The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission is condemning what it calls a lack of communication between state agencies and tribal communities after nine wolves were trapped and euthanized in Price County. In a press release, the commission described the wolves as a pack consisting of four pups, three yearlings, and two adults. 

“This action damages existing relationships and fractures trust,” said GLIFWC Executive Administrator Jason Schlender in a statement. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said late last week that the wolves posed a threat to humans following incidents reported in July 2025 and August 2026. Non-lethal measures were unsuccessful in deterring the wolves, a DNR spokesperson said, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

“We remind the WDNR and USDA Wildlife Services to involve GLIFWC and its member tribes in the decision-making process,” Schlender said in his statement. Wolves represent powerful symbols, spirits and teachers for many tribal communities. “Simply handing us the remains of our relatives after killing them does not constitute meaningful consultation.”

In 2021, when the DNR held a controversial wolf hunt, tribal communities opted not to hunt wolves on their lands. A quota of 200 wolves had been set by the DNR, a certain portion of which was allocated to tribal communities. Hunters in the rest of the state exceeded the quota in less than three days. 

The killing of the nine wolves represents the first time wolves were killed by officials in Wisconsin since a 2022 court ruling returning the animals to the Endangered Species List.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to remove the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list. 

Wolves have come into conflict with rural and farming communities in Wisconsin, killing livestock and pets and triggering a campaign to restart Wisconsin’s wolf hunt. Wolf attacks on humans are rare, and only two fatal wolf attacks on humans have been documented in the last 20 years. 

Randy Johnson, the DNR’s large carnivore specialist, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that efforts to chase off the wolves using sound, lights and hazing were unsuccessful, and that “reports demonstrated a pattern of behavioral escalation, with the wolves showing less response to hazing and more acclimation to human presence.”

Investigative reports obtained by the Wisconsin Examiner describe three separate complaints made in August. The complaints describe wolves, sometimes collared, coming within close proximity of properties, such as in yards, driveways, or grassy areas. One of the reports mentioned chicken depredations. Another report stated that a wolf had come within 20 yards of a man mowing brush on his tractor in an effort to deter the wolves. The third report mentioned a person who saw a wolf near  five-gallon bait bucket for bears. The reports described the wolves as unafraid of people, and said efforts to deter them had been ineffective.

The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission states that it was left out of the decision to euthanize the wolves, and that the Wisconsin DNR and federal government had met multiple times since 2025. “At no time during that period did WDNR or federal representatives contact GLIFWC staff to inform them of reported threats, share data, or provide decision-making criteria, bypassing consultation with GLIFWC and its member tribes,” the commission stated. 

It added that courts have ruled that the state of Wisconsin is required to co-manage resources within ceded Indigenous territories, such as those where the nine wolves were killed. This cooperation was reaffirmed in an executive order from Gov. Tony Evers in 2019, directing state agencies to consult with tribal governments on “matters that may directly or indirectly impact tribal nations.”

The commission says in its statement that the gray wolf is  known to the the Lake Superior Ojibwe as Ma’iingan, is considered a clan relative, and is a key cultural figure that has been mistreated and misunderstood. 

“People are often afraid of wolves, and wolves are too often mischaracterized,” said Conrad St. John, St. Croix tribal chairman and Voigt Intertribal Task Force chair. “Our elders relay that our communities have co-existed with Ma’iingan since the very beginning and we still don’t have any documented cases of attacks on humans in Wisconsin.”

Alex Bohman, GLIFWC biological services director, said that wolves strengthen deer populations by removing sick, weak, or old animals. “Tribes have coexisted with wolves for hundreds of years and can bring traditional ecological knowledge, as well as western science and data to these discussions.” Bohman said that state and federal agencies should engage with the commission and its member tribes on wolf management. “Ideally, this will lead to agreement on the most appropriate course of action,” she said.

Many argue modern cars are too complex and frequently overloaded with technologies and complicated infotainment systems that get in the way of the driving experience. While this may be true, advanced new tech, including over-the-air systems, makes updating cars from home easier than ever.

In 2012, Tesla was the first car company to introduce an OTA update, and it’s now something most other brands do, in particular EV firms. Among them is Lucid, which has just announced an update to overhaul the infotainment system of the Air, bringing it in line with the newer all-electric Gravity SUV.

Read: Lucid Air Recall Has Owners Parking Outside While Software Plays Firefighter

The new system, known as Air UX 3.0, updates the right cockpit panel with swipeable cards allowing owners to place their most frequently used features within easy reach. As part of the update, Lucid has also introduced its new Quick Controls function, allowing drivers to swipe down from the top of the screen and quickly access important controls.

Lucid has also improved how Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work. Now, both smartphone mirroring options fill the entire right display. The system also provides for more seamless multitasking.

Using the onboard navigation system also promises to be easier than ever. It now stretches across both dashboard-mounted displays and has improved EV routing capabilities, meaning drivers can set preferred charging networks and stations. It’s also now easier than ever to switch between saved and guest driving profiles.

