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An Eau Claire man is going to prison after being convicted of selling meth to an undercover informant.  Police say they found drugs, money, and weapons in Kirk Stassel’s home after he sold meth three different times.  Stassel pleaded no contest to five charges last month.  Yesterday he was sentenced to nine years in prison followed by ten years of supervised release. 

A Bloomer woman is facing more drug charges after being accused of sneaking meth into the Chippewa County Jail.  Bridget Miles was strip searched earlier this week after a jailer learned multiple inmates may have had drugs.  A criminal complaint says the jailer found meth tucked into Miles’ clothing.  She’s facing four charges in connection with this case and her previous case. 

Governor Tony Evers will be in Menomonie this weekend for a ceremony where troops will be sent off to Afghanistan.  The ceremony will be Sunday at noon at the Johnson Fieldhouse on the campus of University of Wisconsin-Stout.  About 400 local National Guard soldiers will be sent off.  The event is not open to the public. 

The U.S. National Kubb Tournament is underway in Eau Claire today.  The lawn game involves players trying to knock down wooden blocks with a baton, similar to bowling or horseshoes.  The tournament is taking place at the Eau Claire Soccer Park.  City officials estimate it will bring over 150-thousand dollars to the local economy. 

The Northern Wisconsin State Fair is about to become immortal, kinda.  The Food Network is coming to the fair tomorrow to film a segment for the show Carnival Eats.  Megan Hagy and her funnel cakes will be featured, but the show will also capture some of the fun of the fair in Chippewa Falls.  The episode is expected to air this fall, then likely in reruns. 

The man who openly complained that judges in La Crosse County don’t send anyone to jail is being tapped to lead La Crosse’s police department.  The city promoted Rob Agaraham to interim police chief yesterday.  He’s filling-in until the city can hire a new chief.  Abraham took to Twitter last month to complain about the lax treatment of a rape suspect in La Crosse.  He apologized to the people of the city for not being able to protect them better.  

It will be more expensive for students at the University of Wisconsin this fall.  Regents yesterday approved room and board and student fee increases for almost every campus in the UW System.  UW Madison will see the highest price spikes.  Only UW Milwaukee and UW River Falls won’t charge students more for dorm rooms.  The university says they want to use the extra money to pay for new recreation centers across the system. 

Wisconsin’s financial woes look to be much worse next year.  A new report from the state’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau says lawmakers will be facing a nearly one-and-a-half billion-dollar structure deficit for the 2021 through 2023 budget.  The deficit in the current budget is about 860 million.  LFB says the numbers are calculated before any attempts by lawmakers to tax more or spend more. 

Mt. Dew is learning the hard way the Yoopers are proud of where they come from.  The soda maker is out with its DEWnited map, which shows the country.  But the map has the U.P. as part of Wisconsin.  Twitter erupted this month, to tell Mt. Dew that the U.P. is part of Michigan.  The company admitted to its mistake, and is offering to allow Yoopers to design their own map that makes sure to put them back in the state

Wisconsin is among the top states in the country for business.  CNBC recently released its annual report of America’s Top States For Business in 2018 with Wisconsin earning a number-15 ranking overall.  The Badger State earned an A grade in education, ranking fifth in the nation, and posted B marks for the economy and the cost of doing business.  However the state earned C grades for business friendliness and quality of life, as well as cost of living.