Home

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force today announced that Lucas D. Aschbrenner, age 45, was arrested in Arbor Vitae, Wis. on March 2, 2023, for one count of possession of child pornography. Mr. Aschbrenner is a fourth-grade math teacher at Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk Grade School. On March 2, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence of Mr. Lucas Aschbrenner. The warrant was the result of a child sexual abuse material (CSAM) cyber

The Chippewa Valley Forage Council will host its annual Spring Seminar on Friday, March 17 at The Back 40 Dining and Cocktails east of Bloomer from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Registration will begin at 11:15am. Speakers and topics include Bill Halfman, Extension Beef Outreach Specialist, “Beef utilization ofalternative forages”; Katie Wantoch, Extension Farm Management Outreach Specialist, “Cropproduction ”; Leonard Polzin, Extension Dairy Marketing Outreach Specialist, “2023 Dairy Outlook”,Chelsea Russell, Midwest Forage Association, “Alfalfa research update”, Jerry Clark, Chippewa, Dunn,Eau Claire Extension

Three women, including University of Wisconsin-River Falls Chancellor Maria Gallo, will be featured speakers as part of the university’s Women’s History Month celebration this month. The Women’s History Month Series, co-sponsored by the UWRF Diversity, Belonging and Inclusion and Women’s, Gender and Sexualities Studies departments, is intended to highlight the many contributions of women to society.  Speakers include Dana Thompson, a trans woman who is a special education supervisor in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage (Minn.) School District, on Wednesday, March 8; Gallo

There is a plan that would make it more difficult for prosecutors in Wisconsin to dismiss certain charges.  The Assembly Committee on the Judiciary will hold a hearing today on a proposal that would require D.A.’s to get permission from a judge before dismissing certain reckless driving, domestic violence, weapons, car theft, or harm to a child charges.  Republican lawmakers say some prosecutors in the state are too quick to dismiss serious charges against dangerous suspects.  The plan may pass the Assembly

The young man looking at threat charges for talking about guns and the UW-Madison campus says his comments are being misinterpreted.  Court documents say 26-year-old Thomas Hansen told FBI agents that he made a joke about bringing a gun to Bascom Hall last month.  Investigators say Hansen posted on Yik Yak that maybe he should start “sneaking guns into crowded school buildings” because a girl canceled a date with him.  He told the agents it was a joke.  Hansen’s messages

Local authorities are letting the public know that there have been several “100 Bills” that have been recently found that are marked on the back; “play money.” They all have the same serial # LGO03229158, the above photo is the backside of the bill. These bills have been shown up in the area and the Village of Cadott Police Department have identified 10 of these bills as they were left in a store in Cadott. These bills have been passed around

There’s a suspect in custody following a shooting on Eau Claire’s west side. The sheriff’s office says the shooting happened at a home on Birchwood Lane in the Town of Union. Dozens of police cars and ambulances raced to the scene last night, as did Eau Claire’s SWAT team. There’s no word as to who was shot, or who was arrested.

There are pink slips coming for people who work for Marshfield Clinics. Marshfield yesterday announced layoffs in its Wisconsin hospitals, as well as plans to not fill hundreds of other jobs. The layoffs including locally in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls. Marshfield CEO Susan Turney says eliminating jobs is never easy, but she said the clinic system is not ‘immune’ from the pressure and challenges of the healthcare system. Marshfield is also laying off people in its Michigan facilities.

The Connell’s Supper Club restaurants are back up for sale. Longtime owner Lynn McDonough sold the clubs in Chippewa Falls and Fall Creek back in 2021. They are for sale again. HSC Business Brokers are handling the sale. CLICK FOR MORE INFO.

There is going to be a lot of talk at the Wisconsin Capitol today about how to teach kids to read. The Assembly and Senate’s Committees on Education will hold a joint hearing today to look for solutions as to why so many kids in Wisconsin public schools cannot read or write at grade level. Test scores show two-thirds of kids in the state are behind in reading. State Senator John Jagler, who will lead today’s hearing, says reading is the key to every