Local-Regional News June 11

 The Mondovi City Council is meeting tonight.  Items on the agenda include a discussion of a new policy regarding the license plate reader cameras, an update on the fence on North Eau Claire Street, and reports from the Mayor and department heads.  Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 at the Marten Center in Mondovi.

The Pepin County Health Department will distribute Narcan to area businesses and residents.  Pepin County Health Officer Heidi Stewart says the Health Department has a supply of Narcan that is available. Recently the Health Department trained Pepin County Tavern League members to allow the members to have Narcan available at their establishments.

The sheriff in Barron County is reminding people about life jackets after a water rescue on Sunday. Deputies had to rescue two kayakers who went into the water on the Red Cedar River below the Mikana Dam. The sheriff says the two kayakers were wearing life jackets, which kept them floating while they were hanging on to a tree in the heavy current. The sheriff's office says the case is an example of just how important, and life-saving, life jackets can be. 

Lawyers for the now-teenager who's accused of killing Lily Peters continue to fight to keep his case out of adult court. Both the defense and prosecution have filed their briefs with the appellate court. The suspect in the case was 14-years-old when Chippewa Falls Police say he beat, raped, and strangled Peters as she was walking home back in 2022. The case has lingered for over two years because of a judicial backlog, and because of the back-and-forth over whether the case should be tried in adult court. A judge back in January ordered the case moved to adult court, and ordered that the trial begin soon. 

One person is dead, and one person is in custody after a homicide in La Crosse County. The sheriff's office yesterday said it got a 911 call from the Town of Shelby. When they arrived, deputies found a woman who was dead. The sheriff's office says deputies then arrested a person in connection with her death. There is no word yet on how the woman died, or what led up to her killing. Investigators in La Crosse say they're treating the case as a homicide. 

 

A new urgent care center is open in Chippewa Falls today (Mon). OakLeaf Clinics says it's opened the doors for the clinic on Lakeland Drive. It'll be open Monday through Friday, eight A-M until five P-M through the end of June, and open eight A-M through eight P-M Monday through Friday starting on July 1. Another OakLeaf clinic will open in Menomonie next week. 

A Democrat will keep the chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Ann Jacobs was voted in unanimously on Monday. She previously served as the chair during the 2020 presidential election. The six-member panel is made up of three Republicans and three Democrats and handles oversight of the elections process in Wisconsin. They do not run the elections, however. That task is left up to local clerks in towns, cities, and counties.

 Madison Police say more people were hurt than first thought in Sunday's shooting at The Lux. The city's police department yesterday said 12 people were hurt in the shooting. Officers say 10 people were grazed by bullets, one person was injured by broken glass, and another hurt their shoulder while trying to get away from the gunfire. Madison Police continue to say they don't have any suspects or a motive in the shooting. However, investigators did say the party where the shooting happened was not authorized. 

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says the effort to recall him has again fallen short. The Speaker is up for reelection in November, but that fact hasn’t dissuaded recall organizers. The Wisconsin Elections Commission has until June 28 to determine whether there are enough valid signatures on a second set of recall petitions. The Commission previously rejected the first attempt to recall Vos for lacking enough valid signatures. Vos last week said he found thousands of invalid signatures, including many collected from outside of his current district, others that signed more than once, and still others collected beyond the allowable time. Vos also said recall organizers, who include former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman as well as supporters of former President Donald Trump, have misrepresented his record as a conservative and have even accused him of being a communist.

More woes with the finances of Milwaukee Public Schools.  The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction informed MPS on Thursday it's withholding the district’s June Special Education Aid Payment of over $16 million. That's after MPS was more than eight months late in sending DPI the necessary financial information. The agency said the paperwork problem in Milwaukee could affect state funding for every school district in the state. MPS is working with the DPI on corrective action to provide the needed data. If that’s completed, MPS will receive its general aid payment later this month.

The head of Wisconsin's K-12 schools says lawmakers are dragging their heels on releasing literacy program funding. Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly says the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee has yet to release some 49 million dollars earmarked to pay for Wisconsin Act 20, which requires schools to update their programming on literacy. Democratic Governor Tony Evers used his line-item veto to modify the law, removing strict requirements put in place by Republicans on how that money would be used. The Legislature is currently suing Evers over that veto.

A man serving a life sentence in prison sues a Southeast Wisconsin city. Zachariah Anderson seeks $10 million in damages from the city of Mequon for what he calls his wrongful arrest in 2020. Anderson was accused of killing his ex-girlfriend's love interest, Rosalio Gutierrez, and hiding his body in 2020. In 2023, a Kenosha County jury convicted Anderson of first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse and stalking. The city says because Mequon police were requested by Kenosha Police to make the arrest, the city of Kenosha should bear liability in the suit.

More protests at Waupun Correctional Institution on Sunday, this time outside the prison’s walls. The prison's former warden and eight other employees were criminally charged last week in connection with the death of two Waupun inmates. Sunday, family and friends of those inmates joined former inmates to seek change at the prison. Another protest on the prison grounds supported the employees charged in the deaths. That group said staff could only work with the resources available to them, and the real accountability should be with those in charge. Last week prison inmates held a sit-in protesting the conditions of their confinement.

Urban forestry grants will open soon in Wisconsin. The state Department of Natural Resources says it's giving more than 550-thousand dollars to cities or counties looking to conserve or protect its tree population through urban forests. Grant recipients will be required to match dollar for dollar. Applications will be open July through October.

