Home

Today is the 35th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger explosion, one of the deadliest tragedies in America’s space program.  The shuttle exploded just 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven on board: astronauts Dick Scobee, Michael Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnick and teacher Christa McAuliffe.  A faulty O-ring and cold weather was to blame, causing the fuel to explode and consume the shuttle.  Millions of school kids watched the disaster live, tuning in to see

All eyes are on the state Assembly, looking to see what Republican lawmakers do about Governor Evers’ mask requirement. The Assembly is set to vote today on an override of the governor’s latest emergency order, which includes the mask requirement. Republicans in the state Senate voted for the override on Tuesday. Republicans say the idea is to rein-in the governor who has overstepped his bounds. Democrats argue that not having a mask mandate will literally kill people. Here locally, Eau

It could be 10 years in prison for a Kenosha man for his role in that city’s nights of violence back in August. Federal prosecutors yesterday unveiled an indictment against 27-year-old Ashton Howard. Kenosha Police say Howard knocked an officer unconscious with a brick during the riots that followed Jacob Blake’s shooting, but prosecutors are moving ahead with obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder and possessing ammunition as a felon charges. The ammunition charges could land Howard in prison for

Another day, another snapshot that shows Wisconsin’s coronavirus numbers are falling. The state’s Department of Health Services yesterday reported just over 13-hundred new positives, and a seven-day positive rate of under six-percent. That positive rate was over 11-percent at the beginning of the month, and daily positives were above three-thousand. The number of people in the hospital with the virus in Wisconsin continues to fall as well. DHS yesterday said 734 people are hospitalized, of them 160 are in the ICU. CLICK HERE

La Crosse’s latest police survey is not just a measure of how well officers are doing their job. County board chair Monica Kruse says the county is asking for feedback about equity when it comes to law enforcement and criminal justice reform in the county. Kruse says the survey is not about defunding the police, rather she says it’s about racial equity and fairness. The county is partnering with UW-La Crosse for the survey.

It’s now a lot more expensive to mine in the state of Wisconsin. The state’s Department of Natural Resources yesterday approved new mining fees that will add as much as a half-million dollars to the cost of many metal mining projects. DNR says it is the first time Wisconsin has updated some of those fees since 1982. In addition to the new fees, there are also new rules aimed at limiting the scope of some mining projects. Wisconsin reopened for metal mining back in 2017.

Wisconsin’s latest attempt at a coronavirus relief package is likely doomed. Senate Majority Leader Devon LeMahieu yesterday said Governor Evers is likely to veto the package approved by Assembly Republicans. That package includes more protections for schools, churches, and businesses than the package LeMahieu and Governor Evers worked-out earlier this month. LeMahieu says he wants to get something done to help reopen the state, but isn’t sure this package is it.

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate ticked-up last month, leaving the state in the middle of the pack in the Midwest. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest numbers show Wisconsin’s jobless rate at five-point-five-percent in December. It was five-point-three-percent back in November. Indiana has the best unemployment rate in the Midwest, at four-point-three-percent. Illinois has the worst at seven-point-six-percent.

  Miller Park is no more. Crews took down the signs at the ballpark yesterday. The new American Family Field signs went up immediately after. American Family Insurance bought the naming rights to the ballpark after Miller backed away from its longtime deal. The new name took effect on January 1st.

 A recently renovated firehouse at the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Refueling Wing is enhancing training and helping ensure readiness for emergencies at the base, airport, and in surrounding areas. Firefighters at the 128th Air Refueling Wing moved into their new firehouse this fall after nearly two years of renovations at their facility at General Mitchell Field. For years the firefighters operated out of what was once the base motor pool. In addition to the building not being designed