Regional

Winter is officially here, and with that comes the potential for dangerous road conditions.

Snow, sleet and ice make it harder to control and stop your vehicle.

From Oct. 2023 to May 2024, winter weather contributed to more than 11,000 crashes in Wisconsin, resulting in nine fatalities and over 2,000 injuries.

 It was the Christmas holiday circa 1969 and our family had traveled from our home near Milwaukee to visit relatives on the farm, which six months later would become our permanent residence.

I had just turned 6 and my brother Kevin was 9. There was snow on the ground and we decided to go sledding.

Early winter is a great time to marvel at frost formation on vegetation. We can get by just calling the buildup of frozen water as ice if it falls as rain and freezes or frost if it comes from moisture in the air and goes directly to frost, or some mixture between.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue reminds property owners to check their tax bills for the lottery and gaming credit.

The credit provides relief to qualifying taxpayers. This year’s estimated credit is $213.

Evergreen boughs, branches, limbs and spurs are not as needy as Christmas trees and don’t have to be as cultured to be an attraction for some village and city dwellers. Greeting porch pots, swags, and indoor tables, mantles and even floor accents are easy to assemble or drop in position.

Numerous awards were handed out during the Wisconsin Farmers Union State Convention, held Dec. 13-15 at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

More than 200 farmers and ag supporters gathered for a weekend of networking, educational workshops and policymaking.

VA is launching a new outreach campaign to encourage all eligible veterans to enroll in VA health care – including approximately 13,000 unenrolled Wisconsin veterans who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) announced new winter road condition categories to better reflect current conditions on roads across the state.

Next year, airline travelers will face new identification requirements to board their flights.

Law enforcement units statewide are on high alert for impaired drivers.

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign started Dec. 13 and will continue through New Year’s Day. This is a concerted effort to crack down on inebriated driving during the holidays.