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The health department says Chippewa County’s COVID-19 risk level is severe.  Health Director Angela Weideman says residents should limit social gatherings to only people they live with and wear a mask to help mitigate transmission. There are around 160-cases of COVID-19 in the county, the highest number of active cases yet.

Police are still searching for a missing Clark County woman.  The sheriff’s office says 27-year-old Cassandra Ayon was last seen early Saturday morning. Police say her parents told deputies Cassandra recently moved across the street and hasn’t been home since Friday, and she didn’t go to work on Monday. 

City leaders in Eau Claire say the city and county’s new health ordinance is not as scary as some people are making it out to be. That was the overarching message during an online meeting last night. There was a meeting to provide some information about the ordinance. A lot of local businesses, and the Eau Claire Chamber, say the specifics of the ordinance give the city and county new powers to easily close businesses and the language is too

After weeks of saying hospitals in Wisconsin are overwhelmed, Governor Evers is looking to find more hospital beds. The governor yesterday ordered the Wisconsin National Guard to open the field hospital at the State Fairgrounds in West Allis. The hospital has been empty since it was built back in the spring for 15 million-dollars. The governor wants it open by next week, and says the plan is to treat 50 patients. The hospital has room for as many as 530 patients.

It’s community service and a fine for a former Eau Claire nurse charged with stealing drugs, including fentanyl. Prosecutors yesterday agreed to a plea deal with Kathryn Coffin who used to work at Marshfield Medical Center in Eau Claire. She pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft charges and promised to stay drug free. Investigators say Coffin lied about prescribing over 126 doses of pain medication. She later tested positive for that same medication.

Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to have a say on Governor Evers’ latest coronavirus order. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos yesterday requested the state’s Department of Health Services to submit the governor’s order to the legislature’s rule-making committee. That committee could vote to gut the order, or kill it all together. A number of Republican lawmakers have demanded a full special session to vote down the governor’s mask mandate, and the new order that limits bars, restaurants, and most stores in the state

The legal fight over whether Governor Evers can “out” business across the state for having coronavirus cases will continue for another month. A judge in Waukesha yesterday extended his freeze on the governor’s proposal to name businesses that are connected to coronavirus cases until the end of November. Governor Evers says there is a public health need to let people know which businesses have seen workers or customers with positive tests.  Wisconsin’s business groups, including the NFIB and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce,

The worst of the coronavirus looks to be in the rearview mirror at UW-Madison. The school yesterday said the number of positive tests at the school have dropped significantly since last month’s spikes. Over the past week, just 137 people have tested positive. UW-Madison’s Health Services director Jake Baggott said there are a number of reasons for the drop, including more testing, more safety protocols, and more mask wearing. UW-Madison is still not back to normal, students continue to have

The latest piece of Wisconsin’s coronavirus stimulus money is going to theaters, cultural centers, and stages. Governor Evers yesterday earmarked 25 million-dollars for arts, cultural, and entertainment centers across the state that have been hurt by the coronavirus outbreak. Fifteen million-dollars will go toward live music and performance venues. Ten million will go toward privately owned movie theaters in the state. And another ten million is being set aside for non-profit cultural venues. Live entertainment organizers across the state say they’ve

Increased COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Fox Valley are prompting state officials to open an alternate care facility at the Wisconsin State Fair Park.  Governor Tony Evers said today the hospital systems requested the additional capacity as coronavirus cases surge in the Badger State.  A month ago there were 289 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Wisconsin and today 853 patients are hospitalized.