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.
For civic media news, I'm Melissa K. A Northern Wisconsin tribe is addressing growing concerns
over immigration enforcement and tribal sovereignty. Maddie Schaefer reports.
The Bad River Band of Lake Superior, Chippewa held a community forum Monday night after recent
reports of immigration and customs enforcement activity on the reservation. According to
the Wisconsin Examiner, tribal leaders have raised alarms after reports that Native Americans
were picked up or questioned by ICE during enforcement operations in the Twin Cities.
Tribal chairwoman Liz Arbuckle spoke about the stress the community is facing.
It's unnerving. We've seen Native people picked up in Minneapolis. We've heard those
stories. We've seen those stories. So we are unnerved. So a little extra preparedness,
thoughtfulness, kindness, it won't go amiss. That's for sure.
Leaders urged members to carry tribal enrollment ID along with a photo ID.
Arbuckle says that tribal IDs are free for enrolled bad river members and can be updated
if needed. Other tribes may also offer similar services. They also highlighted statewide
resources such as the Native American Rights Fund, the ACLU of Wisconsin and legal action
Wisconsin, which can help tribal members understand their rights and create personal
safety plans. State representative Angela Stroud of the 73rd Assembly District spoke
about ICE activity across the region.
You know, it's targeting urban areas, but it's not limited to urban areas. Real areas
are also being affected. And so it's not that we know they're going to come, but we need
to be prepared because it's happening throughout our region, even if it's focused on Minnesota
right now.
All tribes, including bad river, Lakota Rae, Onida and Ho Chunk, are notifying members
that agents cannot enter a home without a judiciously signed warrant. Wisconsin tribes
are issuing guidance on documenting encounters, accessing legal help and creating personal
safety plans. I'm Maddie Schaefer.
Democratic state lawmakers are proposing a constitutional amendment to solidify the
right to privacy for Wisconsin residents. Lisa Hale reports,
if it's adopted, the amendment to the state constitution would shift the legal burden
of proof in privacy violation cases from the individual to the government. Under that
adjustment, government agencies would be responsible for justifying how it had the authority
to violate an individual's privacy rights, rather than the individual being required to
prove that a government agency violated those privacy rights.
Democratic state lawmakers have also introduced separate legislation that would allow residents
to file a lawsuit over privacy violations in state court, regardless of whether the subject
of that lawsuit is a state or federal government agency. That proposed bill is currently
being reviewed in committee. Democratic state lawmakers are hoping the proposed constitutional
amendment will gain bipartisan support. It must pass in both the state assembly and
Senate in two consecutive sessions before it appears on a statewide ballot for voters
to approve.
Former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan is asking a federal judge to grant her an
acquittal or a new trial following her felony conviction. Dugan's defense team filed
the request last week claiming she acted within the law and that jurors received inconsistent
guidance during deliberations. A jury convicted Dugan of felony obstruction in December for
helping a man in her courtroom evade an immigration arrest. jurors cleared her of a separate
misdemeanor charge tied to concealing someone from discovery and arrest. Dugan resigned
from the bench earlier this year as the case continues through post trial motions.
Emily Sahale
With a 2026 election less than a year away, fundraising efforts and Wisconsin's third
congressional district race are kicking up. James Kelly reports.
According to campaign finance reports incumbent Republican Congressman Derek Van Orden led
2025 and campaign fundraising with over $4.3 million. Rebecca Cook pursuing a rematch
of 2024 with Congressman Van Orden raised over $4 million last year.
O'Claire City Council President Emily Berge will challenge Cook for the Democratic nomination
in August and raise nearly $400,000 last year. While Congressman Van Orden led the total
fundraising battle in 2025, Cook raised nearly double his fundraising total in last reporting
period of the year. From October through December, Congressman Van Orden raised a little
less than $670,000 while Cook brought in about $1.1 million. This is Cook's third run for
the third congressional district after falling short in the Democratic primary in 2022 and
narrowly losing to Congressman Van Orden in the 2024 election. Berge raised about $115,000
over that period.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is encouraging residents to learn more about
flood risks in their area and explore their flood insurance options in honor of flood
insurance awareness week. According to a press release, flood insurance awareness week
will run through Saturday, giving the agency a good opportunity to highlight the importance
of getting flood insurance. The DNR is also sharing tips on when residents could qualify
for federal flood insurance and what it means to own property in a federally designated
flood zone or special flood hazard area.
Agency officials say typical homeowner and renter insurance policies usually don't
cover flood damage. Federal flood insurance is available for properties both inside and
outside special flood hazard areas, but is only in communities that participate in the
National Flood Insurance Program. The DNR's floodplain program tracks community enrollment
in the National Flood Insurance Program, residents who own property in a special flood hazard
area and have a mortgage from a federally regulated lender are also required to have flood
insurance.
I'm James Kelly.
I'm Melissa K for Civic Media News. For news anytime, visit our website at civicmedia.us.
For Civic Media News, I'm Lisa Hale.
The latest Marquette Law School poll shows voters in Wisconsin are clearly undecided in
the Wisconsin Supreme Court race and in both party primaries for the gubernatorial election.
