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A Menomonie businessman who grew his beer distributorship into a national leader, two local farm implement dealers and a young IT professional were among the honorees when the Chippewa Valley Technical College Alumni Association held its annual Spring Gala Thursday, April 4. Terry Giertz, now retired as the CEO of Bill’s Distributing in Menomonie, was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner. Erin Garney, a network systems shift manager at WIN in Eau Claire was named the Outstanding Recent Alumnus

The people who want to stop teens from smoking in Wisconsin say they’re going to have to change because of a new law in Illinois.  Illinois’ governor signed a law Sunday that raises the age to buy cigarettes and vape products to 21.  Youth2Youth 4 Change director Debbie Fischer says anti-smoking groups like hers will now focus their efforts in Wisconsin towns along the border, to try and stop teens from Illinois who cross the state line to buy their smokes.  

A person is in the hospital after an ATV accident in River Falls.  Pierce County sheriff’s deputies say John Kees was up on a hill in a wooded area with a passenger when his ATV rolled over, throwing both of them out.  Kees was taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries and his passenger wasn’t hurt.

Construction is currently underway on the Grand Avenue bridge in Eau Claire.  The bridge that connects Graham Avenue to Grand will soon have decorative lights underneath it.  The city says the lights will be similar to lights on other pedestrian bridges in Eau Claire and will be programmed to change colors.  The bridge will be closed from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. through Friday. *Photo Credit: WEAU 13 NEWS

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is investigating a manure spill into a stream in Buffalo County.  The DNR says it’s not sure when the manure spilled or how, but it says it came from Breezy Point Farms.  The DNR is currently assessing the area to determine the damage.

The Green Bay police chief says the K-9 that was stabbed over the weekend likely prevented an officer-involved shooting.  Police tried to arrest Sai Vang on a weapons complaint over the weekend, but he resisted.  That’s when the dog bit him, leading to the stabbing.  Chief Andrew Smith says officers didn’t know Vang had the knife, so the dog likely prevented officers from eventually shooting at him.  The dog has had two surgeries and is in critical, but stable condition. 

A handful of western Wisconsin counties are already looking at a winter storm watch ahead of this week’s storm.  The National Weather Service says the watch will start tomorrow evening for counties just north and west of Eau Claire.  It will last til Friday afternoon.  Forecasters say the northern half of Wisconsin could see six to eight inches of snow from the storm that’s due to arrive tomorrow.

An Eau Claire woman will spend the next two years in county jail for a 2017 crash that left four people dead.  The judge in Chippewa Falls yesterday said he could not find a reason to send 25-year-old Cara Stevens to state prison, but he also said she needed to be held accountable.  Police say Stevens ran a stop sign and smashed into another car in the northeast corner of Chippewa County in May of 2017.  Stevens pleaded no contest

It was about 4:15 p.m. on Monday when the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a one vehicle accident with injuries. The caller indicated the accident was on State Hwy 73 near Shiner Drive in the Township of Taft. Once Deputies arrived on scene they found the operator of the vehicle, 56 year old  Danny L. Bunnell of Lublin Wisconsin deceased at the scene. Initial investigation into the accident indicates Bunnell was wearing a seat belt and was

A former show choir teacher in La Crosse is heading to prison for eight years after he admitted to having sex with students.  A judge sentenced Dustin Bagstad yesterday.  Prosecutors charged him with 19 felonies back in 2017.  Bagstad pleaded guilty in January to just five charges, the rest were dismissed.  La Crosse County’s District Attorney says the sentence is validation for Bagstad’s victims.