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Snow isn’t the only thing making travel difficult in northern Wisconsin.  Residents in Rice Lake are noticing corn cobs and kernels on area roads.  Drivers were asked to avoid South Main Street and East Orchard Beach Lane yesterday because the corn had been spilled onto those roadways.  The Rice Lake Police Department isn’t sure what caused the corn to be spilled but says to expect an increase in wildlife in the area. 

One listening session dealing with the future of Roosevelt Elementary in Eau Claire is in the books.  The school district and members of the public met at Delong Middle School last night to discuss repurposing Roosevelt into a 4-K school.  The district executive director of administration says they hope to have a vote on Roosevelt’s future by this spring.  There will be six more listening sessions on the proposal in the coming weeks. 

A record number of students of color are graduating from University of Wisconsin System schools.  UW-System data shows that number has increased by 74 percent over the last ten years with nearly five-thousand students of color graduating in the 2017-2018 school year.  The overall number of students graduating from UW schools is also increasing.  Over 35-hundred more students graduated last school year than did ten years ago. 

Multiple snowmobiling trails are open for the season in Dunn, Chippewa, and Eau Claire Counties.  Trails opened in Dunn and Chippewa last night at five o’clock.  The Associated Snowmobile Clubs of Eau Claire says Eau Claire trails are partially open and Corridor 33 is also open in Union. 

A winter storm is creating dangerous travel conditions in Eau Claire.  Lighter snow moved through last night and is expected to pick up significantly today along with high winds.  Visibility will be near zero at times, making driving conditions treacherous everywhere and nearly impossible in open areas. 

The case against the Wisconsin man accused of kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents is moving forward.  Twenty-one-year-old Jake Patterson appeared in court yesterday to face kidnapping and murder charges.   Patterson waived his right to a preliminary examination, acknowledging that there is enough evidence against him for the case to proceed to trial.  Patterson has not yet entered a plea and the judge set his arraignment for March 27th. 

An Eau Claire woman is facing charges in connection with burning a six-year-old boy’s face with a cigarette.  The criminal complaint says 28-year-old Samantha Reilly is charged with felony child abuse and substantial battery.  Marks were seen on the boy’s face by a liaison officer at his elementary school, and an investigation determined they were burns from a lit cigarette. 

An Eau Claire family is claiming that they are being evicted for reporting mold in their apartment.  A doctor told the family that their six-year-old’s respiratory problems could have been caused by the mold in the apartment.  City-County health officials are inspecting the entire complex and are issuing orders to the landlord to fix any problems. 

The Chippewa Valley is being spared in the latest round of Shopko closures.  The Ashwaubenon-based chain says over 40 stores and nearly 30 pharmacy locations will close this spring.  No local stores are on either list. 

Assembly Republicans are slamming bills proposed in other states that would lift some abortion restrictions.  Speaker Robin Vos says Wisconsin Democrats should not follow the example of New York. New York just enacted a law allowing abortions at any time during pregnancy with a doctor’s consent if their health is threatened or the fetus isn’t viable.  Democrat Representative Chris Taylor says Vos is attacking women’s health and lives. Taylor proposed a bill last year to allow women a legal abortion to protect