Local-Regional News November 10

 One person was injured in a two-vehicle accident in Trenton Township on Tuesday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 67yr old Elizabeth Heywood of Plum City was traveling southbound on Hwy 35 when she entered the intersection of Hwy 35 and 63 and was struck by a vehicle driven by 39yr old Amy Berry of Red Wing that was traveling northbound on Hwy 63.  Heywood was taken to Mayo Hospital in Red Wing.

Some big changes in the weather today.  The warm temperatures from today will give way to much colder weather by late this afternoon.  A strong cold front with temperatures 30-40 degrees colder is expected to move through our region today.  Strong thunderstorms are possible today with the passage of the cold front.

Eau Claire Police say they are already working to hire new officers following Tuesday's tax increase vote. Chief Matt Rokus says they are in the middle of an open recruitment process and will start another one next month. Voters approved a nearly million-and-a-half dollar tax increase Tuesday. The money has been earmarked to hire 15 new police officers. Rokus says it may take some time to get the new officers on board, he says they want to hire the right police officers for the community.

Thirty-First State Senator Jeff Smith has won re-election.  Smith defeated Republican Dave Estenson of Whitehall by a 678 vote margin.  The 31st Senate District covers most of the city of Eau Claire, as well as the southwest portion of Eau Claire County, parts of Dunn, Pierce, and Jackson Counties, and all of Trempealeau, Buffalo, and Pepin Counties.  Other results from Tuesday, Rob Summerfield was re-elected to the 68th assembly seat,  in the Prairie Farm School District, a referendum to exceed the levy limit through 2027-28 passed while a major $194 million, school consolidation referendum for the La Crosse School district was rejected.

There are hardly any details about the underage coronavirus death in Chippewa County.  The county's health department yesterday said someone under 18 died after testing positive for the virus.  Public health managers are calling the victim a child.  But specifics about just how old the child is, when they tested positive, or whether they had any other health concerns haven't been released.  Childhood coronavirus deaths are extremely rare. Wisconsin's Department of Health Services says just 18 people under 19 years old have died from the virus since 2020.  Nearly 70 percent of Wisconsin's 13-hundred-plus coronavirus deaths have been in people 70 years old or older.

Taxes are going up for roads in Boyd because of a single person. Leaders say their tax referendum passed Tuesday 114-113. The one-vote difference is enough to ask for a recount. But because fewer than four thousand people voted, someone in Boyd is going to have to petition for that recount. Chippewa County's clerk says it's not automatic.

Republicans who control the Wisconsin legislature have fallen short of their goal of winning veto-proof majorities in both the State Assembly and Senate.  Republicans would have needed to win two-thirds majorities in each chamber in order to gain the power to override the vetoes of Governor Tony Evers, who was reelected on Tuesday. In the Senate, Republican Romaine Quinn won the seat vacated by Democratic State Senator Janet Bewley, giving them 22 of 33 seats. Republicans are also expected to pick up two northern Wisconsin districts in the Assembly giving them 64 seats - two short of what they'd need for the supermajority in that chamber. Since January of 2021 Evers has vetoed 126 bills passed by the legislature.

We could have to wait a little while longer to get a winner in Wisconsin's Secretary of State's race.  As of yesterday, Democrat and current Secretary of State Doug La Follette, was leading Republican Amy Loudenbeck by about seven thousand votes.  That's three-tenths of a percentage point.  Election managers say 99 percent of votes were counted as of yesterday.  La Follette says he's confident while Loudenbeck says she is waiting until every vote is counted.

Republican Ron Johnson is projected to retain his U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin.  Johnson held off Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes to win reelection with about 50-and-a-half percent of the vote.  This will be Johnson's third full term in office.

Duluth-based Minnesota Power plans to shut down its two coal-fired powered plants by 2035.  The action is part of a deal with clean energy groups that calls for more renewable power than originally planned.  The facilities are located in Cohasset and are under the name the Boswell Energy Center.  The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to debate Minnesota Power's long-term resource plan tomorrow. 

Police in West Bend took a 38-year-old man into custody Tuesday afternoon after he showed up at a polling place armed with a knife and allegedly demanded that poll workers "stop the voting." The incident took place around 12:35 PM at the West Bend Community Memorial Library. Voting was paused for just over half an hour while the scene was secured. No one was injured.  

The City of Oshkosh is getting a $124,000 grant to cover the cost of installing license plate readers. The Common Council will vote on using that grant Wednesday night. The Oshkosh Police Department wants to install license plate readers are various points in the city. City Manager Mark Rohloff says the readers are used to track where a vehicle may have traveled during a certain time.

Wisconsin Elections Administrator Megan Wolfe says once municipalities around the state have finished canvassing their vote totals, Wisconsin’s 72 counties will complete their canvass.  If there are no recounts requested, the chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission will certify statewide results. That process must be completed no later than December 1st.

Green Bay is named the best-midsized sports city in America.  That's according to WalletHub, which puts Green Bay ahead of other pro football cities like Buffalo, New York, and Glendale, Arizona.  WalletHub says the top sports city overall is Los Angeles, California.

