Looking to the future
Although Smiar does see continual disruption from COVID-19 as he looks forward to 2021, there are also many exciting new beginnings to look forward to. The county hopes to begin construction on a new courtroom soon and add a sixth circuit court judge in 2022. The County Board put aside $24 million with plans for a new highway facility to begin construction this summer and be finished by fall of 2022. The county is also working to establish a passenger rail service here in the community. Finally, while it is unlikely that any new census data will be available until July of this year, the county looks forward to receiving this data so that they can work on redistricting and preparing ballots for the 2022 election.

More Information:
Eggs & Issues PowerPoint Visuals (Eau Claire County; click to download pdf)
County leaders talk COVID, emergency preparedness (Leader-Telegram $)
Eau Claire County Website
​
Posted by Grace Hanson, Governmental Affairs Intern
hanson@eauclairechamber.org

​For the first time in 21 years the Chippewa Valley Book Festival will be bringing authors to our community on a virtual stage. Registration is now open for a virtual event on Friday, February 12, with award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Brit Bennett as she discusses her blockbuster novel, The Vanishing Half.

Moderated by Allyson Loomis, Associate Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, the program will include a casual conversation with Bennett as well as a question-and-answer segment allowing for audience participation. This FREE event requires registration. Learn more at www.cvbookfest.org/festival-events/bennett.
Winner of the 2020 Goodreads Historical Fiction Award, #1 New York Times Best Seller, and one of Barack Obama’s favorite reads of 2020, The Vanishing Half is an emotional family story about African American identical twin sisters in the 1950s and ‘60s. One passes for white and moves to California while the other returns to her tiny southern community to raise her dark-skinned daughter. The Vanishing Half touches on themes of race, class, family, gender, community, love, and the cost of secrets. HBO also recently purchased the rights to develop The Vanishing Half into a limited series with Bennett as an executive producer.

The February 12 event featuring Brit Bennett, is one of two virtual events hosted by the Chippewa Valley Book Festival this winter. Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life, will be taking the virtual stage on Friday, March 12, at 7:00 p.m. CST. More details about that event can be found at www.cvbookfest.org/festival-events/taylor.

Author photos, book jacket graphics, social media graphics, as well as Chippewa Valley Book Festival logos can be found at: www.cvbookfest.com/media
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The Chippewa Valley Book Festival partners with the Pablo Center at the Confluence, and the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Foundation to provide literary programming for all Chippewa Valley residents

​University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt announced today that Billy Felz has been named interim vice chancellor for enrollment management. The two-year appointment is effective Jan. 25.

Felz has worked as the executive director for enrollment management, the special assistant for the vice chancellor of enrollment management and the executive director of the Advising, Retention and Career Center (ARCC) prior to taking on his current role.

“Since March, Billy has overseen our Admissions, ARCC, Barron County director and Blugold Central student service functions. During that time he has demonstrated strong leadership in advancing our recruitment and retention efforts at our UW-Eau Claire campuses,” Chancellor Schmidt says.

“Our planning for 2025 calls for a clear focus on enrollment, and under Billy’s watch we have seen applications increase by more than 50%. I am confident that Billy will bring the vision and leadership needed to support and guide the Enrollment Management division and to serve our students well.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated concerns about the significant number of teens and young adults who vape, with early reports showing that the coronavirus poses a greater danger to young people who use the products than to their non-vaping peers.
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With that in mind, a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire nursing faculty-student research team is leading an effort to educate young people and the adults who interact with them about the effects and dangers of devices like vapes and e-cigarettes.

“Preliminary reports are finding that young people who had used e-cigarettes are five times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than never-users,” says Lindsey Boehm, a senior nursing major from Eau Claire. “It’s critical for young people and others to understand the dangers associated with vaping.”

Boehm and Dr. Lorraine Smith, assistant professor of nursing, are leading a project titled “Implementing an Educational Initiative on Electronic Cigarettes and Vaping: A Nurse Led Intervention.”

Their work builds on an initiative that Dr. Diane Marcyjanik, a nursing professor who passed away in April 2020, and her students began two years ago, shortly after vaping was deemed a national public health epidemic among teens and young adults.

The original project focused on educating school staff about electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) such as vape pens and electronic cigarettes. Before COVID-19, Marcyjanik and her students presented their research to more than 100 middle and high school staff members in Wisconsin.

Smith and Boehm are continuing their work, though adjusting their focus because of the pandemic.

​Anyone can become suicidal, not just patients with mental health issues, and most are looking for help, says Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp, a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire psychology professor and nationally recognized expert on self-injury and suicide during a recent presentation at Mayo Clinic Health System Northwest Wisconsin Academic Grand Rounds.

"Most people want their suffering to end, not their lives," says Muehlenkamp, who is director of UW-Eau Claire’s Suicide Prevention and Awareness Research Collaborative. “They want to find a way to live but their hope is starting to fade away.”

During the Academic Grand Rounds presentation titled "Preventing Patient Suicide: A Guide for Providers," Muehlenkamp said health care professionals need foundational knowledge to detect risk factors in an effort to help prevent suicide.

The Academic Grand Rounds virtual presentation was a vehicle to showcase what is coming from the master collaborative research agreement between Mayo Clinic Health System and UW-Eau Claire, says Dr. Andrew Calvin, a cardiovascular medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire and Bloomer who helped coordinate the presentation.
​
The research agreement is intended to increase opportunities for research collaboration between the institutions, provide new learning opportunities for UW-Eau Claire students and improve the health and wellness of the community.

Free rapid-response COVID-19 surge testing will be available to the community in February on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus.

The community surge testing, which was conducted at Memorial High School the past two months, will now take place at Zorn Arena on UW-Eau Claire’s lower campus. Antigen testing for UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff and students is also being conducted at Zorn Arena, but community members will be tested at different times than the campus community.

The surge antigen testing is for people without COVID-19 symptoms and will be available to the community on Tuesdays and weekends in February. The first testing window for the community will be from 4:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2. On weekends in February, the testing will be available from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

“We are excited to be able to offer this testing to the community again in February,” says Grace Crickette, vice chancellor for finance and administration at UW-Eau Claire. “We have put an excellent system in place at Zorn Arena, and we will be able to help thousands of people monitor their health as we work to stop the spread of the virus in the community.”

The antigen tests are possible thanks to the University of Wisconsin System’s partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Approximately 140,000 BinaxNOW tests will be available to residents across the state at UW System campuses this spring. Confirmatory PCR tests will also be available at the sites.

Antigen testing will also be available to the Rice Lake community on the UW-Eau Claire – Barron County campus on Tuesdays in February. Beginning, Feb. 2, the testing will be conducted from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesdays in the university gym at UWEC-BC.

Members of the community can register for antigen testing by going to www.doineedacovid19test.com and setting up an account.

Community members coming to campus for testing are encouraged to park in the Hibbard Parking Lot, just west of State Street. Visitors can park in any available "F," "COVID-19 Testing" or ADA-designated parking stall after 3 p.m. Parking is available in "G" designated parking stalls after 6 p.m. No permits or payment are required in "AMP Timed Parking" zones during weekends.
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Individuals are asked to bring a smartphone capable of accessing their email account when they visit Zorn Arena for a scheduled test.

 Registration Open for Rock the Riverfront Featuring the Charity Classic | Royal Credit Union (rcu.org)
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EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Registration is open for the RCU Foundation Rock the Riverfront featuring the Charity Classic. The event will celebrate 27 years of running and walking to support organizations that make a difference in the communities that Royal Credit Union (Royal) serves.  Proceeds from the event will benefit three partner charities: The Heyde Center for the Arts in Chippewa Falls, Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild in Eau Claire and Northern Star Theatre Company in Rice Lake.  Arts organizations were the first to close their doors at the start of the global pandemic and will likely be the last to reopen.  This partnership will help these groups operate during this time of great need.  Rock the Riverfront featuring the Charity Classic is raising the curtain, supporting the arts, and letting you set the stage for your own adventure!  Registration for this virtual event will be open through June 26 with special early bird pricing ending on April 4.  Participants can run or walk the 10K or 2 mile routes and youth can take part in a 1/2 mile course anytime between June 5 and June 28.  Registration details are available at www.rcu.org/race. The first 100 people to register will receive an exclusive Rock the Riverfront 23-ounce stainless steel water bottle valued at $25.  Two registration box options are available starting at only $35 for adults and $15 for youth.  The Classic Race Box includes an event t-shirt, a finisher medal, a race bib, a charity vote, and results posting; Royal Race Box includes everything from the Classic Box plus exclusive Rock the Riverfront sunglasses and extra goodies.  Every registration includes a free charity vote and additional votes can be purchased at $2 each. The charity with the most votes will receive $15,000, second place will receive $7,500, and third will receive $5,000. 
 
Course maps will be available at www.rcu.org/race for those interested in running the traditional 2 mile or 10K or ½ mile routes. We have partnered with RunSignUp and the RaceJoy app for an enhanced registration and race experience.  Racers will be given the option to record their time online to qualify for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards in their age group.  Rock the Riverfront featuring the Charity Classic offers beautiful running routes and the opportunity to benefit three organizations that are making a positive impact in our communities.  Even non-runners can participate in activities like the Rock Hunt, Chalk your Walk, and a Coloring Contest as a way to support the RCU Foundation and the charities it has committed to help in 2021.  Find all the details for these activities at www.rcu.org/race. 

