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A former pastor caught in a citizen-led sting operation is pleading guilty to sex charges.  Scott Patschke was an associate pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wausau when he was charged last year with child enticement.  Prosecutors say Patschke sent explicit messages to someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy, but who was really a part of a sting operation.

A call for food leads to a drug arrest in Lake Hallie. On Tuesday, Officers were dispatched to a local motel after a female dialed 911 and attempted to order food. 37-year-old Cassie S. Zaruba said she needed help. Officers responded to the motel where they met with the female and 33-year-old Colton R. Melander. Both appeared to be under the influence of drugs. Both subjects had warrants and were on probation. Officers located Drugs and Paraphernalia in the room.

Investigators still don’t know what caused the fire that destroyed The View restaurant on Lake Wissota.  The Chippewa Fire District told WEAU-13 yesterday that the official cause of the fire has been ruled as undetermined and no foul play is expected. You likely saw the footage of what remains on the site if you were watching the news. The building went up in flames in the early morning hours on February 12th.  It’s considered a total loss.

Police are releasing the name of the woman accused of shooting at police officers during a standoff in Monroe County.  Police say 22-year-old Oxford resident Ashley Broadnax stole a car over the weekend and shot a gun at officers during a traffic stop on Interstate-90 near Sparta.  A standoff ensued and police were able to arrest Broadnax after about 45 minutes.  The incident led to I-90 being shut down for about an hour.

A Thorp man is in custody after being accused of sexually assaulting a child multiple times.  Twenty-one-year-old Luis Gomez Santiago was charged in Clark County yesterday with repeated child sexual assault.  A criminal complaint says Santiago’s crimes happened over a five month span between August of 2017 and January of 2018.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is close to naming a new football coach.  According to Football Scoop, former Maryland assistant Wesley Beschorner will be announced as the Blugolds’ new coach this afternoon.  The school has yet to confirm that Beschorner is the coach that will be introduced.  However, Athletic Director Dan Schumacher said on Sunday the new coach is from northern Iowa and Beschorner is from Lohrville.

School choice supporters say Governor Tony Evers’ plan to freeze the state’s voucher program, and suspend the creation of new charter schools won’t do anything to improve education in Wisconsin.  Jim Bender, with School Choice Wisconsin, says the governor’s plan should be seen for what it is: a political promise.  Republican lawmakers in Madison are already vowing not to allow the governor to choke-off school choice in the state.

Foxconn finally has the keys to its hub headquarters in Racine.  The company yesterday closed on the purchase of a building in downtown Racine that leaders say will become one of their first innovation centers.  Foxconn critics say the purchase is a sign that the company is still serious about opening a facility in Racine, but whether that will be a factory remains to be seen.  

Governor Tony Evers is withdrawing Wisconsin National Guard troops from the Southwest border.  Evers issued an executive order yesterday bringing about 110 Wisconsin National Guardsmen home from assisting with border security.  The Democratic governor says the responsibility for keeping the borders safe belongs to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.  Evers’ order immediately drew criticism from Republicans, who say securing the borders is a top priority for the nation. 

A task force is tackling the issue of access to affordable housing in the Chippewa Valley.  The group presented its findings to the Eau Claire City Council during its public hearing last night. The Regional Task Force is a partnership between the Cities of Altoona and Eau Claire and found just over 15 percent of people in Eau Claire County are living in poverty, and that the cost of renting and owning are rapidly increasing.