-point-two percent year-over-year and a diluted loss per share of nearly two dollars and 50 cents.  Kohl's CEO Tom Kingsbury says the company has taken meaningful and proactive measures to better position itself and is confident those efforts will drive better sales earnings in the future.

A new piece of legislation at the Wisconsin Capitol looks to force troubled schools to hire school resource officers or armed school security guards. The plan, which is up for a hearing today, would require schools across the state to report all 'incidents' that involve the police, a crime, or an arrest. If there are 100 incidents at a school, and 25 of them end with an arrest, that school would then have to hire a police officer or armed guard for the next school year. The legislation would also require the state's Department of Public Instruction to pay for the armed officers or guards.

A Minnesota Senate bill would require high schoolers to take a finance class as a graduation requirement.  The Senate Education Policy Committee considered two similar versions of the idea yesterday.  Some Senators want to clarify if the classes should be taught in-person or online, and who should teach them.  Another concern raised is whether school districts will require extra funding and resources to add the classes.  The Financial Literacy Council of Minnesota says 17 states have similar requirements.

It wasn't a UFO or a spy balloon, the lights in last night's sky were planets. Lots of folks took to Twitter last night to wonder about the two bright lights in the western sky. CNN reported last night that they were simply Venus and Jupiter. They were bright because both planets were orbiting the sun on similar paths. That catches more sunlight and makes the planets more visible.

The idea of a flat tax for Wisconsin is all but dead. The Republicans who will write Wisconsin's new state budget say it's unlikely they will push for a flat tax this year. State Rep. Mark Born and state Senator Howard Marklein yesterday it's still their goal to get Wisconsin to a flat three-and-a-quarter percent income tax, but they say Governor Evers has made it clear he will veto the proposal. Born says there will be a tax cut in the new state budget, but he didn't say how large it will be.

A dispute over land rights between the Lac du Flambeau tribe and private landowners enters its second month. WXPR in Rhinelander reports that four roads on tribal lands that lead to private homes remain blocked off. Those barricades went up at the end of January. The tribe says that the easements for those roads expired over a decade ago and that the title companies in charge of the private homes on the reservation failed to bargain in good faith to renew them. They're now asking for 20 million dollars in payments to reopen the roads. Both the town of Lac du Flambeau and the title companies have made lower offers, but say tribal leaders haven't accepted the payments. 

State legislators want to toughen the penalties for reckless driving and make it easier to stop repeat reckless drivers. The bills will double the penalties for reckless driving, and allow communities to impound the cars of reckless drivers if they don't pay their fines. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson says the people of Milwaukee want to put an end to the rise in reckless driving. The bills got their first hearings in committee on Tuesday. 

Bill Ferrario, a former Packer and Badger offensive Lineman, was free on a 15 hundred-dollar signature bond when new charges of stalking and intimidating a victim were filed against him. That led Judge Michael Moran to issue the arrest warrant on Wednesday. Ferrario had several run-ins with Wausau Police last month regarding incidents of domestic abuse with his wife, including one instance where police took him to a motel overnight only to be called back the next day. Court records show Ferrario's wife has since filed for divorce. He was scheduled to return to court in early April before new charges were filed this week. 

The collapse of a parking garage at a Milwaukee-area mall is called "a complete failure." Those are the words of Jesse Hoffman, whose company cleared snow at Bayshore Mall for ten years until 2021.  Hoffman tells Fox 6 Milwaukee the area where the snow was piled in the garage is one of the weakest areas there.  Hoffman says cleared snow had to be piled at one end of the structure, then hauled out soon after because, in Hoffman’s words, “…it can’t stay there long."   Hoffman estimates that 100 to 120 tons of snow were sitting in the structure at the time of the February 23rd collapse which destroyed two vehicles

The Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line is offering more free services to help people quit smoking.  The quit line is adding text and chat services as well as free nicotine patches and gum shipping.  That's in addition to their phone number.  More information is available online at quit-line-dot-Wisconsin-dot-E-D-U.

Local-Regional News March 1

 One person was injured in a snowmobile accident in River Falls Township on Sunday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 55yr old Jeffrey Klingfus was traveling northbound on a trail near 855th Avenue when he lost control and was ejected from the snowmobile when it overturned.  Klingfus was taken to River Falls Area Hospital.

Members of the public will have a chance to meet the four candidates for the Menomonie City Administrator today.  The four candidates are Eric Atkinson, the current Menomonie police chief; Steven Lee, a lawyer and partner at a law firm in Hong Kong; Randall Reeg, the city administrator in Mauston,; and Jason Rohloff, a budget analyst for the city of Eau Claire.  The meet and greet is today from 5-7 at Menomonie City Hall.  The current administrator Lowell Prange will retire on March 31.

A Colfax man is facing numerous drug charges in Eau Claire County.  Dalton Clayton was charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession of THC, and possession of drug paraphernalia.    Clayton was pulled over on February 13 after the West Central Drug Task Force received a tip that Clayton was in possession of a large amount of meth.  When pulled over Clayton was in possession of 1,918 grams of meth, 18 grams of marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia.  Clayton's next court date is April 5.

