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The Black River Falls Fire Chief recently announced his retirement. Below is his message to the community: Several months ago, I advised that I would be retiring as the Black River Falls Fire Chief in 2020. After 40 years of working in emergency services of some form, (1st Responder, Volunteer Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician, Police Officer, Ambulance Service Director and Fire Chief), I will be retiring as Fire Chief on May 15, 2020 from the City of Black River Falls

A former Durand-Arkansaw teacher is sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to an inappropriate relationship with her student. Court records say 25-year-old Sarah Heskin was sentenced Monday to five years in prison with ten-years of extended supervision. Heskin was arrested in May 2019 for inappropriate relations with an eighth-grade boy.

Investigators are blaming a burning garbage pile for a grass fire that killed a Trempealeau County man. The sheriff’s office says 80-year-old Louis Salzwedel died yesterday from burns he received in the fire on Monday. Deputies say Salzwedel was burning some trash when the fire spread, it then raced through some grass and burned him badly.

As the weather continues to feel more like spring, Wisconsin residents working from home are finding time to go outside. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says overall, residents are doing well to follow social distancing guidelines and practice trail etiquette. The department is reminding people that entry to all Wisconsin state parks is now free as long as people can follow the rules. Officials say D-N-R staff and conservation wardens are still out to monitor the parks daily to enforce overcrowding and potential property damage. 

We may have a Badger Bounce Back plan, but when can we jump around? that isn’t clear yet. Governor Evers yesterday introduced what he is calling the Badger Bounce Back plan that outlines what needs to be done to reopen the state. A number of Republican lawmakers say the plan is too light on details to be of much help. What we do know, is that for Wisconsin to reopen, the state must see a two-week drop in coronavirus cases and must

Vice President Mike Pence is going to get a look at the push to make ventilators during his visit to Wisconsin. The vice president is due in Madison today to tour the GE Healthcare plant. He’s also expected to speak with frontline workers about the need to keep fighting the coronavirus. More Wisconsin citizen soldiers are deploying to fight the coronavirus. Guard commanders yesterday mobilized another 225 guardsmen to test people who may be infected with the virus. The Guard has sent medical

Homework just got a lot easier for school kids in Eau Claire. The city’s school board last night agreed to switch to a pass/fail grading system for the spring semester. Eau Claire Schools’ Jim Schmitt said they simply want to see if kids have the skills to move to the next level. Only grades from before Christmas will count toward student’s GPAs, but the work that is pass/fail will count toward graduation and/or moving to the next grade.

Altoona’s new superintendent doesn’t have far to go to get to her new job. The district yesterday said it has hired Dr. Heidi Taylor-Eliopoulos as their new superintendent. Taylor-Eliopoulos is currently the superintendent in Chippewa Falls. She starts in Altoona on July 1st.

Just about everyone in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls should have their lights back on. Xcel Energy said as of 3 a.m. less than 30 people in the Chippewa Valley were in the dark. At the worst of it yesterday, more than three thousand people lost power as high winds swept across western Wisconsin. There were also strong thunderstorms. There are no reports of any serious injuries.

One of Wisconsin’s largest farm groups says direct payments from the federal government will help a lot of farmers in the state. The Wisconsin Farmers Union yesterday said the 19 million-dollar farm aid package will keep farmers afloat during the coronavirus outbreak. But the group’s President Darin Von Ruden says the USDA also needs to look at the underlying issues as to why so many farmers have been struggling for years, even without the virus.