Rep. Jill Billings on getting water contamination alert bill passed in Legislature, which wraps up for year in February

Wisconsin State Rep. Jill Billings stopped in studio for La Crosse Talk PM on Tuesday to discuss how Republicans who control the Legislature hope to be all done with their work for the year by the end of February. Billings also discussed the loss of funding for WisconsinEye — the...

Emplify reaches $5.2 million fundraising goal for Wisconsin's first EmPATH unit

Town of Campbell receives $40 million federal investment for new water system

The Brief

Caledonia Convenient Care continues growth

With the closing of Caledonia’s Mayo Clinic, residents were left scrambling to find local care. Enter Amanda Middendorf, who opened the Caledonia Convenient Care clinic earlier this summer. “It's all been a happy accident. I think it's more of a God thing, because I have faith there's something bigger than ourselves here,” she said. “The amount of people that have supported me thus far and come in for appointments, or just been very positive, is overwhelming.” Middendorf began another company, Traveling Health LLC, to provide support to different facilities across the tri-state area before renting her room in Caledonia in October. “I started seeing a few people within the community, and I was just getting more calls like, ‘Hey, would you come see my 90 year old grandma who can't leave her house? You're licensed, right?’” she said. “I can take any Wisconsin insurance, now I have all Minnesota insurance and I will eventually have Iowa, but we're still working on that.” Caledonia Convenient Care is located in the “smooth toe” building at 405 S. Highway 44/76. Middendorf said she originally rented the space to take telehealth calls. “After I rented this office, I found out Mayo Clinic was closing

Commissioners finalize tax levy for 2026

The Houston County commissioners finalized the Tax Levy Resolution for 2026 at their Dec. 31 meeting. The board heard from Spring Grove Mayor Bryan Wilhelmson at the beginning of the meeting about the city’s request to decrease its law enforcement contract for next year. The mayor originally wasn’t on the meeting’s agenda and he said he was planning on speaking during the open forum, but the board amended the agenda to include Wilhelmson. “We’re now at the situation where we’ve got to catch up. We did raise our levy by 7% this year," Wilhelmson said. "It has nothing to do with the service we’re getting from the Houston County Sheriff’s Department. It’s not been a lighthearted decision to go this way, but we’ve got to do something.” Despite the idea of the law enforcement budget being reduced to zero getting tossed around in the past, both Wilhelmson and the commissioners agree a police presence is needed in Spring Grove. “My biggest concern is the safety of the people in your community. My bigger concern is your school,” commissioner Kurt Zehnder said. “Having a school in town and not having a steady police presence is a huge concern, not only as

New report shows health care costs overwhelming Wisconsin teacher salaries

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — A new state report reveals significant disparities in health insurance costs for teachers across Wisconsin school districts, raising concerns about the financial pressures driving educators away from the profession.

La Crosse demonstrators rally for ACA subsidy extension

LA CROSSE (WKBT) -- Demonstrators gathered in La Crosse to rally support for extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, directly appealing to Congressman Derrick Van Orden to back the extension when it comes to a vote.

Cities adapt to Mayo Clinic closures in rural Minnesota

SAINT PETER AND MONTGOMERY, Minn.- The deadline arrived for six Mayo Clinic Health System campuses and an Albert Lea surgery department to close on Dec. 10, as part of an ongoing consolidation effort by Mayo on its rural campuses. Mayo announced back in September it would be closing Mayo Health...

Violence to health care workers discussed in La Crosse at Gundersen program

A nationwide concern about violence occurring at hospitals and other healthcare facilities inspired a panel discussion Monday at one La Crosse hospital. Medical professionals and law enforcement officials talked about how healthcare workers can better deal with patients threatening violence, and help police and the courts keep the community safe.

Emplify Health by Gundersen addresses rising violence against healthcare workers

LA CROSSE (WKBT) -- Emplify Health by Gundersen is taking action to combat the growing problem of violence against healthcare workers, hosting a panel discussion that brought together medical professionals, legal experts, and law enforcement officials.

Resident deaths lead to fines at three Iowa care facilities

Three Iowa care facilities have been cited for regulatory violations tied to recent resident deaths. One of the incidents involves a caregiver who mistakenly dispensed the wrong drugs for a resident, and a nurse who then concealed the full scope of the error from the resident’s treating physicians. That incident took place at Northgate Care […]

Update on the Hillview Health Care Center renovation project

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – It has been over a year since ground broke for Hillview Health Care Center’s renovation project. Hillview Campus Administrator Kelly Kramer says the multi-part renovation is in its final leg. With only the nursing home still under major construction. “Our ‘600 Hallway,’ one of our main hallways to access the […]

Democratic leaders speak out against "Big Beautiful Bill" and healthcare cuts in La Crosse

LA CROSSE (WKBT) -- Democratic leaders launched a public campaign against Congressman Derrick Van Orden's health care voting record during a rally at Riverside Park in La Crosse on Wednesday morning.

High levels of PFAS found in eaglet blood

Wisconsin DNR Wildlife Biologist Dan Goltz, based out of the Viroqua office, gave a talk about ‘Bald Eagle Status and Monitoring in Wisconsin.’ The talk was part of Valley Stewardship Network’s ‘Conservation on Tap’ series, and took place at the Hotel Fortney on Tuesday, November 4.

Upcoming Medicaid Changes: What Winona County Residents Need to Know

Medicaid supports about 8,000 residents in Winona County. This includes children, parents, people with disabilities, and older adults. The program covers healthcare and provides access to social services for the community.

Life Saving Award for Houston Ambulance

There was a happy, full house for the November Houston City Council meeting on November 10 as the Houston Ambulance was recognized for their lifesaving efforts on September 29. Little Lilah Christiansen had suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at her home. According to Chad Kuhlman who works for the Southeast...