Stories you might have missed from around Wisconsin.
Bowler: Tribal leaders share safety tips in light of new ICE raids.
Tribal leaders in Wisconsin are warning tribal members to beware of ICE agents because of President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, because there are reports of some U.S. citizens being detained. The Press Gazette shared portions of a letter sent to tribal members from the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Tribal Council that said in part, ““During these uncertain times as the Administration continues with its immigration crackdown, we ask that all tribal members prepare for the possibility of being stopped, detained and questioned regarding your citizenship.” the warning follows reports from tribal members who say they were briefly detained in some parts of the country in what appear to be cases of profiling. Stockbridge-Munsee tribal officials are urging tribal members to carry their tribal, state and/or federal IDs with them wherever they go and to remain respectful if they are stopped by ICE agents. The Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation is located adjacent to the southwest side of the Menominee Reservation in northeast Wisconsin around Bowler. Full Story
Sheboygan: County wins national award for using innovation to extend life of infrastructure.
It’s a major award! No, it’s not a leg lamp. This award is more impressive. Sheboygan County Transportation Department – Highway Division has won the 2024 James B. Sorenson Excellence in Pavement Preservation Award. The award recognizes outstanding achievements in extending the life of infrastructure through innovation and research-driven practices. The Sheboygan Press reported that Sheboygan County was selected as the 15th recipient of the national award, joining past winners including Ohio Department of Transportation, City of Los Angeles and California Department of Transportation. The award nomination stated the following: “Sheboygan County has consistently taken a proactive approach to emerging trends in preservation and demonstrates a willingness to evolve as new technologies and opportunities arise. Sheboygan County’s success exemplifies leadership in transportation, making them a deserving candidate for this prestigious award. Full Story
Beaver Dam: Data Center could come to Beaver dam sparking more concerns about energy demand.
Another day, another announcement of a data center potentially coming to Wisconsin. Today’s recipient is Beaver Dam. The city of Beaver Dam, Alliant Energy and the Beaver Dam Area Development Corp. have been working on a potential data center development for much of the last year, according to Trent Campbell, executive vice president of the Beaver Dam Area Development Corp. The project would be located on a more than 500 acre site. This project, like the ones proposed before, raises concerns about how the data centers would affect the power grid. WPR reported that these projects could have a big impact on the state’s electric grid. Data centers are energy-intensive buildings that consume 10 to 50 times the energy per floor space of a commercial office building. “That new data center coming to Mount Pleasant is going to use more energy than all the homes in Dane County,” said Amy Barrilleaux, a spokesperson for the nonprofit Clean Wisconsin. There’s growing concern among Wisconsin’s industrial users that the state could soon have insufficient capacity to meet demand for electricity. Full Story
