Local-Regional News Dec 20

 The Dunn County Health Department has released the results of a community health survey.  According to KT Gallagher, the director of the Dunn County Health Department, the survey results show that Dunn County respondents feel affordable housing, childcare, and substance abuse are the most pressing concerns.  The health department is planning in-person events to review the results with the public and get feedback on the survey.

Durand homeowners may be getting a visit from the public works department in the coming weeks.  During last week's council meeting, public works superintendent Matt Gillis reported that members of the public works department would be visiting homes to conduct cross-connection inspections and to review any lead service lines that might be in homes.  The Wisconsin DNR is requiring municipalities to conduct an inventory report of the number of homes that have lead service water lines.

The Durand-Arkansaw School Board is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a cooperative sports agreement with Assumption Catholic Schools for Middle School Sports, a contract with Pioneer Roofing for a roofing project at the middle and high school building, and reports from the district administration.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6pm in the board room at Durand-Arkansaw High School.

A resolution before the Eau Claire County Board surrounding the resettlement of refugees in the Chippewa Valley has failed by a vote of 18-9.  During last nights county board meeting a resolution was offered recommending that prior to the relocation of the refugees, Word Relief, the organization organizing the resettlement, arrange an independent economic study regarding costs to taxpayers, which would then be reviewed by the County Board.  World Relief has been working to bring 75 refugees to the area, and while the move has drawn criticism, the agency says it will bring diversity to the Chippewa Valley and provide people in need with housing, medical care, and employment.

A local school leader is asking his school board for an operational referendum.  Jeff Holmes, Superintendent of the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District, discussed the matter at a board meeting last night.  Holmes asked board members to consider a 3-year operational referendum that would total more than two million dollars each year.  It would equal out to about an additional ten-dollars per year in property taxes.

A Clark County man charged in the drug overdose death of a man has been sentenced.  Jacob Faude, from Owen, will spend six years in prison for delivering Fentanyl.  A charge of reckless homicide was dismissed in October in exchange for his no-contest plea to the drug charge.  The victim was found unresponsive in a van stuck in a ditch last winter, and an investigation into the death led authorities to Faude.

Pay raises are moving forward for roughly 35-thousand UW employees, but, Republican state lawmakers say their fight against diversity employment initiatives is not over.  University workers are getting a four-percent pay increase that is retroactive to July first of this year, then, another two percent beginning next month.  The wage hikes were blocked by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who has taken issue with diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices at universities and in other state agencies.  Yesterday, Vos said he and other GOP legislators plan to push for a larger review of the DEI initiatives.  Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein says the programs should have "never been used as a bargaining chip" in the UW wage talks.

 Minnesota senators are questioning why mail delivery is delayed and unreliable  U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar are asking the U.S. Inspector General to audit the Minnesota-North Dakota Postal Service District. The Inspector General already began an audit on four south Twin Cities Metro locations, including Apple Valley and Eagan, the New Brighton Carrier Annex, and the Saint Paul Processing and Distribution Center, areas where customers have been complaining.

Minnesota's attorney general says the state should receive just over a million dollars as part of a multi-state settlement reached with Google.  Minnesota joined a lawsuit against that company in 2021, claiming the company engaged in anticompetitive practices through the Google Play Store app.  The settlement announced this week will refund 630-million dollars to consumers, along with another 70-million dollars in penalties that will be divided by the states.  Google will also be required to make changes to its policies to allow app developers more options for distribution and in-app payment processing.

Two southwest Wisconsin locations have been chosen as historic landmarks within the state. The State Register of Historic Places will list the Daniel and Catherine Welty Barn in the Lafayette County town of Wiota as one of the spots. Built in 1850, the threshing barn is the only one in the state that’s known as a Grundscheier or ground barn. The Wisconsin Historical Society explains that the barn is a symbol of the period when the state focused more on grain farming than dairy farming. The second location is Wyoming’s Spring Green Restaurant, which is now the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center for Taliesin. The restaurant was designed by Wright and opened in 1953.

A Neenah man involved in a fatal Saturday night crash in Waupaca County has been charged with his fifth OWI offense.  In addition to that charge, Scott C. Farmer faces counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle following the crash on Highway 10 in Weyauwega that killed four siblings ranging in age from 25 to nine. Police say Farmer’s pickup was traveling westbound in the eastbound lane when it collided head-on with the SUV carrying the four siblings who emigrated from Ecuador seven years ago. Three of them died at the scene, while the driver of the SUV died at a hospital from their injuries. The 47-year-old Farmer, who was taken to a local hospital following the crash with critical injuries, made his initial court appearance by video from the jail Monday.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is gearing up for the year's final holiday rush.  Heading into the final weeks of the year, the airport's activity is around 90-percent of its 2019 levels, which is when it served an all-time record of thirty-nine-point-five-million passengers.  Officials say Thursday and Friday will be the busiest travel days at the airport before Christmas, with nearly 36-thousand people projected to clear security checkpoints on Friday.  The airport is advising travelers to arrive two hours before their domestic flights depart and for anyone parking at the airport to pre-book a spot.

A virus that sickens dogs is responsible for killing nearly a dozen raccoons in Columbia County.   The DNR has detected an outbreak of canine distemper in the village of Rio. Wildlife disease experts say most animals that contract the virus do not survive, including dogs, particularly if they are unvaccinated. DNR officials are urging area residents to avoid leaving out garbage and pet food that could attract sick wildlife. They are also encouraging dog owners to get their pets vaccinated for distemper if they have not done so already.

