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Chippewa Valley schools maintained strong performance in the latest state report cards. Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls districts met standards, while Altoona exceeded them. Changes to math and English assessments make this year a baseline for future comparisons. All three districts scored above state averages in testing, with Altoona excelling in math. Chippewa Falls reported a 95-percent graduation rate, slightly above the state average.

Oktoberfest’s annual Give Back event distributed 21-thousand dollars to 40 local organizations on Tuesday. Since its start in 2003, Oktoberfest has donated over 450-thousand dollars to the community. Organizers said funds are allocated based on volunteer hours contributed during the event. The Festmeister and Festmeisterin expressed pride in supporting local groups and hope to continue the tradition for years to come.

Work is getting underway on the new Oneida Nation Museum.  A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the building site off of Airport Drive outside Green Bay yesterday.  The new facility will have more space to house and display artifacts and documents that preserve the history of the tribe.  The 15-million-dollar project is expected to be completed in spring of 2026.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is urging hunters to keep safety in mind ahead of the state’s gun deer season.  The nine-day hunting period begins this Saturday and runs through December 1st.  DNR is reminding hunters to follow the four “TAB-K” gun safety rules:  Treat every firearm as if it is loaded, Always point the muzzle in a safe direction, Be certain of your target, and Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot. 

Campaign strategist Sarah Abel is being named the new executive director of Wisconsin’s Democratic Party.  She has been serving as deputy executive director and has now been selected to take over for Cassi Fenili.  State Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler has confirmed that he is considering moving on to head up the Democratic National Committee, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.  Wikler has been the party chair in the state since 2019.

This fall’s bear hunting season saw a harvest of about 42-hundred bears in Wisconsin, an increase of more than a thousand compared to last year. The Department of Natural Resources says more than eleven-thousand hunters got licenses this year through a lottery system. That’s slightly fewer permits than normal, but the DNR says hunter success rates were higher. Proceeds from bear hunting license purchases will help fund research and management for the species.

An ice cream recall from a Madison-based dairy is expanding. Babcock Dairy says it’s still recalling both it’s orange custard chocolate chip and chocolate peanut butter flavors after a labeling error. But now an additional batch of the product is added. Ice cream produced either on September 17 or September 30 will be accepted for a refund. The dairy says the mistake lead to inaccurate allergen information on labels. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

The Wisconsin State Fair main stage is getting a new name. Fair representatives say the stage will now be known as the Bank Five Nine Main Stage, since a naming rights agreement is now settled. The Wisconsin-based bank has 14 branches across the state. Headliners for the 2025 fair will be announced over the next few months.   

On November 18, 2024 between the hours of 4:00am and 6:00am, the Sawyer County  Communication Center received three 911 calls reporting structure fires located in the southern  area of the County. Sawyer County deputies assisted by the Radisson, Exeland and Birchwood Fire  Departments reponded to the calls.   At 4:02 am, a structure fire was reported on Weirgor Road in the Town of Radisson. The residence  was currently under new construction and was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The

The RCU Foundation made a $400,000 gift to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation to support the development of Simpson Field. This contribution will help fund the renovation of the field, which will now feature bleachers and a press box. “This gift played a significant role in making Phase II of the Simpson Field project a reality,” said Julia Diggins, Vice President and Chief Development Officer of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. “Now with bleachers and a press box, we are able to host