Local-Regional News April 11

 The Chippewa River is on the rise.  Parts of the Chippewa River Trail are now closed as low-lying areas started to flood. Here in Durand River Street will be closed as the water continues to rise above flood stage today and crest at 15.4 feet on Friday.  The National Weather Service says this week's warm weather will melt some of the snow that's still on the ground in northern Wisconsin, as well as other states. That will send even more water downstream. Forecasters say the late-winter snows have increased the chances for flooding this spring.

The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include the awarding of a $255,000 general obligation promissory note for the purchase of equipment for the public works department, the allocation of the city of Mondovi library fund, and a discussion of playground improvements at Mirror Lake.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Roger Marten Center.

One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Ellsworth Township on Saturday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 19yr old Richard Pitman of Bay City was traveling eastbound on Hwy 10, when he lost control of the bike and entered the ditch.  Pitman was med flighted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

The police officers slain in Saturday's shootout in Barron County are 32-year-old Chetek Officer Emily Breidenbach and 23-year-old Cameron Officer Hunter Scheel.  Breidenbach and Scheel exchanged shots with a man identified as 50-year-old Glenn Douglas Perry, who died later at a hospital. According to the state Division of Criminal Investigation, they were conducting a traffic stop based on a warrant and to check Perry’s welfare following notification of concerning behavior.     Breidenbach was an officer with the Stoughton Police Department in Dane County there for about 9 months before she joined Chetek Police Department, where she had served for approximately 4 years.  Scheel graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy last December and had been with Cameron Police for approximately one year.   Funeral services for the officers are pending. DCI is leading the investigation.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking the public to stay vigilant and avoid burning because of very high fire danger across most of Wisconsin.   The forecast indicates warm, dry, and windy conditions today through Thursday. On windy, dry days, embers from any fire, especially burn piles and campfires, can easily escape control and cause a wildfire if not properly extinguished.  The high fire danger includes Pepin, Buffalo, Pierce, Eau Claire, and Trempealeau Counties.

The Winter Moratorium on utility cut-off will end this Saturday.  Those that are behind on their utility bills are encouraged to work out a payment plan with their utility or sign up for heating assistance from the state or a local non-profit.  So far in 2023, more than 6,800 Xcel Energy customers in Wisconsin have received just over $3 million in energy assistance, averaging about $438 for each customer.  To see if your household qualifies, contact the Wisconsin Energy Assistance Program by calling 866-heat-wis.

Wisconsin lawmakers are scheduled to take the first step today toward banning a ban on gas stoves. The Assembly's Committee on State Affairs has a hearing scheduled for later this afternoon on a plan that would regulate 'restrictions on the sale or use of a device based on its energy source.' The pan is from Clinton state Rep. Ellen Schutt, and comes after several cities or states have opened the door to bans on gas stoves. The Biden Administration is even looking at regulations that would push people away from cooking with gas.

An East Chicago woman was arrested for OWI with 7 children in the vehicle on I-94 on Friday.  According to Wisconsin State Patrol, they responded to a driving complaint along I-94 between Roberts and Hammond. A trooper found the vehicle, checked its speed at 106 mph, and pulled over 26yr old Tianna Rockett.    Troopers observed signs of impairment and conducted a field sobriety test.  Rockett was taken to Hudson Hospital, then to St. Croix County jail for OWI first offense.   The 7 children all under the age of 16 were taken to St. Croix County Protective Services.

Three Kenosha County siblings face federal explosives charges. Federal prosecutors have charged Erik and James Kustales and Melissa Simmons with conspiracy relating to making explosives without a license, selling explosives, illegally possessing and storing explosives, illegally possessing firearms, and drug distribution. The three have made their first court appearances and were released on recognizance bonds. Federal agents raided two properties in Kenosha County last month and found nearly 300 explosive devices, more than 100 pounds of chemicals used to make explosives, 30 firearms, including several fully-automatic machine guns, and nearly 20 pounds of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. 

Two teens are arrested in Madison after they crash a stolen vehicle into police cars. Madison Police say on April 4th, an officer noticed two people sleeping in the vehicle.  After officers deflate the vehicle’s tires and awaken the suspects, the two then drove into multiple squad cars while trying to speed away.  An 18-year-old stayed at the scene and was taken into custody.   He was identified as David Wills from Madison.  Meanwhile, a 14-year-old boy ran from the vehicle and through backyards before officers apprehended and arrested him.  Both are suspected in several South Central Wisconsin burglaries.  Two loaded handguns were reportedly found inside the vehicle, and one was reported stolen. 

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Two Republican lawmakers want to allow school employees with a concealed carry license in Wisconsin to carry a gun on school grounds.  Under the proposal from Representative Scott Allen of Waukesha and Senator Cory Tomczyk of Mosinee, school boards would have to approve allowing employees to carry. A co-sponsorship memo says they drafted the bill at the request of the Germantown School Board, and that schools are “ soft targets for those looking to do harm." State and federal law bar people from having a firearm in a school, on school grounds, or within 1,000 feet of school grounds, with some exceptions. Governor Tony Evers would be almost certain to veto this bill.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office is investigating a head-on car crash involving an ambulance.  The sheriff's office says the driver of a car crossed into oncoming traffic on Highway 80 in Platteville early Sunday morning and hit an ambulance from Southwest Health.  No one is hurt but the driver of the car was arrested for suspicion of OWI.

The sheriff in Dane County is now investigating a solar energy company that customers in both Madison and Milwaukee say left them waiting on unfinished work. The sheriff's office last week confirmed that it is looking into Sun Badger Solar. The power company abruptly stopped work across the state earlier this year. The company's owner says an outside supplier backed out on them, leaving Sun Badger empty-handed. Sun Badger is facing a number of lawsuits in addition to the sheriff's investigation.

