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February is officially over and multiple cities in west central Wisconsin saw record-breaking snowfall.  La Crosse saw 31-point-one inches of snow, barely beating the previous February record set in 1959.  In Eau Claire, 53-point-seven inches of snow fell, destroying the previous record by over 28 inches.  It’s also been bitterly cold.  La Crosse got below zero nine times and only got to 40 degrees once. 

A Menomonie man accused of a deadly shooting is having his trial delayed.  Richard Seehaver was found not competent to stand trial yesterday in the case where he’s suspected of shooting and killing his roommate with a crossbow.  He’ll spend at least six months in a mental health institute and will have a status conference in September.

An Eau Claire landlord is facing over 175-thousand dollars in fines for violating housing codes.  Reports show Karen Cigan owns Cigan Properties on State Street, Broadway Street, and Eldorado Boulevard and each of them has reported poor living conditions including broken heaters and water leaks.  City inspection records show Cigan was previously at the center of an over one-million-dollar lawsuit over housing code violations and has also paid 25-thousand dollars in fines for previous violations. 

Another artist is being added to the Ashley for Arts music festival lineup in Arcadia.  The festival announced yesterday that Australian-born country artist Morgan Evans will be playing Saturday at 4:00 p.m.  The three-day event runs from August 8th through the 10th and features other popular artists including Lady Antebellum, Brothers Osborne, and Barron native Chris Kroeze. 

Foxconn has a Wisconsin-first policy, but not everyone who will work at the tech company will come from the state.  Foxconn’s C.P. “Tank” Murdoch told a business group in Green Bay yesterday that they are looking for, and getting applications from, people across the country and across the globe.  Foxconn has promised to hire workers from Wisconsin, but Murdoch said there is no way that all of the talent that they need can be found in the state.

Milwaukee County zoo managers are suing over problems with their recently renovated elephant exhibit.  The zoo filed suit this month against their architecture firm and the construction company that built the exhibit.  The lawsuit is asking for 250-thousand-dollars to pay for the cost of repairs at the zoo’s six- million-dollar elephant exhibit, repairs the zoo says it needs because of design and construction flaws. 

Democratic Governor Tony Evers is asking for 83-and-a-half billion dollars in spending in his budget plan.  Evers introduced his sweeping set of proposals yesterday in an address yesterday.  The budget includes an increase in the gas tax, an expansion of Medicaid, and an increase to the state’s minimum wage.  Evers’ plan increases total spending by nearly ten percent. Republicans in the state Legislature are skeptical about Governor Evers’ new budget proposals.  Leaders denounced the 83-and-a-half billion dollar plan as an

Democratic Governor Tony Evers is pushing back against lame-duck laws that limited his powers and the powers of attorney general Josh Kaul.  Evers announced yesterday that he is seeking to restore the attorney general’s ability to settle and withdraw from lawsuits without the Legislature’s approval.  The move would also undo changes to the state’s voter ID law,  allowing students to use university or technical college-issued voter IDs.  Governor Evers is pushing a provision of his new budget that would allow

Fire officials in the Chippewa Valley are saying that recent snows could affect response time.  Eau Claire County is working to clear high snow banks to make streets passable for fire trucks.  Crews also can’t use the roof of a house to ventilate in a fire because they’re unsure of its condition under heavy snow.  Fire hydrants must also be cleared so crews can safely access water. 

Eau Claire students are learning about water safety from Fire and Rescue crews.  The department teamed up with the school district yesterday to cover topics like pool safety and the dangers in the community’s rivers and lakes.  Students also saw a demonstration on how rescue divers do their jobs.