Local-Regional News October 24

 The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include a resolution to approve a 2024 operating budget short-term loan, a resolution authorizing the issuance of $1.9 million in revenue bonds as part of the wastewater treatment plant project, and an update on North Eau Claire Street concerns.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

Area law enforcement is encouraging people to drop off unwanted prescription drugs during drug take-back day on Saturday.   Across Wisconsin, over 270 law enforcement agencies will be hosting drop-off sites for people to get rid of expired or unwanted prescription drugs.  In Buffalo County, the Sheriff's Department will be at Cochrance-Fountain City School from 8-11 to collect unwanted prescription drugs.  The Village of Pepin Police will have a collection site from 8-4.

University of Wisconsin River Falls held an event Monday to celebrate the construction of its new science and technology hall.  The new hall will house multiple scientific departments and have laboratories for students to have hands-on learning.  There will also be a collaboration center that will allow businesses in the area to connect and network with the students.  It is the largest project in the university's history and has a price tag of $117 million. The sci-tech building is set to open in 2026.

The plan to move as many as 75 illegal immigrants into the Chippewa Valley is not getting any more popular. A crowd turned out at the library in Eau Claire last night to oppose World Relief Wisconsin's proposal to resettle people in Eau Claire and the surrounding communities. The protesters say they're worried about where the immigrants will live and work. World Relief managers say they are listening to all of the complaints. The plan is to move the immigrants into Eau Claire by the end of the year. 

 Two people are dead after a fiery crash that closed I-94 in far northwestern Wisconsin yesterday. The State Patrol says seven cars or trucks were involved in the wreck near Wilson, in St. Croix County. Six others were hurt in the crash. The resulting fire has closed the Highway 128 overpass until state crews can see if there was any structural damage to the bridge. No one is saying just what caused the crash, or who is to blame. 

A Mayo Clinic resident doctor and poison control specialist is charged with murder -- accused of poisoning his wife.  The criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County accuses 30-year-old Doctor Connor Bowman of poisoning his wife with Colchicine, after researching the drug on the poison control website.  Prosecutors say Bowman was planning to collect on his wife's life insurance.

A Wisconsin meat packing plant will be ending its production of veal and lamb, and permanently laying off 127 workers. The plant in Franklin, a suburb south of Milwaukee, will continue to produce grass-fed beef at the plant. In a press release, Strauss Brands says nearly 200 of their employees will be affected by the changes. Employees to be let go who are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union will be terminated based on seniority. Non-union workers will be terminated based on business decisions. The job cuts go into effect December tenth. 

Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to get tougher on reckless drivers. A Senate committee will hold a hearing today on a plan that would allow police to tow cars if their drivers speed away from officers, race down the highway, go 25 miles per hour over the speed limit, and/or have a suspended or revoked driver's license. The idea is to help Milwaukee Police deal with reckless drivers in the city. Milwaukee has an ordinance that allows police to tow the cars of reckless drivers, but only if the cars belong to those drivers, which they often don't. The same Senate panel will also hear a plan to increase the penalties for people who drive while suspended or revoked. 

Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are looking to make sure non-US citizens don't vote in the state. A joint statehouse committee will hold a hearing today on a plan that would require the state's Elections Commission to double-check citizenship when people get a driver's license in the state and would require the DMV to print "Not valid for voting purposes" on any ID given to a noncitizen. Republicans say they want to make sure that only registered, legal, US citizens vote in the state. It's unclear, however, if the governor will support the plan. 

New Research from the University of Minnesota appears to show Chronic Wasting Disease in deer may be spread on processing equipment -- including knives, cutting boards, and meat grinders -- if they are not cleaned properly. The researchers say sanitizing equipment with bleach kills Chronic Wasting Disease.  Critics of the study point out that no humans have ever been infected, so the study's impact is limited.  

The woman in charge of Wisconsin's elections says the effort to remove her from her job is really an effort by top Republicans in the state to interfere in Wisconsin's elections. Meagan Wolfe was a guest on Madison TV over the weekend, she said the push in the State Senate to remove her as Elections Commission administrator is 'a political effort by lawmakers to influence elections.' Republican lawmakers say they want to remove Wolfe because she is the one influencing elections in the state. Wolfe said the whole thing is a distraction heading into the 2024 election cycle. 

 

Wisconsin deer hunters are warned to keep their tree stands away from ash trees. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says many ash trees across the state, especially in the southern half of the state, are dying or dead. They say while the Emerald Ash Borer isn't as widespread through parts of Wisconsin, unreported infestations could be a possibility. The DNR warns of ash trees infested with E-A-B, since they can snap or drop large branches without warning. They say tree stand accidents are the top cause of death in deer hunting, with one in four bow hunters experiencing a fall or near-fall in a stand.

Keeping kids safe during trick-or-treating.   That’s the aim of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections as they announced their work with local law enforcement agencies to monitor sex offenders who are on probation or parole.  The agency says child and higher-risk sex offenders are not allowed to have Halloween decorations or give out candy, and their porch lights must be turned off during trick-or-treating times in communities around the state.  They add that law enforcement will do random visits of the offenders to make sure they’re complying with those restrictions.   If they’re not, they’ll be arrested.

 A nationwide study from Casino-dot-org ranks Wisconsin dead-last when it comes to password security.  The study looked at cybersecurity factors like character length, number of reused passwords, and how often a person updates old passwords.  Wisconsin was worst in nearly every category and scored a zero out of one hundred. Less than a quarter of Wisconsinites were found to have passwords longer than 12 characters, and over 80-percent admitted to reusing the same password across multiple accounts. Rhode Island was the only state to get a perfect score. Certain states were left out due to a lack of data.

