Heavy rain is expected in northeastern Wisconsin starting Thursday afternoon until midnight, before picking up again on Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Some places could see as much as 2 inches of rain depending on how the thunderstorms play out.

The National Weather Service told the Press-Gazette that there is a possibility for flooding in low lying and urban areas if hit with heavier rain. Currently, the showers are spreading through central Wisconsin, through Wausau and gradually heading towards Green Bay in the next few hours.

There is a small chance the rain will continue Sunday, alongside a 40% chance of rain on Saturday in the Fox Valley.

According to National Weather Service Meteorologist, Jason Alumbaugh, things look to be a little bit drier after a very wet summer, which has seen multiple floods due to heavy storms.

More: Flooding hits the Fox Valley for second time in 8 days; Lifest campers see flooded tents

“June was definitely wet, July was wet in spots as far as how things compared to normal. We’ve kind of slowed a little bit as far as the frequency of the heavier rain we were seeing earlier in the summer,” Almbaugh said “But that’s the way it looks right now. The next two weeks might try to trend a little drier than normal the way it looks right now.”

Rashad Alexander can be reached at ralexander@gannett.com.

The Central Wisconsin State Fair returns to the Marshfield Fairgrounds Aug. 20-25 with live music, a demolition derby, bull riding, carnival, classic fair foods and more.

MARSHFIELD − The Central Wisconsin State Fair returns to the Marshfield Fairgrounds, 513 E. 17th St., Aug. 20-25 with fun and activities for all ages.

This year’s activities include live music, a demolition derby, bull riding, animal judging, a carnival, classic fair food favorites, a variety of vendors and much more.

Here’s your 2024 guide to the Wood County fair.

Who is performing at the Central Wisconsin State Fair?

Dylan Scott, Hairball and Daughtry will headline the grandstand at this year’s Central Wisconsin State Fair.

Dylan Scott will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21. Scott is a singer and songwriter with country hits including “Hooked,” “Nobody,” “My Girl” and “New Truck.” He has been nominated as best new country artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, earned the 2021 CMT Music Award for breakthrough video of the year, and was a 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards nominee for new male artist of the year.

Hairball will return to the fair at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22 by popular demand. Hairball is a rock band that plays homage to acts like Van Halen, KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey and Aerosmith.

Daughtry will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23. Daughtry is a rock band fronted by namesake Chris Daughtry, who finished fourth on Season 5 of “American Idol” in 2006. The band is best known for its hits “What About Now,” “It’s Not Over,” “Home” and “No Surprise.”

What else is happening in the grandstand?

Rice Rodeo Co. will perform “Bulls, Broncs -N- Barrels” at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24. The show includes bull riding, comedy, special acts and other entertainment.

Obsession with Destruction Demolition Derby will start at 2 p.m. Aug. 25. Drivers will battle to see who can make it to the finals for a chance to win prize money.

How much does grandstand admission cost?

• Dylan Scott: $35 for grandstand seating, $45 for trackside standing and $75 for VIP seating
• Hairball: $25 for grandstand seating, $35 for trackside standing and $45 for VIP seating
• Daughtry: $40 for grandstand seating, $50 for trackside standing and $80 for VIP seating
• Bulls, Broncs -N- Barrels: $25 for those 13 years and older, $15 for youths 5 to 12 and free for children 4 years and younger
• Obsession with Destruction Demolition Derby: $25 for those 13 years and older, $15 for youths 5 to 12 and free for children 4 years and younger

This year, purchasing grandstand tickets includes the cost of gate admission, if purchased before entering the fair. Season tickets do not include grandstand entertainment when tickets for shows are required. Tickets can be purchased online at centralwisconsinstatefair.com/p/tickets or at the fair office.

When will the carnival be open at the fair?

Mr. Ed’s Magical Midways returns to the Central Wisconsin State Fair and will offer a new schedule this year. The carnival will be open starting at 2 p.m. Aug. 21-23 and at noon Aug. 24-25.

Wristbands will be available for $25 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 21-23 and noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 25, for $30 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 21-23, and for $35 from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 24. Individual ride tickets also will be available for purchase daily, according to the fair’s website.

Wristbands are not valid on the bumper cars or Gravity Storm bungee jump. Wristbands can be purchased in advance at the Mr. Ed’s website at mredsmidway.com.

Local youths will showcase projects and animals during the fair

Hundreds of Wood County youths will exhibit thousands of projects as part of the Junior Fair. The Junior Fair allows youths to display their projects and get feedback from state-licensed judges.

Junior Fair animal judging takes place daily and includes everything from horses, dairy, beef, rabbits and sheep to cats, llamas, swine, goats and poultry.

Non-animal projects will also be displayed throughout the fair in the Junior Fair Exhibition Building. Projects include everything from woodworking, photography, cultural arts, and food and nutrition to health and citizenship, youth leadership, knitting and crocheting, and mechanical sciences.

