Local-Regional News March 14

 One person was injured in a single-vehicle accident in River Falls Township on Friday.  According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 45yr old Lisa Cary of River Falls was traveling northbound on Hwy E when she lost control on the snow-covered road, and the vehicle overturned.  Cary was transported to United Hospital in St. Paul.

The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on authorizing Ehlers to solicit proposals for a $250,000 General Obligation Promissory Note to finance equipment for the Public Works Department, an update from the Chief of Police Interview Committee, and a recommendation from the Finance Committee on the investment of City Funds.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

Motorists along Hwy 35 from Alma to the Trempealeau County line are encouraged to slow down.  The Buffalo County Sheriff's Department along with the Wisconsin State Patrol has announced enhanced traffic enforcement for Hwy 35.  The enhanced enforcement will be this Friday from 7pm-Midnight and there will be extra patrols watching out for speeders and those driving under the influence.  

Residents here in Western Wisconsin in need of help to cover the costs of internet service should enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program from the FCC.  The program helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare, and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.  For more information or to apply, visit fcc.gov/acp

Six people are in jail in Black River Falls as the sheriff in Jackson County is investigating a death.  There aren't many answers about the case, but investigators say it began last week with a report of a missing person.  On Friday, deputies learned the missing person was actually dead.  They found the body and then arrested six people.  None of them, however, are facing any kind of homicide or accidental death charges.  They are all either facing drug charges or charges for obstruction.  The sheriff's office says the investigation is ongoing.

The standoff in Lac du Flambeau is over, for now.  The Lac du Flambeau Tribe on Saturday agreed to remove the barricades that essentially trapped more than 60 non-tribal members in their homes.  The tribe is upset over some roads that connect those homeowners to the Town of Lac du Flambeau.  The agreement pays the tribe 60 thousand dollars for the roads and buys the 60 people 90 days of negotiating time.  The tribe wants 20 million dollars for the roads, which it claims were built without permission.  The barricades forced people to travel over the frozen lake to get groceries or get to town, but that lake is starting to thaw and will soon be too dangerous.

There's a warning about a food stamp scam from the state of Wisconsin.  The Department of Health Services says it's received several calls from people who got a text asking them to verify their FoodShare account information.  The texters want pin numbers and account numbers.  DHS says that's a scam.  The state says people should treat their FoodShare card like an ATM card, and never give out their information.   Especially to a random text message.

There will be no shortage of money to close out Wisconsin's race for the Supreme Court.  Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming said over the weekend that he expects more money to flow into conservative candidate Dan Kelly's campaign in the final three weeks.  Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wickler said they will meet and beat whatever money Republicans find.  The race for the court is already the most expensive in US history, with 15 million dollars spent so far.  Voters will make their decision on April 4th.

There's a bit more information about the baby found dead in a field in Whitewater.  Authorities yesterday said the baby was a boy and was less than 48 hours old.  Whitewater Police found the little boy in a bag, inside a cardboard box in a field on Whitewater's north side on March 4th.  There is still no word about the baby's parents, or how he died.  Investigators say the case is open and they are looking for tips.

Ten more people are facing charges in connection to the massive "Feeding Our Future" fraud scheme in Minnesota.  U.S. Attorney Andy Luger made that announcement today, bringing the total number of people charged in the case to 60.  Together, the suspects allegedly used over 250 million dollars in federal funds to buy property, real estate, and more--rather than feed underserved children.  One of the new defendants is accused of buying an airplane with the money, and another is accused of purchasing a laundromat with the goal of laundering money through the business. 

 A Minneapolis GOP donor accused of federal child sex trafficking will stand trial next week.   Anton Lazzaro is scheduled to appear before Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz in Minneapolis on March 20.  Jury selection will begin the next day and prosecutors believe the trial will last 12 days.  Co-defendant Gisela Castro Medina is expected to testify about how she helped Lazarro track down young girls on social media.

 Don't expect the new state budget to look much different than the current state budget. The Republicans who will write Wisconsin's next spending plan were on Capital City yesterday. State Senator Howard Marklein and State Rep. Mark Born said they expect to follow the same path as they did two years ago, and write their own state budget. Both said there's very little from Governor Evers' plan that will make the final cut. Madison's State Senator, Melissa Agard was also on the show, she once again pushed for legal marijuana in the state.

Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to shed more light on the state's Parole Commission decisions. A Senate panel will meet tomorrow to take up a plan that would force transparency on the Parole Commission. Currently, the commission is exempt from the state's open meetings law. The new proposal would require the Commission to not only give the public notice of when it is meeting but also to post any parole decisions on the state's Department of Corrections website. The legislation comes after a series of questions about just who the Parole Commission was letting out of prison last year.

A boy was mugged on the streets of Sheboygan this weekend.    Police say the 11-year-old was walking home late Sunday morning with a shopping bag of items when he was attacked by a 57-year-old man.  The boy was taken to the hospital to get checked out. With the help of neighbors, Sheboygan police arrested the man, who they say has an extensive criminal history.

The Department of Natural Resources is looking for input on a possible restart of commercial trout fishing on Lake Michigan. DNR Fisheries Supervisor Brad Eggold says they're holding a series of meetings to get input from researchers and anglers to see if the current state of the fishery is strong enough to support a commercial season. The fishery collapsed in the 40s and 50s after invasives like sea lamprey made it into the Great Lakes. The next meeting is March 20th at Lakeshore Technical College. You can find out more online at D N R dot W I dot Gov.

