Local-Regional News February 9

 No one was injured in a house fire in Nelson on Sunday afternoon.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, the Nelson Fire Department responded to a structure fire at S862 Hwy I in the Township of Nelson.  Upon arrival, firefighters were told the occupants of the residence were not in the residence and were accounted for.  The home was fully engulfed and is a total loss.  The cause of that fire is not known at this time.

No one was injured in a house fire in the Township of Modena on Friday afternoon.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, Mondovi Firefighters responded to the blaze on Hwy J in the town of Modena.  The vacant home was fully engulfed and is a total loss.  The Sheriffs Department is considering the fire suspicious in nature and is asking that anyone with information on the fire call the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department.

The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion of the City Administrator Interim position and the search for a new Administrator, discussion of the finance committee recommendation to refuse the contract increase from Durand Sanitation, and discussion of the full-time police department vacancy.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

 A space heater is said to have caused a house fire in Chippewa Falls. That's according to fire investigators who say a malfunctioning space heater caused the fire at a home along Therbrook Street early yesterday morning. No injuries were reported, but the fire caused several thousands of dollars in damages, according to fire officials.

The Eau Claire County Sherrif will not investigate the Eau Claire City Council or the Eau Claire County Board for violations of Constitutional Rights.  In a press release, the sheriff says he has received numerous emails asking him to investigate both governmental bodies after they both passed a mask ordinance.  The sheriff says both the council and county board passed the ordinances during legally convened meetings to include public input and cited the Wisconsin Constitution which states that no member of the legislature shall be liable in any civil action, or criminal prosecution whatever, for words spoken in debate.    The sheriff also states that his office has not issued any citations to citizens or businesses under the ordinance.

Public school open enrollment is underway in the state. This allows parents to apply for school districts for their children outside of where they live. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction allows a three-month time frame to apply for the upcoming school year. This year's deadline is April 30th at 4 p-m.

The state of Minnesota is opening a third large-scale community vaccination site in Rochester.  The first two permanent COVID vaccination programs recently began operating in Minneapolis and Duluth.    The Rochester site will serve around 15-hundred Minnesotans ag 65 and older in its first week.  Governor Tim Walz says they are expanding the network in southern Minnesota to give residents more access to shots they live, "so we can crash COVID-19 and get back to business as usual." More than 220-thousand seniors registered for the vaccine registry.

Two Democratic state lawmakers who have introduced legislation for ranked-choice voting in Wisconsin say it would make it harder for extremist candidates to win.  State Representative Mark Spreitzer and state Senator Chris Larson call ranked-choice voting an innovative and practical way to make sure people can vote for “who they truly want.”  It’s already being used in Minneapolis.  Ranked-choice voting systems let voters rank candidates in order of their preference, rather than selecting a single candidate.  If a candidate gets 50-percent of the vote – plus one – he or she is the winner.  If no candidate gets an absolute majority, then the candidate with the lowest vote total is eliminated and their votes are distributed among the remaining candidates based on the voters’ next preference.  The process is repeated until one candidate gets an absolute majority.

Will a new name help us learn to love invasive Asian Carp?   The Illinois Department of Natural Resource and its partners want to give the fish that's threatening the Great Lakes a makeover, as a healthy, delicious, organic, sustainable food source. If it works, that could mean more commercial fishing operations removing more tons of carp from Illinois rivers just outside of Lake Michigan. A proposed new name for the carp is being kept secret for now, but the campaign will point out that the various Asian carp species are not only tasty but rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

The student government at the University of Wisconsin is trying to move forward with the COVID Student Relief Fund.   However, the U-W blocked the legislation's newest amendment due to continuing legal concerns. As an alternative, the Associated Students of Madison proposes that the university use money from the Wisconsin Endowment Fund to help students. There's no word on the University's response.

Governor Tony Evers says his two-year budget proposal contains more than 43-million dollars for Wisconsin's agriculture economy and farm families.  The funding will be used to expand market opportunities, support new and innovative farming practices, strengthen the agricultural workforce, connecting local producers to food banks and pantries, and support farmers mental health and wellbeing.  Evers said, "Long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and then throughout this pandemic, our farmers and producers were fighting every day to save their farms and to save their industry while helping us put food on our tables."  The governor will announce his full budget on February 16th.

 Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg is reminding residents that the city's own local mask resolution will remain, regardless of what happens to the governor's latest statewide order. "I know it's exhausting, I know people are sick of it, really sick of it, but just keep at it," Rosenberg said. Evers issued a new emergency order and mask mandate on Friday after the Republican-controlled legislature voted to end them. Republican leaders are urging the state Supreme Court to rule on whether or not the governor exceeded his authority.

Minnesota  Law enforcement agencies statewide are launching a speed enforcement campaign. State officials warn what they've dubbed a speeding crisis last year claimed the most lives in a single year since 2008. Speed was listed as the primary factor in 364 traffic deaths on Minnesota roads in 2019, but that number jumped to 397 in 2020. Officials say speeding motorists can expect to be stopped and fined, with stiffer penalties, including suspension of license, for people driving over 100 miles an hour.

An assistant prosecutor in northwest Wisconsin is charged with secretly recording his sexual encounters with two women.   According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, each of the women had cases, or potential cases, with the Burnett County D-A's office. Fifty-year-old Daniel Steffen of Osceola is accused of recording himself having sex with the women at his home and office. According to the criminal complaint, both women told state Justice Department investigators they were not aware they were being recorded. Steffen is due in court this week.