There will also be a Dress-A-Cow contest at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Jer Lang Show Palace, and Pleasure Valley Pig & Duck Races multiple times throughout the week. The Central Wisconsin State Fair Horse Pull will start at 6 p.m. Aug. 23, and the Meyer Farms 10 Horse Pyramid Hitch draft horse show at 6 p.m. Aug. 24.

How much is admission for the Central Wisconsin State Fair?

Daily admission to the fair costs $10 for everyone 13 and older, $5 for children 5-12 and free for children 4 and younger. Season gate passes are $30 for adults, $15 for children and free for those 4 and younger. Season passes can be purchased in the fair office or on the website at centralwisconsinstatefair.com. Daily admission passes can be purchased at the gate on the day you arrive.

On Tuesday only, tickets are half price for adults and free for children 12 and younger. Those who enter at Gate D (at the corner of Peach Avenue and 17th Street) between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tuesday are admitted for free.

Senior Citizen Day is Wednesday, and adults ages 62 and older will be admitted to the fair for $5 from open to close with a valid ID. Wednesday is also Veterans Appreciation Day, and all active and retired military personnel and their spouse or significant other will be admitted to the fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $5 with a military ID.

Take advantage of the BOGO special from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 24. Buy one adult pass and get the second adult or child pass for free.

How much does it cost to park?

Parking at the Central Wisconsin State Fair is free, and visitors are encouraged to park in the general parking area, which is located by Gate D. It is a grassy area off of Peach Avenue and 17th Street, according to a fair spokesperson.

Where can I find more information about the fair?

For more information, visit centralwisconsinstatefair.com or find Central Wisconsin State Fair on Facebook.

Check out these 6 sunflower fields: Enjoy a summer stroll & photo opportunities in these sunflower fields in central Wisconsin

Editor Jamie Rokus can be reached at jrokus@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @Jamie_Rokus.

Wisconsin Democrats are celebrating the lopsided defeat of two Republican-backed referendums Tuesday, saying the results bode well for November’s general election.

The referendums would have amended the state constitution to require a governor to get legislative approval before spending federal funds on things like disaster response.

According to unofficial results posted by the Associated Press, both proposals failed by margins of 15 percentage points.

The outcome was unusual for constitutional amendments, which typically pass.
In April, for example, voters approved two referendums that amended the Wisconsin Constitution to bar local clerks from using private grants or private employees to run elections. They passed by margins of about 9 and 17 percentage points.

Speaking to WPR at this year’s Farm Technology Days in Cadott, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler said referendum questions normally “just sail through.” But this year, he said the state party, and groups like Wisconsin Conservation Voters, Wisconsin Farmers Union and the Wisconsin League of Women Voters hammered a “Vote No” message for months. 

“So, they all said ‘no’ with one voice and the result was that, for voters that voted in August, they knew what these amendments were about,” said Wikler. “They knew there was a reason to get out and cast a ballot, and overwhelmingly, they rejected these constitutional amendments and affirmed that they want a governor to do what Gov. Evers has done, which is to make use of federal emergency funds to actually help people in the state get through hard times.”

Wikler said the overwhelming response from voters was surprising, even to him. 

“I think this will be a big jolt of enthusiasm, and I think it bodes well for the chance for Democrats to win up and down the ballot,” Wikler said.

Republican state Rep. Robert Wittke, R-Racine, was one of the lead sponsors of the resolution that led to Tuesday’s amendment questions. In a written statement, he said he’s disappointed with the result.

“This was not a partisan issue but one that sought to promote good governance in spending undesignated federal dollars that come into the state,” said Wittke. “Supporters of good governance were outspent by those who exaggerated the intent of the questions — and our message failed. It’s unfortunate, but we gave the people a chance to decide and now we move on.”

Rick Esenberg, who heads the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, blamed the loss on “out-of-state, far-left special interests” who he said “flooded the airwaves with misleading ads to influence decision making in Wisconsin.” 

Wikler contends criticisms from Republicans about Democrats misleading voters “is a little rich.” He said the ballot questions were written in a way to confuse voters, and they were put on the August primary ballot by Republicans in hopes of getting a victory in a typically low-turnout election.

Instead, Democrats from the state to local level organized against them. Gloria Hochstein, who chairs the Wisconsin Democratic Party’s rural caucus, said that in the April election, the party didn’t pay enough attention to referendums.

“I think in April, we were blindsided,” she said. “We didn’t get busy worrying about those amendments that were on the April ballot until weeks before the ballots were coming out.”

Hochstein said she and other Democratic party leaders “learned our lesson” when they found out about the upcoming questions. At the state Democratic Party’s annual convention in June, an administrative committee voted to endorse a campaign aimed at getting people to “vote no” on Aug. 13, which paid off. 

“I think voting no on the amendment was a unifying thing that brought people out to vote,” said Hochstein. “Even people who didn’t have a primary.”