A now viral TikTok video shows the reaction of TSA agents at a Minnesota airport when a man tried to carry ten cans of SPAM onto a plane.  The video posted late last month showed the Massachusetts man trying to board a flight at Minneapolis-St. Paul International.  When a TSA agent started pulling the SPAM cans from his carry-on, he told the agent that the cans came "straight from the factory" and included special flavors like teriyaki.  The agent performed a test on the cans before letting him through with his prize.  The video has been viewed nearly 500-thousand times and has generated more than three-thousand comments.

Local-Regional News June 10

 Visitors at Wabasha’s Beach Park had to deal with some flooding as high-water levels overtook the beach.   Minor flooding along the Mississippi River completely covered the sand leaving beachgoers setting up camp in the grass.   The high water levels are because of the rain so far this spring.  The National Weather Service has a flood warning for the Mississippi River in Buffalo and Wabasha Counties until June 16th.  The river crested at 12.44 feet over the weekend and should begin to go down over the rest of the week.

While there was rain to begin the day, over 2100 people were served during the Pepin County Town and Country Dairy Breakfast on Saturday at Koller Farms.  The rain didn't stop the crowds from enjoying breakfast and also touring the farm.  Also this weekend good crowds were reported for Durand Fun Fest.  Festival organizers had to reconfigure Memorial Park, but events and the carnival ran smoothly.  This weekend will be the Arkansaw Creek Park Days in Arkansaw and the Pierce County Dairy Breakfast at LoRan Acres just south of Plum City.

Construction on 6th Avenue East should begin this week.  The road surface and sidewalks will be redone as part of the city's plan to do some smaller projects each year.  At the same time, the Durand Arkansaw School District will be replacing the parking lot at Durand-Arkansaw High School along with some remodeling of the front of the school.  Both projects are expected to be done before the new school year begins in August.

The sheriff in Eau Claire is looking for a stabbing suspect. The stabbing happened last week in Fairchild. Deputies are not saying what led-up to the stabbing, or if anything was taken. Investigators are asking anyone who may have a doorbell camera to check their footage. In the meantime, the sheriff's office says there's no danger to the public in the case. 

There is another memorial to one of western Wisconsin's fallen deputies. Leaders in St, Croix County on Saturday dedicated a portion of Highway 128 in honor of Deputy Kaitie Leising. She was gunned down during a traffic stop last May. St. Croix County's sheriff says the new highway means Leising will be remembered forever. 

Attorneys for the man accused of killing Madeline Kingsbury are again asking a judge to have the trial moved to another venue.  A motion filed Friday in Winona County urged the judge to move the trial because Adam Fravel won't receive a fair hearing.  The motion cited extensive media coverage of Kingsbury's death and claimed the public was biased against Fravel.  Kingsbury was found dead last year and Fravel was initially charged with second-degree murder.  A grand jury later indicted Fravel on first-degree murder charges.

It's a busy week for the Wisconsin Elections Commission this week. The commission is meeting today to decide ballot access questions in 10 different races across the state. Commissioners are also looking to certify the ballot for both the August primary and the November general election. The Elections Commission is also scheduled to meet on Wednesday to deal with election clerk training. 

There are new calls for an audit of Milwaukee Public Schools. Both Governor Tony Evers and the top Republican in the Wisconsin Senate, Devin LeMahieu, on Friday called for state auditors to look-over the books at MPS. LeMahieu said the legislature's audit bureau is more than capable of looking into how MPS is spending its money, and where there could be savings. The governor said he wants to make sure there is a full accounting in Milwaukee Public Schools. The audit comes after MPS lost nearly 17-million dollars in state aid because of late and incomplete financial reports from last year. 

The largest budget increase ever proposed for the Universities of Wisconsin System. Governor Tony Evers announced that Friday to the Board of Regents. He said in his next biennial budget, he will ask the legislature to provide an increase of over $400 million in each year of the biennium for the UW system. Evers said the big boost is needed to prevent “further degradation” of the UW System, and that being 42nd in the nation in support of public universities “doesn’t cut it.” Seven four-year campuses are facing budget shortfalls and UW Oshkosh has exhausted its reserves. Republicans on the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee have rejected the Democratic governor’s previous UW budget requests.

Waupun inmates held a sit-in protest, asking for better conditions following the arrest of nine staff members, including the former warden. Fox Six News reports inmates say conditions haven't improved since the Wednesday arrests. One person serving time says inmates are getting cold meals and improper medical care. The nine staff members were arrested on charges related to two inmate deaths, after an investigation into four total deaths. Fox Six hasn't gotten a response to a request for comment about the sit-in, which happened yesterday.

Wisconsin's attorney general attended training about the state's address confidentiality program in Appleton. The Safe at Home program gives Wisconsin residents who are facing abuse, stalking, or trafficking threats to keep their addresses private. Anyone enrolled in the program sends and receives mail at an assigned address different from their own, and gets their mail forwarded to them, free of charge. There are more than a thousand households in Wisconsin using the program, and more than two thousand participants. 

 It's the fourth-highest spring turkey hunting season on record in Wisconsin. The state Department of Natural Resources says hunters registered more than 50-thousand turkeys this year. That's more than 20-percent more than the average season. The turkey season started in mid-April and ended at the end of May. The deadline to register for a license for next year's season is in December.     

