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Scams are popping up, including one targeting people over the electric bills. We will shine some light on what to watch out for. CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE 715 NEWSROOM COVERAGE WITH Jon DeMaster: Scammers typically demand customers settle up overdue bills with a prepaid debit card. Ouellette says Xcell will never request payment that way, over even call customers regarding overdue bills.

A judge in Eau Claire says there’s not enough evidence for felony charges in a charity theft case. Shauna Hanson is accused of pocketing about 63- thousand-dollars in donations to the Helping Hands for Our Children charity. The judge yesterday said there’s only a 22-hundred-dollar discrepancy in bank statements. That’s not enough missing money to proceed with felony theft charges. There is enough evidence to move ahead with misdemeanor charges. Hanson is due back in court in July.

People on unemployment in Wisconsin are going to have to look for work. A panel of lawmakers yesterday reinstated Wisconsin’s work-search requirement. Governor Evers’ administration scrapped the requirement that people look for work during last year’s peak of the coronavirus. Lawmakers say businesses across the state need workers, and it is time to get people off of unemployment and back on the job. Amy Pechacek, the head of the state’s Department of Workforce Development, asked lawmakers to wait until July to make any

There are growing questions at the Wisconsin Capitol as to when state workers will return to work. Thousands of state of Wisconsin employees have been working from home since the coronavirus outbreak began last year. Yesterday, Senator Mary Felzkowski said it is time for them to return to work. Felzkowski said Madison and Dane County are lifting their restrictive public health orders in two weeks, and she expects Governor Evers to order state workers back to their jobs soon after that.

There’s a chance for taxpayers in Wisconsin to see where their money is going. The Institute for Reforming Government this week launched a new website that lets people try their hand at balancing the state’s budget. It’s a simple site as no one has to balance the books for all of Wisconsin’s 40-billion-dollar-a-year state budget. The IRG’s CJ Szafir says the site asks simple questions about schools, healthcare, and roads. It then walks people through the numbers to see if Governor Evers’ proposed

 None of Wisconsin’s Republican congressmen voted for the January 6th Commission. Congressman Glenn Grothman yesterday said the panel that would be tasked with looking into the January 6th riot at the Capitol is too political and too lopsided.  In all, 35 Republicans voted for the commission. The idea now heads to the U.S. Senate, where its fate is less certain.

The latest push to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin is coming with an offer to Republican lawmakers. Governor Evers yesterday called a special session for next week to try and expand BadgerCare. To try and entice Republican support, the governor offered a list of spending projects that include several Republican favorites. The governor is offering to send more money to the state’s rainy day fund, and help find money to buy old paper mills in Wisconsin Rapids and Park Falls. Republican leaders at the Capitol

Expect a big crowd outside Fiserv Forum this weekend. The Bucks yesterday said they expect 35-hundred people to crowd into the Deer District for Saturday’s first playoff game. There are tickets available for a couple of pre-game experiences. Once the game begins, the plaza is open to the public. The Bucks play the Heat on Saturday, and tipoff is at 1 p.m.

The following message was released regarding masks in the Eau Claire Area School District: On Tuesday evening, the City of Eau Claire/Eau Claire County removed the mask mandate that had been in place in our community. This has led to some questions regarding whether the ECASD will adjust its mask policy, as well. We will continue to require our students and staff to wear masks while inside our school buildings through at least June 4. While the CDC has changed

Governor Tony Evers says the state would save money by expanding BadgerCare.  The governor today called for a special session of the state legislature on May 25th to address healthcare issues, including taking advantage of the Affordable Care Act’s offer to access federal funds while expanding affordable coverage.  Evers says the expansion would make health care available to an additional 90-thousand Wisconsin residents.  A 2019 Marquette University Law School poll revealed that 70-percent of Wisconsin voters support BadgerCare expansion.