A Southeast Minnesota man is fighting for his life following a shooting at a rural western Wisconsin bar.

 Winona, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Southeast Minnesota man is fighting for his life following a shooting at a rural western Wisconsin bar. 

The suspect fled from the scene and multiple law enforcement agencies initiated a search effort that involved the use of K-9’s and a drone. 

The suspected shooter was later captured on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi River. 

Winona Man Fighting for His Life Following Shooting at Wisconsin Bar, Suspect Caught

A news release issued by the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office says the shooting occurred at George’s Lounge, which is across the Mississippi River from Winona in the Town of Buffalo. 

The victim, described as a 33-year-old Winona man, was found to have been suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. 

He was taken to a hospital for treatment of the wound, which authorities described as life-threatening. 

After launching a manhunt, The Winona Police Department captured the suspect in Winona. He has been identified as 39-year-old Damien Winn of Winona. 

Winn was arrested on suspicion of First-Degree Attempted Homicide on behalf of the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office. 

To continue reading this story Please CLICK HERE

Dairy Queen Is Bringing Back One of Its Most Popular Treats

 

When it comes to Dairy Queen, I tend to fixate on the Blizzard menu, but I love a good dipped cone, too. We thought we just got the best dipped-cone news possible with the announcement of the new spring cone dip flavor, but we had no clue something even more exciting was around the corner. Folks, the cherry-dipped cone is coming back. 

Dairy Queen Is Bringing Back the Cherry Dipped Cone

Last year, fans were heartbroken when Dairy Queen discontinued the nostalgic dipped cone flavor. Commenters on social media claimed, "This is the worst day of my life." Luckily for them, a Dairy Queen spokesperson who spoke with Today.com confirmed that the Cherry Dipped Cone is officially back. 

According to the spokesperson, “We know our fans love the Cherry Dipped Cone, and we’re excited to bring this sweet offering back for a limited time at participating locations.”

Commenters on Instagram are excited about the return, saying, "I am very excited! They need to never be discontinued or limited time ever again," and, "These are my favorite! Can't wait!" Others called it "a childhood favorite" on another post.

That said, there's no guarantee how long the flavor will stick around. The DQ spokesperson said, "We are always innovating our menus to showcase delicious new and fan-favorite flavors for our iconic dipped cone." We know what we'll be eating all summer long (or as long as we can!). And if all else fails, there's always the chocolate-dipped cone.

Story Source: Allrecipes or please CLICK HERE

Super Buffet thanks community with free food and drinks on Easter (Lacrosse, WI)

 

Super buffet in La Crosse is open Sunday and is offering special deals to families that come.

Christine Chen shared on Facebook Saturday night that her parents would be opening their restaurant on Easter.

She said her parents recognize that Easter is a holiday for families and to thank the community for their support, will be offering free meals to children 8 and under in addition to free drinks for all guests.  

In February, Chen shared her family's story on Facebook after seeing a post that questioned what the building was being used for. Her post led to an influx of support and business from the community. 

Chen provided an update thanking the community for their support and sharing that the restaurant has hired someone to help in the kitchen. 

Super Buffet will be open Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

Story Source: (WKBT) News8000 or please CLICK HERE

City Brewery workers take strike vote Wednesday and Thursday

 

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) - Workers at the City Brewery in La Crosse are considering a strike against the company. 

According to union posters, there's a strike vote on Wednesday and Thursday this week. 

Union members of Teamsters Local 695 and City Brewing Company are in discussions over a new work agreement. 

About 500 people work at the brewery in La Crosse.

In 2023, Pabst announced plans to move most of its production to the brewery.

News 19 has reached out to both union leadership and management from City Brewery for comment but haven't received a reply. 

Story Source: WXOW 19 or please CLICK HERE

Gov. Tony Evers signs and vetoes legislation addressing elections ahead of April primary

 

MADISON (WKOW) -- Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed off on a series of bipartisan bills expected to ramp up the state's election administration and processes.

A proposal signed into law on Thursday bars a municipality from closing more than half of its polling locations within 30 days of an election. The bill also requires a governing agency, such as the City Council or Village Board, and the municipal clerk's approval to close a polling place.