About RCU FoundationThe RCU Foundation (Foundation) was established in 2012 to support organizations and initiatives in communities where Royal Credit Union operates in western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota.  The Foundation focuses on large-scale, capital projects that help build community and create the spaces where people come together. Focus areas include education, health, and the arts. The Foundation hosts the annual Rock the Riverfront-Charity Classic event in Eau Claire. Currently, it has awarded more than $4 million in grants. Contact foundation@rcu.org for more information.
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About Royal Credit Union
Royal Credit Union is a federally insured credit union proudly serving over 230,000 Members in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Royal is driven by a core ideology built on a strong purpose and values. You can open an account or apply for a low-rate loan at Royal Credit Union if you live or work in 26 counties in western Wisconsin or 16 counties in Minnesota. Counties served in Wisconsin include Adams, Ashland, Bayfield, Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Lincoln, Marathon, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Washburn, and Wood. Counties served in Minnesota include Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Wabasha, Washington, Winona and Wright. Realtors in the state of Wisconsin or Minnesota are also eligible to join the credit union. Visit rcu.org or call Royal Credit Union at 800-341-9911 for more information.

Menomonie – Prevea Pediatrics is now in Menomonie at the Prevea Menomonie Health Center, 2919 Stout Rd.

Allison Schneider, MD, FAAP, joins the team of family medicine providers that also provide care to children at the Prevea Menomonie Health Center. Dr. Schneider is a board-certified pediatrician specializing in routine care for children ages newborn to 18, well-child visits, immunizations, sick visits and sports physicals.

“As a pediatrician, I am part of a team with not only the patient, but also the parents or caregivers,” says Dr. Schneider. “My goal is to educate the patient and family so they can stay safe and healthy. I have a strong belief in preventive medicine and enjoy working together to create and sustain a healthy lifestyle.”

​Appointments with Dr. Schneider at the Prevea Menomonie Health Center can be made online at www.prevea.com or by calling (715) 717-6850. Dr. Schneider also sees patients at the Prevea Altoona Medical Office Building, 3119 Woodman Dr. in Altoona. 

About Prevea Health
​Founded in Green Bay, Wis. in 1996, Prevea Health is a health care organization that provides high-quality, primary and specialty health care in 80+ locations across Northern, Eastern and Western Wisconsin in clinic and hospital settings. It is partnered with six Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals across Wisconsin to provide patients a system of highly-coordinated care, close to home: HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay; HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan; HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls; HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital 

Eau Claire, Wis. – The current and future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on western Wisconsin’s economy will be the focus at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 29 on “The West Side” on The Ideas Network stations of Wisconsin Public Radio 88.3/Menomonie-Eau Claire and 88.7/River Falls. 
 
Host Dean Kallenbach will welcome Ron Wirtz, regional outreach director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, who will share preliminary insights from a just-completed survey of business conditions in the six-state region that includes western Wisconsin. Also joining the show will be three western Wisconsin-based specialists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension: Melissa Kono, associate professor and community development educator for Trempealeau and Clark Counties; Katie Wantoch, associate professor and agriculture agent for Dunn County; and Katie Bartko, FoodWise nutrition coordinator for Polk, Pierce and St. Croix Counties.
 
“The West Side” is broadcast each Friday at 10 a.m. on The Ideas Network stations 88.3 WHWC-FM Menomonie/Eau Claire and 88.7 WRFW-FM River Falls and via an online live stream on 88.7 WRFW-FM via wrfw887.com/listen-live.html. Listeners may call in with questions and comments during the program at (800) 228-5615. Archives of “The West Side” are available at wpr.org/programs/west-side.

About Wisconsin Public Radio
For more than 100 years, Wisconsin Public Radio has served the people of Wisconsin with quality news, music, talk and entertainment. On air, online and in the community – we work for Wisconsin. WPR is a service of the Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Listen, learn more and donate online at wpr.org.

​Eau Claire, WI – Chippewa Valley Technical College will begin the spring semester tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 27, after a slight delay due to a network outage last week.
 
The spring semester, which was originally scheduled to begin Monday, Jan. 25, is a busy time of the academic year at CVTC. The semester culminates May 21 with a commencement ceremony in which over 750 students typically graduate, with Nursing-Associate Degree, Business Management and Criminal Justice-Law Enforcement among the largest programs.
 
The same precautions implemented in the fall semester to protect the health and safety of students and staff will continue in the new semester, including broader use of online delivery methods. This semester, approximately 42 percent of CVTC courses will be held face-to-face and 29 percent online. The other 29 percent of courses are delivered in a blended or hybrid model where the delivery of content is provided partially in an online format while labs and scheduled meeting times are conducted face-to-face with the instructor.
 
Since the disruption last week, CVTC teams have been working to restore the systems necessary to provide instruction and student support services.  New and continuing CVTC students that have outstanding registration or support needs are encouraged to contact the Student Central team at 715-833-6200 or studentcentral@cvtc.edu to prepare them for their courses.

​Eau Claire, WI – Royal Credit Union (Royal) announced today it has purchased land at the intersection of Blazing Star Boulevard and River Prairie Drive in Altoona, Wisconsin. The property is adjacent to Woodman’s Gas & Lube Center. Royal will convert its current Eau Claire North Office on Birch Street to a mortgage operations center and relocate retail office operations for the area to a new nearby Altoona Office location. In addition, Royal has purchased property at 317 North Barstow Street in Eau Claire. Retail office operations currently conducted at Royal’s Eau Claire Downtown Office on Bellinger Street will be relocated to the Barstow Street location when construction is complete. The development timeline is still being determined for both locations and construction plans are in the preliminary discussion stage.
 
“We are committed to providing value to our Members by offering convenience and highly competitive products and services,” said Brandon Riechers, President & CEO of Royal Credit Union. “The purchase of the Barstow and River Prairie properties offers Royal the opportunity to expand our reach and increase service options for Members who are seeking meaningful in-person interactions. Coupled with our continued investment in providing the best mobile and digital banking experience, Royal is dedicated to serving our Members digitally and in person through our retail office network.”
 
Altoona’s focus on commercial and residential development in the River Prairie area has created a new opportunity to connect with consumers. Royal looks forward to the prospect of having a presence in this corridor and expanding the opportunity to provide convenient service to financial consumers. In addition, Royal’s growth in mortgage products and services has made the transition of the Birch Street location an important strategic priority.
 
“We are very excited about creating a mortgage operations center at our Birch Street location,” Riechers said. “The location realignment will allow us to offer a more efficient work environment for our mortgage operations team members, who are currently spread across many different facilities. We will continue to offer access to mortgage lenders in multiple offices for Member convenience. The Birch Street location will only centralize mortgage operations.”
 
The Barstow Street property is located in the heart of downtown Eau Claire and provides Royal with the opportunity to add to the vibrant landscape of the community. Royal built its corporate center in downtown Eau Claire in 2005 and is deeply invested in the area’s continued growth.
 
Royal’s total value proposition is to offer highly competitive rates, products, and services, and was created to help Members achieve their financial goals.  The development opportunities in the Chippewa Valley announced today reinforce the credit union’s commitment to being a trusted community partner and financial advisor.  Royal is continuously looking for opportunities to enhance its locations and service delivery options in all of its service areas.
 
About Royal Credit Union
Royal Credit Union is a federally insured credit union proudly serving over 230,000 Members in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Royal is driven by a core ideology built on a strong purpose and values. You can open an account or apply for a low-rate loan at Royal Credit Union if you live or work in 26 counties in western Wisconsin or 16 counties in Minnesota. Counties served in Wisconsin include Adams, Ashland, Bayfield, Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Lincoln, Marathon, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Washburn, and Wood. Counties served in Minnesota include Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Wabasha, Washington, Winona and Wright. Realtors in the state of Wisconsin or Minnesota are also eligible to join the credit union. Visit rcu.org or call Royal Credit Union at 800-341-9911 for more information.

​WINONA, Minn. – Merchants Financial Group, Inc. (MFGI) announced year-end earnings for 2020 with net income of $21,511,521, according to MFGI President & CEO Gregory M. Evans. The earnings exceeded MFGI’s plan for the year by more than $1.9 million and is an increase of 8.8% over 2019 earnings.
 
“Despite the challenges we all encountered in 2020, I am proud of our team and our continued commitment to be a financial partner helping our customers fulfill their hopes and dreams. We wouldn’t be the strong community bank we are without loyal customers, community supporters and our dedicated team of employees,” said Evans.
 
A significant increase in mortgage lending and deposits were two contributing factors to Merchants’ 2020 core earnings results – both driven by the economic changes due to the pandemic. Evans noted that a low-rate environment for much of the year made mortgage refinancing appealing to many and Merchants’ residential loan volume exceeded $950 million for the year, an increase of 77% over 2019. In addition, reduced outlets for spending and changes in consumer habits saw others put more money into the Bank. Year-over-year deposit growth was $376 million, a 21% increase from 2019.
 
As a source of financial relief for business customers, Merchants originated $207 million in loans through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Over a third of these loans had been successfully processed through the loan forgiveness aspect of PPP by year-end.
 
“Our focus on helping customers never wavered and we look forward to continuing to be there as a trusted advisor as we move into 2021 together,” shared Evans.
 
Merchants is also proud to continue its tradition of community leadership through charitable contributions. Through 2020, MFGI donated more than $609,000 to hundreds of local organizations across its footprint.
 
Merchants Financial Group, Inc. is a publicly-traded Company. Ownership is made up of its more than 440 employees and mostly individuals and families from southeastern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin.
 
Merchants Bank is a full service community bank with 23 bank locations in southeastern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin and a leasing division, Merchants Bank Equipment Finance, in Edina. Headquartered in Winona, MN, MFGI has more than $2.5 billion in assets. Merchants was founded in 1875. Member FDIC.
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sue Savat
Chief Financial Officer
smsavat@merchantsbank.com
(507) 457-1135
 

Two initiatives that would provide passenger rail connections to the Chippewa and St. Croix Valleys have taken important steps forward in recent weeks. They include: 

1. An initiative among counties and municipalities to create a Chippewa-St. Croix Rail Commission to advance a proposed multi-frequency train service between Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls and Menomonie, Baldwin, Hudson/River Falls, Stillwater and St. Paul/Minneapolis.
2. The announcement of federal grants awarded to the Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Transportation for additional train service on the current Amtrak route in Wisconsin that could include a dedicated shuttle connection from the Eau Claire area to access trains at Tomah for travelers heading to Milwaukee and Chicago.