A capital spending plan from Governor Tony Evers includes funding to complete the UW-Eau Claire Science and Health Sciences Building.  The proposed $345 million project has been in the works for years and would replace the current Phillips Science Hall. The first phase of funding was included in the 2019-21 state budget. The capital spending plan will ultimately need approval by the Republican-controlled legislature.   Evers made the announcement Tuesday.

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit over Eau Claire School's gender policy for kids. A federal judge says the group, Parents Protecting Our Children, doesn't have the standing to sue over the policy. Parents in Eau Claire continue to be angry over the school's policy that hides gender changes at school from parents. Eau Claire Schools argued that none of the parents who sued over the policy had children who were impacted. Lawyers for the parents' group say they will appeal.

There's a warning for Eau Claire school leaders about the city's charter school. The Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty is urging Eau Claire's school board not to change the charter, or close the Chippewa Valley Montessori School. WILL sent a letter to the school board yesterday, saying it would be discrimination to close the school because of racial quotas. WILL said Eau Claire's school board president recently said the charter school serves mostly 'white and wealthy' students, while other school leaders say the school doesn't 'align' with the district's 'equity commitment.'

It will be a while before we see the reaction to Wisconsin's new wolf plan. The state's Department of Natural Resources is not saying when it will release the public comments on the new plan. A DNR official said they will 'eventually; come out. The deadline for people to comment on the new plan, which sets new policies for everything from hunting and trapping to the state's wolf population goals, ended last night. A DNR spokesperson says they need time to 'process' what they've received.

Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to make the UW's Merit Scholarships permanent. Lawmakers will hold a hearing today on a plan that will erase the deadline for the scholarships. Currently, Merit Scholarships are set to end next month. The new legislation would simply erase the sunset clause in state law. UW Merit Scholarships are worth five-thousand-dollars and are given to students with excellent grades and test scores.

 Minnesota lawmakers are considering a GOP-backed tax relief package.  The 13-billion dollar Give It Back plan includes tax changes, a child tax credit, and five billion dollars in one-time rebate checks distributed from the state's surplus.  The plan would also reduce the two lowest tax tiers in the state by one percent and adjust the homestead market value exclusion.  Republicans face an uphill battle to pass the plan with Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate.

The Wisconsin Counties Association’s Opioid Task Force aims to help counties make the best use of their opioid settlement funds. Task force chair, Winnebago County Executive Jon Doemel says that includes helping individual counties assess their needs.  Doemel provided an update during the Counties Association Legislative Conference in Madison on Tuesday.

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Wisconsin Republicans are working on a plan to prevent the number of tuition increases at the University of Wisconsin schools.  A bill in the state legislature would only allow the University of Wisconsin to raise in-state tuition with the rate of inflation.  The Wisconsin Board of Regents froze tuition for the current school year after the Wisconsin Legislature returned tuition control to the board.  Governor Tony Evers says he's in favor of keeping tuition low but he hasn't read the bill.

The price tag for Wisconsin's race for Supreme Court continues to go up.  Ad Impact, which tracks ad buying in races across the country, yesterday said a pro-Dan Kelly group bought 180 thousand dollars in ads.  That's small compared to the one-point-four-million-dollars in ads that Janet Protasiewicz bought last week.  The two candidates, and the groups that support them, spent nine million dollars in the primary.  They're expected to spend millions more between now and the April election.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is sending over a million dollars to local business incubators. W E D C C O O Sam Rikkers says those local groups have a much better connection to potential small business owners than state officials.  Groups getting that funding include MCDEVCO in central Wisconsin, The UW Madison extension in West Allis, and the Five Lakes Institute in Milwaukee.

For the first time in a decade, the Environmental Protection Agency proposes updates to the standard for soot. Clean Wisconsin Energy Manager Ciaran Gallagher says that’s still far short of what’s needed to protect people’s health.  Soot is fine particulates linked to asthma, heart disease and even premature deaths. Gallagher says six Wisconsin counties - Outagamie, Waukesha, Grant, Eau Claire, Milwaukee, and Dane - could see improved health outcomes with a stronger standard.  The EPA proposal brings the annual standard down from 12 micrograms per cubic meter to a level between nine and 10. The agency is seeking comment on that as well as alternative standards.  

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is getting ten-million dollars for renovations.  The money will go toward new bathrooms, additional passenger seating, and upgrading concession spaces.  The FAA says the funding comes from an infrastructure bill to improve airports across the U.S. 

Madison is one of the happiest cities in the country.  That's according to WalletHub, which ranks Madison third compared to the 182 largest cities in the U.S.  WalletHub says it uses 30 key indicators of happiness to make its rankings including depression rate, income-growth rate, and sports participation rate.  Madison ranks second in one individual category, adequate sleep rate.  WalletHub says the happiest city in the country is Fremont, California.