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What city volunteers call one of the most technically challenging trails in Eau Claire, LaRoota is ready for riders again. Northwest Park volunteers helped dig out some of the trail and fix it up for riders over the weekend. They say a bit of a mess was left behind and they’re asking volunteers to help with cleanup.

Saturday kicks off Creative Economy Month in Eau Claire. Throughout May, artFull Eau Claire is hosting events each day of the month to promote the local creative economy. Creatives include artists, advertisers, broadcasters, musicians, thespians, photographers, designers and many more. A calendar of events is available online and on Facebook.

It’s likely you’ll start to hear more woodpecker activity in Wisconsin. The state department of natural resources says Wisconsin has eight different species of woodpeckers, and two migratory birds are moving into the state right now. The D-N-R says the woodpecking sound is the way the birds attract mates, dig out nest cavities and find bugs to eat.

Police in Onalska say it looks like a dead body found off of Highway 53 has been there for a while. Two people who were picking-up trash along the highway found the body yesterday morning. Officers say the body was in pretty bad shape. They say it could take weeks to identify the body.

A new report puts a massive price tag on Wisconsin’s coronavirus relief from Washington, D.C. The Wisconsin Policy Forum reported on Friday that the federal government has sent Wisconsin 20-billion-dollars since March of last year. That includes everything from extra unemployment benefits to the latest stimulus package. The Policy Forum says that 20-billion, however, does not include any money that went directly to people or businesses. The group says that total could be as much as 13-billion-dollars.

Wisconsin’s extension for older drivers is coming to an end. The DMV on Friday said drivers over 60 will have to renew their expired driver’s licenses by the end of May. The state extended all licenses for folks over 60 during the coronavirus outbreak. That extension will end May 21st. The DMV says many drivers can renew their licenses online, but others will need to come in for an in-person renewal. CLICK HERE FOR WI DMV.

May is one week away, and that means HSHS St. Joseph’s community garden is about to open. The hospital says the community garden is a great way for people to get some experience growing their own food, and it’s a great way to get people to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Plots at the garden are 35 dollars each, but the garden has all the tools you will need to get your fruits and vegetables into the ground.

The IRS is holding up some 29 million tax returns for manual processing, which is contributing to longer delays than a typical filing season.  The National Taxpayer Advocate points to tax code changes, limited resources, outdated I-T systems, and a backlog of unprocessed 2019 paper returns as a cause for the delay.  Most refunds are typically processed within three weeks.  However, this year, some early filers have had to wait between six and eight weeks.

Several states are restarting Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccinations after getting the green light from federal officials.  New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Nevada and Virginia all plan to immediately restart the shots following a ten-day pause.  The CDC and the FDA gave their approval Friday after an advisory panel said the benefits outweighed the risks.  The agencies halted use of the vaccine on April 13th because of rare blood clots reported in some women.  Meanwhile, on the world stage India is