Starting with Twin Cities-Eau Claire trains
The West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition has been working for several years to lay the groundwork to establish passenger train service serving the region with trains to the Twin Cities, Milwaukee and Chicago to ensure the area's economic competitiveness. Those connections are included in the official long-range transportation plans for both Wisconsin and Minnesota. As a first step, the coalition is proposing a public-private partnership to start with four trains a day each way between St. Paul and Eau Claire, with shuttle connections to other nearby communities like River Falls and Chippewa Falls.  See map below...​

Trains will travel over the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad with potential stops for Stillwater, Hudson/River Falls, Baldwin, and Menomonie. The Coalition is working with a private rail developer interested in providing the equipment and operating the trains, with ongoing costs provided by fares and the economic activity around station sites.

Next step: Chippewa-St. Croix Rail Commission
To advance the public side of the project, counties and municipalities along and near the route are working on establishing a Chippewa-St. Croix Rail Commission to identify the public benefits of the project, pursue opportunities for transit oriented station development, foster bi-state cooperation, and help the project obtain grant funding for start-up costs. Resolutions to create the commission have already been passed by the Dunn, Eau Claire, and St. Croix County Boards; the City of Eau Claire, the City of Altoona, The City of Menomonie, New Richmond, and the Village of Baldwin. Other entities are in the process of considering their participation. Once at least eight counties and municipalities approve similar resolutions, the commission will be created. See the links below for more information on the project and to see Eau Claire County's resolution for establishing the commission.
More information:
West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition website
Fact Sheet: Bringing Passenger Rail to West Central Wisconsin (click to download)
Eau Claire County Resolutions Re: Chippewa-St. Croix Rail Commission (passed Dec 15, 2020, click to download)
Group hopes to bring passenger rail service back to Chippewa Valley (WEAU 13 News)
Eau Claire sets its sights on passenger rail with new Rail Commission (WQOW News 18)
Rail advocates push for independent body (Leader-Telegram, subscription required)

Eastward connections to Milwaukee and Chicago
​Given the vision to link the region east to Milwaukee and Chicago, another development make progress in recent weeks that would provide a dedicated shuttle connection from Eau Claire to access Amtrak trains at Tomah.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) announced it has received two federal grants that will enable it to implement plans with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to extend one of its popular Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha trains on the current Amtrak "Empire Builder" route to Tomah, La Crosse, Winona, Minnesota and St. Paul.  That plan could include dedicated shuttle connections from that route to Madison, Eau Claire and Rochester.​

Many Chippewa Valley area residents already drive to Tomah to catch the current Amtrak service, but a dedicated shuttle will improve mobility for those who cannot or do not want to drive. Shuttle connections like these have been successful in other states like​ California and North Carolina. WisDOT also recently established dedicated shuttles to link the current Hiawatha service at Milwaukee to Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Appleton, and Green Bay.

The grants announced by WisDOT from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) include a $16.2 million Restoration & Enhancement Grant, which helps new services get established by paying a declining percentage of the operating expenses over three years as ridership builds, and a $31.8 million matching grant to help cover capital improvement costs.

Local support for Eau Claire shuttle
As WisDOT began consideration of the Eau Claire shuttle, local support for the connection was expressed in resolutions and letters from the Eau Claire City Council, Eau Claire County Board, Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, and West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition. 

The proposed Eau Claire shuttle would travel along​ I-94 and make a direct connection to trains at the Amtrak station in Tomah. ​The West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition, which is working to establish a multi-frequency Twin Cities-Eau Claire corridor as a public-private partnership on the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad, has endorsed the proposal as a complementary step to provide residents of the region access to the national passenger train network.

In a resolution it drafted earlier this year the Coalition noted that many people already drive to the station at Tomah: "This would open up more travel opportunities for area residents and visitors to connect to/from Milwaukee and Chicago via Tomah, and would especially provide improved mobility for students, seniors and others who cannot or do not want to drive 80 miles to access the service." In a letter to WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson, the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce noted: "Transportation is a critical component for economic prosperity. The Chamber has long advocated for establishing passenger rail service to our region as an important component for economic competitiveness and talent attraction," and that the shuttle "would enhance the connectivity of our community and be complementary to efforts to obtain future direct train service for Eau Claire." ​The Eau Claire City Council passed a supporting resolution on February 25, and the Eau Claire County Board on May 5. See the links below.

Next steps for the Hiawatha extension and shuttle
WisDOT, MnDOT, and Amtrak are working on schedules and operating scenarios for the new train project, and Minnesota's legislature must still appropriate its needed $10 million in matching funds for the capital expenses, which is expected to be considered during its 2021 session.

More information:
’Second Empire Builder’ project wins a $12.6 million Restoration & Enhancement grant​ (MIPRC)
Wisconsin-Minnesota passenger rail project getting $31.8 million federal grant (La Crosse Tribune)
Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Intercity Passenger Rail Service (WisDOT)
​​Eau Claire-Tomah Shuttle Fact Sheet (West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition)
Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce Letter in support of CRISI grant (Eau Claire Chamber)
Eau Claire City Council Resolution (City of Eau Claire)
Eau Claire County Board Resolution (Eau Claire County)
West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition Letter and Resolution (West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition)

​Long-term opportunities for high speed Chicago-Milwaukee-Twin Cities service
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is nearing completion of a Midwest Regional Rail Planning Study that is expected to show the Chicago-Twin Cities corridor to be one of the strongest potential high speed rail markets in the Midwest because of its high travel demand. With current bullet-train style projects advancing in California, Texas and LA-Las Vegas, there is significant potential for Eau Claire and the region to be located on one of the next high speed rail lines to be developed.

Free, rapid-result COVID-19 testing is expanding to include all University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire students during the spring semester.
About 3,700 students living in residence halls have been tested regularly since the start of the school year. Beginning Jan. 23, off-campus students also will be required to take an antigen test that provides results in about 15 minutes.
Students living in university housing will be required to take an antigen test once a week during the spring semester while off-campus students will be tested every other week.
Students at UW-Eau Claire – Barron County also will have access to antigen testing on the university’s campus in Rice Lake.
"Testing all students will allow us to identify COVID positive individuals as soon as possible so that they can be appropriately isolated and prevent further spread to the campus community," says Dr. Kimberly Frodl, Student Health Service medical director at UW-Eau Claire.

​Ken Vance Motors is making a big difference in the Chippewa Valley using a Fund it established at the Eau Claire Community Foundation. It’s distributing $50,000 in grants to ten Wisconsin nonprofits. The grantees are:
 

• Catholic Charities Sojourner House
• Chippewa Valley Free Clinic
• Chippewa Youth Hockey Association
• Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association
• Eau Claire Community Foundation
• Eau Claire County Humane Association
• Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley
• Junior Achievement
• Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
• WATDA Foundation

 
These grants will help recipients do everything from purchasing necessary equipment to hiring new staff members. “Thanks to Ken Vance Motors, we are able to purchase a more energy efficient freezer for our shelter and allocate funds to assist with maintenance of our truck,” said Amy Giani, Executive Director of Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley, which runs the Beacon House shelter for families experiencing homelessness.

​Green Bay, Wis. – Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and UW-System President Tommy Thompson were among state and local dignitaries to visit the Prevea Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay today on its first day of operations.

Located inside the Kress Events Center, the Prevea Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic is the first of its kind in Northeast Wisconsin and one of the largest in the state with capacity to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to more than 10,500 people each week as doses become available and additional phases of vaccine eligibility are announced by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).

“It was 25 years ago this month, that the founding physicians of what they would call “Prevea Health,” came together and made a commitment to care for the health of our communities,” said Dr. Ashok Rai, President and CEO, Prevea Health in his remarks to state and local dignitaries today. “After seeing so much pain and suffering these past ten months of the pandemic, our dedication has never been more galvanized. We have all experienced loss over this time, and now it is time turn that loss into focus.”

​The Prevea Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic officially opened today to vaccinate area police and fire personnel, and additional community members who qualify under the DHS Phase 1a vaccination prioritization guidelines. It will also serve all other community members who become eligible for the vaccine in the DHS phases to come. 

​CALEDONIA - Dr. Deborah Kerr, candidate for Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction, today issued the following statement regarding her having filed the strongest fundraising numbers of any candidate and displaying the broadest base of support from across the state:

“I am deeply honored by the hard work and dedication to our campaign of people from across our state and across the country. I am pleased to announce that we are nearing the election on February 16 with the most cash on hand of any candidate - $50,141.38.

“I have always made it clear that we are going to be a campaign that brings everyone to the table and assembles the broadest base of support. I am proud that we have Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who all agree with our message: there’s no room for politics in education.

“Our campaign is also proud to announce that we showed how well our efforts were organized when we collected nomination signatures to have my name placed on the ballot. We had 2,965 signatures verified that were collected in 177 cities, villages, and towns from across the state. More signatures than any other candidate in this election. 

“We are taking our position in this race seriously and we’re going to continue to build on our strength and appeal in the weeks to come. I’m encouraging you to join our efforts as we gain the support of voters from all across Wisconsin. 

“As superintendent, I'm going to bring every school district to the table and work together to fight for every child. Wisconsin is ready for real leadership and a commitment to the future of education across the state. Wisconsin's kids are counting on us.”

