Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for WRN Contributor

Monday is Snowplow Driver Appreciation Day

By

The Wisconsin DOT is reminding drivers to pay attention this winter. “Take it easy, slow down, give yourself some additional time. That is one of the best ways you can say ‘thank you’ to a snowplow driver,” WisDOT spokesman David Hunt told WTAQ. “You never know what those conditions are going to bring. You never know exactly when that road is going to be clear, but one thing is for certain; there’s going to be people out there working really long hours trying to make sure all of us stay safe.”

Hunt said driving a snowplow is essentially a year-round commitment. “If it’s not actually winter and snowing, they’re getting ready, doing training on the plow driving, preparing to try making those roads as clear as they can when those storms hit,” Hunt said “These are folks who really care deeply about public safety.”

Motorists are advised to stay at least 200 feet behind any working snowplow, and to make sure the plow’s mirrors are visible which means the plow driver can see you. It’s also important to remember that the road in front snowplows has not been treated. Hunt emphasizes the point that no vehicle is immune to winter weather.

Most traffic crashes in winter are caused by drivers going too fast for conditions. Posted speed limits only apply when travel conditions are ideal. WisDOT contracts with all 72 county highway departments for winter maintenance on state roads. Monday is Snowplow Driver Appreciation Day.

WTAQ

Identities confirmed for remains of both Diemel brothers

By

Human remains found in northwest Missouri and western Nebraska have been positively identified as two missing Shawano County brothers. (Alisa Nelson

A press release from the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Department says dental records confirm Nicholas Diemel’s remains were found on a farm in northwest Missouri. Justin Diemel’s remains were discovered in a livestock trailer recently sold to a western Nebraska rancher.

Garland Joseph Nelson is in jail without bond and has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, abandonment of a corpse, and other counts. In July, the Diemels traveled from Shawano County to Missouri for a livestock business deal.

Missourinet

Five-county Brewers stadium tax will end next year

By

It’s the bottom of the ninth for the Brewers Stadium tax. Governor Tony Evers signed a bill Wednesday to end the penny-per-dollar sales tax at the end of August next year. Shoppers in Milwaukee,

Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha and Racine counties (the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball District)  have been paying the tax since 1996. It’s raised $600 million towards the cost of the ballpark.

DNR offers ice advice to hunters

By

Deer hunters will be dealing with some challenging conditions when they hit the fields as the gun season opens Saturday. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wardens are urging them to watch out for the ice, especially if they aren’t familiar with the area.

It has been unusually cold, but the ice on ponds and marsh areas may not be thick enough and that could be dangerous. Hunters are being urged to take a “spud bar” with them to tap the ice. If it’s thick enough to walk on, it won’t crack when the hunter taps it with the metal.

Diemel remains found in Nebraska

By

A Nebraska cattleman who had purchased a used stock trailer has discovered the remains of one of the Diemel brothers from Shawano County. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office, the rancher had just purchased the trailer from a man in Missouri and had discovered a tub of dirt that the seller didn’t remove from it. The rancher dumped the tub and discovered what appeared to be human remains along with some small personal items.

The unidentified man immediately called the Sheriff’s office who investigated and confirmed the remains were human. From there they determined the remains could belong to one of the brothers.

It’s the second set of remains that have been found in connection with the investigation. Shortly after the brothers went missing it was announced that another set of remains was found on Garland “Joey” Nelson’s farm.

Nick and Justin Diemel went missing after traveling to Nelson’s farm to collect a check from a cattle deal. After they went missing their rental truck was found in a Missouri commuter lot. Nelson was initially suspected in their disappearance but it wasn’t until mid-October that officials brought formal murder charges against him.

Investigators did not say if the trailer was purchased from Nelson.

 

WSAU

Popeye’s pandemonium in MKE leads to firings

By

The owner of a Popeye’s fast-food restaurant in Milwaukee says seven employees there have been fired for fighting. Their violent actions last Wednesday were captured on cell phone video by a customer.

Witnesses said several employees of the restaurant were throwing punches, but it isn’t clear what started the fisticuffs. Police say they didn’t arrest anyone and no weapons were used. No injuries were reported and the names of the people involved haven’t been released.

DNR busts Vernon County deer poachers

By

Five men have been convicted in a major deer poaching case in Vernon County. Investigators with the Department of Natural Resources believe up to 40 deer were killed before any arrests were made.

A DNR warden told the Journal Sentinel it’s one of the biggest poaching cases she has ever handled. Warden Shawna Stringham said the five men were not hunting for food but “were just out to kill something.”

Judge rules Treu trial will be held in Chippewa County

By

Over the objections of his attorneys, the trial of a man charged for a fatal crash into a group of Girl Scouts will not be moved. Judge James Issacson determined at a motions hearing on Friday that the trial for 22-year-old Colton Treau will be heard in Chippewa County with jurors selected there, according to the Chippewa Herald.

Treu has pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide charges for the deaths of three girls and one mother. Prosecutors say Treu was high on aerosol fumes when he crashed into the Girl Scouts group picking up trash along a highway in Lake Hallie a year ago. Trial is scheduled for January 21.

Madison budget includes minder for police department

By

The City of Madison will hire someone to keep tabs on its police department. The common council passed a $340-million operating budget and a $174-million-dollar capital budget Wednesday.

City leaders helped closed an $11-million gap by enacting a new $40 local vehicle registration fee. The taxing-and-spending plan for 2020 also includes a new independent police auditor, three new police officers, affordable housing projects, and an ambulance for the under-served south-east side. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway says she plans to sign the budget without any vetoes.