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Idyllic Midwest town is torn apart as mystery tech giant plots $1.6B takeover
UK Daily Mail ^ | September 8, 2025 | Sonya Gugliara

Posted on 09/09/2025 4:24:07 AM PDT by C19fan

A peaceful Wisconsin city has been thrown into a frenzy as a mysterious company plans to build a $1.6billion data center on hundreds of acres of farmland.

Menomonie is facing the largest development plans the historic city has ever seen - and its residents are fighting back.

Known for its stunning landscapes and small-town feel, Menomonie may be home to a massive data center that citizens fear will drain the area of not only its charm, but its resources.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: ai; cheesysocialists; cloud; datacenter; energy; fasterinternet; menomonie; nimby; tech; wisconsin
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To: Ge0ffrey

The factory and jobs were off shored and the buildings sit idle. Rust belt works.


21 posted on 09/09/2025 6:25:57 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: yldstrk

Our elites want to replace most white collar work with AI apps.


22 posted on 09/09/2025 6:27:42 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: The Duke

Former NASA engineer with full retirement benefits think house painters have a great life. Do you hear yourself?


23 posted on 09/09/2025 6:30:16 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: C19fan
Why not use the blighted inner cities to build these behemoths and create jobs for inner city people...

Hmmm...let's see. Buy a 100 acres of rural land for the center, or go into downtown Madison and buy a 100 acres. I wonder why the investors don't do that. (Hint: Because they still have brains that works.)

24 posted on 09/09/2025 6:32:00 AM PDT by econjack
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Yes, and WHERE is the electricity going to come from to power these new data centers?

I know they are starting up Three Mile Island nuke plant in PA again to run a data center.

What drives me crazy is when they take farm land and cover it with solar panels.
Why not put solar panels on top of all these huge warehouse spaces we have around the country. You would think IF they gave some type of solar tax credit to Amazon, Walmart, Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Kroger, etc that they would be glad to put solar panels on their roofs.


25 posted on 09/09/2025 6:47:22 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: SavannahWonderer

We got two huge centers in our region. 20 -30 jobs seems generous from what I have seem. Maybe ten parking spots. Once the construction was done the place had a surreal emptiness to it behind a high security fence.


26 posted on 09/09/2025 6:54:04 AM PDT by Organic Panic ('Was I molested. I think so' - Ashley Biden in response to her father joining her in the shower. )
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To: C19fan

***a mysterious company***

Reminds me of “a mysterious company” buying up hundreds of acres in small town Orlando Florida in the 1960s at low prices. That mysterious company turned out to be Disney.


27 posted on 09/09/2025 7:11:02 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar ( REOPEN THE MENTAL HOSPITALS CLOSED IN THE 1970S!)
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To: C19fan

“Menomonie”

mnemonic

the small sea creature, the anemone.


28 posted on 09/09/2025 7:38:35 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy (If you see "Acheta" protein in a product, know that it has been adulterated with insect protein)
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To: dynachrome
There was a story on X that Elon had bought the Echostar bandwidth. Possible cell phone system?

Yes, 1.5 billion or something for some of the cellular bands. I think last year they sold some to AT&T.

29 posted on 09/09/2025 7:42:22 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: ClearCase_guy

At least the empty eyesores will be compact, unlike the millions of windmills blighting our beautiful countryside that were built to power the data centers.


30 posted on 09/09/2025 7:53:21 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: C19fan

This is happening in Indianapolis area. Google on the southeast side and Meta on the Northwest side. The locals aren’t happy. Big facilities with massive energy and water needs, getting huge tax breaks, but creating very few jobs outside of the construction phase.


31 posted on 09/09/2025 8:38:06 AM PDT by redangus ( )
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To: central_va

It’s an insult. Unless you are also referring to the coasts as the sodomy belts.


32 posted on 09/09/2025 9:16:31 AM PDT by Ge0ffrey
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To: Ge0ffrey

Sodomy belt? the mind wanders.


33 posted on 09/09/2025 10:08:09 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: C19fan
The town was selected because of the lake.

75,000 gallons/day - they need water like a junkie needs heroin.

Census in 2020 showed population of 16,843.

Aside from the temporary construction jobs..

Once development is completed, the facility would foster 50 to 75 full-time 'high paying, six-figure' jobs.

And I'd bet few if any of those jobs will go to local people who already live there. Unless Menomonie is a hidden hotbed of tech talent...😆

So, Lose-Lose for the locals, as usual.

34 posted on 09/09/2025 10:54:41 AM PDT by yelostar (AI will be the scapegoat when the SHTF. )
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To: yelostar
So, Lose-Lose for the locals, as usual.

who will be forced to pay higher taxes for schools and police and roads and everything else.

35 posted on 09/09/2025 10:57:05 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: central_va
"Former NASA engineer with full retirement benefits think house painters have a great life. Do you hear yourself?"

I was talking about younger people. One of my young friends who worked around the property here during his high school years (and still visits a couple of times per week) is now doing construction specifically so he has the option to do some of his own property maintenance when he becomes a landlord.

I am personally considering getting into property flipping here, though, but only as an investor. I've got plenty of amazing tradespeople here to bang the hammers, although even at my advanced age I wouldnt' be averse to making the occasional Home Depot run to keep them on site working.

In these near-retirement months I personally am busy performing IT security audits with Fortune 500 organizations. Today that keeps me as busy as I care to be.

36 posted on 09/09/2025 3:09:48 PM PDT by The Duke (Not without incident.)
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To: central_va
"Nice turd polishing."

One man's turd is another man's not having to deal with Democrats rioting in the streets.

37 posted on 09/09/2025 3:12:48 PM PDT by The Duke (Not without incident.)
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To: C19fan

one wonders who is paying the city council under the table, and why did the city administrator sign an NDA


38 posted on 09/09/2025 3:56:04 PM PDT by markman46 (engage brain before using keyboard!!!)
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