Local-Regional News August 6

 A high-speed pursuit that began in Pierce County early Wednesday morning has led to damage to a Pepin County Sheriff's Department Squad.  The pursuit began when deputies tried to stop the suspect who was driving a stolen truck and trailer.  The suspect refused to stop and entered Pepin County on Hwy 10 and Pepin County Deputies attempted to deploy spike strips.  As the suspect approached they struck the squad car, heavily damaging it.  The suspect vehicle continued east through Pepin, Buffalo, Trempealeau Jackson, Eau Claire, Clark, and Wood Counties before crashing near Marshfield.  No one was injured during the pursuit and the driver was arrested in Wood County and will face multiple charges in Pierce, Pepin, and Wood Counites.  The crash caused over $11,000 of damage to the squad car.

One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Salem Township on Wednesday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 73yr old Terry Herring of Farmington was traveling westbound on 370th  Avenue when he lost control on a curve, left the roadway, and entered the north ditch where he overturned and was ejected.  Herring was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

Ten people are homeless after a fire near Tilden in Chippewa County.   According to fire officials, firefighters were called to the home on 120th Avenue at 6:30 Wednesday evening and found a lean-to near the home destroyed by the blaze.  The home had severe smoke damage and 10 people including 8 kids were displaced due to the smoke damage and no power to the home because of damage to the electric meter.  No cause of the blaze has been determined.  The Red Cross is helping the displaced family.

University of Wisconsin System campuses in western Wisconsin are expecting students, staff, and visitors to mask up in on-campus indoor spaces   With several counties in the region showing substantial or high levels of COVID-19 transmission, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout are encouraging the use of masks indoors starting on Monday. According to releases by both schools, the expectation would apply to everyone indoors on campus, including vehicles regardless of vaccination status. UW La Crosse made a similar request effective on Wednesday. At UW Madison, all students, employees, and visitors to campus are being required to wear masks when inside campus buildings. 

A cashier in a Chippewa Falls convenience store is being credited with stopping the scam of an elderly woman.  Store leader Jenn Engaldo says she knew something was wrong when the woman tried to buy two thousand dollars in Apple gift cards at her Kwik Trip store.  After some discussion, Engaldo and the police helped the woman realize she was falling for a fake arrest-warrant scam.  Investigators say the clerk’s quick thinking helped save the would-be victim’s bank account.  Chippewa Falls police are reminding people that the court never accepts gift cards as a way to satisfy a warrant.

With a new school year on the horizon, Minnesota parents and caregivers are reminded to save their receipts on school supply purchases.  Two tax benefits can help Minnesota families pay expenses related to their child’s education: the refundable K-12 Education Credit and the K-12 Education Subtraction.  The programs reduce the tax parents pay and could deliver a larger refund when filing a state income tax return next year. To qualify, the purchases must be for educational services or required classroom materials. The child must be attending kindergarten through 12th grade at a public, private, or home school and meet other qualifications.  Last year, more than 33-thousand families received the K-12 Education Credit and saved an average of 250 dollars. Nearly 190 thousand got the K-12 Education Subtraction.

Two people are in custody after authorities issued an Amber Alert for a two-month-old child from Wisconsin Rapids with a medical condition.  The Wisconsin Rapids Police Department says it was investigating a possible neglect/abuse case Wednesday afternoon and attempted to check the well-being of Dorian Giesen.  Officers say they tried to contact his mother, 28-year-old Haley Pelot, and she led them on a vehicle chase.  Investigators say the pursuit ended when Pelot threatened to harm Dorian.  He requires medication several times a day and it is believed that his mother does not have his pills.    The Wisconsin Rapids Police Department says they arrested two people and Dorian was recovered and is safe.

The lack of rain over the past week is making drought conditions even worse in Minnesota.  The latest U-S Drought Monitor shows 35 percent of the state is now in "extreme" drought.  That's up from 22 percent since last week and the highest since 2007.  Nearly 79 percent of Minnesota is in "severe" drought, up from 75-point-one percent the previous week.  There is rain in the forecast for the parts of the state this weekend.

The 2021 Wisconsin State Fair is officially underway.  The gates opened  Thursday for the first time in two years.  There are some COVID-19 protocols in place, but face masks are not required on the fairgrounds.  Face coverings are recommended inside buildings and there are a lot of sanitizing stations.  Governor Evers and other dignitaries attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Central Mall. The State Fair runs through August 15th.

The coronavirus pandemic has made recruiting police officers even more challenging and the nationwide shortages are showing up in Wisconsin.  Monona police are now paying to send new hires to the police academy, which has created a larger pool of candidates.  A Beloit Police captain says the force will be down eight officer positions by the end of August.  Captain Daniel Molland says the pandemic, police reform, and upcoming retirements can be blamed.  The story isn’t the same for all departments.  Two large recruiting efforts have resulted in nine new officers just joining the Janesville Police Department last month.  That effort was needed.  Police Chief David Moore says the department used to receive 300-to-400 applicants when starting a new class – now, only about 40 show up to take the written test each time.

Some Republican lawmakers are questioning why Wisconsin’s governor hasn’t spent more of the state’s federal stimulus money.  The state Department of Public Instruction reports Wisconsin has spent only 17 percent of the three billion dollars it has received.  State Senator Dale Kooyenga of suburban Milwaukee says that means 83 percent of the money is still just sitting in the bank.  Another Republican Senator, Duey Stroebel of Cedarburg, says that is par for the course for Governor Evers.  Stroebel says the Democrat has been “disorganized and inefficient” in handling the stimulus money sent to Wisconsin from Washington, D-C.

