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The trial of Zachary Fritz continues in La Crosse County.  Fritz is accused of killing his wife in June 2024 and claims he was mentally ill at the time.  Jurors yesterday heard testimony from the defendant’s parents, describing his history, mental health and substance abuse struggles. 

Sentencing is being ordered for former Altoona Library director Arin Wilken.  Wilken was arrested in March of 2024 on charges of sexually assaulting a child but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge earlier this year.  He has been sentenced to one year in prison and five years of probation.

A Chippewa Falls man is facing charges with authorities saying they found him to be in possession of child sex abuse material.  Allen Laszinski has been charged with possession of child pornography and possession of virtual child pornography.  Laszinski is scheduled to appear in court today.

A discrimination lawsuit filed against UW-Eau Claire chancellor James Schmidt has been dismissed.  The federal suit, filed by former UW-Eau Claire vice chancellor of equity, diversity, and inclusion and student affairs Olga Diaz, alleged that Schmidt fired her for supporting someone else’s discrimination claim.  The Western Wisconsin U.S. District Court tossed out the suit on the grounds of sovereign immunity.

Wisconsin women are living in a great state for strong opportunities.  That’s according to a recent study by finance website WalletHub, which ranked the best and worst states for women.  The research looked at more than two dozen indicators of women’s living standards, including median incomes, health care, and more.  Wisconsin ranked 12th overall in the country, and received a top-ten ranking in the economic and social well-being category.   Massachusetts was ranked 1st overall. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler is no longer running for reelection in 2027. Justice Ziegler was first elected in 2007 and reelected in 2017. She said she looks forward to finishing out the rest of her term on the court and “handing the baton to a new justice in 2027.” Ziegler previously worked as a senior judge in Washington County and the District III deputy chief judge. She plans to step away from the high court bench to spend

The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an ATV crash with injuries. The preliminary investigation shows that the ATV was traveling on 188th ST operated by a 64 year old male with two juvenile males as passengers. The operator lost control of the ATV resulting in the ATV rolling over in the roadway. The 64 year old male was flown to Mayo hospital with serious injuries. One of the juveniles was transported by ground ambulance with non-life threatening

 The University of Wisconsin-River Falls invites the community to tour the new Science and Technology Innovation Center (SciTech) at a Grand Opening Celebration March 31 from 4 to 6 p.m. SciTech is located on the UWRF campus at 262 E. Cascade Ave. SciTech opened to students on Jan. 26 for the first day of spring semester classes. In addition to cutting-edge technology, the new building offers collaborative work and study spaces. Karl Peterson, dean of the College of Arts and

Sentencing is being ordered for an Eau Claire man convicted in a child sex abuse case.  Eighty-three-year-old Robert Karstensen pleaded guilty to charges including child enticement-sexual contact and repeated sexual assault of the same child.  Karstensen has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.

In Sawyer County, a woman convicted in connection with the death of her four-year-old daughter is learning her fate.  The child suffered from severe cerebral palsy and was on a feeding tube.  At the time of her death, the child — who died of died of ethanol toxicity — was found to have a blood alcohol level of more than seven times the legal driving limit for an adult.  Samantha Smith was sentenced Friday to a term of 15 years