Local-Regional News November 9

 A nurse in western Wisconsin is criminally charged after a patient’s foot was amputated without permission. Charges of physical abuse of an elder person and intentionally causing great bodily harm and mayhem were filed in Pierce County Circuit Court on November 3 against 38-year-old Mary K. Brown of Durand. According to the charging documents, the Pierce County Medical Examiner called for an autopsy in June after noticing that the foot of a 62-year-old man was not attached to his body but laying beside him at the funeral home. According to the criminal complaint, Brown was the person who cut the man’s foot off at the Spring Valley Health and Rehab Center.

Incumbents for the state assembly here in Western Wisconsin easily won re-election last night.  93rd Assemblyman Warren Petryk defeated challenger Allison Page 60%-40%, while Treig Pronschinske won re-election for the 92nd assembly seat over challenger Maria Bamonti and 29th Assemblyman Clint Moses defeated Danielle Johnson to win re-election.  For the 31st State Senate Seat, a much closer race as of early this morning incumbent Jeff Smith led Challenger Dave Estenson by 578 votes.

Western Wisconsin will have a new congressman for the first time in 26yrs.  With over 80% of the vote counted, Republican Derrick Van Orden defeated Democrat and 32nd State Senator Brad Pfaff by a 52-49% margin.    While Pfaff held leads in Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Portage Counties, Van Orden was leading in the rest of the 3rd District.  Van Orden replaces retiring Congressman Ron Kind.

Eau Claire County voters elected Dave Riewestahl as Sheriff in a race decided by fewer than 800 votes.  Riewestahl, a Democrat, defeated Republican Don Henning by 766 votes, according to unofficial results posted by Eau Claire County Tuesday night.   Riewestahl, who is currently the Eau Claire County Jail Captain, will replace Ron Cramer, who announced earlier this year that he was not running for re-election before he passed away unexpectedly in September. Cramer was elected as Sheriff in 1996.

 Minnesota's governor will serve another term. Democrat Governor Tim Walz defeats Republican challenger Scott Jensen by more than 200-thousand votes. Walz was elected governor in 2018.  U.S. Representative Angie Craig will serve a third term in the Second Congressional District. Representing the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Craig defeats Republican challenger Tyler Kistner by more than 16-thousand votes. Around 30-million dollars was spent on their race --  a rematch -- making it one of the most expensive in the country.

An Amery man has been arrested after a chase in Barron County on Monday.  According to the Barron County Sheriff's Department, deputies responded to multiple reports of a suspicious man on property south of Barron and a report of a truck stolen.  Deputies attempted to pull over 45yr old Derek Aune on Hwy 25 south of Barron, but Aune refused to stop and led deputies on a chase through the village of Dallas and towards Chetek.  Cheteck police were able to successfully deflate the tires of the truck.  Aune fled from the truck to steal another car at a gas station but was unsuccessful.  He was arrested after deputies found him hiding in the brush.  He is begin held on multiple charges including operating a motor vehicle without owner's consent, felony fleeing an officer, and a warrant from probation.

The Wisconsin DNR celebrates a successful elk hunt  Efforts to reintroduce the elk to Wisconsin began in 1995 and the estimated population of the clam Lake herd in Northwest Wisconsin is 336. The state's fifth elk hunt opened Saturday October 15 and closed Wednesday October 19. All four licensed hunters filled their harvest authorizations, three in the first two days and the fourth by day five. This year's hunt marked the first modern harvest of an elk using a bow as with previous elk hunting seasons, Ojibwe tribal members have an opportunity to harvest elk in the ceded territory. The tribal season closes Sunday, January 8.

Minnesota Lottery officials are investigating after the state's system caused the Powerball drawing to be delayed by nearly ten hours.  Officials say the state's sales verification system caused a processing delay on Monday.  Lottery representatives say the delay was needed to confirm the security and accuracy of the drawing and that the process was never compromised.  The Minnesota Lottery says it will provide more information once a "thorough review" is completed.

The University of Minnesota is suing UCare.  They claim the nonprofit health insurer's proposal to expand its board of directors would cause university-appointed board members to lose the majority.  UCare contends the lawsuit is speculation and that the university has not provided evidence that it would be harmed by the changes being considered.  The health insurer also argues that the suit is asking the court to re-write the company bylaws to give the university more control, a move the board turned down in 2021.

A Dane County man with a history of making threats against public officials is charged in federal court with threatening to kill Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. Fifty-two-year-old Michel Yaker of DeForest, was charged last week. Court records filed in the Western District of Wisconsin indicate Yaker is facing a felony count of transmitting interstate communications "containing threats to harm." Emails he sent Evers contained graphic threats. A warrant for Yaker remained sealed Monday. Yaker is charged federally because he allegedly made the threats from Kansas, according to the Dane County Sheriff's detective.

Kohl's CEO Michelle Gass is stepping down to become the new president of Levi Strauss.  Levi Strauss says Gass' last day at Kohl's will be December 2nd and she'll take over for them on January 3rd.  Reports say Senior Vice President of Information Services Tom Kingsbury will serve as interim CEO at Kohl's until a permanent replacement is found.

