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The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Wisconsin is down four-cents from a week ago.  Triple-A says the average price statewide is two-dollars-and-three-cents today, while the national average is two-25.  The lowest prices are posted in Fond du Lac at a-dollar-92-a-gallon.  Drivers in the Pierce-St. Croix County area are paying the most at the pump at two-20 for regular gas. 

It is National Spaghetti Day and many restaurants in Wisconsin are offering deals on the popular pasta.  The International Pasta Organization says Americans consume six-billion-pounds of pasta annually.  The average American eats about 20 pounds of pasta each year.  The U.S. is the second largest pasta-producing nation in the world. 

A pair of Republican lawmakers in Madison say they expect some pushback on their idea to make drunk driving a crime from the start in Wisconsin.  State Representative Jim Ott and state Senator Alberta Darling yesterday started work to make a first time OWI conviction a misdemeanor.  Right now, it’s treated as a civil matter.  But, a number of other Republican lawmakers are critical of the action.  They’re worried that a criminal conviction for drunk driving would be too tough. 

The flu outbreak is likely going to get worse before it gets better.  The Wisconsin Department of Health Services yesterday said the flu outbreak in southeast Wisconsin has hit an “acceleration stage.”  DHS says the outbreak is likely to get worse in the next few weeks.  The best advice from public health managers is to get a flu shot, after that they say basic hygiene and staying away from sick people can help you stay healthy.  

A teenager accused of burglarizing an Eau Claire home could have his felony charge dropped if he fulfills certain conditions.  If you were flipping through the paper, then you probably saw that The Leader-Telegram reports 18-year-old Jeremy Kaufman is one of three teens charged in the August burglary and he pleaded guilty to a felony count of attempted burglary this week.  An agreement with prosecutors shows Kaufman will have his charge reduced to a misdemeanor if he can pay a

A Bloomer man is pleading no contest to two counts of possessing child pornography.  WEAU reports Timothy Lauer entered the plea in Chippewa County court yesterday.  It was part of a deal that  helped him get eight other charges dropped.  Lauer is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27th. 

A Durand pig farmer is being accused of animal neglect.  A criminal complaint shows sheriff’s deputies found 49-year-old Jeffery Owen’s farm in poor condition with nearly 20 dead pigs on it and about ten more that were sick.  The deputies say Owen told them he didn’t have the energy to feed the pigs sometimes.  He’s facing ten counts of mistreatment of animals. 

Employment numbers show that many workers are staying in Wisconsin despite neighboring Minnesota having a higher minimum wage.  This week the minimum wage in Minnesota jumped over two-dollars and 50-cents above the Wisconsin minimum wage to nine-86-an-hour, but employment in the Badger State is holding steady.  The executive director of the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce says she believes people are staying in Wisconsin because they love their jobs.  In La Crosse in particular, the unemployment is tied for the lowest it’s ever been. 

The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office finally has its phone service back after it was down for nearly two days.  The outage was initially reported on Tuesday afternoon and it continued throughout the day on Wednesday.  For a brief time all non-emergency calls were being directed to the dispatch center but 9-1-1 calls were still working fine.  The sheriff’s office reported the phones were back up and running late yesterday afternoon. 

Eau Claire is set to hold its first primary for city council as a dozen candidates filed nomination papers for five at-large seats.  Acting council president Andrew Werthmann and councilman Terry Weld are seeking the council president job.  The February 19th primary will narrow the list of candidates to ten, with a final vote for all seats April 2nd.