There are guilty verdicts in the federal Feeding Our Future fraud trial in Minneapolis. The U.S. Attorney's Office says seven people conspired to steal about 250-million dollars from government nutrition programs meant for children during COVID.  A jury found five of seven defendants guilty Friday.  One jury member was dismissed after being offered 120 thousand dollars in cash to acquit the defendants.  Another juror was let go after a family member asked if the judge was sequestering the jury because of the bribe.

A cow herd in Benson County is the first in Minnesota to test positive for the bird flu. The state's Board of Animal Health confirmed the flu this week. The farmer notified the state after one cow started showing signs of the bird flu, but later said 40 of his cows were sick. The Board of Animal Health says the risk of bird flu remains low in Minnesota, but the board is telling farmers to take precautions. Scientists say even if a cow has the bird flu, drinking milk that has been pasteurized is safe. 

A meat processor is closing its Milwaukee-area facility.  Strauss Brands announced Tuesday it’ll close its Franklin plant to move production of grass-fed beef products to Illinois. The company previously dropped veal and lamb products to focus exclusively on grass-fed beef. A notice sent to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development says the layoffs will affect 70 employees beginning in early August.

 Minneapolis Airport ranks second on the list of 'Best Airports To Fly Out Of.' According to data by Air Help, MSP Airport only had 20 percent of flights disrupted, falling short to Salt Lake City's international airport with only 18 percent of flights disrupted. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport ranked last, with about 45-percent of flights being disrupted. The company bases its findings on data gathered from airports that dealt with the most and least flight disruptions before the start of the summer travel season. 

Local-Regional News June 7

 The City of Durand has announced the four finalists for the city administrator position.  The four finalists are current Durand Public Works Superintendent Matt Gilles, the current City Administrator of Lancaster David Carlson, the Town Administrator for La Pointe, WI Michael Kuchta, and Jason Rohloff who was the past budget manager for the City of Rochester.  The city hopes to have a new administrator in place by July 1st when current administrator Scott Rassmuesson retires.

The Pepin County Town and Country Dairy Breakfast is tomorrow.  The breakfast is being held at the Koller Farm on Hwy 85 between Durand and Rock Falls starting at 6:30.  The breakfast is free but donations will be accepted.  Because of the breakfast, motorists traveling along Hwy 85 tomorrow morning should be ready for possible traffic delays.

Durand Fun Fest begins at Memorial Park in Durand today.  Events run through the weekend. Currently, Fun Fest is organized by 7 people and Mike Norby, chair of Fun Fest says the event is in need of more volunteers.  Norby says even helping out for a few hours would be very helpful.  To volunteer, just contact Fun Fest on their Facebook page.

As the new library opens in Mondovi, what will become of the old library space that is in the same building as city hall?  The Mondovi Historical Society is asking the library board and city if they can use that space.  The request was announced during the last city council meeting.  Other uses for the space include moving the police department from its current location to the old library.

An Eau Claire mom is waiting to see if she will go to prison for chronic neglect of her three children. Shanta Hill pleaded no contest yesterday to the chronic neglect of her kids, ages six, five, and four-years-old. Investigators say the case is one of the worst cases of neglect they've ever seen. One teacher said when the six-year-old enrolled in school, they were like a wild animal that had just been let out of a cage. Neighbors say none of the kids could eat solid food, and the six-year-old was unable to walk. Hill is due back in court in two weeks. 

Lake Hallie may hire a village administrator. Currently, Lake Hallie has a clerk/treasurer, but Village Board President Gary Spilde says that job will be open by the end of the year and they may change things. Spilde says moving to a village administrator would allow one person to oversee the day-to-day operations in Lake Hallie, as opposed to having to bring in other people. Spilde says no one has made any final decisions. 

The student hunter safety program in Mosinee Schools is under review after a teacher brought a non-functioning rifle to school earlier this year. The teacher is still working in the district and was allowed to bring what essentially was a prop gun to school in January. But someone who worked at the school, who didn't know the rifle was non-functioning, alerted school leaders, and the school then warned parents that someone brought a gun to school. Now, the district says it's investigating the matter, and reviewing whether the hunter safety program will continue. 

The police chief in Wautoma is crediting quick-thinking neighbors for stopping a man from taking a boy into the woods this week. Chief Paul Mott yesterday thanked the entire community for stopping what could have been a tragedy at a local park. The chief says a man tried to lure a group of kids into the woods Wednesday afternoon. The chief says the man told the kids he was God, told them his wife was Jesus, and told them he'd just escaped from prison. A mom at the park spotted what was happening, and stopped the man. Chief Mott says officers arrested the man a short time later. He's now waiting for formal charges in the case. 

It looks like the plan to recall Wisconsin's assembly speaker has fallen short, again. The group Wisconsinites for Liberty Fund yesterday said the Racine Recall effort includes thousands of signatures from people who do not live in Assembly Speaker Robin Vos' district. The recall signatures also show that hundreds of people signed several times, and hundreds of other signatures were collected after the state's deadline. There are also claims that most of the signature collectors are from out of state, and some of them have criminal records. The Racine Recall group needs nearly seven thousand signatures to force a recall election. Organizers said last month that they had confidence they'd hit that mark. 