Wisconsin’s deer herd is on the move as the fall mating season nears its peak, increasing the risks of collisions with vehicles. Wisconsin averages about 20,000 vehicle-deer collisions annually.

A teen girl is helping a Minnesota farmer after he suffered a medical crisis.  Steve Brake says his 17-year-old neighbor Abi Reetz has spent the last year riding with him in the tractor after he was diagnosed during harvest time with Miller Fisher syndrome.  The debilitating disease made it unsafe for Steve to ride in farm equipment alone.  Abi spends every day after school and all day on Saturdays and Sundays helping Brake read the tractor's screens and navigate the fields, missing only a few days for a band trip.  She's also driven the tractor herself and helped with maintenance and other farm tasks.  Steve says without Abi, he would have had to give up farming.

Leinenkugel's has made USA Today's list of top brewery tours in the country. The paper yesterday announced the results of the national vote on brewery tours, and the Leinie's tour came in at number eight. Leinenkugel's is the only Wisconsin brewery on the list. USA Today voters give the Leinie's tour high marks for its history, and for the option for a personalized tour with a Leinenkugel's family member.

Local-Regional News November 8

 A Wabasha hunter was injured when he fell from his tree stand in Modena Township on Sunday.  According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, 16yr old Garret Pavelka called 911 and told dispatchers he was lying near a field edge near the residence of W1637 Brantner Road.  Pavelka told first responders that when he was climbing into his treestand a limb broke and he fell about 20 feet.  Garret was airlifted from the scene with suspected minor injuries.

It is finally time to vote. Today is Election Day here in Wisconsin. Voters will decide everything from U.S. Senate to governor to dozens of local referendum questions. Both the city of Eau Claire and Eau Claire schools have tax hike questions on the ballot today.  Chippewa Falls is asking for a tax increase for public safety and La Crosse Schools have a referendum question on the ballot.  Buffalo and Wabasha will also be electing a Sherrif.  The polls are open til 8 p.m. You can find out just where you vote at the state's MyVote website.

The clerk in La Crosse County spent her day before Election Day dealing with misinformation. Clerk Ginny Dankmeye's office said they got calls from several voters yesterday asking about polling places that have moved. The clerk's office says someone was going door to door telling voters that their polling place has moved. Dankmeyer's office says the city of La Crosse and the City of Onalaska has drawn new political maps, and some polling places have changed locations, but by and large, most polls are the same. The best advice is to check with the state's MyVote website to see where you should cast your ballot.

A judge will not hold back on counting military ballots in Wisconsin.  A Waukesha County judge yesterday said he will not sequester military ballots until they can be verified.  State Rep. Janel Brandtjen asked the judge to step in after she got three fake military ballots in the mail last week.  She said she wanted to make sure that only military members were casting military ballots.  Wisconsin law allows military members to request a ballot online without having to register first or show any kind of voter ID.  The judge said not counting military ballots on Election Day would be a 'drastic remedy' and lead to 'a temporary disenfranchisement' of military voters.

An Arcadia man has been arrested for OWI 6th Offense.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, troopers pulled over 63yr old James Angst on Hwy 95 for a speeding and equipment violation.  Angst showed signs of impairment and investigation and field sobriety tests show he was impaired.    Angst was taken to a local hospital for an evidentiary blood draw and then to the Trempealeau County Jail on charges of OWI 6th offense.

A Minnesota man who plead no contest to being a party to reckless homicide in the death of Carissa Kasmeirski of Lake Holcombe has been sentenced in Chippewa County Court.   Zachary Dietrich was sentenced to four years in prison and six years of extended supervision by Judge James Isaacson yesterday.  Dietrich admitted to buying methamphetamine and using it with Kasmeirski on the day she died in March of 2019.  Dylan Henderson of Bloomer sold the drugs and has his next court appearance in March.

The Red Cross is asking people to donate blood now, before the need and the flu season become too much. The Red Cross yesterday said it needs to replenish blood supplies here in Wisconsin. The Red Cross says the CDC is anticipating a bad flu season, and they want to be stocked-up. There are several blood donation opportunities between now and the beginning of December, check the Red Cross' website to see the closest one for you.

Winter may be weeks away, but Minnesota is expecting its first snowstorm of the season. Showers and thunderstorms today through Thursday will turn to snow as temperatures decline heading into the weekend. Heavy snow and freezing temperatures hit the state Friday with the possibility of half to one foot of snow. More than two-thirds of the state will be affected, including the Twin Cities.

The University of Minnesota is conducting a study to reduce the frequency of deer-car collisions.  Researchers have been collecting data while driving routine routes around the Duluth area.   Their goal is to identify common crash sites and recommend potential changes to roads.  The study is expected to wrap up next winter.  

Children's Minnesota is seeing longer wait times due to a surge of RSV and other respiratory illnesses.  Emergency departments and walk-in clinics are overwhelmed with the volume of patients.  However, health officials say that shouldn't stop parents from bringing in children with severe or life-threatening symptoms. 