HUDSON, Wis. – Royal Credit Union (Royal) announces Hossam Selim as Branch Manager of the Hudson branch. Selim’s new role will include maintaining highly engaged team members to ensure superior levels of service to Members while staying engaged in the Hudson community to live and promote Royal’s core values.
 
Selim has been in banking for a total of nine years, the last seven as a branch manager. Selim started as a teller at TCF Bank after high school and worked his way up to branch manager. Selim was also a branch manager at Bank of America in Minnesota as well as at Beal Bank in Edina Minnesota.  Selim received his business administration degree from Metropolitan State University in 2013.
 
Selim has stayed active in the community through volunteer efforts for Habitat for Humanity and Feed My Starving Children. Selim also organized Beal Bank’s partnership with People Reaching Out to People (PROP), a local food shelf. Selim is looking forward to being an engaged members of the Hudson community through volunteer work and building relationships with community members. Selim resides in Burnsville, Minnesota.
 
About Royal Credit Union
Royal Credit Union is a federally insured credit union proudly serving over 220,000 Members in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Royal is driven by a core ideology built on a strong purpose and values. You can open an account or apply for a low-rate loan at Royal Credit Union if you live or work in 26 counties in western Wisconsin or 16 counties in Minnesota. Counties served in Wisconsin include Adams, Ashland, Bayfield, Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Lincoln, Marathon, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Washburn, and Wood. Counties served in Minnesota include Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Wabasha, Washington, Winona and Wright. Realtors in the state of Wisconsin or Minnesota are also eligible to join the credit union. Visit rcu.org or call Royal Credit Union at 800-341-9911 for more information.

​The Artist Series and the Foster Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire have partnered to present "Clear Water," a graphic design exhibit by Minneapolis-based designer Melanie Walby. The exhibit examines how racism manifests in everyday life and more importantly, what to do about it. The show will be installed in the Foster Gallery from Feb. 1-March 7, and is free and open to Blugold students, faculty and staff. A gallery video tour will be accessible to the general public on the Foster Gallery webpage.  Interim Foster Gallery director Amanda Bulger is excited to share this important exhibit with the campus and area communities, an exhibit Walby tailored for this particular audience. 
​
"This exhibition is specifically designed for the Blugold and greater Eau Claire community. Confronting racism in our community can be challenging and uncomfortable but Walby has designed this exhibition to offer healing, liberation and joy," Bulger says.

Artist Statement: 
"Once you see the fishbowl you can’t unsee the clear water. It was through studying and making relationships with people who were further along in their learning than me that I was able to understand racism systemically — not as something that only racist people do, but as a thoughtful, intentional design that people made sure happened on purpose for hundreds of years. The work is designed as though I’m in conversation with another person of color. It walks the viewer through my own process of unlearning and ends with where I’m trying to go. My exhibition offers grace in the reality that none of us are done. It points to scriptures that we can use for inspiration while working to build a better world. And it holds the viewer accountable to themselves and others in the same loving way that God has done for us. I want people to leave this exhibit with a new understanding of dismantling racism that feels more spiritual than divisive. This is "Clear Water.'"

Walby grew up in Eau Claire and received a bachelor's degree in graphic design from the Art Institutes International Minnesota. She spent several years in the design and marketing world before making a move to nonprofit work as a communications manager. She currently serves as design director for Pollen Midwest, a Minneapolis media arts organization that "fosters empathy, encourages connection across differences and inspires meaningful action by sharing stories of individuals who want to change our collective story for the better." 
Walby has served on the board of the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts as the director of sustainable design and was recently named to the Minnesota Ad Federation's "32 under 32" list of artists to follow. She also has been featured in industry publications like Communication Arts magazine and Adobe Creative Jam, recognized for the ways in which her works demonstrate "a deep understanding of how art and design move people toward social change."  

To see the "Clear Water" exhibit in the gallery, campus members may attend during open gallery hours, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; 6-8 p.m. Thursdays; and 1-4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

​Eau Claire, Wis. – Excerpts from a panel on Race, Civility and the First Amendment from the Martin Luther King Remembrance Celebration on Monday will be featured at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 22 on “The West Side” on The Ideas Network stations of Wisconsin Public Radio: 88.3/Menomonie-Eau Claire and 88.7/River Falls. 
 
Participants in the panel included Josh Kaul, Wisconsin’s Attorney General; Eric Kasper, Director of Constitutional Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; Timothy Shiell, University of Wisconsin-Stout philosophy professor and author of the book “African Americans and the First Amendment;” and Lynette McNeely, chair of legal redress of the NAACP in Wisconsin. The moderator of the panel was Le’Trice Donaldson, assistant professor of history at UW-Stout. Teresa O’Halloran, interim Vice-Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Student Affairs at UW-Eau Claire, shared questions from the live audience during the panel presentation.
 
The panel was part of a day-long program held during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday sponsored by the Pablo Center at the Confluence, Uniting Bridges, Converge Radio, UWEC, UW-Stout, Chippewa Valley Technical Colleges, and the cities of Eau Claire and Altoona.
 
“The West Side” is broadcast each Friday at 10 a.m. on The Ideas Network stations 88.3 WHWC-FM Menomonie/Eau Claire and 88.7 WRFW-FM River Falls and via an online live stream on 88.7 WRFW-FM via wrfw887.com/listen-live.html. Listeners may call in with questions and comments during the program at (800) 228-5615. Archives of “The West Side” are available at wpr.org/programs/west-side.
 
About Wisconsin Public Radio
 
For more than 100 years, Wisconsin Public Radio has served the people of Wisconsin with quality news, music, talk and entertainment. On air, online and in the community – we work for Wisconsin. WPR is a service of the Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Listen, learn more and donate online at wpr.org.

Some University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire nursing students are engaged in the all-hands-on-deck effort to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in the state.

Blugold nursing students are part of the mobile COVID-19 vaccination team program recently announced by Gov. Tony Evers to expand access to the vaccine in Wisconsin. As of Jan. 19, nearly 250,000 state residents had received a vaccination, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

A pilot vaccination clinic is in Eau Claire on Wednesday, Jan. 20, for frontline health care workers, including police and fire personnel.

Six nursing students have volunteered to be part of the vaccination teams that are staffed by Wisconsin National Guard members, state health workers and the UW System. In addition to the experience, students receive a $500 tuition credit for the spring semester for working 16 hours with the program.
​
Nursing students can play an important role in the rapid response to the highly infectious and deadly virus, says Dr. Pamela Guthman, assistant professor of nursing at UW-Eau Claire.

Eau Claire, Wis. – Prevea Health is partnering with Jacob’s Well Church in Lake Hallie to launch a community COVID-19 vaccination clinic beginning Monday, February 1.
 
“We are grateful to Jacob’s Well Church for its partnership on this historic and life-saving effort that will help to protect our community members from COVID-19,” said Dr. Ashok Rai, President and CEO, Prevea Health.
 
The Prevea Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Jacob’s Well Church, 3211 N. 50th Ave., Lake Hallie, will provide COVID-19 vaccinations to all community members eligible for the vaccine under the vaccination prioritization guidelines set by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).
 
Currently, frontline health care personnel, residents in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities, police and fire personnel and adults ages 65 and older can make an appointment for vaccination. For the latest on who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin, Prevea Health encourages everyone to regularly check the DHS website at: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/vaccine-about.htm
 
Appointments are required for the Prevea Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Jacob’s Well Church. Prevea encourages patients and members of the public to create a MyPrevea account at myprevea.com as this is where vaccine scheduling is available. You do not have to be a Prevea patient to sign up for a MyPrevea account or to receive a vaccine at the Prevea community vaccination location. You can also visit www.prevea.com/vaccine for additional information or call 1 (833) 344 – HERE (4373) for assistance. Appointment availability is dependent on available vaccine supply that is provided by Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
 
Please note: Prior to the opening of the Prevea Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Jacob’s Well Church on Feb. 1 -  those eligible for vaccination (frontline health care personnel, residents in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities, police and fire personnel, and adults ages 65 and older) can make appointments with Prevea Health to be vaccinated at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital, 900 W. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire. Again, appointments are required through MyPrevea or by calling 1 (833) 344 – 4373. Appointment availability is dependent on available vaccine supply that is provided by Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
 
About Prevea Health
Founded in Green Bay, Wis. in 1996, Prevea Health is a health care organization that provides high-quality, primary and specialty health care in 80+ locations across northern, eastern and western Wisconsin in clinic and hospital settings. It is partnered with six Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals across Wisconsin to provide patients a system of highly-coordinated care, close to home: HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay; HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan; HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls; HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire; and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls. For more information, visit www.prevea.com.

​Eau Claire, WI-- WESTconsin Credit Union is pleased to announce the donation of $10,000 to the L.E. Phillips Senior Center in Eau Claire. The donation will specifically benefit the “Fit for the Future” Campaign to design and build a 4,000 square foot fitness facility and remodel the existing lower level. The renovation will provide space for additional physical fitness programs and create rooms to support partnerships with area organizations like the Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) and Chippewa Valley Learning in Retirement.

As Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Legislature develop the new 2021-23 biennial state budget, The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce has written the Governor, strongly encouraging the inclusion of the second phase funding of the Science & Health Sciences Building at UW-Eau Claire. 

“There is no other current project that is more important to the future of our regional economy and workforce than this urgently needed replacement for the aging and outdated Phillips Hall,” asserts the letter, signed by Chamber Board Chair Scott Biederman and President/CEO Dave Minor.

The letter points out that the new building goes beyond the direct benefit to the UWEC Campus because it includes a planned research collaboration with Mayo Clinic Health System, will spark innovation and new business spin offs, enhances the ability to attract and retain talent, and will be the site of a new Blugold Center for High Performance Computing in partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

Two years ago, the 2019-21 State Budget included $209 million for the first phase funding of the project, with the understanding that the second phase would be funding would be provided in the 2021-23 budget so UWEC could achieve its goal to design a unified, efficient building, thereby allowing for a shortened construction timeline, cost savings for taxpayers, and timely completion to successfully realize all of its potential benefits.

