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The coolest thing made in Wisconsin is a 140-ton crane on a barge.  Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce yesterday said the crane from Broadwind Heavy Fabrications in Manitowoc is the winner of their Coolest Things Made in Wisconsin contest. The crane beat out Kwik Trip’s glazers, an engine from Mercury Marine, and a rope shovel from Cat. In all, WMC says more than 210-thousand votes were cast during the contest.

A quick change scam usually works like this, a scammer buys something small then confuses a cashier by asking for change with a 100 dollar bill, and eventually walks away with more money than they were owed. Police in Menomonie are looking for two men who they say pulled a quick change scam at two gas stations in town. Police are warning businesses to be on the look-out.

The latest plan to get tougher on catalytic converter thieves involves a paper trail, not more jail time. State Rep. Clint Moses’ plan would require scrap metal dealers in Wisconsin to ask for proof of ownership and keep records on all catalytic converters that come into their shops. Catalytic converters are very popular among thieves because of the precious metals inside. Moses says Minnesota recently adopted a similar law, and thefts there dropped. He said, sadly enough, once catalytic converter thefts dropped

Millions of families are getting some extra cash today.  The IRS is depositing a fourth child tax credit payment.  This is part of the COVID stimulus bill passed in March.  Two more payments are scheduled this year, worth up to 300-dollars for each child.  The rest of the credit will come when parents file their 2021 tax returns next year.  Anyone who wants to stop the advanced payments can do so online by November 1st.

UW-River Falls is the latest campus to hit 70 percent vaccinated. School leaders confirmed the news yesterday. This now means that students at River Falls are eligible for some of the nearly 500 thousand-dollars in scholarship money the university is offering. River Falls is also offering some prizes of its own, including seven one thousand-dollar scholarships, two scooters, a Nintendo Switch, and Falcon dollars. UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout, and UW-La Crosse are all at 70 percent vaccinated as well.

The number of people in the hospital with the coronavirus in Wisconsin is relatively steady. The Wisconsin Hospital Association yesterday said there are still about 11 hundred people in the hospital with the virus. ICU admissions, however, are down. There are now just under 300 people in the ICU with the virus. The Hospital Association doesn’t track how many people are hospitalized because of the virus, as opposed to simply with the virus.

Congressman Ron Kind is throwing his support to Brad Pfaff in the race for Congress in western Wisconsin. Kind yesterday said Pfaff has roots in western Wisconsin and will continue the work he’s done for the past 24 years. Pfaff, who is currently a state senator, is the leading Democrat in the race to replace Kind. Eau Claire business owner Rebecca Cooke jumped into the race this week as well. The Republican candidate, Derrick Van Orden, is running for his second time.

Wisconsin’s special election investigator is holding-off on interviews with the state’s election managers, for now. Former Supreme Court Justice Mike Gableman yesterday postponed his interview with Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe. She is one of several people Gableman subpoenaed in his investigation into last year’s election. Gableman has said he wants to know the relationship between the state of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine, and Kenosha and the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life.

The group that represents Wisconsin’s school boards is once again asking parents to be nice. The Wisconsin Association of School Boards yesterday released a letter asking parents for civility when speaking with their local school leaders. The School Boards say passion is fine, but threats and violence are not. The association, however, didn’t provide any examples of threats against school board members. This is the second time the association has asked parents to watch how they speak to school board members in the

A northeastern Wisconsin lawmaker is back at work after a flight with the coronavirus that landed him in the hospital. De Pere State Senator Andre Jacque hosted a Senate committee meeting by phone yesterday.  He was hospitalized with the coronavirus back on August 16th, and eventually ended-up on a ventilator. He left the hospital at the end of September. Jacque is walking with the help of a walker, but says he feels better every day.