 U-S Senator Tammy Baldwin says the trillion-dollar infrastructure plan passed by a committee Wednesday “delivers support from Washington to Wisconsin.”  Baldwin is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes money for roads, bridges, water pipes, cybersecurity, and rural broadband service.  The Wisconsin Democrat says all of those improvements are things that Wisconsin sorely needs.  She says the U-S Senate will likely vote on the bill in just a matter of days.

The first time he tried, it didn’t go very far, but Governor Tony Evers is giving it a shot again.  He’s trying to bring back his plan to lower the cost of prescription drugs in Wisconsin.  Evers says it’s time for “bold solutions” to lower the out-of-pocket costs for consumers.  The legislation faces an uncertain future since Republicans already removed it from the state budget.  The plan was introduced again Wednesday.  It would create a review board to establish prescription drug spending targets for the public sector and limit prices, increase funding for free clinics, cap co-payments on insulin at 50 dollars, and create a new office to oversee the drug supply chain.

 Minnesota-based Target is offering its 340-thousand U-S workers debt-free education assistance to earn a degree.  Starting this fall, Target says it will cover the cost of tuition, fees, and textbooks for part and full-time employees who pursue a qualifying degree at more than 40 schools.  Target will also pay up to 10-thousand dollars annually for master’s degree programs.   The company plans to invest 200-million dollars in the education assistance program over the next four years.

  Molson Coors has announced plans to discontinue at least 11 of its national and regional brands of beer as it focuses on higher-end products.  Miller High Life Light is among the brands the company will retire.  A spokesman says the money will improve supply chain flexibility for the company’s more profitable priority brands.  Some of the other beers that will no longer be on store shelves include Hamm’s Special Light, Icehouse Edge, Keystone Ice, and Milwaukee’s Best Premium.  The move also clears the way for Molson Coors to invest more resources into its “hard-seltzer” portfolio.

Local-Regional News August 4

 A Mindoro Man is in custody after a high-speed chase that lasted for 28 miles through  Pepin and Buffalo Counties.  According to the Pepin County Sheriffs Department, 23yr old Frederick Clements was pulled over by deputies near Hwy 35 and Bogus road on Tuesday afternoon.  After initially stopping he fled and at times reached speeds of 110 mph.  The pursuit was terminated in the Village of Pepin for safety reasons.  Clements was then spotted traveling south on Hwy 35 and the pursuit was re-initiated and went into Buffalo County where Buffalo County Sheriffs Deputies and Wabasha Police joined the pursuit.   Clements entered Alma where the pursuit was terminated until he was spotted south of Alma and authorities used stop sticks and deflated three of Clements tires.    He was then boxed in and pulled over.  He is facing felony charges in Pepin and Buffalo Counties.

One person was injured in a motorcycle vs deer accident in Mondovi Township on Monday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, 28yr old David Warn, III of Milton was traveling northbound on Hwy 37 when a deer ran out onto the road and the motorcycle struck the deer.   Warn was taken to an Eau Claire Hospital with head injuries.  

One person was injured in a motorcycle accident in Maiden Rock Township Sunday afternoon.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 53yr old Christiana Maxson of Mantorville, MN was traveling southbound on Hwy UU when she lost control on a curve, left the roadway, and overturned.    She was transported to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

According to the CDC, three counties in Western Wisconsin are experiencing high rates of Covid-19.  The latest CDC tracker website shows Pepin, Eau Claire, and Chippewa counties listed in the high category of covid-19 rates.  During an interview with WRDN last Wednesday,  Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart the increase in cases started in Mid July.  Stewart recommends people continue to use basic prevention methods like washing hands, social distancing, staying home if you dont feel well, and wear a mask if you are at indoor events.

The state is setting aside $10 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds for tourism support. Governor Tony Evers made the announcement during a stop in Ashwaubenon on Tuesday.  Evers is asking people to continue to get vaccinated and to use their masks as they travel, in order to keep Wisconsin's tourism season open. 

A man who shot paintballs at members of the U-S Army Reserve will enter a guilty plea.  Ian Olson of Nashotah is described as a Q-Anon supporter.  He was arrested in March.  Witnesses say he got out of his car in Pewaukee, pointed what appeared to be a rifle at the service members, and said, “This is for America!”  After two or three shots the paintball gun jammed.  Two servicemen tackled him to the ground and held him until police arrived.  Olson will be sentenced on the charge of attacking U-S servicemen at a date that hasn’t been set.  Authorities haven’t said what the sentence might be.

Minnesota is now receiving applications for potential cases of wrongful convictions.  Attorney General Keith Ellison launched the state's Conviction Review Unit Tuesday through a partnership with the Minnesota Innocence Project.  Ellison says "every criminal case has room for error because the criminal justice system is run by human beings...it's important to understand when we do not hit the mark of justice and to correct those occasions when that happens."   The unit is funded by a two-year, 300-thousand-dollar grant and will be the first of its kind in Minnesota to review cases of people imprisoned for crimes they may not have committed.

National Night Out was held across Western Wisconsin Last night.  Good crowds were reported at the events and here in Durand many residents came out to the Bauer Built Sports Complex to view the new squad car and other equipment from Durand Police, Fire and Ambulance Service., and meet members of all three services.  The police had a kickball game against the kids and after the event the movie Trolls, World Tour was show compliments of the Durand-Arkansaw School District.