Clerks would need to post a public notice of the closures through various channels to ensure that residents have been notified that a polling location is no longer operational. Residents would also have the opportunity to weigh in through a public hearing if a municipality decides to close a polling site.

The proposal comes in response to the April 2020 primary, where cities like Green Bay and Milwaukee significantly reduced the number of polling sites voters could access to just 5 locations in Milwaukee and 2 locations in Green Bay at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill's lead author, Senator André Jacque (R-DePere), says the passage of this legislation will help to ensure more transparency around the state's elections and help expand access for voters to exercise their right to vote.

"Anytime that you see, in Green Bay's case, more than 30 polling locations, reduced to people waiting in line for hours to be able to exercise their right to vote, being there in line 'til after midnight or not even being able to get to the bathroom," Jacque said." It obviously is a significant disenfranchisement and concern."

With the April primary just one week away, lawmakers are also taking action to safeguard the state's elections by establishing additional protections for election workers and clerks.

Evers also signed off on a proposal that would give election officials whistleblower protection if they lawfully reported cases of election irregularities or fraud. The bill also prohibits the disclosure of personally identifiable information of election officials and makes the intentional harming of any election worker a felony.

"When you have a volunteer-driven process, like voting on Election Day, we have a lot of dedicated volunteers around the state and they need to know that when they are doing their job to the best of their abilities, that they are not going to, suffer harm, and have to deal with any of the negative repercussions there," Jacque said.

The Senate voted to pass the bipartisan legislation 31 -1 after the Assembly unanimously approved the bill on a voice vote.

Jacque says while he's proud to see lawmakers from both sides prioritizing election integrity, he was discouraged that the governor chose to veto a separate proposal requiring the state's nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau to review how it administers its general elections.

"Very disappointed that the governor chose to disregard the recommendations of the Legislative Audit Bureau and make sure that we do have faith in the electoral process by making sure that our election administration procedures are really following the way that everybody would intend," Jacque said.

Governor Evers said in a statement he vetoed the proposal because he objects to delegating important election responsibilities to retirement home and residential care employees with limited training in election procedure.

Evers also objected to any additional barriers to voter access, including prohibiting clerks from fixing technical errors or minor mistakes on absentee ballots.

Story Source: WXOW 19 or please CLICK HERE

Truck driver charged with criminally negligent homicide in fatal Texas school bus crash

BASTROP, Texas:

The driver of a cement truck that veered into oncoming traffic and hit a school bus carrying more than 40 pre-K students was arrested Friday and charged with criminally negligent homicide.
Jerry Hernandez, 42, was arrested at a residence in Bastrop County without incident, said Sgt. Deon Cockrell of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Criminally negligent homicide is punishable by up to two years in jail, and a fine of up to $10,000. Bastrop County online records do not show if Hernandez has an attorney.
The March 22 collision killed 5-year-old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, who was on the bus, and Ryan Wallace, 33, who was driving another vehicle that was hit by the truck.
Video from a bus dashboard camera released by the Hays Consolidated Independent School district showed the truck suddenly veer across the double-yellow line on a rural highway. The bus moved to avoid a head-on collision before it was struck and rolled, crumpling the roof.
Four people were airlifted from the crash site in critical condition, and six more with serious injuries were taken by ambulance to hospitals. The bus was carrying 11 adults as well as the children.
The school district said the bus did not have seat belts.

Story Source: WEAU 13 News or please CLICK HERE

Wisconsin Eatery Named The 'Most Expensive' Restaurant In The State

 

Everyone loves a good deal, especially when it comes to finding a memorable meal at a fraction of the price of a fine-dining establishment. However, every once in a while you may want to splurge on a deliciously decadent meal.

LoveFood searched around the country for some incredible restaurants where dining in may cost a pretty penny but it is well worth the price tag, basing its picks on "the priciest main course or tasting menu, and avoiding spots with just one very expensive dish."

According to the site, the most expensive restaurant in all of Wisconsin is Carnevor, a premiere steakhouse in Milwaukee where Executive Chef Mario Giuliani "creates an impressive menu artfully connecting classic steakhouse favorites with modern flare and flavors," per its website. Carnevor is located at 718 N. Milwaukee Street.

