Wisconsin
Amish community grieves after devastating Wisconsin crash
Support for Amish family after Wisconsin crash
As investigators in Clark County, Wisconsin, piece together how a crash left nine people dead, a community hundreds of miles away in southwestern Virginia is grieving.
CLARK COUNTY, Wis. (FOX 9) – As investigators in Clark County, Wisconsin, piece together how a crash left nine people dead, a community hundreds of miles away in southwestern Virginia is grieving.
A van and semi-truck collided Friday on Highway 95 in western Wisconsin, southeast of Eau Claire, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. Of the ten people involved in the crash, nine of them died. A toddler was the lone survivor.
Most of the people in the van were part of an Amish community in the small, rural community of Burke’s Garden in southwestern Virginia. The population is about 300, and it’s believed that nearly half of the community is Amish.
An information line set up by the Amish community says seven of the crash victims, ranging in age from six months to 44 years old, were part of their community. An almost 2-year-old survived, but he lost both of his parents, his baby sister, his grandma, and two aunts in the crash.
The information line also says the driver of the van was 45 years old and lived in nearby Pounding Mill, Virginia. Wisconsin authorities said the semi driver was also killed in the crash.
“Having nine lines snuffed out in one accident is a tremendous shock. No words can explain it. It is totally beyond our comprehension. Our hearts are torn and bleeding,” the Amish community’s information line says.
Their neighbors in Virginia are now rallying around them. Sara and Jodi White, who were born and raised in Burke’s Garden, Virginia, said their hearts are broken thinking about these families whose children they watched grow up.
“It has been the most devastating thing this community has ever went through,” said Sara White. “You could say ‘I’m sorry,’ but that doesn’t cover the loss of somebody. And when you are one person and you’ve lost your wife, two children, your son-in-law, your grandchild, I mean, what do you say to that person?”
The Whites have spearheaded the effort to raise money and collect donations. Their trunks are full of paper plates, utensils, water and other items that the Amish community will need as they prepare to welcome thousands to southwestern Virginia for support and funeral services.
“The Amish community is a community of people that will give you anything that they have to give,” said Jodi White. “The faith and the strength that’s being displayed by this group of people right now – it’s unmatched. It’s something that really is very admirable.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help support the Amish families. A donation account has also been set up at First Sentinel Bank in Virginia.
About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
-
Wisconsin20 seconds agoUS animal rights activists clash with police over Wisconsin dog breeder
-
West Virginia6 minutes agoThe 2026 WVU Tommy Nickolich Award Goes to a Parkersburg Native
-
Wyoming12 minutes agoWyoming Gov. Mark Gordon won’t seek a third term. He won’t rule out running for other offices, either
-
Crypto18 minutes ago1 Cryptocurrency to Buy While It’s Under $80,000
-
Finance24 minutes agoBudget crisis is top concern for MPS leader Cassellius | Opinion
-
Fitness30 minutes agoI’m a running coach — I’ve just tested shoes actually designed for women’s feet, and they’re a total game changer
-
Movie Reviews42 minutes ago‘Hen’ movie review: György Pálfi pecks at Europe’s migrant crisis through the eyes of a chicken
-
Business1 hour agoVideo: Why Your Paycheck Feels Smaller