University of Wisconsin System leaders will have to get permission from a Republican-controlled legislative committee for any COVID-related regulations at its schools. The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules voted 6-4 along party lines today (Tuesday) to require the U-W System to issue an emergency order within 30 days to enact pandemic protocols, including mandatory testing and masks on campus. U-W System spokesman Mark Pitsch said in a statement, "today's action feels like a political statement; our focus is to ensure we are doing what needs to be done now to safely open for in-person teaching this fall." Committee co-chair, Senator Steve Nass of Whitewater said, "today, the legislature through JCRAR has told the UW System they can no longer ignore state law with regards to Covid-19 mandates impacting students and campus visitors." UW-Madison is planning to require weekly testing of unvaccinated students on campus this fall.

 Target is reinstating its face mask mandate for its employees as COVID-19 makes a resurgence across the country.  The Minnesota-based retail giant is not requiring masks for its customers, although it is strongly encouraging shoppers to wear masks in areas where transmission is considered "substantial" or "high" risk.  The new policy takes effect Tuesday.  Walmart and many other retailers are also again requiring workers to wear face masks.

Almost 50 million dollars in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan will be used in Wisconsin to address mental health and substance abuse needs.  The Department of Health Services made the announcement Monday.  Over the next four years, 22 million dollars will be dedicated to substance abuse services and another 24-point-six million will go to mental health.  State officials have called access to affordable mental and behavioral health care a critical need in Wisconsin.  The coronavirus pandemic has made the situation worse.

State Senator Chris Larson is dropping out of the U-S Senate race and endorsing Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes. Larson entered the crowded Democratic primary field in May. He would have had to give up his Milwaukee state Senate seat if he had stayed in the race. Larson said in a statement that Barnes, one of eight remaining Democratic candidates, is "best positioned to defeat Ron Johnson." The Oshkosh Republican has yet to announce whether he'll seek a third term.

A southwest Wisconsin woman is jailed for the weekend shooting death of her boyfriend. The Richland County Sheriff's Department says Lori Miller and Benjamin Brewer of Muscoda got into a fight Saturday night and Brewer was shot. Deputies say he died at the scene before paramedics got there. Miller was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. She was booked on suspicion of second-degree reckless homicide. The incident remains under investigation.

The congressional delegations from Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota are working together to put through legislation that would help ranchers during future droughts. Conservation Reserve Program Flexibility Act would make it possible for the U-S Department of Agriculture to allow emergency haying on C-R-P lands before August 1st during certain conditions. Early haying is typically not allowed to protects birds' primary nesting season.

Local-Regional News August 3

 The Department of Natural Resources says the air quality index in northern Wisconsin is “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”  The air quality advisory issued Monday is set to last through noon today.  The people who could be harmed include children, the elderly, individuals with health risks like respiratory and cardiac problems, and anybody who exercises strenuously outside for an extended period of time.  D-N-R officials say fine particles from the smoke caused by the Canadian wildfires are polluting the air.  The advisory covers 39 counties.

National Night Out is tonight in Durand and other communities in Western Wisconsin.  In Durand, National Night Out will be held at the Bauer Built Sports Complex starting at 5 and the Durand  Police, Fire, Ambulance will be there, a kickball game between the Police and Kids will be played, and according to Durand Police Chief Stan Ridgeway there will be food and other door prizes. After National Night out everyone is invited to stay and watch the movie Trolls, World Tour with the Durand-Arkansaw School District. 

The Village of Elmwood is reminding residents to take their keys and lock their vehicles and belongings.  Thefts from vehicles have been reported in the village and the Pierce County Sheriff's Department continues to investigate numerous thefts from vehicles throughout the county.

The Dunn County Sheriff's Department is asking for the public's help in identifying two individuals involved in a theft at a gas station in Wheeler.  The Departments Facebook page has a picture of the man and woman the department would like to question about the thefts.  The couple was driving a silver SUV with Minnesota Plates.  Anyone with information on the couple is to contact the Dunn County Sheriff's Department. 

If you have old electronics around the house, you can dispose of them on Thursday during an Electronic Recycling Event at Durand High School.   There will be a $20 charge for television and computer monitors and credit or debit cards will only be accepted.  Other electronic items can be disposed of free of charge.  That event is Thursday from 10-3 at Durand High School.

Authorities in southeastern Minnesota continue to investigate the fatal shooting of a woman in Austin.  Officers say 20-year-old Tyesha Tahne Gills was shot inside a home early Saturday and died at the Mayo Clinic Health System Hospital.  Investigators have not reported any arrests in the case but said there is not any ongoing danger to the public.    The Minnesota B-C-A is assisting local authorities.

Authorities in Adams County report a 41-year-old father and his 13-year-old daughter have drowned in Petenwell Lake.  Witnesses told deputies several children had been swimming when they began to struggle.  The father and daughter jumped in to help them, but they apparently didn’t resurface.  Bystanders were able to get some of the children out of the water, but Aurora and Andrew Nett were still missing.  Search and rescue crews responded just before 6:00 p-m and kept looking for the two missing people until 11:00.  The search resumed Monday morning and the bodies were recovered.

Counterfeit $100 bills have been found in Rusk County.  According to the Rusk County Sheriff's Department's Facebook Page, several of the bills were located by officers or turned in by citizens.  The bills have an additional fake serial number in the lower left-hand corner of the bill.  If you come across one of these bills you are to call your local law enforcement agency.

The Democratic National Committee is inviting Milwaukee to submit another bid – this one for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.  Milwaukee was supposed to host the event last year but it transitioned to a mostly virtual convention due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Wisconsin’s largest city was ready for 50 thousand visitors after beating out Houston and Miami.  There was sentiment to simply schedule the next convention in Milwaukee, but that isn’t the case right now.  Similar invitation letters inviting bids were mailed to a list of more than 20 cities.  Bids can be submitted until October 1st with the final decision expected in the spring of 2023.