 The Twin Cities are heading into the longest stretch of subzero low temperatures since 2014. Meteorologists say the cold is here to stay and is expected to last for at least the next week. The coldest weather will come late this week into the weekend when wind chills could get below negative 30. High temperatures likely won't reach the double-digits all week.

Local-Regional News February 8

 A Buffalo County man accused in the shooting death of his wife waived his preliminary hearing Friday and is bound over for trial.  Thirty-eight-year-old Jonathan Medeiros of Nelson is charged with the first-degree intentional homicide of 38-year-old Jolene Medeiros.  The criminal complaint says Jonathan called authorities January 24th to report he had shot and killed his wife.  Deputies found Jolene with two gunshot wounds to the head.  He’s being held on a 500-thousand-dollar cash bond.  An arrangement hearing is set for March 4th.

A Chippewa Falls man is now charged with homicide, accused of hitting and killing a woman with his truck while under the influence of drugs. Prosecutors say Trevor Plemon was high when he hit a woman walking on the side of Highway 64 south of Bloomer last September. Plemon's next court date is March 1st.

One person was injured in a truck vs bus accident in the Town of Arcadia on Friday.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriffs Department, a driver of a pickup truck traveling southbound on Hwy 93 near Lewis Valley road, lost control, crossed the centerline entering the northbound land, and struck an on-coming school bus head-on.  The school bus then overturned.  No children were on the bus at the time of the accident.  The driver of the truck was injured.  No names were released.

An Eau Claire County man is jailed on animal neglect charges.  Twenty-one-year-old Devin Maclein of Augusta is accused of failure to provide proper animal shelter and sanitation and proper food and water to confined animals.  Department of Agriculture inspectors found 12 animal carcasses on his property in October.  Malcein could face up to 27 years in prison and 30-thousand dollars in fines if convicted.

 Legal recreational marijuana will be part of the two-year state budget Governor Tony Evers proposes next week. The drug would be regulated and taxed in much the same way the state does with alcohol. Wisconsin would join 15 other states that have already legalized recreational marijuana, including Michigan and Illinois. According to the governor, this would generate about 165-million dollars annually. Evers made a similar proposal in his previous budget, but it was rejected by Republicans in the state legislature.

If you need to venture outdoors during this week's very cold weather, Andrew Becket with Wisconsin Emergency Management says you'll need to dress appropriately. Any exposed skin can put you at risk of frostbite.  Also be aware of the signs of hypothermia, which include excessive shivering, exhaustion, confusion, and slurred speech.

Members of the U.S. Senate will serve as jurors, as the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump gets underway in Washington Tuesday. Senator Ron Johnson believes the trial is unconstitutional. A conviction would bar Trump from running for office again.  On WISN's 'UpFront' Sunday program, the Wisconsin Republican called impeaching Trump on allegations he incited the violent mob that stormed the Capitol last month "vindictive," and "divisive." 

A bipartisan group of Minnesota legislators is asking health officials to elevate the status of people with Down syndrome on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. Seventeen lawmakers signed a letter to Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm accusing the state of "neglecting some of our most vulnerable citizens." Over the last month, families of people with Down syndrome have asked to move their loved ones up on the plan, citing serious underlying health conditions.

Wisconsin Democrats introduced a bill Friday that would create a statewide mask order for the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move comes after the Republican-controlled Assembly voted to repeal Governor Tony Evers' current mask mandate and the governor issued another 60-day order. Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said,"the Republicans who voted to overturn Wisconsin’s mask order have sworn up and down that it 'isn't about masks' and there was bipartisan opposition in both houses to overturning it, so I look forward to strong bipartisan support for this bill." G-O-P leaders say Governor Evers abused his executive authority by issuing COVID emergency orders.

Attorney General Josh Kaul's office says Rolling Hills Dairy Farm has agreed to pay 144-thousand dollars for violations of Wisconsin's wastewater laws in Luxemburg.  The settlement also requires Rolling Hills to construct additional runoff controls at the concentrated feeding operation.  Kaul said, "the work of D-N-R and D-O-J to enforce our environmental laws has resulted in a significant financial penalty and greater protection against runoff into the East Twin River in Kewaunee County.”  The East Twin River is classified as a trout stream and is on Wisconsin’s list of waterways that are impaired due to excess phosphorus.  The state claims that Rolling Hills Dairy denied D-N-R staff access to inspect the area.

A Republican-authored COVID-19 relief package ended a month-long trip through the legislature with a veto by Governor Tony Evers.  The bill would have stripped more powers away from the governor, including control over where federal funding is spent.  It also would have restricted Evers from issuing anymore mask orders.  Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu says they wanted to protect businesses who were doing the right thing, adding, "I wouldn’t let local health departments unilaterally shut down a Main Street business that’s trying to operate."  But Democratic Senator Jon Erpenbach said that Senate Republicans strayed away from the compromise they’d made with the governor, "so at the end of the day we're left with nothing."

The U-S Coast Guard reports 66 people that were stranded on three separate ice floes were rescued Thursday morning in Door County.   The ice broke off from shore and traveled more than a thousand feet.  The Door County Sheriff's Office said it took about three hours for multiple agencies to remove the 66 fishermen from the ice.  No injuries were reported.  Coast Guard Commander Bryan Swintek said the successful rescue is a direct result of effective training and the long standing and close relationships with our agency partners in the greater Sturgeon Bay Area.