A person is injured after an exchange of gunfire in Stevens Point early Friday morning.  The Wisconsin Department of Justice says the report of a suspicious person outside a Stevens Point home led to that person firing a gun at officers responding to the report.  The person, who was then struck when the officers returned the gunfire, was taken to a local hospital.  No one else was injured in the incident.   The state justice department’s Division of Criminal Investigation is looking into the incident.

A St. Olaf College student is facing multiple felony charges on suspicion of planning a violent attack on campus.  Northfield police searched the 20-year-old's dorm room and found empty packages of ammunition, a tactical vest, a knife, and other items of concern.  Investigators say they also found notebooks that included a hand-drawn map of a recreational facility on campus and a detailed plan to steal a gun from Walmart.  The suspect has been charged with conspiracy to commit second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, among other charges.

A Madison animal shelter is getting a grant from TV personality Raechel Ray.  Shelter from the Storm Animal Rescue was recently awarded the 25-thousand dollar No-Kill Excellence Grant.  The animal rescue says the money will be used to ensure it can maintain its 90 percent animal save rate.

Local-Regional News April 10

 Three people had to be rescued by the Minnesota Air Rescue team on Sunday in Red Wing.  According to authorities,  a man, a woman, and their three-year-old child were on He Mni Can-Barn Bluff when they became stuck due to snowy and icy conditions.  The team was able to rescue all three safely, and no injuries were reported.   The Minnesota Air Rescue Team is a partnership between the Minnesota State Patrol Aviation Division and the St. Paul Fire Department Advanced Technical Rescue Team.

Motorists along Hwy 10 in Durand may have noticed all of the street lights back in use.   Earlier this year, the city had turned off a number of the lights to see how it would affect visibility at night.  Because the city was able to receive a large rebate on new LED lights, along with the use of some ARPA, all the lights were replaced at a cost similar to replacing only half of the standard lights.

Two police officers are dead after a shootout in Barron County.  A news release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice says there was an exchange of gunfire in Cameron Saturday afternoon after an officer from the Chetek Police Department conducted a traffic stop with a Cameron police officer.  Both officers were shot and pronounced dead at the scene.  A third person involved in the incident was also shot and died later at the hospital.  Authorities have not released any further details.

Wisconsin gas prices are back on the rise.  Triple-A says the statewide average is up 13 cents in the last week to three dollars and 47 cents a gallon.  The average here in Western Wisconsin is 3.44 a gallon, up 13 cents from last week.  OPEC recently announced it's cutting oil production by a million barrels a day, and Triple-A says that's leading to higher prices at the pump.

The Winona Police Department has announced the end of the organized search for missing woman Madeline Kingsbury. Due to the large turnout for searches, police said they were able to cover more ground in a shorter amount of time. Around 19 hundred people searched for Kingsbury Friday and 700 searched Saturday. Police added that neither the search for Kingsbury nor the investigation into her disappearance is ending. As investigators develop new leads, teams of law enforcement will begin targeted searches. Kingsbury was last seen a week ago on March 31st after dropping her kids off at daycare with her partner.

Wisconsin's budget road-show is on the move again this week. The legislature's budget-writing Joint Finance Committee will be in Eau Claire and the Wisconsin Dells for hearings this week. The idea is to allow the public to present lawmakers with their budget priorities. At the first hearing last week, local leaders turned out in droves to ask for more state money. After this week, there will be one final budget hearing at the end of the month. Then lawmakers will begin to write Wisconsin's new spending plan.

More than three thousand people have weighed in on Wisconsin's proposed wolf management plan. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released public comments on the plan late Friday. Many of the people who commented are against the plan. DNR wants to change the state's strategy for wolves, in particular, the agency wants to get away from a wolf population number. Environmentalists are happy to see the changes, they want to have fewer 'human-wolf interactions' in the future.

Governor Evers is closing-in on one thousand pardons. The governor on Friday issued 159 more pardons, bringing the total for his time in office to 933. Most of the people on the most recent pardon list had decades-old convictions for drugs or other non-violent crimes. The governor says they all paid the price for their crimes, and have gone on to make a difference in their community. The governor says they all deserve a 'new start.'

Wisconsin lawmakers could get an up-or-down vote on whether to spend taxpayer dollars on American Family Field. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos on Friday said the proposal to spend 300 million dollars on the ballpark will likely be separate from the new state budget. A stand-alone piece of legislation would allow lawmakers to vote on the America Family Field funding without having to vote for or against another plan. Vos is not saying why the ballpark deal is being looked at on its own, though there is some opposition to the plan at the Capitol.

You've got a little extra time to file your taxes this year. IRS spokesman Christopher Miller says this year's deadline is not the traditional date of April 15. Because the 15th falls on a weekend and that's followed by a holiday in DC, this year's deadline is the 18th. If you still need to file, Miller says using e-filing services will get your taxes done quicker and more reliably. You can find free options online at IRS dot Gov. 

A new area code is coming to more than a dozen Wisconsin counties.  The state Public Service Commission announced on Friday that some new phone numbers in the 920 area code could be assigned to the new 274 area code.  The affected areas cover much of northeast Wisconsin but extend as far south as Beaver Dam, Fort Atkinson, and Watertown.  People who have 920 area code numbers won't see any change.  The new area code will go into effect on May 5th.

Wisconsin’s Republican U.S. Senator says one of the main reasons he ran for reelection in 2022 was to advocate for vaccine injuries. On Fox Business Thursday, Senator Ron Johnson such injuries are real and serious, and he hopes to "expose the truth." Johnson - who has previously claimed that COVID vaccines resulted in thousands of deaths - made his comments Thursday to Fox Business. Johnson defeated Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes in the 2022 midterms.  