Here's what the site had to say about Wisconsin's most expensive restaurant:

"There's steak, and then there's steak . Carnevor serves the latter, and diners pay top dollar for it. The priciest on the menu is, unsurprisingly, the Japanese wagyu A5 filet mignon, at a vertiginous $168. And that's before you've added posh sides, sauces, and luxurious toppings like foie gras or king crab. You can also order a dry-aged rib-eye, big enough to share, for $125."

Check out the full list at lovefood.com to see more of the most expensive restaurants around the country.

Story Source: NEWS BREAK Local News or please CLICK HERE

Wisconsin hospitals close their doors ( Sacred Heart, St. Joseph's now closed )

 

The Chippewa Valley's two HSHS hospitals are officially closed as of Friday. 

Around 7 a.m., there was an emotional signoff over the local emergency scanner, where the ER thanked EMS, fire, and law enforcement partners for their commitment to Sacred Heart patients.

They also thanked the staff of Sacred Heart for their companionate care, saying "wherever the path may lead you, please fulfill your mission." 

On social media, Sacred Heart shared that they are now permanently closed. 

"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the patients and community members our hospitals have been privileged to serve. HSHS is deeply grateful and proud of how our colleagues have fulfilled Hospital Sisters’ healing mission here for more than 140 years," the post read. 

Story Source: WXOW News 18 or please CLICK HERE

Department Store Chain That Went Bankrupt 20 Years Ago Is Now Coming Back

 

In the past year, shoppers saw many of their favorite retailers close for good. Bed, Bath & Beyond, Tuesday Morning, Christmas Tree Shops and The Body Shop declared bankruptcy and shut down all of their locations, never to open again. Back in 2002, Ames Department Stores did it as well, shuttering its remaining 327 locations forever... or so everyone thought. Now, 22 years later, the chain is looking to make a comeback.

On their website, Ames has announced plans to open 35 new locations across the country, with the first ones ready for business by June of 2026 and all of them open by late 2027. From there, they plan to open even more in 2028. While details on where the stores will be located hasn't been released, the chain promises the "same great prices, better quality," with Ames Cafes at all locations and pharmacies at some as well. There will also be seven distribution centers opening near the new locations to handle deliveries for orders made from their new website.

As for what products they will sell, that hasn't been revealed, but decades ago they were a destination for clothing, shoes, furniture, jewelry, electronics and toys.

Plans to bring the brand back were originally set for 2023, but due to a shake-up of the board of directors over alleged mismanagement, the timeline was pushed back. Keep an eye on their website, AmesStores.com, for updates.

Story Source: Elvis Duran And The Morning Show or please CLICK HERE

Powerball winners in Fond du Lac and Greenwood, Wisconsin

 

-Madison, Wisconsin:

While the Powerball jackpot is swelling, two winning $50,000 Powerball tickets were purchased from Wisconsin retailers for the Saturday, March 23, 2024, drawing.

The $50,000 winning tickets were sold at Kwik Trip on S. Main Street in Greenwood and at Metro Quick Mart on S. Main Street in Fond du Lac. Both tickets matched four of five numbers (6-23-25-34-51) plus the Powerball (3).

The estimated $800 million Powerball jackpot has been climbing since the beginning of the year. The jackpot was last hit on New Year's Day in Michigan by a ticket that won an $842.4 million jackpot.

2 huge prizes available

The Powerball jackpot is not the only colossal lotto prize in play this week. The estimated Mega Millions jackpot for the Tuesday drawing is $1.1 billion. It is the first time Powerball and Mega Millions simultaneously have advertised jackpots at $800 million or above.

Between Powerball and Mega Millions, the advertised jackpots are a combined $1.9 billion. The combined advertised jackpots have only been higher two times before:

1. $2,220,000,000$1.6 billion – Mega Millions advertised jackpot – 10/23/2018$620 million – Powerball advertised jackpot – 10/24/2018
2. $1.6 billion – Mega Millions advertised jackpot – 10/23/2018$620 million – Powerball advertised jackpot – 10/24/2018
3. $2,054,000,000$1.9 billion – Powerball advertised jackpot – 11/7/2022$154 million – Mega Millions advertised jackpot – 11/8/2022
4. $1.9 billion – Powerball advertised jackpot – 11/7/2022$154 million – Mega Millions advertised jackpot – 11/8/2022

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1:292,201,338 and the odds of winning a $50,000 Powerball prize are 1:913,130.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1:302,575,350.