A handful of new laws go into effect in Minnesota at the start of the new year.  That includes the new statewide earned sick and safe time law, which makes all workers eligible for paid time off.  Employees will get one hour of sick time for every 30 hours put in.  Workers can use paid time off if they're sick, taking care of a family member, or getting help for domestic abuse, stalking, or sexual assault.  Another law aimed at helping workers makes it so employers can't ask applicants about their past or current pay in the hiring process.  There's also a so-called red flag law going in place, which makes it so certain individuals can be barred from owning a gun.  Minimum wage will also go up, and schools will be required to provide free menstrual products. 

An Olmsted County deputy is being praised after showing off a hidden talent over the weekend.  The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office posted a video to Facebook yesterday showing one of their deputies lassoing a runaway goat in a Rochester yard.  The goat was turned over to the Rochester Animal Shelter and was reunited with its owner on Sunday.  The sheriff's office praised Deputy Heiden for his efforts and called the successful capture a win-win for both the deputy and the goat.

Local-Regional News Dec 19

 Starting next year, Wabasha County will drop from 9 mail-in voting precincts to 7.   This is a result of grassroots efforts made by residents who petitioned to abolish mail-in voting and return to in-person.  79 percent of people who voted in the last election in Elgin township signed petitions to return to in-person voting, and 63 percent in Hyde Park township.  To save money, Hyde Park Township will now join with Zumbro Township and share a polling location and the election costs, while Elgin Township will share polling with the city of Elgin.

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and the University of Wisconsin-Stout (UW-Stout) are partnering on a first-of-its-kind program in Wisconsin to combine instruction at a four-year college with a Registered Apprenticeship program. The new Workforce Development Specialist Certificate program, also known as the Train the Trainer apprenticeship, started this fall to teach students about employment and training solutions that meet the needs of businesses and workers.  UW-Stout is the first four-year university collaborating with Wisconsin Apprenticeship since apprenticeship began in 1911 to offer classes that fulfill instruction requirements for a Registered Apprenticeship and could be credited toward an undergraduate or graduate degree program. 

Over 680 UW Eau Claire students are celebrating a milestone in their lives and a key accomplishment in their education.  Two commencement ceremonies were held over the weekend for the fall graduating class.  Several Eau Claire alumni were also recognized for their accomplishments after graduation.

Eau Claire's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will meet this evening.  The group is set to inform the City Council about practices that are relevant to the city.  Today's meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

The competency evaluation ordered for accused murderer Shane Helmbrecht might not be ready this week as previously ordered.   The doctor has requested a 30-day extension to complete the evaluation.   Helmbrecht returned to Eau Claire County after being arrested in Mexico last month. He is accused of killing his neighbor Jenn Ward in 2016. He was found not competent at that time, but recently prosecutors have been seeking to try him on the homicide charge. 

Currently, over a third of Minnesota's workers are not granted any paid sick time.  However, starting next year, a new law will change that.  The new statewide earned sick and safe time law will mandate employers to give paid sick time to nearly a million workers in the state.  Employees will get one hour of sick time for every 30 hours put in.  People can utilize their sick time to recover themselves or to help sick family members.  

Kwik Trip announces a 150-million-dollar expansion project.   The company announced on Monday it will be making improvements at its central bakery and dairy in La Crosse, building a new facility in Onalaska, and creating a new satellite distribution center. Company president Scott Zeitlow says expansion for Kwik Trip is good for the communities it serves. Kwik Trip will be getting 15 million dollars in grants from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation as part of the expansion.

One person is dead after a UTV accident in the town of Amery Sunday.  According to the Polk County Sheriff's Department, deputies were called on a report of a missing man.  After a search, deputies found the man dead and say it appears he lost control of the UTV, and struck some trees.    That accident remains under investigation.

A federal lawsuit has been filed against the Universities of Wisconsin, UW-Eau Claire, its chancellor, and its Affirmative Action director.  Rochelle Hoffman, a white woman, who is alleging racial discrimination in employment and retaliation claimed in the lawsuit that after she was appointed as interim director of the new Office of Multicultural Student Services in 2022 she was met with criticism from students and faculty on why a white woman was given the job.    The federal complaint goes on to say UW-Eau Claire did nothing to help her retain her job and did not provide her a work environment free of racial harassment.   In November 2022, WPR reports Hoffman filed a complaint with the State of Wisconsin Equal Rights Division after a university investigation did not find supporting evidence for her claims.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue is encouraging homeowners to file for the lottery and gaming property tax credit.  State residents who owned a home and used it as their primary place of residence on January 1 of this year can qualify.  To receive the credit, a property owner must fill out an application and submit it to their county treasurer.  Applications are available to download at revenue-dot-W-I-dot-gov.

More money will be paid out by a Wisconsin company after a fatal explosion.  The U.S. Labor Department said Thursday Didion Milling agreed to pay another $1.8 million in penalties as a result of the 2017 corn dust explosion at their Cambria plant that killed five workers and injured several others. The company also agreed in a settlement to implement safety upgrades after an investigation by OSHA. In September, the company accepted a plea deal in federal court which required them to pay over ten million dollars to the families of victims of the blast, and a million dollar fine. Didion was indicted by a federal grand jury last year on nine counts, including falsifying records, fraud, and conspiracy.

Officials are providing more space at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for rideshare drivers.  The pickup zone has been moved down one level to the Terminal 1 Ground Transportation Center.   The new location for Uber and Lyft drivers will allow space for close to 50 vehicles, which is double the amount from the previous location.  The Metropolitan Airports Commission, which runs and operates the airport, did not make any rideshare changes at Terminal 2, home of Sun Country Airlines.