We’ll know soon whether U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin will run for a third term. The Wisconsin Democrat said on Thursday that this week’s state Supreme Court win by liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz shows Democrats have a lot of momentum. She said she'll "be having an announcement coming up." Several Republicans have been mentioned as potential challengers to Baldwin in 2024.   

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul is asking for more money in the state budget, for school safety. He said Thursday that he's asked for full funding for DOJ's Office of School Safety -- about $2.2 million over a two-year budget period. The AG said that would help sustain the "Speak Up, Speak Out" program once federal funding runs out at year’s end. Wauwatosa Schools Chief of Pupil and Family Supports Luke Pinion says that’s proven effective, with tips ranging from bullying to alcohol tobacco, and other drug use, to self-harm, to fighting.

The Hennepin County Attorney says Governor Tim Walz is setting "a very dangerous precedent" after he appointed the Minnesota Attorney General to take over a high-profile murder case.  Walz appointed Keith Ellison to take over the case against two minors accused of murder after Mary Moriarty's office offered them a plea deal for time at a juvenile facility.  Speaking at the courthouse this morning, Moriarty said Walz and Ellison "don't really believe fully in democracy" because they're stopping her from doing the job voters elected her to do.

Milwaukee hosts a burrito-eating competition.  Major League Eating’s first-ever World Burrito Eating Championship took place Thursday in the city’s downtown Deer District, with eight competitors gorging on as many one-pound Qdoba burritos as they can in 10 minutes.  The winner of the competition was 15-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion Joey Chestnut, who put away 14-and-a-half burritos total.  Chestnut has competed in Wisconsin before, taking third place in a cheese curd eating contest at the State Fair in 2018.

Local-Regional News April 7

 A 22yr old man is dead after an accidental shooting in the Town of Trempealeau yesterday.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, deputies were called to the parking lot at N15811 Klein on a report of a man shot and needing medical attention.  Deputies began life-saving measures but the man died at the scene.  An initial investigation indicates that this was an accidental, self-inflicted shooting and that there is no threat to the public.  The victim's name has not been released pending notification of the family.

A four-year-old Eau Claire County child is in critical condition after falling into a septic tank. It happened yesterday afternoon in the Township of Pleasant Valley. Eau Claire County deputies rushed to a home there and pulled the child out of the tank, and rushed them to the hospital. Investigators say it looks to be an accident, they say the septic tank's lid was 'faulty.'

A man who pointed a laser pointer at planes in western Wisconsin is heading to prison. A federal judge in Minneapolis yesterday sentenced Nicholas Link, who lives in Rochester, Minnesota, to two years behind bars. Police tracked him to River Falls, Wisconsin after pilots on a Delta flight into Minneapolis complained of being blinded by a blue laser. The pilot says any minor mistake during their descent could have had 'catastrophic results.'

Authorities continue to search for two people involved in a high-speed pursuit in Eau Claire and Trempealeau Counties yesterday.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, Eau Claire County asked for mutual aid on Hwy R near Townline Road for a vehicle pursuit.  Deputies were trying to stop a blue Fiat that had been stolen.  Deputies located the vehicle on Hwy 10 near Alvestad Road and the pursuit reached speeds over 100mph.  Spikes were deployed on Hwy 10 but failed and the pursuit was terminated east of the village of Eleva.  The driver of the vehicle is described as a white male in his 30's with short hair, and the passenger is described as a white female, with brown hair wearing a white puffy jacket.  Anyone with information is to call the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department.

There's a warning about a data breach in Chippewa County that exposed hundreds of people to hackers. It happened at the county's Human Resources Division back on March 1st. County Administrator Randy Scholz says an employee noticed someone else moving the mouse on their screen. IT managers say hackers grabbed a spreadsheet with people's medical-related information. Scholz says 850 people's information was exposed, and the county has been notifying them since. Investigators say the spreadsheet did not contain any Social Security Numbers, addresses or financial information.

A mass search is being organized to find a missing Winona woman.  Authorities asked for volunteers yesterday in the search for Madeline "Maddi" Kingsbury.  Kingsbury went missing last Friday after she and her partner dropped their children off at daycare.  She failed to show up for work that day and never picked up the children.  Authorities have already led an extensive search for Kingsbury by foot, vehicle, water, and air.  The volunteer-enhanced search will begin today.

Jail guards in Wisconsin can now buy into a better pension. Governor Tony Evers yesterday signed a new law that includes jail guards into Wisconsin's 'protective occupation participants.' Police officers, firefighters, and prison guards in the state are already included in that group. Being a 'protective participant' means jail guards can now retire earlier, and can get disability from on-the-job injuries. Sheriffs across the state, as well as Governor Evers, say the new pension perk will help local jails find and keep guards.

Judge Janet Protasiewicz will get to weigh in on the political maps that she called 'rigged' relatively soon. The liberal law firm Law Forward this week said it is planning to challenge Wisconsin's electoral maps now that Protasiewicz has been elected to the court. Protasiewicz repeatedly said during the campaign that the maps are rigged because Republicans have a majority in the legislature. Law Forward's Nicole Safar says they plan to argue that the state's maps violate the state's constitutional guarantee of a 'free and fair' government.

Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are once again trying to tie unemployment benefits to the unemployment rate. Both the Senate and the Assembly passed the plan last year, but Governor Evers vetoed it. Currently, people can collect up to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits in Wisconsin. The Republican plan would trim that to as low as 14 weeks, depending on how low Wisconsin's unemployment rate is. Right now the jobless rate in the state is two-point-seven percent, State Rep. Alex Dallman says the proposal would 'get people off the sidelines,' and get them back to work.