Some Cars Need Hardware Upgrades

All 2025 and 2026 Lucid Air models will receive the new system through a free over-the-air software update, starting from September 29. While the new system also works on 2022, 2023, and 2024 models, Lucid says they require a new infotainment processor, priced at $950 in the United States, including installation. Owners of these models can schedule a service appointment to get the upgrade.

The student transportation industry faces questions after a 7-year-old student rider in a wheelchair died on her bus. Additionally, rising fuel costs alongside declining enrollment complicate matters.

Gabrielle Marie Kelley aka “Gabie the Author,” former school bus dispatcher and current office manager for Irving Independent School District in Texas, takes us behind the scenes of the web series she has been sharing with STN readers titled “Calvin & Christina” following the adventures of Calvin, an anxious but dutiful bus driver, and his sentient and safety-conscious school bus named Christina.

Read more about safety.

This episode is brought to you by Transfinder.

 

 

Stream, subscribe and download the School Transportation Nation podcast on Apple Podcasts, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Spotify and YouTube.

The post (STN Podcast E325) Calvin & Christina: Safety-Conscious Student Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

When the Launch Schedule Can’t Wait

How TransTech Energy modified a 30,000-gallon vertical water deluge tank for an aerospace launch facility on an accelerated timeline.

In aerospace, having equipment arrive early can be a very good problem to have.

A customer needed a 30,000-gallon vertical carbon steel tank for a launch pad water deluge system, and they needed it fast. Rather than starting with a new vessel and a traditional fabrication schedule, TransTech Energy looked to its existing tank inventory.

A 7-year-old Cincinnati Public Schools student with special needs died while riding a school bus, and her family is seeking answers about what occurred during the approximately 90-minute trip home.

Ngone Talla, a Roselawn Condon School student, was nonverbal with developmental disabilities and rode the school bus in a wheelchair. Her father, Abdoula Talla, told local media that Ngone appeared healthy and happy when she went to school Wednesday morning.

Cincinnati Public Schools confirmed in a statement provided to School Transportation News that Ngone died later that day while on her school bus.

“Our hearts remain with her family and everyone who knew and loved her,” the district stated. “This is an unimaginable loss for them and a heartbreaking time for the entire CPS community, and especially those at her school.”

Ngone’s family said the bus arrived late at their Northside home at approximately 5 p.m. Abdoula said home surveillance video showed the bus remaining outside for 10 to 15 minutes before its wheelchair ramp was lowered.

Ngone’s 12-year-old sister, Marema Talla, reportedly went outside after her mother told her the school bus had arrived. She said a bus employee eventually invited family members on board, where they found Ngone motionless in her wheelchair.

Marema told local media that Ngone’s lips appeared dry, cut and bleeding, and that she could not detect a pulse or breathing. She said an bus attendant told her something had been coming from Ngone’s mouth before she became still.

Authorities have not confirmed that account or said when during the ride Ngone became unresponsive.

Abdoula said his wife and children called him after discovering that Ngone was not breathing. He said he called 911 while rushing home. Ngone was transported to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The family is questioning why emergency responders were not called before the bus reached their home. Investigators have not said if district transportation staff or other students on school bus knew Ngone was in distress during the route or whether earlier intervention could have affected the outcome.

Substitute Monitor Working the Day of Fatality

Abdoula said the school bus route typically had a driver and an attendant responsible for monitoring students. He said the attendant working Wednesday was not Ngone’s regular attendant.

First Student, which operated the bus, stated in an email to STN that it is cooperating with local authorities and the school district.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of a student in Cincinnati and are fully cooperating with local authorities and the school district on conducting a thorough investigation,” the company stated.

First Student declined to answer questions about when employees noticed Ngone was unresponsive, whether they contacted emergency services and whether the attendant was a substitute. The company cited the active investigation.

The Cincinnati Police Department also confirmed in an email to STN that it is conducting a death investigation but declined to release additional information because the investigation remains ongoing.

The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office has not publicly announced Ngone’s cause or manner of death.

Ngone’s family remembered her as funny, energetic and loving. Abdoula said he had communicated with her teacher earlier Wednesday and was told his daughter was having a good day.

“I just want to know the truth,” he said. “She’s a lovely baby, and I just want to know the truth.”

Cincinnati Public Schools said its Crisis Response Unit has been supporting students and employees at Roselawn Condon School and throughout the district.

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Related: (STN Podcast E321) The Mission: Supporting Education & Independence for Students with Special Needs
Related: Gallery: Safe, Caring Transportation Promoted for Students With Special Needs
Related: Special Needs Roadeo Returns to TSD Conference with Expanded Training, Team Challenges
Related: Alternative School Transportation: Roadmap for Decision-Making For Children with Disabilities and Special Needs

The post Family Seeks Answers After 7-Year-Old Dies on Ohio School Bus appeared first on School Transportation News.

In 1927, Lester Maitland of Milwaukee became the first person to fly from the continental U.S. to Hawaii, at the time landing on par with famous pilot Charles Lindbergh. But his story is largely unknown. Now author Liam Callanan uncovers Maitland’s story.