The State of Wisconsin is getting federal money to expand its technology development.  Wisconsin is getting one of 30 grants as a designated Economic Development Administration Regional Technology and Innovations Hub. The state can compete for up to 75-million-dollars in development money and already is being given 350-thousand-dollars from the EDA.

Minnesota is expanding its Move Over Law.  The change requires drivers to move one full lane away from vehicles with flat tires or otherwise disabled.  Previously, the bill named in honor of state trooper Ted Foss required motorists to move one lane away from emergency vehicles with flashing lights activated while traveling.  Trooper Foss was killed while conducting a traffic stop on the shoulder of I-90 in Winona in 2000.

A trio of Packer fans from Altoona are among the finalists for Proudest Packer Kids. Aubrey Johnson, along with her sisters Adalyn and Ava, caught the team's attention with a sign at a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks that said she'd trade one of her sisters for a Lambeau Leap. The Proudest Packer Kids is one of the Fan's Choice awards that are voted on by fans. If the Johnson sisters win there could be some trouble. The winners get two tickets to the last game of the season, and there are three sisters plus mom and dad.

Local-Regional News October 23

 One person is dead after a motorcycle accident Sunday in Wabasha County.  According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a 60yr old Lakeville, MN man was westbound on Hwy 60, near county road 13 when he reportedly left the road way and crashed.  The man died of his injuries.  The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of family.

Western Wisconsin's congressman is condemning the violence from Hamas while on a trip to Israel. Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden provided regular updates on Twitter throughout the weekend, including pictures of one of the settlements hit by Hamas in its attack earlier this month. Van Orden recorded a video from one of the homes, and said anyone who cuts Hamas any slack is 'morally bankrupt,' and 'should be condemned.'

Two People were hurt in a possible hit-and-run accident in Trempealeau County on Sunday morning.  According to the Trempealeu County Sheriffs Department, firefighters responded to an accident on Hwy 53 north of Schansber Road and found the driver of the vehicle was ejected from the vehicle and a 6yr old passenger had minor injuries.  The driver was airlifted to Gunderson La Crosse with severe injuries while the child was released to her father.  Evidence suggests a second vehicle was involved and the sheriff's department is asking the public for assistance in identifying the driver of that possible second vehicle.

An Eau Claire woman is looking at another OWI arrest with her kids in her car. The State Patrol arrested Rochelle Olson at about 3:30 yesterday morning at the corner of Wisconsin and Madison. State troopers say she failed a field sobriety test. She had two kids under the age of 16 with her at the time. Court records show this is Olson's third OWI arrest. Her license was already revoked. 

A man found dead after a Friday standoff in Chippewa Falls was an apparent suicide. The Chippewa Falls Police Department said a man with a gun broke into a woman's residence Friday afternoon. She was able to escape out a window, onto the roof, and jump down to the safety of officers. She told police the man was known to her and that he made threats to kill her and himself. Area residents were told to shelter in place and nearby schools were placed on hold. A SWAT team attempted to contact the man and searched the house with a robot. The man was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are looking to use the constitution to secure that state's election laws. A statehouse panel will hold a hearing tomorrow on a constitutional amendment to ensure Wisconsin continues to require voter ID. Lawmakers will also consider a constitutional amendment to prevent outside money from being spent on election operations. That stems from the Zuckerbucks issue of 2020. Republicans want to use the constitution to make sure the state's new liberal-majority Supreme Court cannot strike down voter ID, or leave the door open to outside money in the state. 

The plan to spend a half-billion dollars in taxpayer money on the Brewers' ballpark could be a done deal by the end of the week. The Wisconsin Senate is scheduled to vote on the funding package Wednesday. Lawmakers say they add a few things before the vote, including a likely tax on non-Brewer events at the ballpark. Governor Evers and leaders in Milwaukee are on board with the plan. The Brewers are promising to stay in Milwaukee until 2050 if the deal is approved. 

Another Wisconsin-based company is having system-wide computer issues. American Family Insurance, based in Madison, reports unusual activity on its network. They say they are investigating the odd changes, but say no critical business or customer data appears to be compromised. Some systems have been shut down now and will be brought online again once an investigation and safeguarding measures are complete. Kwik Trip, also based in Wisconsin, says their computer systems were having problems all week after a cyber-attack.

 

An Apple-made water dispenser has been named the "Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin." The Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser made by Plexus Corp won the contest during Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce's annual Business Day event in Madison. The other three finalists were Applewood smoked bacon from Nueskie's Applewood Smoked Meats in Wittenberg, American Heritage six-inch safety toe work boot from Thorogood in Merrill, and a Limited-edition Sno-Thro snow blower from AriensCo in Brillion. According to WMC, more than 187 thousand votes were cast online and more than 100 products were nominated. 

Minnesota Republican Congressman Tom Emmer will make a bid to become the next Speaker of the House.  Emmer confirmed his run for the position in a social media post on Saturday.  He said in a letter to his Republican colleagues that he would always be honest and direct and never make promises he couldn't fulfill.  He also urged them to "come together for the good of the American people."  Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy threw his support to Emmer over the weekend, saying he knows how to do the job.  Emmer is currently the Majority Whip, which is the third-highest Republican leadership role in the House of Representatives.

A truck-versus-tractor crash leaves a man dead in west-central Wisconsin.  The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says a pickup truck rear-ended a tractor Wednesday afternoon on State Highway 12 in the Town of Lincoln.  The tractor involved in the crash entered the ditch and overturned, leaving a 54-year-old Tomah man driving the tractor hospitalized with serious injuries.  A 78-year-old Warrens man driving the pickup died at the scene of the crash, which remains under investigation.