Minnesota State College Southeast received one of the largest donations in the school's history. They received 217-thousand dollars in the form of stock from an anonymous donor. The money will be used for student scholarships, specifically for those pursuing a degree and residing at the Winona Campus. Last year the college launched the College Opportunity Program, offering tuition-free education to graduates of schools within the Winona district. 

Wisconsin workers are getting higher wage increases this year compared to last. New data from the ADP Research Institute says workers who stayed with an employer for longer than 12 months had wages five-point-three percent higher than the same time last year. ADP says younger workers are getting higher pay growth than older age groups. Median annual pay is listed at 59-thousand dollars.

Madison will be sending its SWAT team and dozens of other police officers to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention. In all, Madison says it will be sending 85 officers to Milwaukee for the convention. That includes officers on horseback, officers on bikes, and Madison's special events and crowd control team. Madison is one of several Wisconsin police departments that are helping out with extra officers for the RNC. Milwaukee's convention begins July 15th and runs through the 18th. 

With the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee a little more than a month away, some security details are being contested.  Rules approved by the Milwaukee Common Council require people protesting within the convention’s general security zone to march a specified route. But the route and other details regarding demonstration sites aren’t yet public. The Coalition to March on the RNC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit on Wednesday. They allege rules governing parade and protest activity unlawfully limit where protesters can exercise their 1st Amendment rights. Meanwhile, U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle says security plans for the convention are still being finalized.

The Wisconsin Governor is asking that the Dodge County Sheriff's Office keep their investigation into Waupun Correctional Institution open. Governor Tony Evers says he wants the investigation into four inmate deaths -- which resulted in nine people being charged, including the former warden -- open. Evers also wants the full results of the Department of Correction investigation to be released to the public. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said yesterday the cases are currently closed but could be reopened at a future date.

Wisconsin kids who are finishing up Hunter Safety training this year will have an extra chance to learn how to hunt deer at Sandhill Wildlife Area. Department of Natural Resources biologist Darren Ladwig says the program is there to help immerse youth in hunting culture.  The program is open to kids aged 12 to 15, and signups are now open online at D N R dot W I dot Gov, just search for Sandhill. The course runs in August, and hunting days are in November.

Minnesota is going to start a new deer population count for the northeastern part of the state next month. The state's Department of Natural Resources says the study will take three years. The DNR says unlike past studies, which relied on airplanes, this study will use trail cameras on both public and private land. There are concerns that the reintroduction of wolves has led to a massive decline in deer in northern Wisconsin. Hunters have been complaining for years about a lack of deer each season.

Local-Regional News June 6

 Five new mental health crisis centers are open in Wisconsin including one in La Crosse. Tellurian will operate the facility that will serve those in need in Buffalo, Dunn, Pierce, Pepin, and 14 other counties here in Western Wisconsin.  The state Department of Health Services says the crisis stabilization facilities will be used to help people who don't need to be hospitalized but can't stay in their communities.  That includes people with substance abuse and mental health crises who can use these services.  The department set aside ten million dollars in 2021 to fund the facilities. 

Chippewa Falls says the owner of a downtown building that partially collapsed has to fix it or tear it down. A city inspector yesterday issued a raze or repair order for the building that's home to the Iris Boutique. That's the building where the upstairs apartment collapsed into the back of the boutique earlier this week. No one was hurt. Inspectors are not saying just what happened to cause the collapse. The building's owner has 60 days to decide what they plan to do. 

Only minor damage was reported across parts of Western Wisconsin from yesterday's severe storms that moved through.  Reports of trees down onto power lines were common reports.  Xcel Energy reported 1500 customers lost power in Mondovi as a result of the storm.  Power outages were also reported in Plum City and Wabasha because of the storm.  Today will be cooler but the winds will still be brisk out of the northwest.

The issues with Mondovi's new Wastewater Treatment plant continue.  During the last council meeting members discussed the issues including the new algae treatment portion of the plant not working properly.  The company that designed the algae treatment is claiming ammonia is killing the algae, but the council says this system is having similar problems in other municipalities.  The council is weighing its options, including pursuing liquidated damages against the contractors that built the plant.

Consider this proof of just how dangerous dams are in Wisconsin. Two Chippewa Falls firefighters and a city worker needed to be rescued yesterday after their boat got stuck on the edge of the Glen Loch Dam in Chippewa Falls. The three were placing safety buoys near the dam when their boat got caught up by the current. The trio spent about two hours on the lip of the dam while other firefighters set up rescue ropes. Chippewa Falls firefighters say all of the recent rains have made the river near the dam fast and dangerous. 

The owner of an Eau Claire beauty shop who is accused of touching his clients says he's innocent. Chris Devlin pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges yesterday, Investigators say he assaulted clients and took inappropriate pictures of them while he was working at Renew Aesthetics. Eau Claire Police say six victims have come forward so far. Devlin is due back in court in September. 

There won't be charges for a northern Wisconsin midwife who handled the birth of a baby who died in labor. The D.A. in Price County yesterday said he;'s decided against charges in the case from last year. The baby's family believes the midwife is to blame for the baby's death, but District Attorney Matthew Elroy said he doesn't think he can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The medical examiner says the baby died from complications of prolonged labor, and the midwife told investigators that she was never told just how long the mom was in labor before she was called-in. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a public hearing in Ashland this week on Enbridge’s application to relocate a 12-mile segment of Line 5 and build a new 41-mile segment outside lands of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The proposal comes after a federal judge ruled in 2022 Enbridge had illegally trespassed on the tribe’s northern Wisconsin reservation. The decision is now on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals. Tribal leaders and environmental activists argue not building the line will protect the region’s waters, while business groups maintain the project will provide employment and access to reliable energy.

