State News

SHERIFF ROY TORGERSON REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ONGOING ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR AND NARRATIVE EXCERPTS FROM THE WEEK ENDING JULY 12, 2025.

7/6       Dispatch received an automated crash detection notification from a cell phone but was unable to make voice contact with anyone. A deputy went to the location and found a cell phone in the road. The owner was contacted to retrieve their phone.

7/6       Deputies responded to County Road O in the Town of Harmony for a motorcycle versus deer crash. The operator, Justin Lange, Friendship, WI was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and sustained minor injuries. The motorcycle was later towed from the scene.

7/6       A vehicle came to rest at the bottom of an embankment on Old Highway 14 in the Town of Viroqua after technical difficulties with power steering. The driver and sole occupant reported no injuries and had a family member pull the vehicle out.

7/7       A sheriff’s deputy and a Westby Police officer responded to Main St in the City of Westby for a burglar alarm. The building was found secure and it was determined to be a false alarm.

7/7       A deputy responded to County Road F near Kraemer Road in the Town of Hillsboro after a vehicle struck a deer. The driver, Aiden Lemmons, Richland Center, reported no injuries. The deer was injured and dispatched.

7/9       A traffic stop was initiated and a speeding citation was issued to the driver of a vehicle found operating at 76 mph in a 55 mph zone on US Highway 14 in the Town of Franklin.

7/10    A deputy initiated a traffic stop in the 2100 block of State Highway 35 in the Town of Bergen. The driver received a citation for speeding 79 mph in a 55 mph zone.

7/10    A sheriff’s deputy initiated a traffic stop and officers with the Viroqua Police Department also responded to the scene at Chicago Avenue in the City of Viroqua. During the stop a K9 was deployed and gave a positive indication on the vehicle. A male party was processed for Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and transported to the Sheriff’s Office Detention Center.

7/11     Deputies initiated a traffic stop on State Highway 35 in the Village of Stoddard after fireworks were seen being thrown from the window of a vehicle.

7/12    A driver encountered a male laying on the side of the road on US Highway 14 near the 10-Mile Hill. The driver transported the male to a business in Coon Valley where they were met by sheriff’s deputies and officers from Coon Valley Police. It was later determined that the male had removed an ankle monitor so a probation hold was placed. The male was evaluated at a local hospital and then transported to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center.

IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ON AN ABOVE CRIME, OR ANY CRIME, CALL THE VERNON COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS AT 608-637-8477 OR 1-800-657-6868 OR SUBMIT AN ONLINE TIP AT WWW.P3TIPS.COM 

Madison – During a State Assembly floor session that commenced Wednesday, Representative Nancy VanderMeer (R-Tomah) voted to support the Legislature’s 2025-2026 biennial budget and released the following statement:

“I was happy to again support a responsible, two-year fiscal plan that funds state governmental obligations and prioritizes areas of importance for residents of the 70^th Assembly District. Furthermore, I was happy to support a biennial budget that doesn’t dramatically grow state government and exorbitantly raise taxes and fees on hard-working individuals and families throughout the state as the governor and Legislative Democrats would prefer to do.

“I stated earlier this year that I looked forward to working with my colleagues to once again deliver a responsible budget for taxpayers throughout our state that promotes taxpayers keeping more of their own money, invests in infrastructure, prioritizes public safety, increases access to health care, and more, and this budget does that. There’s a lot to like for a number of my friends and neighbors in the West Central part of the state, namely, a middle-class tax cut, retirement income tax exclusion and prioritizing our rural economy and infrastructure with $150 million invested in the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP) with $30 million targeted to bridge and culvert repair.”

As passed by the Joint Committee on Finance, the retirement income tax exclusion for filers at least 67 years of age is applicable on the first $24,000 of retirement income for individuals and $48,000 for married-joint filers.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) is issuing a reminder to all owners, operators,
managers and lessees of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that the excise tax return and payment are due by July 31, 2025. The electric vehicle charging tax went into effect on January 1, 2025, as stipulated by 2023 Wisconsin Act 121. Registrants must file tax returns biannually and pay excise tax at a rate of 3 cents per kilowatt-hour. The excise tax collected is transferred to Wisconsin’s transportation fund.
It’s important to note that the excise tax is due even if the charging station is not available for public use or if there is no charge to the consumer. Businesses, governmental units and nonprofit organizations are not exempt from the tax. For example, a business that maintains charging stations for its fleet vehicles must register and pay the excise tax due on the electricity.
Key Information for EV Charging Station Operators
• Who Must Register and File: Any person who owns, operates, manages or leases an EV charging station
that delivers electricity subject to the excise tax must register with DOR and file a return.
• Tax Rate: 3 cents per kilowatt-hour.
• Applicable Chargers:
o Level 3 chargers.
o Level 1 or Level 2 chargers installed on or after March 22, 2024.
• Exemptions:
o Electricity delivered or placed by EV charging stations located at a temporary or permanent
residence (with the exception of hotels).
o Electricity delivered or placed by a Level 1 or Level 2 charger installed prior to March 22, 2024.
• Filing Frequency: Returns and payments are due biannually. The first reporting period covers January 1,
2025, through June 30, 2025, with a due date of July 31, 2025. The subsequent reporting period will cover
July through December 31, with a due date of January 31, 2026.
• How to Register and File: Owners, operators, managers or lessees can register using DOR’s Online
Business Tax Registration system. Registrants can file their tax returns using DOR’s My Tax Account.
More information about the tax, including how to register, file returns and pay the tax, is available on DOR’s website and through Publication 305, Electric Vehicle Charging Tax Information.