Police in Antigo have arrested a teen in connection with a bomb threat at the middle school earlier this month.  A 13-year-old boy has been taken into custody. Officers have recommended several charges against him through the Langlade County Juvenile Justice System. The threat was made back on October 4th via email. Multiple agencies investigated the threat including the school, Langlade and Brown County Sheriff's Offices, and the FBI. No further details will be released due to the boy’s age. That includes his name and the specific charges against him.

The man who brought guns to the Wisconsin State Capitol demanding to see Governor Tony Evers was in court on Thursday. 43-year-old Joshua Pleasnick made his initial appearance in Dane County Court and was granted a signature bond. The judge also barred him from the Capitol Square and anywhere near the governor's residence. Pleasnick is also prohibited from having any dangerous weapons, including guns. He's charged with a misdemeanor of carrying a firearm in a public building for the October 4th incident. Pleasnick was jailed after he brought a holstered handgun to the governor's office and demanded to speak with Evers. After making bail, he returned to the Capitol after hours with an AK-47 rifle.     

Homes available for purchase are in short supply in Wisconsin.  That’s according to a new report from the Wisconsin Realtors Association, which says the state has about a three-month supply right now.  The association says in a balanced market, the available supply would be more like six months.  In addition, higher mortgage rates are allowing the low supply of houses for sale in Wisconsin to stretch further.  The report also says owners of homes who might consider selling them are hesitant to list their homes because purchasing a new one would lead to getting a higher interest rate.

Minnesota's unemployment rate is holding steady heading into the end of the year.  The state Department of Employment and Economic Development announced yesterday that September's unemployment rate was three-point-one-percent, with eight-thousand new jobs added to the state's economy.  Job growth was mainly in the education and health care sectors, though the state also gained jobs in the trades, leisure and hospitality, and government sectors.  The jobless rate was unchanged from August and was slightly higher than the same month a year ago.

Add this to the list of no-brainers at the Wisconsin Capitol. Lawmakers want to make the brandy Old Fashioned Wisconsin's official cocktail. State Representative Jon Plumer and State Senator Cory Tomczyk are pushing the idea. Wisconsin is in love with the brandy Old Fashioned, in fact, drinkers in Wisconsin buy more brandy than anyone else in the U.S.  The Old Fashioned would be the state's official cocktail because milk is already the state's official beverage. Lawmakers made that declaration back in 1987. 

Local-Regional News Oct 20

 Rain last week is easing drought conditions this week, especially in Southern Wisconsin.  The new National Drought Monitor map shows a significant reduction in extreme drought in Southwest Wisconsin, while in Western Wisconsin the area of moderate drought conditions dropped and now includes southern Pierce, Pepin, and Buffalo Counties.  All of Dunn County and the northern half of Pierce County are abnormally dry.  68 percent of the state is in drought this week--down from 74 percent last week.

The Pepin County Board has approved an increase in per diem rates.  At this week's board meeting, the per diem rate will rise to $75 per meeting and $25 per hour after 2hrs, the county board chairman will receive $150 a month and committee chairs $30 per month.  The new rates will go into effect after the April 2024 election.

The future of Durand Fun Fest will be discussed at a November meeting.  In a social media post, Fun Fest organizers listed the lack of volunteers, the construction of Madison Street next year and the loss of a vacant lot for the carnival as reasons the event may come to an end.  The Fun Fest Committee is asking residents to attend a meeting on November 6 at 5:45 at Durand City Hall to talk about the other locations to hold Fun Fest instead of Downtown, and the need for additional volunteers.

There's growing opposition to the idea of resettling immigrants in the Chippewa Valley. More than 100 people turned out in Eau Claire last night to oppose the plans from World Relief to bring at least 75 immigrants to the area by the end of the year. The Republican Party of Eau Claire County hosted the meeting. World Relief is not saying where the immigrants are from, or just where they will stay in Eau Claire. Supporters say the idea is to help refugees find new homes. Many in the crowd last night worried about just what the immigrants will do, and who will support them once they arrive. 

  Kwik Trip is now saying it was a hack that disrupted its computer system for the past week. The company yesterday said a 'cybersecurity incident' on Monday, October 9th knocked computers offline. Kwik Trip says they are looking for the source of the hack, but have not yet found it. The hack disabled Kwik Trip's rewards program. The company yesterday said the rewards program is finally back on-line, but the Kwik Trip app and the company's website remain down. 

Over $3 million from the U.S. Department of Justice is being used to strengthen crime prevention efforts and improve public safety across western Wisconsin.  Dunn and Barron Counties are receiving $890,000 for the Family Treatment Court Program, and the City of Eau Claire received nearly $19,000 for technology upgrades, uniforms, and officer equipment.  The federal dollars are part of the 2023 government funding bill.

The City of Menomonie Urban Forestry Board is seeking individuals, families, community groups or organizations that would be willing to adopt one or more of the ash tree benches in the City.  The benches were created through a collaboration between the Urban Forestry Board, the City Community Services Department, and the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

The War in the Middle East is causing gas prices to rise.  Overnight, the price for regular unleaded gas in Durand rose 20 cents to $3.49 a gallon.  The increasing tensions between Israel and Hamas have led to a sharp increase in Oil Prices which is causing the higher prices at the pump.   The increase is widespread yet as of this morning gas was still at $3.29 in Mondovi, $3.19 in Pepin and  Nelson,  and $3.09 in Eleva.

Wisconsin's largest pumpkin is now in Eau Claire. Master Gardener Brian Mathiowetz says his pumpkin, Macie, weighed in at just over 24 hundred pounds last weekend. That makes his pumpkin the largest in Wisconsin history. Mathiowetz says he started growing giant pumpkins about five years ago, and has no plans to stop. The old record for the largest pumpkin in Wisconsin was two-thousand-283 pounds, much smaller than Macie. 

