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The wish list for Eau Claire’s coronavirus stimulus money is long. The city yesterday said its survey about how to spend the 13 million-dollars shows a lot of different priorities. Broadband internet investment is near the top of the list, as are helping small businesses, investing in mental health care, and spending more on affordable housing. No one is saying what will make the final spending cut. Eau Claire has three years to spend the money.

Barron County is the only county in western Wisconsin not at a high risk for wildfires. The state’s Department of Natural Resources this week updated its fire risk map. Nearly every county in the northern two-thirds of the state is in the high risk category, that includes Eau Claire and Chippewa County. Only Barron and Douglas counties are at a lower risk.

 Wisconsin lawmakers want to ship 25 percent of the state’s milk, cheese, meat, and crops out of the country.  The state’s Joint Finance Committee yesterday ordered the state’s agricultural department to come up with a plan to increase agricultural exports by 2025. Right now, state Representative Tony Kurtz says Wisconsin only exports about three percent of its 105 billion dollars worth of agricultural products. Dairy groups in the state are most excited about the new export push.

You can continue to drink in public in Stevens Point. The city council yesterday agreed to make Stevens Point’s public drinking exemption permanent. The law allows people to take a drink down Main Street and in city parks. Mayor Mike Wiza says the idea started as a way to allow bars and restaurants to serve people during the coronavirus lockdowns that limited seating and service inside. Wiza says Main Street businesses like that customers can take their drinks to go.

The latest challenge to Wisconsin’s minimum mark-up law would save people in the state on everything from prescriptions to vaccines. A State Assembly panel yesterday approved a plan that would exempt anything eligible under a health savings account from minimum mark-up. State Senator Duey Stroebel said it’s a common sense step that would help the people of Wisconsin. The minimum mark-up law stops stores in Wisconsin from selling many things under cost. Stroebel hopes this plan is the first to start to roll minimum

The number of people in the hospital with the coronavirus in Wisconsin is falling. The state’s Hospital Association yesterday said just over one thousand people are in the hospital with the virus. That’s down by 100 from just last week. The Hospital Association says a little over 300 people are in the ICU with the virus. The Hospital Association doesn’t track how many people are hospitalized because of the virus, as opposed to people who are hospitalized with it.

There’s a new boss at the Wisconsin State Fair. The State Fair Park Board yesterday named Shari Black as the fair’s new CEO. Black is replacing Kathleen O’Leary who’s been with the fair for over 20 years. Black ran the Waukesha County Fair for 15 years before moving over to the State Fair in 2016. She is moving to CEO from her job as chief programs officer.

Of course the Bucks’ championship ring says Bucks in Six. Milwaukee unveiled its rings last night. In addition to a green bucks head, the ring says Bucks in Six, and lists all of the series totals during the Bucks’ run last year. Bucks in Six became the team’s rallying cry last year. Each championship ring has 360 diamonds in all, and comes to four-point-one-four carats in honor of Milwaukee’s 414 area code.

 Six homicides charges are filed against a Madison man in connection to the vehicular deaths of three teenagers.  A criminal complaint against Eric Mehring shows he failed a field sobriety test and measured three times the legal limit on a breathalyzer following the crash that killed three high school boys earlier this month.  Mehring’s first court appearance is expected this week and could come as early as today.

A bill allowing teenagers longer work hours will go to a vote in the State Senate this week.  The tourism and grocery industries support the measure as do state Republicans.  A major union in the state, the AFL-CIO opposes the measure as do Democrats.  If approved the bill would allow workers under 16 to work on school nights until 9:30 and on non-school nights until 11 p.m.