A long-time Wisconsin broadcaster has died.  Wisconsin Public Media has announced that Gene Purcell, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison division that provides statewide access to public media through Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin, died Saturday from injuries suffered last week in a traffic crash in Madison. Purcell had led WPM since 2018, steering its transition to UW-Madison from the UW-Extension, and leading public media through the COVID-19 pandemic. Gene Purcell was 61.

A crop duster pilot is expected to survive the injuries he suffered Saturday when his helicopter crashed near Randolph Township.  The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office says the chopper went down in a cornfield while the pilot was trying to fly under some high power lines.  The emergency call came in Saturday at about 10:15 a-m.  The pilot was airlifted to a hospital.  No names have been released and the extent of the pilot’s injuries hasn’t been reported.  The F-A-A is working with the sheriff’s office on the investigation.

This year’s wolf hunt in Wisconsin will likely be brief.   The Department of Natural Resources has set a limit of 130 wolves killed this year. Hunters and trapped bagged 218 wolves in about three days earlier this year. That’s a number that wildlife managers and animal rights advocates both found unacceptably high. Wisconsin’s wolf hunt is scheduled to start on November 6th. 

The committee planning the Oneida Pow Wow acknowledges that people will be disappointed that it is being canceled.  The event was called off last year, too.  Organizers blame growing numbers of COVID-19 cases in the community for the decision to call things off for the last weekend of this month.  It's possible a virtual Pow Wow will be held.  Between eight and 10 thousand people were expected to attend the event.  With less than half of the Oneida community vaccinated, there were concerns about the possible spread of the virus.

The University of Minnesota is requiring that masks be worn indoors on all campuses, in lockstep with the most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The school sent out a letter with the news Monday to all students and staff. The guidance goes into effect on campus as of Tuesday.

More than three dozen Wisconsin parent groups have written a letter calling forced masking and new lockdowns or restrictions to their kids “objectively cruel.” The letters were sent to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and President Joe Biden. The parents say their children do not belong to the government. The Department of Health Services says it is simply following C-D-C guidelines that say, everyone – including those who have been vaccinated – should wear masks to slow the spread of the delta variant. The parents say they will disobey any new mask orders.

All Minnesota assisted living and memory care facilities have to be licensed by the state for the first time.  The new rules went into effect Sunday.  They were included in a sweeping overhaul of long-term care consumer protections that were signed into law following investigations of neglect and abuse.  The Minnesota Department of Health says it has received more than two thousand license applications from providers serving nearly 58 thousand residents.

Local-Regional News August 2

 A program aimed at finding lost or wandering individuals is received a donation from the Durand Lions Club.  Project Lifesaver provides a program to help law enforcement a program to protect and when necessary quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who may wander off.  The Lions are donating $1100 to the program through the Pepin County Sheriff's Department, a Project Lifesaver member.

An area business is looking at expanding.  During last week's Durand City Council Meeting, Administrator Rassmuesson talked about a possible expansion of Marron Foods.  The company is wanting to make sure it will still have proper access to Hwy 10 when the new Kwik Trip is constructed.  The administrator also told council members of a possible grant to help with the infrastructure of the new Kwik Trip that would come from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources asks for the public's help with Operation Deer Watch this month.  The DNR is asking volunteers to report deer sightings including bucks, does, and fawns between now and September 1st and report the sightings on the DNR Website.  The DNR and County Deer Advisory Councils use the data from the survey to develop a deer season framework, harvest quotas, and permit level recommendations.  For more information visit the DNR website.

A Menomonie teen has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in a sexual assault case.  17yr old John Stai, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of exposing himself to a child.  The charges stem from an incident where a girl told authorities the contact started when she was in kindergarten and continued until the 6th grade.  Stai admitted to doing inappropriate things with the girl when he was 8yrs old and into his teens.    The charges will be dropped in four years if Stai does community service, does not break any laws, and receives a psychosexual evaluation.

The Wabasha County Board is meeting Tuesday.  Items on the agenda include discussion and approval of maintenance agreements with cities in the county, an American Rescue Plan Consulting Services Agreement, and a review of the quarterly financial reports.  Tomorrow's meeting begins at 9am at the Wabasha County Government Center.

Nearly 14 thousand people living in Wisconsin have every reason to worry they will be evicted over the next two months.  Members of Congress have left Washington for the six-week August recess without extending the federal freeze on evictions.  Nationwide, three-point-six million Americans are at risk.  Madison-based Feeding the Youth reports it has seen requests for rental help more than triple in the last week.  C-E-O Jazzman Brown says her organization normally gets five-to-10 requests each month.  Most of the 48 requests for help received recently came in during the last week of July.

A new report finds Wisconsin and other states failed to meet federal rules for clearing unemployment appeals.   The Legislative Audit Bureau has found that the state Department of Workforce Development failed to comply with federal regulations regarding unemployment appeals between June 2020 and May 2021, as the coronavirus pandemic swept the state and nation. That means that less than 80 percent of appeals were resolved in 45 days, and the average age of appeals filed that are awaiting a hearing is 58 days. That's nearly two weeks more than the number of days allowed by federal regulations. The LAB also compared Wisconsin's appeals data with four surrounding states and found none were in compliance with the federal guidance, either. Wisconsin ranked third out of the five states studied. 

Family members of a Wisconsin Marine killed in a training accident last year have filed a lawsuit.  Nineteen-year-old Evan Bath of Oak Creek and eight other service members died when the amphibious assault vehicle sank during an exercise in California.  They were trapped inside by a defective cargo hatch door.  The Bath family is suing B-A-E Systems, the maker of the assault vehicle.  They claim the company knew about the problem for years and never took steps to correct it.  Federal law prevents families from suing the U-S military.  The family is asking the Marines to stop using the A-A-V.

