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The La Crosse School District is planning to buy a bar and turn it into a school.  You may have seen this on TV. As WEAU reports the Brickhouse downtown is closing in April and will then be bought by the district.  After the purchase, students from the La Crosse Design Institute, Seven Rivers School, and two charter schools will move in.  The district superintendent says it’ll be the first time in decades that the district has had a presence

Authorities in Eau Claire say they responded to over 100 crashes and spin-outs.  The Wisconsin State Patrol’s Eau Claire post said it assisted with 25 run-offs and 15 crashes yesterday with no injuries reported.  Eau Claire police say they responded to ten crashes and nearly 60 stalled vehicles. 

The suspect in Jayme Closs’ kidnapping should be back in front of a judge in a matter of hours.  Jake Patterson is due in court today for a preliminary hearing.  Patterson is facing kidnapping and murder charges.  It’s not clear what, if any new information will come from today’s hearing.  

New reports say the price paid for Eau Claire’s historic State Theatre was 195-thousand dollars.  Azara Properties bought the building and is the primary owner.  The building will be the site for the Luginbill Children’s Foundation, which will act as a beneficiary.  

There are two different views of the State of Union, depending on which political party Wisconsin’s members of Congress come from.  The state’s Democrats in Washington D.C. aren’t impressed with President Trump’s speech last night. Milwaukee Congresswoman Gwen Moore last night Tweeted that the president is spreading lies.  But Republicans, like the northwoods’ Sean Duffy said the president was spot on in talking about the booming economy.  It’s very possible that no one in Wisconsin will see a tax cut this year.  Governor

Health officials are warning parents about the dangers of a recent measles outbreak in Washington state to unvaccinated students.   Wisconsin is one of 18 states to allow a vaccination exemption for medical, religious, and other personal reasons.  In Eau Claire, around seven percent of students entering kindergarten are exempt.  Health officials say the MMR vaccine given in two doses can be 97 percent effective in preventing the measles. 

The Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds is seeking an exemption for an event from a Chippewa Falls law banning the use of firearms.  The proposal comes in conjunction with the Wisconsin Game Fest event set for September.  The fest will feature exhibits and activities surrounding outdoor recreation, including a youth shooting event.  A first reading of the proposal happened last night, with a second set to take place in two weeks. 

The Eau Claire public library is adding a staffer to help patrons dealing with poverty and homelessness.  The library calls the new position the Community Resource Specialist.  Staff say the new employee will be available to answer questions about Medicare coverage, financial assistance, and where to find a place to stay daily. 

Emergency funding to repair roads and bridges is finally available for Wisconsin.  The state will be getting about 23-million-dollars from the U.S. Department of Transportation following devastating floods the last summer.  The federal funding is part of an emergency budget.  Northern and southern Wisconsin will be receiving money to help rebuild infrastructure. 

The Confederate flag or any symbol of it is now banned in the Tomah schools.  The school board voted unanimously in a special meeting yesterday to ban the wearing or display of the flag.  School officials have said there were several incidents at the high school connected to the display of the flag.  Opponents to the ban says it limits a student’s right to free speech.