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Ground is broken on a new hotel in Eau Claire.  The Holiday Inn Express and Suites will be located on Craig Road on the former site of the Green Mill and Clarion Hotel.  It will have event and meeting rooms in addition to 99 sleeping rooms.  Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2020.

The La Crosse Police Department’s Domestic Abuse Reduction Team will continue its work for three more years.  That’s thanks to a 450-thousand dollar grant from the Office of Violence Against Women and the U.S. Department of Justice.  The team works to reduce repeated episodes of domestic violence within La Crosse County.  It’s made up of ten La Crosse officers, three officers from nearby departments, local outreach program advocates, and medical providers.

Milwaukee will have a new form of wintry entertainment next year.  Bumper Cars on Ice is scheduled to come to town next April.  The attraction features round bumper cars which drivers can skate around in on ice.  It will also feature a winter wonderland-themed bar.  No location has been announced.

Walmart is testing a new program to help their employees afford healthcare.  It will put patients in touch with nearby doctors.  The program will begin in Texas, Arkansas and Florida.  The company will also test a concierge service for billing and appointments in North and South Carolina.  And workers in Colorado, Minnesota and Wisconsin will be able to video chat with doctors.

An accident sends one to the hospital. It was just before 11 Thursday morning, the Wisconsin State Patrol responded to a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Dunn County. The initial crash investigation shows the operator, 19 year old Anthony Giovanoni, lost control of his motorcycle and crashed near Exit 52 on I94 and air lifted to a hospital. The crash remains under investigation.

Wausau police are investigating the shooting of several victims near the Pine Grove Cemetery.  Police say a fire at the Schofield apartment complex this morning is also connected to the shooting.  It is an active investigation.  More information is expected to be released by police this afternoon.

A Milwaukee man is headed to prison for the rest of his life for killing a Milwaukee Police officer.  Jordan Fricke was sentenced today to life without parole for the shooting earlier this year of Officer Matthew Rittner.  Rittner and others officers were serving a search warrant when Fricke fired the deadly shot through the front door.  Fricke claimed he didn’t think it was actually the police who were trying to break down his door and get in.

Recent heavy rain in the upper Chippewa River watershed is causing increased levels on the Chippewa River in Eau Claire. At 6 a.m. on Thursday, the Chippewa River gauge at Grand Avenue read just under 764 feet, which is about 9 feet below the flood stage reading of 773 feet. At its current level the river is prompting the closure of the lowest lying areas of the Chippewa River Trail. Which includes ▪ Chippewa River Trail – behind the UW-Eau

Two tornadoes are confirmed to have touched down in Jefferson County, just west of Milwaukee, this week.  According to the National Weather Service, an EF-0 touched down in Fort Atkinson on Tuesday and an EF-1 touched down in Sullivan.  The twisters packed wind speeds of 80 and 100 miles per hour.

The brush site for tornado debris disposal in Wheaton is closed today.  The Chippewa Fire District says the shredder finished work this morning and any debris left in people’s yards will now be their responsibility.  The fire district says residents are still allowed to safely burn brush without a permit.  There will be an informative meeting for residents impacted by the tornado next Tuesday at the Chippewa County Courthouse on October 8th starting at 3.