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The mayor of Onalaska is retiring due to medical reasons.  Mayor Joe Chilsen announced his retirement early Monday morning, saying doctors encouraged him to do so.  Chilsen was elected mayor in 2012.  City council president Diane Wulf will serve as acting mayor until a replacement is chosen.

The man who ran down three Girl Scouts from Lake Hallie could spend the rest of his life in prison. Colten Treu agreed to a plea deal yesterday for the deadly wreck along the highway in Chippewa County in November of last year. He pleaded guilty to one count, and no contest to four others. Police say Treu was high on air duster fumes when he ran down the scouts and one of their mothers. Treu is due to be

School leaders in Elk Mound want to ask voters to raise their taxes by almost 16 million-dollars. The city’s school board last night approved a referendum question for the April ballot. Elk Mound wants to use the tax increase to pay for a new gym, a school weight room, a new band room, heating and air conditioning upgrades, and a number of new security measures as well.

Eau Claire schools could be taking the next step toward being more energy efficient. The school district is considering a donation of almost 800 solar panels. The idea is to install the panels on school buildings to make Eau Claire schools less reliant on traditional sources of power. While the solar panels may be free, the school district would have to pay to have them installed. There is no price tag for that.

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court is likely going to decide the fate of over 230 thousand voters in the state who’ve either moved or who haven’t voted in years. The Wisconsin Election Commission yesterday refused to remove the voters from the state’s voting rolls, despite an order from a judge. Commissioners split along party lines as to whether the purge is a clean-up or voter disenfranchisement. State law says election managers have 30 days to drop voters who’ve changed addresses or ignored questions about

Police officers, firefighters, and anyone else who works along the side of the highway in Wisconsin could soon get some more protections. Lawmakers in Madison yesterday introduced a plan to increase the penalties for anyone caught speeding or driving recklessly past first responders. The proposal from state Rep. Katrina Shankland would also allow police to create a traffic zone, similar to a work zone, to slow down cars and make it safer for police officers and firefighters to do their jobs.

A man is in custody after police say he was found hiding in the closet of a home in Sparta.  Police say Kabian Coleman broke into the house on December 10th and yelled “ho ho ho” from behind a closet door when he was found.  Kabian later ran from the house but was found hiding in a nearby garage.  Police say Coleman admitted to using drugs.  He also reportedly told them he didn’t intend to hurt anyone and was just

Hope Gospel Mission is rolling out another welcome mat to the Chippewa Valley and would like to extend an invitation to the public to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the new Hope Renewal Center for Women and Children on Frank Street in Eau Claire. This event will be held on Thursday, December 19, 10:00am- 12:30pm.   Hope Gospel Mission offers holistic programming to help those struggling with homelessness and addiction in western Wisconsin.

A Clark County daycare worker is facing 25 child abuse charges.  A criminal complaint claims Naomi Konieczny kept kids in a dark room and didn’t check on them for hours, among other claims.  Konieczny was charged last week.  She’s facing up to 140 years in prison.

A man is in custody and another man is on the loose after a shooting in Eau Claire.  A criminal complaint filed Friday says Antonio Wilson and Xavier Gentry were buying marijuana at a house on Clairemont Avenue on December 2nd when Gentry shot someone in the leg.  Wilson was arrested last week and charged with attempted robbery.  Gentry is facing the same charge but hasn’t been found.