To check if your ticket is a winner, players can go to wilottery.com or use the Wisconsin Lottery mobile app, available on the App Store or Google Play. 

Story Source: FOX 6 Milwaukee Local News or please CLICK HERE

Millions of Americans could soon lose home internet access if lawmakers don’t act

 

Every week, Cynthia George connects with her granddaughter and great-grandson on video calls. The 71-year-old retiree reads the news on her MSN homepage and googles how to fight the bugs coming from her drain in Florida’s summer heat. She hunts for grocery deals on her Publix app so that her food stamps stretch just a little further.

But the great-grandmother worries her critical lifeline to the outside world could soon be severed. In fact, she fears she might soon have to make a difficult choice: Buy enough food to feed herself — or pay her home internet bill.

George is one of millions of Americans facing a little-known but fast-approaching financial cliff, a catastrophe that policy experts say is preventable but only if Congress acts, and quickly.

By as soon as May, more than 23 million US households risk being kicked off their internet plans or facing skyrocketing bills that force them to pay hundreds more per year to get online, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The looming disaster could affect nearly 1 in 5 households nationwide, or nearly 60 million Americans, going by Census Bureau population estimates.

Such broad disruptions to internet access would affect people’s ability to do schoolwork, to seek and do jobs, to visit their doctors virtually or refill prescriptions online, or to connect to public services, widening the digital divide between have and have-nots and potentially leading to economic instability on a massive scale.

‘I have to account for every penny’

The crisis is linked to a critical government program expected to run out of funding at the end of April. Known as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the benefit provides discounts on internet service valued at up to $30 per month to qualifying low-income households, or up to $75 per month for eligible recipients on tribal lands.

Lawmakers have known for months about the approaching deadline. Yet Congress is nowhere close to approving the $6 billion that President Joe Biden says would renew the ACP and avert calamity for tens of millions of Americans.

This past week, congressional leaders missed what advocates say was the last, best legislative opportunity for funding the ACP: The 11th-hour budget deal designed to avert a government shutdown. The bill text released this week includes no money for the program, heightening the odds of an emergency that will plunge millions into financial distress just months before the pivotal 2024 election.

Now, with time running out for the ACP, the FCC has been forced to begin shutting down the program — halting new signups and warning users their benefits are about to be suspended.

“Because of political gameplay, about 60 million Americans will have to make hard choices between paying for the internet or paying for food, rent, and other utilities, widening the digital divide in this country,” said Gigi Sohn, a former top FCC official. “It’s embarrassing that a popular, bipartisan program with support from nearly half of Congress will end because of politics, not policy.”

Without the aid, low-income Americans like George would be priced out of home internet service. The prospect of losing a critical lifeline to the modern economy has put ACP subscribers on edge. Many tell CNN they are irate at Congress for letting them down and, through inaction, taking away a basic, essential utility.

“My grandkids, they make fun of me,” George said with a chuckle. “They say I’m cheap. I go, ‘No, Grandma’s thrifty.’ I don’t have any choice; I have to account for every penny. And this would mean that that food bill would have to be cut down. There’s no place else I would be able to take it from.”

Military families, older Americans and rural residents most at risk

The ACP has quickly gained adoption since Congress created the program in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. It is overwhelmingly popular with both political parties, surveys show.

Military families account for almost half of the ACP’s subscriber base, according to the White House and an outside survey backed by Comcast.

More than a quarter of ACP users live in rural areas, the same survey said, with roughly 4 in 10 enrolled households located in the southern United States alone. As many as 65% of respondents said they feared losing their job without the ACP; 3 out of 4 said they worry about losing online health care services, and more than 80% said they believe their kids would fall behind in school.

Large swaths of the ACP’s user base trend older; Americans over 65 account for almost 20% of the program. And as many as 10 million Americans who use the program are at least age 50.

To continue reading please CLICK HERE