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 Court proceedings are off to a rocky start again today in the trial of the man accused of killing six people at a Christmas parade in Wisconsin last year. It only took about ten minutes before Darrel Brooks, who is representing himself in the case, was removed from the courtroom.  Brooks refused to change into his suit and tie at the request of the judge.  After repeated interruptions and disruptions, he was sent to an adjacent room where he removed his shirt. 

The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Sawyer County Coroner’s Office, confirmed the identity of the victim found near the scene of the September 23, 2022 vehicle fire on River Road in the Town of Hunter. The victim has been positively identified as 75 year old William J. Smith of Antioch IL. The incident remains under investigation by the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office, the Sawyer County Coroner’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations Fire Marshalls Office.

No one is sure what to expect when prosecutors start making their case in the Waukesha Christmas Parade trial. Opening statements are supposed to begin this morning. Darrell Brooks Jr. is looking at a life sentence for the deaths of six people in that parade last year. Police say he plowed through the crowd. But Brooks has been erratic during the first days of jury selection. He is acting as his own lawyer but has been booted from the courtroom

More than a dozen kids from Manawa schools went to the hospital after a school bus crash yesterday. It happened on the way to school yesterday morning. New London Police say a cargo van smacked into the back of the bus as it was stopped at some train track on County Highway S. Thirteen kids on the bus were taken to local hospitals to be checked out. The driver of the van also went to the hospital. New London Police

The city of Eau Claire is looking at a tax hike request as a way to pay for more police officers. The city hosted a listening session last night for its nearly one-and-a-half million-dollar referendum. Police Chief Matt Rokus says Eau Claire is growing, which means more 911 calls, which means his department needs more resources. The next listening session on the referendum is scheduled for two weeks from now.

There will be sweeping changes to where some kids in La Crosse go to school no matter what voters say about a 194 million-dollar referendum next month. La Crosse superintendent Aaron Engel yesterday said Logan and Central high schools will consolidate whether the proposed tax increase passes or not. He said the district will also consolidate its junior highs. He expects the changes to roll-out over the next five to ten years. Some parents in La Crosse are not happy

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is laying out guidelines for what’s considered voter intimidation and threatening poll workers ahead of next month’s election.  The DOJ says you can’t use or threaten force to get someone to vote or influence their vote.  You also can’t threaten poll workers with death or injury, cause a public panic, or interrupt the voting process.  The DOJ says anyone who sees a person breaking these laws should call 9-1-1.

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes says he’s raised over 20-million dollars for his senate campaign.  Barnes announced today he raised all that during the third fundraising quarter this year.  Barnes is trying to unseat Senator Ron Johnson, who’s been in the senate since 2011.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to practice safety on the road.  It’s part of Pedestrian Safety Month, which aims to raise awareness of car versus pedestrian crashes.  The Department of Transportation says an average of 53 pedestrians are killed in car crashes in Wisconsin every year.  The D-O-T has more information about pedestrian safety on its website.

Madison is one of the top 20 “green” cities in the U.S. That’s according to WalletHub, which ranks Madison 17th for eco-friendliness.  Madison also ranks in the top ten for the environment and green transportation.  Milwaukee also makes the list at 51st.  WalletHub says the top green city is San Diego, California