The State Capitol got a visit from hundreds of Girl Scouts over the weekend. Nearly 300 Girl Scouts were in Madison to take part in Girl Scouts Democracy Day. Scouts of all ages got to meet state legislators, took part in debates, and cast mock ballots on voting machines. They also got to meet several Scouts from other countries and heard from Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, who is also a Scout. Democracy Day is designed to help scouts learn about being a citizen.

Local-Regional News March 13

 With all of the wintery weather as of late, potholes have become an issue in the City of Durand.  Public Works Director Matt Gillis told the council last week that the department is aware of the issue and is waiting for better weather before starting pothole repair.  Gills said it was not worth filling the potholes now, only to plow the fill back up with all of the snow.  Once the weather clears, he hopes to get the repair equipment from Pepin County and start those repairs.

With the spring thaw underway, weight limits are now enforced on Buffalo County Highways.  The Highway department imposed the weight limits on Wednesday and will remain in effect until mid-April.    Exemptions may be made to allow for vehicles carrying those commodities which are used to perform necessary and vital services for public health, safety, and welfare.  Emergency vehicles, school buses, municipal maintenance vehicles, refuse and recycle hauling, and vehicles transporting non-divisible perishable goods are exempt from the temporary weight restrictions.

The police chief in Menominee has changed jobs.  The Menominee City Council selects Eric Atkinson to become the city’s new administrator.  Atkinson, who has served as Menomonie's top cop since 2012, will replace Lowell Prange, who is retiring after 35 years of service as the city’s administrator.  Atkinson begins his new duties in mid-April

There is an investigation into just how a woman died in the jail in Eau Claire.  Guards found the unresponsive woman yesterday.  Details such as the woman's identity, how she died, or what she was in jail for haven't been released. The Eau Claire County medical examiner will look into the case, as will an outside agency.

The Wabasha City Council has authorized bids and specifications for the downtown street plan.  The plan would reconstruct water, sewer, storm sewer streets, and sidewalks on Bridge Avenue, Pembroke Avenue, and Main Street.  New lighting, seating, and ADA Compliant sidewalks would also be installed.  The first phase of the project would be Main Street and Pembroke Avenue this year, and Bridge Street in 2024.  The estimated cost of the project would be $8 million.

Pierce County teens are self-reporting decreased use of vaping products over the past few years.  Recent data from The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System showed that the percentage of Pierce County high school students in all grades who reported ever vaping declined from 36% in 2019 to 27% in 2021.   Several factors may have played into this positive trend. Federal laws changed in 2021 to prohibit the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to anyone under the age of 21. The US Food and Drug Administration banned kid-friendly flavorings such as mint and fruit in cartridges or pre-filled pod devices like Juul. Community partners, including schools, healthcare providers, and public health agencies, have continued to spread the word about the dangers of vaping.

Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources wants to get away from a specific number of wolves in the state, but some lawmakers aren't ready to follow.  A handful of Republicans are pushing a plan at the Capitol that would set a wolf population number into state law.  State Senator Rob Stafsholt says lawmakers don't have a specific number in mind, but they do want to have a number.  He says it was a shock to hunters and farmers that DNR's new proposed wolf plan doesn't have a population target.

State Senator Andre Jacque is proposing a new penalty for first offense OWI. His bill, which has co-sponsorship from Representatives David Murphy and Ron Tusler, would require the installation of an ignition interlock device after just the first drunk driving offense. Jacque noted that Wisconsin is always the highest-rated state in the union when it comes to drunk driving offenses. In fact, in 2021 the DOT reported 6,368 alcohol-related crashes in Wisconsin that killed 166 people. In a written statement, Jacque said, “The goal of this bill, which is strongly supported by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), is to reduce repeat drunk driving offenses by allowing people to go back to work and get their lives back on track with the security of knowing that an ignition interlock device is allowing them to do so safely.”

A federal judge says he won't order the Lac du Flambeau tribe to take down a series of barricades blocking private roads on tribal land.   Judge William Conley on Wednesday denied a request from a group of homeowners to immediately remove those barricades, which went up at the end of January. The tribe says those roads were illegally built when they went up and that they're owed money for continued easement of the land the roads are built on. The homeowners argued that since the tribe gets federal money to maintain the roads, they need to be open to the public and that blocking the roads is a danger for the homeowners. The lawsuit will move forward, and Conley says he wants to hear a response from the tribe by the end of the month.

More than 280 people don't have to worry about having marijuana possession violations on their records.  The City of Madison retroactively dismissed 282 tickets for possession of marijuana this week.  That means people who were fined between February 2019 and December 2020 will have the charge expunged from their records.  Weed is still illegal in Wisconsin but a 2020 Madison City ordinance loosened restrictions on small amounts of marijuana.

The autopsy of Ronald Henry is complete and his cause of death remains inconclusive.  The Grant County Sheriff's Office says his autopsy shows no signs of trauma.  Henry was reported missing from Platteville in early December and his dead body was found in a nearby ravine last weekend.  Now investigators are waiting for the results of his toxicology report.

