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Wisconsin Xcel Energy crews among the many heading down to Georgia for hurricane relief

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Wisconsin Xcel Energy crews among the many heading down to Georgia for hurricane relief


EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – It has been several days since Hurricane Helen ravaged The South.

“Looking at some of the stuff that they’re talking about, the sights, the sounds and the smells, it kind of does cross your mind a little,” said Terry Schloer.

He has worked for Xcel Energy for decades. He and others from Wisconsin are using their skills to help bring relief to those impacted by power outages in Augusta, Ga.

“Knowing they’re still looking for help a week after the storm is really kind of telling its tale that there’s significant damage,” said Brad Polacek.

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He is one of three managers traveling with twelve linemen that make up six crews from the Wisconsin region.

Xcel Energy is sending over a hundred workers in total from various states, which include our neighbors to the west in Minnesota.

Four of the six Wisconsin groups met in Eau Claire on Wednesday to go over the game plan before hitting the road.

“You don’t realize how important that electricity is until that light switch don’t work anymore,” said Schloer.

Our sister state WAGT/WRDW reported that thousands of linemen from various companies that come from various state are in the Peach State to help out.

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Our colleagues said the category 1 storm’s damage to the Georgie Power electric grid includes:

More than 8,000 power poles

More than a thousand miles of wiring

More than 1,500 transformers.

The station also reported that of the 184,000 Georgia Power customers without power, the majority of them are in Augusta.

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“There’s plenty of guys that’ll be down there helping out. These guys are going to be putting in 16 hour days. Getting lights on and fixing polls and getting wires up,” said Schloer.

The linemen heading down have had their fair share of power restoration operations.

“In our area here we’ve seen big wind events, thunderstorms, tornadoes aren’t uncommon for this area either,” said Polacek.

The crews recognize the job ahead is easier said than done.

“We’ll gladly go do it and help out. We’ll get dirty and get tired. We’ll put in some long days. But, it’s just part of it,” said Schloer.

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“What we can’t lose sight of is the safety part of that. We have to make sure we take the time necessary to do what we do safely. Make sure we have zero injuries on the way there, do our work and make it back home safely,” said Polacek.

The crews from Wisconsin plan to get to Georgia by Friday and expect to work for the next couple of weeks.



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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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