Wisconsin Dems introduce legislation prohibiting concealed carry on Wisconsin campuses (MADISON)
Democratic state lawmakers want to prohibit concealed carry of firearms on Wisconsin’s college and university campuses. Madison Senator Kelda Roys says nobody should be living with the fear of gun violence, but certainly not young people on college campuses across the state. UW – Madison sophomore Nessa Bleill is a survivor of the Highland Park, Illinois mass shooting that killed seven people and says one should ever fear for their life in a space of growth and learning. The proposal came the same day as a shooting at Minneapolis Catholic school that killed at least two children and injured several others. The bill is unlikely to even receive a committee hearing in the Republican controlled legislature.
Evers releases nearly $19 million in infrastructure grants (UNDATED)
The Evers administration is sending nearly $19 million to communities across the state for crucial infrastructure projects. Twenty-one communities are getting funding for projects improving or repairing local roads, drainage systems, water and sewer systems, sidewalks, and other infrastructure. Governor Tony Evers says the projects are part of a federal infrastructure program that President Donald Trump plans to cut as part of his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld said the programs potentially being cut have been critical for smaller communities for a long time. A total of $18.6 million is being awarded.
Lily Peters murder trial to get change of venue (CHIPPEWA FALLS)
A high-profile Chippewa County murder trial will not be heard by a local jury. Chippewa County Judge Steven Gibbs ruled Wednesday in favor of a change of venue for the trial of Carson Peters-Berger in the death of Lily Peters. That means the case will either be heard outside Chippewa County or by a jury picked in another county. Further rulings would seal information in the case from being recorded by online records and prevent the media from showing jurors’ faces. Now 17-years-old, Peters-Berger was just 14 when he allegedly sexually assaulted and killed his 10-year-old cousin in Chippewa Falls in April of 2022. He’s charged with 1st-degree intentional homicide and two counts of sexual assault.
Skeletal remains found in empty lot (WAUTOMA)
Police in Central Wisconsin are investigating after human remains were found in an empty lot. Wautoma Police said a human skeleton was found by a person mowing and clearing a long vacant lot Tuesday afternoon. The Waushara County medical examiner and a team from the State Crime Lab were on scene to help identify the victim. The person’s name is being withheld pending notification of family. Police say there is no danger to the public.
Low wild rice harvest expected in Wisconsin
It will likely be another poor wild rice harvest in Wisconsin. Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission wild rice coordinator Kathy Smith says a combination of events contributed to the low yield on Wisconsin lakes. Everything from storms to climate change, to too many swans eating the growing rice all add up to an 18% decrease in rice growing across northern Wisconsin. There have been ongoing efforts by both the Department of Natural Resources and Great Lakes tribes to restore rice habitats over the past decade. Wild rice, also called manoomin by the Ojibwe, is a native food source unique to the Upper Midwest.