FEMA teams to begin flood damage assessments (MILWAUKEE)
With FEMA teams expected on the ground to assess flood damage, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley wants residents to feel comfortable but also to exercise caution. Crowley said anyone showing up at a home to assess damage will introduce themselves and will provide official credentials. Crowley said FEMA won’t request personal information or money, and noted that vulnerable people are at risk of being scammed following natural disasters. Cassandra Libal directs the county’s Office of Emergency Management. She explained that while damage to public infrastructure is about $34 million, any estimate of damage to private property would be speculative until FEMA completes its assessments. She said the process could last into next week and noted FEMA will also be assessing flood damage in other communities in southeast Wisconsin. FEMA assessments will help determine Wisconsin’s eligibility for federal disaster assistance in the wake of historic flooding earlier this month.
Evers sidesteps Republican committee in implementing new regulations (MADISON)
Governor Tony Evers is moving to implement new state rules without having to deal with a Republican controlled legislative committee. Wispolitics reports Evers sent a letter to his cabinet secretaries last week citing a ruling from the state Supreme Court that the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules could no longer put a hold on any proposed regulations from the Governor. J C R A R had long stopped any rulesmaking process on proposals from state agencies, indefinitely putting any discussion of the rules on hold. Now, the committee will have 60 days to review and take action on a proposed rule. The Legislative Reference Bureau is looking over 28 rules that have been delayed to see if they are ready to be implemented.
Tiffany wants DOJ to force Northwoods tribe to pay restitution for blocking roads (LAC DU FLAMBEAU)
A Wisconsin congressman wants to force the Lac du Flambeau tribe to pay back money collected during a standoff over road access. 7th District Republican Tom Tiffany sent a letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi this week calling for the Department of Justice to secure reimbursement for the Town of Lac Du Flambeau. The tribe cut off access to a group of private properties on tribal land in 2023 by blockading roads and demanding restitution after an easement for the roads expired. This month a federal judge sided with the Town in the dispute, saying the tribal roads were listed as public in the federal register. Tiffany calls the 600-thousand dollars the tribe collected an “illegal shakedown.” Lac du Flambeau leaders say they’re considering their option to defend their treaty rights.
La Crosse men face charges for allegedly torturing 3-year-old (WINONA, MN)
Charges have been filed against two La Crosse men accused of torturing a 3-year-old boy in Minnesota. Jalil Wilson and Atzavesta Raymon Williams each face a child torture charge in Winona County Minnesota. Prosecutors say both men were seen in videos of a child being tortured. 20-year-old Winona resident Joseline Puente Gundersen was arrested for the same incident, which police became aware of after Gundersen’s coworkers reported she had shown them the videos. In the videos, the child’s wrists and ankles were bound together and his mouth was covered by duct tape. It’s alleged that Williams put the duct tape on the child and Wilson scared the child while wearing a blanket and clown mask.
Madison man convicted of 7th OWI in Rock County (JANESVILLE)
A Rock County jury finds a 45-year-old Madison man guilty of seventh offense operating while intoxicated. Ronald Williamson was also convicted of operating with a prohibited alcohol content, obstructing an officer, and three counts of bail jumping. The Rock County District Attorney’s office says Williamson was on extended supervision for his fifth OWI, and out on bail for his sixth OWI when a Janesville Police officer observed him stopped at a stop light in the wrong lane. When the officer initiated a traffic stop Williamson switched places with his girlfriend and claimed that she was the one who was driving. Williamson faces a minimum of three years and a maximum of 30 years in the Wisconsin State Prison System at sentencing on November 19th.
Trial for man accused of killing UWW gymnast delayed (WHITEWATER)
The trial for a man accused of killing a University of Wisconsin Whitewater gymnast is delayed. The Walworth County Court trial for 24-year-old Chad Richards was scheduled to take place in December but is now scheduled for June of next year. Richards has pleaded not guilty to first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of 21-year-old Kara Welsh. He’s accused of shooting Welsh eight times at an off-campus apartment in August of last year. Richards claims he and Welsh got into a fight and Welsh grabbed his handgun from a nightstand. Richards says he then wrestled the gun away from Welsh and shot her because he feared for his life. He’s currently being held on a $1 million cash bond.
Godlewski launches bid for lieutenant governor (UNDATED)
Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski has launched a bid for lieutenant governor. Godlewski, a Democrat, was elected state treasurer in 2018 after leading a coalition opposed to eliminating the office. Godlewski says she’s running for the office because she wants to be a part of a team that’s not only going to win, but that is going to deliver for Wisconsin. She ran briefly for U.S. Senate in 2022 and has been Secretary of State since being appointed by Democratic Governor Tony Evers in 2023 following the retirement of Doug La Follette.
Man who faked his death to be sentenced (GREEN LAKE)
A sentencing date is next week for a Wisconsin man who faked his death a year ago. Prosecutors say 45-year-old Ryan Borgwardt staged a kayaking accident last August on Big Green Lake, leaving behind his wife and kids and running off to be with another woman in Eastern Europe. After faking his death, he went to Canada and then flew to Paris. From there, Borgwardt took up residency in the nation of Georgia. He willingly returned to the U.S. in December after running out of money. Borgwardt is charged in Green Lake County with misdemeanor obstruction. A plea and sentencing hearing is on Tuesday, August 26th.
Police officer accused in abuse of infant son (PORTAGE)
A Portage police officer is accused of abusing his infant son. 32-year-old Cameron Coronado is charged in Columbia County Court with physical abuse of child. According to the criminal complaint, Coronado shoved a pacifier down his 6-month-old son’s throat earlier this month, leading to the child being hospitalized. In a separate incident in July, the complaint says Coronado threatened to “kill these f***ing kids” if the child did not stop crying. Coronado is on paid administrative leave as the investigation continues. He has been a police officer in Portage since 2018.
Van Orden helps 11-year-old crash victim (OSCEOLA IOWA)
A Wisconsin congressman aided in a roadside rescue over the weekend. Representative Derrick Van Orden was involved in the rescue of an 11-year-old boy near Osceola, Iowa on Saturday. The 3rd District Republican told news outlets that he and his wife were driving on Interstate 35 when he observed a minivan crash into a semi-truck on the side of the road, a crash he described as horrific and gruesome. Van Orden, a former Navy Seal, said he parked his car and ran to the scene, where an 11-year-old boy was severely injured and bleeding. Van Orden, assisted by others, used socks from his luggage to apply tourniquets to stop the bleeding. The boy was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital where Van Orden visited him on Monday and said he was thanked by the boy’s father.