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UW Eau Claire students may be learning from home next fall as well. Professors this week started preparing to teach their fall semester classes online as well. The school’s Mary Hoffman says UW Eau Claire has always had some online classes, but because of the outbreak the university is moving more classes online. UW EC has been without students for almost a month.

Sacred Heart Hospital is offering employees furloughs during the coronavirus outbreak. Managers yesterday said they are asking employees in Eau Claire if anyone would volunteer to go home til at least August. Sacred Heart says despite the coronavirus outbreak, the hospital has seen less business. Sacred Heart executives yesterday said they are taking 30 percent pay cuts to help during the outbreak.

Wisconsin’s Democratic U.S. senator wants some federal help for the state’s cranberry growers. Senator Tammy Baldwin yesterday wrote a letter to the USDA asking for direct payments to cranberry farmers. Baldwin says they are hurting too during the coronavirus outbreak. She says cranberry sales have fallen 60 percent, and she fears some growers may not be able to survive without help from Washington, DC.

The Patrick/Smithfield plant in Cudahy is shutting down for at least two weeks after someone there tested positive for the coronavirus. The company yesterday workers will be paid during the shutdown. Smithfield made headlines this week when it shut down its major packing plant in South Dakota because of the virus. The company is also closing a processing plant in Missouri.

A bill is headed to the governor’s desk that will claim millions of dollars in federal aid for the state to deal with the COVID-19 crisis.  The Senate approved the bill today which gives the state more than two-billion-dollars in stimulus funding.  There was opposition to the bill however as first responders and police union officials say there was no relief included for the critical workers risking their health and their lives during the COVID-19 crisis.

The Green Bay Packers say legendary defensive end Willie Davis has died.  Davis played on all five of Vince Lombardi’s championship teams and was a two-time Super Bowl winner.  He started his career playing for the Cleveland Browns for being traded to the Packers after the 1959 season. 

Funding from the stimulus package passed recently in Washington will help airports in Wisconsin face financial challenges.  Central Wisconsin Airport will receive around four-million-dollars and Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport was awarded about one-million-dollars.  Wausau Airport has been forced to shut down its flight school and rental services during the COVID-19 crisis.  The money will be used to offset some of those losses. La Crosse Regional Airport is receiving funding from the federal CARES Act to help with financial costs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive Director

The U.S. Air Force says the F-35 fighter will be based at Truax Field in Madison.  Officials made the announcement today.  Senator Ron Johnson says the new  fighters will replace the aging F-16 fighter jets and will help maintain U.S. air superiority.  Johnson also says the F-35 will ensure the Air National Guard continues to play an important role in Wisconsin communities and economy.

We are living another week of what is becoming our “new normal” and as we navigate the latest of the world pandemic, there is a lot (A LOT!) of information to digest, we will break it down from the larger (World) scope and work our way here to the Chippewa Valley and our own back yard and day to day lives. Trying to outline the basics and keep the information accurate, bite size, and easy to follow. First of all, COVID19 is

There could soon be another election for school board in Eau Claire. School Board Commissioner Laurie Klinkhammer resigned yesterday. She says family and professional needs drove her decision. Eau Claire schools say they will announce the process to pick her replacement in the coming weeks.