The Racine soldier who bolted into North Korea has been charged with desertion. The Pentagon announced the charges against Travis King yesterday. King spent about two months in North Korea after he fled into the country back in July. No one is saying why King ran, but he;d just been released from a South Korean jail and was facing additional punishments from the Army back here in the US. King is also being charged with possessing sexual images of a child. King could be sent to prison for three years on the desertion charges. 

The Minnesota legislature is getting more money than predicted for the next session.  The 2022-23 fiscal year profited about 820 million more than expected.  This came from taxes, accounting adjustments, and other revenues.  The money will be transferred to Minnesota's projected surplus for next year.  Lawmakers plan on spending the money on government programs, tax cuts, or keeping the money in the bank.  Republican legislators say the excess money means taxes are too high and think the money should be put in for tax relief.  

University of Wisconsin employees are speaking out after a joint legislative committee this week voted to leave them out of pay increases approved for all other state workers. U-W Green Bay political science professor Jon Shelton is also president of the campus union and he says unions are getting ready to do what they can to fight for the cost-of-living increases, but can't share specifics right now.

Wisconsin's Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force will keep working for three more years. The group got a two million dollar grant from the U-S Department of Justice for Victims of Crime to fund additional victim service providers. The task force plans on adding social workers, law enforcement officers, and victim service providers in 2024. They say they will continue to work with communities to keep track of areas more prone to sex trafficking and train its partners throughout the state. 

The number of cases of syphilis is increasing in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says though the overall number of sexually transmitted infections has decreased by 9% statewide, the number of syphilis cases rose by 19% from 2021 to 2022 and has gone up by 230% in teenagers and young adults since 2019.  The state health agency adds that STI cases in newborns have increased by a staggering 1350%. If a woman is infected during or just before pregnancy and the infection goes untreated, it can be transmitted to the child.

Everyone is okay after a seagull hit a Chicago TV station’s helicopter near Kenosha Wednesday.   WBBM-TV says the pilot of their copter was flying the craft back to Chicago after it received routine maintenance in Kenosha. During the flight, the gull hit the helicopter, shattered the windscreen and hit the pilot in the face.  The pilot, who was able to safely land the chopper in a field in Pleasant Prairie, received some minor abrasions from the incident, and a photographer on the copter was uninjured.

State Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu is now calling a vote to oust current Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe "Symbolic".  WisPolitics reports that Republican leadership included that wording in their response to Attorney General Josh Kaul's attempt to keep Wolfe in office. The Senate voted last month to remove Wolfe from her role, despite the fact that her nomination wasn't before the Senate. Kaul, along with Democrat members of the Elections Commission, cites a recent State Supreme Court ruling that allows people appointed to positions to stay on after their original term has expired. LeMahieu says his strategy to remove Wolfe will now focus on the Elections Commission failing to appoint someone after Wolfe's term in office was over.

Police are putting out a warning after a Stoughton resident was scammed out of 8 thousand dollars. Scammers claiming to be with US Customs told the victim that they had intercepted a package full of drugs that was addressed to the victim. The crooks spent several hours with the victim, telling them they needed to wire money right away or else they would be arrested and then walking the victim through the process of buying cryptocurrency. Scammers have been turning to using Bitcoin as payments because it is effectively untraceable, and unlike wire transfers, gift cards or prepaid credit cards there are no retail clerks or staff involved who might talk victims out of the scam

The Chippewa Valley Youth Symphony is looking to grow. The Symphony will hold an audition this Sunday at Crestview Academy in Eau Claire. Organizers say kids from six-years-old to 12 can audition and join. You can find out more about the Symphony, and the auditions, online. 

Local-Regional News Oct 19

 Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), yesterday announced that Wisconsin municipalities received more than $134 million in fourth quarterly payments for 2023 for General Transportation, Connecting Highway, and Expressway Policing Aids.  Here in Western Wisconsin, Buffalo County received over $204,000, while the city of Mondovi received $40,000.  Dunn County received $409,000 while Pepin County received $97,000 and the city of Durand $28,000.  Pierce County received $381,000 in general transportation aid.

Pepin County is closer to having a new 4-H educator.  During last night's Pepin County Board Meeting, Extension Committee Chairwoman Angie Bocksell told the board that the Extension Committee has submitted an employment offer to a candidate, but the candidate has yet to accept the offer.  Bocksell also reported that the collaboration between Pepin and Buffalo County Fair continues to grow with more 4-H and FFA exhibitors from Pepin County exhibiting their projects at this year's Buffalo County Fair.

Former Eau Claire County Sherrif Seth Cramer has received the First Responder of the Year award for the 93rd assembly district.  Assemblyman Warren Petryk said in a statement that Cramer exemplified what it means to be a hero through his actions of selflessness and integrity.  Sheriff Cramer’s wife Cheryl accepted the award, which recognizes Ron’s accomplishments and contributions to our community. We were fortunate to have such a brave and selfless person serve our community, and he is deeply missed Petryk said.  Cramer passed away in September.

Western Wisconsin's congressman is fed-up with the infighting over a new House Speaker. Congressman Derrick Van Orden yesterday said the House is in 'disarray' because of the move to oust Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker. Van Orden voted for Jim Jordan, twice, but Jordan fell short of the 217 votes needed to become the next speaker. Van Orden said he is just as angry at the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy as he is with Democrats on Capitol Hill. 

Olmsted County is ready to receive public comment on a proposed ordinance to restrict the use of cannabis in public.  The ordinance would be modeled after the county's current public smoking ban and would prohibit marijuana smoking and vaping in a variety of public settings.  The county may seek to ban the consumption of cannabis edibles in public at a later date.  A public hearing on the proposed ordinance has been set for November 7th.

