Health officials are reporting additional cases of measles in southwest Wisconsin. As of Tuesday, 402 confirmed or probable cases of measles had been reported in connection with the ongoing outbreak in southwest Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reports a total of 97 confirmed or probable cases have been reported in Iowa County, 122 in Lafayette County and 153 in Grant County, with 14 cases in Vernon County and one case in Richland County. Additionally, new cases have been announced in two other counties in connection with the southwest Wisconsin outbreak: 5 cases in Rock County and 10 cases in Sauk County. 

A Data Center Community Forum that explores the topic of data center development from an interdisciplinary lens with student scholarship presentations and a panel of journalists will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 17, in the Peter and Susan Smith Welcome Center on the University of Dubuque campus. Free and open to the public, the forum is hosted by various UD departments. A showcase of student scholarship will open the forum at 5:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Smith Welcome Center examining a variety of concepts and questions related to data centers to better understand and interpret the subject in their respective classes. The forum will transition to a panel discussion and Q&A at 6:00 p.m. with three journalists from across the region who will share their insights and interpretations. 

Grant County has been awarded a $39,550 Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to advance destination marketing development across the county.  The grant will fund research and planning that will help Grant County better understand visitor interests,  identify the experiences that distinguish the area, and develop a clear strategy for promoting the county as a place to visit, explore, and stay. Additional information about stakeholder participation and project activities will be shared as the Grant County Destination Marketing Development project begins. 

A fire at a 30-unit apartment building in Dubuque displaced residents from 20 units Friday evening. The Dubuque Fire Department says crews were dispatched to 280 West 17th Street just after 6:15 pm. Firefighters reported heavy flames from a first-floor unit and brought the fire under control about 10 minutes after dispatch. Crews used ladders to rescue two people and helped other residents evacuate. Two residents were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. One firefighter was also treated for a minor injury. The Red Cross helped displaced residents find shelter. Damage is estimated at 580-thousand dollars. The cause remains under investigation. 

A 21-year-old Wisconsin State Trooper who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was released from ICE custody Friday night, according to his attorney.  Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, who lives in Onalaska and works out of the Tomah post, was detained by ICE agents at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison on Nov. 5 while waiting to board a domestic flight. His attorney claims when Van Der Merwe showed agents his federal work permit and explained he had a pending asylum application, they told him they “did not care,” before detaining and taking him to the Dodge County detention facility. According to Van Der Merwe’s attorney, he will be placed on an order of supervision which requires Van Der Merwe to meet with ICE regularly and to be monitored by an electronic device. However, his attorney says their fight isn’t over. 

Rep. Derrick Van Orden has filed to run for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District in 2028 after losing to Democrat Rebecca Cooke on Tuesday, according to the Federal Election Commission. Van Orden filed on Friday as he plans to take back his seat. During Tuesday’s midterm election, Van Orden lost by a margin of nearly 20,000 votes to Cooke. 

A 21-year-old Wisconsin State Trooper who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be released from custody, according to Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s office, who says the congressman contacted the Department of Homeland Security secretary on his behalf. Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, who lives in Onalaska and works out of the Tomah post, was detained by ICE agents at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison on Nov. 5 while waiting to board a domestic flight. According to a statement, Van Orden, who represents Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, contacted DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin directly after learning of Van Der Merwe’s detention. 

The National Weather Service is including new warnings starting this winter storm season. Ne for this season, the National Weather Service is expanding its use of “Particularly Dangerous Situation” (PDS) wording to select Blizzard Warnings and Ice Storm Warnings. This language is reserved exclusively for rare, historic events where there is high confidence of extreme weather that poses an exceptional threat to life and critical infrastructure. If you see Particularly Dangerous Situation wording in a warning, take immediate action to protect yourself and your family, stay off the roads, and exercise extreme caution. 

An infant died from measles amid an ongoing outbreak in southwestern Wisconsin, the state’s Department of Health Services reported Thursday. This marks the state’s first death of an infant from measles since 1990. The DHS said it would not release further information related to the death in order to protect the privacy of the family and child. Measles has been spreading for several months across southwestern Wisconsin with more than 350 cases confirmed in the region. Statewide, the number of cases passed 400 earlier this week and Columbia County reported its first cases on Wednesday. 

Someone in Dubuque has a $50,000 winning lottery ticket. The Iowa Lottery announced that a $50,000 winning ticket from last night’s drawing  was bought at Hy-Vee on Dodge Street in Dubuque. The prize from the winning lottery ticket can be claimed at any Iowa lottery office.