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is encouraging hunters to donate Wisconsin-harvested deer to the agency’s Deer Donation Program.   Hunters interested in donating their deer can find out more at the DNR’s Deer Donation Program website. The state’s nine-day gun deer hunt opens on November 19. Archery and crossbow deer hunting is already underway. 

A conservative law firm has filed a lawsuit asking a court to order Wisconsin elections officials to sequester all military absentee and mail-in ballots. The Thomas More Society, on behalf of veterans and Waukesha County voters, filed the lawsuit Friday in Waukesha County Circuit Court for a temporary injunction requiring elections officials to set aside military ballots so their authenticity can be verified. The suit was filed in response to the case of Milwaukee Election Commission deputy administrator Kimberly Zapata, who was fired after admitting to fraudulently requesting military ballots. According to the criminal complaint, Zapata used the MyVote Wisconsin website to request three ballots, using fictitious names, filling in fields claiming each was in the military, and mailing them to the home of Republican state Representative Janel Brandtjen.

Additional details have been released regarding a tragedy in the Village of Hartland last month. The Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined that Jessica McKisick’s gunshot wound was self-inflicted. She was one of six family members found dead following an October 21 apartment fire. Her husband, 34-year-old Connor McKisick's gunshot wound also appeared to be self-inflicted. Their four children ages three through 14 were also found dead after the fire - all were apparent victims of homicide.

There will be a local connection in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Dancers from the Ultimate Leap Dance Center in DeForest will be part of the festivities as well. Co-owner Jenni Fristed says the kids are excited to be a part of the holiday tradition. The dancers just got their costumes and are hard at work practicing their Run Run Rudolph routine.

Local-Regional News Nov 7

 City of Mondovi residents have been paying more for sewer and water services due to the construction of the new wastewater treatment plant.  Mondovi Mayor Brady Weiss says once the new plant comes online there might be a chance to lower rates.  The new plant is expected to be completed and go online in the next few months.

During this month's Durand-Arkansaw School Board meeting the board approved the capital improvement list for fund 46.  According to Durand-Arkansaw Superintendent Greg Doverspike, fund 46 is a type of savings account for school districts.  While the projects on the fund 46 list were approved, it doesn't mean the board will move forward with them.  The projects have to be on the list so the board can use the money from fund 46 if they decide to move forward.

One person is dead, and three others were injured in a two-vehicle accident on I-94  near milepost 15 in St. Croix County on Saturday.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, 43yr old Jessica Love was traveling eastbound on I-94 when she struck a deer and her vehicle became disabled in the left lane.  Her vehicle was struck by another eastbound vehicle driven by 52yr old Ricky Xiong of Hudson.  Love's vehicle ended up in the south ditch.  Despite live-saving efforts, Love died at the scene.  Xiong and two others in his vehicle were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  That accident remains under investigation by the Wisconsin State Patrol.

 The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on the future management of department properties in the Western Coulees and Ridges Region.  The regional master plan establishes the levels and types of resource management and public use permitted on department-managed properties. Under the regional master planning process, department staff will develop a plan for department properties located within the region. The media release from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the Western Coulees and Ridges Region includes all or portions of 22 counties, including those in the WRDN Listening Area.    Comments should be submitted by December 23 to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Eau Claire's school board is looking at a pay bump for substitute teachers tonight.  The idea is to give subs 20 dollars more each day, bringing their daily rate to 160 dollars.  The school board is also considering a 38-cent per-hour raise for special education assistants.  That would bump their pay to 16 dollars and 38 cents an hour. The school board says 160 dollars a day for subs would be more than both Chippewa Falls and Altoona schools pay.

The Wisconsin DNR urges hunters to test their deer for Chronic Wasting Disease this fall. And while there’s never been a documented instance of deer-to-human CWD transmission, the DNR strongly advises against eating venison from infected deer.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission's top person says three fake military ballots will not impact tomorrow's election.  Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe on Friday said the case of a Milwaukee elections official who created the fake ballots and then mailed them to a state lawmaker is isolated and was swiftly detected.  Wolfe does admit that the case is another blow to the public confidence in elections.  Wolfe says voter fraud cases are extremely rare, and like in the case, are prosecuted when they are discovered.

There is one full day of campaigning left in Wisconsin. Candidates across the state are making their closing arguments in everything from the state's big races down to local contests. Wisconsin is home to the most expensive governor's race in the country between Governor Tony Evers and Republican Tim Michels. And the state is home to one of the most expensive U.S. Senate races between Republican Senator Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes.

Wisconsin's latest bird flu cases are both in backyard flocks. The state's Department of Agriculture on Friday confirmed a case in Waukesha County and another in Marathon County. In all, just 23 birds were put down in the two cases. Wisconsin saw nearly three million birds destroyed because of the bird flu in the spring. This fall's return has been much less severe, with just over 80 thousand birds killed because of the flu.

More than a fourth of Minnesota households are struggling to keep the lights on.  A new study by LendingTree found that 25-point-one-percent of Minnesota households have had to cut back on essentials like food and medicine bills to afford energy costs.  However, that's nothing compared to the rest of the nation.  Minnesota is among a handful of states with the lowest percentage of households reducing basic expenses to pay their electricity bills.