Stillwater is prepared as the Spring flooding season is on the Horizon.  Officials say the nearby St. Croix River has an 80 to 90 percent chance of reaching a major flood stage following the latest round of rain and snow.  City leaders say a process that began 60 years ago has helped the community to be ready for the flooding.  Teens led an effort with the help of the National Guard in the mid-1960s to build a temporary levee that became known as the Teenager's Dike.  That effort became a blueprint for flood-fighting efforts in the city, which now include sandbagging and other prevention measures.

Now that there's a liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court some progressives are pushing to have the state's legislative maps changed.  Some say the maps were designed by Republicans to benefit Republicans and the distribution of votes in each district doesn't match how close the statewide vote is.  However, many Republicans argue there's nothing in the state constitution that says district voting numbers have to match the popular vote.  If the Supreme Court were to take up the case it would have to be soon in order for voting districts to be different for the 2024 election.

Governor Evers has signed the law to keep the UW Merit Scholarship going. The scholarship, which is worth five thousand dollars to incoming freshmen with excellent grades, was supposed to end this year. Lawmakers last month unanimously voted to make the scholarship permanent, and yesterday the governor signed it into law. The governor says the Merit Scholarship is one way to keep Wisconsin's best and brightest in Wisconsin.

Add dorm rooms to the list of needs for Milwaukee's Republican National Convention. The city of Milwaukee is asking local colleges in and around the city to use their dorms next summer to house the thousands of police officers who will come to town for the convention. Milwaukee needs about 45 hundred dorm rooms, plus showers and an on-site cafeteria. The city needs thousands of police officers from all over the state to help protect the convention or to deal with crowds. Local colleges and universities can make their pitch to the city until April 27th.

Governor Evers Wednesday signed a bill into law clarifying a new constitutional amendment.  That amendment, which lets judges consider past convictions for violent crimes when setting bail for those accused of a violent crime, was passed into law by a two-thirds majority in Tuesday’s election. The amendment also allows judges to set public protection standards regarding the release of a suspect.   The bill Evers signed gives the amendment a definition to serious harm and violent crime and also lists over 100 offenses that could be considered violent crimes.

Madison has the lowest metropolitan unemployment rate in the country.   New data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics has Madison tied with Ames, Iowa at 1.9% for the month of February.  Appleton and Sheboygan were tied with four other cities around the country for the next lowest unemployment rate in February at 2%.

Local-Regional News April 6

 With the new Kwik Trip in Durand, there have been increasing instances of semi trucks, using GPS, are told to use 14th Ave East and Hardy Street behind Marron Foods to get to the Kwik Trip if they are coming into Durand on Hwy 85.  While no heavy truck traffic is allowed, Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says once the semis make the turn onto 14th avenue east, it's difficult for them to turn around. Milliren says the city has contacted gps providers to change the suggested route and will look at other ideas to prevent the truck traffic from using 14th Ave East and Hardy Street.

The City of Mondovi's new wastewater treatment plant is close to coming online, and there may be a new revenue stream for the city.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has developed a Water Quality Trading Clearinghouse to allow the trading of clean water credits.  Matthew Claucherty with the Wisconsin DNR says a Mondovi may be able to sell pollution credits to another city.  The new program is the first of its kind in the nation.

The Buffalo County Board of Supervisors is seeking one, civic-minded, energetic community member to serve on the County Board of Supervisors District 2 (Town of Canton, Maxville, and Mondovi).   Residency in one of these towns is required to be considered for this vacancy.   The appointed individual will serve on the Buffalo County Board of Supervisors and various Committees for the remainder of the term which ends in April 2024.  For more information and/or to request a copy of the application materials, please call Roxann Halverson, Buffalo County Clerk, at 608-685-6209  by April 13.

A Menomonie man has been arrested and is facing possession of child pornography and possession of drugs.  In January, authorities received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that child pornography was found on an account that led to 25yr old Darren Mustache.  After a search of his home, authorities found drugs along with a computer that had suspected images of child pornography.  

The Wisconsin DNR is seeking comments that include harvest quotas and other key parts of deer management as part of the annual County Deer Advisory Council process, also known as the CDAC.  The comment period is from April 8 through April 16 and the county deer advisory committees will also be meeting.  Meetings for Pepin and Dunn County are on May 2, while Buffalo and Pierce Counties will hold their CDAC meetings on May 3rd.  Find the complete list of county meetings or submit a comment at the Wisconsin DNR Website.  

Eau Claire Police are clearing two officers involved in a shooting from last fall. The city's police department yesterday said the officer's actions were 'appropriate, necessary, and compliant' with police procedures. The two officers shot and wounded a man after he pointed a gun at them following a 911 call last September. The man with the gun survived the shooting, and the officers were not hurt. Eau Claire County's D.A. had already cleared the officers of any potential charges in the case.

UW-Eau Claire students turned out more than anyone else in Tuesday's election. The city clerk's office says Ward 20, which includes most of the campus, was the busiest ward in the entire city. Unofficial results show there were 883 votes cast in Ward 20, last spring just 76 people voted in Ward 20. There were 158 votes from the UW-Eau Claire ward in the supreme court election back in 2019.

Winona Police are considering the disappearance of a 26-year-old woman "suspicious" and "involuntary."  Authorities said yesterday morning that they believe foul play might be involved in the disappearance of Madeline Kingsbury.  Kingsbury was last seen Friday morning dropping her children off at daycare along with their father.  She didn't show up for work or pick up her children that day.  Her family is offering a 50-thousand dollar reward for information leading to her whereabouts.

