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Today is Ash Wednesday and, because of the pandemic, it will be different from any before.   Michael Castner reports.

The Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office is remembering Special Deputy Stephen Hahn who was killed this week while transporting a prisoner. The sheriff’s office posted to Facebook saying Hahn died in an accident on Interstate 94 in Jackson County after a car crossed over the median and hit the transport van head-on. They say Hahn then lost control and hit another car. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he died of his injuries.

Snowshoe, fat bike, and cross country ski races begin today in Eau Claire. The Powder Keg kicks off courses set up at Lowes Creek Park after a few delays because of cold weather. The races are virtual with participants expected to complete the courses at their convenience between now and February 24th.

There are several places to get a free COVID-19 test in Chippewa County today. Testing is happening at the Augusta Community Center beginning at 1 p.m., Chippewa Valley Electric in Cornell beginning at 10 a.m., Jackson County Health and Human Services in Black River Falls beginning at 10 a.m., and the Winter Fire Hall beginning at 9 a.m. The Chippewa County Public Health Department has a list of more free COVID testing sites on its Facebook page.

An assistant prosecutor in Burnett County is free on bond as he faces charges for videotaping a woman he was prosecuting while she was naked. Assistant District Attorney Dan Steffen is being charged in Polk County. Investigators say he recorded a woman while she was naked, and he happened to be prosecuting her for a number of charges at the time. Steffen is due back in court next month.

The latest coronavirus snapshot shows just how far Wisconsin’s numbers have fallen over the past few months. The state’s Department of Health Services is reporting that cases are down 88-percent from the state’s peak back in November. Hospitalizations are down nearly 82-percent, and deaths are down 74-percent over the same time frame. DHS yesterday reported just 624 new cases and a recovery rate of 97-percent. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM WI DHS

Governor Tony Evers’ sweeping budget proposal is most certainly dead on arrival, but he is not holding back. The governor last night, as expected, proposed a raft of new spending and the legalization of marijuana. But he stunned lawmakers by not only proposing new tax increases, but also the elimination of Act 10 and Wisconsin’s Right to Work law. The governor wants to raise taxes by at least a billion-dollars. Governor Tony Evers ended his state budget address last night, with

The plan to have inmates and prisoners in Wisconsin wait their turn for a coronavirus vaccination is a step closer to the governor’s desk. The Wisconsin Senate approved the plan yesterday. Republican Senator Van Wangaarrd said the idea is to make sure that people behind bars don’t jump to the front of the line. He says they will wait their turn, just like if they were not in prison or jail. Democrats opposed the plan, and Governor Evers is not expected to sign it

Chippewa Falls’ superintendent is not yet getting specific about how he will deal with the school’s one-point-six million-dollar budget shortfall, but layoffs continue to be on the table. The school district met last night to update parents on their financial situation. Chippewa Falls schools are facing an enrollment drop that will lead to fewer state dollars. The district had said as many as 24 teachers and staffers could lose their jobs to close the hole, but Superintendent Jeff Holmes last

The idea of not punishing businesses in the state for getting a PPP loan has brought Republicans and Democrats together at the Wisconsin Capitol. Both parties overwhelmingly agreed yesterday to make sure expenses paid for with PPP loans can be deducted on state income taxes. Without the change, businesses in the state face a nearly 430-million-dollar tax. The plan now heads from the Assembly to the Senate, and then to the governor. It’s not clear if the governor, who imposed the PPP