It's Wayne
Mauser, Local News.
Good morning.
I'm Wayne Mauser for Civic Media News.
Richard Miller's motions for a new trial and new sentence in connection with the fatal drunken driving crash should be denied, according to a prosecutor and a new filing in Calumet County Court.
Miller, now 63, pleaded no contest to three counts, including homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle for the March 11, 2023 crash, which killed 19-year-old Louis Freilich.
The crash happened at Ornita Street in Highway 114 in the village of Harrison.
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Miller filed a
post-conviction motion in Cali-Mitt County raising questions about the conviction and her sentence in the reply file this week.
District Attorney Nathan Haberman contends each point should be rejected.
A motion's hearing is scheduled before Judge Jeffrey Fraley for November 12th.
The judge could rule at that time or select to put a decision into writing.
U.S.
Senator Tammy Baldwin Tuesday announced she was able to secure $15 million in federal funding to boost highway safety, improve two rest areas, and expand truck parking along Interstate 41 in Dodge County.
Baldwin advocated for funding to the Trump administration.
Senator Baldwin says truck drivers need to find a safe place to pull over and rest.
The grant will help directly address issues by adding more than 100 truck spaces between the two safety rest areas.
along a rural stretch of I-41 in Dodge County.
The funding will be used to add approximately 106 commercial truck parking spaces across two safety rest areas.
Safety rest area 63 in Lemaira and safety rest area 64 Theressa along I-41 including a new staging area for oversized and overweight vehicles.
It will also improve highway safety by adding lighting to parking areas and entrance and exit ramps and modernizing ramps.
designs to meet current standards.
Rest Area facilities will also be upgraded to comply with the Americans and Disabilities Act and add family-friendly amenities, including changing stations.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has awarded just over $250,000 in e-cycle Wisconsin electronics collection grants
for 39 projects in 35 counties that will host an electronics collection site or event between now and December of 2027.
The grant will help fund two permanent electronics collection sites and up to 55 one-day collection events.
Among those receiving the grants, Dodge County is getting your grant for a collection event, dynamic life cycle, innovations for collections event in 17 counties, including Green Lake and Wapaka counties, and Green Lake County to establish your
permanent collection site.
Funds for the grants come from fees electronics manufacturers pay under E-Cycle Wisconsin to ensure the proper collection and recycling of used electronics.
The Rip and Common Council is moving toward more paperless meetings by going digital.
The council this week approved purchasing nine Apple iPads and accessories.
The accessories could include a keyboard case and stylus.
Rather than establishing a specific accessory package, the council authorized up to $100 per council member for accessories, which will allow the final accessories to be selected after the devices are acquired and configured.
The council members would then be able to review meeting materials
on the 11-inch tablets rather than receive printed packets.
The council had previously budgeted $5,500 in the legislative budget for the purchase as part of the city's 2026 budget.
The devices will be incorporated into the city's existing IT environment.
That will include configuration, security, city email access, device management, and preparation for council use.
Local Realtor and Green Lake County Supervisor Michael Skimmington says he decided to run for the 39th State Assembly District seat because it appeared the incumbent would be unopposed.
Bob Nelson reports for Civic Media News.
Skimmington says he'd like to extend the good work that they've been doing at the county level to the state.
He says the biggest issue is school funding, which has been a concern for school districts since revenue caps were instituted in 1993.
it pits people against each other.
I think there are like seven referendums in our district alone.
And so fully funding public education would be an area where I think that the district is getting short shifted from the state.
He also feels it takes a while for local governments to catch up with technology like artificial intelligence and data centers.
because I think we're having discussions now about what would we do at the county board level if a data center comes in, and I hope that we aren't too late with planning.
He is also concerned about affordable housing, health care, and the state's commitment to the environment.
Skippington is challenging incumbent State Representative Alex Dahlman on November 3rd.
I'm Pop Nelson for Civic Media News.
Medicare's annual open enrollment begins today, but residents are already reporting to Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection that scammers are targeting eligible consumers.
Scammers take advantage of older residents by impersonating
Medicare asking for their Medicare account information and selling unnecessary or fraudulent health products or services.
Michelle Reinen is the administrator of the State's Division of Trade and Consumer Protection.
She says Medicare will never call or visit residents at home to sell products.
Medicare enrollees should never provide their Medicare card number to anyone unless they have initiated contact with Medicare or their medical providers.
She says Medicare cards
do not need to be replaced unless they're lost, stolen, or destroyed.
She says most important, Medicare enrollees should always visit Medicare's website by typing in the address directly and avoid clicking links in emails, text, or online ads and pop-ups.
