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A Wisconsin man who faked his own death and fled the country will spend 89 days in jail.  Ryan Borgwardt pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor obstruction.  He staged his disappearance with an overturned kayak on a Wisconsin lake, then traveled to Canada and Asia before settling in the Republic of Georgia.  Investigators say he escaped to be with a woman he met on a dating app, leaving behind his wife and children in Wisconsin.  Month-long efforts to find Borgwardt’s body

New information about the UW-Platteville murder-suicide shows online searches made before the crime.  A police report says Hallie Helms made searches online about buying a gun, suicidal topics and a map of the residence hall where the incident happened.  Interviews with Helms’ roommate revealed questions that Helms had asked her.  She asked things like “how would you rob a bank?” as well as “if you were to kill somebody, how would you do it?”  Helms fatally shot her resident assistant

A Wisconsin man is in custody in connection with a child solicitation investigation.  An undercover detective exchanged texts with Jamey Scott Ralph Strand of River Falls, who thought he was texting a 14-year-old girl.  Authorities learned that Strand would be driving through Minnesota on August 24th.  Mankato police arrested him after identifying his car.  Strand could face up to five years in prison and a ten-thousand dollar fine if convicted. 

Do you know of someone or a business that has achieved sustainability success that  deserves public recognition?  For the ninth year running, the City of Eau Claire’s Sustainability Advisory Committee  will issue the Sustainable Eau Claire Awards. The 2024 awards recognize individuals,  businesses, and organizations that are committed to creating a more sustainable Eau  Claire. Possible nomination categories include:  ❖ Clean-up or Beautification  ❖ Energy: Renewables, Efficiency or Conservation   ❖ Environmental Education  ❖ Exceptional Natural Resources Steward  ❖ Green

A Barron County ice cream shop won big at the 2025 World Dairy Expo.  Judges named Kurschner’s Premium Ice Cream out of Chetek, Wisconsin, the grand champion in this year’s ice cream competition for it’s peanut butter chocolate.  The ice cream shop also took second place for it’s lemon poppy seed ice cream in the flavored category.  Kurschner’s also earned first place in the regular vanilla ice cream competition. CLICK HERE TO FILL UP ON THE DETAILS. PHOTO CREDIT: Kurschner’s

The Wisconsin man who faked his own death and fled the country will be sentenced today.  Ryan Borgwardt staged his own disappearance using an overturned kayak on Big Green Lake in Green Lake County, made his way to Canada, flew to Asia, and eventually started living in the Republic of Georgia.  Investigators say he escaped to be with a woman he met on a dating app, leaving his wife and children behind in Wisconsin.  Borgwardt willingly turned himself in almost

More law enforcement will patrol Wisconsin trails this Labor Day weekend to look for unsafe ATV and UTV driving.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says more wardens and county recreation deputies will be on trails starting Friday.  The campaign will end on Sunday, August 31st.  So far this year almost 30 people have died on ATVs and UTVs.  The DNR says alcohol use, speeding, and lack of seatbelt or helmet use contributed to most of the fatalities.

The vice president is visiting Wisconsin this week.  Vice President JD Vance will speak at a steel fabricating facility in La Crosse on Thursday to speak on manufacturing.  No more details about the event have been released.

The current Powerball jackpot has grown to $815 million – the seventh largest jackpot in the game’s history. Although no one won the big prize last night, a winning $150,000 ticket was sold in Wisconsin at a BP on 600 Bridge St. in Cornell for the August 25, 2025, drawing. The winning ticket matched four of five numbers (16-19-34-37-64) and the Powerball (22). The ticket included the $1 Power Play feature, turning a $50,000 prize into a $150,000 win because of the 3X multiplier. During this Powerball jackpot run (June

The chill in the air, the crunch of the leaves, the pumpkins, gourds, and apples… If the sights and sounds of Fall in Wisconsin leave you feeling all warm and cozy inside, there are local opportunities to sink your teeth into Autumn traditions and fun right here in our own back yard. If you can already visualize getting your tribe together for a “Fall Fun Day” (are matching sweaters a part of it?) CLICK HERE TO START PLANNING YOUR STAYCATION!