DNR issues air quality advisory until 6:00 AM Saturday (UNDATED)
Wisconsin is under an air quality advisory due to Canadian wildfire smoke. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued the advisory Friday morning through 6:00 AM Saturday. The Air Quality Index is at the unhealthy orange level for sensitive groups, with potential to reach the unhealthy red level. Sensitive groups should make outdoor activities shorter and less intense with frequent breaks. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath. People with asthma should follow your asthma action plan and keep quick relief medicine handy. Symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue may indicate a serious problem for those with heart disease. If you have any of these, contact your healthcare provider. The latest information is available on the DNR website.
Judge Dugan moves for dismissal of charges in ICE obstruction case (MILWAUKEE)
Attorneys for the Milwaukee County judge charged with interfering with immigration agents say she is immune from prosecution. Attorney Dean Strang argues in a brief filed Thursday that Judge Hannah Dugan is protected by 400 years of legal precedent, and that a judge has absolute authority in her own courtroom. The brief states that Dugan’s arrest by the F B I is a federal overreach and a violation of the 10th Amendment which lays out states’ rights to their own governance. Federal prosecutors accuse Dugan of assisting a man sought by I C E in eluding agents by preventing them from entering her courtroom and sending the man out another exit.
Rock County deer farm tests positive for CWD (UNDATED)
A southern Wisconsin deer farm tests positive for Chronic Wasting Disease. The state Department of Agriculture reports CWD was detected in a doe at a game farm in Rock County. The farm has been placed under quarantine and monitoring, and staff from the USDA and DATCP will be on site to examine the rest of the animals. C W D is a fatal illness of the nervous system that kills deer, elk and moose and is most commonly transmitted through close contact between animals.
14 men charged in SE Wisconsin drug trafficking investigation (MILWAUKEE)
More than a dozen men are federally charged with drug trafficking and immigration offenses in southeastern Wisconsin. The charges are part of a long-running investigation by federal agencies and Milwaukee area police and sheriffs’ departments. Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Richard G. Frohling announced that thirteen of the fourteen individuals have been arrested following execution of search warrants in Wisconsin and California. All are charged with narcotics trafficking, including fentanyl and cocaine, and two are charged with illegal reentry after removal from the U.S. According to the criminal complaint, between approximately March 2023 and the present, the defendants conspired to possess and distribute drugs. Convictions for the narcotics trafficking charges carry maximum penalties of forty years to life in prison depending on the specific offense.
Ratepayer group raises concerns after PSC approves new gas fired power plants (MADISON)
Concerns are raised following state Public Service Commission approval of two new natural gas fired power plants in southeast Wisconsin. The PSC signed off last week on the WE Energies plants, part of a two-billion-dollar project to respond to expected increases in energy demand from new AI data centers. Tom Content is with the Citizens Utility Board representing utility customers. Content says if that data center income doesn’t pan out, residential and small business ratepayers could be saddled with costs. We Energies expects to begin work on the plants in Oak Creek and Kenosha County next year, part of a more than $2 billion plan to invest in natural gas infrastructure in response to expected increases in energy demand in southeast Wisconsin, much of it driven by data centers which require large amounts of power. Environmental groups are concerned too, although the gas plant proposed for Oak Creek would be less polluting than the coal fired WE Energies units it would replace.
Man charged after 6-year-old shoots self (MADISON)
A Madison man is charged in connection to a shooting that left a child injured earlier this week. Madison police say 34-year-old Zeyheari Powell left his gun unattended on Monday morning when a 6-year-old got ahold of it and shot himself in the eye. Powell is the boyfriend of the boy’s mother. Medical staff describe the child’s condition as stable, but with a serious prognosis. Powell was charged Wednesday in Dane County Court with child neglect, resulting in great bodily harm. His attorney says this was an unfortunate accident.
You can’t go wrong with the Wisconsin classics for a summer vacation, says Sec. Sayers (UNDATED)
If you’re looking for some summer travel plans, you can’t go wrong with the classics. Wisconsin Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers says there’s a reason Door County is such a popular destination. She says it’s packed with culinary and cultural surprises, and is an easy way to spend a weekend. Sayers says a trip to the Wisconsin Dells is just as fun, with unique shopping and dining and access to all those fantastic water parks. You can find out more, including planning a trip, online at Travel Wisconsin dot com.