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A lawnmower accident leaves a man dead. It was just before 9 on the night of June 3rd when the Barron County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call of a lawn mower accident west of Rice Lake. Initial investigation shows Otis Via, 78, was mowing his ditch when he lost control of the mower and it rolled over on top of him. Mr. Via was deceased at the scene.

A rainbow will be flying over our Capitol. Governor Tony Evers has ordered that the Rainbow Pride Flag shall be flown over the East Wing of the State Capitol Building, beginning today, Friday, June 5, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. and ending at sunset on June 30, 2020.

Chippewa Falls’ Pure Water Days are canceled this year. Members of the Main Street Board voted to cancel the four-day event yesterday to protect everyone involved. The Cruise in Car Shows scheduled for August and October are also canceled. 

There is a Black Lives Matter and March for Peace planned today at 6pm in Eau Claire at Phoenix Park. More information:

Governor Tony Evers says he absolutely supports the rights of protesters in Madison and Milwaukee, but says he has never supported law breaking. The governor yesterday defended his decision to send the Wisconsin National Guard to Madison and Milwaukee. Some protesters and activists have said the Guard’s presence sends the wrong message. The governor told reporters that it’s the people who are damaging stores and looting that have it wrong. Milwaukee Police are showing people what the worst of this week’s riots

The Reverend Al Sharpton is praising everyone who is protesting the death of George Floyd.  Sharpton told people at Floyd’s memorial service at North Central University in Minneapolis, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, it was important to stand for what is right.  He also criticized President Trump’s appearance outside St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC without mentioning his name.  Sharpton then compared Floyd’s death with the 2014 killing of Eric Gardner in New York because both told police officers they

Fewer people are in the hospital because of the coronavirus in Wisconsin. The state’s Department of Health Services yesterday said 355 people are hospitalized because of the virus. DHS says 117 of them are in intensive care. That’s a drop from earlier this week when more than 400 people were being treated for the virus. DHS yesterday also reported 492 new positive coronavirus tests, and well over 11-thousand negative tests.

The White House is declaring Eau Claire County a high-intensity drug trafficking area. The designation is as much about sending help as it is about identifying a problem. Local leaders say the decision to label the county means more federal money and federal resources will come to Eau Claire and the county’s other communities to fight drugs.

There will be no swimming at Fairfax Pool this summer. The city of Eau Claire yesterday said it is not going to open the pool because of the coronavirus. The fear is that there would be no way to socially distance swimmers and people along the poolside. Eau Claire says anyone who bought passes will get a refund.

The eyes of the dairy world will not be coming to Madison this year. Organizers of the World Dairy Expo yesterday pulled the plug on event. General Manager Scott Bentley says there is no way they can host the expo and abide by Dane County’s reopening rules. The hope is to return to Madison next fall.