Some folks in Rochester continue to question the plan to replace the Silver Lake Dam. The city wants to remove the dam and replace it with a series of cascading pools. Opponents held a meeting yesterday to question why the city is pushing to charge an iconic piece of the city's history. City planners say the cascading pools will cut down on maintenance and repair costs, and will provide just as much protection for people downriver as the dam. 

 

A prison warden from Wisconsin was arrested this morning after an investigation into the deaths of four people at the Waupun Correctional Institution. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt says Warden Randall Hepp, who turned in his resignation last week, is charged with misconduct in public office. He says two inmate's bodies were found up to twelve hours after their deaths. Schmidt also says routine rounds were skipped and medication logs were inaccurate. Correctional officers and deputies, along with medical staff, are also facing charges. The cases are now closed, but Schmidt says they could be reopened. 

 

Madison's Democratic congressman is happy to see charges filed against three Republicans for supporting former President Trump's electors back in 2020. Wisconsin's attorney general filed charges yesterday against two attorneys and a former Trump aide for the legal strategy to have a second set of electors in case a judge overturned the election results in Wisconsin. Congressman Mark Pocan called the three "democracy lawbreakers," and asked if anyone associated with the Trump campaign "who isn't a criminal."

August primary elections in Wisconsin will feature a lot of challenges to Legislative incumbents. Analysis by WisPolitics shows four Democrats and 22 Republicans in the state Assembly will face primary challengers under redrawn district maps. Those Republicans include Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Joint Finance Committee co-chair Mark Born. Nomination papers turned in to the Wisconsin Elections Commission this week have Democratic candidates in all 16 Senate races in November and 97 of the 99 Assembly seats. Republicans turned in papers in 11 Senate seats and 84 Assembly districts. Representative Travis Tranel of Cuba City won’t face a Republican primary challenger, but in November he’ll face a Prairie du Chein Democrat named Scott Walker. Tranel is the last Republican in the Assembly to have voted against ACT 10, the signature achievement by former Republican Governor Scott Walker.

The Wisconsin Lottery will phase out a drawing that offered ten weekly $1,000 winners.  The Wisconsin Lottery’s weekly Super Second Chance drawing required non-winning lottery tickets and scratch-offs to be sent in for entry. It will be discontinued at the end of the year. Wisconsin Lottery Director Cindy Polzin said the drawings are outdated and labor-intensive and have become inconvenient for many players, especially with the increasing cost of postage. The Super Second Chance drawing will continue through December 26, and there are no plans to replace it with another drawing.

Minnesota's launch of the electric-assisted bike rebate application period is not going as well as planned.  The state's online application website crashed this morning.  The Minnesota Department of Revenue released a statement apologizing for any inconvenience caused to potential applicants.  They add that they're working on a fix and will update when the issues have been corrected.  The state has earmarked two-million dollars for rebates this year and next year, offering residents a discount of up to 15-hundred dollars on qualifying e-bike purchases. 

Iconic forestry mascot Smokey The Bear is getting his own showcase in Wisconsin next month. Portraits and classic films reminding you to prevent forest fires will be on display at Pioneer Park in Rhinelander the first week in July. The collection of original artwork by Smokey's artist Rudolph Wendelin is from the U S D A archives in Washington D C. It's part of National Forest Week celebrations in the Northwoods. Kids can also take a fire safety quiz and make a birthday card for Smokey.

Local-Regional News June 5

 Preparations for this weekend's Durand Fun Fest are underway.  Yesterday the carnival arrived in Durand and roads around Memorial Park are now closed.  That includes 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue East, along with Madison and Wells Street.  Fun-Fest begins this Friday and runs through Sunday at Memorial Park in Durand.

While we have seen plenty of rain over the last few weeks, it does not appear the Chippewa River will reach flood stage here in Durand.  The latest river forecast from the National Weather Service shows the river is at 7.9 ft, while the flood stage is 13 ft.  Meanwhile, minor flooding is expected in Wabasha as the Mississippi River is expected to crest at 12.9 on Tuesday.  Some drier weather is expected to end the week.

Gas prices are once again under $3 in Durand.  A mini price war that has been going on for the last few weeks between Kwik Trip and the Durand Travel Mart has prices below the $3 mark as of early this morning.  Meanwhile gas is at $3.16 in Mondovi and $3.04 in Wabasha.  Oil prices have been lower as of late due to increased US Oil Production offsetting the production cuts from OPEC.

The City of Mondovi will explore the possibility of building a new fire station.  During the last council meeting, the council approved spending $2500 with Keller Incorporated to have the company do a design study to determine what the city needs for a new station, and where it could be built. That study is expected to take 9 months to complete.

The Trempealeau County Sheriff's Office released the name of the victim of the homicide last month.   The department says 36yr old Kyle Dahl of Ettrick died on May 15th around 8:30pm near the intersection of Hwy TT and Hwy 53 just south of Ettrick.  The department does have a person of interest in custody on unrelated charges but is not releasing the name at this time.  The Trempealeau County District Attorney has not decided if charges will be filed.

