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Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor says people need to have access to opportunity.  Mandela Barnes made the remarks during the annual Eau Claire Area Economic Development luncheon at Florian Gardens yesterday afternoon.  Barnes was the keynote speaker and said businesses must collaborate for communities to thrive.  The luncheon included members from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Royal Credit Union, and Market and Johnson.  

Wisconsin’s death toll from the flu is growing.  Doctors at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin yesterday confirmed that a child who had not gotten a flu shot died from the flu.  Doctors say 17 adults have also passed away from the flu so far this season.  Public health managers with the state say your best bet to not get sick is still to get a flu shot. 

Wisconsin search teams have recovered the body of the second victim of a semi crash in the Wisconsin Dells.  Crews used cranes that lifted the semi tractor trailer 110 feet out of Mirror Lake and onto a bridge yesterday.  The semi slid off I-39-90 and over the bridge guard rail early yesterday morning.  The driver’s body was recovered inside the truck’s cab yesterday and the body of a woman was recovered this afternoon. 

The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office has new information on how the fire that destroyed former Wisconsin Senator Kathleen Vinehout’s house started.  Officials say Vinehout and her husband left a fire burning in the fire place before going to bed Friday night.  The house later caught on fire and was noticed just after one o’clock the next morning but the Vinehouts were able to get out safely.  A fundraising page for the family has been set up by Eau Claire City

A New Auburn man is going to prison for 30 months after being convicted of hitting a killing a person with his car in Eau Claire.  If you were paging through The Chippewa Herald, you likely saw the reports 32-year-old Donald Bass Junior was sentenced to homicide by motor vehicle last Friday in the death of 18-year-old Samantha Coyle in 2017.  After Bass’ prison sentence he’ll spend ten years on extended supervision and pay an over 500-dollar fine. 

A Jackson County man is in custody after being accused of committing his sixth OWI.  Police say they saw 55-year-old Jeffery Klukas driving erratically over the weekend when they pulled him over in Black River Falls.  Police say he smelled of alcohol and admitted to drinking and was arrested.  He has five prior convictions dating back to before the 1990’s. 

No charges are being filed against a Greenwood-area man accused of neglecting a horse.  Hareld Heck was accused of tying a horse up outside in subzero temperatures with no shelter and over 200-thousand people signed a petition to raise awareness about it.  A Clarke County judge recently denied the petitioners’ request to file charges against Heck, saying there’s not enough evidence to support a conviction. 

Donations are pouring in to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital after a benefit concert at a record studio in Eau Claire.  Dozens of people went to Revival Records downtown for the free concert yesterday and donations weren’t required, only optional.  Revival is organizing benefit concerts every few months and plans to have another one for Saint Jude in the near future. 

A fundraising page is up and running for Kathleen Vinehout after a house fire.  The former state senator and candidate for governor’s home was destroyed in a fire Saturday.  A post on Vinehout’s official Facebook page says the family is safe, but has lost everything.  The fundraising page was set up by Eau Claire City Council acting president Andrew Werthmann.  He used to work in Vinehout’s office and campaigned for her during her run for governor.  

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar [[ KLOH-buh-char ]] is the first 2020 presidential candidate to visit Eau Claire.  The Minnesota Democrat met with hundreds of people Saturday at Shift Cyclery and Coffee Bar to discuss what she plans to do if she’s elected president.  Klobuchar focused on climate change, automatic voter registration, and health care.