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A letter threatening Western Wisconsin Congressman Derrick Van Orden and his family is found to be credible.  In a Facebook post, the congressman says he and his wife were threatened, along with their children and grandchildren. As a result, Van Orden will miss votes tomorrow and reschedule a town hall meeting planned for today.  It’s unclear who sent the letter to the congressman’s D.C. office or what the threat was, but it has been reported to authorities. CLICK HERE FOR

The Wisconsin State Patrol is warning drivers about a higher risk of deer crashes as the weather gets warmer.  State Patrol says the number of crashes involving deer increase in May and June as deer look for places to give birth and keep their young offspring.  There were more than 17 thousand deer-related crashes reported last year, resulting in nine deaths and more than 700 injuries.

Applications are open for a new Barron County Sheriff.  Current County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald announced his retirement to the public earlier this week after notifying Governor Tony Evers on Friday.  Fitzgerald says he’s leaving for a public relations role at Mosaic Technologies.  Once selected, the new sheriff will serve until January 2027.  Applications will be accepted through May 23.

 A lack of affordable housing is an issue that is getting a lot of attention across the Chippewa Valley. If you would like to be part of the discussion and possible brainstorming for solutions you are invited to learn more at upcoming public sessions. People are invited to learn more about one project that provides affordable housing at an event titled “Keys to Unlocking Affordable Housing,” from 5-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, in the Riverfront Room of the L.E. Phillips Memorial

Fire crews are investigating how a fire started at Bush Brothers in Augusta. Crews responded to the building yesterday early evening. Smoke damage can be visibly seen on the outside of the building as crews were putting out flames. Employees were seen outside of the building. It is unclear of injuries as well as how the fire first started.

Automated External Defibrillators will be installed throughout the city of Onalaska. The fire department along with the city’s park department are putting the AED’s in highly populated and traffic areas. A few of the places they will be placed are Van Riper Park, Community Park and the Rowe Park tennis courts. Officials say they hope this increases survival rates during critical moments. Installation of the AED’s will take place in the coming weeks.

Residents in Trempealeau will soon see a price hike in their utility bills. The Trempealeau Municipal Electric and Water Utility has put forth an application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to get a tweak with rates that would increase it by 12 percent. This would be the first price hike since 2023.

Burn permits are suspended in 30 Wisconsin counties.  The Department of Natural Resources says no precipitation for much of the state, combined with low humidity, makes for increased fire danger.  The majority of fire danger is in the northern third of Wisconsin, with parts of central and southwestern Wisconsin affected as well.  More than 650 wildfires have burned in Wisconsin so far this year, burning more than 22-hundred acres of land.  Current fire danger and burn restriction information is available

Wisconsin is the nation’s top cranberry producer for the 30th year in a row.  The state Cranberry Board says more than six-million barrels of cranberries were harvested last year.  That’s more than 60 percent of the nation’s supply.  Wood County produced the most cranberries.  The industry supports about four-thousand jobs and contributes almost a billion dollars annually.

Eau Claire County is partnering with WRR Environmental to host the first  of three planned Clean Sweep events of 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, May 10th from 8AM-12PM at 5200 Ryder Road in Eau Claire.   During this event residents will be able to properly dispose of household hazardous waste:   FREE DISPOSAL Oil based paints Thinners/Strippers Stains/Varnish  Corrosives  Solvents  Cleaners/Polishes Old fuel  Used oil and filters Antifreeze  Aerosol cans  Pesticides/Fertilizers  FOR A FEE  Latex paint ($4/gallon)  Light bulbs