Around Town

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR Chris Nelson thanked voters Thursday after they narrowly approved an operational referendum Tuesday. The measure passed by 101 votes, allowing the Iola-Scandinavia School District to exceed state revenue limits by $1.2 million this school year to sustain programming and stabilize its budget.

REFERENDUM NUMBERS also include Portage County. Town of Amherst: 5 yes, 15 no; Town of New Hope: 31 yes, 26 no. Missed those on the chart.

NORSKE NEEDLERS gifted a Quilt of Valor to local veterans at its recent meeting. Recipients included John Funk, Joe Jones, Jim Jensen, Nick Patrick, and Craig Hokenstad. Well deserved!

PRINGLE’S CAN LIDS are needed by the Iola Village Library.

SAVE THE DATES for Feb. 5 and 6 for the Iola Winter Carnival!

LIGHT UP Iola-Scandinavia this holiday season by entering a float in the Iola Christmas Parade on Dec. 5. Lineup begins at 3:45 p.m. at the school, with the parade starting at 4:30 p.m. Participation is free. Afterward, visit Santa and enjoy festivities at the Historical Society Machine Shed. Register here.

Around the County

WAUPACA — County officials balanced a projected $3.2 million operating deficit in the upcoming annual budget. The gap closed overnight through targeted operational cuts and newly identified indirect grant captures, avoiding severe local public service reductions. (Source: WLUK-TV)

NEW LONDON — The Common Council passed an amendment to the municipal ordinance allowing city residents to own up to five dogs or cats. The law raises the previous household limit after extensive local debate over pet-owner restrictions. (Source: WBAY-TV)

CLINTONVILLE — The Clintonville School Board debated limitations on the district’s professional development budget. Concerns were raised overnight about the high costs of sending multiple board members to the upcoming State Education Convention in January. (Source: WGBA-TV)

WAUPACA — Republican incumbent Timothy Wilz secured another four-year term as Waupaca County sheriff. Final election data processed overnight confirmed his victory over challenger Justin Malueg and his continued role as the county’s top law enforcement official. (Source: WFRV-TV)

NEW LONDON — Local emergency management officials closed the application window for the New London Area Community Flood Relief program. The fund is transitioning to a long-term recovery phase to address remaining unmet residential infrastructure needs. (Source: WBAY-TV)

CLINTONVILLE — Municipal administrators finalized a preliminary city budget that relies on creative structural changes due to strict state levy caps. The adjustments ensure mandatory funding for local public utilities and municipal emergency services. (Source: WLUK-TV)

WAUPACA — The Winchester Academy announced a local healthcare history presentation scheduled for Nov. 9 at Trinity Lutheran Church. The historical event will analyze early medicine and rural doctor practices throughout Waupaca County. (Source: WSAW-TV)

Around the State

Here are the top overnight news stories from across Wisconsin:

A KAUKAUNA TEACHER found guilty of inappropriately chatting with an individual they believed was 15 years old was sentenced to just 120 days in prison followed by two years of probation, and is required to register as a sex offender for the next fifteen years. (Source: WFRV)

ALLIANT ENERGY is in advanced talks with developers for another 2 to 4 gigawatts of potential electricity demand in addition to early discussions involving seven potential data center sites. (Source: Wisconsin State Journal)

WE ENERGIES customers will likely see higher electric bills come January, and not just because of the cold or hyperscale data centers. (Source: The Journal Times)

A 15-YEAR-OLD is in custody after local, state, and federal authorities investigated online threats referencing a potential mass shooting, the Fond du Lac Police Department said. The investigation began Oct. 26 after an overseas tipster reported concerning online interactions with the teen to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center. The tip was forwarded to Fond du Lac police through the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation. (Source: WBAY)

HEALTH OFFICIALS announced an infant in southwestern Wisconsin died from measles, marking the state’s first measles-related death since 1990. The death comes amid Wisconsin’s largest measles outbreak in more than 35 years, with 431 confirmed cases across 13 counties reported since August. (Source: WKOW)

REGULATORY OFFICIALS approved a We Energies utility rate hike Thursday night following a 10-hour Public Service Commission meeting. The decision will increase monthly electric bills for customers starting in January 2027 to fund new solar and wind energy projects, infrastructure upgrades, and operational costs. (Source: FOX6)

