Home

Eau Claire Fire and Rescue is asking for help to uncover fire hydrants.  Crews say buried hydrants are a hazard because departments rely on them when responding to a fire.  Department officials are asking people to adopt their nearest fire hydrant and keep it clear of snow so crews can access them when needed.    

Eau Claire police are staying busy responding to crashes due to the weather.  You likely saw the images on WEAU, as police had responded to over 125 vehicle assists and crashes because of this week’s snow storm as of nine o’clock last night.  Police are also working a lot of overtime because of all the crashes.  The police department says some officers have been working longer than 12-hour shifts to stay on top of things. 

A popular restaurant on Lake Wissota is heavily damaged from a fire and the weather is being blamed for how long it took to put it out.  The View on Highway X in Chippewa Falls caught on fire early yesterday morning and it took more than eight hours for the fire to be put out in the snow and frigid temperatures.  No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire is unknown.  The building is being considered a

A Menomonie man is going to prison after being convicted of possessing child pornography.  If you were paging through The Leader Telegram you likely saw the report that 34-year-old Joseph Johnson was recently sentenced to four years in prison on one count, but was granted over 850 days of time served.  Johnson was arrested in August of 2016 after investigators found explicit pictures of teenage girls on his phone. 

Some residents of a Barron nursing home are being relocated after a section of its ceiling fell in.  A police investigator says the ceiling in the west wing of Monroe Manor caved in on Monday night because of a broken sprinkler line.  The building was flooded as a result but no one was hurt. 

Eau Claire is experiencing its snowiest February on record.  The latest weather system has dumped nearly ten inches of snow in Eau Claire, with total accumulations for the month so far at over 28-point-four inches.  The previous record of 28-point-two inches was set in 1936.  Eau Claire police officers are working extra hours because of the nasty weather.  Officers are working shifts of over 12 hours so they can keep up with their regular case load while responding to weather-related

Governor Evers says a state task force is nearing a consensus on increasing Wisconsin’s gas tax.  Officials see this as a strong sign that Evers will propose the tax increase in his upcoming state budget plan.  Evers wouldn’t say in his comments yesterday how much of an increase the task force is considering.  

Open For Business welcome signs promoted by former governor Scott Walker will now be used as detour signs.  An official in Governor Evers’ administration said in a letter this month that the signs would be used for detours and directions in emergency situations.  The letter said the signs will be cut in half, with no material wasted.  Walker introduced the signs in 2011 as a symbol to create new jobs in the state. 

The design and site plan for Eau Claire’s Veterans’ Tribute Trail are approved.  The City Council unanimously passed the plans for the trail yesterday.  The park is set to be located north of Madison Street and west of Forest Street.  The Eau Claire County Board approved the over one million dollar cost for the veterans park back in November.  The project is set to start sometime this year and be completed in 2022. 

Plans for a new senior living complex in downtown Eau Claire are coming together.  The City Council approved rezoning of an area near Wilson Park to build the complex.  It will replace three offices and to residential buildings across from the park.  The complex will include 120 apartment units and over four thousand square feet of commercial space for a memory care and fitness facility for residents.