Minnesota is seeing an increase in unemployment claims.  That's according to a new report by the personal finance website WalletHub.  There were over 30 percent more claims filed in the last week of February compared to the week before.  At the same time, most job sectors saw growth last month.   The Department of Employment and Economic Development says the state gained over 14 thousand jobs in February.  The state's unemployment remains at 2.9 percent. 

The Madison Roman Catholic Diocese believes it's finally found a new home, 18 years after a fire destroyed St. Raphael's Cathedral.  The diocese has plans to make St. Bernard's Catholic Church on Atwood Avenue its new cathedral.  The diocese is waiting for approval from the Vatican and church leaders expect to move into the new space within a year and a half after that approval comes through.

A Minnesota man is charged for a 2005 sexual assault in Madison.  A criminal complaint states the man forced a woman off a bike path at knifepoint and assaulted her.  After contacting the police, the woman submitted to an exam.  A DNA profile in the sex assault kit used in the exam matched with the DNA of Aidison Yang, who had moved from Madison to Minnesota.  A February arrest of the 41-year-old Yang in Minnesota led to the taking of a DNA sample for him which matched the DNA profile from the kit.

A bus driver is being celebrated for saving a lost child during a recent snowstorm in the Twin Cities.  Metro Transit shared Ambrose Younge's story on its website and social media today.  Younge apparently saw a young kid standing in the snow with a backpack on a day in late February when classes were canceled.  He then contacted authorities and helped get the child back home.   He told the Metro "it's my job to take care of people."

Local-Regional News March 10

 A Wisconsin State Trooper was injured in an accident in Dunn County yesterday.  According to the Dunn County Sheriff's Department, the trooper was outside of his vehicle standing by a pickup truck on the right shoulder of I-94 westbound near mile marker 33 when a westbound sedan slid into the pickup truck and struck the trooper.  The trooper was taken to the hospital with non life threatening injuries.  The roads were snow-covered and slippery at the time of the accident.

Prosecutors in Dunn County have cleared three officers in a deadly shooting from back in January. The D.A. yesterday said a Dunn County deputy and two Menomonie police officers were justified when they shot and killed 45-year-old Nicholas Ciccarelli after a traffic stop. Police were looking for Ciccarelli after a reported home invasion. Prosecutors say Ciccarelli pointed his gun at one of the officers before they shot him. The D.A. says the officers didn't have a choice and said Ciccarelli was high on meth at the time.

Eau Claire leaders continue to sell a wheel tax as the best way to fix the city's streets. There was another public meeting last night. City Engineer David Solberg says a 30-dollar wheel tax will mean one-and-a-half million dollars a year for road repairs. There are some folks who don't like the idea of paying more to own a car in the city, but city leaders continue to push forward. Eau Claire County has had a wheel tax for years. The city is set to vote on its tax next week.

A man is pleading guilty in connection to a prostitution sting in Rochester.  Forty-four-year-old Thomas Klees was one of three people arrested in November.  He's received a one-year probation sentence for engaging in prostitution.  Klees must also pay court fines and fees and take a class on the effects of human trafficking.

Strep throat is making its way across Wisconsin. The state's Department of Health Services this week said there's been an uptick in the number of cases turning up in doctor's offices and hospitals. As usual, most of the cases are in kids and their parents. Doctors say you should get tested if you have a fever and a sore throat before strep becomes something worse.

Wisconsin's unemployment rate is below three percent, but the state isn't back to pre-pandemic job levels yet. The latest report from the Department of Workforce Development puts the state's jobless rate at two-point-nine percent. That's down from three percent at the end of last year. The labor participation rate, however, continues to lag. DWD says 64-and-a-half percent of people in Wisconsin are working. That's about two points lower than the labor participation rate just before the coronavirus outbreak in 2020.

Two state lawmakers want to give local governments more say over wind turbine projects.  Citing public health concerns, Senator Andre Jacque and Representative Ty Boden seek co-sponsors on a bill to restore the ability of towns and counties to impose restrictions on new turbine projects, that are more restrictive than Public Service Commission rules. A sponsorship memo cites the January collapse of a wind turbine in Dodge County and notes turbine projects may potentially not be a good fit in some areas given the density of rural homes.

The Wisconsin Conservation Congress and Department of Natural Resources invite the public to attend an open house the week of April 3-6 .  The open houses precede the annual Spring Hearings. Location details for each county are available on the WCC/DNR Open Houses webpage. DNR staff and Conservation Congress delegates will be on hand to discuss local issues of importance, answer questions and dialogue about areas of interest and concern. The Conservation Congress will also hold delegate elections at each open house, with two of the five seats up for election in each county.

Wisconsin lawmakers have once again blocked a new meningitis vaccine requirement. The legislature's rules committee yesterday voted to suspend the vaccine rules from the state's Department of Health Services. Many parents were upset at the scope of the new rules, and lawmakers say DHS went too far and acted on its own. The rules would have created a new meningitis vaccine requirement for 7th graders, and changed the rules for chickenpox in Wisconsin. State Senator Steve Nass says the vote is a victory for parents and for the rule of law.

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers doesn't want the FDA to allow non-dairy products to be marketed as milk.  Today Evers wrote a letter to the FDA asking it to reconsider its recommendation that products like those that come from nuts and plants can be considered milk.  Evers says that the decision could hurt Wisconsin dairy farmers that take time and effort to produce quality dairy products.

