Home

Kids in Eau Claire schools will be ready for distance learning if it comes to that this fall. The city’s school board last night agreed to spend nearly two million-dollars to get elementary school kids iPads, and to get junior high and high school students laptops. The district’s Abby Johnson says the idea has been in the works for a while, but the coronavirus outbreak pushed the idea to the forefront.

There is going to be a conversation about Eau Claire’s police department and systemic racism. City Council member Emily Berge said she wants to talk about how people in the community see the police department, Eau Claire’s schools, and the city itself. Berge says she’s been flooded with emails about systemic racism since George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. There will be no votes today, but the public is invited to the work session at city hall at 4 p.m. CLICK

Incoming students at the University of Wisconsin will have new rules for sexual assault and sexual harassment cases this fall. Governor Tony Evers last month quietly agreed to new rules that bring the UW System into line with the Trump Administration’s expectations. Evers last month made a big deal about rejecting the first draft of the rules. The Trump Administration wants to institute new protections for students, most young men, who are accused of assault or harassment. The changes come after a

The Brewers shortened schedule is heavy on key games that fans would have loved to see in-person. The team released its 2020 schedule yesterday. Milwaukee opens against the Chicago Cubs on July 24th. The Brewers play their home opener a week later against the Cardinals. The 60-game schedule also features games against the Reds, the White Sox, the Royals, the Twins and the Pirates.

Investigators are still working to discover the cause and circumstances surrounding an explosion near Jeffers Road earlier this morning. We know that one person has died, another taken to the hospital after that explosion. The home was destroyed, and early indication is that it was a gas explosion. The case remains under investigation.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a horse that was pulling an Amish buggy.  Authorities near Fennimore say deputies answered a call on Saturday about a horse that collapsed on Highway 18.  First responders tried to cool the horse off to save it, but it died at the scene.

Two Milwaukee Brewers players testing positive for COVID-19 cannot rejoin the team until they receive two negative tests for the virus.  Manager Craig Counsell confirmed pitcher Angel Perdomo and infielder Luis Urias tested positive after spring training was shut down.  They both must get two negative results before they are allowed to return to the team.  The Brewers are working out at Miller Park prior to the MLB season opening later this month.

Drive-in movies are coming to the Monk Botanical Gardens.  Jurassic Park and Guardians of the Galaxy will be the first two movies shown on Friday, July 17th and Saturday, July 18th.  Gates open at 7:15 and the movies begin at 8:45.  A 40 foot screen and an FM signal will bring the movies right into your vehicle.  Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

The holiday weekend saw activity for law enforcement in Barron County. Over the holiday weekend, which is Friday, July 3rd until the morning of Monday July 6th, the Barron County Dispatch Center took 518 calls for service. Over the weekend the WI DNR and Barron County Boat Patrol arrested 4 boaters for OWI on area lakes in the county. Six drivers were also arrested over the weekend for OWI on the roads in Barron County.

The water was the site of an accident over the weekend. It was on Saturday July 4, just after 4 in the afternoon, the Barron County Sheriff’s Department received a call of a boating accident on Pokegema Lake. Initial investigation shows a female, 41  year old Tera Busker from Roberts was riding illegally on the front of the boat when they struck a wave and was thrown off of the boat and hit by the motor of the boat. She