Wisconsin

Wisconsin dams are failing more frequently, a new report finds

Published

1 year ago

October 10, 2024

Wisconsin dams are failing more frequently, a new report finds

(AP/WSAW) – Wisconsin is seeing more frequent dam failures, another sign that the storms blowing through the state are getting stronger.

Wisconsin recorded 34 dam failures from 2000 through 2023, the second-highest total for that period behind only South Carolina, according to a Wisconsin Policy Form report.

More than 80% of the failures — 28, to be exact — happened since the start of 2018 and 18 of those happened since the start of 2020. None of the failures resulted in human deaths, the report found.

The state is home to more than 4,000 dams. Some are massive hydroelectric constructs while others are small earthen dams that create farm ponds. They’re owned by a mix of companies, individuals, government and tribal entities, and utilities.

NewsChannel 7 found that the owner of each dam is responsible for the inspection, maintenance, and overall function of it.

Additionally, all dams are required to have an emergency management plan if the dam collapses. Wisconsin Public Service has engineers who check out their dams frequently to make sure they can get to any problems faster.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ National Inventory of Dams lists 1,004 Wisconsin dams ranging in height from 6 feet (nearly 2 meters) to the 92-foot-tall (28-meter-tall) Flambeau dam on the Dairyland Reservoir in Rusk County.

The inventory classifies more than 200 dams as having high hazard potential, meaning failure would probably cause human deaths. Of the 34 dam failures in Wisconsin over the last 23 years, three had high hazard potential, one had a significant hazard potential, meaning a failure could cause economic loss, environmental damage, and other problems, and 18 had low hazard potential, meaning failure wouldn’t result in any loss of human life and would have low economic and environmental consequences. The remainder’s hazard potential was undetermined.

Every state budget since 2009 has provided at least $4 million for dam safety work, according to the report. The funding has been enough to improve the state’s most important dams, but “a changing climate — triggering more frequent and more severe extreme rain events — could pose new and greater tests to our dam infrastructure,” it warns.

The Wisconsin Policy Forum compiled the report using data collected by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 3, 2026

Published

6 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 3, 2026

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 3, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 3 drawing

07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 3 drawing

Midday: 1-2-1

Evening: 8-2-7

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 3 drawing

Midday: 6-2-9-4

Evening: 2-0-1-6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from March 3 drawing

Midday: 02-03-06-07-08-09-10-12-15-20-22

Evening: 03-05-06-08-12-13-14-16-17-18-20

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from March 3 drawing

03-15-17-24-30

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from March 3 drawing

16-17-27-29-34-35, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Wisconsin

When does daylight saving time start? What to know before clocks ‘spring forward’

Published

18 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

When does daylight saving time start? What to know before clocks ‘spring forward’

Sunny spring evenings are just a few days away.

This weekend, clocks will “spring forward” as Milwaukee switches to daylight saving time for spring and summer.

That means you lose an hour of sleep the night before, but the city gains an extra hour of light in the evenings starting March 8, when the sun will set at 6:49 p.m., according to timeanddate.com.

The seasonal change often reignites debates about whether daylight saving time should exist at all. Though the time adjustment allows for more daylight during spring and summer evenings, many experts have argued it disturbs the body’s circadian rhythms and has other health drawbacks.

Here’s what to know as daylight saving time approaches.

When does daylight saving time start?

Daylight saving time will resume on Sunday, March 8. Clocks will jump forward one hour between 2 and 3 a.m., meaning there will be more light in the evening and less light in the morning.

When does daylight saving time end?

Daylight saving time will end for the season on Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks are turned back an hour at 2 a.m.

What is daylight saving time?

Between March and November, Wisconsin residents set their clocks forward by an hour to gain more daylight in the evenings. During the other four months of the year, the clocks fall back to allow for more daylight in the mornings.

Daylight saving time was enacted during World War I in an attempt to save on fuel costs by adding an extra hour of sunlight to the day. While it’s a common misconception, its creation had nothing to do with allowing farmers to work longer hours, and the agriculture industry actually “fervently opposed” the measure, according to the Library of Congress.

When is the first 7 p.m. sunset of 2026 in Milwaukee?

Milwaukee will get its first 7 p.m. sunset of the year on Tuesday, March 17, according to timeanddate.com.

That day, the sun will rise at 7 a.m. that day and set at 7 p.m.

Why do some people want to end daylight saving time?

In the decades since daylight saving time was enacted, politicians, sleep experts and farmers have all pushed to change the practice, either by eliminating daylight saving time or making it permanent year-round.

In 2020, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine said the United States should “eliminate seasonal time changes in favor of a national, fixed, year-round time.” Daylight saving time disrupts the circadian rhythms of the human body, and the abrupt time change has been linked to higher risk of mood disorders and heart diseases, according to the organization.

The risk of vehicle crashes also increases each spring when drivers are especially sleep deprived after losing an hour of rest, the academy said.

As of October 2025, 19 states have enacted legislation to observe daylight saving time year-round, if Congress were to allow such a change, and two states and several territories observe permanent standard time year-round, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Over the years, some Wisconsin lawmakers have also drafted legislation to end daylight saving time, but those efforts have stalled.

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Wisconsin

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Located in scenic Door County, Wisconsin, the town of Sister Bay is a waterfront town directly on Green Bay. Outdoor enthusiasts head to Sister Bay for its access to hiking trails, nature preserves, and water pursuits such as boating, fishing, and ice-skating during winter. The town hosts a number of seasonal festivals including a film fest, marina fest, outdoor concert series, and the Door County Festival of Fine Arts. The annual Roofing of the Goats Parade is a popular event tied to Al Johnson’s, a local restaurant known for goats that graze on its rooftop during summer months.

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