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Early work on a La Crosse County transportation project is set to begin on Monday.  The nine-point-five million dollar effort will include the reconstruction of Wisconsin 35 between the La Crosse and Vernon County line and Sunnyside Drive in La Crosse.  The highway is expected to remain open during the effort.  Plans call for the project to be completed by November of next year.

 Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and Johnson Financial Group announced on Wednesday the Top 8 products moving on in the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest. The eight Wisconsin-made products each won a head-to-head matchup in Manufacturing Madness, the bracket-style tournament that is part of the contest. Nearly 150 products were initially nominated for the 10th annual competition, which aims to showcase the state’s vibrant and diverse manufacturing industry. “We’re continually inspired by how passionately Wisconsinites rally around this competition,”

The Department of Public Instruction secured temporary funding after federal support was cut. This funding will ensure essential services for deafblind children and young adults statewide. The U.S. Department of Education ended the state’s Deafblind Technical Assistance Project grant mid-cycle, citing policy changes. In response, DPI obtained a subgrant from the National Center for Deafblindness to continue services for one year. The program serves 170 students statewide, providing assistive technology, coaching, family support, and training.

Bond is being set for a man charged in connection with a deadly crash last week in Eau Claire.  Police began a pursuit of a speeding vehicle just after 2:30 a.m. October 1st that ended near West Clairemont Avenue and Craig Road.  Reports say the suspect — 27-year-old Anthony Reyes — who had turned off his headlights to try and evade police — crashed into another vehicle whose driver then died at the scene.  Charges against Reyes include Intoxicated Use

Child porn charges are being filed against an Eau Claire man.  Investigators say they found multiple videos featuring elementary- and middle school-age children engaged in sexual acts on the cell phone of 33-year-old Abdul Bakhtyaar.  Bakhtyaar is charged with multiple counts of child porn possession and was released from custody yesterday after posting bond.

Authorities have made an arrest in connection with a La Crosse County arson.  One mobile home was destroyed by fire and three others were damaged early last Wednesday at the Brookview Mobile Home Park.  No one was hurt.  Sixty-one-year-old John Galster was taken into custody Saturday on four counts of arson – building without owner’s consent.  Another individual is also facing possible charges in the case.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Iowa Department of Transportation are preparing to close the Wisconsin 82 / Iowa 9 Mississippi River bridge.  The span connecting Crawford County Wisconsin and Lansing Iowa will close to traffic on October 20th. The bridge will be torn down and a new one built in its place — expected to open in the spring of 2027.  In the meantime, a free car ferry will begin operations next month to get vehicles across the

Contract work at a software company in Chippewa Falls led to a small flash fire Tuesday morning.  One person was hurt in the incident that resulted from ductwork being performed at Hewlett Packard Enterprise.  Crews say the contractor was the person injured in the fire.

A war memorial in Manitowoc has been damaged months after it was installed.  Officials say the memorial at Red Arrow Park took ten years to plan and was completed in the spring.  One park-goer who visits daily says he noticed missing bricks and later spotted them smashed a few feet away.  Anyone with information on the incident should contact Manitowoc Police. 

A man has been convicted of four counts of telephone harassment and eleven counts of misdemeanor bail jumping.  Authorities say 52-year-old Jacob Sell made repeated, harassing phone calls to local law enforcement agencies, while labeling himself as a “police auditor.”  The calls often involved obscene and abusive language directed at dispatchers and officers.  A sentencing date for Sell has not yet been scheduled.