Bond is set at one million dollars cash for the La Cross County triple homicide suspects. Forty-one-year-old Khamthaneth Rattanasack and 33-year-old Nya Thao made their first court appearances Friday afternoon.    They're accused of killing 24-year-olds Peng Lor and Nemo Yang and 23-year-old Trevor Maloney in the Town of Hamilton. A witness said Rattanasack ordered the three victims to kneel on the ground and Thao shot them multiple times.  Investigators said a possible cause was a dispute over a 600-dollar debt.  Rattanasack and Thao could face life prison sentences if convicted of three counts of first-degree intentional homicide.

 Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says he's expanding a taxpayer-funded review of the 2020 presidential election.   The Republican leader said Friday that former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman will be named "special counsel," with authority to hire full-time investigators.   In a statement, Vos said, “It has become clear that a top-to-bottom investigation will take longer than initially anticipated and will require more manpower to complete." Vos has already agreed to pay Gabelman 44-thousand dollars through October and hired two retired police detectives to review the election.    It's not immediately clear how much additional tax money will be needed.   President Joe Biden won the state by more than 20-thousand votes.

Wisconsin’s governor and Assembly speaker agree that the state needs to help people back to work at struggling businesses, but they don’t agree on how to do it.  Governor Tony Evers and Speaker Robin Vos have starkly different ideas.  Evers wants Wisconsin lawmakers to spend an additional 550 million dollars on schools to help with the state’s worker shortage.  Vos is demanding Wisconsin put an end to enhanced unemployment benefits so he says people will return to work more quickly.  Wisconsin businesses have repeatedly said they can’t find qualified people to apply for their openings.

The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the death of one of its police dogs.  Officials say K9 Deputy Rajko died at 11:30 a-m today (Friday) surrounded by his handler, Sergeant Ryan Mangan, and those who loved him.  The sheriff's office said in a statement, "Rajko’s medical condition deteriorated due to cancer that was discovered earlier this week and there simply was no other option but to save Rajko from further pain.”  He served for eight years and won several awards at national, state, and regional K-9 trials.  Deputies are asking everyone to "please keep Rajko, Ryan, and their family in hearts as Rajko runs freely across The Rainbow Bridge.”

State and local officials are trying to convince a company in southeast Minnesota not to move dozens of jobs to China.  A recent announcement indicated the Miken Sports plant in Caledonia would be phased out over the next two years.  Some of the work would be moved to Missouri.  The change means at least 80 workers will lose their jobs.  The Rawlings company has said it will save at least four million dollars by moving production jobs out of the plant.  It has been operating there since 1999.  U-S Senator Tina Smith’s office says she will get involved.  Miken Sports makes equipment for Major League Baseball

The Wisconsin State Patrol is welcoming 42 new state troopers.  The 66th Recruiting Class was officially sworn into duty at a graduation ceremony Friday in La Crosse.   The 42 officers just completed 26 weeks of training in traffic and criminal laws, emergency vehicle operations, firearms proficiency, communications, crisis management, and lifesaving skills.   After graduating from the State Patrol Academy at Ft. McCoy, new officers are assigned to one of the State Patrol’s seven regional posts.   Governor Tony Evers joined the ceremony and thanked and congratulated the latest State Patrol recruiting class.

Local-Regional News July 30

 Those attending the Buffalo County Fair this weekend in Mondovi are reminded that if you go downtown, the city will be enforcing the no open container law.   The 4-H and FFA Livestock Auction is tonight along with the truck and tractor pull.

Spring Valley and New Richmond continue to clean up after severe storms moved through Western Wisconsin on Wednesday night.  Crews and residents continue to clean up downed trees and damaged buildings.  The Spring Valley Middle School and High School lost sections of roofing and Crystal Cave reported damage.  The National Weather Service has said an EF1 tornado touched down near New Richmond but cannot confirm if a tornado or straight-line winds were responsible for the damage in Spring Valley.  St. Croix County has issued a state of emergency following the storms.

The Dunn County Aging and Disability Resource Center is announcing that Home Repair Financing is available from USDA Rural Development.  As the last quarter of the funding cycle approaches, USDA has $455,000 in loan funds and $440,000 in grant funds allocated to Wisconsin.  The Home Repair and Grant Program can provide up to $7500 in grant assistance to elderly households and $20000 in loan assistance to very low-income households for repairs to your home before winter.  For more information on the program, contact your county Aging and Disability Resource Center.

The Mondovi City Water Utility will be flushing out fire hydrants and water mains in the month of August.  During the work, residents may experience possible discoloration of their water.  The utility recommends running the cold water for a few minutes to clear the discoloration.    The flushing should be completed by the end of August.

Starting Monday those coming into Durand on Hwy F will need to use an alternate route.  Constructions crews will begin repacing the sanitary sewer at the intersection of Country Land and Hwy F.  This means the intersection will be closed to all traffic.  Those using Hwy F to come into Durand will have to go to Hwy FF, then to Hwy PP to come into Durand.

La Crosse County Sheriff Jeff Wolf says three men were killed last week near West Salem over a 600-dollar debt. Authorities arrested Nya Thao and Khamthanet Rattanasack at two different locations in the shooting deaths of Peng Lor, Nemo Yang, and Trevor Maloney. Thao and Rattanasack were booked on charges including first-degree homicide and will appear in court Friday afternoon. Sheriff Wolf said a witness came forward who said she was there when the men were killed. The woman told investigators Rattanasack ordered the three victims to kneel on the ground and Thao shot them multiple times. One of the people interviewed said Rattanasack believed that Yang or Lor may have stolen some credit cards totaling around 600 dollars.

