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.
On your Wisconsin Rapids local newsroom, I'm Melissa Kayley.
Scams are nothing new, but new legislation in Wisconsin is taking aim at Scams involving cryptocurrency kiosks.
It's not unique to Wood County. It is a statewide issue.
That's Wood County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Quentin Ellis talking with W F H R.
He said the scammers use a variety of scripts.
They will call with any amount of different scenarios.
One was actually people were calling saying they were me. Me from the Wood County Sheriff's Department needed you to put money in a cryptocurrency kiosk to avoid coming to jail.
Scammers using emotional manipulation to threaten their victims with arrest or jail if they don't respond immediately.
They target vulnerable populations often elderly individuals and will pose as trusted authority figures.
It's definitely a statewide problem. It's just there hasn't been one telltale way to respond to it because of the lack of regulation of these machines.
Chief Deputy Ellis says several other states already have legislation in place to protect against this type of scam.
I'm very hopeful that this passing legislation will act as a major deterrent to these companies and keep them from allowing this type of thing to happen to our people in Wisconsin.
The bill has broad bipartisan support and would protect both consumers and operators.
Everybody except these major major corporations that are based wherever else in the nation or in the world even.
They're getting their money and everybody else here in Wisconsin that's falling to these is becoming a victim.
Assembly Bill 968 will have a second reading on the assembly floor on February 17th.
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 average price for a gallon of gas in Wisconsin jumped almost a quarter in the past week.
Prices are now averaging 276 a gallon according to gas buddy. That's 23.2 cents higher than last week and 26.5 cents higher than a month ago.
Meanwhile, the national price of gas rose 5.6 cents to 294 a gallon.
Gas buddies head of petroleum analysis Patrick DeHon said markets will begin reacting to this weekend's US Iran attacks which may cause immediate supply disruptions along with elevated geopolitical risk premiums.
He predicts the national price of a gallon of gas will rise above the $3 mark for the first time this year.
According to the Wisconsin Examiner, three more Wisconsin sheriffs from Dunn, Green Lake and Wallworth counties assign deals to help ice enforce immigration laws.
This brings the total to 19 of 72 counties working with federal agents through the 287G program.
Immigrant rights groups warn that the program scares people from reporting crimes and pulls local cops away from community needs.
A bill proposing roadside drug testing in Wisconsin is sparking a debate over public safety.
The proposal would allow law enforcement officers to use roadside oral fluid testing in suspected drug impaired driving cases.
Dane County Sheriff Calvin Barrett said deputies are encountering more cases involving drugs including prescription medications in addition to alcohol.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee defense attorney Andrew Mishlove says expanding roadside testing raises constitutional questions because bodily samples are considered searches.
The proposal is still in the early stages of the legislative process.
Farmers prepping to spread manure should check the runoff risk. Civic media's James Kelly reports.
With warmer weather on the horizon, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection is reminding farmers to check the runoff risk advisory forecast before spreading manure on their fields.
According to a press release, the tool is meant to help farmers and anyone else applying manure to their fields with up-to-date information on weather and soil conditions to reduce the risk of manure runoff ending up in nearby waterways.
It's updated multiple times each day and covers the state in roughly one and a half square mile grids.
A report released by the Alliance for the Great Lakes last year found that 90 percent of the nitrate contamination in the state is caused by agricultural runoff with things like manure, fertilizers, and other bio waste.
Nitrate exposure is linked to a number of negative health concerns including cancer and can contribute to toxic algae blooms in waterways.
Residents can access the runoff risk advisory forecast at runoffriskadvisory.wi.gov.
For civic media news, I'm James Kelly.
High school juniors interested in learning more about agriculture in the Badger State now have a new opportunity.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture is taking applications for its youth council through March 31st.
The group meets monthly during the school year to speak with ag leaders, explore careers, and share ideas.
15 students will be selected from across the state.
Interested students can apply online at agyouthcounsel.wi.gov.
Wisconsin goes up a notch on a list ranking the state and local tax burden for residents.
Wisconsin now ranks 34th in the nation, up one spot from last year's ranking of 35.
A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum says taxes took up about 9.8 percent to personal income.
That's a little less than a year before. The report also shows that the state's tax share is still about a percentage point below the national average.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has released a Wisconsin Food Waste Evaluation Report.
Civic Media's Melissa K breaks it down for us.
It includes recommendations to reduce food waste going to landfills as part of a statewide goal to reduce per capita food waste disposal in landfills by 50 percent by 2030.
Compared to 2020 levels.
Key findings of the report show that 88 percent of food waste going to Wisconsin landfills is from residential and food service sources, with residential contributing the largest share at 47 percent.
Infrastructure for hauling food waste to destinations other than landfills will have to expand significantly to achieve the statewide food waste reduction goal.
Of the 286 facilities licensed for composting in Wisconsin, just 30 or 10 percent are approved to accept food waste.
You can find more information on the DNR website. I'm Melissa K.
Getting your degree in three years could be a possibility in the UW system.
The Board of Regents considered revisions to a policy last week that would allow campuses to create bachelor's degrees that can be completed in three years.
These degrees would typically require 90 credits instead of the standard 120 credits. These three-year programs are on the rise nationwide.
The state journal reports that the Board of Regents will vote on the policy at a future meeting.
Only one four-year university in Wisconsin currently offers a reduced credit degree program.
For Civic Media News, I'm Lisa Hale.
For news anytime, visit our website at civicmedia.us.
The Bucks Slump continues.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports NBA.
The Bucks lost at home to the Celtics by 27 points.
The final Boston 108 Milwaukee 81.
Yannis back for the first time in six weeks.
It was a little bit rusty, but always something new in my career.
He played 25 minutes scored 19 points.
It's the Bucks in the Atlanta Hawks 830 tomorrow night at 5 serve form.
Baseball brewers with a day off before playing the Chicago Cubs tomorrow.
34-year-old Christian Yellett, remembering the first time he met Ryan Braun after joining the brewers.
First or second day of spring training coming here with the brewers for the first time nine years ago now.
I remember we were talking for a little while in the morning.
It was still dark outside and all that.
We were both headed to wherever we were going.
Obviously, it's been crazy eight years here.
You know, first eight years have been awesome.
We've won a lot of games and been a part of some cool moments and some great teams and, you know, looking forward to more.
That's the brewers Christian Yellett was sports on Mike Clemens.
Mostly cloudy today, but it will be warmer.
Our high in the low to mid 40s here this afternoon.
Tonight, partly cloudy with some fog by morning.
Our low in the mid to upper 20s that could cause the fog to frost the road.
So be aware of that tomorrow.
Mostly sunny and warmer with a high right around 50.
I mean, you're on the Gishon cable.
That's your Wisconsin Rapids news roundup from WIRI and WFHR locally grown radio.
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