I'm Wayne Mauser for Civic Media
News.
We're hearing more and more about the Enbridge Energy Company's work on a pipeline in Wisconsin's North Woods and the growing controversy surrounding it.
Enbridge is replacing about 41 miles of oil and natural gas liquid pipeline across Ashland and Iron Counties.
The project has been in the works for seven years after a federal judge ruled Enbridge was trespassing on the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation.
The company was ordered to remove or reroute the line outside the reservation.
Recently,
Multiple fires on Enbridge construction sites have destroyed company equipment.
Now, as Civic Media's Maddie Schaefer tells us, Wisconsin's DNR is accusing the company of violating environmental laws.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued a formal notice of violation to Enbridge Energy Company over its Line 5 work in Iron and Ashland counties.
The notice involves alleged permit violations during construction of the Line 5 reroute, along with environmental law violations related to an unpermitted bypass built around the August 25th spill site near Saxon.
When an unoccupied vehicle rolled into an excavation site and struck the existing Line 5 pipeline, releasing natural gas
liquids.
The notice also includes alleged air pollution violations related to the August spill.
According to the notice of violation, the DNR cites several incidents during reroute construction, including multiple releases of drilling fluid into Vaughan Creek and nearby wetlands.
It also alleges that Enbridge placed timber matting in wetlands and temporary bridges over waterways without the required permits while building the bypass.
Civic media has reached out to Enbridge for comment, but has not yet received a response.
For Civic Media News, I'm Maddie
Schaefer.
And Bridge will have a chance to respond to the allegations at a meeting with the DNR on October 26th.
Kamala Harris is coming to Wisconsin.
The former vice president is set to campaign with Democratic Governor candidate David Crowley.
Wisconsin is one of several states Harris is visiting in her fall campaign blitz on behalf of Democrats, running for governor and U.S.
Senate.
The time and location have not yet been released.
The event is set to take place October 26th.
Crowley was campaigning for himself in Eau Claire last weekend.
As civic media's James Kelly tells us, the Democrat talked with people about what's become an important issue for voters all across Wisconsin.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Milwaukee County executive David Crowley spoke with local residents at Forage in downtown Eau Claire on Sunday morning, thanking them for their support and energizing them for the final stretch of the campaign.
He also shared his plans to address data center development in Wisconsin, an issue that has risen to the forefront of voters' minds over the last
year.
protecting our air, protecting our water quality.
But it's also important that every single community have a seat at the table.
Data centers need to earn their way.
And if a community doesn't want a data center, they will not be forced to have a data center.
And there's no if, and or whatsoever.
Health care is another issue of particular interest to the Chippewa Valley after years of working to address the sudden closure of two hospitals and a number of clinics.
And so my goal is to expand badger care, make it as a, turn it into an alternative to for-profit insurance, allowing people to pay into this pool to make sure that people don't fall through the cracks, incentivizing our providers to make sure that people are within network and no longer have to travel hours away just to get the care that they need.
It needs to be available whenever and wherever they need it.
Crowley will face off with Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany for Wisconsin Governor in the November election.
I'm James Kelly for Civic Media News.
And that's your state news update.
I'm Connie Feldman for Civic Media News.
Game four tonight.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports Baseball.
It's the Brewers of the Dodgers in game four of the National League series.
If Milwaukee wins again, they're headed to the World Series.
The crew with another victory last night, 6-2 in LA.
Jackson Churrio with a home run on the very first pitch of the game.
Manager Pat Murphy.
In no moments too big for Jack Jack.
This exact date, I guess last year, right?
Hit a first pitch homer.
He's special.
No, he's a special cat.
So the Dodgers now down three games to nothing.
The only
team to ever come back from that deficit was the 2004 Red Sox Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was a player on that team.
Are you going to maybe reminisce with your team tomorrow about the time you came back from 0-3?
I don't think so.
I think that they've seen the documentary, so they know it can happen.
NFL, for the first time since Thanksgiving last year, the Packers have won back-to-back games.
Up next is the Cowboys.
You can't hide from the work.
You got to put the work in each and every day.
That's Matlow Floor with Sports on Mike Clemens.
It is going to be cloudy with rain today, especially this afternoon.
Our high in the mid 50s tonight.
Scattered showers.
We're going to drop down into the low to mid 40s tomorrow.
Mostly cloudy and breezy with scattered showers and a high in the low to mid 50s.
I'm meteorologist Sean Cable.
Local interviews, podcasts and more are always fresh and always on file
at thebug.fm.