Proposed state legislation would allow more nurses to see more patients in Wisconsin.  A Senate committee listened to hours of testimony Wednesday on a bill to give advanced practice nurses more freedom and more authority. The idea is to allow A-P-R-N’s to work without the direct supervision of a doctor. The bill also proposes letting A-P-R-N’s prescribe medicine. Nurses say it would give people more healthcare options. Doctor’s groups worry it might push physicians aside. 

Now that the cleanup is underway following this week's severe storms, be sure to document everything that happened. Wisconsin Emergency Management spokesman Andrew Beckett says pictures and descriptions of the damage to your home or business are vital to local governments.   Beckett reminds people to be safe and never clean up downed branches or trees if there's power line damage in the area. Make sure you get the all-clear before getting out there to work. 

 Minnesota is joining the White House initiative in providing 100 dollars to everyone in the state who gets a COVID shot by mid-August.   Governor Tim Walz says Minnesota is ready to join the effort with the delta variant pushing up cases and kids going back to school.  The governor said, "getting paid 100 dollars to keep your family safe is a pretty good deal – all you have to do is roll up your sleeves.”    Walz says he will authorize up to two-and-a-half-million dollars in COVID relief funds for the program.

A G-O-P legislator wants to prevent the University of Wisconsin System from implementing COVID testing, masking, and vaccine requirements on its campuses. The proposal from Senator Steve Nass of Whitewater would require that health and safety measures implemented by the U-W system be subject to approval from the Joint Committee on Review of Administration Rules that he chairs. President Tommy Thompson said in a statement, "Given my experience as a former United States Health and Human Services Secretary, I know the biggest threat to in-person classes this fall would be actions that strip the U-W System of the tools it has so successfully used to date to address outbreaks and reduce the spread of COVID-19. " Nass says the committee will consider his proposal next week.

Ascension Health is the latest Wisconsin health care provider requiring employees to get the coronavirus vaccine.  Ascension employees will be required to show proof of vaccination, even if they work remotely. The new mandate covers frontline healthcare workers, but also includes non-medical staff, and even vendors who do business with Ascension.

Setting a vacant home on fire will result in a Fond du Lac man spending two-and-a-half years in prison.  Sixty-year-old Merlin Jolin was sentenced Tuesday.  He had been convicted on an arson charge for the fire in Fond du Lac in December 2019.  Witnesses told investigators about seeing Jolin leaving the home shortly after the flames appeared.  He was taken into custody about a block from the scene of the fire.  Jolin admitted setting it, saying he was trying to get warm.

A special working group that will recommend 250-million dollars in COVID bonuses to frontline workers is hearing from Minnesotans who have worked in high-risk settings during the pandemic.  Minnesota Nurses Association President Mary Turner told lawmakers she was in an I-C-U for 45 minutes one night, "holding this tube together as the COVID germs are flying all over the room, and I'm wearing the same mask as I have now worn for my eighth shift."  House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler says with 250 million dollars available "we have to decide if we're going to spread it out more thinly, or if we're going to narrow the scope, or make some effort to add additional funds. Those are kind of our choices."  The goal is to have a special session in mid-September.

With 14 Minnesota counties listed in severe drought conditions, the state is taking steps to help.  Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has signed an executive order to waive trucking regulations.  That’s aimed at helping livestock producers who need to access hay and other forage during the drought.  Conditions statewide have resulted in a reduction of about 10 thousand acres of harvestable hay.  Farmers and livestock producers are having to travel greater distances to get the hay and forage they need to feed their animals.

 After a little more than two years on the job, the chairman of the Wisconsin State Republican Party is stepping down.  Andrew Hitt says he will stay on until a successor is elected.  That should happen by early September.  Hitt is a member of an Appleton law firm.  He says he is leaving to focus on his family and his career in the private sector.  Hitt worked hard while he was on the job, collaborating with party activists, insiders, and officeholders, raising money, and serving as the public face of the party for the media.

Local-Regional News July 29

 Severe Storms moved through the WRDN Listening area last night.  The National Weather Service reported 60mph winds in Durand, a gas station sign was blown down in Nelson due to the winds,  part of the sign at Family Dollar in Osseo was blown off, a barn and garage were blown down near Hammond and there are reports of corn flattened in St. Croix County.  Much quieter and cooler weather is expected for the rest of the week and into the weekend.

The City of Durand has approved the sale of $2.9 million in bonds for the 3rd Ave East project.  During last night's council meeting the city was told by Ehlers and Associates that the city's bond rating remained at AA-, which is very good for a community the size of Durand.  Because of the high rating, the city received a very low interest rate of 1.58%  The bonds were purchased by FHN Financial Capital Market of Memphis, TN.

Mondovi is continuing to work on reducing or removing the algae from Mirror Lake.  Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says he and other volunteers are working to keep the dam inlets open to keep the water flowing to reduce the algae floating on the lake's surface.  The city is also working with the Department of Natural Resources on receiving permits to remove the algae from the lake using other methods.

Covid cases are again on the rise in Pepin County and Wisconsin.  Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says everyone has to remember basic prevention measures.  Stewart says that anyone who would like to be vaccinated can receive the vaccine by just calling the Pepin County Health Department.

An Arcadia man was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident Tuesday in the Town of Arcadia.  According to the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, 24yr old Bret Aspenson of Acradia was traveling eastbound on Hickory Hill Road when he left the roadway and overturned in a driveway.  Aspenson was airlifted with serious injuries to the hospital.

