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Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire (the Cooperative) announced that an agreement has been signed with Priority Health for strategic alignment.  Upon completion of regulatory approvals, Priority Health will be the Cooperative’s governing member. This new relationship reflects the Cooperative’s continued focus on sustainability and high-quality member service.  Below is the release and further details: Founded in the early 1970s, the Cooperative has consistently adapted its model to meet the evolving needs of its members and the communities it serves. 

A fatal crash remains under investigation. The details from Vernon County officials are below: Vernon County Sheriff Roy Torgerson reports a fatal crash occurred  on Wednesday afternoon, July 23, 2025, at approximately 1:30 PM, on State Highway 35  in the Town of Bergen, rural Stoddard, Wisconsin.  A 72-year-old man from La Crosse, WI was riding a bicycle southbound on the  southbound, paved shoulder of State Highway 35, south of the City of La Crosse. The  cyclist suddenly veered left into

A man from New Auburn accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl for years will be in court today.  Prosecutors say 36-year-old Russell Christenson is facing two child sexual assault charges and will face up to 100 years in prison if convicted.  Investigators say the now-15-year-old victim tells them Christenson has been assaulting her for the past seven years.  The suspect is currently being held on a 15-thousand dollar bond.

 Wisconsin is giving 110-million-dollars to child care providers over the next year.  The funding was approved as part of the 2025-2027 biennial state budget.  Providers will be able to use the money to pay their staff and keep their businesses open.  Applications for the funding will open Saturday, July 26 and will remain open until Sunday, August 3.  Payments to approved providers will start in mid-August.

More turkeys were harvested during this year’s spring season than last year’s.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says almost 50-thousand-300 birds were registered, a 14-percent increase.  The spring turkey season started with a two-day youth hunt on April 12 and ended in late May.  Applications for next year’s hunt are due December 10.

Wisconsin has some of the least at-risk youth in the nation. A new report by WalletHub compares all 50 states and Washington D.C. based on metrics like the labor-force participation rate among minors, high school graduation rates, and the number of youths in poverty. Wisconsin ranks eleventh least at-risk, with New Jersey and New Hampshire at the top of the list. Louisiana and Oklahoma have the most at-risk youth.

PHOTO CREDIT: Zephrey London, left, and her daughter Keisha Mathews, attended Chippewa Valley Technical College together, in the same program, and graduated with honors in May. With their love of words, they will continue their passions of civic journalism and providing kids with opportunities, respectively. When Zephrey London was 14, she was sexually assaulted and became a teen mother. She suffered from depression and never finished high school. “I experienced years of depression and had to step back from parenting

The search for a woman who went missing out of La Crosse this past weekend has come to an end.  Twenty-two-year-old Viterbo University graduate student Eliotte Heinz had not been seen since 3:30 a.m. Sunday.  Her body was found Wednesday morning in the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Brownsville, Minnesota.  Her cause of death has not yet been revealed.

A La Crosse-area resident whose crocheting skills once earned him an appearance on Good Morning America is now facing allegations in a sex crime case.  Jonah Larson has been charged with false imprisonment and sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 16 with force.  Larson is in custody with a bond hearing scheduled for today.

Eau Claire County is launching a new program for folks seeking help with their recovery goals.  The Eau Claire County Deflection Program is a voluntary program through which eligible individuals seeking assistance are matched with peer support services.  More details? EASY! CLICK HERE FOR COVERAGE WITH WEAU 13 NEWS.