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 Melissa K.
Wisconsin Farmers Union members travel to New Orleans in early March
for the National Farmers Union 124th Anniversary Convention.
A local farmer received recognition during the event.
Hans Bretton Mosher of Merrill Wisconsin received the Bruce Miller Membership Award,
which recognizes those who display a true passion for family farming and rural America
while promoting the work of the Farmers Union.
WFU President Darren Von Ruden says Wisconsin members put a strong focus on dairy
at last year's convention.
This year a special order of business on dairy policy reform was adopted nationally.
Von Ruden said this sends a clear signal that supporting family-scale dairy farms
remains a national priority.
It's groundwater awareness week and it's a good time to know the quality of the water you drink
by getting your well water tested.
Private wells can become contaminated if bacteria are not filtered out
as the water soaks into the ground.
Insects or small rodents can also carry bacteria into wells that have inadequate caps or seals.
DNR and DHS recommend that people test their private wells at least once a year
for bacteria and nitrates in any time they notice a change in how their well water looks,
taste, or smells.
Testing for nitrates is especially important for private wells servicing pregnant women
or infants as it can cause harm if levels are too high.
The City of Wisconsin Rapids is holding their annual community tree sale.
You can order a tree for yourself or for the community.
There's a list of available trees for purchase on the Parks Department website
or the City's Facebook page.
You can also contact Sue Winch at sWinch9 at gmail.com
or by calling the Parks Department at 715-421-8240.
I'm Melissa K for WFHR-WIRI News.
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 U.S. history.
According to Evers, the new federal hemp law is projected to jeopardize $700 million
and 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 OWA 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 Kalt 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 Kalt have slightly net positive favorability ratings.
Both of them have a plus five.
Franklin says Kalt 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 plains 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 Wakashaw counties last August strike.
The O'Night Nation received the largest funding award at $300,000 to create a covert 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 Filment 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 Polycy 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 Packer Season tickets,
most wait decades for their chance to buy that 18 inches of pure aluminum pleasure.
I'm Connie Feldman for Civic Media News.
For Civic Media News, I'm Lisa Hale.
Visit our website at civicmedia.us
The crew heads to Kansas City.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports Baseball.
The brewers wrapped up their six-game homestand with an eight-to-two win over the raise.
I asked the Miz.
Jacob Mizorowski, if he feels he's grown as a starter despite giving up a home run.
Yeah, of course.
I mean, I think it shows the growth that I've come from last year.
You know, last year I wouldn't not have been able to do that.
And so it's a, you know, there's a step in the right direction with it all.
The brewers are off to a good start. They're five and one.
They'll play the royals in Kansas City tomorrow night, game time 645.
NBA, the Bucks competed, but lost to the Rockets 119-113.
Doc Rivers says he got a compliment about his young roster from one of his own former players, Kevin Durant.
I loved how unselfish this group of guys were.
I mean, Kevin Katie and I had a running dialogue through the game.
And even he made that comments and man, they're playing the right way.
That's good when you see him here in opposing players like that.
That's Doc Rivers with sports on Mike Clemens.
A little messy this morning with freezing rain and sleet, a little slushy snow mixed in.
And then as temperatures climb, we're going to change over to all rain here later today
with a high in the low 40s tonight.
More rain, some freezing rain, a little snow down to 32 tomorrow.
Partly and mostly cloudy with afternoon rain, high in the upper 40s.
I'm Getty Erologist Sean Cable.