 Two anti-reckless driving plans have cleared their first hurdle at the Wisconsin Capitol. An Assembly panel on Tuesday approved the proposal to increase fines and jail time for reckless drivers, as well as another plan that would make it easier for police to impound the cars of people, caught driving recklessly. Milwaukee state Rep. Bob Donovan says the pieces of legislation are not a cure-all for reckless driving, but he says they're a start. Both plans face several more votes at the statehouse, but there is an expectation that Governor Evers may sign them if they make it to his desk.

With the state girls’ basketball tournament underway in Green Bay, the WIAA reminds fans they're still struggling with a shortage of game officials – due in part to bad fan behavior. There’s a new PSA campaign focusing on that  The Bench Bad Behavior program is part of a national effort to address the ref shortage and encourage good sportsmanship. Resources available to schools include public address messages and a player-parent contract calling for good behavior.  

The Humane Society in Fond du Lac says it's done taking care of the city's responsibilities for stray cats. The Humane Society this week announced it will no longer care for stray cats, saying it simply doesn't have the money to cover the costs for 24/7 service. Instead, the Humane Society says the city of Fond du Lac needs to step up and deal with its feral cat problem. The Humane Society says it took in 977 animals last year, including 823 from the city. Fond du Lac's city manager says they are working on a plan to deal with strays and looking to rely on other animal rescue operations going forward.

Six prison guards are recovering after being attacked by inmates in Minnesota this week.  Three officers were assaulted while trying to break up a fight at a state prison in Stillwater on Monday.  Then on Tuesday, three officers were attacked by inmates at a facility in Oak Park Heights.  All six officers were taken to local hospitals and later released.  The Department of Corrections is investigating both incidents.  The inmates who were allegedly involved could face criminal charges. 

A traffic stop in western Wisconsin leads to a cannabis haul.  It happened February 28th when a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy pulled over Justin Kamrowski for speeding on state Highway 27. The deputy detected the odor of marijuana, and the 31-year-old Minnesota resident reportedly stated that he had a small amount inside the vehicle.  A search allegedly found 3 ½ pounds of cannabis and $9,000 cash. Kamrowski is due in court later this month on charges including felony possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

Local-Regional News March 9

 Durand Public Works employees will be working into the evening and weekends over the next few weeks.  During last nights Durand City Council meeting, Public Works Director Matt Gillis told the council that the Scada System, which monitors water levels in the water tower and reservoir had failed.  Because of the failure, public works employees will have to manually fill the water tower and reservoir three times a day, seven days a week.  The new system should arrive and be installed in about three weeks.

A long-time tradition of fireworks during Durand Fun Fest is returning this year.  In a social media post, the Durand Fun Fest Committee announced the fireworks show on June 10th after the Chris Kroeze performance.  The 60th Annual Durand Fun Fest will be June 9th-11th in Memorial Park in Durand.

Eau Claire's Winter Weather Advisory starts later today, but there's a Winter Storm Warning for folks just to the south. The National Weather Service has Eau Claire under a Winter Weather Advisory from 3 p.m. today til 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. Forecasters expect between three and five inches of snow. The Winter Storm Warning that's posted for just south of Eau Claire could mean as much as six inches of snow with strong wind gusts. Road crews are asking for patience today and into tomorrow.

There were more layoffs at 3M in Menomonie than first announced. The company announced back in January that it planned to layoff 22 workers at the plant. Yesterday, a spokesperson said there were 53 layoffs at the plant. Before the cuts, 3M had 673 employees in Menomonie. The layoffs are part of a global reduction for 3M. The company eliminated 25 hundred jobs in all.

Western Wisconsin's congressman wants to make it clear that milk comes from animals, not plants. Congressman Derrick Van Orden signed on to the Dairy Pride Act. That's the federal plan to classify milk as coming from cows or other animals only. He says Wisconsin dairy farmers work incredibly hard to produce top-quality milk and he doesn't want to see nut-based or vegetable-based products horn in on their success. Wisconsin's dairy groups are all in agreement. The Dairy Pride Act comes not long after the FDA said nut-milk producers can continue to call their products 'milk.'

The Republicans who will write Wisconsin's next state budget are not going to Milwaukee or Madison. The budget-writing Joint Finance Committee yesterday released the schedule for their budget hearings. They will be in Waukesha, Eau Claire, the Dells, and Minocqua next month. The hearings are the beginning of the process to write the next state budget. After the public hearings, lawmakers will begin their work at the Capitol. They hope to have something for the governor to sign sometime in May.

The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says the governor's plan to help with American Family Field is dead. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told reporters yesterday that he doesn't see a path forward for the governor's proposal to spend nearly 300 million dollars in state money on repairs at American Family Field. Vos said the governor wants to use one-time money for a deal that would keep the Brewers in Milwaukee for just an extra 13 years. Vos says he hopes lawmakers will come up with a different plan to pay for the ballpark and keep the team in Milwaukee long-term.