Republican Tim Michels is talking about a new plan to get rid of Wisconsin's Elections Commission. Michels yesterday said he wants to replace the six-member Commission with a new panel of people from each of Wisconsin's eight congressional districts. Michels isn't saying who would nominate the new members. Republicans currently control five of the state's eight seats in Congress and could add another one next week. Wisconsin's Elections Commission has come under fire since the 2020 election for a series of decisions and critical reports.

A Manitowoc woman faces up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to a traffic crash that killed her granddaughter.  Monica Walker reached a plea deal with prosecutors in Manitowoc County Court on a charge of Homicide by Use of a Vehicle with Prohibited Alcohol Concentration. Walker was drunk when she crashed off of I-43 in Manitowoc Rapids in February 2021. Her granddaughter, 9-year-old Tkyia Brewer, was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. Walker will be sentenced on February 6.

Flu and RSV hospitalizations are on the rise in Minnesota.  The state Department of Health says nearly 160 people were hospitalized last week with RSV cases in the Twin Cities metro area.  About 110 of them are children ages one-year-old and younger. Also, there were 42 flu-related hospitalizations last week in comparison to14 the week before.

Fond du Lac Police make an arrest in connection with a gun theft at Fleet Farm. According to a press release, a 29-year old Fond du Lac man is accused of breaking into the store late Friday night–stealing five guns and ammunition. Police say the man has an outstanding warrant out of Oklahoma, and that criminal charges are pending.

A Madison man will spend three-and-a-half years in federal prison after being found guilty of stealing from stores in other states.  The man was indicted over two years ago, accused of stealing from stores in seven states and Wisconsin back in 2019.  He was convicted of stealing over five-thousand dollars worth of items after a four-day trial that ended this week.

Miller Lite is selling a Christmas tree stand that doubles as a beer keg. It's actually just a table that can hold a Christmas tree on top and has enough room for a keg underneath. It's about 50 bucks and goes on sale next week. Miller Lite says it is a limited edition.

Local-Regional News Nov 4

 Pepin, Dunn, and Buffalo Counties are now part of the Northwestern Wisconsin Community Rural Partners Network.  The expansion of the Rural Partners Network was announced yesterday by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsak during a visit to Crescent Meats in Cadott.   The Network will receive on-the-ground support from full-time federal staff members assigned to provide technical assistance tailored to the community’s unique needs and objectives. These federal staff members will help rural communities navigate federal programs, build relationships and identify community-driven solutions, and develop successful applications for funding.   The Rural Partners Network launched in April 2022 in several communities in Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico as well as Native American communities in Arizona. Wisconsin is part of the second cohort of states selected for RPN.

A Trempealeau County man has been found guilty of multiple charges including operating after revocation causing death in connection of a July 2020 accident that killed 57yr old Monica Knepper of Trempealeau.  Micha Harris was found guilty after a four-day trial.    Harris will be sentenced next week.

One person is dead after a house fire in Zumbrota, Minnesota.  The blaze broke out yesterday afternoon at a home in the 600 block of West Fifth Street.  An elderly person was pulled from the home unconscious and was declared dead at the scene.  Two dogs inside survived.  The cause remains under investigation.

Law enforcement officials in one western Wisconsin county are speaking out about drug deaths, and speaking to people with drug problems. A half-dozen police chiefs along with the sheriff in Barron County yesterday wrote an open letter about the recent spike in drug deaths. Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says there have been 17 drug-related deaths in his small county in the past two years. He said drugs like meth and fentanyl are becoming a problem for many small communities. The sheriff added that there is help available for people struggling with drug problems, and encouraged anyone who needs help to get help.

A Jackson County man committed to Mendota Mental Health Institute after fatally shooting his father and burning his corpse wants to be released. WKBT-TV reports that a judge has yet to rule on the request from 29-year-old Lars Helgeson who pled not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to 2013 death of 57-year-old Brian Helgeson. A doctor who examined Helgeson’s medical record and interviewed him via Zoom told the court he believes it is safe to release Helgeson. The prosecutor wants a police investigator and witness to take the stand. A court date hasn’t been set for their testimony.

We have some more answers about last winter's drowning death of a UW-La Crosse student who was missing for weeks. The medical examiner in La Crosse yesterday said 25-year-old Hamud Faal had a very high level of alcohol in his system when he drowned in the Mississippi River back in February. Fall, who graduated from Sun Prairie High School, was missing until firefighters found his body in the Mississippi River in March.

The Wisconsin DNR is reminding hunters about safety ahead of this month's deer season. Gun season opens in Wisconsin on November 19th. The DNR yesterday said hunters need to check their gear and make sure everything is working and safe. There is a focus again this year on harness safety. The state is also reminding hunters about new baiting regulations.

