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A Black River Falls woman is facing bank fraud charges after being accused of cashing a phony check.  Police say 41-year-old Lindsey Shramek claims she got a three-thousand-dollar check from completing online surveys, then cashed it and spent the money on rent and utilities.  The check was later returned on suspicion of being a fake and Shramek has agreed to set up a payment plan to reimburse the bank. 

A new FEMA sponsored disaster recovery center is open in La Crosse.  The La Crosse County Disaster Recovery Center is working with state and federal agencies to assist people in the area who have been impacted by storms in August and September.  A FEMA representative says he recommends registering for funding either online or over the phone before actually going to the center.  The last day to apply for assistance is December 17th.

A clothing drive in the Eau Claire area is helping collect winter clothes for those in need.  The Winter Warm Up clothing drive began yesterday in Eau Claire, Cornell, and Ladysmith collecting lightly used coats, pants, gloves, and boots for children.  Donations can be dropped off at the Lori Stushek Agency of American Family Insurance offices in any of the three cities from now through the end of November.  The clothes will be donated to students in the three cities’

Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson is showing support for the Eau Claire area.  Johnson stopped in Eau Claire yesterday to meet with community members and discuss federal issues.  He addressed the strong state of the economy in Wisconsin and nationwide.  He also encouraged people to vote for Governor Walker, saying he deserves to be re-elected.  Johnson says he’s traveling the state to support Republicans before the November election.  The latest Marquette University Law School Poll shows Republican Governor Walker and Democratic challenger

Healthcare continues to be the most important issue to Wisconsin voters.  A Marquette Law School Poll shows 25-percent of those surveyed say healthcare coverage is the number one issue in deciding how to cast their vote.  Education, jobs and the economy where rated tops by 20-percent of respondents and 12-percent of those polled think roads and infrastructure are the pressing issues.

Federal officials are approving Governor Walker’s plan to require some people to work to receive health insurance through the BadgerCare Plus program.  Officials signed off on the plan yesterday, which would apply to healthy people with no dependent children who are under 50 and haven’t worked for four years.  The work requirement wouldn’t apply to people who are disabled or caregivers. 

The number of adult inmates in Wisconsin prisons is headed for record numbers in the next three years.  New figures from the State Department of Corrections today show the population will reach 25-thousand inmates by 2021.  The increases could require an additional 150-million-dollars in state funds for the 2019-2021 fiscal budget.  The request comes as Governor Walker has directed most agencies to submit zero increase proposals in their budgets.

The race for governor in Wisconsin is a dead heat.  A Marquette University School Poll released today shows Democratic challenger Tony Evers tied with Republican Governor Scott Walker with 47-percent of the vote.  A poll earlier this month had Walker up by one percentage point.  Election day is Tuesday.   Senator Tammy Baldwin has a double-digit lead over Republican challenger Leah Vukmir in the race for Baldwin’s U.S. Senate seat.  Today’s Marquette Law School Poll shows Baldwin with 54-percent support over Vukmir’s 43-percent.

A Chetek man is on probation after being convicted of attempted child enticement.  Thirty-five-year-old Pierre Amyotte was sentenced to five years on probation yesterday and registered as a sex offender after a meeting with an officer in Eau Claire last year who he thought was a 13-year-old girl to have sex.  After his sentencing, Amyotte promised the judge that he wouldn’t have any more criminal offenses after this. 

A new study is seeking to find a solution to chronic back pain in police officers.  The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire partnered with a local hospital and the Eau Claire Police Department to design an equipment vest rather than a belt and tested it on officers for six months.  After the study, officers reported less back pain using the vest and the police department is working to switch all officers to the new design.  Now, the university says police departments from