Major apartment construction coming to Madison suburb (FITCHBURG)
A major development is coming to a Madison suburb. What used to be a quarry in Fitchburg is set to become an apartment complex and a row of retail stores. The developers of Jamestown Quarry are bringing a 273 unit apartment and 4 businesses to the area by early next year. That includes a bank, two fast food restaurants and a car wash. The developers could open up more housing on the rest of the property once the first phase of construction is complete.
Police say woman accused of animal neglect is a pet groomer (MADISON)
A Madison woman accused of serial animal neglect is a pet groomer. Madison Police say the 39-year-old woman was operating an in-home pet care business at the location where multiple dead and emaciated dogs were found last week. Police came to check on the home after two different people called to say their dogs had not been returned after receiving care. One of those dogs was among six found dead, the other one was recovered as a stray. The woman has not been formally charged, but police are recommending 14 charges of mistreatment of animals.
Body of 22-year-old missing La Cross woman recovered (BROWNSVILLE, MN)
The body of a missing La Crosse woman has been recovered. The La Crosse Police Department was informed by the Houston County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota that the body of 22-year-old Eliotte Heinz was found Wednesday morning in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota. That’s about 15 miles downriver from La Crosse, where a search had been underway since the Viterbo University graduate student went missing early Sunday morning. Police are still investigating and are waiting on results of an autopsy for an official cause of death.
Increase in harvested turkeys during spring season (UNDATED)
An increase in turkeys harvested in Wisconsin during the spring season. Preliminary numbers from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources show turkey hunters took 50,287 birds during the spring season, a 14% increase from the five-year average. The two-day youth hunt also saw a slight increase in harvested birds. The regular season was divided into six separate one-week periods, which the DNR says helped maximize hunter opportunities. More than 246,000 authorizations were available for the spring season, and hunters obtained nearly 229,000 of them.
Wisconsin launches direct payment program for childcare providers (UNDATED)
Wisconsin launches a direct payment program for childcare providers. Governor Tony Evers says the Child Care Bridge Payments Program will direct $110 million in monthly payments to providers through June of next year and help cover gaps in funding following the end of the Child Care Counts Program this month. The investment was made possible as part of more than $360 million the Democratic governor secured in the budget he negotiated with Republican lawmakers. Some Democratic lawmakers have said the amount of money secured by Evers in the budget isn’t enough.
Baldwin reintroduces Childcare for Working Families Act (WASHINGTON DC)
Senator Tammy Baldwin proposes legislation to address childcare costs. The Wisconsin Democrat says the Childcare for Working Families Act will address what she calls “the broken equation” in the childcare sector. On a Wednesday media call, Baldwin said “the free marketplace is not working for workers, who are often underpaid, or families who are being forced to pay through the roof.” Baldwin was joined on the call by Heather Murray who operates a group childcare center in Waunakee. Murray said it keeps getting harder and harder to provide quality childcare that children deserve. Without direct investment from the federal government in childcare, she said this pattern will continue. The bill is one Baldwin has introduced since 2017 and one of three bills which she says could lower costs for Wisconsin families – if they get support from Republicans.