Threat to Melrose-Mindoro School District

Downtown Mainstreet shutdown brings change in La Crosse Center concessions

The disbanding of La Crosse’s Downtown Mainstreet, Inc. (DMI), may have a ripple effect on a few local businesses. That includes the La Crosse Center. DMI, which voted this week to disband at the end of the year, has provided concessions at Center events, but that will end on Dec. 1.

WisDOT seeks public input on plans to rebuild 5 miles of US 53 in La Crosse County

St. Charles and Stewartville Hy-Vee Pharmacies closing at the end of November, city leaders pushing back

(ABC 6 News) – After the Hy-Vee Pharmacies in St. Charles and Stewartville announced they will close on Nov. 30 at 12:30 p.m., city leaders are pushing back on the plan. St. Charles city leaders said they requested an urgent meeting with Hy-Vee corporate representatives to explore options to keep the pharmacy open. City leaders […]

Western Wisconsin school districts face budget gaps after voters reject funding referendums

BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. (WKBT) — Voters in several local school districts rejected requests for more funding Tuesday, leaving districts with budget problems to solve.

Voters in the Black River Falls School District failed an operational referendum

BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. (WEAU) - Voters in the Black River Falls School District Tuesday failed an operational referendum. This was the first operational referendum on the ballot. It asked taxpayers for $1 million over each of the next four years. Shelly Severson, Superintendent, says the school district will have...

‘In the trenches’: Wisconsin’s struggling small businesses could turn a Trump ally’s district blue

After 18 years in business, Erin Klaus is closing her storefront, a handmade artisan market in downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin, at the end of the year. She opened Tangled Up in Hue amid a recession, during a time when downtown was "kind of a ghost town", weathering construction and the pandemic. But the current economic crisis proved too much. She's seen a downward trend in sales for two years, and was dipping into her own pocket from her other job, as the executive director of business non-profit Downtown Eau Claire Inc, to pay staff.

Sheriff’s races appear on Tuesday’s ballots

Three county sheriff’s races went before voters on Tuesday. The most notable one was in Monroe County where Mike Krause won against current Sheriff Wes Revels, who was running as a write-in candidate. Revels’ endorsed candidate Chris Weaver lost to Krause in the August primary, prompting the sheriff to...

8 County Outdoor Recreation Project Event - November 9th

Join us as we celebrate the completion of two major outdoor recreation plans, reconnect with partners across the region, and look ahead to what's next for the 8-County Outdoor Recreation Project!. Monday, November 9, 2026. 2:00 - 4:00 PM. Roger Marten Center. 120 S Franklin St. Mondovi, WI 54755. Who...

Gas prices fall in Wisconsin and La Crosse County

LA CROSSE COUNTY, Wis. (WKBT) -- Gas prices have dropped since the midterm elections, with regular unleaded averaging $4.10 per gallon in Wisconsin and $3.98 in La Crosse County.

Historic Eau Claire cemetery entered into state register

EAU CLAIRE — History is everywhere, according to UW-Eau Claire University Archivist Greg Kocken. It’s often just a matter of recognizing it. The State Historic Preservation Review Board has approved Forest Hill Cemetery to enter the State Register of Historic Places, a promising step into the location eventually being seen as an entrant in the national register, administered by the National Park Service (NPS). With Forest Hill Cemetery being a landscape, Kocken says those can be harder to see entered into the National Register of Historic Places compared to pieces of architecture — buildings often carry aesthetic markers of their respective eras, as well as encompassing famous figures or historic events that took place in the past. The university archivist argues that cemeteries as a whole have a place as important cultural landmarks though, and understanding their importance has become a noticeable trend in recent years. “Right now we’re starting to recognize that those cemeteries are important parts of our communities. They’re historic landscapes,” Kocken said. “They’re part of the cultural identity of a community. It’s more than just the memorials that are present there — it’s the cemetery itself as a part of the city, and recognizing that is

Jeff Smith defeats challenger Michele Magadance Skinner in Wisconsin’s 31st Senate District race

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Jeff Smith will be returning to Madison to represent Wisconsin’s 31st Senate District. He defeated challenger Michele Magadance Skinner who currently represents District 11 on the Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors. This will be Smith’s third term as senator in the state legislature....

77% of La Crosse County registered voters cast ballots

LA CROSSE COUNTY, Wis. (WKBT) -- About 77% of registered voters in La Crosse County cast ballots in the election, roughly 3 percentage points below the county’s turnout in the previous midterm elections.

Local school districts weigh in on funding after referendum results

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Local school districts are discussing the state of school funding after Tuesday’s election. BACKGROUND: Voters reject 34 Wisconsin school referendums, approve 45. Voters rejected 34 Wisconsin school referendums and approved 45. Winter School District. The Winter School District’s operational referendum passed. Taxpayers voted to...

Democrat Rebecca Cooke tops Derrick Van Orden, flipping seat blue

Democrat Rebecca Cooke took Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, flipping the seat from red to blue in a boost to Democrats’ projected majority in the U.S. House. Republican Derrick Van Orden conceded the race in the 10 p.m. hour, when Cooke had an 8-point lead with about 70 percent of the vote counted.

Wisconsin Deflection Initiative aims to keep people out of  the criminal justice system

School districts often identify students they call “at-risk” who might have a learning disability or low reading or math scores in order to  provide them additional resources and attention to help them keep pace with their classmates and avoid dropping out. In the Wisconsin Deflection Initiative, the “at-risk” people are in the community at large. […]

Election results: Voters decide on newcomers, support school funding

Tuesday’s election results are in, and residents will have new representatives in Southeast Minnesota in the state House and Senate as well as the U.S. House. Voters also narrowly selected John Hazelton as the new Winona County sheriff, and there will be new faces on the Winona City Council. Voters also approved local and state school funding ballot questions.

Eau Claire County to vote on budget next Tuesday

EAU CLAIRE — The Eau Claire County Board will vote Tuesday on a proposed $157.3 million 2027 operating budget, which would be a decline from this year’s $165.98 million budget. The property tax levy is $41,728,104, an increase of 1.2% increase from last year. It increased by $483,769. County Administrator Jon Johnson said when focusing on operations, some of the biggest areas are service programs and benefits. “80% of what we do is staffing,” he said. “Some of the things we looked at were compensation analysis and wages, trying to make sure we’re keeping up with the market and inflation. We’ve worked that into the budget that’s important to staff to make sure you know we value our staff and keep the benefits and wages as competitive as possible and the funding environment we’re in.” As costs are going up across the board, Johnson said they have balanced their budget largely through reducing contracted services and staffing. A lot of this work is based on prioritizing core services, which Johnson said they have asked the board to provide guidance on. In the proposed budget, some departments are seeing position changes. The District Attorney’s office, ADRC, Sheriff’s Department and Facilities Department

Freedom Honor Flight discontinues Veterans Day Breakfast

LA CROSSE (WKBT) -- Freedom Honor Flight announced on Thursday that they will be discontinuing the Veterans Day Breakfast hosted with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Intercollegiate Athletics Department, according to a release .

Wisconsin Has 6 Old Taverns Where The Booths And Bar Date Back Over A Century

Wisconsin has a tavern on nearly every corner, but only a few can say their wooden bars and booths have been around for more than 100 years. These six spots stretch from a tiny Mississippi River town to busy Milwaukee neighborhoods, and each one still opens its doors for regulars and road trippers.