The project has garnered bi-partisan support among Chippewa Valley area legislators, many of whom have cited it as the top area priority for the new legislative session.

See the letter below...

If you wish to contact Governor Evers and your legislators about this project:
Email Governor Evers (Office of the Governor)
Find and contact your legislator (Wisconsin Legislature interactive map)

Posted by Scott Rogers, Governmental Affairs Director
rogers@eauclairechamber.org

MARSHFIELD – Marshfield Clinic Health System is now scheduling community health care workers and emergency responders in north-central Wisconsin who qualify for COVID-19 vaccination based on the Wisconsin State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee’s definition of a health care worker.

These individuals include health care personnel and emergency responders who provide direct patient care or engage in services that place them into contact with patients who are able to transmit SARS-CoV-2, and/or infectious material containing SARS-CoV-2. These workers include behavior health providers, chiropractors, dental services, emergency medical responders, police, firefighters, hospice workers, pharmacists, social workers and many others.

“Our communities have many health care workers who interact with their patients and clients daily and need the protections offered by the COVID-19 vaccines,” said Tammy Simon, Vice President at Marshfield Clinic Health System’s Institute for Quality Innovation and Patient Safety. “We are working tirelessly to use the vaccinations we receive from the State and get them into frontline health care providers, and now our community health care workers, as soon as we can.

Visit the Marshfield Clinic Health System website at marshfieldclinic.org/community-vaccine to enroll yourself for the COVID-19 vaccine. You will need to provide the name of your organization, your job position(s), contact information and date of birth. You will then be contacted within several days to schedule an appointment. We request patience as we anticipate a high number of health care workers reaching out to us to schedule a vaccination.

Marshfield Clinic is offering vaccinations at our medical offices in 14 communities across Wisconsin.
​
The COVID-19 vaccine is not available to most patients at this time.

“We are expecting further guidance from the State about the rollout of the vaccine beyond these groups in the coming weeks,” Simon said. “We are working on our vaccine rollout plan now to ensure we are ready when the State is ready. We will communicate out to the community once the vaccine is available.”

Green Bay, Wis. – At Prevea Health, we recognize widespread disparities exist in health outcomes and care in the state of Wisconsin. According to the 2020 Wisconsin Health Disparities Report: Rural and Urban Populations, the state of Wisconsin received a D on this report as it relates to providing equitable care across race/ethnicity and payer categories.

Prevea Health is committed to caring for all and ensuring health care is readily available to all. To carry this commitment forward, Prevea Health is honored to welcome Renita Robinson, MEd, MS, ABD to its family as Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. As part of this role, Renita will mine through available data to identify disparities in our health care system statewide and offer solutions to eliminate those disparities.

​DAVENPORT, Iowa – Per Mar Security Services, the largest family owned full service security company in the Midwest, is pleased to announce that Brian Duffy has been promoted from Chief Operating Officer of Per Mar to President and Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2021. Brian Duffy becomes the third generation of the Duffy family to lead Per Mar. The company was founded by John and Eleanor Duffy in Davenport, Iowa in 1953. Michael Duffy will continue with the company as Chairman of the Board.

The Chippewa Valley will honor the life and work of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 18, with a virtual event that includes history, training and education, culminating in a virtual community concert at Pablo Center at the Confluence.
The day of programming, titled the Chippewa Valley 2021 Martin Luther King Remembrance Celebration, will be livestreamed beginning at noon through Pablo Center and Facebook Live on the King Remembrance Program Facebook page. Community members can register on the Pablo Center site. Parts of the day’s events will be broadcast live on Converge Radio, 101.9 FM.

​Eau Claire, Wis. – Kevin McMullin, musician, storyteller, writer and educator, will be joining host Al Ross on “Spectrum West” at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14 on The Ideas Network stations 88.3/Menomonie-Eau Claire and 88.7/ River Falls. The show will also feature the outline of a potential season at a theater in Rice Lake, announcements of current events at the public library in Eau Claire and a preview of a dance performance by an Eau Claire company taking place at the end of the month.
 
Ross will be welcoming back frequent guest Kevin McMullin to talk about his new book “Into the Black Sea: Stories of Darkness and Light.” McMullin is a musician and educator as well as an author. The book is an adaptation of his stage show of the same name. McMullin will be reading from the book.

​Eau Claire, Wis. – State Senators Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, and Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, will talk about the new legislative session and issues that will impact their western Wisconsin constituents at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 15 on “The West Side” on The Ideas Network stations of Wisconsin Public Radio: 88.3/Menomonie-Eau Claire and 88.7/River Falls. 
 
Smith and Bernier will join host Dean Kallenbach for a look ahead to the spring legislation, which will include negotiations over the biennial state budget and COVID-pandemic relief. They will also share their thoughts about other legislation expected to come up in the current legislative session, including the creation of new legislative and Congressional districts in Wisconsin for the next ten years.

Green Fleet is a sustainable, luxury ride service based in Eau Claire, WI that operates exclusively with Tesla electric vehicles. Our goal is to provide quality, luxury ride services while educating and promoting the public on the benefits of electric vehicles.

Service Offerings:
1. Private Ride Service: Reserves the entire vehicle for up to 4 passengers with luggage
        a. Available 7 days/week with pickup from 5 AM to 8 PM
        b. Service to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Rochester, La Crosse and Wausau
2. Hourly Ride Service: Reserves the entire vehicle for up to 4 passengers with luggage
        a. Available 7 days/week with 24 hour pickup b. Perfect for special occasions
3. Executive Shuttle Service: Operates between The Lismore in downtown Eau Claire and the MSP Airport.
        a. Operates Monday – Friday with up to 3 passengers per trip
        b. The Lismore to MSP: 5:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 5:30 PM
​        c. MSP to The Lismore: 7:30 AM, 02:00 PM, 7:30 PM

​(Eau Claire, Wis.) – As our community continues to respond to the ongoing pandemic, Eau Claire City-County Board of
Health, Eau Claire City Council, and Eau Claire County Board have partnered to identify actions that may be needed to
protect the well-being of our residents, businesses, educational institutions, healthcare, and other community partners. One evidence-based community strategy is the use of facemasks in public spaces.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is currently considering the Governor’s legal ability to declare multiple emergency
declarations for the same emergency. If the court determines multiple emergency declarations cannot be issued, then
the requirement for the use of masks will no longer be in place across Wisconsin. Additionally, the current State
mandate ends January 19th and the Governor has not given an indication of whether there will be a continuing State
order if it is legally permissible.

​(Eau Claire, WI – January 11, 2021) – In the past ten months, no one has escaped the impact of COVID-19 on our families and our communities. In December, 2020, DigiCOPY began working with Compassion in Action, a faith based non-profit organization in Marshfield, WI, on their “Be the Light” program.  DigiCOPY printed cards and envelopes for the organization’s “Be the Light” COVID-19 care packages-supporting COVID-19 positive patients, front-line pandemic workers and children/teens struggling with the impacts of coronavirus.
 
DigiCOPY is now supplying complimentary cards and envelopes in their Eau Claire store location, 1033 W. Clairemont Avenue, to help communities show compassion in action and “Be the Light.”  “I invite you to stop by DigiCOPY and pick-up complimentary cards and envelopes to help uplift the spirits of family members and neighbors in need during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said DigiCOPY CEO/Founder Craig Shuler. “We are pleased to provide the cards to our customers and community and help “Be the Light” for COVID positive patients, front-line workers and children and teens struggling with the pandemic,” Shuler adds.

We need assistance to get Eau Claire County residents vaccinated!
As you may know, COVID-19 vaccinations began in Eau Claire County in December.  Vaccinations are currently happening for healthcare workers and long-term care staff and residents, as these groups are the priority to receive vaccine based on state and federal guidelines. There are several entities in the area that are approved vaccinators and providing vaccines to this group.
 
The Health Department is also an approved vaccinator and we are requesting assistance with our appointment-only COVID-19 vaccination clinics on Wednesdays in Eau Claire. Training will be provided. Staff working the clinic will be supplied with appropriate PPE. Please read in entirety.
Additional details on how to sign up:

• January clinic shifts are from 12:30 – 7 pm, including training, set up, and tear-down. Vaccine appointments are scheduled from 2-6. If you volunteer for the same position at more than one clinic, you will not have to arrive as early at future clinics.
• February clinic shifts will run from 11 am to 7 pm on February 3 and 9 am to 7 pm the rest of February including training, set up, and tear down. If you volunteer for the same position at more than one clinic, you will not have to arrive as early at future clinics.
• We are looking for people who can work only one or a few clinics sporadically, AND people who can commit to several clinics in the same volunteer position
  • If you can only commit to one clinic at a time, please sign up directly using the SignUp Genius below
  • If you can commit to several clinics, please email Paulette Magur <Paulette.Magur@co.eau-claire.wi.us>.  We ask that you work the same position at each clinic to reduce the need for retaining staff. Include your name, phone #, dates that you can work, shifts you can work, and desired position(s).  Paulette will be in touch to work you regularly in to the schedule in a way that works for you.

