Monday, February 16, 2026
Midwest grocery prices tick up as egg prices fall nationally, report says
Maia Pandey
The cost of groceries has been ticking up in the Midwest, but there's at least one bright spot nationwide: egg prices have recovered after hitting all-time highs in 2025.
In January, Midwest grocery prices were up 0.4% from December 2025 and up 2.4% from a year earlier, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report. The increase comes after last month's report showed Midwest grocery prices remained stable toward the end of 2025.
Nationwide, the cost of food at home increased by 0.2% last month. That's down from a 0.7% increase in December 2025, meaning grocery prices rose at a slightly slower pace in January. Egg prices in particular were down by more than two dollars in January when compared to a year earlier.
Here's the latest on Midwest grocery prices, including why egg prices are finally dropping.
Are groceries getting more expensive in the Midwest?
Aside from fruits and vegetables, the price of all other Midwest groceries rose over the past year, according to the Consumer Price Index report released Feb 13.
In addition to Wisconsin, the Bureau of Labor Statistics includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota in its Midwest region analysis.
Here's how much grocery prices changed last month in the Midwest:
- Cereal and bakery product prices dropped by 0.1% from December 2025 but were still up by 2.4% from January 2025
- Meat, poultry, fish and egg prices rose by 0.2% from December 2025 and by 3.8% from January 2025
- Dairy product prices rose by 2.7% from December 2025 and by 0.4% from January 2025
- Fruit and vegetable prices dropped by 1.6% from December 2025 and by 2.9% from January 2025
- Nonalcoholic beverage prices rose by 0.8% from December 2025 and by 2.1% from January 2025
- Alcoholic beverage prices rose by 0.5% from December 2025 and by 1.6% from January 2025
Egg prices coming back down after bird flu outbreak
Though meat, poultry, fish and egg prices were still up slightly in the Midwest, egg prices nationally are finally recovering after hitting record levels in early 2025 due to the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, outbreak.
The national Consumer Price Index indicates the average cost for a dozen Grade A eggs in the United States was $2.58 in January 2026, compared to $4.95 in January 2025. In March 2025, average egg prices hit a record high of $6.23.
Wholesale egg prices have also dropped nearly 90% over the past seven months, USA TODAY reported. Bird flu is still present in the U.S., but much of the egg industry is now facing an oversupply problem, with some farmers selling eggs at below production cost.
How much do Wisconsin residents spend on groceries?
Despite increasing grocery prices in the region, Wisconsin residents rank in the middle of the pack in terms of how much they're spending on groceries, according to a Feb. 12 analysis by WalletHub, a personal finance website
The report compared the cost of commonly purchased grocery items against the median household income in each state. In Wisconsin, residents likely spend 1.97% of their monthly income on groceries, or 27th-highest of all the states, WalletHub found.
The U.S. Census Bureau's median income data on Wisconsin says that would amount to about $1,526 annually, or $127 monthly, spent on groceries.
Mississippi residents tend to spend the largest portion of their income, 2.6%, on groceries, and Massachusetts spends the least at 1.51%, WalletHub reported.
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Friday, February 13, 2026
Jury finds Racine man guilty of child sexual assault
Milana Doné
RACINE — A jury found a 39-year-old Racine man guilty of sexual assault charges Wednesday.
David Fisher was charged Feb. 12, 2025, with one count repeated sexual assault of the same child and one count of child enticement involving sexual contact.
Fisher pleaded not guilty to the charges in April 2025.
The jury deliberated for about 90 minutes.
According to a criminal complaint, the girl, who had recently turned 15, alleged that Fisher inappropriately touched her beginning in 2023 and engaged in sexual intercourse with her.
In the complaint, Fisher denied any inappropriate touching or intercourse, but reportedly said that he might have touched the girl in ways he shouldn’t have while they were “roughhousing.”
Fisher is scheduled for a sentencing hearing April 6.
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Lawmakers send bill criminalizing sexual grooming of children to Evers
Jessie Opoien
MADISON – An effort to criminalize and prevent the sexual grooming of children is on its way to Gov. Tony Evers' desk for his signature.
The state Senate voted unanimously to pass the measure Wednesday, and a spokeswoman confirmed the governor plans to sign it.
Under the bill, which passed the Assembly last month with six Democrats voting no, it would be a felony offense for an adult to engage in "a course of conduct, pattern of behavior, or series of acts with the intention to condition, seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a child" for the purpose of engaging in sexual intercourse or sexual contact, or to create and distribute child pornography.
Examples of behavior that could constitute grooming under the legislation include written or spoken communications as well as physical contact.
Bill author Sen. Jesse James, R-Altoona, said that adding the definition would assist law enforcement in fully prosecuting such cases.
"My time as a law enforcement officer has shown me that grooming is frequently a deliberate, gradual process that causes substantial harm and trauma," James told reporters before the vote on Feb. 11. "I am a grandpa. I can't bear to think of the many dangers my grandkids will face. However, with this bill, I can sleep just a little bit better. This has a powerful deterrence effect and says our kids are not targets."
If convicted, a person could face between 10 and 25 years in prison, depending on who the person is to the child and whether the child has a disability, among other factors that could increase penalties. Those convicted of grooming would be required to register with the Department of Corrections as a sex offender.
According to an analysis from the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau, the crime does not apply to a person who is 18 or under if it involves a child who is not more than four years younger than the person, unless the violation involves force, coercion, or abuse of a position of trust or authority over the child.
In testimony on the bill last month, co-author Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, commended previous efforts to crack down on sexual misconduct against children, including a bill signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers in 2024 criminalizing sexual misconduct committed against a student by a school staff member or volunteer.
But she noted there are still cases where prosecutors have lacked the proper authority to pursue strong penalties against predatory adults. This bill builds on that law by making grooming a crime "not just in schools, but in any other situation in which it may apply."
The bill "puts a clear definition" into law and gives law enforcement tools "to keep our kids safe," Sen. John Jagler, R-Watertown, said before the vote.
Jessie Opoien can be reached at jessie.opoien@jrn.com.
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