Wisconsin will be getting more than five-million dollars in grant money for transportation accessibility improvements. Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation say they'll give the five-point-two million dollars to services for seniors and people with disabilities. Evers says these services help people find a way to get to work, the grocery store, or a doctor's appointment. He says the program has helped pay for more than 2,000 vehicles since the mid-70s

Johnson has joined 15 other GOP Senators who want to wait until the second week of 2024 to join White House and Senate Democrats to discuss making the southern border more secure. At a Friday event in Oshkosh, Johnson said the openness of the border has led to the increase of fentanyl in Wisconsin.  President Biden has said he wants more money for the border as part of a larger package that also includes aid to Israel and Ukraine.

Over two dozen people are rescued from a huge ice floe [[ flow ]] in northwestern Minnesota.  Authorities say the sheet of ice broke free from the shoreline of Upper Red Lake yesterday due to strong winds  Twenty-seven anglers were stranded for three hours.  There were no injuries and no one went into the water.

A state senator from Winona has given a group of wrestling fans a chance to see some of their favorite WWE stars up close.  State Senator Jeremy Miller organized a weekend trip to Rochester so clients of Home and Community Options could see the WWE Live Holiday tour event at the Mayo Civic Center.  Miller says he often sees wrestling posters when he tours the homes of those served by the organization, which provides support to those with developmental disabilities.  About 40 people were part of yesterday's trip.  

Local-Regional News Dec 18

 Owners of empty commercial buildings in Durand will be receiving letters from the city reminding them of the extra fee they are required to pay.  During last week's council meeting the mayor also said that the owners are also invited to work with the Economic Development Committee and that the city is also willing to work with them to find new business tenants or potential new owners for the buildings.  

Homeowners with wood stoves and fireplaces are reminded to make sure the chimneys have been cleaned.  Durand Fire Chief Jamie King says creosote buildup can cause a chimney fire and require the fire department to come out to your home. Last week the department responded to a chimey fire in the town of Albany.

The Durand Improvement Group will be holding a small business empowerment event at Club 10 in January.  The group announced the event last week on social media and Mark Tallman from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation will discuss grants, programs and other ways small businesses or those thinking of starting a small business can enhance the downtown.  For more information visit the Durand Improvement Group website or Facebook page.

 A former Eau Claire County District Attorney has had his license suspended. The Wisconsin Supreme Court decided today that Gary King will not be allowed to practice law in the state for the next year. He will also have to pay nearly six-thousand dollars for his court costs. King is accused of misconduct starting in 2018 for sexual harassment, a short temper, and being under the influence at work. King resigned as DA in August 2021.

One person is dead after a farming accident in La Crosse County.  According to the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department, firefighters and first responders responded to the accident on Knudsen Road in the town of Onalaska on Wednesday and found 78yr old Raymond Lee injured.  He was med-flighted to the hospital but died from his injuries. 

Wisconsin lawmakers are considering a ban on life sentences for minors.  Republican State Senator Jesse James is co-authoring Senate Bill 801 and a companion measure in the Wisconsin Assembly, getting bipartisan support from more than 30 members.  In addition to barring sentences of life without parole for offenders under 18, the legislation would also allow anyone who is currently serving such a sentence to qualify for a review after 15 years for non-homicide crimes and after 20 years for those convicted of homicide.  The Senate bill was sent for discussion in the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety last week.

The makers of some popular air fryer models are recalling more than 300-thousand units over a risk of burns.  Late last week, Empower Brands announced a safety advisory for their Power XL Dual Basket air fryers.  The company says a plastic U-channel that allows owners to use the two baskets together can break, and, the issue has caused at least three reported burns, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  The appliances were sold nationwide at retailers including Walmart, Target, and Kohl's.  Those who have purchased the air fryers can contact the company for a full refund.

Minnesota will fund dozens of projects to increase the amount of affordable housing in the state.  Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan announced 348-million dollars in funding for the projects on Friday.  The money will help build or preserve nearly 15-hundred rental units, while building or rehabilitating just over 13-hundred homes.  Some money will also go toward improvements to manufactured home communities and increasing homeownership opportunities statewide.  The state estimates the new projects will create seven thousand jobs.

More prison time for state inmate who made a bomb threat against former Governor Scott Walker   The State Department of Justice on Friday announced a three-year sentence along with two years of extended supervision for 53-year-old Terrence Grissom, for the 2018 bomb scare threat against the governor. Grissom pled guilty to bomb scare as a habitual criminal. He was a state prison inmate on April 9 2018, when a letter was delivered to the Dane County District Attorney's office. It stated there was a bomb in the governor's office that would go off at the push of a button. A bomb-sniffing canine was brought in and it was determined there was no threat.

The ACLU of Wisconsin wants answers about the requests to ban books in a half-dozen school districts across the state. The ACLU Thursday filed an open records request with schools Menomonee Falls, Howard-Suamico, Waukesha, Elmbrook, Elkhorn, and Kenosha, asking to see who wants certain books pulled off the shelves. The ACLU also wants to know how the school districts are handling the requests. Schools have been busy this year with requests from parents to pull what they call 'objectionable' materials from school libraries. But in some school districts that 'objectionable' material includes books like SlaughterHouse Five and The Grapes of Wrath. The ACLU says 'extremist parents' are driving the book ban efforts. 

COVID-19 cases are going up in Wisconsin.  The state health department says the coronavirus is sending more people to the emergency room, especially those 65 and older, and they're also seeing a rise in RSV and flu cases.  They add, however, that vaccination rates are down in Wisconsin.  The state's chief medical officer says only 12-percent of eligible adults in Wisconsin received the updated COVID vaccine.

