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The idea of a summer sales tax holiday sounds good to shoppers, but business leaders in the Wisconsin Dells say they need every dollar they can get. The Wisconsin Assembly last week approved a plan to waive the state and local sales tax at restaurants, bars, movie theaters, amusement parks, and arcades from June until August this year. Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau COO Romy Snyder says that’s good news for the people coming to the Dells, but it’s bad news for local governments. Snyder

No one at the Wisconsin Capitol is pro-referee harassment, but some lawmakers are not sure the state needs to make it illegal. Democrats at the statehouse last week pushed back on the plan to make it a misdemeanor to harass or intimidate a ref or umpire. Democratic state Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez says there are already laws to protect sports officials. The plan’s author, Republican Alex Dallman, says angry fans are ruining high school and youth sports across the state.

 Amazon is expanding its footprint in southeast Wisconsin. The company yesterday confirmed its plans to build a 165-thousand square-foot warehouse in Pewaukee. Amazon says the warehouse will employee 130 people. Amazon has several distribution centers and fulfillment centers around Milwaukee and its suburbs. The hope is to open the Pewaukee center by the fall.

The jury now controls the fate of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.  Closing arguments in the three-week trial ended today, and jurors will be sequestered at a hotel until they come to a verdict.  Chauvin is accused of killing George Floyd last year by pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes until he stopped breathing.  Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

A couple thousand COVID vaccine appointments are available at the Alliant Energy Center this week, according to the Madison and Dane County health department. They say anyone who signs up today will likely get an invitation to be vaccinated this week. Anyone interested can sign up at vaccinate.wi.gov.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is looking forward to seeing an agreement with Foxconn approved by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. This morning, the governor announced the agreement between the state and the Taiwan-based tech company regarding a project in Mount Pleasant. The economic board must now review and finalize the resolution.

Gas prices in Wisconsin are holding steady after some ups and downs. Gas-Buddy-dot-com says the average price for gallon of gas is two-dollars-and-72-cents, that’s the same as last month. Prices are still a bit higher than they were a year ago.

To celebrate Earth Day, on Thursday, April 22, 2021, Eau Claire Transit is offering everyone a chance to try public transit at no cost thanks to a donation by the Chippewa Valley Transit Alliance. Transit officials are hopeful that by waiving fares for the day, a new crop of passengers can help contribute to a cleaner city and a healthier planet. Eau Claire Transit Manager Tom Wagener says of the plan, “We want to encourage the public to give transit

Stop the Bleed, a nationally recognized program aimed at training the public on how to provide care for injuries andreduce the risk of death from blood loss, is being offered by Eau Claire County Emergency Management at no cost to attendees. This course has been taught to over one million people across the United States and has been offered locally in the past. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON UPCOMING SESSIONS.

The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association is naming a Durand man as the new President. Steve Bechel of Eau Galle Cheese Factory in Durand was elected the new president for the 2021-2022 term. He’ll officially become president July 1st.