Wisconsin

More Felony Sexual Assault Charges Filed Against Former Superior Gymnastics Coach

DULUTH, Minn. – More sexual assault charges have been filed against former Superior gymnastics coach George Deppa, 47, who is already accused of sexually assaulting three teens he previously coached. The newest complaint charges Deppa with two counts of felony first-degree sexual conduct. According to court documents, the victim told authorities that between the ages of 8 and 10 Deppa…

Local Elections New Front in Wisconsin Redistricting Battle

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — County board and local aldermanic districts in Wisconsin would remain the same next year under a bill moving quickly through the Republican-controlled Legislature. The measure introduced on Tuesday and heard by an Assembly committee on Wednesday would delay redistricting and implementation of new political boundaries for local races until at least 2023. The bill is supported…

Wisconsin Republicans Block Medical Marijuana

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans who control the Legislature’s powerful budget-writing committee again blocked a Democratic attempt Wednesday to legalize marijuana for medical uses. The GOP stripped a provision legalizing medical marijuana from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ 2021-23 budget last month as the party erased hundreds of Evers’ proposals from the spending plan. Democrats on the budget committee introduced a…

Shorty’s Abruptly Shuts Down, Cites ‘Huge Shortage of Labor’

Due to a shortage of staff, owners say they couldn't deliver the experience they say they used to -- a problem that is affecting businesses throughout Superior and beyond.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- The popular Shorty’s Pizza and Smoked Meats in Superior meats has abruptly shut down, just months after being featured again on the Food Network’s “Diners Drive-Ins and Dives.” The once bustling kitchen and busy dining area — now a dark, closed down building on Tower Avenue. “It was just out of nowhere,” said Catrina Wuolu, a 20-year Superior…

COVID-19 Hospitalizations at Their Lowest Level in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Hospitalizations due to the COVID-19 virus are at their lowest recorded levels in Wisconsin, a 92% drop from the peak less than seven months ago. The Wisconsin Hospital Association said that as of Monday, there were 186 people reported as hospitalized statewide due to the virus. The previous low was 192 people on April 2, the first…

Superior Hosts Annual Memorial Day Ceremony

Afterwards, the event moved to the Richard Bong Veterans Historical Center for a flag raising ceremony.

SUPERIOR, Wisc. — Superior hosted their own memorial day ceremonies at the greenwood cemetery on tower avenue. With a presentation of wreaths, guest speakers, harbor master singers and an honor guard presentation. Organizers wanted to keep the event going rain or shine, even having an abbreviated event last year to honor our nations veterans. “We really honor the veterans. Our…

Wisconsin Dells Attractions Making Do With Fewer Workers

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (AP) – One of Wisconsin’s major tourist attractions is making do during Memorial Day weekend with fewer workers, hoping that more will arrive during the summer. Tom Diehl is the president of the Attractions Association and Tommy Bartlett Inc. in Wisconsin Dells. He says they’re ready to welcome visitors but labor is a problem. Diehl tells WMTV-TV…

Superior Fire Uses ‘Purple K’ Unit to Fight Equipment Fire at Graymont Saturday

No one was hurt from the fire, and fire officials say that's due in large part to the Purple K Dry Foam unit.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- A fire at Superior’s Graymont facility Saturday night kept firefighters busy for more than two hours. The call came in about 20 minutes before midnight. Superior firefighters who were off-duty at the time needed to be called in to cover any possible calls elsewhere in the city that night. Crews needed to use a lift to reach the…

Mont du Lac Resort Announces Grand Opening of New Marina

SUPERIOR, Wis. —  Mont du Lac resort in Superior, has a new addition. A boat marina is now open at the resort that offers jet-ski rentals, boat launch, tubing, and other options. But the resort is most excited to offer activities during all four seasons. Bridgette Duffy, the Resorts Sales and Marketing Manager said, “pushing into the summer operations and…

