5/28/2026

N. WISCONSIN - Starting June 1, all UTV riders in Wisconsin, including drivers, will be required to wear seat belts under new statewide safety regulations. The new rules also ban towing people on trails, limit towing on ice to 10 mph, and add new window tint restrictions for UTVs. Wisconsin DNR officials said the changes are aimed at reducing deadly crashes, noting that many serious ATV and UTV accidents involve riders not wearing seat belts or helmets. The DNR reports that at least 14 fatal ATV/UTV crashes have occurred in Wisconsin this year, including nine on public roads.

5/28/2026

UPPER MICHIGAN - Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill Tuesday that forgives school makeup days for dozens of communities, including in all 15 counties in the U.P. that were impacted by severe weather following unprecedented snow melt, spring storms and flooding.  Whitmer says this will allow schools not to pay the price for unpredictable weather. 

5/28/2026

N. WISCONSIN - The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced it has opened another round of applications for federally funded electric vehicle charging stations along major highways across the state.  The funding is part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, which was created through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help build a nationwide EV charging network.  WisDOT said the next phase of funding will focus on expanding charging access along heavily traveled U.S. and state highway corridors after the state’s Alternative Fuel Corridor network was considered fully built out.  According to the department, Wisconsin currently has about $40 million available in remaining funding for the program. Grants can cover up to 80% of eligible project costs.  To date, WisDOT has awarded about $37 million to support 78 EV charging projects across Wisconsin, with 21 charging stations already operational.  Applications for the latest round of funding will remain open through July 24, with grant awards expected to be announced this fall.