A fresh warning about the risks of bird flu.  The state Ag Department reminds poultry owners of the ongoing threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The spring migratory period for wild birds brings an increased risk, so DATCP recommends that poultry owners continue using the strongest biosecurity measures to protect their birds. In Wisconsin last year, 29 domestic flocks in 18 counties were confirmed with bird flu. Nationwide, more than 58.5 million birds have died, in the largest animal disease outbreak in U.S. history

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is identifying the man killed in a Stillwater officer-involved shooting.  Okwan Rahmier Sims died on March 4th from multiple gunshot wounds.  The agency says the 21-year-old man died after an "exchange of gunfire" with Stillwater Police.  KARE11 is reporting that the BCA hasn't determined who shot first during the incident.

 A bill set to address hospital staffing is moving forward in the Minnesota Legislature.  The Senate Health and Human Services Committee advanced a bill yesterday that would require nurses and administrators to work together in every hospital to set staffing levels.  The measure also sets reporting requirements and penalties if hospitals don't meet agreed-upon levels.  Backers say the bill has been brought before the Legislature every year since 2007.

The largest Methodist congregation in Dane County has voted to separate from the United Methodist Church.  That split by Asbury United Methodist Church is over disagreements regarding the denomination’s support of gay marriage and gay leadership. The Wisconsin State Journal reports members voted 224-76 Sunday to disaffiliate from UMC. The Madison congregation appears to be in the minority - UMC reports 6.1 percent of its US churches - 1,831 congregations out of 30,000 - have been granted permission to disaffiliate since 2019.

An elections fraud case against a former Town of Newbold supervisor is moving forward.  69-year-old James Staskiewicz is accused of forging signatures on his nomination petitions as he ran for re-election. He waived a preliminary hearing on Tuesday and now faces one count each of election fraud and misconduct in public office. Oneida County Sheriff's investigators say Staskiewicz admitted to the forgeries. If convicted, he could face three years in prison. 

A group of Wisconsin business leaders is joining together in an effort to make sure the Brewers stay in Milwaukee.  Today the group announced the Home Crew Coalition.  Members plan to work together to show community support for the Brewers, find a bipartisan solution to keep the team in Milwaukee and raise awareness of the team's economic impact.  The coalition includes Wisconsin developers, attorneys, philanthropists, politicians, and sports leaders, among others.  You can join the team online at action-dot-home-crew-coalition-dot-org.

Wisconsin's governor continues to add priorities to his state budget proposal. The governor yesterday said pay raises for prosecutors and prison guards in the state is a must. Governor Evers says low pay is hurting D.A. offices across the state. He wants prison guards in Wisconsin to get a 13 dollar-an-hour raise. The Republicans who will actually write the new state budget say they could agree to a raise, but it won't be anywhere near the 13 dollars extra the governor wants.

The Madison Common Council moves forward with a lawsuit.  The council votes unanimously Tuesday to sue automakers Hyundai and Kia following a rash of thefts of those vehicles last year due to a a lack of anti-theft features.  Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, tells WKOW-TV in Madison the matter is about public safety, stating she is ”…making sure that we are tackling this particular problem of stolen cars from every angle."  Rhodes-Conway says Madison saw a 270% increase in Kia and Hyundai thefts over the summer. That’s almost half of all cars stolen in Madison during that same time. 

Minnesota is exporting a record number of products.  The Department of Employment and Economic Development recently announced the state's exports of agricultural, mining and manufactured products reached 27-billion dollars last year.  That's a new record high and up 16-percent from 2021.  Oil, electrical equipment, and cereals were exported the most. 

Local-Regional News March 8

 No one was injured when a semi went off the road north of Nelson this morning.  According to Buffalo County Sheriff Mike Osmond, the accident happened at the intersection of Hwy 25 and 35.  The intersection may be limited or shut down this morning at 11 to remove the semi.

Six adults and three kids are rescued after a sheet of ice breaks away from the shore and float out into Lake Pepin.  According to the Goodhue County Sheriff's Department, the group had entered on ice from Maiden Rock for ice fishing Sunday evening and had to leave behind a snowmobile, ATV, and fishing gear when rescue crews came with airboats to take them back to shore.  The Sheriff’s Office says the combination of a warm winter along with the recent precipitation has created dangerous conditions. The current from the Mississippi River also complicates the ice conditions of Lake Pepin.

The Durand City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include discussion and possible action on a Facade Grant Application for Ryan's Sports shop, reports from the mayor, city administrator, and department heads, and the council will go into closed session for a discussion of the purchasing of public properties.  Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 at Durand City Hall.

Police in Chippewa Falls say an elementary school student is responsible for the 911 call about a threat at the high school yesterday. Investigators tracked down the young student after a series of calls to 911, most of them were just filled with curse words, but police say one call mentioned an active shooter at the high school. Chippewa Falls' superintendent sent a note home to parents yesterday explaining the situation, and saying there was never a real threat. Police say the young caller's parents are dealing with the situation.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is the best hospital in the world.  That's according to Newsweek's annual list of the top 250 hospitals across the globe.  The magazine analyzed more than 23-hundred hospitals in 28 different countries based on consistent patient outcomes, innovation, and research to identify the best institutions. 

Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to block the state's new meningitis and chickenpox vaccine rules. The legislature's rules committee yesterday took the first step toward overturning the new rules, established earlier this year by the state's Department of Health Services. DHS wants to add a meningitis vaccine requirement for 7th graders and change the rules for chickenpox shots. State Senator Steve Nass says the suggestions are 'arbitrary and capricious.' Lawmakers blocked the same request from DHS last year as well.

