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Wisconsin’s attorney general is looking to make sure the state doesn’t fall behind in investigating sexual assault cases ever again.  AG Josh Kaul earlier this week announced a nearly two million-dollar grant to help Wisconsin continue testing DNA kits.  The state had a backlog of old kits that numbered in the thousands.  Kaul said those have all been tested.  The new money will help establish a statewide systems for tracking and testing DNA kits from local police departments and sheriff’s offices.

A Wausau woman is heading to prison for eight years for her involvement in a deadly fentanyl overdose.  Ashley Szarkowitz was sentenced this week for supplying the drug to a 24-year-old man earlier this year leading to his death.  After her eight years behind bars, Szarkowitz with will serve eight years of extended supervision.

Today is the 44th Great American Smokeout sponsored by the American Cancer Society.  Statistics show that 16-percent of adults smoked in Wisconsin in 2017, slightly lower than the national average.  State data reveals a drop of five-percent of smokers between 2011 and 2017.  The spike in popularity of e-cigarettes and vaping products has tailed off lately because of recent reports about lung issues associated with vaping.

Thanksgiving is a week from today and firefighters encourage families to keep safety on the front burner.  Officials say more than three times as many home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day.  The National Fire Protection Association says almost half of all home fires and home fire injuries are related to cooking.  About one-third of people killed by cooking fires were sleeping at the time so never leave a stove on and unattended.

McDonell Central Catholic High School Senior Kendren Gullo signed his letter of intent on Thursday, November 21 with Milwaukee Area Technical College for the 2020-21 baseball season. Kendren has been a staple for the McDonell baseball program the last three seasons. He is a three year letter winner, been named 1st Team All-Conference, 2nd Team All-Conference, and Honorable Mention.

A trip to the mailbox ended in a tragic accident. It was just after 5 on Wednesday when the Barron County Sheriff’s Department received a call of a car vs pedestrian accident on Hwy 25 south of Barron. Initial investigation shows 64 year old Jodean Lindemer of Dallas, was crossing Hwy 25 after getting her mail from her mailbox and was struck by the vehicle driven by 43 year old Kami Wagner of Prairie Farm. Lindemer was flown to the

A body that was found in a storage unit in Onalaska nearly three months ago is identified.  The La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office says 61-year-old Steven Tabbert was found inside a unit at Edwards mini-storage during a business inspection on August 29th.  Tabbert’s cause of death hasn’t been determined, though the county medical examiner says it appears to be natural.

Two Jim Falls people are facing animal cruelty charges.  Court documents say Scott and Erin Troestler are facing eight charges including mistreatment of animals.  A criminal complaint shows Emergency Medical Service workers found over 20 cats and dogs in poor living conditions in the Troestlers’ mobile home earlier this month.  The complaint claims the house had no running water or working toilets, holes in walls, and clutter and feces in almost every room.

An Eau Claire native is up for four Grammy Awards this year.  Bon Iver  lead singer Justin Vernon is nominated for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Alternative Music Album, and Best Recording Package.  Vernon graduated from Memorial High School and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.  He still lives in Eau Claire today.

A recent E. coli outbreak in Wisconsin is traced to a New Jersey company.  According to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, six Wisconsin E. coli cases dating back to November 13th have been linked to recalled salads from Missa Bay, LLC.  A full list of affected products is available on the FSIS website. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION