97.5 W F H R and 105.5 W I R I your Wisconsin Rapids Home for locally grown radio.
Here's your Daily News Roundup.
From the Wisconsin Rapids local newsroom, I'm Alyssa K.
A Wisconsin sheriff is calling out a local news outlet on their ICE reporting.
Marathon County Sheriff Chad Billib says inaccurate and misleading claims
made in a Channel 9 news story undermines public trust and creates unnecessary fear in the community
about how Marathon County deputies handle immigration enforcement practices.
While Marathon County does have a 287G agreement with ICE,
that only applies to the jail setting.
According to a statement from Sheriff Billib,
deputies have not and do not request immigration documentation
during traffic stops, investigations or any routine law enforcement interaction.
Deputies are neither authorized nor directed to conduct immigration enforcement in the field.
You may hear F-35 aircraft after dark this week.
The 115th Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard will be doing evening training flights through Thursday.
You may see or hear F-35's flying overhead until approximately 7.45 pm now through February 12th.
Pilots will follow flight paths designed to minimize noise to area residents,
but you'll likely still hear them in some areas of central Wisconsin this week.
Wood County snowmobile trails are closed, starting today because of deteriorating trail conditions.
Powers Bluffs ski and tube hills are open this weekend,
and Dan Volert of the Wood County Parks and Forestry Department says the hills are in good shape.
The multi-use trail is open for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and biking.
Napco Lake County Park multi-use and cross-country ski trails are open,
but conditions are deteriorating.
Richfield 360 County Forest multi-use trails are also open,
but the warmer weather is taking its toll.
Local news at the top and bottom of every hour throughout the day
or on demand any time at WFHR.com and WIRI.FM.
From the Wisconsin Rapids Local Newsroom, I'm Melissa K.
For Civic Media News, I'm Lisa Hale.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is reminding residents
to look out for changes in their SNAP or food share benefits over the coming weeks.
Under changes made in the one big beautiful bill signed by President Donald Trump in July,
SNAP recipients are required to work, volunteer or engage in job training
for at least 80 hours per month in order to receive their food assistance benefits.
DHS officials say the new requirements will be implemented on a rolling basis.
Parts of Wisconsin are being left hung out to dry by the Trump administration.
Stuart J. Wattles has that story.
Governor Tony Evers is criticizing the Trump administration for again denying federal disaster aid
for six Wisconsin counties hit hard by storms and flooding last August.
The request covered Milwaukee, Waukesha, door, grant, Ozaki and Washington counties.
According to the governor, FEMA gave no reason for turning down the state.
Evers says those communities are facing more than $26 million in infrastructure damage
and need help rebuilding. I'm Stuart J. Wattles.
In Wisconsin, you need a photo ID to vote.
Civic Media's Jimmy Cusca explains how to get yours.
If you need identification to vote in the spring primary, the Wisconsin DNP says you can get one for free
if you've never received a form of Wisconsin ID such as a driver's license.
Residents of Wisconsin are required to show an ID in order to vote.
There's no separate voter ID needed to cast a ballot and you also don't need a real ID to vote either.
If you're a US citizen and have reached voting age but don't have any form of photo identification,
you can apply for an ID with the DMV.
You'll need a proof of Wisconsin and US residency or legal residency status, date of birth, name and identity.
The application forms are available on the DMV website.
You can also visit your local DMV service center or contact the voter ID hotline at 844-588-1069.
Reporting for Civic Media News, I'm Jimmy Cusca.
The 2026 spring primary is February 17th.
The spring election is April 7th.
Following a string of confirmed measles cases over the last few weeks,
the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is again encouraging residents to check their MMR vaccination status.
There have been three confirmed measles cases since January 26th in Wakashaw County, Dane County and Walworth County.
All three involved individuals who had traveled recently, two internationally and one domestically.
The agency has notified anyone else who may have come into contact with them.
Measles is highly contagious and can infect 90% of unvaccinated people.