Eau Claire Schools are asking for more money this fall. The city's school board on Monday approved an 18 million-dollar tax hike request. The money is earmarked for mental health and school psychologists. The 18 million-dollar request comes after Eau Claire Schools got a nearly 100 million-dollar tax increase in 2022. That money went toward school improvements. The new referendum will add to people's property tax bills. 

The Eau Claire school bus driver who crashed on the way to the Twin Cities is being charged for not having the proper license. Prosecutors in St. Croix County yesterday filed charges against Christopher Leubner for unauthorized operation of a school bus. He'd already been ticketed for the crash. The new charges claim he had a passenger license, but not a school bus license when he crashed into the back of a fuel truck on I-94 while taking a group of kids from DeLong Middle School on a field trip back in April. The State Patrol says eight people, including six kids, were slightly hurt in the wreck. 

Western Wisconsin's congressman is ready to parachute into France to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Congressman Derrick Van Orden is one of 10 congressmen who will make the jump that paratroopers made on D-Day. Van Orden arrived in France yesterday and is set to make the jump tomorrow. Tomorrow marks 80 years since Allied forces invaded France in World War Two. 

 Firefighters in Chippewa Falls say a downtown business owner is lucky an upstairs apartment collapsed in the middle of the night. Crews responded to the Iris Boutique after the apartment above collapsed into the back of the building. It happened overnight yesterday morning. No one was living in the apartment, and no one was in the boutique at the time. The boutique's owners say they're still trying to figure out just what happened. 

 Add the cover bridge in Zumbrota to the list of things closed because of flooding in Minnesota. The city of Zumbrota closed the bridge Monday morning.  City crews say they are keeping an eye on the debris that's built up under the bridge, but they're not yet to the point where they are concerned. 

 UW regents could revisit last month's campus protests during this week's regents meeting. The Board of Regents is set to meet Thursday in Milwaukee. One of the things on the agenda is an update on free speech and civil dialogue on campus. The meeting is at UW-Milwaukee, where protesters camped out on the campus for weeks, and where the chancellor got in trouble for the agreement he signed to end those protests. UW President Jay Rothman said he was disappointed in that deal because it wasn't viewpoint-neutral. Critics said UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone took the side of the protesters and stood against Israel. 

Charges are filed in the Wisconsin fake electors scheme.  The Office of Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul filed felony forgery charges in Dane County court against Kenneth Chesbro. James Troupis and Michael Roman. The Capitol Times reports all three are charged under a statute that criminalizes attempting to forge legal records or other public documents. Despite Donald Trump's loss to President Joe Biden in Wisconsin in 2020, the three men orchestrated an attempt to deliver a slate of false Republican electors to the US Senate and Vice President Mike Pence.

A man will have to pay a fine after illegally shooting a deer with a bow and arrow from his car in Clark County. Cody Hamm from Medford was charged last year for illegal hunting and reached a plea deal on Monday. He's also accused of intentionally hitting another deer with his car. He's barred from hunting, fishing, and trapping for three years.

Wisconsin farmers get help to help the hungry.  The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced Friday a total of 125 grants have been given to farms and farmers to assist statewide hunger relief efforts. The agency says the 2024 Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance program will provide subsidies ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to selected farms, 95% of which are in socially disadvantaged or historically underserved communities around the state. There’s more information at “W-I Local Food dot org.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he had considered removing the Hennepin County Attorney from prosecuting the case of a state trooper who gunned down a motorist.  He announced yesterday that he would have taken action against Mary Moriarity if she didn't drop charges against Ryan Londregan.  The trooper was charged with murder and manslaughter early this year for the deadly shooting of Ricky Cobb the Second during a traffic stop on I-94.  On Sunday, Moriarty dismissed charges against Londregan.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is promoting one of its staff to a leadership position.  Wildlife veterinarian Kelly Straka will take over as head of the Fish and Wildlife Division.  She will replace outgoing director Dave Olfelt, who will work part-time at DNR until next March to help launch an electronic licensing system.  Straka will begin her new duties on July 4.

Annual interior home reviews will start in Eau Claire in the next few weeks. Property assessors will send out postcards to homeowners with reviews this year between June and August. The inspections usually last between ten and twenty minutes. They'll be checking to see that their information is up to date.  

Local-Regional News June 4

 Blacks Valley Ag Supply in Durand has received a $4.9 million grant from USDA's Fertilizer Production Expansion Program.  The program provides grants to independent business owners to help them modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants, and more. Blacks Valley Ag Supply will use the grant to help offset the costs associated with the construction of a new dry fertilizer production and storage facility just north of Durand off of Hwy 25.   When the new facility is operational Black's Valley expects to help increase fertilizer production by 33 percent per year.

 There's a chance for some severe storms across western Wisconsin this afternoon. The National Weather Service says the better chance for severe weather is actually across the river in Minnesota, but parts of western Wisconsin will see some rain and storms. In Eau Claire, forecasters say the storms should arrive late this afternoon and into the evening. 

The City of Mondovi wil contribute $400,000 toward a $3.5 million project with Ntec to install fiber optic for the entire city.  During the last city council meeting, members were told that the grant Ntce had applied for was not approved but they would still be moving forward with the project.  Buffalo County has also committed $100,000 toward the project and Ntec will pay the remaining $ 3 million.  No timetable of when construction would start was announced at the meeting.