Milwaukee's deputy elections director is out of a job and under investigation in a ballot fraud case. Milwaukee's mayor yesterday said he fired Milwaukee Election Commission Deputy Director Kimberly Zapata after she admitted that she sent three fake military ballots to a Republican state representative. The mayor says charges are likely coming in the case. Milwaukee's elections boss said Zapata was forthcoming about what she did and hinted that she was making a point about a vulnerability in Wisconsin's MyVote system. Military voters in Wisconsin don't have to register or send in a photo ID, which means there is an opportunity for voter fraud. This is the second time this year that someone is being accused of committing voter fraud to prove a point about voter fraud.

A law professor at UW-Madison says Dane County's ballot question about abortion is misleading.  The question asks voters if they think the state's 1849 abortion ban should stand.  But professor Howard Schweber says the question makes it seem as if the current law doesn't allow for any exceptions when there is a carve-out for the health of a mother.  County Supervisor Cecely Castillo wrote the question and said because it's an advisory referendum, voters are simply letting their feelings be known.  The question is on the ballot next week.

The deadline to register to vote in Wisconsin is today.  You can register at absentee voting places before the end of the day tomorrow, or else you'll have to register at your polling place on Election Day.  More information on voting is available online at my-vote-dot-Wisconsin-dot-gov.  Election Day is next Tuesday.

There isn't a good excuse to miss voting in Minnesota's midterm elections next week.  Employers are required by state law to give employees paid time off to go vote if polling hours interfere with scheduled work time.  The Minnesota Secretary of State's Office says employers can ask workers to coordinate their absences, but they can't refuse or limit workers' right to vote.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation says a Lafayette County sheriff's deputy is not responsible for the death of a suspect last month.  Investigators say the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the end of a car chase in Green County back on October 22nd.  Investigators say the deputy did fire their weapon but it wasn't the suspect's cause of death.

An elderly couple from Madison loses thousands of dollars in a scam, but this time the scammers showed up in person.  Police say the scammers got the couple to pay them bail money after convincing them their daughter was in jail.  A picture of one of the suspects is posted on the Madison Police Department's Facebook page.

Wisconsin drivers will be more likely to hit a deer starting next week.   That's according to a Current Biology report that says deer crashes increase by 16 percent after daylight saving time ends in the Midwest.  The report says drivers are more likely to hit a deer during the last week of October through the first couple weeks of November than any other time of the year.

A northern Wisconsin high school has been chosen as having the best mascot in the country.  S-B-Live Sports says the Rhinelander Hodags recently got over 183-thousand votes in its best sports mascot in America competition.  The next closest mascot got just 72-thousand-500 votes.  The Hodag has been the Rhinelander High School mascot since 1893.

Local Regional News Nov 3

 The Pepin County Highway Department vehicles will begin using green warning lights on highway department vehicles.  This will be in addition to the existing amber/orange warning lights.  The change is due to new regulations and traffic safety research.  The Pepin County Sheriff's department reminds motorists that only state, county, and municipal vehicles are allowed to use green warning lights and to please slow down in work zones.

Two people were injured in a semi vs pickup truck accident in the town of Wheaton on Tuesday.  According to the Chippewa County Sheriff's Department, the pickup truck was southbound on Hwy M and failed to stop and yield at the intersection of Hwy 29 and was struck by a westbound semi.  The semi entered the median and overturned while the pickup went into the north ditch of Hwy 29.   Both drivers had to be extricated from their vehicles and were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

There is a new memorial for the three Chippewa County Girl Scouts who were run down on the side of the road four years ago. Friends and family members of Jayna Kelley, Autumn Helgeson, Haylee Hickle dedicated the new memorial yesterday. It is a heart on top of a cross, and it stands 19 feet tall and 10 feet across. The girls, and one of their mothers, died when a driver hit them with his pickup truck while they were picking up trash along the highway in Lake Hallie back in 2018. Police say the driver, Colten Treu, was high at the time. He's serving a 54-year sentence for the crime.

The lawyer for the teen accused of killing Lily Peters says it's unfortunate that the case is taking so long. Prosecutors are asking the judge in the case to speed things up, they say delaying a decision on whether the suspect will be charged as an adult is delaying justice for Lily's parents. But the suspect's lawyer said the next hearing date, in August of next year, is the first time when he, the judge, and the D.A. can all be together in the same courtroom. Lily was killed last April.

Most of Minnesota including Wabasha and Goodhue Counties are under burning restrictions. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources issued the restrictions yesterday, saying extreme drought conditions, dry fall vegetation, low humidity, and wind increase the risk of wildfires. Permits will not be issued for the open burning of brush or yard waste until the restrictions are lifted.  Due to the warm and dry conditions, the fire danger is also high in the rest of the WRDN listening area.

 A hiker is safe after falling down an embankment off a walking trail in Red Wing. According to the Red Wing Fire Department, the accident happened around 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon on He Mni Can Barn bluff.  Firefighters and paramedics arrived on the scene and found the injured hiker within 15 minutes and pulled them to safety.  The hiker was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System Red Wing and is in good condition.  The name of the victim was not released.