The post A Milwaukee pilot was the first to fly from California to Hawaii a century ago. Why have you never heard of him? appeared first on WPR.

Lucid Air owners might want to check their car’s software before choosing a cozy garage spot tonight. The EV maker is recalling 27,185 examples of its luxury sedan because a flaw in the electrical protection for exterior lighting circuits can let models running older software get hot enough to produce smoke or even a fire.

The recall covers 2022 through 2026 model-year Lucid Airs built from October 2021 to July 2026, and the culprit isn’t a bad bulb or some particularly enthusiastic LED. Lucid says the software controlling an electronic fuse, or eFuse, can allow an exterior lighting circuit to remain powered while drawing too much current.

Related: Ex-Manager Claims Lucid Dismissed His Warnings About Defect Before Large Recall

The same overheating problem that presents a fire risk  can also knock out the center brake light or front lighting, reducing visibility and raising the chance of a crash. So just because your Air hasn’t cooked you yet doesn’t mean you’re not in danger.

There were warning signs before the recall arrived. Lucid’s filing describes three fire events involving front lighting over three years, plus four reports of smoke linked to overheating in the center high-mounted stop lamp circuit. It also found 33 warranty reports involving damage to that lamp’s wiring harness that might be connected.

The Fix Already Exists

Thankfully, the repair doesn’t involve service-center surgery. Lucid released software version 2.10.0 over the air in July. It lowers the eFuse protection threshold and stops a faulted circuit from being repeatedly re-energized during the same key cycle. Lucid says 20,719 affected EVs had already received version 2.10.0 or newer when the report was prepared, leaving 6,466 still needing it.

Owners who haven’t updated will receive mailed instructions, with remedy notices scheduled for October 16. And until that update is installed, those owners are being told to park outside and away from structures. Which is kind of difficult when you’re talking about a car that needs to be plugged into a charger regularly.

Lucid hasn’t had the best luck with reliability and safety lately. It was forced to buy back a fault-riddled Air from YouTuber Jason Fenske, recalled cars for unsecured half-shaft bolts, and then hauled back a couple of thousand sedans over concerns they could lose power while driving.

Lucid

If you like geeking out on performance stats you’ll love Car and Driver’s latest 0-150-0 mph (0-241-0 kmh) feature, a test it first ran almost 30 years ago. But cars – and not just supercars – have become so ridiculously fast since then that this year the magazine found it had enough runway, and enough horses, to try 200 mph (322 kmh) and back. And some serious scalps were removed in the process.

The venue had a 2.2-mile taxiway, and four cars theoretically had enough firepower to crack the double century. They were the 1,234 hp (1,251 PS / 920 kW) Lucid Air Sapphire, 1,250 hp (1,267 PS) Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, 740 hp (750 PS) McLaren 750S, and 701 hp (711 PS) Porsche 911 Turbo S.

Related: No American Road Car Has Ever Reached 60 Faster Than This Lucid

The Porsche, it turned out didn’t quite make the grade. Despite an official 200 mph (322 kmh) maximum, C/D recorded 199.3 mph (321 kmh) before the limiter intervened. Close, but no celebratory cigar.

The other three got there, and the results were pretty epic. Lucid’s enormous electric sedan completed 0-200-0 mph in just 25.7 seconds. The Corvette needed another 6.1 seconds, recording 31.8 seconds, while the McLaren finished in 37.7 seconds. Yes, a luxury four-door EV just annihilated two purpose-built sports cars.

Low Drag Equals Low Times

The Lucid’s secret isn’t complicated. It has monumental power and relatively slippery bodywork, both becoming increasingly important as speeds climb and aerodynamic drag starts demanding absurd amounts of energy. Car and Driver found the Sapphire reached 200 mph (322 km/h) more than seven seconds before the ZR1X and over 13 seconds ahead of the McLaren.

Braking gave the sports cars an opportunity for revenge. Their lower mass meant they could shed 200 mph (322 kmh) more effectively than the hefty Lucid, which needed nearly a quarter-mile (402 m) to stop. Trouble is, they’d already lost so much ground accelerating that better braking couldn’t rescue them. For me, the most mind-blowing stat of the lot is that the Lucid completed the entire run in less than a mile (1.6 km). That’s bonkers.

Head over to Car and Driver for its complete 0-150-0 mph (0-241-0 kmh) test, where you’ll find figures for everything from the Dodge Charger Scat Pack to the BMW M2 CS and even the Hyundai Elantra N.

Lucid, GM

After trekking thousands of miles by plane, boat and foot, family and friends of Wisconsin ace pilot Richard I. Bong have secured a piece of World War II history for northern Wisconsin. 

The post Wingtip from wreck of fighter plane flown by ace pilot Richard Bong brought to Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.

Wisconsin health and environmental advocates are hailing a federal appeals court decision that upheld the Biden administration’s tighter limits on soot pollution after two dozen Republican-led states challenged the rule. 

The post Wisconsin groups say federal appeals court ruling to uphold soot pollution limits is a ‘win’ appeared first on WPR.