Upgrades to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation website are finished. The DOT launched its site redesign last week, including an improved mobile phone layout and more ADA accessibility. Wisconsinites can use the website to read about road conditions and renew their registration and driver's license. The DOT says more than two-million people renewed their plates using the website last year.

Overtime and bonuses would be tax-free in Wisconsin under proposed legislation at the Capitol.  The Republican-backed idea would make wages on hourly earnings beyond 40 hours a week and employer bonuses up to $2,500 per year exempt from the state income tax. Proponents of the bill say it would help workers deal with inflation while also spurring people to pick up extra hours at their in shorthanded workplace. The sponsors of the bill say Wisconsin workers would save about $320 per year if it were approved. The legislation is currently being circulated for co-sponsorship by other legislators.

 A Wisconsin father and daughter are getting the credit for discovering what's thought to be a 150-year-old shipwreck in Lake Michigan.  Tim Wollak and his six-year-old daughter, Henley, were out fishing near Green Bay back in August when the sonar detector picked up an unusual ping.  He posted the pics to social media, where it caught the attention of the Wisconsin Historical Society.  The society says it's a wooden three-masted sailing ship and while it hasn't been confirmed, it seems likely its the George L. Newman.  That ship was lost in 1871 carrying a load of lumber while trying to make its way through thick smoke from a wildfire.  A search is planned of the site next year.

Local-Regional News Dec 15

 The reconstruction of Madison Street next year will be altered to accommodate Fun Fest.  During this week's city council meeting, Public Works Superintendent Matt Gills told the council that the project would be split into three different work zones, each with a different period.  For the part of Madison Street by Memorial Park, construction wouldn't begin until after Fun Fest.  Gills said they will also try to keep that portion of Madison Street paved until after Fun Fest, so organizers can use Madison street for events.

An Eau Claire man could be sentenced to over 400 years in prison following a federal indictment.   The U.S. Department of Justice says Robert Carter is facing 25 charges stemming from a scheme where he allegedly defrauded financial institutions and other businesses. Carter is accused of obtaining over a half-million dollars through credit cards and loans by making false statements and giving false documents to various business owners and investors from 2016 through 2021. The 43-year-old also allegedly used the identity of another person. If convicted, Carter would face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each of 17 wire fraud charges, and up to 20 years on money laundering charges.

 A jury didn't buy a Barron County man's insanity defense in his child pornography case. Derek Salewski pleaded guilty earlier this week to child sexual exploitation, but also claimed to be insane. The jury yesterday said Salewski did not have a mental defect when he downloaded pictures or videos showing young children being sexually assaulted. He's looking at 40 years in prison when he's sentenced in March. 

The plan from Wisconsin's northwoods' congressman to protect chocolate milk in school is moving ahead on Capitol Hill. Congressman Tom Tiffany yesterday said his milk protection act was included in a House resolution this week. Tiffany's plan would stop the Biden Administration from banning chocolate milk from the nation's school lunch program. The USDA is considering a ban on chocolate and other flavored milks to keep kids from having too much sugar. Tiffany says banning chocolate milk would likely end with fewer kids drinking any milk. 

The effort to dredge Lake Altoona is showing some signs of success. Crews expect to take 60 thousand cubic-yards of sediment out of the lake during this latest dredge. That's enough dirt and sand to fill a three-story building. That's also twice what crews would normally take. Lake Altoona district secretary Margaret Higley says the lake has gotten deeper, and Eau Claire continues to be protected from flooding because of the dredging effort. This latest round should wrap-up in a month or so. 

There are charges for a Tomah man in an overdose death back in February. Prosecutors in Monroe County filed the charges this week against Nicholas Hage. Investigators say he sold meth and fentanyl to a man who overdosed earlier this year. A judge ordered Hage held on 20 thousand-dollars cash bond. He's due back in court at the end of next month. 

There will be more Wisconsin troopers on the road starting today until New Year's Day. State Patrol says it puts more law enforcement on the road during the holiday season since they see more impaired driving. They reported 470 crashes involving drunk drivers in the last two weeks of 2022. State Patrol says these accidents killed five people and injured 178. They encourage finding designated sober drivers or other rideshare methods if celebrating with alcohol over the holidays.

Free tele-health services for COVID-19 treatment have been extended through April 10 of next year. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says an expected continued increase in COVID cases was a factor in the decision. Wisconsin DHS introduced the service in November of last year and says they completed more than 6-thousand consults since. Nearly half of those patients reported being age 60 and older. After free COVID tele-health resources expire, those without insurance will still have free or low-cost health clinics available.  

 The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is charging Xcel Energy for surpassing its storage tank capacity without a permit and for cleaning up radioactive water that slipped into the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant a year ago.  Xcel Energy said on Thursday they estimated between 750 thousand and 900 thousand gallons of water leaked.  As the company attempted to clean, they used more tanks without informing MPCA for a permit.  Xcel was fined 14 thousand dollars for the incident.  

 Democrats at the Wisconsin Capitol want the state to be more open about lockdowns and conditions in the state's prisons. A handful of lawmakers yesterday introduced a proposal that would require more transparency about when, and how inmates are being confined to their cells. Madison State Senator Kelda Roys says the idea is to make sure Wisconsin's prisons are treating inmates in the most humane way possible. Lockdowns have been an issue in Wisconsin prisons. Inmates in both Green Bay and Waupun have been under lockdowns for months because of staffing and safety issues. 

