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Folks in Eau Claire will not be able to visit their family members at the nursing home window. City-county health department boss Lieske Giese yesterday banned window visits during the coronavirus outbreak. Giese also warned against reopening the state too quickly. She says the coronavirus is not in-check, and people can still get sick. Yesterday was the first time in a week that Eau Claire County confirmed a new coronavirus case.

Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear the tornado sirens during today’s statewide tornado drill. Emergency managers in Eau Claire, Chippewa, and Dunn counties say they will not sound their alarms so as to not confuse anyone about the coronavirus outbreak. Some western Wisconsin counties will sound their alarms. The statewide tornado drill is usually the start of the spring severe weather season.

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.