The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding millions of dollars in grants for projects that will help strengthen Minnesota's power grid.  The U.S. Department of Energy announced a 50-million dollar grant to Minnesota Power yesterday to help upgrade a transmission line that runs from Center, North Dakota to Hermantown, Minnesota.  Xcel Energy will be getting a 100-million dollar grant to help protect its electric lines from wildfires and extreme weather.  The grant covers five states, including Minnesota and Wisconsin.  The Minnesota Department of Commerce will also share in 464-million in grants to support five Midwestern transmission projects.

A second inmate is now dead during lockdowns at several Wisconsin prisons.  Tyshun Lemons is the second person to die in custody since lockdown conditions began in March. Some prisons are being kept on lockdown while they are filled to capacity. For one prison, lockdown will last for as long as a year. Wisconsin Watch claims prisons in Green Bay, Waupun, and Stanley have poor conditions and lockdowns.  Poor conditions include dirty water, canceled family visits, and a lack of timely access to medical and mental health care. 

The Wisconsin State Patrol is once again telling drivers to hit the deer. Troopers yesterday issued their annual warning about deer crashes. The State Patrol says there were 16 thousand crashes involving deer in the state last year. Troopers say it's always best to avoid deer, but they say it is better to hit a deer than swerve at high speed, or swerve and hit a tree. The State Patrol says if you cannot avoid a deer, simply slow down as much as you can before impact. 

Republican lawmakers at the Wisconsin Capitol are looking to close what they say is a loophole in the state's elections laws. An Assembly panel today will look at a plan to tighten the rules for indefinitely confined voters. Wisconsin saw a spike in indefinitely confined voters in 2020, even though many of those voters were not confined to their homes. The new plan would require voters to ask for a separate indefinitely confined absentee ballot, would require voters to prove who they are, and would ban them from voting indefinitely confined if they vote in person. 

Tens of thousands of people are expected to travel during MEA week.  Most kids have today and Friday off as teachers gather for the annual Minnesota Education Association conference.  The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport expects to see nearly 50-thousand people move through TSA today.  The Metropolitan Airports Commission is encouraging travelers to get to the airport two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.  

Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate on Tuesday denied seven of Governor Tony Evers’ appointees to state boards and commissions. Democrat Brad Pfaff, who Senate Republicans fired as state Agriculture Secretary in 2019, questioned their motives.   Those rejected or fired included Joe Czarnecki, an Evers’ appointee to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, and four members of the state Natural Resources Board. Evers quickly appointed four new members to the NRB.  

The Wisconsin Assembly voted Tuesday to pass a bill providing free driver’s ed grants to teens who qualify for free or reduced lunch at school.  Most private driver’s education programs cost around $450, which is something many Wisconsin families can't afford for their teens.   The state already set aside $6 million of money from industry fees paid to the state by Wisconsin insurance providers to fund the program.  The bill now moves to the Wisconsin Senate for approval. 

The state’s highest court decided to reduce the time some eviction records remain public.  By a 4-3 vote, the Wisconsin Supreme Court decided to “shorten the record retention period for eviction cases in which no money judgment is ordered" from 20 years to two years.   The decision will have those varieties of evictions disappear from the tenant’s record on the state court website after two years. The information on those evictions are used by landlords to screen rental applicants. Justice Rebecca Dallet stated that two decades was too long.  The rule change won’t take effect until sometime next year or in 2025.

A newly released investigative report details allegations against Michael Queensland, who was barred from the Capitol and resigned as Senate Chief Clerk last month. An investigator hired by Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu found sufficient evidence to conclude Queensland engaged in the misconduct with a woman identified in the report as Jane Doe. The investigator concluded Queensland's insistence the encounter was consensual wasn't credible. Queensland has denied the allegations.

Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines is expanding its nonstop flight offerings.  The airline will offer nonstop flights to ten new destinations, including Montreal, Toronto, and Albuquerque.  Sun Country will also be flying to Boise, Idaho, Missoula, Montana, and Syracuse, New York.  The new domestic routes are scheduled to start in the spring and summer.  The Canadian routes are still pending regulatory approval and could start in the summer months.  

There is a happy ending for George the puppy and his family. Milwaukee Police say four armed men took George during a carjacking on Sunday. The puppy's family pleaded for his return, and yesterday said someone turned George in. The puppy appears to be okay, and his family says someone found him late Monday night. Milwaukee Police are not saying anything about their investigation into the suspects who took George.

Local-Regional News October 18

 Another Democrat is entering Wisconsin's Third District U-S House race.  Eric Wilson of Eau Claire says he wants the seat currently held by Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden.  Wilson joins fellow Eau Claire Democrat Rebecca Cooke and three others in the Democratic primary February 20th.  The Third District covers west and southwestern Wisconsin.

A Red Wing man has been charged in the death of an infant.  A grand jury indicted 27yr old Hunter McCutchen after a four-month investigation by Red Wing Police and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension after McCutchen's infant died on May 23rd.  McCutchen is now charged with two counts of first-degree murder and 13 other charges and is being held in the Goodhue County Jail.  He will be in court on November 13.

The Pepin County Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include resolutions on the Pepin County Conservation Aids Program, the County Board Per Diem Rate and compensation for Board Chair and Committee Chairs, and amending the meal, mileage, and lodging reimbursement policy for county volunteers.  Tonight's meeting begins at 7pm in the board room at the Government Center in Durand.

The Dunn County Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include the second reading of an ordinance regulating the hours and use of county parks, annual reports from the County Fair Board and the county IT department, and updates on the 2024 budget.  Tonight's meeting begins at 7pm at the Dunn County Government Center in Menomonie.

