MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Hundreds of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ priorities, including legalizing marijuana, raising $1 billion in taxes, and expanding collective bargaining rights, have been killed by the Legislature’s Republican-controlled budget committee. Lawmakers are taking their first votes Thursday in writing the next state budget. Republicans essentially scrapped the Democratic governor’s entire two-year proposal. They instead are building off…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — We’re all coming out of hibernation with the nicer weather, including a family of bears in Superior’s Billings Park neighborhood. Ken Kurtz captured five black bears on his security camera and tried to scare them off the property by yelling through the mic on the camera while at his winter home in Palm Springs, California. But he…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – A Superior gymnastics coach was arrested and charged on Wednesday for the alleged sexual assault of two teenagers he coached at Twin Ports Gymnastics. George Deppa Jr., 47, of Superior, is charged with two counts of felony sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age and one count of exposing genitals. According to the criminal…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic caused a 30% decline in direct spending by tourists in Wisconsin in 2020, but officials are optimistic the industry will rebound this year. According to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, spending dropped about $4 billion last year to $9.8 billion. All of Wisconsin’s 72 counties experienced a decline in tourism activity last year…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Northland veterans are urged to apply for the trip of a lifetime now through Friday, May 14. A final deadline for consideration is set for Friday, May 21 for those who miss the first review date. The 4th and 5th trips for veterans to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota are slated for this summer. The trips…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — The city of Superior has begun its annual spring cleanup schedules. It’s a chance for residents to get rid of certain extra junk they have in their house or on their property that can’t fit in a trash can. It’s also an opportunity for people to dispose of yard waste like brush and tree piles. “For the…
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) MILWAUKEE (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris planned to tour clean energy laboratories on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus during her first visit to Wisconsin on Tuesday since taking office. Harris was also scheduled to participate in a round table discussion about investments in research and development proposed in President Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure jobs…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- New numbers just released on Wisconsin’s tourism last year show a dip in visitor spending due to the pandemic. But Douglas County tourism officials look toward the future excited for a comeback. “A lot of other areas are experiencing tourism impacts of much more than that,” said Taylor Pedersen, President and CEO of Travel Superior. “So we’re excited…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- Superior’s Kari Toyota dealership is getting a new home on the former site of a motel in the Billings Park neighborhood. The old vacant Manning Motel on Belknap Street will be the future site of Kari Toyota, which currently sits on Tower Avenue. Chris and Amy Kari say the old motel’s 9 acres near the Bong Bridge is…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Authorities say a man who shot and killed two people and wounded a third at a Wisconsin casino restaurant before police killed him had been fired from the eatery and banned from the property. Brown County Sheriff Todd Delain said Monday that the 62-year-old Bruce Pofahl walked into the Duck Creek Kitchen and Bar on Saturday…
LA CROSSE, Wis. – Authorities say a 90-year-old man was killed and his 45-year-old passenger was injured in an all-terrain vehicle crash in Bangor Township. The La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office says Dennis Wood was trying to make a turn at an intersection Saturday morning when he lost control of the vehicle and was ejected. Deputies say he died at…
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – Authorities in Wisconsin say a gunman killed two people at a Green Bay casino restaurant and seriously wounded a third before he was shot and killed by police. Brown County Sheriff’s Lt. Kevin Pawlak says investigators believe the gunman was targeting a specific person in the attack Saturday, but that person wasn’t at the Oneida…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin State Capitol, closed to the public since late March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, will reopen on Monday, Gov. Tony Evers’ administration announced Friday. It will be opened for limited hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and only on weekdays. Before the pandemic, the building stayed open until 6 p.m. during the week…
HAYWARD, Wisc. — After five years, the muskie capitol of the world is set to host the annual Governors Fishing Opener this weekend in Hayward. “I would probably suggest maybe small mouth fishing if you’re looking at targeting a little bit bigger species. If you’re looking to catch and capture maybe take something home to eat before the opener I…
Aaron Rodgers (AP) MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is “disgruntled” and allegedly does not want to return to the team, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. Schefter reports the team is “aware” of his feelings. After the NFC Championship Game, Rodgers wondered aloud about his future in Green Bay. Speculation about the coming years has swirled since the team drafted quarterback Jordan Love in…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A judge has ruled that Republican leaders of the Wisconsin Legislature illegally hired private taxpayer-funded attorneys to represent them in anticipation of lawsuits over redistricting. The lawsuit filed by attorney Lester Pines on behalf of four Madison teachers argued that state law does not allow for legislative leaders to hire attorneys outside the state Department of…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An animal welfare organization is searching for those responsible for shooting to death 15 cats among more than 30 that were abandoned in western Wisconsin. Dunn County Humane Society said Wednesday that 33 cats were abandoned near a pile of cat food in the township of Spring Brook. Fifteen of the cats and kittens were shot and…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. — Superior held its annual memorial tree planting this morning at Bear Creek Park in Superior. It’s meant as a form of dedication to all those in Superior who have lost their lives while on the job. So far, the city has planted these tribune trees for over two decades. “It’s also our celebration of trees. Superior has…
