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Four men from west central Wisconsin are on probation after being convicted of participating in an illegal hunt in Montana.  Robert Peters, Steven Reindahl, David Johnson, and Darren Johnson were all involved in an illegal mountain lion hunt in 2017 resulting in two of them getting two years probation and the other two getting three and four years.  They’ve all lost their hunting privileges for two years and they have to pay fines in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Black River Falls police are looking for two people suspected of running from an officer.  Police say an officer saw a car believed to be connected to multiple open cases Sunday morning but it slowly drove away.  The officer lost track of the car because of bad road conditions after the driver sped up.  After the incident, police said they’re looking for 32-year-old Blake Butler and 27-year-old Kaylee Berg for questioning.

Former Maryland assistant coach Wesley Beschorner is the new head football coach for University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire.  Football Scoop reported the news on Monday before the school officially announced Beschorner as the coach yesterday afternoon.  The coaching change was made after former head coach Dan Larson left the Blugolds last month to become an assistant at North Dakota State. 

–  Online registration is opening for the fifth annual Half Moon Dragon Boat Festival.  Online registration begins Friday for the Eau Claire festival which will take place on August 3rd.  The event will support local cancer programs and services and celebrate cancer survivors.  The memories of those lost to cancer will also be honored, while the festival will raise awareness about prevention and education. 

Record-breaking winter weather has Chippewa County outreach staff seeing an increased need for homeless shelter services.  The Programs Supervisor at L.E. Phillips Career Development Center said yesterday that snow accumulations and bitter cold temperatures have led to a lot more foot traffic for the agency and agencies they work with.  The organization provides nearly a dozen different programs and services in the Chippewa Valley.

Officials are gathering to discuss the future of Phillips Science Hall on the UW-Eau Claire campus.  Members of the State Building Commission were in Eau Claire yesterday, saying the project to replace the building is a on their list of priorities.  UWEC will be seeking over 100-million dollars to finish the first phase, followed by another 147-million dollar for the second phase two years later. 

A Dockless Bicycle Share Program is coming to Eau Claire.  The City Council unanimously approved the program last night, where people will be able to unlock a bike through an app and get billed for how much they ride.  The council added conditions that vendors must specify that bikes can’t be ridden on downtown sidewalks and that the bikes must be parked in designated areas.  Officials hope to have the dockless bikes in place by spring.

People in Eau Claire will be allowed to keep bees at home after the City Council approved a new ordinance.  Under the new ordinance passed last night bees will not be allowed to be kept at public parks as was once discussed.  The original vote on the issue was postponed in January to give the council time to consult with the Chippewa Valley Beekeepers Association for more information.

An appeal over bones given to a murder victim’s family will be heard by a circuit court.  The decision by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals today means convicted killer Steven Avery has another day in court.  The defense argues that police transferred bone evidence from the Manitowoc County gravel pit to a funeral home and those remains were given to Teresa Halbach’s family.  The defense wants the bones tested to see if they do match the victim of the 2005

A former pastor caught in a citizen-led sting operation is pleading guilty to sex charges.  Scott Patschke was an associate pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wausau when he was charged last year with child enticement.  Prosecutors say Patschke sent explicit messages to someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy, but who was really a part of a sting operation.