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Wisconsin labor officials are reporting a record number of nonfarm jobs across the state.  The Department of Workforce Development recorded over three-million jobs outside of agriculture in January of this year based on numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Wisconsin unemployment did go up slightly to three-point-two percent for the first month of the year, still better than the national average of four-percent.  The state’s labor force participation rate held steady at nearly 66 percent.

The American Red Cross honored its local heroes from across the Chippewa Valley with a ceremony yesterday.  The Annual Heroes Breakfast honors those who have gone above and beyond to make the community better.  The ceremony also honored longtime volunteer Tom Larson, who was given the Hero of a Lifetime Award for his commitment to the Chippewa Falls Fire Department and for teaching first responder skills to thousands in northern Wisconsin for decades. CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE WITH WEAU 13

This weekend, Triple A’s Tow-to-Go program will be available across the state to help motorists over the Saint Patrick’s Day holiday.  Triple A offers car owners a ride and a free tow of their vehicle within a ten-mile radius.  The initiative begins tonight at six o’clock and runs until 6:00 Tuesday morning.  Officials with Triple A say they’re proud to offer the service but they ask motorists to consider Tow to Go as a last resort.    

The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative is entering a purchase agreement for empty St. Joseph’s Hospital. Hospital Sisters Health System is considering selling the empty hospital, after closing it almost a year ago. The health cooperative says it’ll use the hospital while working on a new facility in Lake Hallie. They say that new hospital will be open in the fall of 2027.   Below is the press release from the Health Cooperative:  In a big step forward towards opening an interim 

Wisconsin is joining a lawsuit to try and prevent cuts to the Department of Education. Attorney General Josh Kaul and 20 other AGs in the suit. The federal government announced earlier this week that about 50-percent of ED employees will be laid off. Education Secretary Linda McMahon the layoffs are part of the department’s commitment to efficiency. The department currently oversees about 110-thousand public and private schools and tens of millions of students.

Madison and Milwaukee are among the top ten US cities with the lowest credit card debt. A new report by WalletHub compares almost 200 cities based on TransUnion finance data. Madison ranks third with an average household debt of about 96-hundred.  Milwaukee is ninth with an average of just more than 10-thousand.  Lewiston, Maine, and Toledo, Ohio, have the least debt, while Santa Clarita and Chula Vista, two California cities, have the most. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

The two candidates for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court faced off in their only debate. Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel debated for one hour at Marquette University’s Lubar Center last night. The race is picking up national attention as both candidates are getting donations and contributions from all over the country. Over 59 million dollars has been put into this race. CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE COVERAGE WITH WEAU 13 NEWS. The spring election is on April 1st.

Last summer the Town of Washington collected over 600 signatures to incorporate into a village. The town chose to voluntarily dismiss its petition from Eau Claire County court. Town Chair Bob Solberg explained that this decision was made based on the advice of their legal counsel, who recommended making technical adjustments to improve the petition before re-filing it. Now they just need 50 town residents to sign the new petition, which they hope to get by early next week. The

According to a release from the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Eau Claire yesterday, a money and staffing shortage may slash a homeless shelter in half. The Sojourner House could cut down it’s services. They are also considering taking operations from year-round to only six months. This change may leave people with nowhere to go during the hottest time of the year. Local leaders are talking with the diocese to see what they can do to help and keep

The Eau Claire City Council  made a decision on the future of the city’s fireworks show.  Council members voted to accept a donation from Festival Foods to fund the next three years of fireworks displays.  This resolution had been postponed in a previous meeting after not receiving enough votes due to a few members being away during the vote.  Some council members initially voted against it, citing concerns about having everyone in attendance and raising issues related to environmental impact,