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Lawmakers in Madison have taken the first step in making sure that children in the foster care system don’t end-up with known child abusers. CLICK HERE FOR MORE 715 NEWSROOM COVERAGE WITH JON DEMASTER: A state Senate panel yesterday unanimously approved what’s being called Ethan’s Law. The proposal comes after a Manitowoc boy, Ethan Hauschultz, ended-up with an abusive uncle who killed him. The uncle had a history of violence, but was able to plead the cases down and still

Local sales taxes are not going up in Wisconsin. The Republicans in the state legislature yesterday said they will not agree to Governor Evers’ plan to allow cities and counties with more than 30-thousand people to raise their local sales tax. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says there’s no way it’s going to happen. The governor’s proposal could have led to a one-percent sales tax increase if both a city and county agreed to raise their taxes. Vos and Senate Majority Leader

The Chippewa Valley’s power company says it is closing-in on its zero emission goal. Xcel Energy this week said it has cut emissions from its power plants by 50-percent since 2005. The company wants to be 100-percent emissions free by 2050. Most of the emission cuts have come through closing coal-fired power plants and opening wind and solar farms.

State health officials report 539 positive COVID-19 cases today.  That boosts the number of cases to over 565-thousand statewide.  Eighteen additional deaths were confirmed in today’s data bringing the total number of Wisconsin residents killed by COVID-19 to six-thousand-458. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM WI DHS

A North Central Wisconsin company is once again recognized by Forbes.  Greenheck Group located in Schofield has been selected as one of the top mid-size companies in America and ranks in the top 15 mid-sized manufacturers nationally.  Forbes surveyed more than 50-thousand U.S.-based employees about working conditions, salary and potential for advancement and development.  Greenheck is a leader in producing commercial-sized fans and energy recovery ventilators.  They were also recognized by Forbes in 2019. 

Teachers will be prioritized as one of the first groups to receive the new single dose Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine in Wisconsin. CLICK TO HEAR MORE 715 NEWSROOM COVERAGE WITH JON DEMASTER: Educators in the state became eligible for the vaccine Monday. The state health department says they expect the first deliveries of the vaccine by next week. Wisconsin is one of the top states for getting shots into people’s arms.

It’s possible to see brush burning on state grounds from now through June. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says it’s conducting controlled burns to maintain some fire-dependent ecosystems in the state. They say the burns are planned months in advance and re-assessed the day of to consider weather conditions and potential smoke spread.

A seasonal weight limit for truck and freight drivers in Wisconsin is going into effect. The Chippewa County Highway Department says the temporary weight limit ban will go into effect on all Chippewa County Trunk Highways east of State Highway-27 and all Chippewa County Trunk Highways North of State Highway-64. They say the temporary load limits will last for about six-weeks depending on weather and road conditions.

Symptoms appearing in some women after receiving the COVID vaccine are a cause for concern among obstetricians. Side effects like swollen lymph nodes under the arm the vaccine was injected into are showing up on breast scans. Doctors in Wisconsin say it’s best to wait until four-to-six weeks after receiving a second COVID vaccine dose to schedule a mammogram.

There will be no trial in the case of a Chippewa Falls woman who tried to have her daughter’s father murdered. Prosecutors yesterday said 49-year-old Melanie Schrader accepted a plea deal. The D.A. says Schrader tried to hire a hitman back in 2019. No one is saying why she wanted her daughter’s father killed, but she offered 10-thousand-dollars for someone to do it. PHOTO CREDIT: WEAU 13 NEWS