4/18/2025

MINOCQUA – A Resistance Groups, which Includes a Minocqua Business Owner’s SuperPAC is Speaking Out against the Trump Administration. A resistance coalition including the Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC along with citizen activists of 50501 is asking Wisconsin governor Tony Evers to continue to defend civil liberties and refuse any federal effort to take control of the Wisconsin National Guard. In an open letter signed by nine resistance activist groups, including Kirk Bangstad, the coalition called on the governor to make an unequivocal public commitment that he will not comply with any unlawful federal directive aimed at suppressing First Amendment rights under the guise of “law and order.” The letter also stated, “Wisconsin is not Trump’s playground, and our National Guard is not his private army.” The letter cites Trump’s history of emboldening right-wing militia groups and leveraging chaos for political gain, as well as the legal authority granted to state governors under Title 32 of the U.S. Code to retain command of their state’s Guard unless lawfully federalized.

4/18/2025

N. WISCONSIN - The Wisconsin DNR is offering grants to help those in Northern Wisconsin affected by last month’s ice storm.  The grants are for tree removal, tree planting or tree repair. The grant is being offered statewide.  The ice storm affected many traveling to work and school and some lost power for days. Many trees were damaged in the storm from the buildup of ice on branches. The grants are offered to any municipalities, tribes, counties and nonprofit organizations.  Only damages from March 29 to April 1 qualify for grant assistance. The deadline to apply is June 2. To apply visit the DNR website Projects must be completed 365 days after Governor Evers' emergency declaration.

4/18/2025

UPPER MICHIGAN - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will expedite its permitting process for Enbridge Inc.'s Line 5 tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac after determining the oil pipeline project meets the parameters of an emergency energy declaration issued by President Donald Trump.  The expedited consideration, announced in a public notice Tuesday, is expected to lead to a "truncated" timeline for the review process, according to Army Corps officials. However, it's unclear how much earlier the federal environmental impact statement will be finalized under the emergency designation. A final decision was initially expected to be completed in early 2026.  Army Corps officials noted that a draft environmental impact statement related to the Line 5 tunnel is still expected this spring, potentially as soon as June.  An ultimate decision cannot be issued for at least 30 days after publishing the final environmental impact statement. Most of the data needed to make the final decision had already been collected before the emergency designation.  Enbridge, in a statement, noted the company has been seeking approval for its tunnel project for nearly five years for a project meant "to make a safe pipeline safer while also ensuring the continued safe, secure, and affordable delivery of essential energy to the Great Lakes region."  The Sierra Club Michigan Chapter criticized the decision as a win for "Big Oil" and called on Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to "step in."