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Democrats at the Wisconsin Capitol have their own plan to get tougher on first time drunk drivers.  Senator Chris Larson yesterday introduce a plan to install ignition interlock devices for any first time drunk driver who was nearly twice the legal limit.  Drivers could also opt for a year of sobriety.  A first time OWI conviction in the state is currently treated as a civil, not criminal matter.  

Wisconsin is no longer supporting two cases challenging abortion access.  Attorney General Josh Kaul withdrew the state’s support yesterday from amicus briefs that place Wisconsin in the position of advocating for limiting abortion access.  The move is part of a pattern of action by the Democrat made in support of Planned Parenthood and access to reproductive health services.  Planned Parenthood’s political wing endorsed Kaul during his 2018 campaign. 

A Wisconsin-based retail chain is closing all of its stores.  Shopko closed about 100 stores in January filing for bankruptcy.  Now the chain is closing its remaining 120 stores after not being able to find a buyer.  The nearly-60-year-old chain grew to be a Midwestern icon and often served communities too small for larger stores like Walmart and rural areas outside Amazon’s same-day delivery service.  Locations stretched from California to Kentucky.  The company plans to have all the stores closed by

Police in Manitowoc hope some video will bring-in tips in a double murder from last fall.  Officers released security camera footage yesterday that shows a man walking on the same block where 51-year-old Richard Miller and his daughter, 19-year-old Jocelyn Miller, were found murdered last September.  Investigators say the man in the video is the person of interest in the case.  They need help identifying him. View the video below:

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development says the governor’s budget will allow more than eleven-thousand businesses to provide family medical leave to 400-thousand-employees.  The department today says businesses will also be able to expand coverage to allow for someone to leave to care for siblings and grandparents.  Governor Evers says it’s all part of what he calls the ‘people’s budget.’

Governor Evers is honoring the Red Cross by proclaiming March American Red Cross month.  The governor today issued the proclamation saying the volunteers and staff at Red Cross-Wisconsin have done an incredible job helping Wisconsinites recover from devastating flooding.  The governor says the Red Cross has helped thousands of Wisconsin citizens navigate through the disaster recovery process over the years and this flood season is no different. 

The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library is opening the cover on plans for a $20M renovation and expansion project. After a 2017 building evaluation by Zimmerman Architectural Studios, Inc. revealed a litany of problems with the current library facility, the City of Eau Claire pledged $11.5M from its 2018, 2019, and 2020 budgets to affect the necessary upgrades. The library is now seeking to maximize the cost and time savings potential of the upcoming renovation to expand the facility, creating

Eau Claire County’s health is being ranked 33rd out of 72 counties in the state.  The county moved up several spots since 2018 according to numbers released yesterday.  The 2019 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps showed several strengths in the county, such as low teen birth rates and a high ratio of primary care providers.  Area cited for improvement included premature deaths, often caused by drug and alcohol addictions. 

The man accused of hitting and killing three Chippewa County Girl Scouts and one of their mothers is being tried on separate charges in Rusk County.  Reports show Colton Treu was bound over for trial on four drug charges yesterday afternoon and his case will proceed.  Treu is accused of possessing methamphetamine and marijuana.

A Rice Lake man is in custody after police say he shot at a woman.  Deputies say they got a call from a woman who said Steve Anderson shot a gun at her several times.  Rice Lake police tracked down Anderson and pulled him over and arrested him without incident.  He’s facing more than five charges related to the incident.