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A recent rumor is being laid to rest. It recently came to the attention of the Chippewa County Department of Public Health that misinformation is being spread about a COVID-19 ordinance. The text message indicates that counties will be receiving $250,000 from Governor Evers to shut down again. It mentions call-in information for a meeting and that the information is coming from Angela Weideman, theHealth Officer/Director for Chippewa County Department of Public Health. The following information is false: There is

Wisconsin schools and high education institutions will be getting a total of 80-million dollars to help cover costs from the coronavirus pandemic.  Governor Tony Evers announced the funding today saying it was important to help schools adjust to the new normal of distance learning and prepare for the fall semester.  The cash is from the federal CARES Act.

University of Wisconsin-Madison will be open this fall for classes.  UW unveiled the “Smart Restart” plan today including mask requirements, social distancing, and closure to some dorm common areas.  The plan also include limiting class size and online classes.  The semester starts September 2nd.  Classes and finals will be online-only after the Thanksgiving break.

The Juneteenth Flag will fly over the Wisconsin Capitol on Friday.  Governor Tony Evers announced the plan today as a way to make the state more racially equitable.  Junetheenth is traditionally marked on June 19th when Union soldiers told blacks in Texas in 1865 that they were no longer slaves because the Civil War was over.  Wisconsin started recognizing Juneteenth in 2009.

Homelessness is increasing in Chippewa Falls. You may have been paging thought the paper and see The Herald reporting in the past 15-months the number of homeless people coming into the L.E. Phillips Career Development Center has quadrupled. Director Jennifer Barrett says 150-people came in for help in April, the highest number this year.  Barret also says the homeless are fairly hidden in Chippewa County, so the public might not be aware of the growing problem.

A new program from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is helping young children with disabilities and their families. The program launched this month and helps the families of children from birth to three-years-old with workplace and family training and resources to identify challenges in early development. Each county had to apply for the Birth-to-Three grant and 15-were selected including Chippewa and Eau Claire, Barron, and Polk.  

The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point is offering ten free online courses for the general public. The courses are non-credit and participants will have three months to complete them. The school’s website says the courses will be available until June 30th. 

Wisconsin’s coronavirus death toll has crossed a threshold.  The state’s Department of Health Services yesterday said just over 700 people have died from the virus since March.  DHS reported nine new deaths yesterday.  Here in Eau Claire County there was the addition of 1 more positive case.

A western Wisconsin custody case will go back before a judge because the first judge became Facebook friends with the mom in the case. The Wisconsin Supreme Court yesterday ruled that Judge J.M. Bitney’s Facebook friendship with mom Angela Carroll gives the appearance of bias. The judge liked a number of Caroll’s pictures, and commented on two posts before he ruled for her in her custody case back in 2017. The high court says the case should go before another judge to make sure

Things were supposed to be getting better at Wisconsin’s unemployment office, but instead are getting worse. At least that is the message from State Senator Van Wanggaard. Wanggaard yesterday demanded answers from the head of the Department of Workforce as to why it is taking four to five weeks for people who’ve filed an unemployment claim to hear back from anyone. Wanggaard also said one in four claims in Wisconsin still have not been paid. He says all the problems exist despite DWD’s