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Wisconsin State Fair is preparing to return this summer after the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the event for the first time in 75 years, organizers said Wednesday. The fair scheduled Aug. 5-15 will have increased sanitation protocols in place, some of which have yet to be determined. Mask requirements, vaccine passports, and rapid testing have been…
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin health officials say that only 0.03% of people who have been fully vaccinated for the coronavirus have tested positive for COVID-19. The Wisconsin State Journal reports Wednesday that the number of so-called breakthrough cases was just 605 out of 1.8 million people who are fully vaccinated. The state’s number of breakthrough cases is higher than the…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- Faith United Methodist Church in Superior continued its 20 plus year food pantry tradition Tuesday – although a little different because of the pandemic. People could drive up, tell a volunteer how many people were in their family, and boxes of food would be loaded into their car. “We serve those who feel like they were in need…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- It’s been three years to the day since the Husky Refinery exploded shaking the City Of Superior and forcing thousands to leave their homes and evacuate. Mayor Jim Paine looks back at the incident, as Husky says it’s on track for a full 2023 reopen April 26th 2018 was turned upside down when the Refinery exploded. “We were…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin fishery officials say more tournaments are abandoning their traditional catch-hold-release formats. The Department of Natural Resources says the number of bass and walleye tournaments that have eschewed the traditional catch-hold-release format for catch-photo-release rules has increased from an average of six annually between 2010 and 2015 to more than 30 per year from 2015 to…
(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers has ordered the Wisconsin State Patrol and other state law enforcement agencies to update their use of force policies to prohibit chokeholds, unless as a last resort. The Evers executive order came Wednesday after the Assembly’s bipartisan racial disparities task force issued 18 recommendations to address…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior City Council voted Tuesday to extend Superior’s emergency declaration through June 1, which once again extends the citywide mask mandate. Earlier this year, Superior’s mask mandate was reinstated until April 30 when Evers’ statewide mask mandate was overturned by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The declaration can help in getting funding for their pandemic efforts. Categories:…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly’s bipartisan racial disparities task force created in the wake of a white Kenosha police officer shooting a Black man is making 18 recommendations. But the group stopped short Wednesday of calling for a total ban on chokeholds and no-knock warrants as Gov. Tony Evers wants. Jacob Blake was left paralyzed by the shooting….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers says Wisconsin schools will receive more than $175 million in federal funding to pay for school-based COVID-19 testing for teachers, students, and staff. The money announced Tuesday is coming to Wisconsin as part of $10 billion the U.S. Department of Health Services announced in March it was targeting to help schools reopen across…
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (AP) — The passenger in a pickup truck that struck and killed three Girl Scouts and a mother who were removing litter along a Chippewa County highway has pleaded no contest to a charge for his role in the 2018 crash. Twenty-four-year-old John Stender, of Eau Claire, entered the plea Monday to aiding a felon-falsifying information. A…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. — The UW-Superior student organization is doing their part to keep the campus green. On Monday, students handed out rubber, bamboo, and steel reusable straws to help promote Earth Week. Organizers say, students wanted to participate in community events like these and also help the environment. “We decided to come up with lots of eco-friendly ways to celebrate…
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — The man in custody in connection with a shooting at a southeastern Wisconsin tavern that left three men dead and three others injured was expected to appear in court Monday for a bond hearing. Kenosha County sheriff’s officials identified the man being held in the Kenosha County Jail as 24-year-old Rakayo Alandis Vinson. Kenosha County Sheriff’s…
(AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Foxconn Technology Group has reached a new deal with reduced tax breaks for its scaled-back manufacturing facility in southeast Wisconsin. Gov. Tony Evers and the world’s largest electronics manufacturer announced the new deal on Monday. Details of the new agreement were not immediately released. A person with knowledge of the new contract who was not…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans who control the Wisconsin Senate moved Wednesday to change state elections based largely on false claims that the November election was tainted, passing bills that would make interfering with election observers a crime and barring polling officials from accepting private grants to aid with administration. The chamber passed bills Wednesday that would allow the state…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans who control the state Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a set of bills that would wrest control of billions of dollars in federal pandemic aid from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and hand it to the GOP. The state is in line to receive $3.2 billion in federal stimulus money. By law, the funding is…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Justice has procured a federal tracking system to trace the status of sexual assault evidence kits in case the Legislature gives the green light to implement it. Attorney General Josh Kaul said Wednesday that the system will be funded with a $327,000 federal grant. It will monitor how long kits spend at…
