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 The state will take 40-million-dollars from the federal Cares Act to help hospitals cover lost revenue caused by the coronavirus crisis.  Governor Tony Evers said today the Wisconsin Department of Health Services will distribute the funding.  The payments to the hospitals are expected to begin next month. 

Utility companies across the state will once again be able to disconnect customer service for non-payment.  The state had restricted disconnections during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has lifted the restriction effective July 25th.

A local mustang may have just just hit the millions! A lucky winner hit the jackpot in Menomonie. A winning Powerball ticket for $22 Million was sold by Synergy Coop Exit 45 on 2100 County Rd. B in Menomonie.  The winning numbers are 10, 33, 41, 52, 54, and the Powerball number 18.

The Chippewa Valley Veterans Tribute is coming, and you will be able to see the first steps flying high this week. On Friday June 12, at 3pm the Veterans Tribute Foundation will break ground for a new 140’ flagpole.  It is the first piece of the Veterans Tribute to go in and marks the start of a long awaited addition to our community. This is a groundbreaking for the feature flagpole that will be placed on the North East side

Lawmakers are introducing legislation to support farmers during the pandemic. Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced the legislation to the Small Business Administration with South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune to help farmers so far denied by the federal payment protection program or have had smaller returns. The bipartisan legislation would let farmers report total revenue before deductions, so farmers can get out of the red. 

Some Wisconsin residents are still without work and waiting for their unemployment checks. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development says just over 626-thousand unemployment claims were filed from March 15th to June 6th. The department says over 15-percent of those claims are still “pending.”

County highway officials are working on road repairs after heavy rain and flooding this week. Officials in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties said they received multiple reports of damage on Tuesday and Wednesday. A couple of culverts washed out, but Eau Claire Highway Commissioner Jon Johnson said they were old and worn out and needed to be replaced. Officials say damages could take up to a week to repair. 

More people continue to test positive for the coronavirus, while a lot more people continue to test negative. The latest count from the state’s Department of Health Services shows the virus’ numbers are holding steady. DHS yesterday reported 286 positive tests, just under ten thousand negative tests, and ten new deaths. Those numbers are in-line with what Wisconsin has seen from the virus over the past two weeks. Crowds will be bigger in Eau Claire this weekend. City-County health director Lieske Giese

The new box of crayons, the smell of No.2 pencils, and the squeak of sneakers in the hall….we don’t yet know if back to school will have sounds and sights we are used to-and we won’t know for a little while yet. Eau Claire Schools out-going superintendent, Mary Ann Hardebeck, yesterday sent a letter to parents updating them on the planning for the next school year. Hardebeck says a task force will look at how to reopen Eau Claire Schools

Because Milwaukee Police used tear gas during this month’s protests-turned-riots, the city’s common council is saying ‘No’ to more tear gas for the Democratic National Convention. City leaders yesterday refused to buy tear gas for the DNC in August. Milwaukee Police requested the gas months ago, but city council members have turned on the idea after two weeks of George Floyd-related protests and the violence that followed. Alderman Nik Kovac yesterday said he doesn’t think tear gas should ever be