 Habitat for Humanity is looking for people to live in the homes it's building in Menomonie. The group yesterday said it is accepting applications for the first half of the home it's building on Brickyard Road. The first half of the twin home should be ready by the end of the month, while the other half should be ready by the end of July. Habitat's John Dawson says it's not as easy as you'd think to find people who want to move into a Habitat home. He says people need to be able to get a mortgage, and that's tough for a lot of people in the Chippewa Valley. 

The plan to renovate the Regency took a big step forward last night. Eau Claire's plan commission unanimously approved the proposal from a pair of Minnesota developers to overhaul the troubled motel. The city council still needs to sign-off on the project, but if council members agree, the Regency could be closed by July, and work could begin after that. The Regency's new owners say they plan to remodel the entire motel and reopen as a place where visitors will actually want to stay. 

People in Wisconsin can now add their emergency contact information to their driver's license. The DMV yesterday announced a new option that will allow police officers to access an emergency contact when they run a driver's license through their computer system. The new option is part of the new law that Governor Evers signed last year. Only law enforcement will be able to see the contact information. You can sign up online, and the DMV says you don't need to go to a DMV office.

One person is dead after a car vs semi accident in Polk County on May 22nd.  According to the Polk County Sheriff's Department, 34yr old Alexis Steinberger of Clear Lake was traveling westbound on 60th Avenue and didn't stop at a stop sign at Hwy 63 and was struck by a northbound semi-huling diesel fuel.   Steinberger was med-flighted to the hospital but died from her injuries.  Two passengers were also transported to the hospital.  The driver of the semi was not hurt. 

A former counselor and coach at Assumption High School in Wisconsin Rapids has been released on a signature bond as he faces charges of producing child pornography. Seth Milkey is facing ten counts for capturing intimate photos of students through a hidden camera in the bathroom of his home. Investigators say the students were at his house for coaching or mentorship sessions- and had no idea that they were being recorded while using the bathroom. The 34-year-old was released on Monday after signing the 25 thousand dollar bond. Conditions include no contact with eight named victims and no unsupervised contact with minors, outside of his own children.

There won't be a showdown on the UW Board of Regents. Bob Atwell, former Governor Scott Walker's last appointee, yesterday resigned from the board. His term ended last month, and initially, he said he wasn't going to step down. That set up a showdown between Governor Evers and the state law that says appointees can stay in their jobs until their replacement is approved by the Wisconsin Senate. Atwell is not saying why he changed his mind, but did say that the new regent who Governor Evers appointed on Friday should serve the university well. 

A shooting incident in Burnett County, Wisconsin, resulted in injuries to a male and female at a residence north of Grantsburg. Law enforcement responded to a call from a child reporting the shootings, with both victims being shot. The child was safely removed from the scene, and the male subject was called out of the residence. 

A Green Bay man will be staying in prison longer for attempting to hire a hitman. 29-year-old Oudy Weber was sentenced on Friday to 4 years in prison for trying to put a hit on his ex-girlfriend. He pleaded no contest earlier this year to charges of attempted homicide, stalking, and violating a restraining order. Weber was already in jail when he tried to pay a fellow jail resident 25-thousand dollars to kill his ex. He also offered up information about how to track the woman down. That person turned the information over to the police, including recordings of the conversation.

As the Feeding Our Future fraud trial enters week seven, a juror is dismissed from the case after a woman offered her 120 thousand dollars in cash to acquit the defendants.  The jury member told the Spring Lake police about the incident that happened yesterday.  Federal Judge Nancy Brasel ordered that the phones of the defendants be confiscated by an FBI agent.  She will decide later today whether to detain the defendants or sequester the jury.  The seven defendants are charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and other offenses.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will be in France this week to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.  Walz will attend the D-Day Presidential Ceremony and several Minnesotans will be recognized.  He says those who stormed the shores of Normandy that day "demonstrated a fierce commitment to our country and to the ideals of freedom, courage, and sacrifice."  

It took both the police and the DNR to get a turkey out of a home in Apple Valley last week. Stefanie Nipp says the turkey broke through her kitchen window and spent about an hour walking around her house. Nipp says she called the police, who eventually called the DNR. Spring is turkey mating season, and the thought is that the turkey wasn't going to let a window stand in the way of what he thought was his chance to get lucky. 

Local-Regional News June 3

  Everyone made it out of a fire at an apartment complex in Durand. Firefighters say they got the call about the fire at about 8 p.m. in the 800 block of 3rd Avenue East on Saturday. Crews from Durand and other Pepin County communities assisted in the fight. Investigators are not saying what caused that fire. 

Motorists in Mondovi are reminded that Hwy 10 East is closed this week from Washington Street to Memorial Drive for utility work as part of the construction of the new Kwik Trip.  According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, US 10 traffic will be detoured via WIS 37, WIS 85, and US 10 during the work, which is anticipated to take a week to complete.  The schedule is dependent on weather and subject to change.

The City of Mondovi is reminding residents there will be a bulk item pick up on Thursday, June 13th.  Each residence is allowed up to two items, they must be able to be lifted by hand and not exceed 75lbs.  Items must be placed by the curbside by 6am on June 13.  No computers or other electronics and for more information contact Mondovi City Hall.

The City of Durand did approve borrowing $1.5 million for various capital projects.  At the last council meeting, the council approved a $550,000 loan to help with the 6th Avenue East project and another resolution approving a $1 million loan for the pool project.  Both loans are similar to a line of credit that the city can use when needed but until then there is no interest charges.  Both loans were with Security Financial Bank.

