Tag: Wisconsin News

John Deere owners will get the right to repair their own equipment under a new FTC settlement

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green and yellow tractor on brown field

It looks like John Deere owners can soon feel free to fix their own machines. The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment. The Illinois-based manufacturer has faced complaints for years for withholding the software needed for repairs and forcing customers to use authorized dealers instead of independent ones. This marks the second right-to-repair settlement Deere has reached this year, following a separate $99 million class-action settlement with farmers in April. Though the class-action compensated consumers, the FTC’s settlement instead requires Deere to make its repair services available to equipment owners and independent shops.

The FTC and attorneys general from Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin brought the antitrust lawsuit in January 2025, arguing that Deere had illegally restricted farmers and independent shops that might otherwise service them from repairing farm equipment such as tractors. Deere also makes engines and equipment for forestry, landscaping and construction. Under the order filed in Illinois, Deere will now be required to make diagnostic and repair tools available to equipment owners and independent repair shops, not only its own network of authorized dealers. It also prevents Deere dealers from retaliating against equipment owners or repair shops who choose to fix their own equipment instead of paying for Deere’s services. The order is headed to Judge Iain D. Johnston for his approval. “For too long, Arizona farmers and independent mechanics have been at the mercy of Deere’s monopoly over repair tools, forced to wait — and pay — for authorized dealers just to fix broken tractors and other equipment,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement Wednesday. Deere must pay $1 million collectively to the five states for antitrust enforcement costs and will be subject to strict compliance oversight for the next 10 years.

In the complaint, the FTC argued that Deere provides a service software tool to authorized dealers but does not provide the full version to equipment owners or independent shops. Deere had said the lawsuit was baseless, denied that its distribution of service tools was anticompetitive and argued that it could not monopolize services since it does not directly provide them. Deere maintained its commitment to independent repair in a statement Wednesday, adding that the agreement with the FTC reinforces its innovation of more flexible repair options. “This is good news for our customers and for the future of how Deere equipment is supported,” said Denver Caldwell, vice president of aftermarket and customer support. Right-to-repair has become an increasingly common issue over the years, especially for tech products, with consumers complaining that even simple repairs can only be done by company-authorized dealers.

Source: John Deere owners will get the right to repair their own equipment under a new FTC settlement – CBS Minnesota

A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

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Swatting call prompts lockdown at medical center in western Wisconsin

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Hand holding smartphone with vibrant red and blue light trails emanating from screen

Rice Lake, Wisconsin, police officers are investigating after a swatting incident at the Marshfield Medical Center Thursday afternoon.  Officials say the medical center received a phone call around 2 p.m., stating that two men were enroute to shoot up the hospital. Officers from the Red Lake Police Department and the Barron County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and secured the medical center.  Officials interviewed the staff and learned that the caller disguised their voice.

The caller also became upset with staff over the phone and hung up, according to police. No other threatening phone calls were made to the medical center.  While the medical center was on lock-down, officials learned that similar threats were at other places around Wisconsin.  Officials ended the lockdown around 4:15 p.m. and cleared the medical center. Officials say that early in the investigation they were able to determine this was a swatting call. No one was injured during the incident. 

Source: Swatting call prompts lockdown at medical center in western Wisconsin – CBS Minnesota

Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O LORD, we have waited for You; The desire of our soul is for Your name And for the remembrance of You.
Isaiah 26:8

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Explosive Diarrhea Parasite Outbreak Hits 20 States: Full List of Affected Areas

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anonymous man hanging toilet paper in bathroom

A parasite that causes explosive, watery diarrhea has sickened 145 people across 20 US states, prompting an ongoing investigation by federal and state health officials into the source of the outbreak. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the cases were reported between May and June 16 and involve patients ranging in age from 5 to 86 years old. So far, 20 people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. Breaking It Down What is Shigella and how does it spread? What are the symptoms of Shigella infection? How are health authorities responding to the outbreak in Wayanad? Created with AI. Health officials believe the illnesses are linked to contaminated food because none of the patients reported recent international travel.

However, investigators have not yet identified the exact source. The parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis, causes cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness that commonly leads to explosive, watery diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Symptoms usually appear about a week after infection and mainly affect the intestines, although some infected people may not develop symptoms. The CDC said local, state, and federal public health authorities are investigating several clusters of cases spanning multiple states. Officials also noted that the true number of infections may be higher because some cases may not have been diagnosed.

List of 20 States Affected By The Outbreak The CDC has reported cases in the following states and Washington, DC:

  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Connecticut
  • Pennsylvania
  • Massachusetts
  • Rhode Island
  • Delaware
  • Maryland
  • Virginia
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Tennessee
  • Wisconsin
  • Illinois
  • Georgia
  • Florida
  • Texas
  • Louisiana
  • Colorado
  • Alaska
  • Washington DC

Among the affected areas, New York has reported the highest number of cases, with between 31 and 80 infections, followed by Texas and Illinois, which have each recorded between 11 and 30 cases. While cyclosporiasis can resolve on its own, symptoms may last for a month or longer if left untreated, increasing the risk of dehydration. The CDC says the infection is typically treated with the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, also sold under the brand names Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim. The agency also recommends following safe food handling and storage practices. Previous US outbreaks have been linked to imported fresh produce, including cilantro, raspberries, sweet peas, mesclun lettuce and basil.

Source: Explosive Diarrhea Parasite Outbreak Hits 20 States: Full List of Affected Areas | Times Now

For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.
Jeremiah 31:25

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Wisconsin teen Carson Bender mauled by bobcat during turkey hunt in terrifying viral video

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hungry hunting bobcat

The hunter becomes the hunted. A terrifying caught-on-camera attack shows the moment a Wisconsin teen had his arm mauled by a bobcat while out turkey hunting. Carson Bender was set up at the base of a tree while hunting on private land near Nekoosa — about 100 miles north of Madison — when he turned around to find the fierce predator stalking him. The 19-year-old hunter quickly whipped out his phone to record the encounter as the bobcat slowly inched closer to him, video posted on his Instagram page shows.

“I pan over with the phone, and the bobcat is just staring at me,” he told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “I was like, uh-oh.”

Source: Wisconsin teen Carson Bender mauled by bobcat during turkey hunt in terrifying viral video

You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.
Deuteronomy 5:33

1,000 animal-rights activists try to storm Wisconsin beagle breeding facility

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energetic crowd at music festival in black and white

About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader. It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison. Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.

“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said. The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon. Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. “I just feel defeated,” activist Julie Vrzeski told the newspaper about three hours into the operation after no dogs had been successfully seized. Activists later moved from the Ridglan facility to protest outside the jail in downtown Madison.

Source: 1,000 animal-rights activists try to storm Wisconsin beagle breeding facility – CBS Texas

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem.
Proverbs 18:11

A hundred homes damaged, 1 injured in Friday’s 26 tornado outbreak

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Large tornado funnel cloud touching the ground in a flat field under dark stormy skies

Officials say more than 100 homes were damaged and one person was injured in a “significant tornado outbreak” across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa on Friday. The National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wisconsin, said it issued 26 tornado warnings during the outbreak, the most for a single day since the office opened in 1995. “The most tornadoes occurred locally north of Interstate 90 in southeast Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin,” the NWS said. A tornado that touched down in Olmsted County, Minnesota, around 2:17 p.m. was rated an EF2, according to the NWS, with wind speeds peaking around 130 mph. That tornado was on the ground for about 14 minutes, traveled about 10 miles and damaged “numerous homes and farms,” the NWS said.

Source: A hundred homes damaged, 1 injured in Friday tornado outbreak, NWS in Wisconsin says – CBS Minnesota

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4