Rochester police are warning about the dangers of drugs bought on the street following two recent overdose deaths.  Officers say an 18-year-old man died after taking  a pill that resembled oxycodone and a 22-year-old victim had a history of drug use.  Investigators say they're working to determine the content of some pills seized in a drug bust last month.  They say the  pills look similar to oxycodone but may contain the powerful pain-killer fentanyl.  Police say street drugs are especially dangerous because their content and origin are not known.   It's expected to weeks to determine the victims' official causes of death.

 The N-F-L is offering all 32 of its stadiums to the Biden administration to be mass COVID-19 vaccination sites.  The league sent a letter with the offer to the White House Thursday.  N-F-L commissioner Roger Goodell says each team would work with local, state, and federal health leaders on setting up the sites at each locale.   The Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots are already hosting coronavirus immunizations at or near their stadiums.

Local-Regional News February 5

 One person is in custody after gunshots were fired in Galesville on Wednesday.  According to Galesville Police, an officer responded to an apartment complex after someone reported having their patio door shot out along with multiple gunshots being fired.  After an investigation, it was determined that 60yr old Craig Reedy living at the complex fired numerous rounds from his residence.  No injuries were reported and Reedy was arrested and charged with Endangering Safety by Use of a Firearm.

Lake City is in the process of removing Ash trees after a survey by the Minnesota Department of Ag determined three trees in the city were infected with emerald ash borer back in 2017.  City Crews will be out doing regular pruning of the remaining trees along boulevards and city parks and will remove any trees determined to have become infected with Emerald Ash Borer.  The borer is dormant in the winter so now is the time that crews can safely prune and remove infected Ash Trees.

As of February 1 st, over 2800 shots have been given to Dunn County residents. This includes 885 shots to people over the age of 65. The Dunn County Health Department is encouraging those who are eligible for shots in Phase 1A or Phase 1B of vaccine distribution to make a single appointment at this time.  Dunn County Residents can make appointments with Marshfield Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Prevea, Advent Health or with the Dunn County Health Department.   The health department asks you only make one appointment to receive the covid 19 vaccines.

City and county health departments in Wisconsin are adopting face mask ordinances as Republican lawmakers plan to repeal Governor Evers' statewide mandate.  The Eau Claire City Council and Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors approved ordinances requiring face masks in businesses and other public places.  Officials say the mask mandates are essential tools for limiting the spread of COVID-19.  The Green Bay Common Council, Superior City Council and La Crosse County Health Department also passed local mask orders this week.  Mask mandates in Milwaukee and Dane counties would remain in effect if state lawmakers repealed the governor's statewide order.

A La Crosse man will spend seven years in federal prison for dealing methamphetamine in 2019.  Thirty-six-year-old Lucas Carpenter was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty last fall.  Prosecutors say Carpenter supplied meth to a friend who agreed to sell two ounces to a confidential law enforcement informant for 17-hundred dollars.  The friend met the informant in a La Crosse parking lot and warned that Carpenter would be watching the deal.  He was stopped by police backing out of a parking stall and officers say he had a baggie of white powder in plain view.  A police dog alerted the presence of drugs in the car and an additional 13 grams of meth was seized.

Authorities in southeast Minnesota are identifying the victim of a deadly apartment fire in Mantorville.  The Dodge County Sheriff's Office says 68-year-old Cynthia Ferguson died after the fire broke out Thursday morning.  The flames were put out in about an hour-and-a-half.  At least five other occupants were taken to a Rochester hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.  Two are believed to be in critical condition.  The State Fire Marshal's Office is helping local investigators determine the cause.

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin estimates that more than 20 million pounds of cheese will be consumed during the Super Bowl this Sunday. That is enough cheese to fill the entire playing field of Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay and all other N-F-L stadiums. Senior vice president Suzanne Fanning says "cheese has always been a game day staple, but this year we are seeing record-breaking cheese sales and a huge increase in game day recipe searches." Fanning says cheese sales increased 13 percent in the U-S in 2020 and Wisconsin specialty cheese sales are outpacing the entire category. Wisconsin cheesemakers have taken home more awards than any other state or country.

February is career and technical education month.  93rd Assemblyman Warren Petryk says in 2019, ninety-three percent of technical college graduates found jobs.  Petryk is encouraging anyone looking for a new career to look at the opportunities technical colleges offer.  There are three of the state's technical colleges near the 93rd Assembly District.

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Congressman Glen Grothman says the nearly two-trillion dollar COVID-19 relief package pushed by the Biden Administration and Democrats is going to have inflationary consequences.  The Wisconsin Republican said, "And as you decrease the value of the dollar it means more inflation, it means the cost of commodities goes up. You are going to see more inflation."  He claims it's going to hurt people on fixed incomes and pensions and drive up housing costs and gas prices.

 A resolution approved by the  Marathon County Public Safety Committee encourages state lawmakers to re-examine recent changes to O-W-I laws that trigger automatic prison time for fifth and sixth offenses.   Justice system coordinator Laura Yarie says due to the 2019 Wisconsin Act 106, those who receive multiple O-W-Is in Marathon County are on longer eligible for O-W-I treatment court.  That takes away the opportunity to plead guilty and be placed on probation while completing the county rehab program.   She says they won't likely be eligible for treatment if they go away to prison for a year and a half.