Superior Armed Robbery, Shoplifting Suspect Formally Charged

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Authorities say the male suspect arrested in Duluth Wednesday in connection to an armed robbery and shoplifting incident in Superior has been formally charged. Norman Wayne Cutbank, 25, of Duluth is charged with one count of armed robbery with use of force, one count of attempted armed robbery with threat of force, and one count of attempting…

Republicans Vote to End 8-Year UW Tuition Freeze

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Legislature’s Republican-led budget committee has voted to end a University of Wisconsin tuition freeze that has been in place for eight years and long been a GOP priority that had bipartisan support. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed extending the tuition freeze in his budget proposal, along with spending $190 million more on higher education. But…

Flag Raising Ceremony in Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. — There was a giant flag dedication ceremony held at Lakehead Constructors on Winter Street in Superior today. They unveiled the new 120′ pole, that fly’s a 30′ x 50′ American flag. They hope in honor of Memorial Day, this will be a sign of unity, and honor those who have fought, and given the ultimate sacrifice for…

Wisconsin Public Schools to Get Fraction of What Evers Wants

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin public schools would receive $150 million more in funding over two years under the Republican budget approved by a legislative committee. That is less than 10% of the $1.6 billion that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed. It was not immediately clear Thursday if the GOP plan would spend enough to ensure that Wisconsin wouldn’t lose…

Superior Armed Robbery Suspect Arrested in Duluth

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior police say the suspect in a Wednesday evening armed robbery and shoplifting incident was located and arrested in Duluth following a short pursuit from Superior. Authorities say officers responded to a CVS located at North 28th Street and Tower Avenue around 5:45 p.m. on reports of an armed robbery. Police say the suspect had robbed the…

UWS and WITC Collaborate to Offer More Opportunities

SUPERIOR, Wis.– UWS and WITC signed documents this morning that certified a partnership that will offer their students more opportunities. A University Transfer Degree option will allow students to combine classes from the two colleges to pursue an associate of arts or science degree from WITC. The goal is to prepare students to enter baccalaureate programs at junior status by…

Superior Farmers Market Opens Season

SUPERIOR, Wis.– The Superior Farmers market kicked off its season this week. Local vendors and farmers came out to set up on the 1200 Block of Banks Avenue. Local farmers tell us events like these remind the public off all the hard work that goes into their products. Sue Ann Dumke, the Market Manager and Owner of Brule River Farm…

Wisconsin Lawmakers Consider Banning Transgender Athletes

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Female athletes are urging Wisconsin lawmakers to ban transgender people from participating in girls’ and women’s sports, while opponents of the Republican-backed measures say they are discriminatory and chasing a problem that doesn’t exist. A broad array of more than 30 groups opposed the measures that got their first public hearings Wednesday before three legislative committees….

Superior Gymnastics Coach Charged with Sexually Assaulting Third Teenager

DULUTH, Minn. – A third teenage girl has come forward saying she was sexually assaulted by the Superior gymnastics coach charged earlier this month with sexually assaulting two teens he previously coached at Twin Ports Gymnastics. George Deppa Jr., 47, is charged with an additional count of felony sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age. Earlier this…

Home Improvement Businesses Working to Stay Stocked in the Twin Ports

TWIN PORTS — Home improvement season is among us, and hardware stores are having trouble keeping their shelves stocked. There is a nation-wide shortage on paint, and the price of lumber has sky-rocketed over the last year. Currently more people are working on home improvement projects across the country driving up demand on lumber, which is also being impacted by…

DHS Official: Herd Immunity May Come This Fall in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A key state health department leader is hedging on whether Wisconsin can attain COVID-19 herd immunity by mid-2021. Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk has previously said that 70% of Wisconsin’s population would need to be vaccinated to attain herd immunity and the state could reach that benchmark by July. But vaccination…

27 Possible Voter Fraud Cases in Three Million Wisconsin Ballots

Nearly 3.3 Million People Voted in the 2020 Presidential Election

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Just over two dozen potential cases of voter fraud out of more than three million ballots cast in the November presidential election have been identified by Wisconsin election officials and forwarded to local district attorneys for possible prosecution. That’s according to documents obtained Friday by The Associated Press under the state’s open records law. The 27…