A judge says there is enough evidence to take the fourth suspect in last September's killing in Eau Claire to trial. A judge yesterday refused Jamon Sullivan's request to dismiss the charges against him. Eau Claire Police say Sullivan is allegedly one of four people who killed Christopher Conner last September at the intersection of Bergen and Bellevue. Investigators say the four reportedly got into a fight with Conner after a night of bar hopping.  The three other suspects in the case are in the Eau Claire County jail and waiting for trial. 

The latest numbers from the state of Wisconsin show both Pepin and Pierce Counties had an increase in population, while Buffalo and Dunn Counties saw a drop.  The State's Department of Administration is out with its latest population estimates and says Pepin County has 7339 residents, an increase of 21 people, while Pierce County had a 130-person increase for a population of 42,342.  Meanwhile, Buffalo County saw a 155-person drop in population to 13, 202 and Dunn County's population of 45,317 was a drop of 123  since the 2020 census.   The report bases its numbers on census data, housing data, and college admissions.

 You are going to have to wait to cash in on your rewards points at Kwik Trip for a little while longer. The company yesterday said it has fixed some of its computer issues, but said the rewards program remains offline. A spokesperson yesterday didn't say just what happened to cause the outage, but said Kwik Trip has been working for days to fix it. The company is also trying to ensure people that their private information was never at risk. Kwik Trip says people should continue to use their rewards number, and they will eventually get credit for everything they buy.

The plan to spend more than 500 million-dollars in taxpayer money on the Brewers' ballpark is halfway there at the Wisconsin Capitol. The State Assembly yesterday approved the plan to use taxpayer money to pay for upkeep and renovations at American Family Field. Sixteen Republicans and 11 Democrats voted against the plan, but there was also bipartisan support for the package. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos yesterday said the plan is a good deal for taxpayers. Pewaukee Republican Adam Neylon, however, said it's irresponsible to give more than a half billion dollars in taxpayer money to a team that's worth nearly two billion dollars. The package now heads to the State Senate, where lawmakers expect to add a few tweaks. 

 Wisconsin's governor is going to have to try again to get his people on to the Department of Natural Resources Board. The Wisconsin Senate rejected four of the governor's appointees yesterday. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the four weren't qualified and refused to follow the law. Democrats say LeMahieu and the Republicans are playing games. Governor Evers yesterday nominated four new people to try and take over the board.

 A southern Minnesota city is exploring its law enforcement options, a move that has upset some members of its police force.  The mayor of Zumbrota says hiring new police officers and paying them a competitive wage is becoming more difficult.  That's why the city recently reached out to the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office to discuss having that agency take over law enforcement services.  The union steward for the seven-member police force said he was surprised to learn about those discussions and that's led to some criticism of city leaders on social media.  The city will hold a discussion on the topic during a City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday.

The Wisconsin legislature's employment relations committee approved pay hikes for nearly all state workers. The exception is Universities of Wisconsin staff.  The raises amount to a six percent increase total -- four-percent in the first year and two-percent the second year.  Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is blocking raises for University employees unless the U-W System cuts Diversity, Equity and Inclusion positions.

A man who illegally brought a loaded handgun into the Wisconsin Capitol has been charged with a misdemeanor.  Capitol Police say on October 4th, Joshua “Taco” Pleasnick was shirtless while carrying a holstered handgun as he entered the Capitol demanding to see Governor Tony Evers to talk about “domestic abuse towards men.” Evers was not in the building at the time. After he was arrested for illegally openly carrying a weapon, Pleasnick posted bail and returned to the Capitol that night with an assault rifle.  The 43-year-old Pleasnick was charged with carrying a firearm in a public building.  Officials said Pleasnick did not have a concealed carry permit.  He’s scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning.

The argument against Wisconsin's political maps is actually relatively narrow. Law Forward, the collection of progressive groups that are suing Wisconsin to get new political maps, yesterday filed its brief in the case. Law Forward argues that Wisconsin's Constitution requires all statehouse or congressional districts to be contiguous, which means they cannot include separate pieces of detached territory. Law Forward is also arguing that Governor Evers vetoed the maps in November of 2021, and the legislature never overrode that veto. Law Forward is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to draw new maps before next fall's elections.  The group says the current maps are both unconstitutional and gerrymandered to favor Republicans.

Minnesota's projected budget surplus is getting bigger.  State budget officials announced yesterday that tax and fee collections have outpaced expectations while spending has been lower than projected.  That's added about 820-million to the forecast surplus of one-point-six-billion dollars.  The actual amount of the surplus will be announced in December.

A Hugo dairy farmer is back to work after heart surgery which involved an aortic valve replacement from a cow. Fran Miron underwent triple bypass surgery in July at M Health Fairview St. John's Hospital. Health experts say heart disease can come with many symptoms, such as chest pain or tightness, feelings of lightheadedness, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Anyone with unusual symptoms is urged to seek medical attention. Miron, who also serves as a Washington County Commissioner says he is still restricted from heavy lifting but is otherwise back on the job.

Local-Regional News October 17

 The City of Durand continues to work on the 2024 city budget.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city has the Madison Street Project and will be purchasing a truck for the public works department.  Milliren says the Finance Committee continues to work on the department budgets. The public hearing for the budget is expected Mid-November.

The City of Mondovi has sold the Mirror Lake Park playground equipment to the city of Alma.  Mondovi has ordered new park equipment and it will be installed later this fall.  Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss said the council decided it was better to sell the equipment than to try and move it to another park. The City of Alma paid $3500 for the playground equipment and will be responsible for moving it.

A jury has acquitted a former UW-Eau Claire official on child sexual assault charges. The jury came back with not guilty verdicts yesterday against Timothy Boehnen. Investigators say he reportedly touched five children between the ages of five and 13. Boehnen always said he never did anything wrong and testified in his own defense at trial. He was the director of risk management at UW-Eau Claire in 2020 when he was charged, and he resigned from that job.

