This is your WFHR Daily News Roundup, for locally grown radio 97.5 FM and 1320 AM, and
WISC country 105.5 FM WIRI in Wisconsin Rapids.
For WFHR and WIRI News, I'm Melissa K.
The Wisconsin Rapids ATV UTV ordinance was a topic on the agenda again during last night's
Public Works Committee meeting.
Alter Person Madeleine Palmquest opened the discussion.
I made this referral after being contacted by a handful of residents from our surrounding
communities.
The Wisconsin Rapids ATV UTV ordinance that was passed earlier this year is different
from the one voted down by residents last November.
It only allows recreational vehicle traffic on County Road Z, Griffith Avenue, for about
600 feet.
The Wisconsin Rapids ATV UTV request also said the council made an effort to address
concerns they heard from residents who voted against it last fall before they passed
the current ordinance, such as age insurance, having a valid driver's license.
This stretch of road is shared with Wood County, which allows ATV UTV traffic, and it
does give the recreational vehicles access to Quick Trip and Walmart on that end of town.
However, there are some property owners in Grand Rapids and Port Edwards, for example,
who end up landlocked either because the road they live on is owned by the city of Wisconsin
Rapids, or it's half and half, and people don't want to violate the rules of the city.
Palmquest said she's hearing from people who are frustrated they can't access their open
roads.
This referral would just add additional ways to our existing ordinance and not change
any of the rules.
Wisconsin Rapids is an island surrounded by counties that do allow ATV UTV traffic, including
Wood County itself, which allows ATV drivers as young as 12 when accompanied by an adult.
Palmquest said the existing ordinance came to be because at the end of the day, they
want to be good neighbors.
The Public Works Committee requested a list of roadways that are shared by municipalities
before any further action is taken.
An out-of-gamey county family has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, claiming a five-year-old
girl was a target of sexploitation while using the gaming platform.
The family and child are remaining anonymous.
Lisa Hale reports.
The Dolman Law Group filed the complaint this week alleging the company Headquartered
in California is accountable for creating a, quote, breeding ground for predators.
WBAY reports that attorneys claim male predators pretending to be children began grooming
the girl and eventually convinced the child to send graphic images and videos of herself.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of the out-of-gamey county family asks for unspecified monetary
damages from Roblox for suffering life-altering injuries, including severe mental anguish
and pain.
Dolman Law Group has filed multiple lawsuits against Roblox on behalf of families across
the United States, and multiple attorneys general in several states have either filed
lawsuits or opened investigations against Roblox over child safety concerns.
A recent report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum found that the state's alcohol-induced
death rate is declining, but still remains above pre-pandemic levels.
According to the report, nearly 1,100 Wisconsin residents died due to alcohol-induced causes
in 2024.
The state's alcohol-induced mortality rate was 18.2 per 100,000 residents, significantly
higher than the national average of 13.9.
In 2019, the state's alcohol-induced mortality rate was 14.9 per 100,000 residents.
Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection
are now accepting applications for the Food Security and Wisconsin Products Grant Program.
The program seeks to provide funding for non-profit food assistance organizations to purchase
food from Wisconsin producers and processors.
$10 million of funding was allocated to continue the program in the new biennial state budget.
Applications to receive a portion of the $5 million in funding available this year will
be accepted until November 5.
The big data center project in Caledonia is off the table, at least for now in that location.
Stuart J. Wattles has more.
Microsoft says it's dropping plans for a massive data center after a strong pushback from
resident and village leaders.
A bill had raised concerns about losing farmland and the project's impact on water and energy use.
It was planned for an area near the Oak Creek Power Plant.
Microsoft says it may still look for another spot in Caledonia or Racine County, but those
talks are on hold.
A bipartisan group of state lawmakers have introduced legislation seeking to expand hunting
opportunities for disabled military veterans in Wisconsin.
The proposed bill would allow those disabled military veterans to hunt deer of either
sex during any Wisconsin fire arm deer hunting season.
Act of service military members currently receive the same benefit.
The new legislation would extend the benefit to veterans with a disability rating of 50%
or greater, as well as those receiving compensation benefits due to being unemployable as a result
of their disability.
Tomorrow is the Wisconsin Rapids Community Theater Variety Show for their Golden anniversary.
It's on Saturday at 2 p.m.
This family-friendly show will feature songs, skits, and improv, and is sure to leave
you smiling.
I'm Melissa K and you're listening to WFHR and WIRI News.
You can find more news anytime and sign up for our newsletter on our website at WFHR.com.
The crew will lose again to the cubs.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports, Baseball, the NLDS.
There will be a game five tomorrow night in Milwaukee.
The brewers shut out by the cubs, six to nothing at Riggly Field, Freddie Peralta, surrendered
a three-run home run in the bottom of the first to Chicago's Ian Hap, Pat Murphy.
The first inning is always the toughest for a pitcher, especially in environments like
this, big games.
The first inning can always be the struggle and hadn't shown them the heater yet and got
too much of the middle of the plate.
First pitch at 708 tomorrow night at Ham FAM Field.
College football, the Badgers host the Hawkeyes tomorrow night in Madison kick off 6 p.m.
Wisconsin lost 42 to 10 last year at Iowa.
The focus is obviously what happened last year and what it is that we need to do to change
all that that happened last year.
It'll be a physical tough, hard-nosed game, nothing different than what you would expect
from an Iowa Wisconsin football game.
We got to make sure that Saturday night we're ready to roll.
That's Badgers head coach Luke Fickle with Sports on Mike Clemens.
It's your W-F-H-R-N-W-I-R-I daily news roundup from Civic Media.
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