Attorneys: Rittenhouse Trial in November Could Take 2 Weeks

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Attorneys say the November trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois man accused of killing two people during a protest in Wisconsin last summer, could take up to two weeks. Rittenhouse’s attorneys and prosecutors confirmed with Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder during a status conference Friday that the trial will begin…

Rittenhouse Due to Make First in-Person Court Appearance

(Antioch Police Department via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois man accused of killing two people during a protest in Wisconsin over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, is expected to make his first in-person court appearance. Rittenhouse is set to appear at a status conference Friday morning in Kenosha County Circuit Court. Rittenhouse’s attorneys and prosecutors…

Gone Forever? Superior Police, Fire Chiefs Evolve Mask Policies For Departments

While Superior police officers will wear masks when wanted by the public, masks may be the future for Superior firefighters under certain circumstances.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior’s police and fire chiefs are thankful to see the faces again of their men and women in uniform. But masks aren’t completely leaving while on the job in the community, as FOX 21’s Dan Hanger reports. The city of Superior and its employees are no longer mandated to wear a mask. But Mayor Jim Paine is…

Superior Mayor Jim Paine to Give ‘State of the City’ Address Next Week

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior Mayor Jim Paine will deliver his ‘State of the City’ address next week. Paine is scheduled to address the Superior community at 7:00 p.m. next Thursday at the Earth Rider Brewery’s outdoor space. This will be Mayor Paine’s third State of the City address. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, Wisconsin

Republicans Reject Body Cameras for Wisconsin Capitol Police

  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature’s budget committee have voted against buying body cameras for state Capitol police officers, rejecting a proposal from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. The panel on Thursday voted 12-4, with all Republicans in support and Democrats against, to reject spending up to $100,000 over two years on between 35 to 50…

Wisconsin Republicans Reject Funding to Fight Homelessness

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans have voted to reject more than $70 million in funding to combat homelessness, a move that Democrats called a missed opportunity to address a problem that worsened due to the pandemic. Gov. Tony Evers had proposed spending around $73 million over two years on a variety of initiatives designed to help homeless people, including…

Masks No Longer Required in State Buildings Beginning June 1

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — New guidance from Gov. Tony Evers’ administration says people vaccinated for COVID-19 will no longer be required to wear masks in the state Capitol and most other state facilities beginning on June 1. The updated guidance for state government follows advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that those who are fully vaccinated…

Standoff In Superior Ends Safely With Arrest

SUPERIOR, Wis. – A standoff situation in Superior ended peacefully with a felony arrest of a man. The call for help came in around 5 p.m. Wednesday for a disturbance at a residents on the 1600 block of Cumming Avenue. During the investigation, authorities learned a male suspect with several warrants for his arrest, including one for a felony charge,…

Wisconsin Judge Jailed After Appearing on Child Porn Charges

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Wisconsin juvenile court judge accused of possessing and distributing child pornography was taken into federal custody after making his initial appearance in court. The lawyer for Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Brett Blomme, charged in federal court with two counts of distributing child pornography, said in court Wednesday that Blomme decided on his own not to seek…

Wisconsin Republicans Want to End $300 Unemployment Bonus

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Republicans say they want to end the $300-per-week federal unemployment supplement because it hurts businesses that are struggling to fill vacancies as customers return amid loosened coronavirus restrictions. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Sen. Howard Marklein, chairman of the Legislature’s budget committee, called on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to support the bill they unveiled…

City of Superior Drops Mask Mandate

SUPERIOR, Wis. —  The Superior City Council voted Tuesday night to immediately lift the city’s mask mandate. Councilor Craig Sutherland said it was a unanimous decision by councilors. This comes as the state of Wisconsin hasn’t had a mask mandate for more than a month, and after the CDC announced last week that fully vaccinated people can stop wearing masks…