An Eau Claire man is bound over for trial in the shooting death of a 14-year-old boy.  Twenty-six-year-old Austin Vang is charged with the first-degree reckless homicide of Marwin Washington last Tuesday.  Vang told investigators he thought the gun was unloaded when he pointed it at Washington and pulled the trigger.  He claimed he was just horsing around with the gun.  Police say Vang is dating Washington's older sister and the three live together.  He has a plea hearing next month.

A Dunn County woman who nearly starved her dog to death will avoid having to eat jail food.  It took a jury just two hours to find 30-year-old Anne Iehl guilty of the severe mistreatment of her pet.  Iehl had dropped off a severely malnourished dog named Gabriel at the Dunn County Humane Society in November 2019.  She claimed to have found him, but it was later determined that Iehl was the owner.  A judge sentenced her to two years probation Tuesday.  The dog weighed just 23 pounds when he was turned in.  Iehl said she wasn’t financially stable enough to take care of him on her own.  Gabriel has found a new home and the Humane Society says he is doing well.

The Buffalo County Fair gets underway today.   The carnival opens up tonight at 5pm, and the garden tractor pull is at 6:30 tonight.  The Tri-State Tractor Pull is tomorrow night and the Demo Derby is Saturday.  We will have live streaming coverage of the Swine Show tonight at 5, the Beef Show tomorrow at 9am and the Dairy Show on Saturday at 9am on our YouTube Channel at Durand Broadcasting WRDN.   The 4-H and FFA Livestock Auction is set for Friday night at 7pm.

The Wisconsin National Guard says it is still waiting on 10 million dollars in reimbursement for deploying trips to Washington, D-C, earlier this year.  The lack of reimbursement from the feds means the Guard Bureau hasn’t sent Wisconsin the money earmarked for paychecks through the end of September.  Wisconsin commanders say they’re not sure what will happen.  Right now, they are looking at areas where they can make cuts due to the lack of money.  Republican Congressman Bryan Steil says Congress needs to make paying the troops a priority.  Following the insurrection at the U-S Capitol, there was a massive troop build-up for the inauguration of incoming President Joe Biden.

A former township clerk in Dakota County will spend more than two years in federal prison for taking more than 650-thousand dollars in public funds.  Seventy-year-old Maryann Stoffel of Hastings was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud.  Stoffel admitted to forging the signatures of the Vermillion Township treasurer and board chair on checks from December 2012 through last October.  Investigators say Stoffel transferred funds to her own bank account and concealed her fraud from the annual township report. She was ordered to pay 652-thousand dollars in restitution.

The state Elections Commission's chair says a Republican lawmaker's allegation of "ghost voters" in Wisconsin is "factually incorrect."  Commission chair Ann Jacobs, who's a Democrat, called Representative Janel Brandtjen's claim, "unfortunate," and said the Menominee Falls Republican "should stop spreading these wild conspiracy theories." Brandtjen alleged that "tens of thousands of new registrations and votes cast by individuals whose driver’s license number, name, and date of birth did not match and were subsequently removed from the state system after their votes were recorded."    The elections commission said voter data mismatches happen about five percent of the time but are minor typos corrected by the clerk or voter. Voters are not removed from the statewide voter database.

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals is denying another appeal from Steven Avery.  He's serving a life prison sentence for the 2005 murder of photographer Teresa Halbach.  The appeals court wrote, "We hold that Avery’s motions are insufficient on their face to entitle him to a hearing and that the circuit court did not erroneously exercise its discretion in denying the motions to vacate and for reconsideration. Accordingly, we affirm.”  Avery claims he did not kill Halbach and lost every appeal in the case.

The parents and legal guardians of the boy who was thrown over a railing on the third floor of the Mall of America in 2019 are suing the M-O-A.  The family's lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages from the mall and its ownership.  Attorneys say the boy--who was five at the time of the incident--is doing well, but his family has incurred around one-point-seven-million dollars in medical expenses.  The man who pleaded guilty to throwing the boy over the balcony was sentenced to 19 years in prison for attempted murder.

  U-S Senator Ron Johnson says health officials need to stop issuing recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  The Wisconsin Republican says it’s time to let Americans – not federal agencies – make decisions for themselves and their children.  Johnson says it’s “time to reclaim liberty and end this state of fear.  His comments come in response to Tuesday recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the use of face masks.  Johnson questions the recommendations and questions whether masks work and if they may do more harm than good.

The Department of Natural Resources is teaming up with the Department of Health Services to boost protection and education on safe water in Wisconsin. DNR secretary Preston Cole says that means getting PFAS and heavy metals out of drinking water but also stepping up enforcement on nitrates from farms getting into groundwater.   Those nitrates have become a major problem in northeast Wisconsin where ag runoff has infiltrated the groundwater and made it into municipal and rural water systems. 

Local-Regional News July 28

 The WRDN listening area is under a moderate threat for severe weather today.  A strong front will pass through the upper midwest today and will bring a round of severe storms.  The Weather Services says there is the possibility of widespread significant wind damage along with large hail.  The greatest threat for severe weather will be this evening between 5-9pm.

The Durand-Arkansaw School Board has approved a plan for re-opening this fall.  All buildings will be open for students to attend in person. Remote learning will be available for students in grades 4-12.  District Administration believes that in order for students in grades Pre-K-3 to learn best they need to be in the building learning from the teacher and interacting with their peers.  Parent(s) who prefer to have their children in a remote learning environment, will be required to meet certain criteria for their child to participate in the remote learning environment.  Masks will be optional this year, and students and staff will socially distance when possible, hand sanitizers will be located in buildings and electrostatic sprayers will be used daily to disinfect each classroom.