There have been three confirmed measles cases since January 26th in Wakashaw County, Dane County and Walworth County.
All three involved individuals who had traveled recently, two internationally and one domestically.
Measles is highly contagious and can infect 90% of unvaccinated individuals who come into contact with it.
Symptoms like high fevers, conjunctivitis and a rash with raised bumps can develop within three weeks.
It can also cause more serious health complications like brain damage.
Measles outbreaks have become more common over recent years, both nationally and internationally as vaccination rates decline.
Residents can check their vaccination status online through the DHS Wisconsin Immunization Registry for Civic Media News. I'm James Kelly.
Dane County's and municipalities are getting a major boost for road work this year.
Governor Tony Evers and the State Department of Transportation say that more than $151 million has gone out to help repair and maintain local roads and connecting highways.
The money comes from the current state budget which provides the largest general transportation aid funding in Wisconsin's history.
Since 2019, the administration reports more than 9,600 miles of roads and 2400 bridges have been improved statewide.
In total, local governments are expected to receive more than $750 million in transportation aid in 2026.
Wisconsin drivers are saying, yes, please, to some new license plate designs. Here's County Feldman.
Wisconsinites are loving their retro license plates. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says they've issued more than 10,000 of the new blackout and retro yellow license plates in just the first month since they debuted.
The blackout lights feature white letters on a black background. The retro plates are a throwback to the 70s when we had yellow cheese colored, if you will, license plates with black lettering.
Each plate has a one time $15 issuance fee and a $25 annual fee. And you don't have to wait until it's time to renew your plates to order the new ones. For Civic Media News, I'm Connie Feldman.
The DOT estimates more than a half million blackout plates will be on our Wisconsin roads within three years.
This week is take a friend's snowmobiling week across Wisconsin. Civic Media's Maddie Shaffer has that story.
The DNR is encouraging riders to invite someone new out on the trails to introduce more people to the sport.
Officials say riding with a friend isn't just more fun, it's also safer. They're reminding snowmobilers to ride sober, stay on marked trails, slow down, and always check trail conditions before heading out.
Anyone born on or after January 1st, 1985, must have a snowmobile safety certificate to legally operate a sled in Wisconsin.
The DNR also stresses that ice is never completely safe and recommends wearing proper gear, including a life jacket or float coat when riding over frozen water. For Civic Media News, I'm Maddie Shaffer.
More information on safety classes and trail updates can be found on the DNR snowmobiling webpage. For Civic Media News, I'm Lisa Hale. For news anytime, visit our website at civicmedia.us.
The Badgers with the Upset. Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with sports, men's college basketball. The Wisconsin Badgers went into number 8th ranked Illinois as 10.00 underdogs, battled through overtime, and won 92-90.
Over the fighting ally and I, head coach Greg Gard.
You guys all saw this. I mean, one heck of a college basketball game between two really, really good teams.
You know, Illinois's got so many weapons and so many good players and do such a great job of putting you in precarious positions defensively.
We execute as well as, you know, we wanted to be able to get 14 offensive rebounds ourselves and hold them to aid.
NBA, the Bucks face the magic again tonight at the Kia Center in Orlando.
Baseball, Brewers fans asking why would Matt Arnold give up third baseman Caleb Durbin and utility player Andrew Manisterio for two left handed pitchers?
It's no longer just the five man rotation and you know, every guy's going to give you 200 innings anymore.
It's a combination of your entire staff as Brewers general manager, Matt Arnold with sports on Mike Clemens.
Plenty of sunshine today. We're headed to around 33 for a high this afternoon.
Tonight, mostly clear, we'll drop to 13 for an overnight low tomorrow, partly to mostly cloudy with a high in the low to mid 30s.
And we're going to keep temperatures going up as we roll into the weekend. I'm meteorologist Sean cable.
That's your Wisconsin Rapids news roundup from WIRI and WFHR locally grown radio. Find more news anytime at WFHR.com and WIRI.FM.
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