​COVID Clinic Staff and Volunteer Sign-up Links
Jan 13th- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B044EA9AC22A6FF2-covid196
Jan 20th- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B044EA9AC22A6FF2-covid192
Jan 27th- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B044EA9AC22A6FF2-covid198
 
 
If you can’t assist at these times but would like to assist in the future:
Please email Samuel Simmons <Samuel.Simmons@co.eau-claire.wi.us> and indicate that you would like to be put on the list to volunteer at future clinics when dates and times are finalized.
Questions: Please contact Paulette Magur <Paulette.Magur@co.eau-claire.wi.us>

​Eau Claire, Wis.: The Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. (DECI) Board of Directors released a second round of grant assistance to downtown businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The DECI Grant Committee reviewed applications and awarded 23 applicants with grants in the amount of $1,500 each, for a total of $34,500. In June of 2020, DECI awarded $46,500 in assistance grants to members. In total, the organization has distributed $81,000 in direct relief grants to downtown member businesses and organizations. Recipients of the DECI Relief Grants issued in June of 2020 were also eligible to apply for grants this round. 

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Royal Credit Union is partnering with Chippewa Valley Technical College and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to provide assistance to community members with their tax returns.  VITA was created to provide free income tax return assistance to taxpayers who cannot afford to pay for professional help. VITA volunteers provide free tax assistance to anyone with an adjusted gross annual income of $57,000 or less including disabled, non-English speaking, senior citizens and special needs taxpayers. 
 
This service will be available on Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m. from February 4 until April 15, with the exception of March 25.  Services will be provided at CVTC’s Business Education Center at 620 W. Clairemont Avenue in Eau Claire.  Appointments for VITA are required; appointments can be made by going to www.rcu.org/vita or by calling 800-341-9911 and dialing extension 6.
 
Precautions like mandatory masks, temperature checks, and physical distancing will all be in place to ensure everyone’s safety.  To limit the number of people involved, it is asked that only the client/spouse attend the appointment.  Translators or caregivers will be allowed for those clients that require them.  Royal Credit Union is among a number of credit unions in Wisconsin who are taking the initiative to help build financially strong, self-supporting families and communities by offering innovative services like VITA.
 
Tax returns are prepared by student volunteers from Chippewa Valley Technical College who have taken the steps to become certified by the IRS and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.  VITA offers free basic income tax return preparation and e-filing.  Taxpayers with complicated returns or questions will be referred to an IRS publication, to the IRS, or to seek private professional assistance. Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis by the VITA volunteer.  Those that take advantage of this unique service are asked to bring photo ID, social security cards for taxpayer and all dependents, earnings statements, a copy of their tax return from last year, forms 1095(A, B or C) affordable health care statements, rent certificates from landlord or property tax statement, financial institution’s routing and account numbers for direct deposit.
 
About Royal Credit Union
Royal Credit Union is a federally insured credit union proudly serving over 220,000 Members in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Royal is driven by a core ideology built on a strong purpose and values. You can open an account or apply for a low-rate loan at Royal Credit Union if you live or work in 26 counties in western Wisconsin or 16 counties in Minnesota. Counties served in Wisconsin include Adams, Ashland, Bayfield, Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Lincoln, Marathon, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Washburn, and Wood. Counties served in Minnesota include Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Wabasha, Washington, Winona and Wright. Realtors in the state of Wisconsin or Minnesota are also eligible to join the credit union. Visit rcu.org or call Royal Credit Union at 800-341-9911 for more information.EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Royal Credit Union is partnering with Chippewa Valley Technical College and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to provide assistance to community members with their tax returns.  VITA was created to provide free income tax return assistance to taxpayers who cannot afford to pay for professional help. VITA volunteers provide free tax assistance to anyone with an adjusted gross annual income of $57,000 or less including disabled, non-English speaking, senior citizens and special needs taxpayers. 

On Tuesday, January 12 the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire hosted the annual Business Community Breakfast virtually this year. The event was streamed via Perigon at WIN Technology and included a State of the University report from Chancellor James Schmidt as well as a panel composed of faculty, staff, and students who shared details about new initiatives and plans UW-Eau Claire has for the future. During the State of the University report, Chancellor Schmidt discussed the university’s quick response to COVID, challenges the university will face in upcoming years, and a few points of pride for UW-Eau Claire.
​
The Chancellor began his report thanking the Chamber and the community saying, “there isn’t a single thing the Chippewa Valley can’t accomplish if we respect each other as partners and neighbors, and work together.” Through efforts such as the Chamber’s advocacy with legislators in Madison and Washington D.C., the Chippewa Valley Economic Recovery Task Force, and continued advocacy for replacing Phillips Hall on campus, he has continually seen the local community’s positivity and determination to succeed.

UW-Eau Claire's successful fall semester
This past fall saw the university working hard with the community to develop effective COVID mitigation protocols to keep everyone safe during the unprecedented fall semester. Through virtual career fairs and a team of advisors to help students navigate online classes, the university has continued to connect students to local businesses and help students develop skills for life after college. The university saw extremely high student compliance with mitigation steps on campus, making it through three months of in-person classes before moving online out of precaution after Thanksgiving break.

Upcoming challenges 
In addition to challenges brought by COVID, UW-Eau Claire has financial challenges to plan for. The Chancellor referenced a study from the Brookings Institute which found that not a single university saw any real growth in per-student appropriations between 2006 and 2017. In Wisconsin, state funding for higher education fell by more than 33% between 2000 and 2019. The university also expects a decreased number of high school students around the year 2025.

This decrease in state funding, tuition freezes, and prospective students has forced UW-Eau Claire to come up with new strategies to recruit and retain new students. This has involved developing a more strategic marketing campaign to reach incoming students and continuing to become a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive campus.

Science building developments
The Chancellor is also hopeful that the new science building will recruit the best and brightest students to the Chippewa Valley. Plans for the new science building to replace Phillips Hall continues to remain a focus of the university. With developments for a new science building underway and an exciting new partnership with Mayo Clinic, the Chancellor is confident UW-Eau Claire will enhance its reputation in the Midwest.

UW-Eau Claire's accomplishments 
With plans to address current and future challenges in place, Chancellor Schmidt acknowledged a few of UW-Eau Claire’s accomplishments. The university was once again, named the top school in Wisconsin and Minnesota as being the best for veterans. It was also ranked number 3 in the United States and number 1 in Wisconsin as being the best school for LGBTQ students and the best in Wisconsin for LGBTQ students.

The new learning and teaching environment
The panel of faculty, staff, and students addressed the anticipated decrease in enrollment, the new learning and teaching environment for students and faculty, and the newly implemented training for equity, diversity, and inclusion. Billy Felz, the Interim Executive Director of Enrollment Management, explained that UW-Eau Claire has partnered with a consulting firm to increase and improve the university’s advertising to Incoming students by uniquely targeting students based on their personality. Applications are now up over 50% compared to last year. Lauren Becker, a student at UW-Eau Claire and Director of the Student Office of Sustainability explained that the current learning environment has seen much grace from both the instructors and the students. While virtual learning is not bad, it is a different environment than usual requiring much adjustment. Dr. Louisa Rice, professor and chair of the History department, agreed with Becker explaining that teaching during the pandemic has required faculty members to go from in-person to online, and at times, a little of both. However, Dr. Rice is proud of the way instructors have risen to these challenges and still created meaningful relationships with students.

New university developments 
Members of the panel also discussed some developments going on within the university. Becker said the Sustainability and Climate Action task force has a vision to make UW-Eau Claire the most sustainable university in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Dr. Rice has been working with other faculty members to incorporate the humanities and the sciences to create a certificate on holistic medicine that would incorporate not just the science of health but also the whole person. Dang Yang, the Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, explained that while equity, diversity, and inclusion training has currently been focused on faculty and staff, this training will begin for students this next fall. The university is also working with Alumni and local partnerships to extend equity, diversity, and inclusion to make the Eau Claire community more inclusive and diverse.

Chancellor Schmidt concluded the event by saying, "our community has tackled the pandemic together and we look to continue to collaborate." The interdependence between UW-Eau Claire and the local community has created a sense of unity few business communities and public universities have.
 
More Information:
Video Recording: 2021 Chamber/UWEC Breakfast (Perigon) 
UW Eau-Claire looks to bolster Blugold enrollment (WEAU 13 News)

The 2021 Chamber/UW-Eau Claire Breakfast was sponsored by EO Johnson Business Technologies, Market & Johnson, Inc., Mayo Clinic Health System-Luther Campus, McDonough Manufacturing Company, Northwestern Bank, and Perigon sponsors Prevail Bank and Royal Credit Union. 
 
​
Posted by Grace Hanson, Governmental Affairs Intern
hanson@eauclairechamber.org 

The Chippewa Valley Community Chorus is embarking on a unique season this spring. It is joining the many great local organizations in adapting to the current times by going virtual. Though this is a new challenge, it is an exciting one. It will allow us to bring together members not only from the Chippewa Valley but also from across the country. We will be keeping to our short spring season, rehearsing Tuesdays January 12th-March 16th from 7-8:30 pm, and will culminate the season by compiling a recorded virtual concert to share with those in our communities. The format will be different, meeting via zoom with one hour of rehearsing music for the concert followed by a half-hour relaxed sing-a-long format. We will give members the option of participating in one or the other parts of the rehearsals or both if they would like. Our director, accompanist, and board are all collaborating to make this unique season enjoyable for all, and we hope to continue to bring music to those around us. After all, we believe that singing and working together is the way we can change the world.

Today Prevea Health began administering second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to its health care workers, along with those at its HSHS hospital partners in Wisconsin. The second dose, which is required for maximum effectiveness (94%) of the vaccine, is given 21 days after the first dose.
 
“From the moment these vaccines first became available to us by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services just 21 days ago, our teams have been working swiftly, yet carefully to effectively immunize every health care worker within the Prevea Health and HSHS Wisconsin systems that wishes to be vaccinated,” said Dr. Ashok Rai, President and CEO at Prevea Health. “We are immensely proud of the work our teams have done so far to get our health care workers and community EMS teams vaccinated. We continue to eagerly await the opportunity to offer these life-saving vaccines to our community members and put an end to this pandemic.”

