For music fans and jazz aficionados in the Chippewa Valley, the wait is over. The 56th annual Eau Claire Jazz Festival makes a rousing return to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus and downtown Eau Claire April 22-23, and this in-person event is making up for lost time in big ways. The weekend festival traditionally includes four elements, all of which are returning in person for 2022, with one virtual option for the education sessions. The schedule for the festival is: Student sessions Friday, April 22: Middle school, high school noncompetitive, college ensemble performances. Saturday, April 23: High school competitive ensemble

Madison- Today, Governor Tony Evers signed Senate Bill 673, authored by Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) and Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green). The bill is now 2021 Wisconsin Act 261. Act 261 creates a Geographical Information System (GIS) grant program to assist counties with the cost of data preparation, data gathering, data creation, geographic information system staffing, data preparation and collection contracts, and training. Local governments will need to prepare and enhance their GIS data in order to meet the technical requirements to enable Next Generation 911 (NG-911). NG-911 is a digital or Internet Protocol (IP)-based 911 system, which is a major upgrade from

Supervisor Sylvia Ortiz-Velez released the following statement ahead of her departure from the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors: “On April 18, I complete my second and final term as Milwaukee County Supervisor for District 12. While I am bittersweet about leaving the board, I am immensely proud of the work my colleagues and I have done to create a better community for all our residents. “Despite the challenge of legislating during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have accomplished some tremendous things over the past two years. I led the effort to decriminalize marijuana use and possession, reducing the fine in Milwaukee

Today, Rep. Mike Gallagher joined Dana Perino on Fox News to discuss CIA Director William Burns’ comments that China is in a “silent partnership” with Russia, and steps the U.S. can take to send a stronger message of support to the Ukrainian people. Watch the full interview here, or read highlights from the conversation below. On Russia and China’s “silent partnership:” “CIA Director Burns is right, except it isn’t a silent partnership. Prior to the invasion of Ukraine, Xi and Putin signed a 5,000 word statement proclaiming a partnership without limits. So Putin is merely becoming Xi’s sadistic sidekick in this

MADISON – Senator Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) and Representative Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek) authored Senate Bill 604, which clarifies the financial documents that are to be exchanged in cases where there is a child support, family support, or maintenance order in effect. This bill was signed into law as 2021 Wisconsin Act 259 today. Current law requires the parties to a divorce to exchange financial information each year post-judgment whenever there is a child support or family support order in effect. Act 259 extends this requirement to parties with a maintenance order and clarifies Wisconsin’s statutes surrounding this process by enumerating which financial

MADISON, Wis. – The Department of Workforce Development announced record low unemployment in Wisconsin for the month of March at 2.8%, decreasing from 2.9% unemployment in February. Wisconsin’s economic success is continuing thanks to the leadership of Governor Evers, who has worked to find common sense solutions that help families and businesses not only recover, but end up in a better position than they were before the pandemic. Wisconsin’s record-low unemployment comes as the governor continues to support small business growth and solutions to fill jobs across the state. Gov. Evers launched the Main Street Bounceback program to revitalize Main Streets across the state, which

OSHKOSH  – The Ron Johnson for Senate campaign announced today the senator’s re-election effort raised a total of $7.1 million this quarter. “Senator Johnson’s strong fundraising quarter shows broad support for his campaign,” said Jake Wilkins, Ron Johnson for Senate Communications Director. “He is using these resources to counter the lies and distortions of multiple Democrat candidates, liberal dark money groups, and biased media. Since Democrats cannot defend the disastrous results of their policies – record gasoline prices, 40-year high inflation, a flood of illegal immigration, rising crime, and a weakened America – they resort to the politics of personal

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the city of Berlin is an applicant for funding through the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (SDWLP) to improve its public drinking water system. The project includes the replacement of lead service lines throughout the city of Berlin. Activities related to this project are minor actions under Chapter NR 150, Wis. Admin. Code, for which no environmental analysis is required; however, following the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program federal requirement 40 C.F.R. §35.3580, an environmental review must be conducted before funding this project. The Safe Drinking Water Loan Program has determined

MADISON, WI – Today, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) joined Senator Tammy Baldwin, University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank, and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean Kate VandenBosch to announce federal funding for UW-Madison. The university received $41,074,000 in funding for three projects through the recently passed government funding bill. $39.7 million toward a new plant breeding facility at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The existing World War II-era building, which is shared by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture researchers, is outdated and in severe need of replacement $1.2 million for weather satellite instrumentation for UW-Madison that will support work performed by NASA and NOAA. $174,000 for the Wisconsin Small Business