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The close-knit community of Barron, Wisconsin can breathe a sigh of relief as 13-year-old Jayme Closs is safe and getting medical treatment.  Police say she was taken to the hospital in Douglas County and held for observation, but medical officials are clearing her to begin the interview process with detectives.  They are hoping she will be brought back to Barron County this afternoon and reunited with her family members and loved ones.  Law enforcement officials say Closs was able to

Wisconsin police say 21-year-old Jake Patterson is the main suspect of interest in the kidnapping case of 13-year-old Jayme Closs.  Officials say Patterson had targeted Closs, killing both of her parents before abducting her back in October.  The fluid investigation into Patterson has not shown any indication that the two had any former contact with each other.  Patterson is a resident of the remote, northern Wisconsin area of Gordon, but is said to have ties to Barron County.  At this time, there is

Missing Barron teenager Jayme Closs is alive and safe thanks to a woman walking her dog.  The woman says 13-year-old Jayme Closs approached her yesterday afternoon in a wooded area just east of Gordon, two counties north of Barron.  She says she was dirty, skinny, had matted hair, and was wearing shoes too big for her feet.  The woman took her to a neighbor’s house where police were called and she was taken to the hospital before being reunited with

A 23-year-old convicted of a 2016 murder is going to prison for 20 years.  Jesse Lloyd was acquitted back in October for his role in the shooting death of 33-year-old Kenneth Patterson and was sentenced in Chippewa Falls yesterday.  Lloyd was convicted of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm, getting out of a homicide charge.  Matthew Labrec was also convicted of the crime in 2017 and got 20 years as well after

Police in Eau Claire are looking for a man suspected of breaking into a local business.  The Eau Claire Police Department posted a picture of the suspect on Facebook yesterday asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating him.  He’s suspected of taking cash an other items from an office on Bellinger Street. 

The portable toilets in Eau Claire city parks will stay put for now.  Earlier this week the city was being forced to remove all the toilets because of budget cuts.  Now, City Council Acting President Andrew Werthmann says the council will introduce a new plan at its next meeting to make sure they’re funded.  Werthmann plans to use an amendment to the city’s operating budget to keep them, but if the city council rejects it they will be removed. 

Momentum is building for the City of La Crosse to get a public market.  Earlier this week the city released a study on how achievable it would be to bring in a market.  The study’s author says La Crosse really stood out in each of the criteria needed for a market to thrive.  The next step will be finding the right location for it. 

We are happy to report the news a lot of us have been hoping to hear as authorities say 13-year-old Jayme Closs has been found alive.  Investigators said yesterday evening that Closs had been located in the Town of Gordon-that is in the far southern part of Douglas County.  A suspect was taken into custody just before 5 p.m. yesterday evening. We don’t have many more details about how she was found, but authorities are expected to release new details

Local food banks are preparing for higher demand as the partial government shutdown continues in its third week.  Organizers say some families rely heavily on supplemental assistance.  Feed My People Food Bank in Eau Claire says it’s ready to make extra deliveries to pantries if needed.  

The Eau Claire County Highway Department is eyeing a new facility space.  The department is currently located along Spooner Avenue in Altoona, but officials say the space requires repairs that are too expensive compared to a new building.  Officials are proposing to build their new facility in a field just south of the State Patrol headquarters on Highway 53.  The county board will have to approve the land purchase before any design work can move forward.