There's another look at just how expensive Wisconsin's race for governor is. The latest campaign finance reports show Governor Tony Evers has outspent Republican Tim Michels by 12-and-a-half million-dollars so far this year. The governor has spent more than 37 million-dollars since January, while Michels campaign has spent about 25 million. Those numbers don't include all of the spending from outside groups in the race. Politicos say Wisconsin's race for governor is the most expensive in the country.

Absentee ballots in Wisconsin must be fully filled-out to be counted in this year's election. Both a judge in Madison and a state appeals court yesterday refused to change the rules for addresses on absentee ballots. A number of liberal groups wanted to allow local election managers to continue to fill-in missing addresses on the ballots or ballot witness applications. The Wisconsin Elections Commission allowed that two years ago, but both lawmakers and a Waukesha County judge ordered them to stop. The judges yesterday both essentially said that changing the address rules again would 'upend the status quo' and cause confusion ahead of next week's Election Day.

A 15-year-old girl has been charged in connection with a Green Bay traffic crash that killed a 17-year-old Milwaukee boy Sunday night.  The teen is charged with first-degree reckless homicide, hit & run involving death, and driving a vehicle without owner’s consent for the crash at Oneida & Mason streets. The family has identified the victim as Cruz Beltran. According to the criminal complaint, the suspect told police she had her mother’s car without permission and was traveling in excess of 100 miles an hour as she tried to beat a light at the intersection.  The posted speed on Mason Street is 35 miles an hour. The Green Bay Police investigation, in this case, is on-going.  The teen's bond has been set at $100 thousand.

A judge says Green Bay's election managers must let poll watchers watch people return their ballots.  The judge yesterday issued a temporary injunction after the Republican National Committee sued.  Green Bay's clerk says they kept poll watchers away from the actual voting process because of limitations on space.  The Republicans said poll watchers were allowed to watch people sign-in, register to vote and get their ballots. But they were not allowed to watch people certify those ballots and put them into the box to be counted.  Wisconsin law is clear that poll watchers must be allowed to watch the entire process.

The last Marquette Law School poll of this election season is out.  The poll continues to have the race for Wisconsin governor tied between Governor Tony Evers and Republican challenger Tim Michels.  In the race for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin, Senator Ron Johnson has a two-point lead over Democratic Challenger Mandela Barnes, a race Johnson led by six points last month.

The latest Marquette Polls finds Inflation remains the number one concern of Wisconsin voters.  Overall among registered voters, 68% say they are “very concerned” about inflation, the issue with the highest percentage. But top concerns diverge along party lines. Among Democrats, abortion policy, gun violence, public schools,  accurate vote count, and inflation were the top five issues that have them very concerned. The top five issues that have Republicans very concerned are an accurate vote count, inflation, crime, illegal immigration, and taxes.

The State of Wisconsin is making it easier to get coronavirus treatment medication.  The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says anyone can visit its website for a free telehealth consultation on coronavirus medication.  The department can even ship medication overnight.

A Coon Rapids man is pleading guilty to making violent threats to a U. S. senator.  Brendon Daugherty entered his plea yesterday in U. S. District Court in Minneapolis.  He was charged with interstate transmission of a threat to injure in connection with telephone messages he left at a senator's office five months ago.  Daugherty could be sentenced to two years in prison.

It will be a while before the bridge over I-90 in De Forest reopens.  Wis-DOT yesterday closed the bridge until repairs can be made.  The driver of a boom truck damaged the bridge in a crash back on October 14th. The closure means folks in De Forest have to take a different route to the nearby Village of Windsor. There's no word just how long the closure will last, or how much the repairs will cost.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is recommending hunters be prepared before firearm deer hunting season opens Saturday.  Officials are encouraging people to obtain permits to harvest more than one deer as a way to help achieve population management goals.  The DNR says deer populations are abundant, especially in central and southern Minnesota.  Officials say more than 400-thousand hunters are expected to participate in the firearm season.

 A new report reveals Wisconsin's favorite side dish for Thanksgiving.  Campbell Soup Company says the favorite side in Wisconsin is mashed potatoes, however stuffing is the top side in the U.S.  In Campbell's first ever State of the Sides report, it says a majority of Americans would rather have side dishes than the main entrée.

Local-Regional News Nov 2

 Due to a lack of volunteers and a coordinator, the Durand Royalty program will not return from hiatus.  No one showed up to an organizational meeting for the program last night so the program will be ended.  The royalty program had been on hiatus for the last few years due to the pandemic and lack of volunteers.  

The Pepin County Sheriff's Department is joining other law enforcement agencies with extra patrols to watch for impaired drivers and those not wearing seat belts.  Pepin County Sheriff Joel Wener says the department is part of a joint task force with Buffalo County.  The goal of the program is to not write extra tickets but to get voluntary compliance with seat belt and impaired driving laws.

An Elk Mound woman has been arrested for OWI 2nd offense.  According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, Dunn County Deputies and State Patrol Troopers responded to a two-vehicle accident on I-94 near milepost 41 on Monday evening.  During the crash investigation, troopers noticed signs of impairment from 30yr old Brittany Hester.  After a field sobriety test was conducted, Hester was arrested for OWI 2nd offense, transported to a local hospital for an evidentiary blood test, and then to the Dunn County Jail.  The children, ages 8 and 6 were released to an adult family member.  The accident remains under investigation by the Wisconsin State Patrol.