The University of Wisconsin's president is defending the recent tuition hike as part of the 'war for talent.' President Jay Rothman this week said Wisconsin needs to produce more engineers, nurses, teachers, data scientists, and others at UW Schools, and he says those schools need the money to educate those students. UW Regents last week okayed a five percent tuition increase for next year, with almost all of it going to teacher raises. Rothman says the UW System continues to be affordable, even with the tuition increase. He says the next step is convincing more people that a UW degree is worth the cost.

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Republicans now have a supermajority in the Wisconsin Senate.  Republican Representative Dan Knodl beat out Democratic businesswoman Jodi Habush Sinykin in the Wisconsin Senate District Eight election Tuesday.  This gives Republicans a two-thirds majority in the Senate, but overriding vetoes from the governor will still be difficult because they're two seats shy of a supermajority in the Wisconsin House.

A Sawyer County woman achieved two historic firsts in Tuesday’s spring elections   Monica Isham is the new Judge for the newly established Sawyer County Circuit Court Branch 2. Isham, Deputy Attorney General for Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, is the first woman and first Native American to serve as a judge in Sawyer County. She grew up on the LCO Reservation outside Hayward and is a graduate of Hayward High School, UW Green Bay, and Marquette University Law School.  

Two referenda regarding judicial matters in Wisconsin passed by a two-to-one margin. One allows judges to consider past violent crime convictions when they set bail.  The crimes specified in the legislation include homicide, sexual assault, arson, and human trafficking.  Opponents of the idea believe it will lead to higher cash bail amounts which will keep poor defendants incarcerated.   The other approved referendum gives judges the authority to set public protection standards before releasing someone prior to their trial date.

Turnout for Tuesday’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election is a record-breaker. Officials say 36% of eligible voters had already come to the polls with more than 10% of votes yet to be counted. That turnout tops the 34% of state voters who came out for the 2011 Supreme Court election which Justice David Prosser won.  That election came during the Act 10 union bargaining legislation period in Wisconsin.

A Milwaukee woman accused of abducting two children is arrested near the Wisconsin-Iowa border.  The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office says 37-year-old Precious McArthur was wanted by Milwaukee Police for the alleged abduction of a four-year-old and a nine-year-old by a non-custodial parent.  Authorities say McArthur didn’t stop her vehicle for deputies in the Township of Marietta.  A deployed tire deflation device led to the vehicle stopping in Wauzeka Township, and McArthur being taken into custody.  The two children inside the vehicle were unharmed and taken into protective custody. 

St. Paul officials are taking action to respond to flood conditions.  The city declared a local flood emergency yesterday.  The action allows the city to move resources more quickly to protect residents and infrastructure from Mississippi River flooding.  Mayor Melvin Carter released a statement saying the flood emergency was needed due to the recent snowfall, ongoing snowmelt, and rain in the forecast.

Local-Regional News April 5

 Spring Valley Voters split on two school referenda questions yesterday.  Voters approved by a 9 vote margin, question one to allow the district to exceed the revenue limits by $500,000 a year for the next two years to help with operating expenses.    Voters did not approve question two which would have allowed the district to spend $7.1 million to build a new track and field and football complex.  That vote was 901 no to 637 yes.

The Mondovi School District will have one new board member.  Yesterday voters elected newcomer Amy Berger to the board while incumbent Chris Rud won the other seat.  In Elmwood, voters re-elected both Brook Glaus and Bernie Christman to the school board, and in the town of Eau Galle, Audrey Marten defeated Cheryl Sagstetter for town supervisor.

Voters in Altoona have said 'No' to the local school's 26 million-dollar referendum. The question narrowly failed, losing by just 83 votes. Altoona Schools were asking for the money to convert the old National Business Institute building into an elementary school. Superintendent Dr. Heidi Eliopoulos says voters have decided what they want for their schools. There's no word if the district will try with another referendum in the next election.

A faulty space heater is being blamed for a trailer house fire in Pepin on Monday.  Firefighters from Pepin and Lund responded to the blaze at 404 7th Street Lot 7 and found the trailer home fully engulfed.    The heat of the fire did cause some minor damage to the siding of adjacent homes, and firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire.  No one was injured, and the home is a total loss.

A Trempealeau County man has been arrested for pointing a gun at people and threatening them.  A press release from the sheriff’s office says when they responded to a Saturday night report of an intoxicated man pointing a gun in the city of Blair, the suspect was already gone.  The suspect was located and arrested Sunday morning.  He’s identified as 59-year-old Douglas Stegerwald of Arcadia.  Deputies executed a search warrant at Stegerwald’s property and found a pistol matching the description of the weapon used in the incident.

Authorities in Chippewa County have charged a former resident in connection with the death of his wife.  Laramie Schemenauer has been charged with homicide by the intoxicated use of a vehicle and other charges.  According to authorities in May of 2021, Schemenauer lost control of his vehicle on I-94, entered the median, and rolled over.  His wife Stephanie died at the scene.  Troopers say Schemenauer was traveling over 90mph at the time of the accident, had a blood alcohol content of .182 and troopers found open intoxicants in the vehicle.    His first court appearance will be in May.

There are new charges in a 2017 baby's death in northwestern Wisconsin. Prosecutors in Polk County last week filed first-degree reckless homicide charges against Geway Braman. Investigators say he was babysitting a seven-month-old girl back in 2017 when she was severely injured. The little girl died of blunt-force trauma. Prosecutors initially charged Braman in 2019 with neglecting a child but later dropped those charges. The new charges are more serious.

Wisconsin's bail system is changing. Nearly 70 percent of voters in the state last night approved two constitutional amendments that will give judges more power to keep people in jail. The amendments will allow judges to look at the charges as a whole, as well as consider a suspect's criminal history when setting bail. The changes come after years of work but were spurred along by the low bail given to the man who killed six people at the Waukesha Christmas Parade back in 2021.

