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 judicially 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. Governor Tony Evers sent a letter to Wisconsin's
congressional delegation this week urging them to revise the new federal hemp law, which
bans the sale of most hemp products in the United States starting in November of 2026.
It was passed as part of the plan to reopen the federal government last year after the
longest federal government shutdown in US history. According to Evers, the new federal
hemp law is projected to jeopardize $700 million in economic impact for the state and nearly
3,500 jobs in Wisconsin. The impacts of the new federal hemp bill will be further intensified
in Wisconsin due to the fact that Wisconsin has not yet legalized medical or recreational
marijuana. The growing of hemp has become a strong diversification option for Wisconsin farmers
and as of November 2025, Wisconsin had 470 federally licensed hemp producers. Meanwhile, a bill
that would allow Wisconsin law enforcement agencies to conduct roadside drug tests is on
Governor Tony Evers' desk for consideration. Civic Media's James Kelly reports.
If signed into law, the legislation would allow law enforcement authorities to conduct
a saliva test while investigating potential operating while intoxicated violations. Like
the use of a preliminary breath test during OWI investigations, the result that the scene
could not be used as evidence but would allow law enforcement authorities to require a blood
test be taken to confirm or deny that result. The saliva test will be able to detect substances
like marijuana, methamphetamines, and certain opiates because the test would not be admissible
evidence in court, law enforcement authorities would also be required to dispose of the samples
taken during their investigation. Governor Evers has previously expressed his intent to sign
the bill into law but it will still take some time for law enforcement authorities to train and
test the new tool before it can be widely used. For Civic Media News, I'm James Kelly.
13 people could face criminal charges tied to the failed recall of Wisconsin assembly speaker
Robin Voss two years ago. Officials say those who tried to oust Voss allegedly listed fake
addresses on petition forms and other submitted signatures from people who didn't actually sign
but the state's election commission ruled that there's not enough proof that organizer Matt
Snorick or the recall committee violated the law. The committee is recommending charges to the
Racine County District Attorney's Office which will decide whether to take the matter any further.
One of the partisan races coming up in November of 2026 as a repeat, the 2022 election.
In 2022, Attorney General Josh Cald narrowly defeated fondle at county district attorney
Eric Tony. This year Tony seeks to unseat the two-term incumbent again. The latest Marquette law
school poll finds that 10 months before the election voters view both candidates favorably.
Poll Director Charles Franklin. We love us some Attorney General candidates. I exaggerate a
little bit but not hugely. Both Eric Tony and Josh Cal have slightly net positive
favorability ratings. Both of them have a plus five. Franklin says Cal is the better known of
the candidates with 56% of poll respondents saying they had no opinion of him. That's compared to
75% with no opinion of Tony. The most recent Marquette poll was conducted between February 11th
and February 19th with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3. Governor Tony Evers and the
Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs have announced $2 million in grant funding to bolster
flood resilience across the state. Civic Media's James Kelly has the story. According to a press release,
the funding through the pre-disaster flood resilience grant program is meant to help communities
identify and mitigate flood vulnerabilities with strategies like reconnecting streams and flood
planes or reducing erosion hazards. Two types of grant funding were made available through the program,
one for assessing vulnerabilities and one to implement the mitigation methods.
The goal is to naturally manage flooding before disasters like in Milwaukee,
Washington and Waukesha counties last August strike. The O'Nighted Nation received the largest
funding award at $300,000 to create a culvert inventory and study water flow and hydraulic structure.
The City of Madison, Ozaki County and City of Stevens Point also received significant funding
awards of over $200,000. For Civic Media News, I'm James Kelly. How much will it cost to see the
Packers play? Civic Media's County Film and has that answer. The price to see the Packers play
has gone up for this season. The team announced the new pricing on Friday, depending on where you
sit in the bowl, you'll be paying between $4 and $22 more per ticket. Packers president and CEO
Ed Policie said the ticket prices for a game at Lambo are around the middle of the NFL's
pricing range. With the new increases, base value prices for regular season tickets are between
$143 and $196. Pre-season tickets are cheaper, but tickets sold through a third-party ticket broker
can be substantially higher. Packers fans don't seem to be priced out, though, with more than
155,000 people on the waiting list to buy Packers' season tickets, most wait decades for their
chance to buy that 18 inches of pure aluminum pleasure. I'm Connie Filman for Civic Media News.
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 lose to the Atlanta
Hawks in Milwaukee, the final 131 to 113. The Bucks have now lost four in a row by a combined 97
points. What's next? Doc Rivers. We may have to play different guys. We may have to go bigger,
because right now we're giving up too many points, too easy. We've changed schemes five different
times that the change may be going bigger and maybe take a more offense off the floor. College
hoops. The Wisconsin Badgers. Cruised past the Maryland Terrapins, 78-45 at the Cole Center,
but concerned for Badgers Nolan Winters, who headed to the locker room with an ankle injury.
Braden Carrington, 18 points, including four three-pointers,
Marquette with a win at Providence, 78-56, the Golden Eagles now 11-19. UWM season comes to an end.
They lose at Detroit Mercy, 84-63 in the first round of the Horizon League, with Sports,
Mama Clemens. Partly to mostly cloudy today with a high in the mid to upper 40s this afternoon,
tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low dropping down to around 35, and then tomorrow,
cloudy with rain likely are high in the mid-50s. I mean, yourologist Sean Cable.
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