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Merrill Fire Department highlights benefits of Wisconsin Fire Dues Program – Merrill Foto News

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Merrill Fire Department highlights benefits of Wisconsin Fire Dues Program – Merrill Foto News


State presents check for $50,000 to Merrill Fire Chief

Merrill Mayor Steve Haas (far left), Merrill Fire Department (MFD) Chief Josh Klug (middle in white shirt), and Merrill City Administrator Rod Akey (middle in red shirt) accept the ceremonial check for the MFD’s portion of the Fire Dues Program. Photo courtesy of Merrill Fire Department.

On Sept. 3, 2024, Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) Secretary Dan Hereth and Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance Nathan Houdek presented a ceremonial check for more than $50,000 to City of Merrill Fire Department Chief Josh Klug. The check representes the department’s share of funding from the Wisconsin 2% Fire Dues Program.
“Safety is a vital part of our department’s mission, and our state fire departments are the backbone of safety in Wisconsin communities,” said DSPS Secretary Dan Hereth. “Ensuring that safety means funding our fire departments, and the Fire Dues Program is a major source of funding.”
The 2% Fire Dues Program requires insurers to pay 2% of premiums collected for insurance against loss from fires. The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) collects the dues, and DSPS distributes the dues to hundreds of cities, villages, and towns across Wisconsin according to a prescribed formula. This summer, Wisconsin professional, volunteer, and hybrid fire departments received a total of $32.2 million, a nearly $4 million increase over 2023.
“This program is all about prevention. Fire departments across our state can take their share of the Fire Dues funding and put it towards the programs that best serve their communities. We’re proud to play a part in this collaboration,” said Commissioner Houdek.
Wisconsin fire departments can use the Fire Dues funding in a variety of ways to keep communities safe, including buying and replacing equipment, producing fire prevention programming, training crews, and more. Merrill has used some of its annual funding to keep a dedicated Fire Inspector on staff.
“Previously, we had employees filling in that role on a rotating basis,” said Merrill Fire Chief Josh Klug. “Having someone dedicated to that job allows our other fire staff to concentrate on their work, and for our local businesses it provides consistency. There is no question about whom to contact with questions about fire inspections.”
Chief Klug and Fire Inspector Joe Bozinski joined Merrill Mayor Steve Hass and City Administrator Rod Akey to accept the ceremonial check for $50,872.26.
DSPS issues more than 240 unique licenses, administers dozens of boards and councils that regulate professions, enforces state building codes, and maintains the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which is a key tool in the multi-faceted public health campaign to stem excessive opioid prescribing. A fee-based agency, DSPS is self-sustaining and receives no general fund tax dollars for its day-to-day operations. With two offices and roughly 250 employees, DSPS collaborates with constituents and stakeholders across a wide range of industries to promote safety and advance the economy.

Merrill Fire Department Chief Josh Klug speaks at the short check presentation ceremony. Photo courtesy of Merrill Fire Department.



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What time, TV channel is Johns Hopkins vs Wisconsin-River Falls game on today? Live stream, preview

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What time, TV channel is Johns Hopkins vs Wisconsin-River Falls game on today? Live stream, preview


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The Division III Championship Semifinals feature the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (12-1) facing off with the Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons (12-1) as they look for a chance to play for a title. Kickoff takes place on Saturday, December 20, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET (11 a.m. MST) with a live TV broadcast only with ESPN Plus.

You can watch Johns Hopkins vs. Wisconsin-River Falls football streaming live on ESPN+ (now called ESPN Select) today.

Is Johns Hopkins vs. Wisconsin-River Falls on TV today, or streaming only?

When: Saturday, December 20, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET (11 a.m. MST).

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Where: David Smith Stadium at Ramer Field | River Falls, WI

TV channel: This game is not available on traditional broadcast TV, and is only streaming on ESPN’s live sports streaming platforms available on the ESPN App with one of the “ESPN Select” or “ESPN Unlimited” subscription plans. (This is the streaming service formerly known as ESPN Plus. Here’s a look at the breakdown of ESPN streaming plans, what they cost and include.)

Where to watch streaming live on TV, or online: You can watch a live stream of this game for less than $12 on ESPN Select (It’s just $11.99/month or $119.99/full year subscription, and you can cancel anytime. Just choose the “ESPN Select” plan in the drop down to sign up for the cheapest version of the service.).

  • The best deal: If you sign up for ESPN Unlimited ($29.99/month), you will get all of the ESPN networks and services, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN+, ESPN on ABC, SEC Network+, ACC Network Now and ESPN3.
  • Get promo codes, signup deals, and free bets from our Oregon Betting News home page.



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Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, wildlife advocates react to delisting of the gray wolf

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Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, wildlife advocates react to delisting of the gray wolf


GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – The Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association is speaking out about the U.S. House passing the “Pet and Livestock Protection Act”.

“I’ll be honest, our cattlemen are pretty fed up. I mean, they have been dealing with this issue for a long time, so. I mean just really felt like we are finally making progress here. And that’s really exciting that we can help our producers deal with this issue,” says Brady Zuck, a cow-calf producer and the past president of the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association.

Brady Zuck, one of many livestock producers in Wisconsin, is responding to the U.S. House passing a bill to delist the gray wolf from the “Endangered Species Act”.

The population of gray wolves is increasing, and according to the Wisconsin DNR, from April 2024 to April 2025, there were 70 verified wolf conflicts with livestock.

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“That’s what’s been the most frustrating, is that we have producers locally here in northwest Wisconsin or your area by Green Bay that are dealing with this issue, and it’s all controlled in Washington, and we have people in our state that could make those management decisions, but their hands are tied,” says Zuck.

Supporters of the bill say non-lethal methods used to keep gray wolves away, such as strobe lights and music, are only short-term solutions.

“We’re asking, saying hey, if we’re having problems with wolves on farms, we need ways to effectively deal with that, that work,” says Zuck.

The Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance shared a statement from Thursday about the delisting, saying: “We are disgusted by this reckless abandonment of science-based wildlife management. However, our advocates showed up in extraordinary numbers against overwhelming odds, and their voices were heard. This organization and our supporters are not defeated.”

“As cattlemen, we never said we want to eliminate all wolves, we don’t want any wolves, we never said that. But we just need to make sure we have the tools in place that we can, you know, if we have wolves killing calves, we need a way to deal with it, right?” Zuck says.

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The bill still has to pass the Senate and reach the president’s desk before changes are made.



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Watch Live: Demolition of bridge between Iowa, Wisconsin

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Watch Live: Demolition of bridge between Iowa, Wisconsin


LANSING, Iowa (KCRG) – The Black Hawk Bridge, connecting Iowa and Wisconsin over the Mississippi River will come down Friday morning.

The Iowa DOT and Wisconsin DOT are partnering on the demolition, which is set for 9:30 am on Friday. You can watch the demolition live in this article when it happens.

The bridge has been closed since October with plans to construct a new bridge, planned to open in 2027.

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The Iowa DOT laid out safety plans for the demolition:

  • A zone around the bridge will be blocked off to protect people from debris.
  • The Lansing Ferry service will not run from 6:00 p.m. on December 18 to the morning of December 22.
  • Highway 26 will be closed from around 8:45 a.m. on December 19 and reopen around 30 minutes after the implosion. Detour signs will be posted.
  • The demolition zone will be closed to recreational boat traffic on December 18 and expected to reopen during the night of December 19.
  • No trains will run through Lansing for four hours on the morning of December 19.



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