A new report warns that Wisconsin's record budget surplus could turn into a deficit if lawmakers and Governor Evers aren't careful.  The Wisconsin Policy Forum yesterday released a report that says the surplus is not large enough to pay for everything that Governor Evers wants and is likely not enough to pay for a switch to a flat income tax in the state.  The report also warns that the U.S. economy may be headed into a recession, and that could mean a deficit for Wisconsin.  The report says lawmakers have a unique challenge this year, not in terms of budget cuts or reductions, but in deciding where they will spend more money.

The federal government is looking to pour more help into Wisconsin to replace lead pipes across the state.  Wisconsin is one of four states chosen to be part of the Lead Service Line Replacement Accelerator program.  That means more help from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Labor to take out old pipes, and replace them with new, safer ones.  Ten communities in Wisconsin will see that help. Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey were also chosen to be a part of the accelerator program.

US Senator Tammy Baldwin proposes giving the federal government a more comprehensive way to address online threats posed by foreign governments. The Wisconsin Democrat says a recent example is Bytedance, the Chinese technology company that owns Tik Tok.” The bipartisan “RESTRICT” Act (Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology) would, among other things, require the Department of Commerce to come up with procedures to evaluate software, hardware, and social media platforms owned by foreign governments.

There are new calls for baby boxes across Wisconsin after police in Whitewater found a baby dead in a field over the weekend.  State Representative Barb Dittrich yesterday said while parents can surrender a baby to police officers or firefighters no questions asked within 72 hours, state law doesn't allow for baby box surrenders.  Dittrich says the baby's death shows the need for a new law and more education.

Lawmakers in Madison are considering a plan that could allow inmates in the state's prisons to have more things. Current state law caps inmate possessions at 75 dollars worth of stuff, plus a TV, radio, or musical instrument worth as much as 350 dollars. The new law would bump that up to 150 dollars worth of stuff, or a musical instrument worth up to 350 dollars. 

Madison may sue Kia and Hyundai because some of their cars are too easy to steal. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway yesterday accused the two carmakers of 'cutting corners' and 'putting people at risk.' Madison Police reported a huge spike in Kia and Hyundai thefts over the past few years. One of the reasons is the rise of Kia Boys videos, which show how easy it is to steal some Kia or Hyundai models with nothing more than a USB cord. Madison's city council will consider a motion to file a lawsuit at tonight's council meeting.

A Central Wisconsin food cannery is penalized for safety violations. The Del Monte Foods cannery in Plover faces possible fines of over $200 thousand after a seasonal worker suffered a partial finger amputation while trying to unjam an unguarded palletizer machine.  Investigators for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration discovered workers routinely using their hands to redirect pallets stuck in the palletizer's dispenser.  That led to a determination that the cannery's lack of machine guarding and safety procedures exposed employees to machine hazards.   The company was cited for violations of machine safety and fall protection standards. 

The Better Business Bureau continues to see a rise in employment scams. Those types of scams ranked number 2 in their Risk Report in 2022. BBB Wisconsin spokesperson Lisa Schiller says most employment scams they see are a variant of the bad check scam. That's when a scammer sends you a fake check, asks you to cash it for your payment, and then send back the rest. When that check bounces, you're out the money. People who were caught in this scam lost over 15 hundred dollars on average, as opposed to the total average loss of around 170 dollars. 

It was a lucky weekend for some Wisconsin Lottery players. The lottery yesterday said four winning tickets were drawn between Friday and Sunday. The first was a 100 thousand-dollar All or Nothing ticket sold in Pulaski on Friday. The next was a 350 thousand-dollar SuperCash winner sold in Turtle Lake. A Kwik Trip in Sparta then sold a 150 thousand-dollars Powerball ticket on Saturday. And someone then bought a 100 thousand-dollar All Or Nothing ticket in Franklin on Sunday.

Experts believe they found a new form of life inside a cave in southern Minnesota.  A manager at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park told MPR News that their staff found some potentially unknown millipedes in the 13-mile Mystery Cave.  They're tiny, translucent, and have no eyes.  The park sent samples to the University of Minnesota researchers to learn more, but it could take years to determine if they're a new species. 

Local-Regional News March 7

 Forecasters say this wet end to winter could mean more spring flooding in the Chippewa Valley. The National Weather Service says there's a 55 percent chance of minor flooding along the Chippewa river, and a 50 percent chance of moderate flooding. The models suggest just a 15 percent chance of major flooding on the Chippewa river. Bill Borghoff with the Weather Service says as the snow melts over the next few weeks, they'll get a better sense of just how high the rivers may rise.

Eau Claire's school board president says they are not closing the Montessori Charter School, but he does want more diversity there. Board President Tim Nordin yesterday said rumors that the school district is going to close Montessori are 'false.' Though he did say that he wants to address some issues at the school and see how Eau Claire can move forward as a district. Nordin and other board members have criticized Montessori for being too white, and not in-line with Eau Claire's diversity goals.

