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 Get your stein holding hand ready… La Crosse is gearing up for this year’s Oktoberfest.  The weekend event has a 15-million dollar economic impact on the city and businesses.  Festivities begin tonight with the Torchlight parade through the north side of the city and runs through Sunday.

Generation X and millennials are sticking together.  A new study shows a drop in the divorce rate among those groups0-in fact, the divorce rate fell 18-percent between 2008 and 2016.  It’s believed it’s because Generation X and millennials are more cautious about marriage in general, which stands in contrast to the higher divorce rates seen among baby boomers.

The National Weather Service is following up on reports of storm damage and a funnel cloud near Manitowoc.  Severe weather blew through the area late yesterday afternoon and caused some damage to buildings at the Manitowoc County Fairgrounds.  There were no reports of storm related injuries, but officials are surveying damage. 

The Better Business Bureau is warning Wisconsinites about fall scammers.  Medicare scams looking to steal personal information are popular this time of year, with the open enrollment period running from October 15th through early December.  The BBB says homeowners need to look out for fall cleanup scams, including offers to clean chimneys and gutters.  And football fans need to be aware of fake ticket scams and use a credit card to buy tickets only from a legitimate ticket broker.

The last day to register to vote in Wisconsin is fast approaching.  Yesterday was National Voter Registration Day, but anyone wanting to cast a ballot in the November election has until October 9th to register.  In Wisconsin, October 17th is the deadline to register by mail or to register online.   Information regarding absentee ballots, hospitalized and military voters can be found HERE.

An owl is flying free thanks to a Wisconsin DNR warden.  The DNR responded to a call over the weekend from a driver who thought he killed an owl when he hit it Saturday night in Trempealeau County.  What he found in the daylight of Sunday was an owl alive and stuck on the car’s front grill.  Warden Megan Jensen freed the owl and once it checked-out okay at a local Humane Society, it was released back in the wild.

Attorney General Brad Schimel announced that he, along with 49 other states and the District of Columbia, has reached an agreement with California-based ride-sharing company Uber to address the company’s one-year delay in reporting a data breach to its affected drivers. Wisconsin will receive over $2.1 million. A portion of these funds will be used for a new grant program that will provide legal support to victims of identity theft and online fraud.

Doug Nitek is facing sentencing after a jury found him guilty of first degree intentional homicide.  The jury reached guilty verdicts on six of the 17 counts against Nitek. He was charged with shooting and killing Deputy Dan Glaze in 2016.  Sentencing hasn’t been scheduled yet.

An Eau Claire woman is accused of sexually assaulting a 12 and a 14-year-old boy in a park.  Authorities say 42-year old Sarah Kiker was charged in Chippewa County Court. The criminal complaint indicates that the assaults happened in June and that she told investigators that the boys assaulted her.

A teen in Durand is accused of using social media to threaten a shooting at a school district.  Jacob Gunderson was charged yesterday with making terror threats and writing a threatening computer message against the Durand-Arkansaw School District.  Investigators say the 17-year-old posted the threat on Snapchat Monday morning.