Charter Bank is proud to announce that Sassha Rongholt has joined the Charter Bank as the Internal Auditor. She will be responsible for the internal audit and review of all functions performed by bank personnel, for establishing the bank’s Risk Based Audit Program, and the timely execution of both internal and external audits in accordance with the annual audit plan.
​
Rongholt comes to Charter Bank with 10 years of internal audit experience within the financial service line and 16 years of banking experience. Most recently, she was the Internal Audit Manager at Wipfli LLP in Eau Claire. Rongholt has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from DeVry University in Chicago.

(December 2020) The employees of Market & Johnson continue their community support throughout western Wisconsin by donating $60,000 to several organizations through the Market & Johnson Employee Impact Fund (EIF). Organizations benefiting from the fund in 2020 include both Eau Claire and La Crosse Junior Achievement offices, both Eau Claire and La Crosse Big Brothers Big Sisters, both Eau Claire and Black River Falls Boys & Girls Clubs, St. Croix Valley Foundation - Sterbernz Ryan Scholarship, Chippewa Valley Street Ministry, Eau Claire School Foundation Homeless Program, La Crosse Veterans Mentor Program, Collaborative to End Homelessness, and the Eau Claire Community Foundation Covid-19 Response. “Our employees never cease to amaze us,” said Jason Plante, Vice President, Market & Johnson. “Many people today are facing difficult times, and our team has stepped up and set a record amount of money to give back to those in need.”

After twenty-one years of service to the Chippewa Valley Technical College district, President Bruce Barker has announced his retirement. 

At the regular meeting of the CVTC Board on Tuesday, Dec. 15, the board voted to hire The Association of Community College Trustees executive search division to assist with the selection of the next CVTC president. Barker will retire effective July 1, 2021.
​
Over the past 12 years as president, Barker has been at the center of efforts to meet the region's workforce needs, a vital part of the mission of CVTC. Barker joined CVTC in 1999 as director of human resources and became vice president of operations the following year. In 2008, he was selected as the 10th president of CVTC.

“Being part of the CVTC team has been a wonderful experience and privilege,” Barker said in his announcement to employees Tuesday evening. “I will always be extremely proud and grateful for what we have accomplished. CVTC provides our students with options, hope, direction and the skills and confidence to succeed. We provide our communities with essential workers, experts in every field, entrepreneurs and leaders.”

Curtiss Anderson war recently working on on an electrical controller training unit in December at the Mechatronics lab in Chippewa Valley Technical College’s Gateway Campus. However, Anderson is not a typical student in the Mechatronics program, which was formerly known as Industrial Mechanics. In fact, he is a member of the program’s Advisory Committee, which includes professionals in the field and helps guide the program to ensure students learn the skills they need.
 
“I came back as a student for the electrical maintenance and PLC (programmable logic controller) refresher, but I am learning a lot too,” said Anderson, 45, a technical operations manager at Premium Waters in Chippewa Falls.
 
Anderson was only enrolled in one class during fall semester and was not in any degree program. Such students, known as undeclared or non-contract students, are not unusual at CVTC, particularly in the manufacturing cluster. People need to keep up to date on their skills in highly technical fields.

Security Financial Bank (SFB) is currently accepting applications for scholarships it awards to graduating high school students continuing their education.

Each year, SFB awards up to two $500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors in each of its markets, including Bloomer, Durand, Eau Claire, Ladysmith and River Falls. Recipients are chosen based on involvement in school, youth organizations and community events with particular preference given to students pursuing a career in finance, accounting or business administration. The applicant or parent/guardian of applicant must be an account holder of SFB.
 
For more information and complete guidelines, students are encouraged to download an applicationat http://www.sfbank.com/webfiles/fnitools/documents/2021_scholarship_application.pdf. Application deadline is March 1. Applications can be delivered to a branch location or emailed to bseelen@sfbank.com.

Contact Becky Seelen, SFB marketing director, at 715-930-7030 with any questions.
 
About Security Financial Bank
Established in 1934, Security Financial Bank is a locally-owned financial institution focused on business and agriculture with offices in Bloomer, Durand, Eau Claire, Ladysmith and River Falls.  SFB strives to provide products and services that exceed its clients’ needs and provides guidance that enable them to succeed. For more information on SFB, please visit www.sfbank.com or call 888-254-0615. SFB is an equal opportunity provider.

​The Workforce Connector is a monthly publication made possible by HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Mayo Clinic Health System, Prevea Health, and Xcel Energy.

The Eau Claire Area Chamber has many initiatives to help employers retain, recruit and develop employees. Many of these programs, committees, and events have been around for years; At the 2019 Annual meeting our CEO/President David Minor announced the intention of focusing on Workforce Challenges and Solutions in the Chippewa Valley. This publication and the initiatives highlighted on our website are the beginning, use the button below to "learn more".

The chamber's workforce initiatives are led by the Workforce Development Committee Chair, Monica Obrycki of Eau Claire Energy Cooperative and Kaylynn Stahlbusch, Workforce and Program Director of Eau Claire Area Chamber.

In a year where supporting our local businesses was more important than ever, our community did their part to keep their dollars right here in the Chippewa Valley.  According to the Chamber’s chief financial officer, Danielle Kummer, in 2019, the total amount of Chamber Bucks issued was $194,955. In 2020, it was $266,180, an increase of nearly 37% and an additional $71,225 contributed to our local economy. 

Thank you to everyone who purchased Chamber Bucks, to WEAU 13 News for helping us promote them during the holiday season and to the 425+ Chamber investors that currently accept Chamber Bucks.  If you are a Chamber investor who would like to participate in the Buy Local Bucks program, please contact us at information@eauclairechamber.org ​

The Wisconsin Workforce Development Association's Talent Development Council in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction welcomes you to hear from Karin Smith of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as she provides an overview of Wisconsin's Regional Career Pathways program. 

Learn how educators, employers, economic and workforce development partners around the state are working together to create Regional Career Pathways for high school students that highlight high-skill, in-demand careers.
Please register for the event by visiting the WWDA events page. Details for how to log into the call are below. You can submit questions for our speakers ahead of time by emailing them to wwda@wwda.org.

                                                                                     Zoom call details

                                             Topic: TDC presentation on Regional Career Pathways with Karin Smith
                                                    Time: Jan 12, 2021 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

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Happy New Year! As we move into 2021, we know that many of you are considering whether to require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccination.  The current COVID-19 vaccines have received Emergency Use Authorization ("EUA") from the Food and Drug Administration.  The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act ("FDCA") governs the conditions of emergency use authorization including the condition that:

"individuals to whom the product is administered are informed ... of the option to accept or refuse administration of the product..." Section 546(e)(1)(A).

Both the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 EUA Fact Sheet and the Moderna COVID-19 EUA Fact Sheet clearly specify that recipients or their caregivers must have the right to accept or refuse the vaccine. Links to each fact sheet: 

So what does this mean for employers?
Employers who require employees to get these vaccines prior to full FDA approval run the risk of a "wrongful discharge" in violation of public policy. While Wisconsin and many other states recognize the "at-will doctrine" (employer may terminate employees at any time for any reason) there are exceptions.  One such exception is "when the discharge is contrary to a fundamental and well-defined public policy as evidenced by existing law." (See Brockmeyer v. Dun & Bradstreet, 113 Wis.2d 561, 335 N.W.2d 834 (1983))
Accordingly, employees terminated for refusing the vaccine under the FDCA likely have a viable claim for wrongful discharge under the public policy doctrine.
​
Bottom line: Once the vaccine receives formal FDA approval (barring religious or accommodation issues as we reported in our previous e-alert:  Breaking News! EEOC Issues Vaccine Guidance), you can take a stronger stance on requiring the vaccine.  Until then, we recommend you steer clear of a mandate.

​We invite you to learn more about how to explore a “life-changing career” at Mayo Clinic!
Invest an hour to learn how to promote yourself in the application process. Come hear from our recruiters.
Whether you are starting your professional life or well vested in your career journey, you may wonder if you are aligning with the work you were meant to do. This webinar will provide the tools to help you navigate towards a life-changing career.
​
REGISTRATION DETAILS
Date:  Thursday, January 14, 2021
Time:  1:00-2:00 PM (CST)
Register at:  Mayo Clinic Careers Webinar
Cost:  No cost to attend
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Preview our promise to you at: Mayo Clinic Life Changing Careers.

Are your 1095-C and 1094-C forms ready? The process can be confusing and daunting. To help with 1094/1095 reporting required for 2020 and completed in 2021, MRA is offering a learning opportunity entirely focused on your ACA reporting requirements. Join us for a review of the forms! The fundamentals, such as forms and codes, are very similar to last year; however, we will cover any changes that have been made in the last year. In addition, we will discuss common errors employers make which cause them to receive penalty letters from the IRS. 
Learning Objectives:

• Review reporting fundamentals.
• Revisit affordability safe harbors.
• Explain how to report special situations, such as COBRA and union plans.
• Describe the changes in reporting requirements.
• Demystify the process with a Q&A session.

Who Should Attend:  HR professionals, business managers, payroll personnel
​
Featured Speaker:
Renee Kuhs is a Senior Compliance Attorney at M3 Insurance. She is responsible for assisting employers in proactively managing risk associated with their employee benefit plans.
Renee advises employers on compliance obligations such as HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, Section 125, wellness plan compliance, and the Affordable Care Act. She frequently hosts workshops to discuss compliance strategies and authors articles to explain new legislative developments. Renee also works closely with Account Executives and Account Managers to support clients.

Challenge yourself in 2021 by setting new goals! Follow these five tips for setting your goals. 

Wednesday, January 27, 2021
3:30 - 4:00 - Special Pre-Event Entertainment 
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Program & Award Presentations
Virtual Event via Perigon 
Cost to attend: $80

The Chamber, along with Title Sponsor, WEAU 13 News, invite you to join us for Eau What a Night, the Chamber's 106th Annual Meeting!