Hundreds of people at the Hutchinson Technology plant in Eau Claire are out of a job. Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development yesterday said Hutchinson is laying off 237 people. That's about 55 percent of the company's employees in Eau Claire. The state says the layoffs are set to take effect on May 5th.

Xcel Energy plans to build more than 700 electric vehicle charging stations.  The company says it is leading the way in electric vehicle charging.  Owners of other charging stations say the plan could limit investment by businesses, creating a monopoly for Xcel.  Xcel customers express concern about the cost to their utility bills.

 The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities is looking for weather observers across Western Wisconsin and Southeastern Minnesota.  The agency is asking people to come forward to share weather reports from their homes when it snows, rains, or storms.  The NWS says signing up is free and online training classes are available.  Experience isn't needed to participate.

Area farmers can get started on their spring planning needs at the 59th annual Eau Claire Farm Show today and tomorrow.  There will be more than 150 exhibitors from heavy equipment to seed dealers to different water sources.  The Farm Show is today and tomorrow from 9 a.m to 3:30 p.m. at the Chippewa Valley Expo Center in Eau Claire.  Admission is free. There will also be concessions, health clinics, and a silent auction that benefits FFA.

Plans to bring a second Amtrak train through Western Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota every day is nearing completion.  Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois are finalizing splitting the $6.8 million operating costs for the second train.  The Federal Government would spend $40 million to improve tracks, signals, and bridges in Minnesota.   The $53 million project is estimated to double the 124,000 passengers riding the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago route annually. 

Seven staff positions will be cut from Dover-Eyota Public Schools payroll, after a unanimous vote by the school board Monday night. The cuts are coming as a result of the district going well over its budget.  Board members say they don’t take this decision lightly, and believed these cuts would have the least amount of impact on students. Community members say the enrollment numbers, which have been declining, need to reverse in order for this situation to improve.  The board said the cuts came now at this magnitude so there would be no more staffing cuts made later.

The Minnesota House is advancing a nearly two billion-dollar public works package.  The bills were approved yesterday evening with bipartisan support.  The package includes funding for fixing roads, bridges, water systems, college facilities, and parks and trails in the state.  Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman says the bills include projects that will "strengthen communities."

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is the best in North America.  That's according to the Airport Service Quality program's annual survey.  It asked 465-thousand travelers to rate their experiences at airports across the continent.  MSP scored the highest for the second year in a row.  It's the 16th busiest airport in North America.

A man who went missing from a Grant County farmhouse in December is found dead.  The sister of Ronald Henry tells WKOW-TV in Madison the body of her brother was discovered in the woods near the farmhouse near Lancaster Sunday.  Tytiana Henry says an Amish man searching for deer antlers near the farm found Henry's remains.  An extensive search of the area for Ronald Henry lasted weeks after he was reported missing December 5th.  The Grant County Sheriff's Office has not responded to the TV’s station’s request for comment.

UW System President Jay Rothman says students participating in the Wisconsin Tuition Promise have “skin in the game.”   Rothman was asked about it recently, by Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee Chair Dave Murhpy, who asked whether a "free" education would be "somewhat devalued.” Rothman recounted a meeting with students who are working while in school, and told Murphy that they have "a whole lot of skin in the game.” The Wisconsin Tuition Promise funds up to four years of tuition and fees for students from families earning less than $62,000 a year, at any UW campus except Madison. It also carries a work requirement.

A Merrill woman is sentenced to prison for the straw purchase of two guns.  The Wisconsin Department of Justice says in a release Ashley Zastrow bought the firearms in Wisconsin Rapids in January of last year, stating she was the actual buyer of the weapons. An investigation later revealed the purchase was made for someone who accompanied her to the store and gave her the cash for the purchase.  The release says the person the 32-year-old Zastrow bought the firearms for was prohibited from possessing them due to previous felony convictions. One of the firearms was later used to commit a homicide.  Zastrow was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison.

Mourners remembered former UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank over the weekend. Blank, who died last month after a short battle with cancer, was remembered as a kind woman and an excellent university administrator. Blank spent about 10 years at UW-Madison, she was supposed to go on to become the president at Northwestern University, but she never took that job because of her diagnosis. She leaves behind a husband and an adult daughter

Minneosta Governor Walz will be temporarily transferring power to Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.  The office announced the transfer yesterday after the governor sent a letter to House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate President Bobby Joe Champion.  The transfer will take place today just before he undergoes general anesthesia for a colonoscopy.  The transfer of power will be in effect until Walz sends the legislative leaders that he is able to resume his duties.

A medical software company in southern Wisconsin unveils expansion plans.   Epic Systems is expanding with two new buildings at its Harry Potter themed Wizards Academy campus In Verona.  In announcing the expansion, the  company said the new buildings will create space for 17-hundred new employees as it looks to grow its workforce by ten-percent this year.  The new buildings, the sixth and seventh in the Wizards Academy cluster, are expected to open in 2024.

Local-Regional News March 6

 Wisconsin gas prices are back on the rise.  According to Triple-A the statewide average is three dollars and 22 cents a gallon.  That's up four cents overnight and up 12 cents since this time last week.  The average is 3.19 here is western Wisconsin, up 13 cents from a week ago.

The Wabasha County Board is meeting tomorrow morning.  Items on the agenda include approval of a new highway department technician, reject all bids in a concrete box culvert extension and approval of purchase of a plow truck for the highway department.  Tomorrow's meeting starts at 9am the Wabasha County Government Center.

