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Chippewa Humane Association is the latest organization chosen to receive a gift from Markquart Gives Back 2018.  The program is sponsored by Markquart Motors and Markquart Toyota dealerships in Chippewa Falls.  Recipients were chosen by a community vote that took place between November 12th and December 14th.  The top five organizations receiving votes each received a ten-thousand dollar gift from the dealerships.  

Two Eau Claire bank robbery suspects are facing probation and community service.  Jessica Ness and Daniel Reeves are accused of stealing tools, computer equipment, and ten-dollars in change from Winona National Bank in March.  Ness was also charged in seven other cases and received seven years probation.  She must also remain sober and pay restitution to the businesses.  Reeves was sentenced to 40 hours of community service. 

Governor-elect Tony Evers is tapping Craig Thompson to lead the state Department of Transportation.  Thompson currently leads the Wisconsin Transportation Development Association.  He is a vocal advocate for higher funding for transportation projects.  Evers is expected to formally announce the pick today, along with additional cabinet appointments. 

You won’t be going to the joint for a joint in one County. Marijuana is still illegal in Racine, but no one is going to jail for it. Racine’s city council ordered the city’s police chief not to push for criminal charges against anyone for marijuana possession.  Instead, the city will treat pot possession as a civil matter.  Instead of jail, people will face a ticket that could cost them as little as one dollar. 

The Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Department, Augusta Police Department, and Augusta School District are working together to spread holiday cheer.  Those participating in the Secret Santa effort pulled people over yesterday, not to give tickets, but to hand out Christmas hams.  An anonymous Augusta resident raised the money for the project as a way to spread cheer in the Chippewa Valley. 

Fourth-graders at Northwoods Elementary School are sharing their knowledge of important figures in a unique way.  The students dressed up as historical or modern day characters yesterday and brought them to life in a living wax museum.  The students picked a character from a series of “Who was” or “Who is” books and did research to portray their living wax figure.  Families, community members, and other classes in the school toured the event and were able to ask the characters

No charges will be filed in connection to the explosion that killed firefighter Cory Barr in July.  Police Chief Patrick Anhalt said today there is no probable cause to believe a crime was committed.  Several buildings were destroyed and court records show a contractor failed to mark a natural gas line properly.  The line was then hit by crews laying fiber optic cable. 

A former candidate for Outagamie County Sheriff is under arrest in connection to possessing child pornography.  Alex Bebris was arrested yesterday at his Fox Crossing home.  He ran unsuccessfully for Outagamie Sheriff this past year.  Formal charges have not yet been filed. 

Governor Scott Walker says he’s leaving Wisconsin in the best financial condition in a generation.  The state’s 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial report released today shows the state ended this last fiscal year with a surplus over 588-million-dollars.  That leaves the second largest opening balance since 2000.  

First responders in Wisconsin are reminding people that a dry Christmas tree is a fire hazard and live trees need plenty of water.  Fire officials say they see a lot of electrical shorts and candle fires relating to live trees and suggest that artificial trees are safer.  They advise if a tree has needles beginning to fall off it’s too late to save it and it should be taken down immediately.  Wisconsin averages around 55 home fire deaths per year, most during winter