 Governor Tony Evers' budget proposals to keep prescription drug costs under control have gained immediate support from A-A-R-P Wisconsin.  The group's Lisa Lamkins says there have been bipartisan bills offered in the legislature to do the same.  Lamkins said, "the problem is it really just nibbles at the edges. And I think what we see with the governor's announcement is a wide range of things that will help the state save money on drug prices, as well as helping individual consumers across the state save money on their prescription drugs."  Among other things, Evers wants a 50-dollar cap on copays for insulin and elimination of drug copays in the BadgerCare program.  He's set to introduce his two-year budget proposal on February 16th.

 Economists are cautiously optimistic that the national and state economies will begin to recover in the second half of this year.  The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office expects the U-S. economy will grow at a four-point-six percent rate in 2021.  Minnesota State Economist Laura Kalambokidis says the risk of the recovery is wrapped-up in getting as many people as possible vaccinated for COVID 19.  She says if we can get a large portion of the population immunized in the summertime then that second half of the year growth can occur."  Kalambokidis says there is still an incredible amount of uncertainty and volatility surrounding the pandemic.  A new state budget forecast will be released later this month.

Governor Tony Evers says he doesn't care who gets the credit, for fixing the state's unemployment insurance system.  Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature have insisted that the Democratic governor has all the necessary authority and revenue needed to modernize the unemployment insurance system. However, Politifact Wisconsin has found that funds available to the governor are not close to covering the estimated 90 million dollars needed to complete the project, which would require funding over a series years. That means the Legislature must appropriate money in biennial budgets. Evers has now sent Republican leaders a letter urging immediate, bipartisan action on his proposal to modernize the system.

Winona State University is celebrating a more than five-million-dollar donation from a former alum.  W-S-U says the money came from the late Maynard 'Mo" Weber, who was a 1950 graduate.  President Scott R. Wilson said, "Mo Weber's generosity and love of W-S-U knew no bounds."  About two-and-a-half-million dollars will go to the Winona State Art and Design program, more than one-million is slated for two existing scholarships, and one-and-a-half million goes to gallery space in the future Laird Norton Center for Art and Design.  Warrior Athletics receives one-point-three-million for a new W-S-U baseball scholarship and to support undergraduate baseball players.

Local-Regional News February 4

Two people were injured in a three-vehicle accident in Milton Township on Tuesday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department, 22yr old Alija Wrycza of Buffalo City was stopped in the northbound lane of Hwy 35 waiting to make a left turn onto Bechly Road when the vehicle was struck by a 41yr old Pamela Tarjeson of Trempealeau also traveling northbound on Hwy 35.    Wrycza's vehicle went into the southbound lane struck a vehicle driven by 41yr old Heather Grotjahn of Nelson.  Tarjeson and Wrycza were taken to the hospital with moderate injuries.

As small retail investors continue their battle with the large hedge funds over companies like Game Stop and AMC, some are asking for an investigation into the online brokerage firms that limited trading in the two companies for retail investors.  Wisconsin Congressman Ron Kind says congress is scheduling a hearing on what happened.  Kind says the congress also has to look at the high-frequency trading that many large hedge funds are allowed to do.

 The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to the state’s rape shield law.  That law was created to keep defense lawyers from tarnishing a woman’s reputation by focusing on her sexual history.  The state’s high court will hear arguments from a 2016 rape case from River Falls.  Lawyers for 26-year-old Ryan Mulhern want the justices to rule on whether the law also bans evidence about a victim’s lack of sexual experience.  That was one of the key points in the conviction of Mulhern of one count of second-degree sexual assault.

Alliant Energy says its shift from coal-fired production to renewable energy means it will shut down its power plant near Pardeeville.  The Columbia Energy Center has been operating for more than 45 years.  Alliant estimates the switch to renewable power sources will save customers about 250-million dollars on their bills over the next 10 years.  It also helps reduce water usage and eliminates carbon emissions.  The shutdown isn’t immediate.  Unit One will close by 2023 and Unit Two by the next year.  About 100 employees at the facility will be affected.  When operations cease, the Columbia Energy Center will be the last coal-fired energy facility in Wisconsin.

A judge in Douglas County says there's enough evidence to charge a 12-year-old from Solon Springs with attempted first-degree homicide.  The ruling came Wednesday at the preliminary hearing for the boy accused of stabbing his seven-year-old brother in the back, abdomen and near the heart.  The criminal complaint says the alleged victim told police his brother put a pillow over his face so no one could hear him scream.  He also said, "I was dead for a while."  The boy is now said to be doing okay.  The suspect is in juvenile detention in Eau Claire.  A judge could decide to send the case back to juvenile court on March 5th.

Minnesota's health insurance marketplace is opening a three-month special enrollment period February 16th for those without MNsure coverage.  The Biden Administration announced last week it will allow people to enroll in the Affordable Care Act during the COVID pandemic.  MNsure ran a similar special enrollment period at the start of the pandemic last March and enrolled nearly ten-thousand Minnesotans.  C-E-O Nate Clark said, "COVID-19 is still with us, so having access to comprehensive health care coverage is critical at this time."  The enrollment period runs through May 17th.

Kenosha County prosecutors say Kyle Rittenhouse has violated his bond conditions.  Police say the Illinois teen charged with killing two protesters in Kenosha does not live at the address he gave the court.  Detectives say the man who actually lives at that address has no idea where Rittenhouse lives and that they now don't have a way to track his whereabouts.  Rittenhouse was already on thin ice with the courts for going out drinking after his arraignment and being caught with members of the Proud Boys.  The D-A's office wants to put him immediately back in jail and raise his two-million-dollar bond by another 200-thousand dollars.

