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The second suspect in a 2020 home invasion and murder in Eau Claire will not be going to trial. Prosecutors yesterday said Joe Moya will plead guilty for his role in the case. Investigators say Moya and another gang member from Chicago burst into Edwin Garcia-Smith’s home in March of 2020 and killed him. The other suspect in the case pleaded guilty last month. Moya’s plea hearing is set for the end of the month.

It was a day of crime scene pictures in Chandler Halderson’s trial. Jurors yesterday saw pictures of the dismembered remains of Halderson’s father, Bart. Prosecutors say Halderson killed his father, cut-off his arms and head, then dragged his father’s torso to a farm in rural Cottage Grove. That’s where investigators found Bart Halderson’s body. The D.A. says Chandler Halderson killed his parents because his web of lies was exposed. The trial continues today.

They are mourning a pair of firefighters in Mineral Point. The sheriff in Iowa County says the two died in a wreck just after midnight yesterday. The two were headed to a different crash when their truck was hit by a semi. The crash closed Highway 151 for 14-hours. Deputies say the semi truck driver was not hurt in the crash.

The list of possible city managers is smaller this time around. Eau Claire says just 37 people have applied for the job. Last year, before the top candidate dropped out, there were 61 applications for the city manager’s job. The city’s search committee could forward a list of finalists to the full city council next week. Eau Claire has been working with an interim city manager since Dale Peters retired in October of last year.

There is a push to put natural coronavirus immunity on the same level as coronavirus vaccinations and regular testing in Wisconsin. Lawmakers at the Capitol this week heard testimony on a plan that would give people who’ve already recovered from the coronavirus credit. The idea is to allow people to show proof of natural immunity, just like they’d show proof of vaccination or proof of regular testing if there is a coronavirus vaccine mandate in the state. Supporters say there need

Kids in Milwaukee Public Schools will be learning from home for the next week-and-a-half. The city’s school board yesterday decided to stick with online classes until January 18th because of the recent spike in coronavirus cases. Milwaukee Superintendent Keith Posley says more than a thousand students and teachers have tested positive for the virus since Christmas break.

A Wisconsin man is convicted of helping conceal a woman’s death.  Emerson Reed pleaded guilty earlier this week to arson used in the commission of a felony.  He’s accused of helping three people set a woman’s body on fire on the Menomonee  Reservation in 2020 after she died of a drug overdose.  He’ll face life in prison when he’s sentenced in April.

Marathon County is considering lessening fines for pot possession.  The County Public Safety and Health and Human Services Committees met Wednesday and talked about lowering the fine for possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana from up to 500 dollars to 50 dollars.  The committees didn’t take action on the topic, but voted to continue discussion in the future.

A lucky Wisconsin winner from the January 5, 2022, Powerball drawing hit a major jackpot! A winning Powerball ticket worth an estimated $316.3 Million ($225.1 Million cash) was sold in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The location was: Jackson Pointe Citgo, located at 2710 Packerland Drive in Green Bay, sold the winning ticket.  The winning numbers are: 6, 14, 25, 33, 46, Powerball 17. Photo Credit: Kailey Bender

The Chippewa Valley is now experiencing the case surge that was  expected following holiday gatherings and because of the highly contagious Omicron variant. Eau Claire  County is averaging over 100 new cases per day for the first time since November 2020 and has a record  high positivity rate of 22.7%. The state health department reported a record-high number of 10,288 new  cases state-wide for January 4th and a record positivity rate of 27%.   As a result of the high number