(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that Gov. Tony Evers’ administration does not have the authority to issue capacity limits on bars, restaurants, and other businesses without approval of the Legislature, a ruling that comes two weeks after the Conservative-controlled court struck down the state’s mask mandate. BREAKING: Wisconsin…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Minnesota fishing opener casts off on Saturday, May 15th this year, with the Wisconsin opener on May 1st. Aside from inland fishing, owners of big boats are also preparing for the warmer months ahead, and a new season on the big lake. Currently, the environment at Barker’s Island Marina is filled with excitement as the weather…
SUPERIOR, Wisc.-A new community vaccination clinic has opened in Superior. It’s the first of its kind in Northwest Wisconsin. The clinic is located on the UW-Superior campus at Wessman Arena in partnership with AMI Healthcare. This arena has the capacity to vaccinate 500 people per day. “It is safe. People may be hesitant to be around others. But you’re still…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin health officials told vaccinators on Tuesday to suspend the use of the Johnson & Johnson shot amid fears the shots may cause blood clots. The Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday recommended vaccinators pause the shots while they investigate whether the Johnson & Johnson shots are causing unusual clots….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly is set to vote on Republican plans for spending $3.2 billion in federal pandemic response aid. The GOP has put together a package of bills that call for a $1 billion property tax cut; $200 million for small businesses; and $75 million in tourism grants. The package also calls for $150 million for…
DULUTH, Minn. – Essentia Health, St. Luke’s, as well as the Douglas County Public Health Department have all announced Tuesday they will be halting the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The organizations made the decision following a recommendation from the CDC and the United States Food and Drug Administration while they review six reported cases of severe…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court is weighing two far-reaching environmental lawsuits that could define the state Department of Natural Resources’ ability to regulate factory farms and high-capacity wells and determine how far state agencies can go when interpreting state law. The court on Monday heard arguments in Clean Wisconsin’s lawsuits arguing that the state Department of Natural…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with Democrats on Friday and ruled that the state elections commission should not remove from the rolls voters flagged as possibly having moved, something conservatives have wanted to be done for nearly two years. The court’s 5-2 ruling means about 69,000 people on the list of likely movers will not have…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – 64 percent of residents living in Douglas County have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s why health officials in the county can’t wait for shots to start being administered into arms Tuesday, April 13th. The fifth community-based vaccination site will be located on the campus of UWS inside Wessman Arena. Appointments are now open, with the Pfizer…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin has recorded the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in two months, leading to new warnings from state health officials about the growing spread of more contagious variants and a renewed call for everyone to be vaccinated as soon as possible. The seven-day average of new cases was twice as high Thursday as a month…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers will virtually visit Superior Middle School students tomorrow, April 9. Superior Middle School Principal David Jensen says the governor will visit with 6th-grade teachers Mrs. Karly Caven and Mrs. Linda West’s classrooms through Google Meet Friday morning. During his virtual visit, the students will have the opportunity to share about themselves, their learning,…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – University of Wisconsin’s Wessman Arena will be the site of a new community-based COVID-19 vaccination clinic next week. The university says the Douglas County Public Health clinic will open Tuesday, April 13 at 11:00 a.m. and will be run by AMI Expeditionary Healthcare who will be administering the Pfizer vaccine. Clinic hours will be Tuesday through Saturday…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – University of Wisconsin students who get vaccinated for COVID-19 will no longer have to be tested weekly for the virus under a policy that interim President Tommy Thompson calls an incentive to bolster vaccination rates on campus. Thompson says the change he announced Wednesday is designed to maximize the number who get inoculated before they leave…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The majority of Wisconsin Republicans’ plans for spending $3.2 billion in federal stimulus money either may not be allowed under the law or might have to be repaid. That’s according to reviews of the bills that are moving quickly through the Legislature by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Republicans are moving to pass bills that would…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Turnout for Wisconsin’s spring election, which had only one statewide race on the ballot with a handful of locally hot contests, barely topped 20%, based on unofficial results. That’s on par with other elections where the state superintendent of schools is on the ballot. In 2017, turnout was just under 16% and in 2013, when there…
STONE LAKE, Wis. – Authorities in Sawyer County have arrested a man in connection to the death of 42-year-old Cary Lynne Elkin. According to reports Cary’s husband, 43-year-old Timothy P. Elkin has been arrested and is facing charges of hiding a corpse. The body of Cary Elkin was found in a residence on Hungary Lake in the Town of Sand…