A man from southwest Wisconsin did not survive an A-T-V crash in Vernon County.  Sheriff's deputies say Adam Hemmersbach of Hillsboro lost control on a county road Monday and was ejected from the four-wheeler.  Hemmersbach was airlifted to a La Cross hospital where he died of his injuries Tuesday.  Officers say he wasn't wearing a helmet.

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The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Wisconsin passing other states in getting its residents their first COVID-19 vaccination.  Wisconsin is ranked 29th, up from 45th last week.  The Badger State is still lagging when it comes to getting people their second shot.  Wisconsin is 44th among the states when it comes to the percentage of its people who have received both shots.  The C-D-C reports a little over seven percent of the people in Wisconsin have received at least one dose.  The state Department of Health Services says 578-thousand doses have been administered so far, with 108-thousand people receiving both doses.

Workers would earn "sick and safe time" from their employer under a bill being considered in the Minnesota House.  But the measure will face opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate.  G-O-P Representative Joe McDonald from Delano claims employers take good care of their employees.  McDonald told members, "when you're sick, yeah, sometimes you just gotta call in sick and you don't get a paycheck. That stinks sometimes. That's life."  Duluth Democrat Liz Olson responded, "whether you're Hispanic that you work in the service industry or you're one of the lowest-wage workers at the bottom rung -- those folks, two out of three, do not have access to this benefit."  The bill had a hearing in the House Tuesday but the committee has not yet voted.

Governor Tony Evers has announced his proposed two-year state budget will include language aimed at limiting prescription drug costs in Wisconsin.   The Democratic governor wants a 50 dollar cap on copays for insulin and the elimination of drug copays in the BadgerCare program. Evers' budget would also create a new board with authority to establish drug spending targets for public sector entities and set price limits, allow the state to import prescription drugs, and create a new state-local entity to leverage purchasing power and reduce costs. Addressing prescription drug costs is a policy item that the Republican co-chairs of the legislature's budget committee specifically asked Evers not to include in his budget.   Evers is to introduce his budget plan on February 16.

The Wisconsin Assembly is kicking the Republican effort to end a statewide mask mandate back to the Senate. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said that the chamber will adopt a new amendment to a COVID-19 relief bill to "correct the error" the Senate made, trying to address the consequences of overturning Democratic Governor Tony Evers' public health emergency order and mask mandate. Vos said the Assembly will approve its own resolution to overturn the public health emergency and send that and the amended bill back to the Senate. If it passes there, the governor would be forced to decide between signing a bill with things he doesn't like, or vetoing it and issuing another emergency order. The Assembly could act as soon as today.

Rochester Public Schools Superintendent Michael Munoz is stepping down at the end of June.  The Rochester School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to accept the resignation of Munoz.  New allegations of plagiarism prompted more than a thousand people to sign a petition calling for the superintendent's resignation.  Munoz was previously suspended five days without pay after admitting to plagiarism.  He was hired by Rochester Public Schools in July of 2011.

 Enterprising thieves are stealing tow trucks in Minneapolis.  Police say they strip the name of the company off the side of those tow trucks, then use them to steal cars and cut off their catalytic converters.  Minneapolis police say they had eight cars taken over a 24-hour period last week and evidence indicates stolen tow trucks were used.  The catalytic converters are valuable on the black market for the precious metals they contain.  Guardian Recovery Services in St. Paul says it happened with one of their trucks last week.

 

Local-Regional News February 3

Neighbors say a River Falls home was on fire when they helped two women inside escape shortly after it exploded.  One victim was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul and the other to River Falls Area Hospital.  Seventy-five-year-old Martha Gaustad died of the injuries she suffered in the explosion and her 42-year-old daughter, Kari, is hospitalized in stable condition.  One neighbor said the older woman was found in the debris next to the house.  He says it took a few moments to remove her oxygen tank and get her free.  River Falls officials say there is no evidence of foul play being involved.

A winter storm will affect the WRDN listening area tonight.  The National Weather Services says Rain, snow, and possibly some freezing rain will develop late tonight, mostly across southern and eastern Minnesota into western Wisconsin.  Snow moves in tomorrow with 3-6 inches possible.  After the storm, National Weather Service Meteorologist Nick Carlotta says it will get cold.  A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for the entire WRDN Listening area for Thursday.

The pandemic has been hard on everyone, but especially older adults who may have limited time with family or have no family to talk to.  According to Dunn County ADRC Director Loni Dodge,  the center has set up the caring calls program to combat that loneliness.   Call the Dunn County ADRC to volunteer and Dodge hopes to have the program up and running by March 1st.

The Eau Claire County Board has passed a mask ordinance on Tuesday.  During a public comment period, many residents were opposed to the ordinance speaking to personal freedom and the legality of the county passing such an ordinance.    County Corporate Counsel Tim Sullivan says the county does have the authority to pass such an ordinance under the home rule statute.    The board voted 24-4 to pass the ordinance and like the passed city of Eau Claire mask ordinance, it will go into effect if the statewide mask mandate ends.

The Chippewa Falls School District is looking at eliminating up to 24 staff positions for the upcoming school year.  The district is looking at lower enrollment numbers along with a projected budget deficit of $1.6 million in revenue.  District administrators say the uncertainty of federal funding along with staffing being near 75% of the overall budget the staff cuts will be considered when writing the 2021-2022 budget.  A special meeting of the school board has been called for on Thursday to discuss the possible cuts.

