Statewide tornado drills cancelled for Thursday (UNDATED)
There will be no statewide tornado drills on Thursday. Wisconsin Emergency Management cancelled the annual drills in light of recent severe weather that has impacted communities across Wisconsin. There will not be an alternative date for these drills. The decision comes as emergency management, local agencies, and residents are responding and recovering from the recent storms. ReadyWisconsin determined proceeding with the scheduled drills would place additional strain on already stretched resources. You’re encouraged to stay informed about tornado safety, review personal emergency plans, and remain vigilant year-round for potential severe weather and tornadoes. Resources and guidance can be found at https://readywisconsin.wi.gov/tornadoes/.
Republican lawmakers say DPI violated open meeting laws with 2024 trip to Dells (MADISON)
At the Capitol, Republican lawmakers accuse the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction of violating open meetings laws over a four‑day trip to the Wisconsin Dells last year that cost nearly four‑hundred thousand dollars. Representative Amanda Nedweski says the meetings set impactful academic standards without public input. DPI disputes the claim, saying the sessions involved educators and a private vendor — not a quorum of public officials — and that detailed records were later shared with lawmakers. The Adams County district attorney now has twenty days to decide whether to pursue an investigation.
Severe weather warnings already exceed previous record for April (MADISON)
Only halfway through April, Wisconsin has already received more than a month’s worth of severe weather. According to the State Climatology Office, the National Weather Service has issued over 150 severe weather warnings in Wisconsin so far this month. Compare that to the previous record for April in 2002 – which totaled 123 warnings for the entire month. There have also been more than 30 tornado warnings issued so far this month, eclipsing the total of 28 in all of April 2011. Wisconsin averages 1 tornado in April. The National Weather Service will conduct damage surveys in the coming days to determine where tornadoes occurred.
Third worker dies following industrial accidents at pet-food plant (JANESVILLE)
A third worker has died from injuries sustained at Janesville pet-food manufacturer NaturPAK.
The Rock County Medical Examiner says 30-year-old Gerardo Vargas Soto of Beloit died Saturday from injuries sustained during an industrial accident that occurred on February 11th. 55-year-old Roberto Martinez of Beloit died at a hospital on March 22nd, and 38-year-old Laurance Perkins of Rockford died at the hospital on March 23rd. Both men were injured during an incident on March 18th. A worker, who wished to remain anonymous in order to protect their job, says both incidents at NaturePAK were on the second floor in a room that houses 32 kettles that brew broth. Due to poor engineering, the kettles become pressurized, but lack any sort of safety mechanism that prevents them from being opened while pressurized. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.
UW researcher charged with attempting to poison lab coworker (MADISON)
A UW-Madison researcher allegedly tried to poison a coworker. According to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Dane County Court, 41-year-old Makoto Kuroda of Madison felt the coworker had disrespected him and wasn’t following lab rules. During Kuroda’s initial appearance in court, prosecutors say he put lab chemicals into his colleague’s water bottle and shoes. The colleague drank from the water bottle and noticed it had a bad taste, so he spit it out and contacted police. Kuroda reportedly used ChatGPT to help him come up with proper amounts of the chemicals to put in his coworker’s water bottle.
Beware of sketchy clean up and repair offers following severe weather (UNDATED)
Wisconsin homeowners need to beware of unscrupulous clean up and repair offers following this week’s severe weather. The Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection recommends you avoid door‑to‑door repair crews, often called “storm chasers.” Those crews may offer quick fixes but often deliver poor work—or disappear after taking money up front. DATCP urges consumers to hire established local contractors, get written contracts, and never pay before work is completed. Drivers seeking auto repairs are also advised to document everything and only approve work in writing. More info can be found on DATCP’s website.
New invasive plant spreading across Wisconsin (UNDATED)
There’s a new invasive plant you’re being asked to watch for this spring. The University of Wisconsin–Madison is warning about invasive fig buttercup spreading across the Upper Midwest. The plant appears briefly in early spring, making now the key time to spot it. Fig buttercup has heart‑shaped leaves and bright yellow flowers. Early identification is important because the window to find it is short. In Wisconsin, fig buttercup has already been found in Dane and Rock counties, as well as Walworth, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and Ashland counties.
Accused ATM thief faces charges in two counties (WAUSAU)
A Chicago man accused of stealing from a Wausau area ATM faces similar charges elsewhere. Enhnort Valero is accused of planting an electronic device in the machine that, when activated by an outside device, tricked it in coughing up cash without a corresponding, legitimate transaction. Officers received an alert from the machine about a possible breach last December, and found the 37-year-old in the parking lot of the credit unit with a computer and a stack of 20’s in his vehicle. At the time they said they would be looking into similar incidents of ATM Tampering in the area, and earlier this month two new charges were filed in Waupaca County, and more could be coming in Marathon County as well. He remains jailed on a 25 thousand dollar bond, further court action is scheduled for later this month.