This is your WFHR Daily News Roundup for locally grown radio 97.5 FM and 13.20 AM and
WISC country 105.5 FM WIRI in Wisconsin Rapids 4 WFHR and WIRI News, I'm Melissa K.
The 2025 cranberry harvest in Wisconsin is projected to dominate production for the 31st
year in a row. Roughly 250 cranberry growers in the badger state are expected to produce
65% of the global supply this year. So we're on a cranberry marsh, I will say in Wisconsin
we call them marshes, not bogs. That's Holly Hurline. She's the communications manager
for the Wisconsin State Cranberry Grower's Association. At this time of year, cranberry
bets are flooded for what's referred to as a wet harvest. Despite popular belief,
cranberries don't grow in water. You do see lots of water here, but that's also unique
to harvest there, not in water all the time they're grown on like a woody vine in soil.
Only 5% of the annual cranberry crop is sold as fresh berries. That portion is harvested
gently to avoid bruising the fruit. Hurline said fresh cranberries are only available
in the stores from roughly October to November.
You really can't only buy fresh berries around that time frame, so we recommend people
to stock up. They freeze really well for a year. Even though Wisconsin produces more
cranberries than anyone else, it's still a relatively small crop compared to others in
the state. Hurline says different growers harvest in different ways. An equipment is
mostly constructed by the growers themselves. They are very innovative bunch. They are not
just farmers. They are engineers and mechanics and scientists and all the things. So I'm very
interested. The USDA National Agriculture Statistics Services projects the Wisconsin 2025
cranberry harvest to reach 5.3 million barrels. The cranberry industry is valued at just
under $1 billion and employs nearly 4,000 people in the state. Wisconsin agriculture as a whole
contributes over 116 billion annually to the state economy. The primary elections are about
10 months away and fundraising is already underway. Joanne Kruelot reports on Republican
gubernatorial fundraising. A fundraising milestone in the race for Wisconsin's next governor,
as originally reported by Spectrum News Wisconsin, the campaign of Republican 7th District
Congressman Tom Tiffany announced Monday that it's raised $1 million less than two weeks after
launching. In a statement, Tiffany said Democrats are propped up by Hollywood millionaires
and coastal elites while his campaign is building a grassroots movement in the state.
The campaign of Republican candidate Washington County Executive Josh Schoeman
had raised just over $425,000 between entering the race in May and the July campaign finance
report to the state ethics commission. The next campaign finance filing deadline with the
commission is on January 15th. A bridge built in the 1930s to get across the Mississippi River
is closing this month and being demolished. Jimmy Kaskha has the story.
The bridge connecting Wisconsin to Iowa south of LaCrosse will close permanently on October 20th.
The Black Hawk Bridge, also known as the Lansing Bridge, is in the process of being replaced.
The bridge, which was built 94 years ago, has been closed twice in the past two years for structural
issues. Construction on its replacement began two years ago and is scheduled to open in 2027.
In the meantime, the DOT will be providing free car ferries to cross the Mississippi River,
while heavier truck traffic will need to use the post-a-D tour through Prairie Ducina half-hour
self. The Warsaw Ethics Board will move forward with their investigation into a complaint
against Bayer Dub Dini. The complaint was filed in January and claimed Dini's removal of an
absentee ballot box last year from City Hall, violated the City Ethics Code, Isabella Nieto reports.
At a meeting last week, the board rejected request to postpone the hearing again.
The hearing is scheduled for this Friday, over a year since Dini moved the drop box.
Board Chair Calvin Dexter said one witness, who was subpoenaed to appear at the Friday hearing,
requested to be excused from the hearing because they have plans for the holiday weekend.
I'm not very open to the idea that we should have another delay here.
You know, I think it's time to get this thing dealt with.
Dexter says the witness claims they were not given sufficient notice of the hearing.
I mean, it's not to say we couldn't or shouldn't have gotten the new subpoenas out earlier,
but I don't think there was any great surprise here to anyone.
Special counsel Eric Larson confirmed that the mayor's attorney and an attorney who represents
city employees scheduled depositions for city attorney and Jacobson and city clerk Caitlin Bernardi
regarding the complaint. Dexter confirmed they still want to the depositions.
The board appreciates those attorneys proceeding in good faith to accomplish the depositions at
long last. Both Jacobson and Bernardi had previously refused to sit for depositions due to an
ongoing criminal investigation into the ballot box removal by the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
The board also confirmed the list and order of witnesses that will appear on Friday,
including Wassa Police Chief Matt Barnes and City Council President Lisa Rasmussen.
The board also plans to deliberate in a closed session on October 15th at 4.30 p.m.
before reconvening in an open session to discuss their next steps.
The Nikusa High School Student Council is hosting a blood drive next week.
It'll be Wednesday, October 15th from 1 to 6 p.m.
You can call 1-800-Bred Cross to make an appointment.
I'm Alyssa K for WFHR and WIRI News.
Game 4 Cubs and Brewers Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports.
Baseball, there will be a Game 4 tonight in Chicago.
The Brewers losing to the Cubs last night, 4-3.
Chicago scoring all of their runs in the first inning,
keeping their playoff hopes alive.
On the brink of elimination, Cubs Manager Craig Council.
It's fun and stressful in the same sense and the same light,
and I think you feel both emotions a lot.
Brewers Manager Pat Murphy.
Both teams come out firing, you know, that's what it's about.
They know us, we know them, there's a lot of emotion in the game,
and it says something for both teams, really.
NBA, the Bucks host the Pistons, in pre-season basketball tonight,
Doc Rivers asked about that ESPN report that the Bucks discuss trading yannis to the Niks.
It was a conversation where a team called, and John has been saying no now for 11 years.
I don't know why this is a news store, you know, but I guess it is.
At Stock Rivers, with Sports on Mike Clemens.