Home

Senator Tammy Baldwin says it’s time for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring gun safety reform to the Senate floor.  The Wisconsin Democrat says today the House passed bipartisan legislation to expand federal background checks for all gun sales, which the American people overwhelmingly support.   She says failure of Washington to act is a moral failure when a majority of Americans are demanding action.  Baldwin says a vote is needed in order to start saving lives.  In other political news: Sen. Johnson

There is a warning about an Appleton hoverboard company.  The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin says Hoverboards-dot-com has over a dozen complaints against it so far this year and nearly 30 in the last 18 months.  Complaints have come from about 20 different states regarding products not working and the company not being responsive to the customer.  The Better Business Bureau hasn’t had any better luck contacting the company, but they still recommend you lodge a complaint with the BBB.  

A Knapp man is dead in a crash in Saint Croix County.  The county sheriff’s office says Daniel Gibson crashed into a closed construction zone on 50th Avenue near Interstate-94 early Saturday morning, killing him.  Reports say this is the ninth deadly crash in Saint Croix County this year. 

A man is in custody after driving his car into Chapman Lake in Stanley.  Police say Eric Najbrt  went into the lake near West Fourth Avenue and County Highway O early Sunday morning but was able to escape without getting hurt.  It’s believed Najbrt fell asleep while driving.  He was arrested after reportedly failing a field sobriety test. 

A motorcyclist is hurt after a two-car crash in Monroe County.  Reports say Tracey McPhee was hit by a car driven by Dennis Muller when Muller was trying to turn into a driveway near State Highway 33 and Nevada Road Saturday morning.  McPhee was taken to a La Crosse hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 

No injuries are being reported in a house fire in La Crosse.  The La Crosse Fire Department says a porch caught on fire at a home on 7th Street South early yesterday morning.  It was put out but not before causing a small fire at a nearby house and in an alley.  It’s unclear how the fire started. 

There are some more graphic details about last month’s killing spree in Chippewa County.  GERMAN, JR. Chippewa County Coroner Ron Patten says Ritchie German Jr. shot his mother in the head five times.  German also shot his brother and nephew twice.  The coroner says German shot Lalie Vang once in the head, then turned the gun on himself.  Investigators are not guessing why German shot his mother so many times. 

Wisconsin’s attorney general says the state needs a red flag law to keep guns out of the hands of people who are dangerous.  Attorney General Josh Kaul was on Up Front yesterday, he said Wisconsin needs a way for police, judges, or family members to take guns away from someone who may be a threat.  Gun rights’ groups in Madison fear Kaul is just trying to grab their guns.  More than a dozen other states, including Illinois, have red flag gun laws

La Crosse police are crediting an officer’s bulletproof vest with saving his life.  The officer was shot in the chest Saturday afternoon while responding to a domestic violence call.  Police commanders say the officer’s vest stopped the bullet.  The officer was taken to the hospital and later released.   Other officers shot and wounded the suspect in the case, and he’s still being treated at a local hospital.  Police say the suspect has a history of arrests. 

There’s some good news for Xcel customers in western Wisconsin.  The company says your power bill may go down a bit this year.  Xcel agreed to a new rate plan last week that will freeze electricity costs for the next two years.  Regulators in Madison say some tax credits and investment savings will help Xcel keep rates where they are.  Xcel says the average power bill in western Wisconsin should drop five-percent compared to last year.