The city of Mondovi has approved a new funding package from USDA for the wastewater treatment plant.  USDA increased the loan amount to $16.4 million dollars and the grant to $10.6 million dollars.  Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says the new funding package is good news for the city.  The council is expected to formally award the project to a contractor at the next council meeting.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and approval of issuing $3.075 million in bonds for the 3rd Ave East project, reports from the mayor, administrator, and department heads, and the council will go into closed session to discuss the sale of city property on Auth Street and to also have an employment review of the city administrator.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30pm at Durand City Hall.

The Wisconsin State Patrol will be conducting speed enforcement in Western Wisconsin this week.  The Patrol will have aircraft over Trempealeau County today, Eau Claire County Thursday, and Dunn County on Saturday.  They will be focusing on I-94 each day.  When pilots detected speeders, aggressive or reckless drivers, they contact troopers on the ground to make a traffic stop.  

The La Crosse Sheriff’s Office has identified two suspects in last week’s shooting that left three men dead.  Authorities are searching for 41-year-old Khamthanet Rattanasack and 33-year-old Nya Thao.  Both men reportedly have lengthy criminal records.  Investigators say they have found the car used by the suspects when they killed Peng Lor, Trevor Maloney, and Nemo Yang near the entrance to the Milestone Minerals quarry.  The shooting happened last Friday in the town of Hamilton.

 More than two dozen Wisconsin cities will share 22 million dollars in community development block grant funding for public infrastructure projects.  The grant money will be used for the repair and maintenance of streets, drainage systems, water and sewer systems, and sidewalks.  Local governments in low to moderate-income areas will be getting the funding.  The federal money is sourced from the U-S Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Here in Western Wisconsin Mondovi is one of the communities to receive a CDBG grant.

 This time the special session lasted a reported 30 seconds.  Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers had called lawmakers back to Capitol Tuesday to add funding for education.  After Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and State Representative Tyler August met and quickly ended the special session, Evers said, “kids deserve better.”  The Republican lawmakers who were co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee -- State Representative Mark Born and State Senator Howard Marklein – say they stand by their budget decisions.  They accused the governor of “political posturing.”

Minnesota health officials have no plans to require face masks following the latest C-D-C guidance on indoor masking.   Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm says they strongly encourage people to follow C-D-C recommendations, "but at the present time, those are not in the context of mandates."  Fourteen Minnesota counties fall under the new C-D-C guidelines that recommend children and even vaccinated people wear masks indoors where COVID cases are surging.    Malcolm says they plan to talk about health guidance for Minnesota schools in the coming days.

Republicans failed in their attempt to overturn Governor Evers' veto of a bill that would have ended federal unemployment benefits in Wisconsin. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says it's unfair that businesses have to compete with the federal government. Vos said, "if you pay people over 17 dollars an hour tax-free to stay home and not work there are going to be fewer people working it's not rocket science." Minority leader Gordon Hintz says the numbers that Republicans and business leaders are quoting just don't make sense. Hintz says unemployment numbers continue to do go down and fewer people are filing for unemployment. Wisconsin's jobless rate is three-point-nine percent and well below the national average of five-point-nine percent.

Wisconsin Assembly Republicans will expand their investigation into last November’s election. State Representative Janel Brandtjen says she wants a full forensic audit of the vote count, how counties collected ballots, and how election officials used the internet to handle votes both last fall and last April. Brandtjen says the forensic audit is the next step in her investigation in how the 2020 elections were managed. She says the probe is meant to restore faith in Wisconsin’s electoral process, and not to change the outcome.

A St. Paul woman accused of driving an S-U-V on the Minnesota State Capitol sidewalk and lawn may face criminal charges.  The incident happened Monday morning during a news conference by embattled state Representative John Thompson.  The suspect drove across the Capitol grounds while waving a Trump 2020 flag from the window.  The case is headed to the St. Paul City Attorney's office for possible charges, including reckless driving.

There are more signs that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over in Wisconsin. Public health authorities say the best way to stem the spread of COVID-19 is still to get more people vaccinated and to resume wearing facemasks in public spaces. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett made that recommendation during a Tuesday briefing on the status of the virus in his city. And - in another breakthrough case of someone who's fully vaccinated - the Milwaukee Brewers announced they've placed outfielder Christian Yelich COVID-related injury list due to a positive test. Brewer's second baseman Jace Peterson is also on the COVID-IL because of contact tracing protocol.

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office will be providing security during the Minnesota State Fair next month. The move comes after the State Fair Police Department was disbanded earlier this year, leaving fair organizers hunting for law enforcement options. The Ramsey County Board approved the move  Tuesday morning, but officials made it clear the county's involvement is just a temporary fix.

Madison efforts to control the city’s goose population is getting some pushback. Opponents say the Madison Parks and Recreation Department killed about 70 geese at the Yahara Golf Course and Esther Beach this summer. Alliance for Animals says there should be an updated waterfowl management plan in place reflecting today’s health and science. Members of that group protested outside City Hall Monday. They say the focus should be on non-lethal methods of control like fences, strobe lights, and decoy predators.

 A Bonduel police officer is being praised for pulling a driver from a burning truck Monday morning.  Police were called to the scene of a crash at an intersection with Highway 117 a little after 11:00 a-m.  When Officer Drake Feriancek arrived, a passerby named Todd Yancy was smashing out a window in the burning vehicle.  Feriancek managed to pull the driver out just before it became engulfed in flames.  Several emergency responders helped pull the driver a safe distance away, then he was taken to a hospital.  The driver hasn’t been identified yet and his medical condition isn’t known.