A new plan at the Wisconsin Capitol would make unauthorized homeless camps a crime. Much of the plan, Senate Bill 669, deals with allowing cities and counties to set-up spaces in parks or other public lands to allow homeless camps. But the legislation also has punishments for homeless people who stay somewhere else. Those include a 500 dollar fine, and up to 30 days in jail. Lawmakers held a hearing on the plan last week. It will likely come-up for a vote at the statehouse after the first of the year. 

 Wisconsin's governor isn't happy that UW regents have reversed course, and accepted the DEI deal from Republican lawmakers. Governor Tony Evers said after Wednesday's vote to swap 40 diversity, equity, and inclusion jobs for nearly a billion-dollars in pay raises for UW workers and other university needs, that Republicans overreached and forced UW regents to bend to their political will. Evers says the university needs to be independent and autonomous. He slammed the Republican offer as a 'tantrum.' Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the regents' second vote gets 'real reforms enacted,' and slammed the governor for lobbying against the vote.

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan is calling Donald Trump an "authoritarian narcissist."  The Wisconsin Republican spoke Wednesday at a virtual event and defended former Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for speaking out against Trump.  Ryan said they called him out because he's "not a conservative" but "an authoritarian narcissist," and claimed all of Trump's "tendencies are basically where narcissism takes him, which is whatever makes him popular" and "makes him feel good in any given moment."  Trump's campaign spokesperson responded by calling Ryan "a loser who left Congress in disgrace."

An Indiana-based flag company is memorializing some rejected Minnesota state flag designs.  Flags For Good is selling a limited batch of " best, funniest, and most iconic" designs that didn't make the cut.  Over two thousand designs were submitted to Minnesota's Emblems Redesign Commission, and now the field has been narrowed down to just three.  Flags For Good will bring six of the rejected flags to life, including the North Star flag, the Menacing Loon flag, and the Great Lakes Pride flag. 

Five men now face criminal charges for attempting to steal a bank ATM in Roseville.  Four Texans and Dekorius Durham of St. Paul have been charged with theft and property damage.  Police say the suspects targeted an ATM on Tuesday by placing a chain around it that was connected to an SUV.  They tried to pull it but the ATM fell over and never left the bank property.  All five defendants are behind bars on 50 thousand dollars bail and are expected to appear in court sometime today.

 It's a sad end to the story of Wisconsin's lonely elk. The state's Department of Natural Resources yesterday said the young elk, known officially as Bull 357, died after being hit by a car in Illinois. The elk was spotted wandering around Wisconsin. He was seen near Wausau and in McFarland. The DNR says the elk was likely looking to mate, but couldn't find a partner. The DNR says the elk died after being hit near Joliet, which is 40 miles south of Chicago. 

Local-Regional News Dec 14

The Tarrant Park Pool project will move forward.  Last night, the Durand City Council voted to accept the bid from Durand Builders to build the pool with 6 of the 7 amenities for a total cost of $4,124,284.  The council decided to exclude building a concession stand with the pool due to concerns from area businesses, and state licensing requirements for a concession stand.  Construction is slated to begin in 2024 with the new pool opening in 2025.

One person was injured in a three-vehicle accident in Ellsworth Township last Friday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 73yr old Barbara Olson of Durand was stopped at the stop sign at Hwy DD and Hwy 72 and started to cross Hwy 72 when she collided with an eastbound vehicle driven by 48yr old Antohny Mader of Elmwood.  Mader then colled with a westbound dump truck operated by 21yr old Andrew Grant of Downing.  Mader was taken to Western Wisconsin Health, while Olson and Grant were not injured.

The village of Alma and the City of Ellsworth have both received grants to improve their municipal wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.  Alma is receiving $829,000 to replace lift station 4 while Elllsworth is receiving $3.1 million to rehabilitate the sanitary sewer lines on Grant, Piety, Woodworth and Strickland Streets.  The money is coming from the Wisconsin Clean Water Fund Program.

Heritage Hall at UW-Stout has been approved for construction to make a new unified home for all the programs within the College of Arts and Human Services.  The project will provide greater space efficiencies, utilization and opportunity for collaboration and informal learning.  The project was one of $589 million in projects that was approved by the Wisconsin State Building Commission.

Police in Chippewa Falls say a woman is in custody after she drove through parts of the Christmas Village in Irvine Park. It happened yesterday morning. Officers say they got a call about someone running down Christmas decorations with a van about 7:45 a.m. When they arrived, police say parks department crews were trying to pen the woman's van in. Eventually, officers were able to stop the rampage and arrested 32-year-old Ebony Hudson of Loudon, Tennessee. Chippewa Falls Police say Hudson wasn't drunk or high, they say she intentionally ran over the Christmas displays. The damage was cleaned up, and the Christmas Village reopened last night. 

All of Wisconsin's Republican congressmen voted for the impeachment inquiry into President Biden. In fact, every Republican on Capitol Hill voted for the inquiry yesterday. Western Wisconsin Congressman Derrick Van Orden says Congress has a 'Constitutional duty' to ensure the president is acting honestly and morally. Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany says the American people deserve some transparency as to whether the president benefited from his son's foreign business dealings. The impeachment inquiry vote simply extends the House investigation into President Biden, it doesn't impeach him or remove him from office. 

Eight Wisconsin communities will get eleven million dollars for building safer roads. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says the City Madison will get more than six-point-two-million, the City of Milwaukee will get four million, and Chippewa County will get 200-thousand dollars. The federal grant money is meant to create infrastructure and traffic safety programs to prevent road injuries and deaths. One-point-one billion dollars will be given out nationally through the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program. 