We have an exciting and fun evening planned with all of the elements our live event would offer:

• Celebrating the year's accomplishments, and what a year it's been!
• Honoring outstanding community members and Chamber volunteers
• Networking, in a virtual way, but still making those connections that are so important to us all
• 
  

Hosted by Chamber President & CEO, Dave Minor, and Eau What a Night Committee Chair, Marci Boyarski, this event will showcase what has been an unprecedented year for the Chamber, our members and the Chippewa Valley as a whole.  Join us as we look back on the successes and challenges of 2020, hear from area business leaders on the effect the pandemic has had on their organizations, and celebrate the remarkable work of our Chamber committees and volunteers.  Recipients of the following awards will be honored at the night's event: 

• Ambassador of the Year
• Community Development 
• Public Employee of the Year
• Chamber Volunteer of the Year 
• Woman of Achievement
• Outstanding Young Professional

Be sure to tune in at 3:30 pm to hear some of Eau Claire's most talented musical artists, Adrian Klenz and Quentin Volk, as they perform a selection of classic jazz standards. 

This event will be offered via the streaming platform, Perigon.  Attendees will receive an individual login link prior to the event.  Thank you to our Perigon sponsors, Prevail Bank and Royal Credit Union. 
 
***BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!*** 

As a registered attendee of Eau What a Night, you will also be invited to join us for Eau What a Night - Part 2!  Save the date of Wednesday, May 19, 2021 and stay tuned for more details regarding this in-person, outdoor event that will take place in downtown Eau Claire's beautiful Phoenix Park. ​
​

​Friday, January 29, 2021
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Cost to attend: $25.00 (Chamber Investor)
$30.00 (Non-Investor)

The Chamber's annual "State of the county" address.  Hear the highlights of the county's work over the past year and its priorities for 2021, with remarks led by Eau Claire County Board Chair Nick Smiar and County Administrator Kathryn Schauf.  

The program will be recorded. A link will be sent to all registrants when the recording becomes available. If you can't participate during the "live" broadcast, register anyway and you'll receive the recording.

Registration closes at 12:00 noon on Thursday, January 28.  An email address is required for each attendee to register. A link to login to this session will be emailed to you about 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 28.  ***PLEASE NOTE: If you do not receive the email containing the link to log in to the meeting, please be sure to check your spam folder. 
 
This event/program will be hosted using the webcasting solution, Perigon.  Special thank you to our Perigon Sponsors, Prevail Bank and Royal Credit Union.
The Eggs & Issues Series is a Chamber Business Advocacy event. Investors include: Partner level - Xcel Energy; Advocate level - Miron Construction; Supporter level - Banbury Place/Cigan Properties, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative and HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Josephs' hospitals

New Partnership Offers Financial Education for Youth and Incentivized Financial Education for parents/guardians
 
Royal has partnered with Power of Perception (POP), a local mentorship program for 6th-12th grade African American and biracial students, to provide incentivized virtual financial education sessions. Royal will offer virtual educational programs for both youth and parents/guardians. “It’s one thing to talk about sparking change, and it’s a whole other thing to put that knowledge into action.” Says POP Founder Dennis Beale.  “Creating relationships—now that’s action.”
​
Youth will participate in FUSE - Future US Entrepreneur program, which provides five weeks of virtual sessions to help students learn what it takes to start a business. Youth work with a Royal mentor to develop their own ideas for a small business and submit a business proposal to a panel of judges and an audience.
 
Parents/Guardians will have the opportunity to participate in four virtual financial education sessions, one session per quarter. The first and final session would be combined with a “virtual” meal (delivered to households) along with informal online socializing among the parents and youth in the household, POP director, and Royal team members. Parents/Guardians who attend all four financial education sessions will receive $100. They will also receive $5 to open an account, becoming Royal Credit Union Members. In addition, the parents will have regular access to team members from the credit union, forging a relationship and creating access to resources for their future financial needs.

The Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation announced it has awarded an Emerging Markets Grant to Royal Credit Union (Royal) in the amount of $1,500. These funds will help the credit union partner with POP and offer the incentivized financial education sessions.

Firefighters, Santa use ladder truck to spread holiday cheer at HSHS St. Vincent Children's Hospital
Today was a very memorable day for HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital in Green Bay, Wis., as members of Green Bay Area Fire Fighters I.A.F.F. Local 141 in conjunction with the Green Bay Metro Fire Department (GBMFD) and Central Church spread holiday cheer for our patients.
 
Typically each holiday season, the firefighters are welcomed inside HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital to visit with the children and deliver gifts collected with the help of Central Church in Green Bay. This year, however - to keep everyone safe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic - the firefighters and a very special guest greeted children from outside the hospital in a very “big” way.
 
Firefighter Adam Tomasko and Santa Claus climbed into the bucket of “GBMFD Ladder Truck 2” this morning and were raised almost 100-feet to get as close as possible to pediatric patients excitedly waving from the other side of their windows. The firefighters also left behind gifts, collected by Central Church in Green Bay, for all the children staying at the hospital.

Pablo Center Executive Director on “Spectrum West” January 7
​Jason Anderson, executive director of the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire, will be joining host Al Ross this week on “Spectrum West” at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7 on The Ideas Network stations 88.3/Menomonie-Eau Claire and 88.7/ River Falls. The show will also be featuring an Eau Claire singer/songwriter, an Eau Claire teacher and author, and the organizer of a Menomonie film festival.

Host Al Ross will welcome back frequent guest Executive Director Jason Anderson to talk about the ongoing situation at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire. Anderson will share information about some of the grants and government relief packages that are helping the venue, which has postponed the majority of its in-person programming through March 2021.

Parker Reed, a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Journalism graduate, will be visiting with Ross this week. Reed contributes to both The Chippewa Herald and Eau Claire’s Volume One and is both a singer and songwriter. He distributes much of his work via Facebook and YouTube.​

Eric Rasmussen, a Memorial High school English teacher, will be joining Ross to share about his various activities as a teacher and writer for Volume One and his blog www.theotherericrasmussen.com. The two will reflect on 2020 and hopes for the new year.

Red Cedar Film Festival originator Peter Galante, a University of Wisconsin-Stout professor, will be on to talk about the festival, which was cancelled last summer due to the pandemic. The festival of 28 films will be held virtually this month, from Jan. 14 through 21.

Vaccinations And Pandemic Spread Update On “The West Side” Jan. 8
​​An update on the state of the coronavirus pandemic in western Wisconsin, and prospects for public access to vaccinations in the region will be the focus on “The West Side” 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 8 on The Ideas Network stations of Wisconsin Public Radio: 88.3/Menomonie-Eau Claire and 88.7/River Falls. 
 
Host Dean Kallenbach will welcome Angela Weideman, director of the Chippewa County Department of Public Health; A.Z. Snyder, public health director for Pierce County; KT Gallagher, director of the Dunn County Health Department; and Audrey Boerner, who is serving as the Public Information Officer for COVID-19 Response with the Eau Claire City/County Health Department.
 
“The West Side” is broadcast each Friday at 10 a.m. on The Ideas Network stations 88.3 Menomonie/Eau Claire and 88.7/River Falls and online at wrfw887.com/listen-live.html. Listeners may call in with questions and comments during the program at 800-228-5615. Archives of “The West Side” are available at wpr.org/programs/west-side.

 91.9/91.5/91.3/88.5/99.9 The Family Radio Network. Inc.: The Federal Communications Commission approves The Family to expand into Western Wisconsin. As we welcome 2021, The Family welcomes listeners in the Chippewa Valley. WGNW (formerly known as WDRK), 99.9FM is now part of The Family Radio Network Inc.’s family of stations, a non-profit and listener-supported radio ministry with main studios located in Appleton, Wisconsin.
 
The Family’s mission is to broadcast the hope of Jesus Christ to strengthen and encourage listeners. The Family looks forward to connecting with their new listeners in the 99.9 FM area through their hope-filled music and messages of encouragement. They are also excited to support local crisis programs in the Chippewa Valley through their annual “Help for the Homeless” hygiene drive and “Christmas Blessing” fundraiser.
 
“It’s always exciting to see a family grow! For more than 50 years The Family has been broadcasting hope to listeners in Northeast and then later, Central Wisconsin. We couldn’t be more thrilled to include the Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley communities in our listening areas!” said Sonia Barham, CEO of The Family Radio Network, Inc.
 
The Family Radio Network currently covers Central Wisconsin (Wausau/Stevens Point) via 88.5FM, Northeast Wisconsin (Appleton/Oshkosh) through 91.9FM, Green Bay and the Lakeshore at 91.5FM, and Plymouth/Sheboygan via 91.3FM.  
 
The 99.9FM coverage area is roughly a 65-mile radius, which will include Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie and many other communities throughout the Chippewa Valley and Western Wisconsin. The station can also be heard on The Family Radio Network’s App and streaming online on https://999.TheFamily.net. You can also connect with The Family on Facebook (@thefamilyfm) or the 99.9 The Family’s Facebook group. For more information go to www.thefamily.net.

​As a primary instructor in CVTC’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) classes, Myra Sandquist Reuter knows that her students often have different career aspirations. But it doesn’t matter for the purposes of her instruction. She needs to get people trained for doing the day-to-day work of caring for patients in long-term care and hospital settings.
 
During the time of COVID-19, that work has become more important than ever. There has long been a shortage of CNA’s in the Chippewa Valley, and throughout the nation, but recently, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has become critical.
 
CNA’s take care of patients’ day-to-day needs, including feeding, showers, bathroom assistance, getting patients in and out of bed, and sometimes administering of medications. Their work is essential to the operations of healthcare facilities.