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Eau Claire city officials are planning for possible flooding.  The National Weather Service said yesterday that there’s a nearly 35-percent chance of moderate flooding in the area, and a 30-percent chance of major flooding.  The risk comes after last month’s record setting snowfall and continued heavy snows this month.

The public is weighing in on a proposed makeover at State Street Hill.  Residents spoke about the two-and-a-half million dollar proposal at an Eau Claire City Council public hearing yesterday.  Changes include adding several roundabouts, upgrading water and sewer lines, and widening sidewalks and streets.  Some citizens are raising concerns about adding more roundabouts, while city officials feel they will keep traffic moving.

No one is injured after a fire in Eau Claire.  Fire officials say the blaze started yesterday afternoon in the basement of a multi-unit apartment in the eleven-hundred block of Barland Street.  Crews were able to contain the fire to the basement.  No word on the cause of the fire or any damage estimates.

A man accused of shooting Eau Claire officers with a BB gun during a standoff is facing prison time.  Police say Emmitt Ritter-Simpson is accused of repeatedly firing rounds from a pellet gun at officers at a home last January, hitting three.  Authorities say he also booby trapped the home with explosives, and allegedly tried to kill a jailer while in custody.  Ritter-Simpson was sentenced to eight years in prison, followed by ten years of extended supervision.  

Milwaukee will host the Democratic National Convention next year.   Wisconsin is a key battleground state that Donald Trump won by a razor thin margin in 2016.  The convention is set for mid-July of next year.  Republicans will gather in Charlotte, North Carolina in late August of 2020.  That’s where Democrats nominated President Barack Obama for a second term in 2012. 

The bitter cold and snow might be good for the ski business, but maple syrup producers are being forced to wait for the sap to run.  Taps are frozen solid at a time of year when producers yield enough sap to make nearly 250-thousand-gallons of maple syrup.  Wisconsin is the fourth largest syrup producing state in the country behind Vermont, New York and Maine. 

Senator Kathy Bernier announced that Elizabeth Thomson of Fall Creek High School successfully completed the 2019 Senate Scholar Program. Elizabeth joined high school juniors and seniors from around the State of Wisconsin to participate in a week-long program at the State Capitol. Elizabeth and the other Senate Scholars were introduced to all aspects of the legislative process, including meeting with legislators, support agencies, legislative staff, the Governor’s office, and even a Supreme Court Justice. The Senate Scholars put their knowledge

One person is dead after a snowmobile crash in Sparta.  According to the Sparta Area Fire District, the accident happened on a trail north of County Highway B and Echo Road just after noon on Saturday.  The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the cause of the crash is under investigation. 

An Altoona man is in custody and charged with multiple child sex crimes.  A criminal complaint claims 25-year-old William Lewis posted an ad online looking for sex and an Altoona police officer posed as a 14-year-old girl and planned to meet with him.  When the two met Williams was arrested.  He’s charged with attempted child sexual assault, child enticement, and use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime.

A Kentucky man must pay a hefty fine after being convicted of securities fraud in Chippewa County.  A criminal complaint claims 46-year-old Jason Towe called a Chippewa Falls man in 2012 and asked him to invest money with him.  The man invested over 55-thousand dollars but Towe is accused of leaving out facts in the deal.  It’s also illegal to make cold calls on securities investing in multiple states and Towe was under criminal investigation at the time.  Towe recently