There's a new billboard, and a new county resolution opposing the resettlement of refugees in Eau Claire. The billboard is up along Truax Boulevard, on the city's north side, and claims that tax dollars are being spent to help traffic Somali refugees to Eau Claire County. It is the latest public opposition to move 75 refugees to the area, though it's not known just where those refugees will come from. The billboard is not the only opposition, though. Five county board supervisors have written a resolution that asks to see the feasibility data for the proposed refugee move. The group World Relief is working to resettle the refugees in the Eau Claire area, but has yet to answer questions about who the refugees are, where they will live, or what they will do for jobs once they arrive. 

 People who work for the University of Wisconsin will get their pay raises, and Republican lawmakers will get a small victory over diversity, equity, and inclusion spending. UW regents yesterday changed their mind and voted to accept the agreement that swapped 800 million dollars for raises, a new engineering building at the Madison campus, and millions more for other needs in exchange for repurposing just over 40 DEI administrators. Three regents changed their minds. Yesterday's vote came after regents voted down the same deal on Saturday. 

Wisconsin's Supreme Court won't hear the challenge to school choice in the state, at least not yet. The new liberal-majority court yesterday said the challenge, which is being paid for by the progressive owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company, needs to go through the lower courts first. Kirk Bangstad, the owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company, claims that school choice is unconstitutional and hurts Wisconsin's public schools. School choice supporters say ending school choice would hurt over 50 thousand kids in the state. School choice supporters yesterday celebrated the Supreme Court's announcement. The court rejected the case without comment. 

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul yesterday refused to say if he is investigating, or planning to bring charges against Wisconsin's alternate electors. Prosecutors in Michigan have filed charges against Trump electors there, and there are investigations in Arizona and Nevada. Kaul has been silent for months on an investigation here. Last week Wisconsin's Trump electors settled a lawsuit over their plans, without admitting any wrongdoing. 

 It's been six months since a Sauk County boy allegedly walked into Devils Lake State Park on some sort of survival mission. The sheriff's office yesterday said there are no new updates in the search for James Yoblonski. He's been missing since mid-June when his dad said he took-off for the woods. Investigators say they have not gotten a report of a sighting in months, though they say their investigation remains open. Yoblonski's father says he believes his son is alive. The sheriff's office says they gave the dad a lie detector test, and are confident he didn't have anything to do with his son's disappearance. 

A research boat that a UW-Madison doctoral student reported missing over a month ago has been found.  Chelsea Volpano said she was collecting data about coastal erosion along the shore of Lake Michigan in Grafton, when the small orange boat she was using to gather the data drifted away. Tuesday, Volpano said the vessel was found more than 100 miles across the lake in the northwest Michigan city of Frankfort. It’s not clear if the data collected by the boat remained intact. If it was lost, it would put Volpano back a year from finishing her degree in geoscience.

 A new Wisconsin program will give nearly 42-million dollars to reduce homelessness and expand affordable housing statewide. Governor Tony Evers says the HOME-American Rescue Plan will also support programs aiming to help low-income and housing-insecure families. The federal program was created in response to the COVID pandemic and is giving out five-billion nationally. Applicants looking to develop rental units and provide support services can apply for funding on the State of Wisconsin's website.

Unseasonably warm, dry weather has increased the risk of wildfires across Minnesota.  The Department of Natural Resources says the lack of snow and unusually dry conditions for December are to blame.  Wildfire prevention specialists say its risky to burn dead vegetation right now, especially with windy conditions and temperature increases forecasted for next week.  Vegetative debris could catch fire easily, and the blaze could quickly spread.  Experts expect there will be an increased wildfire risk until at least three inches of snow covers the ground this winter.  

It's a safe bet that the racing sausages aren't going anywhere anytime soon. The owners of Johnsonville Brats have bought a piece of the Milwaukee Brewers. The team yesterday said that Ralph and Shelly Stayer, the owners of Johnsonville, bought a minority stake. No one is saying just how much the Stayers paid, or how much of the team they bought. The Stayers have been lifelong baseball fans, and Johnsonville has been the Brewers' official sausage since 2018.  

Local-Regional News Dec 13

 A truck driver is hurt after colliding with a train in Dunn County.  According to Elk Mound Police, a 27yr old Colfax man was traveling eastbound on Hwy 12 hauling corn when he turned left onto 970th street and stopped less than 15ft from the railroad crossing and was struck by a westbound Union Pacific train.  The truck overturned and spilled the corn.  There was no derailment or other issues with the train and UPRR staff were able to remove the train from the scene. UPRR staff are fully cooperating with the Elk Mound Police investigation.  970th Street was closed for several hours during the initial investigation and cleanup.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on issuing a notice to award the project bid for the Tarrant Park Pool, along with reports from the Mayor and Department Heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall and will be live streamed on the Video Streaming Page of our Website.

The Wabasha City Council will approve its final budget on December 19th, 2023.  The 2024 $3,961,705 budget and reflects an 6.0% levy increase and is expected to maintain current services from the city.    The budget has an overall 15.7% operating costs increase but the impact on taxpayers remained lower due to an overall 16% increase in revenues like additional local aid from the State, and increases in fees like ambulance revenues.  Wages saw the highest increase in the budget.  Employees received a 3% general wage increase and qualifying non-union employees received a 2% step increase.

Youth in grades 5K-12 are invited to participate in the fourth annual Art-U art education program. Grades 5K-6 will attend virtual sessions, while Grades 7 and up are invited to participate on the UW-Stout Campus. This program is put on in cooperation with Dunn, Eau Claire, and Chippewa County 4-H, UW-Stout art education students, and Arts Integration Menomonie (AIM). Everyone is welcome to attend. Youth do not need to be in 4-H to participate.The program is offered on Monday nights for five weeks starting on January 29th. There will be an in-person art show on March 4th. The cost is $5 for 4-H members and $10 for any other youth.  Registration Deadline is January 3rd.  Visit the Dunn County 4-H Website for more information.