Former Shopko employees who lost their jobs when stores were closed should begin receiving their severance checks soon.  The law firm handling the process says the checks will be mailed to members of the class on or before February 12th.  A fund of 12-million dollars will be shared among about four-thousand former workers at the chain.  Shopko closed the last of its stores in June 2019.  The Ashwaubenon-based retailers had filed for bankruptcy the previous January.

Today, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announces that Voyageurs International, Ltd., will refund a total of $636,500 to 335 Wisconsin consumers for payments made for the company’s 2020 European tour.  The Colorado-based company canceled the trip on March 17, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the cancellation, they withheld a $1,900 cancellation fee from each high school music student and adult chaperone who had prepaid for the trip. Voyageurs claimed that this fee was withheld due to non-refundable amounts paid to third-party vendors, as well as general operating costs of the business. After receiving complaints from consumers and conducting a thorough investigation, DATCP found that Voyageurs received substantial refunds from these third-party vendors but failed to pass these recouped fees on to their customers.  Under the agreement, Voyageurs will issue the refund to DATCP. The agency will then contact affected students and their families beginning in May 2021 to arrange payments.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty has filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Natural Resources. WILL deputy counsel Anthony LoCoco said the agency needs to hold a gray wolf hunting or trapping season this winter.  The suit filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court on behalf of Hunter Nation Inc., a Kansas-based hunting advocacy group, claims the DNR violated state law and the state constitution’s guarantee of a right to hunt. A DNR spokesperson had no comment.

A delay in a Marathon County homicide trial is likely when the parties meet next Tuesday for a scheduling conference.  Henry West is facing 16 felony counts, including first-degree intentional homicide for the death of Pine Grove Cemetery manager Patty Grimm.  West is accused of shooting and injuring two other people, then booby-trapping his Schofield apartment.  West’s original attorney is out and a new attorney won’t take the case if the trial starts in three-and-a-half months.  Prosecutors say West was a disgruntled former employee of the cemetery who had been evicted from his apartment two days before the October 2019 incident.

The State Supreme Court has denied an appeal from one of the girls convicted in the Slenderman stabbings.   Attorneys for Morgan Geyser argued that the original judges in the case made a mistake by allowing Geyser and Anissa Weier to be brought immediately into adult court when they were charged in the case, and that police did not advise Morgan of her Miranda rights before she made statements to them following her arrest. Judges in the Second District said that overwhelming evidence outside of her statements would have led to Geyser's conviction anyways and that the crime of attempted murder was serious enough to be brought to adult court.

The Minnesota D-N-R says chronic wasting disease was detected in 22 wild deer taken during the 2020 hunting season and special hunts.  All the positives were within current C-W-D disease management zones - 19 in the southeast zone and three in the south metro zone. The disease was not detected in the north-central disease management zone or the C-W-D surveillance areas in east-central and west-central Minnesota. A total of nearly 77-hundred samples were tested. The D-N-R's Erik Hildebrand said though C-W-D is detected in Minnesota's wild deer, our recent results show that the disease prevalence remains relatively low.

Published reports indicate lawyers connected to former President Donald Trump wrong the electoral college challenge filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last year.  The reports reveal that Paxton didn’t tell the U-S Supreme Court those attorneys drafted the lawsuit instead of his state office.  Paxton also had used attorney Lawrence Joseph as outside counsel allegedly because his own solicitor general wouldn’t take the case.  Joseph was connected to the Trump campaign.  The lawsuit claimed electoral college voters in Wisconsin and three other states shouldn’t be counted due to voter fraud in those states.  The Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

The National Science Foundation is once again ranking the University of Wisconsin-Madison as one of the nation’s top research universities.  U-W-Madison was ranked eighth in the latest annual report.  The school was ranked sixth among public universities.  The Higher Education Research and Development Survey was released Monday.  The university spent nearly one-point-three-billion dollars on research last year – about half of it coming from federal awards.

The badger statute outside the Wisconsin governor’s office at the State Capitol will be staying – at least for another two years. The U-S Navy has put plans to move the statue to a Virginia museum on hold. The U-S Naval Academy Museum loaned the statue to Wisconsin more than 30 years ago. Thousands of visitors have rubbed its nose for good luck. The museum asked that the statue be returned last year, but Wisconsin historians asked that the loan be extended. There are indications Wisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher played a role in the decision.

Local-Regional News February 2

One person was injured in a two-vehicle accident in Ellsworth Township Monday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, 70yr old Harold Wilkens of Ellsworth was backing out of a driveway onto 710th Street when he was struck by a southbound vehicle driven by 52yr old Jim Swanson of Ellsworth.  Swanson was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

The Durand-Arknasaw school district has set the open enrollment caps for the upcoming school year.  Superintendent Greg Doverspike says two areas are usually capped by the board.  The cap numbers will be in effect for the 2021-2022 school year.

Two hospitals in the Chippewa Valley are loosening visitor restrictions beginning today. H-S-H-S Sacred Heart and St. Joseph's are expanding restrictions to allow one-visitor per day. The hospital says the designated person must remain in the patient's room at all times.

UW-Stout is once again offering free covid-19 tests.  The tests are being offered through a partnership between the UW System and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help address the current surge in the COVID-19 virus in Wisconsin.  The antigen test will provide results in about 15minutes and under certain situations, a follow test may be required to confirm the original test result.    The testes are being administered at the UW-Stout Sport and Fitness center, Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 8-5pm and Tuesday and Thursdays from 11am-7pm.

