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The La Crosse Tribune is in negotiations to sell its downtown La Crosse building.  Media reports, including one from the Tribune, indicate Cliff LeCleir, a local developer, is working to buy the property on North Third Street.  The Tribune has been located there since 1973.  LeCleir owns adjacent property, including the Hampton Inn and Suites at Second and La Crosse streets.

Prosecutors in Eau Claire are pushing ahead with charges against a man who they say wanted to have sex with a 14-year-old girl. The D.A. filed charges yesterday against 48-year-old Timothy Knapp. Investigators say he met the girl on Facebook, and pushed her to have sex. Prosecutors say Knapp admitted to talking to the girl, but says he never had any physical contact with her.

Police in Chippewa Falls are looking for a man who they say hit a teenager on the day after Christmas. Officers are looking for 33-year-old Jesus Gonzales after they say he slightly injured the teen. Gonzales has a warrant out for his arrest and a history of domestic violence.

The search for a missing Poynette man has come to a happy ending. Police last night canceled the Silver Alert for 68-year-old Kenneth Nelson. He’d been missing since Christmas Night when he left his apartment in a Santa suit. Police are not saying where Nelson went, but say he’s been found safe and sound.

Wisconsin’s Democratic U.S. Senator says helping volunteer firefighters buy homes may be the key to getting more volunteer firefighters. Senator Tammy Baldwin says her plan to offer 15 hundred-dollars in assistance to help low income volunteer firefighters buy a house could help strengthen smaller communities in Wisconsin. Baldwin says many small volunteer fire departments don’t have enough people because, in some towns, there are not enough people.

Wisconsin’s economic development managers say 250-million-dollars from taxpayers should be worth over a billion-dollars in new jobs and business expansion. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation yesterday released its list of the top 15 deals for 2019. Among them are the investments into paper companies in Biron and Howard. The half-million-dollars given to Menard’s for an expansion in Eau Claire is also the best-of list for 2019.

The Wisconsin Badgers are spending the holidays preparing for a New Year’s Day date with the Oregon Ducks.  The two teams greet 2020 with a 4:00 kickoff in the Rose Bowl.  The Badgers finished the regular season with record of 10-and-3 and ranked 11th in the Amway Coaches Poll.  Oregon heads into the game with an 11-and-2 record and a sixth-place ranking in the Coaches Poll. 

Today is one of the busiest days to return gifts at stores and malls.  A survey by Oracle reveals 77-percent of consumers plan to return some of their holiday gifts.  Returns are expected to peak at nearly two-million nationwide on January 2nd.  Wisconsin retailers advise that people research policies regarding time allowed for returns, the need for a receipt and whether there is a time limit for getting cash back. 

Eau Claire Parks & Recreation announces that all warming shelters will open for the season today with regular holiday hours offering hot cocoa, indoor games, and arts and crafts. Pinehurst will also be open for sledding, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing.  2019-2020 warming shelter holiday hours will continue through January 1.  Boyd & Pinehurst: 11am‐8pm Demmler, Oakwood, Putnam Heights, Roosevelt, Sam Davey: 11am‐7pm  Indoor Skating Opportunities at Hobbs Ice Arena 11am-1pm and 1:15pm-3:15pm. $4/person OR EC RecPass (1 punch) Includes skate

It certainly was a warm Christmas for southeast Wisconsin. The National Weather Service says yesterday was the second warmest Christmas in the past 40 years for Milwaukee. The city saw 57 degrees yesterday,. That’s the warmest since the Christmas of 1982. But that doesn’t mean we are lining up for a warm winter. While Christmas 82 was warm, Christmas 1983 was the coldest for Milwaukee over the same 40 year period.