The Barron County Sheriff's Department is telling people that the office is not calling up and demanding a thousand-dollars for a court-ordered DNA test. Yesterday, the sheriff's office took to Facebook to warn of a scam that's spreading around.  Officials say scammers call people up, claim they're with the sheriff's office, then tell people they have to take a court-ordered DNA test and pay a thousand-dollars with a gift card or else they will be arrested. The Department says that's not how any of this works. Authorities say if you get a call, simply hang up.

There are no answers five days into Kwik Trip's technical disruption. The company continues to say there are problems with its rewards program, and some things at some stores are unavailable. Kwik Trip has never called the incident a hack, instead, they say they are facing some challenges. Security experts aren't so sure, they say it's obvious something has happened. Customers say they are starting to worry that their information may have been stolen.

A man is in jail after police say he was communicating inappropriately with a person describing themselves as a minor online. Police say their suspect, Brian Anderson of Chippewa Falls, has knowingly communicated with someone saying they were 15 on the internet. They also say he was trying to make plans to meet up for sex, and took actions to do so. Police have searched Anderson's home and are continuing to investigate. 

More than 200 people at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh are without jobs as part of a wave of layoffs. The university yesterday said it laid off 140 people, and said another 76 people accepted a voluntary retirement offer. The university is trying to close a nearly 18 million budget shortfall. UW-Oshkosh says the layoffs and voluntary retirements will save about 15 million dollars. The university says no faculty members were laid off, though 12 of the layoffs are among the university's top administrative positions. Everyone who is either laid off or who agreed to leave will stay on their jobs until January. 

Republican legislative leaders have walked back a claim about Wisconsin’s top elections official.   Just last month, Republicans in the state Senate, unhappy with the results of the 2020 election, voted to fire Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe. But in a Dane County Court filing on Monday,  Republican leaders admitted the effort to remove Wolfe was symbolic, that she is legally WEC administrator, and that lawmakers have no authority to replace her. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul and the Elections Commission are asking a judge to prohibit the leaders from taking further action to remove Wolfe.

The state of Wisconsin once again has billions of dollars in the bank at the end of the year. Governor Ever's office yesterday said the state ended the fiscal year 2023 with a seven billion-dollar surplus. The surplus at the end of fiscal year 2022 was just four billion-dollars. The governor's office says Wisconsin also has one point-eight billion in its rainy day fund. Republican lawmakers say the huge budget surplus is a result of their fiscal policies. The governor says the Surplus shows that there is money available to spend on the state's needs.

The U.S. Department of Energy will send millions of dollars to Minnesota and North and South Dakota as part of its hydrogen hubs initiative.  Governor Walz announced late last week that the three states will partner with Xcel Energy to form the Heartland Hydrogen Hub.  The federal government will provide up to 925-million dollars in funding for the initiative, which is designed to create a regional hydrogen network accessible to current and future users.  Xcel Energy has promised to provide up to two-billion dollars in private funding to help the project over the next decade.  Governor Walz says the initiative could create more than three-thousand jobs during construction and another 700 permanent jobs after it is built.

Republican lawmakers at the Wisconsin Capitol are once again trying to cut taxes. The latest effort came Friday when Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu offered to replace Governor Evers' billion-dollar spending package for child care and workforce development with a two billion-dollar tax cut. LeMahieu says Governor Evers promised to cut taxes for the middle class but has not yet done that. The governor wants 365 million-dollars for child care providers in the state. LeMahieu said he'd be willing to trade the tax cut for the childcare investment. There's no word from the governor's office on the offer.

The Minnesota Department of Health has completed an investigation into a claim of neglect at a Rochester senior living facility.  The agency said last week that it substantiated the claim against The Waters at Maywood.  A resident fell at the facility in June, suffering head trauma and broken bones.  She died in July.  The resident told staff members that her medical call pendant failed to work and that she lay on the floor of a bathroom for more than ten hours before anyone found her.  The Department of Health found that the facility failed to establish a procedure to fix call pendants after discovering issues with the system.

The Minnesota State Supreme Court will discuss on November 2nd if Donald Trump will remain on the 2023 primary and general ballots.  Former legislators are fighting to keep Trump off the ballots after the US Capitol attack about two years ago.  Minnesota is the first state to proceed with court action because of a state law that allows citizens to request the state's Supreme Court to outlaw a candidate.  Trump is facing numerous charges but is still the frontrunner in the G-O-P primary race.  

There is a happy ending to the story of Mama, Eau Claire's beloved auto shop cat. The folks at Auto King say someone picked Mama up last week and took her home. The auto shop says they figure someone thought Mama was a stray, and was just trying to do the right thing. Mama is a favorite at the Auto King in Eau Claire, and even has a baby whose name is Baby. Auto King managers say someone dropped Mama off over the weekend.

Local-Regional News October 16

 There will be more parking available in Downtown Durand next year with the Madison Street project.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says there will be a total of 17 additional parking spots in the downtown.  To facilitate the extra parking, First Avenue, Second Avenue West, and 4th Avenue West will become one-way between Madison and Main Streets.  That project is set to begin in the spring of 2024.

As the city of Mondovi searches for a new city administrator, the 2024 budget must still be prepared.  Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the city is getting some help in preparing the budget from an Eau Claire Accounting Firm.  The city hopes to have a new administrator in place before the end of the year.

The Wabasha County Board is meeting tomorrow.  Items on the agenda include approval of the purchase of a replacement Chassis for the Highway Sign Truck and presentations of the Extension Quarterly Report and the 3rd Quarter Financial report.  Tomorrow's meeting begins at 9am at the Government Center in Wabsha.