The state of Wisconsin is getting help from Microsoft as it sets up an online way for people to sign up for coronavirus vaccinations.  The system is expected to launch in 10 communities February 15th.  State officials plan to use those communities to test the software before they roll out the new system statewide.  The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says you will answer questions about your age and profession to see if you’re eligible.  If not, you will go on a waiting list and will be notified when you become eligible.

Prosecutors are praising the Court of Appeals' decision upholding the third-degree murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor.  Officer Noor was found guilty in the July 2017 shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond.    Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said, "we concluded that a third-degree murder charge was one of several appropriate charges given the facts of this case and for holding police officers accountable when their use of deadly force is unlawful and excessive."  Damond had called 9-1-1 to report a possible sexual assault when she came upon Noor’s squad car in the alley behind her home. Noor claimed that he feared an ambush at the driver’s side window and fired across his partner, killing Damond.

With new federal aid for COVID-19 relief coming, Wisconsinites who have lost their workplace insurance will have another chance to get covered. State insurance commissioner Mark Afable says open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans opens up again later this month. If you're not sure what sort of plan will suit you, you can call 2 1 1 for help, or log on to Wis Covered dot Com to find a Marketplace Navigator.

Public health officials say the unused field hospital at State Fair Park could become a COVID-19 vaccination hub. The location in West Allis was originally set up to treat patients when local hospitals said they were being overwhelmed. Despite that, there hasn’t been a patient treated there since Christmas Eve. The field hospital is currently being used as an outpatient clinic for people receiving antibody therapy infusions. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services hasn’t set a date to make a final decision on what to do with the nearly idle facility.

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The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is reporting that more than 100-thousand people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  The milestone was reached over the weekend.  A slow rollout of the vaccine in Wisconsin means thousands of people in the first eligibility phase still haven’t received their shots.  As of Saturday, 544-thousand of the 846-thousand doses allocated to the Badger State have been administered.  The state’s death toll from the virus is five-thousand-896.

Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency are sending 47-million dollars to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to cover some of the costs of vaccinating people. The federal money is considered an advance payment of reimbursement costs. The funding is intended to increase access to the vaccine for Wisconsin residents. State Emergency Management Administrator Darrell L. Williams says the 47-million dollars will “go a long way” toward supporting the ongoing response to COVID-19.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission has released a report showing almost 40-thousand ballots in the November presidential election didn’t provide a voter I-D.  Last week’s report says nearly 80-percent of the almost 200-thousand people who cast an indefinitely confined ballot did show their I-D, but that means 40-thousand didn’t.  The Elections Commission also reports nearly one-third of the indefinitely confined ballots cast in the election came from people who are younger than 65 years old.

Before it is known how much money Minnesota has to spend, the legislative session is apparently going to be a battle over proposed spending cuts by Republicans and tax increases by Governor Tim Walz.  The Minnesota Legislature needs to approve a two-year budget plan this time.  If they don’t get that done by July, Minnesota state government could shut down.  The 52-billion dollar proposal from Walz includes a one-and-a-half-percent tax increase on households earning a million dollars or more.  Republicans are against all tax hikes.  A new revenue forecast is set to come out this month and it still isn’t known how big any federal bailout program might be.

Fewer high school seniors in Wisconsin are applying for federal financial aid this year than last year. According to the National College Attainment Network, the number of seniors who've completed a free application for federal student aid, or FAFSA is down 13-percent. The application determines eligibility for federal and state scholarship money and it's also used by many schools to determine financial aid, work-study opportunities, and more.

The U-S Navy wants its Badger statue back, but Wisconsin is asking to keep it for another two years.  The statue has stood outside the Wisconsin governor’s office at the Capitol for more than 30 years.  The statue came from the U-S-S Wisconsin where it was first located before World War One.  Standing outside the governor’s office for the last 31 years, it has become a high point of State Capitol tours.  Thousands of visitors rub its nose for good luck.  The Navy wants to put the statue in a museum in Norfolk, Virginia, where the U-S-S Wisconsin battleship is berthed.

Local-Regional News February 1

 Property owners on Laneview Avenue may see a special assessment for the reconstruction project this summer.  Durand Mayor Patrick Milliren says the city council is reviewing the special assessment ordinance.  Because the Laneview Avenue project was not covered under the CDBG Grant that covers 3rd Avenue East, the city is allowed to special assess property owners to cover some of the costs of the project.

The Wabasha County Board is meeting Tuesday morning.  Items on the agenda include approval of the road improvement grant application for Hwy 26 and Hwy 81, approval to purchase a new loader for the highway department, and support a grant to purchase a new groomer for the snowmobile club.   Tomorrow's meeting begins at 9am at the board room at the Wabasha County Government Center.

A 45-year-old La Crosse man facing drug charges has made his initial court appearance after a major drug bust earlier this week.  Authorities say they found drugs with a  street value of 36-thousand dollars while they were taking Aubrey Marshall into custody.  La Crosse police say they seized 150 grams of cocaine, 135 grams of T-H-C, and 354 grams of fentanyl, a highly-lethal drug.  Marshall’s criminal history includes a 15-year federal prison term for drug crimes.  Police say they are still looking for Raymond Lewis and Christina Joswick – who lived with Marshall in his home.

A western Wisconsin teenager has avoided jail time after a judge put her on probation.  Kali Bookey was facing attempted homicide charges for attacking her brother’s girlfriend four years ago.  She was 14 years old when she rode her bicycle to the victim’s home and held a pillow over her head while beating her up.  The victim – who was 16 at the time – says Bookey slashed at her throat with a  broken bowl.  The St. Croix County judge said if Bookey stays out of trouble for five years, her criminal record will be cleared off the record.

