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A colorful billboard bearing the message “There’s Always Hope” is visible on Hwy 25/North Broadway and Elm Avenue (next to Jimmy John’s) in Menomonie until August 30, 2020. The billboard is sponsored by the Dunn County Partnership for Youth (DCPFY) and marks the launch of Project Hope, a collaborative program between many local agencies aiming at reducing methamphetamine and opioid addiction and their related crimes in Dunn County. Project Hope is an evidence-based program used to reduce methamphetamine/opioid addictions and

Pablo Center at the Confluence and many other Wisconsin venues call on Governor Evers to allocate dedicated money from the remaining funds provided from the CARES Act to support independent live entertainment venues in the state.  Most venues have lost nearly 100% of their revenue since the pandemic forced them to close their doors in March.  With their business depending on national artist tours (most postponed until 2021) and large-scale public gatherings, Wisconsin’s live entertainment industry won’t survive the pandemic without

Demonstrators are mad following the shooting of a Black man by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  It happened yesterday afternoon as video shows Jacob Blake being shot after opening a car door.  The shooting led dozens of protesters to go to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building last night.  Police clashed with protesters and multiple vehicles went up in flames, including a city dump truck.  Windows were also broken and tear gas was used by police.  That came despite an emergency curfew

According to the Princeton Review, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is one of the best colleges in the Midwest. Each year the Review releases a list of the top colleges and public universities in the country. Six other Wisconsin colleges made the 2021 list including UW-Madison.  CLICK TO SEE MORE OF THE LIST HERE

Lumber prices are up between 80-and-150-percent since April. The National Association of Home Builders say the price is increasing due mostly to the pandemic, as mills are closed or short staffed and many people have more free time to do projects themselves. The association says the prices are at a record high and they’re working to address the issues that contribute to that. 

Governor Tony Evers is responding after an officer involved shooting in Kenosha yesterday sparked a night of protests in the city. The shooting can be seen on video showing an officer shooting Jacob Blake several times in the back. Governor Evers posted the statement to Facebook acknowledging that Blake isn’t the first Black man or person to be killed at the hands of law enforcement in Wisconsin, or in the country. Blake’s father said on Facebook his son is alive and

The man who shot and killed a neighbor in Rusk County back in 2018 is going to prison for life. A judge on Friday sentenced Preston Kraft to life without parole for killing Robert Pettit at a home near Conrath. Prosecutors had to wait for Kraft to be declared fit enough to stand trial. Kraft continued to scream his innocence, even at the hearing on Friday.

The latest snapshot of just how much the coronavirus is costing Eau Claire is striking. The latest hotel/motel tax report shows business at local hotels dropped by almost two-thirds this spring. May’s report shows just 44 thousand-dollars in hotel/motel taxes. Last May, that number was up over 167 thousand-dollars. Eau Claire finance director Jay Winzenz says the drop means the city will have to postpone some building projects. Visit Eau Claire will also take a hit.

UW Eau Claire won’t be moving to a new science building as soon as campus leaders hoped. UW Regents last week did not include the next wave of funding, 147 million-dollars, for the project. The hope was to demolish Putnam and Thomas Hall and build a new building. There’s enough money for demolition, but not enough money for new construction. UW EC Chancellor James Schmidt says they will form a committee and decide what to do later this fall.

State auditors say Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction got it almost right with its back-to-school guidance. The Legislative Audit Bureau last week said DPI failed to check with teachers’ unions about whether they needed to bargain over online classes.  The auditors also said DPI needed to be more clear about teacher and student absences during online learning. Many schools in Wisconsin are starting the year entirely online on September 1st.