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The Wausau School Board is keeping masks optional for the foreseeable future.  The board met for a special session last night to discuss different COVID protocols.  That led to a spirited debate about making masks mandatory.  It was ultimately decided to keep masks optional and not change any current protocols.

Two statues toppled during last summer’s demonstrations outside the State House have been restored and are standing again on the capitol grounds.  The renovation of the statues cost more than 80-thousand-dollars and took nearly a year to complete.  Crews today reinstalled the statue known as “Forward” as well as one of Civil War hero Hans Christian Heg who created the 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.

Residents in Western Wisconsin are cleaning up storm damage.  Severe weather moved through Trempealeau County last night damaging an area along County Road D.  The National Weather Service determined an EF-1 tornado touched down near Strum.  There was minor damage to a couple of homes and downed trees and power lines but no injuries reported.

Packers running back Aaron Jones says the necklace containing his father’s ashes lost at last night’s game has been found.  Jones lost the keepsake in the end zone after scoring one of his four touchdowns in the Packers 35-17 win over the Detroit Lions.  The necklace was found by athletic trainer Brian Engel before he left the facility shortly before 2 a.m. this morning.

There’s one way to come out of a closet. Open the door and step out. Augustus “Gus” Hinton knows that. He’s done that. The gap between knowing what to do, however, and developing the inner strength to take that step — into the light — is a broad, dark expanse when you’re young and about to alter the course of your life. Hinton, a University of Wisconsin-Stout alum, lived in that shadow world throughout his teenage years in La Crosse.

The City of Eau Claire is asking for your input. They announced “Empower Eau Claire”, the first Participatory Budgeting program by a city in the state of Wisconsin. Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process that gives residents the power to directly decide how to spend part of the City’s budget on community projects that will impact their lives. Empower Eau Claire, the City of Eau Claire’s participatory budgeting program, will kick off with an event on Tuesday, October 5, 2021

There are no ICU beds immediately available in Northwestern Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Hospital association reports there are zero ICU beds available out of 26 hospitals in the region.  They say many of the beds are taken by COVID-19 patients.  Nine COVID patients were hospitalized in the region at the end of July, but the number is now at 112. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM WI WHA.

The Eau Claire Plan Commission has voted to recommend the rezoning of a motel and adopt a plan to turn it into an apartment.  The motel has been reported as a problematic property in the area.  A new owner of the motel says he wants to turn the image of the motel around and create apartments to make it a desirable place to live.  The city council will make its final decision at their meeting on September 27th. 

The Chippewa Falls Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department is looking to add more programs.  The department director says there’s been a decline in participation of the programs they currently offer.  He says they want the public’s feedback on what programs they want to see.  The Chippewa Falls Parks and Rec department is already looking at implementing a new hiking program for the fall.