Wisconsin
Wisconsin winter storm: Vernon residents wait as plows stall, staffing thin
VERNON, Wis. – Mechanical failures and staffing shortages slowed snow removal in the Village of Vernon over the weekend, leaving some residents waiting until well after the storm for streets to be cleared.
Plows, fire trucks stuck during storm
What we know:
Several village vehicles – including snowplows and fire trucks – became stuck or broke down during the storm, forcing delays in clearing operations and emergency responses.
Residents contacted FOX6 questioning why Department of Public Works vehicles were not clearing streets during the storm.
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80-year-old Don Anderson said it was nearly a day and a half after the snow stopped before he finally saw pavement on his street.
“Something that was driving that process wasn’t working,” Anderson said.
Village of Vernon Department of Public Works Director Brett Bartels declined to speak on camera but said nine DPW incidents occurred over the weekend in which trucks either became stuck or broke down.
Staffing shortages add to delays
What they’re saying:
Village of Vernon Fire Department Assistant Chief Patrick Hays said one fire truck became stuck three times Saturday while responding to a minor crash on Hillview Drive.
“We got hit and we got hit hard,” Hays said.
Hays said a DPW plow was sent to help but also became stuck, further slowing snow clearance efforts.
“Which created a problem for the rest of the Village and delayed streets getting plowed,” he said.
Bartels said DPW is currently operating with two employees instead of the usual five. He said an on-call snowplow driver position has been posted for about a month, but no one has applied.
Another worrying sign is the village’s proposed 2026 budget, which includes a nearly 47% cut to public works funding.
Village promises review of storm response
Dig deeper:
With more snow on the way, Anderson said he hopes the response improves.
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“I want the Village to do better next time,” he said.
Bartels said his crew worked about 20 hours clearing streets after the storm and does not believe the proposed budget cuts would affect snowplow operations next year.
Village officials said the administrator-clerk posted an update Sunday, stating DPW will work with the Village Board to review the response to the storm.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
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.
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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.
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