Fox Valley men charged with price fraud in Central Wisconsin (STEVENS POINT)
Two men from the Fox Valley are accused of some fishy price swapping in Stevens Point. Cody and Brandon Forbes are accused of purchasing some three thousand dollar fish finders for about 130 bucks by altering the barcodes so the items would ring up at a cheaper price. They now face felony retail theft of more than five thousand dollars, which could mean six years in prison. Loss prevention specialists at the unnamed sporting goods store used security camera footage of the transaction to match their vehicle in the parking lot. Investigators say a similar method has been tried at stores in Hudson and Appleton, though it’s unclear if the two are suspected in those cases. The men will be in court on July 14th.
DATCP reaches settlement with CenturyLink over pricing claims (UNDATED)
The Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection reaches a settlement with an internet provider over pricing claims. CenturyLink will pay the state $450,000 to settle allegations it misrepresented monthly prices. DATCP alleges that between April 2015 and December 2017, CenturyLink advertised a promotion to “lock in” a fixed monthly subscription cost for internet services but then charged additional monthly broadband cost recovery fees. Those fees allegedly increased from $1.99 in April 2015 to $3.99 in October 2016. CenturyLink did not admit fault in the settlement.
LGBTQ+ Wisconsinites losing access to specialized Suicide and Crisis Prevention Hotline services (UNDATED)
LGBTQ+ Wisconsinites will be losing access to specialized services on the Suicide and Crisis Prevention Hotline. A Trump Administration directive states that after July 17th, people contacting the 9-8-8 number will still have access to crisis services, but there won’t be a “press three” option for the specialized line. Family Services, which administers the 9-8-8 hotline for Wisconsin, calls that deeply concerning, because LGBTQ+ individuals, especially youth, are among the most at risk for suicide. The sub-network was launched in 2022, and more than 14.5 million callers have used the line since then.
North Central Wisconsin Mayor makes pitch for city manager (WAUSAU)
Wausau Mayor Doug Diny may work himself out of a job by proposing a move to a Manager-Council form of government. Diny says other municipalities of a similar size to Wausau, such as Eau Claire and Oshkosh, have operated successfully with that style of government. Diny introduced the proposal in a letter to the editor last week and plans to assemble a task force to examine the change before presenting details to the city council. He said the change could be made with or without a voter referendum.
No trial date set for man accused in death of Elijah Vue (MANITOWOC)
No trial date has been set for one of the two people accused in the death of a toddler in Manitowoc County. An attorney for 40 year old Jesse Vang told a Manitowoc County judge Friday he’s still going over the evidence in the case. Vang is accused of child neglect causing death and several other charges in the February 2024 death of 3 year old Elijah Vue. Vang, along with Elijah’s mother Katrina Baur, is accused of abusing and neglecting the toddler who was found dead after a long search in the fall of 2024. Vang will be back for another status conference in September.
UPFRONT: State Sen Kapenga wants to wait on budget vote, prevent Gov Evers partial veto (MADISON)
State Senator Chris Kapenga says he’s not a definite no vote on the proposed state budget, but he wants changes made. The Delafield Republican tells WISN’s UPFRONT the Legislature doesn’t need to pass a budget by the end of the fiscal year, so he’s not in a hurry. He says current state law will allow the budget that’s already in place to roll over and add any needed funds to keep essential programs running. Kapenga posted on social media last week about his displeasure with both the Governor’s budget and the one being drafted by Republicans in the Joint Finance Committee. He says letting the budget roll over prevents a partial veto from Evers and keeps spending increases low.