Around Town
THE WAUPACA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE is investigating several recent incidents, including the illegal dumping of hundreds of old tires along State Highway 49 in Iola, discovered Sept. 27. Deputies also responded Sept. 26 to a residential burglary on County Road G in Scandinavia, where a suspect forced entry into a home. In a separate case, a resident reported the theft of a collection of dolls from a backyard storage pod on County Road Q. (Source: Waupaca County Post)
THE IOLA-SCANDINAVIA HIGH SCHOOL varsity football team secured a dominant victory Friday night, defeating Plainfield Tri-County 30-6. According to the school’s website calendar, the team travels to Lena on Friday, Oct. 2, to take on Lena/St. Thomas in a 7 p.m. game.
Around the County
WAUPACA COUNTY DEFICIT has grown to $3.2 million from $1.2 million, according to a Sept. 26 article in the Waupaca County Post. “Multi-year financial modeling shows that if current spending trends continue without transitioning capital projects to bonding or implementing structural cuts, projected annual operating deficits will escalate to $9.6 million in 2028 and $7.3 million in 2029,” the story states. Read the story here. Supervisor Joel Bartel responded to the story: “I love how they report and put my name in the paper, but never ask my opinion on my motion. My motion was to not make a decision, but to ask the Finance Committee to present a proposal on cost cuts. But no, the Finance Committee refuses to look at cuts, and they brings an Attorney from Milwaukee to the meeting to block my motion, only borrowing and increasing taxes for 2027 are their solution. Don’t get fooled by how they say taxes are going down. A total lie!”
HIGHWAY 10 CONSTRUCTION eastbound between Appletree Lane and Old Wisconsin 49 will begin today. Cost is $7.6 million.
THE CLINTONVILLE Common Council voted to establish a special revenue fund and amend its city budget to fund a new municipal ambulance service. City Administrator Craig Moser said the move segregates start-up costs from the general fund as the city transitions to municipal emergency operations. (Source: NBC 26)
NEW LONDON residents raised major concerns over city business sign restrictions during a planning committee meeting. Local business owners argued the current sign ordinance hurts commerce by limiting visibility, prompting city officials to review potential adjustments to the municipal code. (Source: WFRV Local 5)
IN BEAR CREEK, the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a white pickup truck linked to the theft of animal medications near Bear Creek. Authorities say the driver took the package from Highway 45 and Blueberry Road and asked the public to help identify the individual. (Source: WGBA)
CENTRAL WISCONSIN housing advocates reported a 39% increase in rural homelessness across Waupaca, Waushara, Marquette, and Portage counties. Foundations for Living representatives said stagnant wages and rising living costs are pushing more local residents into housing crises this fall. (Source: WSAW 7)
Around the State
Here are the top overnight news stories from across Wisconsin:
WISCONSIN SUPERINTENDENT Jill Underly faced pushback from the MacIver Institute over school-funding statements she made. Underly stated, “Schools simply cannot absorb decades of below-inflation funding without consequences.” Will Flanders of the MI countered, “We spend more than we did in 2000 adjusted for inflation. And since then, Act 10 has saved districts billions. If nearly $19,000 per student isn’t enough, what is the number that is?” Nearly half of kids are not “proficient” in either reading or math.
FOUR PEOPLE were injured, two critically, after a single-engine plane crashed into a Walworth County cornfield Sunday afternoon. Federal aviation investigators are responding to the East Troy crash site to determine what caused the plane to go down. (Source: TMJ4)
MILWAUKEE POLICE are investigating a string of weekend shootings that left one person dead and another wounded. Officers responded early Monday to the latest incident, where a 21-year-old man was killed on the city’s north side. Investigators have made no arrests. (Source: FOX6)
RESCUE CREWS pulled a woman from the Wisconsin River on Sunday afternoon after she became trapped in the current. Witnesses reported the woman was clinging to a buoy near Wausau before emergency personnel safely extracted her from the water.
(Source: WSAW 7)
A CONSTRUCTION worker died after being struck by a vehicle on Madison’s east side. Police suspect illegal street racing played a role in the Sunday crash on Pflaum Road, and the driver of the striking vehicle is cooperating with investigators. (Source: Channel 3000)
ANTIGO SCHOOL board members face public backlash following the temporary closure of the Clara R. McKenna Aquatics Center. Residents are criticizing district leaders for citing a lack of pool funding while simultaneously approving a football field project. (Source: Wisconsin Public Radio)
Today in History
Here are notable moments from Today in History:
1066 — THE NORMAN conquest of England began as William the Conqueror landed a large fleet of ships at Pevensey, East Sussex. The invading forces established a base before marching toward Hastings, setting the stage for a pivotal battle that fundamentally altered English history and royalty.
1781 — AMERICAN AND French forces initiated the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia, effectively launching the final major land battle of the American Revolutionary War. Troops commanded by Gen. George Washington and the Comte de Rochereau surrounded British Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis, securing American independence weeks later.
1924 — TWO U.S. Army Air Service planes landed in Seattle, completing the first aerial circumnavigation of the globe. The grueling journey spanned 175 days and covered more than 26,000 miles, marking a monumental achievement in aviation history and long-distance flight capabilities.
1928 — SCOTTISH BACTERIOLOGIST Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin after returning to his London laboratory to find a contaminated petri dish. The mold had destroyed surrounding staphylococci bacteria, a breakthrough that revolutionized medicine and launched the modern era of life-saving antibiotics.
1968 — THE BEATLES secured the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their hit single “Hey Jude.” Written by Paul McCartney to comfort John Lennon’s son, Julian, during his parents’ divorce, the anthem held the top position for a record-tying nine consecutive weeks.
1970 — EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT Gamal Abdel Nasser died of a sudden heart attack in Cairo at age 52. The influential leader, who shaped modern Arab nationalism and nationalized the Suez Canal, passed away shortly after hosting a summit to broker a peace agreement ending the Jordanian civil war.
1972 — CANADIAN HOCKEY player Paul Henderson scored the series-winning goal with 34 seconds remaining in Moscow, securing a dramatic victory for Team Canada over the Soviet Union. The historic climax of the eight-game Summit Series became a defining cultural and political milestone of the Cold War era.
1973 — PORSCHE UNVEILED its groundbreaking 911 Turbo prototype at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. Code-named the 930, the vehicle introduced turbocharging technology to high-performance production sports cars, setting a new benchmark for automotive engineering and performance during the decade.
2008 — FALCON 1 became the first privately developed liquid-fuel rocket to successfully reach Earth orbit. Designed and launched by SpaceX from the Kwajalein Atoll, the milestone achievement validated commercial spaceflight capabilities and established the company as a major NASA contractor.
2015 — NASA SCIENTISTS confirmed the presence of liquid water on modern Mars. Using data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, researchers identified hydrated salts in dark streaks on Martian slopes, significantly changing understanding of the red planet’s environment and its potential to harbor microbial life.