The governor’s office reschedules a bill-signing ceremony.   Governor Tony Evers will sign legislation co-authored by Joint Finance Committee co-chairs Senator Howard Marklein and Representative Mark Born on Thursday. The lawmakers accused Evers of a “blatant political move to purposely exclude us from the bill signing” originally scheduled for today (Wednesday), while the budget panel holds a public hearing in Waukesha. In a statement, Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said the governor’s office doesn't "spend every waking minute obsessing over ways to irritate Republicans in the Legislature,” and that Marklein and Born could have just picked up the phone to request a rescheduling.  

Leaders of the Minnesota Republican Party criticized the agenda of the DFL legislative majority at a rally inside the State Capitol Rotunda yesterday.  The conservative think tank called the American Experiment sponsored the rally, which drew a large crowd to the state capitol.  Speakers took specific aim at bills Governor Tim Walz signed this year, including the measure that codified the right to an abortion in Minnesota.  Speakers also criticized the bill that pushes for carbon-free energy by the year 2040, which Republicans say shuts down coal plants before renewable energy sources are in place. 

Officials in Juneau County say carbon monoxide poisoning may be behind the death of a man inside a cabin in the town of Armenia last week.  Authorities say 36-year-old Joseph Gudella, of Bloomingdale, Illinois, was found deceased at the property last Monday.  A man now identified as 36-year-old Richard Griffith, of West Chicago, Illinois, was also found unconscious and taken by MedFlight to a hospital in the region for care.  Officials with Batavia, Illinois police have confirmed that Gudella was an officer with the department.

Spending on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race has almost tripled the previous record amount nationally for a judicial election.   A report from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks campaign spending, says the race between former Justice Dan Kelly and Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz has gone over the $42 million mark.  The report points out that, as of Monday, the Protasiewicz campaign spent $23.3 million as compared to the Kelly campaign’s $17.6 million.  Special interest groups have also heavily contributed, with groups backing Kelly have spent nearly $15.4 million, and pro-Protasiewicz groups chipping in $11.3 million.   The previous high mark for spending was $15 million in a 2004 Illinois supreme court race.

The owner of the Milwaukee Brewers chimes in on state-funded ballpark renovations.  Ahead of the team's 2023 home opener Monday afternoon, Mark Attanasio said in a press conference that legislative negotiations on financing repairs and upgrades to American Family Field are still in what he called the "early innings".  Democrat Governor Tony Evers proposed to spend $290 million on repairs to the stadium in his state budget, but Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the proposal was likely dead in the Republican-controlled Legislature, adding that they could create a better deal to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee.

Minneapolis businessman and Republican operative Anton Lazzaro will be sentenced this summer after he was convicted on child sex trafficking charges.  Federal Judge Patrick Schiltz set the defendant's sentencing yesterday for August 9th.  Lazzaro took part in a short hearing when he waived his right to have a jury decide which of his assets can be seized.  Co-defendant Gisela Castro Medina, who testified against Lazzaro, will be sentenced on August 29.

Two people are dead after a Saturday night shooting in the Town of Hull.   The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office says a man called 911 saying he found his father and uncle both dead when he arrived at his home.   The two men were determined to have died from apparent gunshot wounds, with a firearm found at the scene.  Investigators believe the incident was a murder-suicide. The identities of the two fatalities have not yet been released.

Two more tornadoes from Friday’s storms in Southern Wisconsin have been confirmed.  The National Weather Service says a "very brief" EF-1 was on the ground for about a minute two miles north of the Iowa County village of Rewey.  The twister, which uprooted pine trees and caused "significant damage" to a home under construction, traveled just over a tenth of a mile and had peak winds of 95 miles per hour.   Another EF-1 with maximum wind speeds of 100 miles per hour was confirmed four miles west of Belmont in Lafayette County. It was on the ground for almost 13 miles.  Nine other tornadoes were confirmed in Dane, Rock, Green, Jefferson, and Walworth counties.

Local-Regional News April 4

 Police have released the name of the elderly man who died in a house fire in Red Cedar over the weekend. The victim has been identified as 74-year-old Jerome Gassert. Firefighters were called to the burning home along County Truck Highway E on Sunday afternoon. Firefighters found Gassert inside the home, but he died at the scene. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Firefighters from Pepin and Lund responded to a house fire yesterday afternoon in the village of Pepin.  When firefighters arrived they found the trailer home on 7th Street fully engulfed with another trailer in danger of catching fire.  The home was a total loss and no one was injured in the fire.

One person was injured in a single-vehicle accident in Oak Grove Township on Sunday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 21yr old Skyler Ross of Minneapolis was traveling northbound on Hwy 35, lost control of the vehicle, and entered the ditch.  Ross was taken to Regina Hospital in Hastings.

An Arkansaw man was sentenced Monday for leading deputies on a destructive chase, then barricading himself inside his home.  Shawn Bauer was accused of leading authorities on a pursuit through Durand, striking a sheriff's car, and barricading himself inside his home after evading authorities last September.  Yesterday, Bauer was sentenced to three months in jail, loss of his driver's license for a year, and will be on probation for 3yrs.

The driver of a vehicle that rear-ended a school bus south of Osseo last week has been ticked.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, Ryan Strittmater of La Crosse was traveling on Hwy 53, when he rear-ended the bus, as the bus slowed to make a left turn.  Five children were hurt in the accident.  Strittmater was cited for inattentive driving, unreasonable and imprudent speed, passing in a no-passing zone, and following too close.  He has a court appearance in July.

