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A Jackson County jury says a woman accused of causing a fatal crash while texting behind the wheel is not guilty.  That verdict coming down Thursday in the case against 38-year-old Leanna Cernohous of Merrillan.  She was charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle connected to a 2017 crash in Black River Falls.  Eighty-year-old Norman Tischner died in that crash.       

A man connected to an AMBER Alert out of Baraboo on Wednesday is in custody.  Nineteen-year-old Austin Dailey led police on a short chase through Green County, eventually crashing his car across the Illinois state border.  Dailey is facing multiple charges.  The young girl at the center of the alert is home safe, according to police.

A new organization aimed at helping families avoid homelessness is getting some local financial help.  The Family Promise of Monroe County just opened last month as part of the national Family Promise organization.  Just this week, they were presented with a check for two-thousand dollars from Tomah Health.  Nationally, the group works with more than 200 affiliates across 43 states providing financial services, housing assistance, and more for struggling families.

A local organization is doing their part in helping high school seniors get registered to vote ahead of the 2020 presidential election.  Chippewa Valley Votes recently visited North and Memorial High Schools to help roughly 200 18-year-old students get registered online.  The group says most of the students were eager to get registered and excited about voting in the election.  The Chippewa Valley Votes group has been helping young adults get registered for more than three years now.

State Assembly lawmakers have passed and sent to Governor Tony Evers a Republican-backed income tax cut that would cost the state 248-million dollars a year.  It would save Wisconsin tax filers an average of 106-dollars annually.  Evers has been critical of the tax plan.  On its final day of this year’s session, the assembly also passed bills supporting Wisconsin dairy farmers, including one that would promote Wisconsin dairy exports.

The University of Wisconsin says it supports the Hmong community on campus amid reports the government will start allowing their deportation to Laos.  Forty-nine-thousand members of the Hmong community live in Wisconsin, with many of them in the Madison area.  In a news release, university officials say they will not share information on the immigration status of students, faculty and staff.

A coalition of community groups is reporting progress on initiatives it’s taking to tackle black infant mortality.  Public health officials say black infants in Dane County are twice as likely as white infants to experience low birth weights.  The coalition announced development of a system that identifies social needs during prenatal checkups.  The group also announced creation of an alliance to create programs that improve maternal and newborn health among Dane County’s African American population

A 250-million-dollar tax plan is heading to Governor Tony Evers who appears ready to veto the bill.  The plan passed both the Senate and Assembly today and would reduce the average taxpayers income tax bill by about 106-dollars.  It would also look to pay down some of the state debt and cut personal property taxes paid by businesses.  Republicans hail the bill as giving back some surplus dollars to the taxpayer, but Democrats are critical because none of the money

There is still a push to pass a bill raising the smoking age.  If approved a bipartisan proposal before the Assembly would raise the smoking age from 18 to 21.  It would ban anyone under 21 from buying cigarettes and other nicotine or tobacco products.

An early morning accident turns deadly in Dunn County. It was a bit before 6 on Thursday when an ambulance along with Mayo 1 Helicopter were dispatched to STH 85 at CTH O (w), in the Township of Peru for a two vehicle crash with injuries. The initial crash investigation shows that a Ford Explorer operated by 67 year old Dale Bauer of Durand was northbound on CTH O and failed to stop for the stop sign at the intersection.