One of the lawsuits surrounding a 2019 officer-involved shooting that left an Eau Claire County man dead has been dismissed. A federal judge yesterday tossed the excessive force lawsuit connected to Tyler Meier's death. Police say he attacked an Augusta police officer, and the officer shot and killed him in self-defense. Meier's family claimed excessive force. Meier's family continues to move ahead with a wrongful death suit in Eau Claire County court. 

 The legal battle between Eau Claire and the Town of Washington is over, and it clears the way for new homes to be built in the Orchard Hills area. The city council last night voted to drop its lawsuits against both the town and the DNR. The agreement to end the lawsuits comes with a new directive for developers who want to build houses in the Orchard Hills area. Developers must build homes and will pay the town of Washington 300 thousand-dollars over the next three years for road development. There's no word when we could see some development begin. 

 Eau Claire County is ready to move forward with its jail renovation project. The county approved three million-dollars for the jail project earlier this year, and now the county is ready to get started. County Board Chair Nancy Coffey says the plan is to remove two of the jail's three group cells and replace them with 12 individual cells. The work is ready, but Coffey says the county needs to figure out which account it will use to pay for the work. Originally the plan was to borrow the money, but Eau Claire County has some leftover coronavirus stimulus cash, and Coffey is considering using that. 

 Property taxes will be higher this year, despite local governments having a lot more money.  That's according to a new a report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, that says property taxes are expected to jump about 4-point-7 percent across the state. It also says that will be 'cushioned' by two state tax credits. The new state budget added just over 250 million to the school tax levy credit and boosted the lottery tax credit by 16 million. Those two tax credits mean the nearly five percent property tax increase most people will see on their new bills will be closer to two or three percent.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is fining Bloomington-based Holiday Stationstores and parent company Circle K.  They will have to pay 200-thousand-dollars after being found guilty of failing to address equipment issues at five locations between 2019 and 2022.  That includes stores in Northfield, Owatonna, Pine City, Rochester, and Walker. They will also have to spend millions of dollars to upgrade the equipment.  

Lawmakers in Madison will talk about keeping girls' sports for biological girls only today. A Senate panel will hold hearings on two plans, one to ban trans athletes from college sports, and another to ban them from high school sports in the state. Supporters say the idea is to make sure that biological girls continue to have opportunities to play sports and to protect them from injuries or harm. LGBTQ advocates say the plans are based on hate. They say Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin continue to push an anti-LGBTQ agenda. 

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Wisconsin's secretary of state is calling for a Republican elections commissioner to be fired after he settled the lawsuit over Wisconsin's 2020 Trump electors. Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski yesterday asked the Wisconsin Senate to remove Republican commissioner Bob Spindell. He is one of ten Republicans who last week settled a lawsuit over the role as alternative electors in 2020. Spindell and the others admitted their strategy of signing up as Trump electors was used to try and challenge the 2020 election, but the Republicans themselves didn't admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement. Godlewski said that voters cannot trust Spindell to manage elections in the state. Spindell has said he has no plans to step down. 

State leaders are reminding Minnesotans about available aid to help them cope with winter energy bills.  Governor Walz joined Department of Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold yesterday to talk about the programs that work to help renters and homeowners during cold weather.  Arnold said the state's Energy Assistance Program works with low-income Minnesotans, helping pay energy bills and replace broken furnaces.  The state's weatherization program helps pay for upgrades that make homes more energy efficient.  Information on both programs is available on the Minnesota Department of Commerce website.

A lawsuit filed by Rhinelander against 3M and the Rhinelander Paper Mill over PFAS contamination will stay in Wisconsin.  WJFW reports a federal judicial panel decided that it was not necessary to move that case out of state to South Carolina. Attorneys for 3M argued the case matched other cases they were handling regarding PFAS. The cases in South Carolina are dealing with firefighting foam contamination, while the case in Rhinelander comes from improper handling of paper mill waste. Lawyers for the city tell WJFW the ruling means the case can get underway sooner.

A Northwoods lawmaker is criticizing the Lac du Flambeau tribe over its handling of private roads on tribal lands.  WXPR in Rhinelander reports that Tomahawk Republican Mary Felzkowski told the tribe that "Good actors don’t give their neighbors 24 hours’ notice that they are barricading them in their homes." Felzkowski made that statement in reply to a complaint from the Tribe over denial of their share of the state's revenue from Tribal gaming. The Lac du Flambeau tribe and the town of Lac du Flambeau have been in a year-long dispute over those roads, which the tribe briefly blocked off last winter. The Tribe is demanding 10 million dollars in payments to keep the roads open to cover past trespassing on its land.

Several Minnesota lawmakers are demanding answers from the U.S. Postal Service after complaints about delivery delays and staffing shortages.  Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and Congresswoman Angie Craig have all asked the Postmaster General to explain what's causing the complaints and what he plans to do about it.  Craig says four post offices in the Twin Cities area are now being audited by the postal service after receiving complaints.  Senator Smith says she's also heard complaints from parts of northern Minnesota, where postal service workers have allegedly been told to emphasize Amazon packages over regular mail.  Smith says she's also directed questions to the postal service but has received unsatisfactory answers.

 A water rescue team saved a dog that fell into Lake Superior Monday, and was struggling to swim in the extremely cold water and eight-foot waves.  The Duluth Fire Department Water Rescue team went out in their inflatable rescue boat, crews put on their ice rescue suits, and got into the water to get the dog who was starting to go under. Crew members say it was difficult to get the 14-foot boat back to shore as it was being pulled out toward open water by strong currents.  They and the dog made it back, and the dog was treated for exposure, but is fine.

