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After the changes and shifts of 2020 many are craving a taste of “pre-COVID” life. An area group aims to make that a reality. It’s time to restore. It’s time to rebuild. It’s time to Revive the Valley. With continued success of the vaccine rollout in Chippewa County, the Revive the Valley task force is announcing that Chippewa County is revitalizing live events this summer. County partners are working together to lay the roadmap to safely return. Members of the

 Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is unveiling the largest rollback of mail services in his ten-year plan to revitalize the U.S. Postal Service.  Rory O’Neill explains: The plan, titled “Delivering for America,” invests 40-billion-dollars in infrastructure upgrades, adjusts select delivery standards and asks Congress for bipartisan legislation to repeal pension requirements.  It also includes longer first-class delivery windows, reduced post office hours and higher postage prices.  DeJoy says the strategy tackles challenges head on and “dramatically changes” the trajectory of the

A man and woman are in custody in Adams County facing drug and child neglect charges.  Police today say Joseph Donahue and Nailey Hyrkus are under arrest following a welfare check at their home last week.  A caller expressed concern for a child in the home and when police arrived they conducted a walk-through and found synthetic marijuana.  A search warrant then turned up meth, cocaine and fentanyl, some which was accessible to children. 

Hundreds of homebound residents are now able to get the COVID-19 vaccine.  The state Department of Health recently approved vaccine distribution by UW Health Care Direct for vulnerable Wisconsinites who can’t risk leaving home.  Right now UW Health Care Direct has 60 doses a week available for those who are housebound.  Officials say talk with your primary doctor or home-care provider to check on what’s needed to qualify.

It appears students in the Wausau School District will return to in-person classes in the fall.  The school board voted last night to open schools five days a week with student and staff in attendance for the 2021-2022 academic year.  Final approval is needed by the full Board of Education when it meets next month.  If approved the district will offer virtual learning only through its virtual school, WAVE.

In a twist, Mickey Mouse may be asking you to say “cheese” to enter a Disney theme park.  Rory O’Neill reports.

An Eau Claire woman is facing 45-years-in prison, accused of trafficking a child. A criminal complaint says 45-year-old Catherine Ottinger is charged with sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old and causing a child to view sexual activity. Ottinger was arrested and charged in 2019, but the charges were dismissed.

Sojourner House is moving back to its downtown location. The local homeless shelter was being held in the old Hansen’s I-G-A building and before that in Hobbs Ice Arena to allow for better social distancing. The Eau Claire City-County Health Department held a vaccination clinic at Sojourner House last Friday. Many received the single-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is looking for people to participate in a frog study. They want to know how climate change may be affecting different species. They say a series of short videos posted on their website will help volunteers learn the croaks. They want people to record them and send them in. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM WI DNR.

The Eau Claire County Health Department is hosting a giveaway for Diabetes Alert Day. They say residents could win prizes for taking a diabetes risk test online. The link is posted on it’s Facebook page. They say the winner will be selected March 26th.