 A southeast Minnesota man is hospitalized in Rochester after being found unresponsive lying in the street outside a bar in Dover.  The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office says the 36-year-old victim was found in front of the Road Trip Bar and Grill around 10 p-m Thursday.  Deputies say he was breathing and blood was coming from both ears.  He underwent emergency surgery for an apparent serious head injury.  His current condition wasn't available.  Officers say this is still an active investigation.

The Better Business Bureau says posting a photo of your vaccination record could lead to your personal information like full name and date of birth being compromised, and the image of the form could also provide scammers with a template to produce fake forms that could be sold online as well. For those who must scratch that social-media itch to tell their friends that they've been vaccinated, the B-B-B says stick to sharing a photo of your I'm vaccinated" sticker, or just taking a selfie after your shot.   Officials in Europe have shut down some phony vaccination certificate rings, the B-B-B says it's only a matter of time before those start showing up stateside as well.

 Opponents of Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 pipeline project are hoping President Biden shuts that work down, too.  Biden’s decision to stop work on the Keystone X-L pipeline has bolstered the hopes for other groups trying to stop similar pipeline projects.  Opponents of Line 3 demonstrated Saturday near the Enbridge Energy headquarters in Superior.  The marchers carried signs and said the Line 3 pipeline endangers the environment and is a threat to pollute the water supply.  Enbridge says replacing the aging pipeline with new pipe made of thicker steel with technologically advanced coatings will actually be safer for the environment and the water supply.

The push to legalize recreational marijuana is on again in Minnesota. House Democratic Majority Leader Ryan Winkler this afternoon will introduce what he called an "adult-use cannabis" bill.  It appears Governor Tim Walz supports the idea, saying last week when he rolled out his budget proposal that he'd like legislators to "take a look at recreational cannabis." The proposal will likely face stiff opposition in the Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate. Many opponents warn recreational marijuana will bring a host of problems to Minnesota.

Governor Tony Evers hopes Assembly Republicans will not pass a resolution next week that would end his COVID emergency declaration and statewide mask mandate.  Evers told reporters, "It's unbelievable to me that we can have the entire health world opposing them striking down this order. And they ignore the science, they ignore the people that implement the science."  The governor claims the issue is about saving lives.  Assembly Speaker Robin Voss put the resolution on hold Thursday after learning that canceling the order could cost Wisconsin around 50-million dollars in federal funding.  Vos vows to pass it once he's certain those concerns are addressed.

 Public health managers in Wisconsin say they are being overwhelmed by the number of people seeking the coronavirus vaccine.  Many people are being turned away right now.  Greenfield Health Department Director Darren Rausch says demand for the vaccine is about four times the available supply.  Rausch says people are finding out that just because they are eligible to get the shot, it doesn’t mean there is an available dose for them.  The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reports doctors have administered 476-thousand of the 846-thousand doses allocated to the state.

University of Wisconsin students working at COVID-19 vaccination sites can earn a 500-dollar tuition credit.  The credit builds upon the existing incentives for nursing and pharmacy students to work in hospitals to work in health care settings.  U-W System President Tommy Thompson said "this 500-dollar tuition credit will assist our students in serving in clinical, campus, Tribal, and other community settings."  Eligible students must be enrolled in a nursing or pharmacy program at a U-W campus during the spring semester and work at least 16 hours or two days as COVID vaccinator before March 31st.

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce accuses Governor Tony Evers of planning a 450-million-dollar “surprise tax” on Paycheck Protection loans.  The business group says nearly 90-thousand small businesses are about to be victimized by the governor – again.  The Evers administration is reportedly planning to tax those loans.  Congress has said it wants the funding to be tax-free, but it can’t order the states not to levy their own taxes.  W-M-C warns many small businesses can’t afford another mandated experience from the state government.

 A new report from the Wisconsin Elections Commission shows record voting numbers and few problems in the November 2020 election. W-E-C administrator Meagan Wolfe said, “thousands of election officials across the state worked countless nights and weekends to deliver a well-administered election despite the challenges of an ongoing pandemic, a battle against election misinformation, and a heightened level of scrutiny which often unfairly villainized them for simply doing their jobs.” The report found nearly three-point-three-million Wisconsin residents - or more than 72 percent of the state's voting-age population - cast a ballot in the General Election. Clerks processed almost two-million absentee ballots and voter registrations climbed nearly 12 percent. The report did indicate that a massive increase in absentee voting revealed public confusion about the process

A petition with hundreds of signatures is calling for the resignation of Rochester Public Schools Superintendent Michael Munoz.   New plagiarism allegations prompted the petition from mostly Rochester students and graduates.   Munoz was previously suspended five days without pay after it was learned that a letter sent to district staff thanking them for their efforts during the pandemic included unattributed writings of another educator.    A 2015 Century High School grad says he launched the petition in response to recent reports that Munoz plagiarized portions of speeches, letters, and social media posts.

Organizers say the Green Bay Boat Show will be the first major event held at Resch Expo. Dealers and exhibitors from across the state of Wisconsin are signed up to be a part of the show starting February 12 and running through the 14, The Green Bay R-V and Camping Expo was supposed to be the first event at the new facility, but it was canceled. Organizers said it would have been a challenge to keep the R-V units clean and safe for visitors.