The search for a missing Eau Claire woman has come to a happy end. Eau Claire Police took to Facebook yesterday to ask for help in finding 28-year-old Jennifer Weidinger. Last night, police say they found her and said she is safe. She'd been missing since Sunday night.  Other details about her disappearance haven't been released yet.

There will be a delay in the case against the Minnesota man accused of a stabbing spree on the Apple River in St, Croix County last July.  Prosecutors yesterday said it will take up to 60 days to get test results back from the state crime lab in the case against Nicolae Miu.  Police say he killed a teenager and hurt four others when he started stabbing them last summer.  Miu says he feared for his life after getting into a fight with the teen. Miu is being held in the St. Croix County Jail on a million-dollar bond.

 Wisconsin is part of a new national prosecution of two robocall companies.  The state's Department of Justice yesterday announced the case against Avid Telecom and One Eye.  The two companies are accused of helping to facilitate banned robocalls or ignoring the do-not-call list. The national Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force is handling the case.

Wisconsin's gun deer hunting season is less than three weeks away, and officials are hopeful that harvest totals in parts of the state will see a rebound this year. Jeff Pritzl, deer program specialist with the Department of Natural Resources, told WisconsinEye that preliminary figures from this year's bow and crossbow seasons suggest a return to normal in the state's southern region following a decline in the number of deer tagged in 2021. The annual gun deer hunt brings more than $1 billion to the state's economy each year, according to state estimates. This year's eight-day gun deer season begins November 19. 

A consumer group is concerned that two Wisconsin utilities are seeking excessive rate hikes. Tom Content, executive director of the Wisconsin Citizens Utility Board, said the increases sought by Wisconsin Public Service and WE Energies will hit residential customers with rising energy costs.  Gas rates would increase between 8.7% and 13.1% depending on the provider.  The Public Service Commission is still accepting online comments on the PSC website.             

Add Hy-Vee to the list of stores closing this Thanksgiving.  The grocery store made the announcement yesterday.  Many stores are opting to be closed on Thanksgiving this year.  Hy-Vee said it is closing its stores to show some gratitude for its employees who work hard the rest of the year.

Minnesota-based Xcel Energy plans to stop using coal to generate electricity by the end of 2030 in its entire service area, which includes western Wisconsin. states.  Regional Vice President John Marshall says the plan relies heavily on the continued use of two existing nuclear plants in Minnesota, and doubling-down on renewables.  Xcel is setting a goal of shutting down coal plants in northwest Texas, Colorado and Minnesota by the end of 2030.  

The Wisconsin DNR has requested additional information on plans from Green Light Metals to do exploratory mining in Marathon County.  A representative from the Canadian Company says they are working to compile more information on the potential environmental impact of any exploratory mining, adding that they feel confident they will demonstrate that the work can be done in a safe and responsible manner. The request from the DNR is not uncommon, officials with Green Light add environmental agencies often ask for clarification when processing these permits. No work will be done in the area until all permits have been approved and signed, meaning at this time no drilling is imminent.

Sentencing for the convicted Waukesha Christmas Parade attacker will take place in two weeks.   Judge Jennifer Dorow said Monday that Darrell Brooks, who was convicted last week on six counts of first-degree intentional homicide and 70 other charges related to the November 2021 SUV attack on the parade route, will be sentenced on November 15 and 16. Prosecutors said they expect more than 30 victims to speak at sentencing, which could take up to four and a-half hours. Brooks said "20 or more" people would speak on his behalf. Brooks, who has said he plans to appeal, faces mandatory life prison sentences for each of the six homicide counts. 

There is an investigation after a state lawmaker says she received three military ballots in the mail.  State Representative Janel Brandtjen yesterday said three ballots for someone named Molly showed-up in her mailbox.  Brandtjen leads the Assembly's Committee on Elections and has been a vocal critic of the state's Elections Commission.  Brandtjen said she thinks someone sent the ballots to her to show how easy it is to get a ballot for someone else.  She turned the ballots over to the sheriff's office, and they are looking into the case.

A fungal infection is decimating the Northland bat population.  University of Minnesota Duluth Associate Professor Ron Moen with the Natural Resources Research Institute says numbers are shrinking drastically because of White Nose Syndrome.  Moen says the fungus affects the sleep cycles of the bats, interfering with their hibernation nutrition.  He says the fungus came to the area in 2015 and has killed off close to 90-percent of the bats around the Twin Ports.  Moen says bats play a key role in the ecosystem, eating mosquitoes, moths, and other insects that can impact farming and produce grown in the area.

A Minnesota man now officially owns the state record after catching a massive muskie this summer.  The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources certified Eric Bakke's 58-point-two-five inch muskie caught June 11th on Mille Lacs Lake.  Officials say the previous record was a tie for two fish a full inch shorter than Bakke's.  The fish was caught, measured, photographed, and released in a matter of minutes.