In a presentation on Wednesday, Charles Franklin, the director of the Marquette Law School
polls since 2012, said with just six weeks remaining until the nonpartisan ballot in April,
66 percent of the poll voters don't know who they will support for Wisconsin Supreme
Court justice between liberal Chris Taylor and conservative Maria Lazar.
There is a small difference. Lazar is at 12 percent support and Taylor at 17, so a
five point Taylor advantage and that big 66 out to the side.
The same can be said for the gubernatorial primaries coming up in August in the Republican
primary for governor, 35 percent of the voter support Tom Tiffany, 2 percent support
his challenger Andrew Mansk and 63 percent are undecided.
On the democratic side, 65 percent of the voters polled haven't picked a candidate. Francesca
Hong is the front runner with 11 percent. Mandela Barnes is close behind at 10 percent.
And Sarah Rodriguez comes in third place with 6 percent of the vote.
The remaining five democratic candidates have 5 percent support or below.
So the point to take away from this is this has less to do with the individual vagaries
of the race and has a lot to do with the fact that Wisconsin voters just haven't tuned
into any of this year's elections here in February.
The survey of 818 registered Wisconsin voters was conducted between February 11th and 19th.
It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3.
The Wisconsin State Assembly passed proposed legislation last week seeking to add protections
for news coverage and free speech from bogus lawsuits.
Civic media's James Kelly reports.
The anti-slap or strategic lawsuits against public participation bill passed on a voice
vote in the assembly and now moves to the state senate for consideration.
Lawmakers say the goal of the bill is to prevent the use of costly and time-consuming litigation
as a tool to limit free speech or retaliate against a news organization for their coverage.
If passed into law, the anti-slap bill would create a more efficient process records to
quickly dismiss lawsuits.
It deems were filed to target protected speech or discourage civic participation.
Such lawsuits typically do not have a legitimate legal basis, but are filed simply to punish
an individual or organization by forcing them to engage in the expensive and lengthy legal
process to defend themselves.
The bill would also allow the prevailing parties to recover attorney fees and require a prompt
hearing for civic media news.
I'm James Kelly.
Unfortunately, school shootings happen across the country.
In Madison, two people were killed at the Abundant Life Christian School in December
of 2024.
Now one Northeast Wisconsin County is taking a more proactive approach in dealing with these
tragic situations.
Civic media's Bob Nelson reports.
School leaders from across from the lack county recently met to talk about the unthinkable
how best to pool resources for an active shooter or a tragic scenario in a school setting.
Ripon Schools Superintendent Ron Robard says they'd like to train one or two people from
each district to help with reunifying parents and kids during such an event.
In the midst of that, you want to be able to take care of your people and to have other
professionals that are coming in that are trained to be able to help just manage all of
the logistics of reunifying families and helping navigate that whole situation.
I just think is a good idea.
There are nearly 60 schools across to find the lack county.
I'm Bob Nelson for Civic Media News.
Wisconsin could lose a seat in Congress after the 2030 census.
Population estimates show faster growth in other states, especially in the south, which
could shift several house seats away from the Midwest.
Experts say that while Wisconsin's representation may shrink, it would still be one of the most
competitive swing states in national politics.
Republicans now hold six of Wisconsin's eight congressional seats.
Legal challenges over the state's district map are pending before Wisconsin's Supreme Court.
This is Brian Best, a recent UW-Madison research project suggests it may be.
The research led by traffic operations and safety laboratory, or top slab, shows salt
brine used between 40% and 72% less salt than traditional rock salt.
Salt brine is a mixture of granular salt and water used to keep roads clear before or
during winter weather.
Adult testing evaluated operational and safety performance on parallel roads in two Wisconsin
counties.
Salt brine was applied in one direction, and the traditional granular rock salt was applied
in the opposite direction.
Results showed nearly equal road performance between the salt brine and the rock salt highway
sections.
The Packers, preparing for the draft, high on Mike Clemens was sports from the NFL Combine
in Indianapolis, or Packers GM Brian Gutekins, says the team spoke to a number of college
defensive linemen.
We had about 11 interviews last night and hearing these guys stories, and it's always really
kind of an interesting look into the into the person, and I enjoy that part of it.
NBA, the Bucks beat the Cavaliers, advisor form, 118-116 Cleveland, unable to score at
the buzzer, Doc Rivers.
College Hoops, the Badgers, losing in Oregon, 85-71, Nick Boyd, just 11 points, baseball,
the Brewers, a 13-12 win over the Giants, priced rang with two home runs, including
Grand Slam, with five runs batted in, with sports on Mike Clemens.
A little off and on Light Snow this morning, then it's going to be partly to mostly cloudy
here through the rest of the day.
Today, we will see a little sunshine with a high in the mid-30s tonight, partly cloudy,
low of 22 tomorrow sunshine, warmer 47 for a high, and then going to get a lot colder
with a little light snow into the weekend.
I'm meteorologist Sean Cable.
That's your Wisconsin Rapids News Roundup from WIRI and WFHR, locally grown radio.
In more news anytime at WFHR.com and WIRI.FM, subscribe to this podcast on Spotify, Apple,
or wherever you find your podcasts.