We now know when to stand by the tracks to get a glimpse of the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train.   The railroad last week said the train will move through southeast Minnesota on December 8th and December 9th.  The first stop will be in La Crescent on December 8th at 7:15pm, then on December 9th, the train will stop in Winona at 3:30pm, Wabasha at 5:30pm and Hastings at 8pm.    The holiday train has been running through southeast Minnesota since 1999.

Wisconsin congressman Derrick Van Orden is denying reports that he used vulgarity during a briefing by Biden administration officials on the attack on Israel last week.  The 3rd District Republican said that he was frustrated, citing the Americans killed by Hamas terrorists he referred to as savages. Other lawmakers who attended the briefing claimed that Van Orden yelled at officials providing the briefing, and dropped an F-bomb on another House member.

Bob's House For Dogs in Eau Claire may no longer just be for dogs.  Owners Travis and Amy Quella started Bob's House For Dogs 15 years ago. They say they've gotten so successful that they need to expand. The Quellas have bought 40 acres of land just outside of Elva, and plan to build a new facility to house even more dogs. But they're also thinking about adding space for cats. The hope is to raise nearly two million dollars to pay for the expansion. The Quellas say they hope to break ground next spring.

Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) has been celebrating National Co-op Month this October with acts of service.  Employees also participated in service projects coordinated by Dairyland Power Cooperative throughout its service territory. The PPCS team participated in 12 miles of highway clean-up around the John P. Madgett power plant near Alma, Wis.  PPCS will close out National Co-op Month with a member appreciation breakfast on Saturday, October 28, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the cooperative headquarters in Ellsworth. They will be collecting donations for the food shelf and Basics for Local Kids at the event.

The Durand Improvement Group is now accepting nominations for Grand Marshall for the upcoming Holidazzle Parade.    The group is seeking a local individual that embodies the spirit of the community and who has made a positive impact on the community.  Visit the Durand Improvement Group Website or Facebook Page for more information.  This year's Holidazzle Parade will be on November 25th

The rules for delivering food in Wisconsin could soon be changing. The State Assembly is set to vote tomorrow on a plan that would allow restaurants to opt out of third-party delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash. The proposal would also require food delivery drivers to have a modicum of food safety training. Culver's is driving the legislation. The company says it got a number of complaints about the food that was delivered through third-party drivers. Culver's says it wants to be able to opt-out as a way to guarantee its food quality and its service.

School choice supporters in Wisconsin say a lawsuit that looks to overturn the state's voucher programs would hurt the kids that public school supporters claim they want to help. School Choice Wisconsin President Nicholas Kelly said the lawsuit that challenges Wisconsin's school choice programs would kick 50 thousand-plus low-income kids out of the state's parental choice program. Many of those students, Kelly said, are low-income, and Black and Brown students. The lawsuit challenges whether Wisconsin's parental choice programs are constitutional. It was filed just last week.

Any chatter about the plan to spend half-a-billion dollars in taxpayer money on the Brewers' ballpark will soon end. The State Assembly is scheduled to vote on the plan this week. An assembly panel Thursday approved the proposal, which now has a smaller price tag. Under the new agreement, Milwaukee and Milwaukee County will each pay just 67-million dollars over the next 27 years. Democratic leaders of the Capitol say that's a significant improvement over the original plan that wanted 200-million-dollars. Milwaukee leaders said they would not be able to afford that. Under the latest plan taxpayers across the state would kick in about 400-million, the Brewers would kick in 100-million, and Milwaukee and Milwaukee County would make up the rest. The Brewers are promising to stay in Milwaukee 'til 2050 if they get the money.

 Wisconsinites, and Americans in general, are becoming more worried about inflation as student loan repayments resume. There is a little good news in the new consumer price index ... the inflation report. Price increases are slowing for two key consumer sectors, food and gas. Excluding food and gas, inflation is up three-point-seven percent over a year ago. Overall inflation is 4.1 percent, driven by higher inflation rates for housing and transportation services, air, buses, and trains.

Avian influenza has been confirmed for the first time this year in Minnesota. The state Board of Animal Health announced today that a commercial turkey flock in Meeker County tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza or HPAI. About 140-thousand birds were euthanized and the site has been put under quarantine. State Veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs says HPAI continues to appear during seasonal migration periods. Anyone who keeps poultry should report symptoms of HPAI, including sudden deaths, difficulty breathing, decreased appetite, and egg production. Officials add poultry and eggs should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before consumption.

A 26-year-old Connecticut man is indicted after stealing thousands from elderly Wisconsinites through what’s commonly known as the Grandparent Scam.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin says for a week in late October of 2022c, Matthew Ramos-Soto and his co-conspirators phoned elderly people saying a relative had been arrested following an accident and that money for bail was needed. Ramos-Soto and his co-conspirators allegedly traveled throughout Wisconsin to pick up cash from those targeted by impersonating attorneys or judges, and telling them their relative could face more consequences if the victim told anyone about the situation due to a “gag order”.  The indictment says Ramos-Soto and his co-conspirators garnered around $200,000 from the conspiracy.  If convicted, Ramos-Soto could spend 20 years in federal prison.

Flying out of Madison is more expensive than anywhere else in the U.S.  A new study released Friday shows that Dane County Regional Airport is the nation's most expensive for domestic departures.  The average cost for a domestic flight is 538 dollars.  MSN and an airport in Anchorage, Alaska are the only ones where the average cost to fly out is above 500 dollars.  

 The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says a moose recently spotted in southern Minnesota isn't likely to be relocated.  Pictures of the moose circulated on social media after it was seen along Highway 60 in Lake Crystal on Sunday.  The moose is apparently a wanderer, as it has moved from Nebraska into Minnesota and has been seen near Fairmont and Madelia over the last few weeks.  A D-N-R spokesperson says the agency is aware of and monitoring the moose and won't relocate it unless it poses a direct threat to public safety.