The task force set up to discuss rural healthcare issues in Western Wisconsin is pausing its efforts.  The Eau Claire Chamber announced the pause.  The task force was set up after HSHS closed its hospitals in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls along with its Prevea Clinics in Western Wisconsin.  In a statement, the Eau Claire Chamber said the task forces worked with 14 health care providers interested in expanding in Western Wisconsin, supported the Rural Health Innovation Alliance, and worked with HSHS to ensure money contributed to HSHS from Western Wisconsin stays in the area.

 Eau Claire's library is now offering a way to connect with public benefits. The L.E. Phillips Library is allowing volunteers with Western Dairyland, Workforce Development, and Lutheran Social Services to work out of the library and sign people up for food stamps and state insurance. David Stanley with Eau Claire County's Department of Human Services says there is a lot of need in Eau Claire, but he says many people don't know where to go. The library hosts the volunteers twice a week, and anyone who qualifies for benefits is welcome to apply. Stanley says the idea started a year ago, and he hopes to see a big impact sometime soon. 

Wisconsin's new absentee ballot forms are due in a northern Wisconsin courtroom this week. A judge in Marinette County will hear arguments against the new absentee ballot envelopes that double as both a ballot envelope, and a request for an official absentee ballot. The Wisconsin Elections Commission approved the new envelopes earlier this year, but critics say those envelopes could end-up forcing people to commit voter fraud. Attorney Kevin Scott says using the envelope would have voters falsely certify that the envelope is the same thing as their official request for an absentee ballot, which they are not. The judge in Marinette County issued a temporary restraining order against the ballot envelopes about two weeks ago.

There’s a blueprint to address Wisconsin’s critical housing shortage. With a shortage of 120,000 to 300,000 units, a partnership between the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Builders Association, and Wisconsin REALTORS® Association has recommendations. Jerry Deschane is the League’s Executive Director. He said local governments can bring a fresh look at zoning and permitting to the table. The coalition’s most recent briefing paper includes reducing minimum lot sizes and widths and adopting a Traditional Neighborhood Development ordinance. Deschane said the goal is to bring every tool to the table and use the one that works best for each community. Every city and village in the state will get a copy of the briefing paper. It's also available as a free download on the League’s website.

The warden at the prison in Waupun is walking away. The Wisconsin State Journal obtained an email from Warden Randall Hepp to workers at the prison that said Hepp is resigning, effective immediately. The prison in Waupun is dealing with a number of problems, including a months-long lockdown and now a federal investigation. There is no indication that Hepp himself is looking at any charges related to the investigation, but several other prison workers have already resigned or been fired because of the probe. Waupun has faced a lack of prison guards for years, and four inmates have died in the prison since June of last year. 

Southern Wisconsin has had above-average rainfall for the month of May, while Western Wisconsin is on track for average rainfall. The National Weather Service in Milwaukee says Madison got five and a half inches, and Milwaukee got six and a half. Eau Claire got about three and three-quarters inches. Rain is expected in Wisconsin this next week.

A Sparta man has been arrested for cattle rustling.  The Jackson County Sheriff''s Office said this week that about 20-thousand-dollars worth of cattle were being taken in the middle of the night in the county north of Sparta.  Authorities have identified 20-year-old Jennings Christenson of Sparta as the suspect. The sheriff's office says the cattle has been recovered and Christenson has been taken to Jackson County Jail.  

A woman in Polk County has been convicted for a murder that happened almost forty years ago. Mary Jo Bailey is found guilty of shooting Yvonne Menke while she was leaving her apartment in 1985. The case went cold until it was re-opened in 2021. The County District Attorney says he believes Bailey had a motive and owned the same gun that killed Menke. Eighty-one-year-old Bailey is facing life in prison.

Governor Tony Evers is announcing three new appointees to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents after one regent refused to step down.  Last week, GOP-appointed regent Robert Atwell said he would stay on the board past his term until a successor was appointed and confirmed.  "The Daily Cardinal" says on Friday Evers appointed three new regents to fill the vacancies created by the expiration of three GOP-appointed regents whose terms ended on May 1st, including Atwell's.

Authorities say a Minneapolis Police officer who was shot and killed Thursday was ambushed by the suspect.  According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension,  Officer Jamal Mitchell  had stopped to help someone he thought had been shot, when the "victim" opened fire on him.  During a news conference, Drew Evans with the BCA says Mitchell was killed while "running towards danger." The shooter was then killed by another officer, who suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound.

It's Bike Week in Wisconsin.  This year's theme for Wisconsin Bike Week is "Bikes Mean Business," and the Wisconsin Bike Fed, who organizes the event, is encouraging state residents to support local bike shops this week and other businesses that "provide bike accessibility, amenities and discounts."  Wisconsin Bike Week has been recognized by proclamation by Governor Evers, and is supported by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.  A schedule of Bike Week events can be found on the Wisconsin Bike Fed's online event calendar.  

The Wisconsin driver's license is being called the world's "best ID card."  The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced Friday that the state's Real ID over-21 driver's license has received the Élan Award of Excellence from the International Card Manufacturers Association.  WisDOT says Wisconsin was the first state to use a unique security element found on the ID card, which also has distinctive artistic features.