We could get some more answers this week about layoffs at the Hutchinson Technology Plant. Eau Claire TV station WEAU reported on Friday that it had learned of layoffs at the company. No one is saying just how many people lost their jobs, or why. Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce President Dave Minor says we could learn more about the layoffs this week when the state issues a report.

Eau Claire's school board is going to look at the Montessori Charter School's contract tonight. The school board is deciding whether to renew, or change the contract with the charter school. Some board members worry there are too many white students at the school, and say the Montessori enrollment doesn't meet Eau Claire's equity goals. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is warning the school board, however, that making changes to the school based on race would be discrimination.

A suspect is dead after police say he opened fire at a Stillwater apartment complex.  Police responded to a report of gunfire in the 22-hundred block of Orleans Street West on Saturday.  Officials say the suspect had fired a gun inside and outside the complex before police arrived, injuring several.  Stillwater Chief Brian Mueller says the suspect shot at arriving officers who returned fire, hitting the suspect.  The suspect later died at the hospital.  No official word on how many were injured or their conditions.  The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is coordinating the investigation.

Wisconsin lawmakers are going to take a look at the state's vaccine requirements this week. The legislature's Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules has a hearing scheduled tomorrow morning to talk about the Department of Health Service's new vaccine rules. DHS made a handful of changes for schools and daycare this year, including changing the rules of chickenpox vaccines and when kids can miss school because of the chickenpox. DHS is not requiring a flu or COVID shot for kids this year, though the state does strongly encourage them.

Republicans on the legislature’s finance committee say raising the minimum age to buy tobacco and nicotine products doesn’t belong in the state budget.   Governor Tony Evers included the language in his two year budget plan. Bills raising the purchase age passed the state Assembly with bipartisan support in 2020 and again last year, but failed to advance in the Senate. The state’s minimum age of 18 to buy nicotine, tobacco, or vape products conflicts with the federal Tobacco 21 requirement. 

A nearly 800-thousand dollar grant from the Defense Department will help prepare Madison for the deployment of F-35 fighter jets at Truax Field this spring.  The funding Senator Tammy Baldwin's office announced on Friday will go toward initiatives including town halls and multilingual education efforts.  It also will pay for a study to determine what the state's Department of Military Affairs can do for surrounding neighborhoods affected by the noise. 

Lawmakers want to know why it's so tough, and in some places so expensive, to find a home in Wisconsin. The Assembly and Senate committees on housing will hold a joining hearing tomorrow to hear from experts about Wisconsin's housing shortage. The experts include leaders from the state's realtors and home builders, and experts from the University of Wisconsin. The latest report from the Wisconsin Association of Realtors said prices are up across the state in-part because of a tight supply of houses for sale.

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A Jackson County nonprofit is raising money for equipment to be used for search and recovery of drowning victims.  Bruce's Legacy is trying to raise 40-thousand dollars for a slide-in camper that would make difficult missions easier.  The organization has recovered 45 bodies from lakes, rivers, and large bodies of water to provide families with closure.  The nonprofit is named for Bruce Cormican, who was a firefighter who died in a search mission.

A controversial Wisconsin attorney has been reappointed to a state committee.  Dane County attorney James Troupis will serve a second term on the Judicial Conduct Advisory Committee, reappointed by the state Supreme Court’s four conservative justices. The three liberal justices dissented. Troupis was involved in the 2020 scheme to deliver Electoral College votes for former President Donald Trump in Wisconsin and several other states. The nine-member committee was renders formal advisory opinions and gives informal advice to judges and judicial officers governed by the code of judicial conduct.

Another ethics complaint is filed against Michael Gableman.  Gableman is the attorney and former state Supreme Court justice who was tapped by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to conduct a taxpayer-funded probe into Wisconsin’s 2020 election. Attorneys with the liberal Law Forward firm filed the complaint Thursday with the Office of Lawyer Regulation. The more than 100-page complaint from attorneys attorneys Daniel Lenz and Jeffrey Mandell refers to "a shambolic, dishonest, and destructive campaign against Wisconsin’s democracy at taxpayer expense.”  This is the third known complaint filed against Gableman with the Office of Lawyer Regulation.

Wisconsin's governor is asking lawmakers for nine million-dollars to help build a new soccer stadium in Milwaukee. Governor Evers is including the cash in his state budget proposal. Milwaukee is preparing for a new soccer team, and looking to build a new stadium downtown. The governor said the state helped build Fiserv Forum, is looking to help the Brewers with American Family Field, and should help with the soccer stadium as well. Planners say the new stadium will cost about 45 million-dollars in all.

Around 55-thousand people with felony convictions will be able to vote next year in Minnesota.  That's because Governor Tim Walz signed a bill Friday that restores voting rights to ex-felons.  Previously, convicted felons would have to complete parole before being eligible to cast a vote.  The new bill ensures voting rights once they've served time.  It goes into effect on July 1st.

The Minnesota Senate is advancing a bill aimed at preventing catalytic converter thefts.  The bill would require those buying the part to keep detailed records about the purchase.  The House must now approve changes made to the bill by the Senate.  If the changes are approved, the bill will head to Governor Walz's desk