Local-Regional News Dec 12

 The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on adopting the parking restrictions and placement and removal of refuse and recycling receptacles ordinance, discussion on park improvement project grants, and reports from the mayor and department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

More charges have been filed against two suspects in a rash of smash-and-grab thefts last month.  Demitrius Major and Kawan Robinson, both from Fort Lauderdale Florida, were arrested in November after attempting to flee officers after a series of thefts from vehicle break-ins.  The two were accused of taking cash, credit cards, and other items.  The two are currently facing charges in Eau Claire County, but now Chippewa County has also filed charges in connection with the thefts.

No one was injured in a house fire in Pine Island on Mondy night.  According to the Goodhue County Sheriff's Department, Firefighters from Pine Island responded to the blaze at 10:25 Monday night and found the home fully engulfed in flames.  The family made it out of the home safe and no one was injured.  The cause of that fire remains under investigation.

A man with three outstanding arrest warrants is accused of rolling his vehicle while driving drunk. The Trempealeau  County Sheriff's Office says they found his car in a ditch on Saturday with four passengers standing next to it. Officers say the driver left the accident on foot and was arrested later. One passenger was hurt but was treated on scene. Police say speed, alcohol, and icy conditions were factors in the crash.   

 

It's prison time for a Rusk County man in a child molestation case. A judge yesterday sentenced 63-year-old Scott Read to 17 years in prison for sexually assaulting at least three young girls. Prosecutors say Read started molesting one young girl when she was five or six. The DA says he threatened to do the same to her sisters and cousin if she said anything. Read pleaded no contest to the charges earlier this year. 

A 50-year-old La Crosse man is in custody for a stabbing death last week at a La Crosse apartment building.   A criminal complaint from La Crosse County Police says Bryant Smith called county dispatch Tuesday night and admitted to stabbing a person who he said was "blackout drunk." When officers arrived, the victim of the alleged attack was found face down in a pool of blood with 45 stab wounds. The victim was pronounced dead after a brief investigation. Smith was arrested on a charge of first-degree intentional homicide. Online court records show that Smith had a prior misdemeanor battery conviction as well as harassment restraining orders filed in Jackson County.

Governor Evers says expanding the state's train service will bring Wisconsin's economy into the 21st century. The governor yesterday touted the two million-dollars the state will receive to expand Amtrak service as a way to move the state forward. The federal government is giving the state money to look at a train line that connects Madison and Eau Claire, connects Milwaukee and Green Bay, and increases the number of trains between both Milwaukee and Chicago, and Milwaukee and Minneapolis. 

 Wisconsin lawmakers are going to listen to the arguments for ranked-voting today. A Senate panel will hold a hearing on a plan that would change how primary elections in the state work. Currently. The top vote-getter for the Republicans and the top vote-getter for the Democrats win the primary and go on to face each other in the next election. Ranked voting would change that to the top five vote getting candidates from both parties would move on. The plan would also order an instant run-off for the U.S. Senate and Congress, and that would allow voters to rank their choices and could elect someone who doesn't have the most first-place votes. Critics say the plan is confusing and often leads to Election Night chaos. 

Governor Evers says he will veto any attempt to get rid of the state's Elections Commission. The governor was a guest on UPFRONT on Milwaukee TV over the weekend. He said that 'under no circumstances would he agree to the Republican plan that would dismantle the elections commission and shift its powers to the secretary of state.' The governor says the Wisconsin Elections Commission is a good system and has a good leader. Republicans have been unhappy with the Elections Commission since the 2020 election, and have been trying to get rid of the Commission's administrator for the past three years. 

 Wisconsin's Republican Assembly Speaker says there won't be another deal over DEI with the University of Wisconsin. Speaker Robin Vos on Saturday said the offer that UW regents rejected was the 'last, best, and final offer' on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Vos has been pressuring the university to stop spending on DEI. He's holding on to millions of dollars in pay raise money, and is also refusing to green light an engineering building for UW-Madison because of it. Late last week, Vos agreed to release the money in exchange for some changes to DEI spending, but university regents rejected that agreement on Saturday. Vos says the regents' vote has cost thousands of university workers their raises, and has cost the university nearly one billion dollars in future investments. 

 Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is bringing charges against three people accused in a scheme to defraud the state's Medical Assistance program.  He says the defendants bilked the state out of close to eleven million dollars.  Ellison believes the offenders represented home health care agencies that billed the state for services not provided at all and services not documented in employee timesheets.  Four other people were previously charged in the investigation and more charges are expected against other suspects.

The Ice Age Trail, which winds its way through much of Wisconsin, and the North Country National Scenic Trail, which cuts through three northern Wisconsin counties bordering Lake Superior, are now a part of the National Park Service's National Park System. Wisconsin U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin has been backing the change for nearly a decade.  Baldwin says the new status for the trails will open up funding streams and bring in more visitors to the trails.

Before you head out to your holiday festivities this month, be sure you're ready to handle whatever garbage you're bringing with you. Wisconsin recycling coordinator Jennifer Semrau says it's important to know what the rules are for disposal at your rental or vacation location. Also, remember that you shouldn't be trying to recycle Christmas lights or plastic bags. Those items can get tangled up in recycling systems and force workers to fish out the snags.

A Minnesota blues band is looking to fund their trip to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.  Jimmi and the Band of Souls is competing against hundreds of bands from around the world.  The Minnesota Blues Society is helping raise funds to cover the band's expenses.  The Blues Challenge runs January 16th through the 20th.