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If you heard the fire sirens in Eau Claire yesterday afternoon, we have an update on where they were likely headed. Fire officials are investigating the cause of a structure fire at Watermark Salon in Eau Claire.  The blaze broke out yesterday afternoon at the salon on Mondovi Road.  No injuries were reported and damage is estimated at 25-thousand dollars. 

The spirit of the season lights up  trees and our hearts as Chippewa County first responders, along with three Girl Scouts and a mother killed in a hit-and-run are being honored.  Christmas trees were lit outside to pay tribute to them at the Chippewa Falls Senior Center.  The center tree was in remembrance of the Scouts and mother killed in November.  There are more trees decorated inside the Center.

Santa is making his presence felt around Eau Claire.  Families had breakfast with Santa yesterday morning at Wild Ridge golf course, and were able to take pictures and bid on silent auction items.  The breakfast was organized by students from the Chippewa Valley Technical College to benefit Joshua’s Camp.  Santa met with about 150 families at the Green Mill on Sunday for lunch, pictures, and family-friendly activities.  Children were able to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas at both

The first holiday cookie walk at Legacy Community Center in Chippewa Falls was a slam DUNK and is being considered a success.  Organizers say more than a dozen people attended the event that had over 400 types of cookies to choose from.  The event raised about 150 dollars in less than an hour, and cookies are still available to buy.  All proceeds are going back to the center.

Free lantern making workshops are being held throughout December in preparation for the Light Up Eau Claire event.  The free workshops are sponsored by Visit Eau Claire and the Pablo Center at the Confluence.  The lanterns will be used during a special parade New Year’s Eve

On the Democratic side: Governor-Elect Tony Evers is holding public hearings around Wisconsin on the state’s biennial budget.  Four different hearings have been scheduled for locals to tell Evers and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Mandela Barnes exactly where their tax dollars should go.  In a statement yesterday, Evers said he wants to build a budget that reflects Wisconsin’s priorities by hearing directly from Wisconsinites.  The hearings will start this Tuesday and Wednesday and will also happen on December 18th and19th.   Meanwhile, on

A 24-year-old man will spend eleven years in prison for sexually assaulting two female students in a UW-Madison dorm.  Last year, Stephan Burton entered Witte Hall early in the morning and proceeded to look for unlocked doors. He then sexually assaulted two different women who were sleeping in their beds.  Burton will spend 13 years on extended supervision after his prison time.  

Health officials say 11 people at UW Hospital developed Legionnaires’ disease. The hospital’s hot water system is reportedly to blame for the outbreak. Four of the patients remain hospitalized and six have been discharged. One person died last week when the outbreak was first revealed.  The medical director of infection control at the hospital said the outbreak appears to be linked to a decision to reduce water flow during low demand times last month.  However, regular flow has been resumed following the outbreak. 

Toxic chemicals continue to flow within the state’s water supply and the government has reportedly done little to address it. The chemicals are fluorinated compounds more commonly referred to as PFAS (PEA- fass).  These chemicals which are contaminating the state’s drinking water and fish can apparently take years to leave the body and are spread through air and water.  High amounts of the chemical have been found in groundwater near at least six Wisconsin locations.  Infants and children are the most

A program designed to help Wisconsin seniors pay for their prescription drugs has been extended.  The Senior Care Prescription Drug Assistance Program was set to expire December 31st, but it has now been extended to January 31st.  The extension comes after the federal centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave Wisconsin an extra month to continue the program as they work on a long-term extension.  The federal officials are currently reviewing a 10-year extension request from the state Department of