Another scam is being reported in Wabasha County.  The Wabasha County Sheriff's Department posted on their Facebook page a scam involving life insurance.  Residents have received a letter from a Richard and Mark Associates out of Ontario Canada stating they can purchase $11 million in life insurance for only $350.  The Sheriff's Department says this is nothing more than a scam, and if you receive one of these letters, simply dispose of it.

A 4-year-old boy has died after getting stuck in a sand hole in rural Kellogg last week.  The boy fell into the hole last Tuesday and had sand covering his head.  Kellogg and Wabasha county deputies performed life-saving measures on the boy, but he succumbed to his injuries at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

Kwik Trip is coming to Mondovi.  Last week the council approved changing the zoning on two lots on Hwy 10, next to Waumandee State Bank from residential to commercial to allow the Kwik Trip.    Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the council fielded and answered many questions surrounding the project.  The new location is expected to open in the fall of 2024.

The City of Chippewa Falls is changing its parking program. The Chippewa Falls Police Department posted a message on Facebook, which reads in part, "The City of Chippewa Falls is upgrading its parking program to Passport Parking. Our current parking enforcement program is seriously outdated and must be replaced." One of the new features includes online payment of fines.  Fines will also be increased to offset the costs of the new system.

Today is Election Day in Wisconsin. The only statewide contest is between liberal Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz and conservative former Justice Dan Kelly, for a ten-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The race has become the most expensive judicial election in history. There are also three statewide referenda questions. Two would revise the state constitution's language on cash bail, and a third deals with how people can access public benefits.  There are also numerous local elections for mayors, city councils, and school boards.

Bird flu is making another appearance in Minnesota.  The Board of Animal Health announced yesterday that the avian virus has returned to the state less than four months after the deadly disease was last detected.  The virus was found in a backyard mixed flock in Le Sueur County in south-central Minnesota.  The site was quarantined and the nearly 120 birds there were destroyed to prevent the disease from spreading.

Wisconsin voters have requested more than a half-million absentee ballots  That’s more evidence that turnout will be higher than normal for a spring election, with a crucial state Supreme Court race on the statewide ballot. The requested number of absentee ballots is a 57 percent increase from the same point ahead of the April 2022 election, where there was no statewide race. This year’s race between conservative former Justice Dan Kelly and liberal Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz will determine which faction has a majority on the court.

A portion of the roof of a Rice Lake business collapsed early Saturday morning.  The Rice Lake Fire Department to Quanex Building Products Corporation on West Coleman Street for a fire alarm around 4:45 a.m. Firefighters didn’t find any flames but did discover a nearly 900 square feet section of the roof was starting to collapse, breaking a gas line and a sprinkler line. A fire department spokesperson said it appears a heavy snow load likely caused the partial roof collapse. 

Wisconsin has a new law aimed at stopping reckless driving.  Today Governor Tony Evers signed a bill that will allow police to impound cars for reckless driving if the owner has reckless driving fines they haven't paid.  The hope is this law will deter people from driving recklessly in the first place.  This is the first bill signing of Evers' second term.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly says Wisconsin’s K-12 schools need to have state-imposed revenue limits increased, as well as an increase in state funding.  Governor Tony Evers' has proposed an additional $2.6 billion for K-12 schools in his state budget, as well as raising revenue limits on local taxpayers. Underlie said Monday that some Wisconsin school districts are facing a “funding cliff.”   

The National Weather Service says three tornadoes touched down in southern Wisconsin as part of Friday's storms. All three were EF0 tornadoes, with top speeds of 80 miles per hour. Forecasters say one tornado hit Beloit, another touched down in Sharon, and a third hit in Lake Geneva. There are no reports of injuries, but there was some damage. Teams from the Weather Service spent part of their day yesterday looking at other storm damage in Green County and near Stoughton.

A record number of Minnesota communities are seeking to collect a local sales tax.  Over 30 cities and five counties are seeking permission to put sales tax requests before voters.  The tax proposals would bring in billions to fund projects across the state, such as libraries, jails, athletic complexes, and road work.  Most areas are asking for half-cent increases.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the nest monitored by its popular EagleCam has been destroyed.  Wildlife officials say it's likely the heavy snow from Friday's blizzard became too much for the nest, causing it to fall to the ground on Saturday.  Heavy winds were also reported in the area.  DNR officials visited the area and confirmed that a recently hatched eaglet had died in the fall.  Officials say the adults were seen flying in the area, and it's likely that they will rebuild the nest

Local-Regional News April 3

 One person is dead after a house fire in the town of Red Cedar yesterday.  According to the Dunn County Sheriff's Department,  Menomonie firefighters were called to a home in the N5700 Block of Hwy E Sunday afternoon and found heavy smoke and flames coming from the home.  While fighting the fire, firefighters found a 74yr old male inside the home.  He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Dunn County Medical Examiners' office.  The cause of that fire is under investigation.

One person was injured when a vehicle hit a home in Elmwood last Thursday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 75yr old Patrick Bechel of Elwood was traveling on West Winter Avenue, when he suffered a medical situation, left the roadway, and hit the rear of a home at 1224 West Winter Avenue.  Bechel was transported to Mayo Menomonie Hospital.

The Wabasha County Board is meeting tomorrow.  Items on the agenda include approving the advertising for the upcoming County Highway 6 and other county highway projects, approval of hiring a public health nurse, and discussion of amendments to Chapter 13 of the zoning code.  Tomorrow's meeting begins at 9am at the Wabasha County Government Center.

Wisconsin gas prices are on the rise this week.  Triple-A says the statewide average is at three dollars and 33 cents a gallon, up nine cents from this time last week. Here in Western Wisconsin, gas is averaging 3.34, up fourteen cents from last week.  Triple-A blames the rising gas prices on increased demand and oil prices.

