Partisan finger pointing over closure of sites serving at risk veterans (MADISON)
Lack of state budget funding will force the closure of two facilities for at-risk Wisconsin veterans. Veterans Housing and Recovery Program sites in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay will close by September 3rd. Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Deputy Secretary Joey Hoey said the agency didn’t receive $1.9 million requested, after the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee voted in May to removes the funding. During budget debate in the state Senate, a Democratic amendment to restore the funding failed despite support from Republican Senator Andre Jacque. Democratic Governor Tony Evers criticized Republicans for cutting the funding, while Jacque said he wished the governor would have prioritized veterans’ assistance higher within his budget negotiations. The program offers temporary housing, training and other support services to veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The services will continue to be available at the Veterans Affairs location in Union Grove in Racine County. The Republican co-chairs of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee accuse Evers of looking for scapegoats, and say the budget provides over $40 million to support new and existing veterans programs, including a 15% increase to the Housing and Recovery Program.
Failing bridge over Mississippi River to be demolished this fall (LANSING, IOWA)
Crews will remove a failing bridge over the Mississippi River in southwest Wisconsin this fall. The bridge at Lansing, Iowa is the only connection for 60 miles but must be demolished to continue work on a replacement. Iowa D-O-T engineer Clayton Burke (BERK) says the old bridge is just too close to the new bridge to let it stay in place. Construction on the new bridge had to be halted several times due to shifting supports.
Milwaukee bans sales of delta-8 and delta-10 THC products to minors (MILWAUKEE)
Milwaukee bans sale of hemp derivatives to minors. An ordinance passed Tuesday prohibits sale of any products with THC Delta eight and Delta Ten to anyone under age 21. The Milwaukee Common Council acted after two children ate some Delta eight gummies at a convenience store last year and got sick. Wisconsin and federal laws do not cover the sales of those chemicals, and their sale was previously entirely legal in the city. The new ordinance does not apply to non-intoxicating C B D products.
10-year-old accused of arson in Milwaukee area Walmart fire (FRANKLIN)
A ten-year-old is accused of starting a fire at a Milwaukee area Walmart. Fox 6 Milwaukee reports the fire started Monday night at a Franklin Walmart. Store video shows shelves engulfed in flames before fire suppression systems kicked in. Damage estimates could reach several million dollars. The boy is being referred to Milwaukee County juvenile justice on arson charges.
Researchers find unexpected shipwreck in Fox River (OSHKOSH)
A new shipwreck is discovered in Oshkosh during a search for another sunken vessel. Members of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Maritime Preservation Program and Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Program teamed up this spring to search the Fox River for the wreck of the “Berlin City”. That led to the discovery of a partially-buried hull. That hull belonged to the “L-W Crane”–a wooden steamer that burned and sank in 1880 at the slip of the St. Paul Railroad in Oshkosh. The Wisconsin Historical Society says the “L-W Crane” was built in Berlin in 1865 and transported passengers and freight between Green Bay and Oconto. Research into the “Crane” and other shipwrecks in the Fox River is ongoing.
Wisconsin State Patrol teaming up with truck and bus drivers this week (UNDATED)
Drivers on Wisconsin highways may notice something a little different this week. Wisconsin State Patrol troopers will be riding along with semitruck and bus drivers across the state as part of an initiative to curtail risky driving. Troopers will use the higher vantage point to look for behaviors including distracted driving, speeding, following too closely and seatbelt violations. When a trooper identifies a violation, they’ll reach out to patrol cars in the area to take appropriate action. The “Trooper in a Truck” initiative is a partnership between the State Patrol and the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association.
Wisconsin joins multi-state opioid settlement (UNDATED)
Wisconsin joins a $720 million settlement against opioid drug makers. Attorney General Josh Kaul and forty-five other attorneys general have reached an agreement requiring eight opioid manufacturers to make payments. Kaul says that would amount to about $12 million for Wisconsin to combat the opioid epidemic. The settlement hasn’t been finalized, and there will be a sign-on period for local governments. In March, Kaul announced an opioid settlement with Kroger, which he said would bring $21.8 million to the state.