LOCAL VOTERS officially dissolved the Hustisford School District after rejecting a critical operating referendum on Tuesday’s ballot. The continuous lack of funding forces the rural Dodge County district to dissolve and merge into a neighboring district, marking Wisconsin’s first school district dissolution in 36 years. (Source: WBAY)

COUNTY SUPERVISORS launched an immediate investigation Thursday after discovering a $4.56 million error in the Milwaukee County budget. The massive accounting discrepancy was disclosed to the public just one day after Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley was elected Wisconsin’s next governor. (Source: WISN 12)

PROSECUTORS CHARGED a 53-year-old Milwaukee woman Thursday night for allegedly submitting more than $1 million in fraudulent Medicaid claims. Investigators said the suspect billed the state for prenatal and childcare coordination services that were never actually provided to patients between November 2020 and October 2023. (Source: TMJ4)

MEDICAL EXAMINERS confirmed Thursday that additional human remains belonging to homicide victim Sade Robinson washed ashore in Cudahy. Robinson’s mother stated that her daughter’s jawline and teeth were located by authorities, representing the latest recovery since the Milwaukee woman was killed and dismembered in April 2024. (Source: CBS58)

POLICE ARRESTED a 22-year-old suspect Thursday night following a fatal beating on Milwaukee’s north side. Officers responded to the scene of a domestic dispute where they discovered an adult victim who died from severe injuries sustained during the physical battery. (Source: FOX6)

GREEN BAY police identified the operator of a “rogue drone” that illegally flew over Lambeau Field and interrupted a Packers game last week. Authorities located the suspect using specialized tracking technology and are working with federal aviation officials to determine potential criminal charges and fines. (Source: WBAY)

A STEVENS Point man died Thursday in a single-vehicle rollover crash in the Town of Dewey. Portage County sheriff’s deputies said the adult male driver lost control of his vehicle on a rural road, struck a ditch, and was pronounced dead at the scene from his injuries. (Source: WSAW 7)

MUNICIPAL LEADERS in New Berlin held an emergency Common Council meeting Thursday night regarding a citizen petition to remove Mayor Dave Ament from office. Officials reviewed the formal petition paperwork submitted by residents to determine if the recall effort meets legal requirements for a special election. (Source: FOX6)

STATE SENATE Republicans selected state Sen. Julian Bradley on Thursday evening to serve as the new minority leader for the upcoming legislative session. The leadership change comes as Wisconsin Democrats prepare to take control of both chambers of the state Legislature for the first time in 16 years. (Source: WAOW 9)

Today in History

1860 — ABRAHAM LINCOLN won the election as the 16th president of the United States, defeating a fractured Democratic Party. The Republican victory served as the primary catalyst for Southern secession, directly leading to the American Civil War.

1869 — THE FIRST intercollegiate American football game was played in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Rutgers College defeated the College of New Jersey, later renamed Princeton University, 6–4, using early rules adapted from soccer and rugby.

1888 — BENJAMIN HARRISON won the U.S. presidential election, defeating incumbent President Grover Cleveland. Harrison secured the presidency through the Electoral College despite losing the national popular vote to Cleveland by more than 90,000 votes.

1947 — THE TELEVISION program “Meet the Press” made its debut on NBC. Created by Martha Rountree and Lawrence E. Spivak, the public affairs show became the longest-running program in television history.

1965 — THE MUSIC group the Rolling Stones reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with their hit single “Get Off of My Cloud.” The track became the band’s second chart-topping song in the United States.

1976 — THE WISCONSIN Badgers football team defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 28–25 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. The Big Ten Conference victory helped the Badgers break a three-game losing streak during their 1976 campaign.

1986 — SYLVESTER STALLONE married model and actress Brigitte Nielsen in Malibu, California. The high-profile ceremony marked the action film star’s second marriage, following his divorce from Sasha Czack, and drew massive media attention.

2012 — VOTERS IN Wisconsin approved a constitutional amendment allowing state legislators to pass laws on recalling elected officials. The measure followed a series of high-profile recall elections across the state earlier that year.

2013 — THE CHEVROLET Corvette Stingray coupe was named the 2014 Automobile of the Year by Automobile Magazine. Editors praised the seventh-generation sports car for its standard 455-horsepower V-8 engine, advanced aluminum frame, and world-class performance capabilities.

2018 — THE UNMANNED EUROPEAN spacecraft BepiColombo completed its first successful trajectory correction maneuver during its journey to Mercury. The joint mission between Europe and Japan aimed to study the composition and magnetic field of the solar system’s innermost planet.