The man who killed four people back in 2021 and left their bodies in a western Wisconsin cornfield is looking at 160 years in prison. A jury convicted Antoine Suggs last week of the murders of four people found inside an SUV in Dunn County two years ago. Investigators say the four were killed in Minnesota, then dumped in Wisconsin. Suggs' father was also charged in the case, and he pleaded guilty.

One person is in custody after a high-speed pursuit Saturday in Chippewa and Dunn Counties.  According to the Chippewa County Sheriff's Department, deputies were trying to stop 40yr old Mitchell Ludtke following a traffic complaint when he tried to hit a Cornell police officer and squad car along with hitting two Sheriff's department squad cars.  Ludtke was pursued into Dunn County and eventually stopped.  He has been charged with OWI, recklessly endangering safety, bail jumping, and felony criminal damage to property.  No one was hurt in the incident.

There won't be any criminal charges following the investigation into Eau Claire County's Department of Human Services. La Crosse County D.A. Tim Gruenke on Friday said he didn't find 'facts that were deserving of a criminal offense, especially considering the burden of proving a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.' Gruenke was called in to look into a three-point-three million-dollar budget shortfall at DHS. He said he found some issues inside the department, but nothing that was a crime. Eau Claire County's Administrators' Office on Friday said the shortfall was simply a reflection of a need for more social services versus a lack of resources. Gruenke says there is a lot of distrust between DHS, the county board, the administrator's office, and the sheriff's department. He said he hopes that can heal.

Wisconsin lawmakers will begin their work on the state budget this week. The budget-writing Joint Finance Committee will hold its first public hearing Wednesday in Waukesha. Its one of four that will help craft the state's new two-year spending plan. After the hearing in Waukesha, lawmakers will be in Eau Claire and the Wisconsin Dells next week, and in Minocqua in the last week of the month. Lawmakers will then return to Madison and draw up a new budget that they will deliver to the governor sometime next month.

UW Regents say they are worried about the growing cost to get a college education, but almost every single one of them also voted to raise tuition at the state's campuses. The UW's five percent tuition hike passed Friday on a 15-1 vote. Only Technical College System President Rodney Pasch voted against the increase, saying those are real dollars that real students are going to have to pay. The five percent tuition hike is the first in a decade and is earmarked mostly for raises and university employees. Students will see higher costs on their tuition bills next fall.

Wisconsin's election managers are sending out their usual Election Day reminder to remember your voter ID. The Wisconsin Elections Commission says everyone who plans to vote in tomorrow's election will need a photo ID. The Commission is also reminding people that they can register at the polls and that voters can return absentee ballots to the polls as well. Polls open at 7 a.m. tomorrow and will stay open til 8 p.m.

Wisconsin's members of Congress are pushing for more money for the Republican National Convention. All eight members of Wisconsin's congressional delegation last week signed a letter pressing the federal government for more. The letter says inflation has driven all costs up, and says public safety isn't any different. The delegation is asking for 25 million dollars more for security at next summer's RNC, which would bring the total security price tag to 75 million. Congress has paid convention host cities 50 million dollars for security since 2004.

A new report says it will take about a quarter-billion dollars to maintain U.S. Bank Stadium for another decade.  Kansas City, Missouri-based architecture firm Populous presented the cost estimates to the Minnesota Sports Facilities Board Friday morning.  The costs include an estimate for building the second phase of the venue's secured perimeter.  MSFB says the report is meant to be a long-term guide for the future site's maintenance.

Wednesday was Ag Day at the State Capitol in Madison.  Wisconsin Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Randy Romanowski tells the gathering of state farmers and legislators Wisconsin’s ag exports have hit record highs the past two years.  He also pointed to the state’s doubling of investments in dairy processor grants to keep Wisconsin's dairy facilities viable.  Romanski also highlighted the work Governor Evers and state lawmakers have done to provide $200,000 annually for meat processing infrastructure investments.

Close to 12-thousand Wisconsin homes and businesses had no power Friday evening as a severe storm system blew through the state.  Thousands were without power in Walworth and Iowa counties while hundreds more had no electricity in Rock, Dane, Lafayette, Jefferson, and Green counties.  More than 200 Madison Gas and Electric customers lost power.

An investigation's underway after one person's found dead and another hurt at a cabin in rural Juneau County.  The sheriff's office says officers found the victims while performing a welfare check in Armenia  [[  ar-MEE-nee-uh  ]]  Thursday evening.  The sheriff's office says one man was dead at the scene and another was taken to the hospital.  His condition is unknown.

 A judge is siding with the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus in a lawsuit over the state's permit to carry law.  The law requires applicants to be 21 or older.  Judge Katherine Menendez ruled it violates the constitutional rights of people between the ages of 18 and 20 who want to carry guns for self-defense.   This comes as gun safety advocates are trying to pass expanded background checks and a so-called "red flag" law in Minnesota. 

A Dubuque man is dead after a logging accident in Richland County.  The Sheriff's Office there says a hydraulic line on a log skidder broke and hit 54-year-old Joseph Abitz in the face.  Crews extracted Abitz from the skidder.  He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.  An investigation found Abitz was removing a pressure hydraulic accumulator from the skidder.  However, an accumulator Abitz was trying to remove that was still under pressure came loose and hit Abitz in the head, subsequently killing him.

Iowa County officials say two children who fell off a cliff at a state park on Wednesday are doing much better. Sheriff Michael Peterson says the 4 and 6-year-old who fell at Governor Dodge State Park will be making full recoveries. The 4-year-old fell 80 feet off a cliff, while the 6-year-old landed on a ledge 20 feet down. The cause of the accident has not been released.