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A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictment today. Chippewa Falls Man Charged with Possessing Methamphetamine for Distribution Justin Barnard, 36, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing 50 grams or more o f methamphetamine for distribution.  The indictment alleges that he possessed the methamphetamine on November 23, 2020. If convicted, Barnard faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison.  The charge

Today the Supreme Court in the case of Fabick v. Evers issued its opinion on the legality of Governor Evers to issue successive Emergency Orders in relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic. In its decision the court ruled that Executive Orders #82, #90 and the current face covering order, #105 are unlawful and declared them to be void. In February 2021, the City of Eau Claire and Eau Claire County each adopted a face covering ordinance that would go into effect

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is blocking the Governor’s mask mandate because it was not approved by the state legislature.  In a four-to-three decision, conservative justices declared Democratic Governor Tony Evers exceeded his authority by issuing multiple emergency declarations, including the statewide mask mandate.  Justice Brian Hagedorn said the question was not whether the Governor acted wisely, but instead they had to determine if he acted lawfully.  The statewide mask mandate was set to expire next Monday, but now ends immediately following today’s

Wisconsin is leading the nation in getting shots into people’s arms and is expanding its eligible vaccine groups. Governor Tony Evers Office announced everyone 16-and-older will become eligible beginning next week. More than one-million Wisconsin residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Ages 16-and-older become eligible April 5th.

Limited free parking downtown begins tomorrow as the groundbreaking of the new Eau Claire Transit center will affect parking.  Two downtown parking lots will be closing before July through the end of next June.  The City posted a list of alternative free parking options on it’s Facebook page. 

The health department is making suggestions for the safest ways to celebrate Easter this year. The Eau Claire City-County Health Department says it’s okay to gather with people who live with you indoors.  They also suggest gathering outdoors and social distancing from people who don’t live with you.  The health department has a list of recommendations on its Facebook page. YOU CAN HOP INTO THOSE WITH A CLICK HERE.

Day three in the murder trial of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin begins later this morning.  First up, the third witness who called 9-1-1 on the officers charged in George Floyd’s death.  The firefighter already said she was off duty that day but wanted to assist Floyd and kept asking police to check his pulse, but they refused.  NBC’s Jay Gray has more on what firefighter Genevieve Hansen said on the stand yesterday. She’s one of six bystanders who took

Everyone made it out of a mobile home fire in Chippewa Falls. Firefighters say no one was injured in the fire yesterday, but the home is a total loss. The fire started yesterday afternoon at a home on Debbie Street in Chippewa Falls. Investigators say they are looking for a cause of the fire.

Just about anyone who wants the coronavirus vaccine will be able to apply to get it as of next week. The state’s Department of Health Services yesterday said they are opening vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 and older as of Monday. DHS says they expect to have plenty of vaccine doses, and they are now looking for people who want to get the shot. Nearly 30-percent of people in Wisconsin have gotten one dose of the vaccine, while another 17-percent have been

Wisconsin’s statewide mask mandate could be over by the end of the day. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is expected to deliver its ruling on the governor’s mask order today. The question is not about the masks. Instead, the justices are being asked to decide if Governor Evers has the power to continue to issue emergency orders on his own, and whether those emergency orders can all stem from the same emergency. The case goes back to the lawsuit from Wisconsin lawmakers back in October.