Evers Announces $100 Million to Expand Broadband

(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers announced Tuesday that the state will be using $100 million in federal coronavirus stimulus funding to award grants for expanding broadband internet access in Wisconsin. The federal funding is in addition to nearly $200 million in broadband expansion proposals Evers made in his state budget, which…

Douglas County: Fully Vaccinated People Can Resume Indoor, Outdoor Activities Without Masks

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wis. – Douglas County Public Health Officials announced Tuesday morning that fully vaccinated individuals may resume indoor and outdoor activities without wearing a mask or social distancing. Exceptions to the new guidance include any places where masks are required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations including local businesses and workplaces. According to a…

WITC To Become Northwood Technical College

The college will also have a mascot named Blaze the Bear.

SUPERIOR, Wis. — The Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, also known as WITC, will soon be called the Northwood Technical College, and Northwood Tech for short. The college took name and mascot submissions from the public last fall, with the board approving it all this past spring. Hundreds of students and staff members voted on their favorites. The new name, logo,…

Wisconsin DOJ Official Alleges Racial, Gender Harassment

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A top administrator at the Wisconsin Department of Justice alleges that Attorney General Josh Kaul’s administration is paying her less and treating her poorly because she’s a Black woman. Division of Law Enforcement Services Administrator Tina Virgil filed a complaint last month with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that she’s the second-lowest paid administrator…

Superior Fire Department Warns Public About Dry Conditions Causing Wildfires

SUPERIOR, Wis.– With warmer weather on the way, that means people are going to start doing more outdoor activities especially having camp fires. But with those comes the dangers of a possible wildfire. This spring is drier than normal, and the Superior Fire Department is warning the public to be smart, as an increased amount of wildfires are happening in…

DNR Considers Ending Night Wolf Hunt, Shorter Registrations

(AP Photo/Dawn Villella, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin wildlife officials are considering drafting new regulations that would prohibit hunting wolves at night and shorten the window for registering kills after hunters blew past their quota in February. The Trump administration removed wolves from the endangered species list in January. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was preparing to hold…

Superior Council to Rethink Mask Mandate Ahead of Jampacked Summer

Council is expected to take up the mask ordinance on Tuesday.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- While Wisconsin currently has no statewide mask mandate, the City of Superior still does. But Mayor Jim Paine tells us, he doesn’t see it extending past June 1st — as he says get ready, for a summer more fun than ever. According to Mayor Paine, the city’s Playground Program of park activities and field trips for kids, will…

Vaccinations of 12- To 15-Year-Olds Begins in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Coronavirus vaccinations for 12- to 15-year-olds will begin Thursday in Wisconsin after an advisory committee for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on the inoculations for younger children. “The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announces that children 12-15 years old are now eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and vaccinations…

Dredging of ‘Football Field’s’ Worth of Contaminants Begins in Superior’s Howards Bay

The project aims to remove thousands of cubic yards of contaminants left there by fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil over the years by previous industries.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- A dredging project in Howards Bay along Connor’s Point aims to remove thousands of cubic yards of contaminants left there by fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil over the years by previous industries. “The main goal is to cleanup Howard’s Bay,” said Corey Weston, P.E., Chief of Construction and Survey Section with the U.S. Army Corps of…

Wisconsin Man Accused of Sex Crimes Pleads Not Guilty to 84 Charges

RACINE (AP) – A Wisconsin man accused of sex crimes ranging from assault to possession of child pornography has pleaded not guilty to 84 charges. Forty-six-year-old Shane Stanger, of Burlington, faces 10 counts of second-degree sexual assault with an unconscious person, 66 counts relating to images or videos that rise to the level of a sex crime, six counts of…

Wisconsin Health Officials Order Fraction of Vaccine Doses

MADISON, Wis. (AP) –Wisconsin health officials have ordered only a fraction of their allotted COVID-19 vaccine doses for next week in another sign of plateauing interest in the vaccine. President Joe Biden’s administration announced earlier this week that it would shift doses from states with lower demand to states with more interest. Wisconsin has been allocated 86,580 Pfizer doses and…