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Wisconsin man charged with fleeing to Ireland to avoid prison term for Capitol riot role
A Wisconsin man fled to Ireland and sought asylum to avoid a prison sentence for joining a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol over three years ago, federal authorities allege in a court filing Tuesday. The filing charges Paul Kovacik with defying a court order to surrender and serve three months behind bars for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. Kovacik, 56, was arrested last month after he voluntarily returned to the U.S. from Ireland. Kovacik is serving his sentence at a federal prison in Chicago and is scheduled to be released from prison on Sept. 8. But a conviction on the new misdemeanor charge could lead to more time behind bars. Kovacik told authorities that he decided to withdraw his asylum claim and return to the U.S. because he felt homesick, according to a U.S. Marshals Service deputy’s affidavit.
Act of kindness during lamb sale multiplies as top bidders donate to cause
All in attendance at the 59th annual Junior Livestock Sale on Saturday afternoon at the Barron County Fairgrounds saw the ripple effect that a simple act of kindness can make. About three-fourths of the way through the auction Holly Hargrave of the Columbia Livewires 4-H Club had the auctioneer announce as she entered her 154-pound lamb into the show ring that she would be donating all proceeds of the sale to her friend 11-year-old Lexi Anderson of Cumberland, who is in need of a heart...
In-person absentee voting opens July 30
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - The City of Eau Claire will be offering an in-person absentee ballot drive-thru to residents for the partisan primary election this year. City of Eau Claire residents can walk, drive, or scoot through the in-person absentee ballot drive-thru to cast their votes for the August 13 primary, according to a social media post from the city government.
Beading night at the library
SHELL LAKE — Monday, July 29 from 3 to 5 p.m., will be a beading night at Shell Lake Public Library. Bring a friend or make a new one! We will provide string, beads — both solid colors and lettered — and rings for keychains. Participants are welcome to bring any beads or charms with them. We will provide light snacks for beaders. The suggested age for this event is teens. Participants who are signed up for our summer reading program will earn an extra entry into our grand prize drawing for attending.
Shell Lake Lions Triathlon/Duathlon Saturday, July 27
SHELL LAKE — The Shell Lake Lions Club will host two events, a triathlon and a duathlon, at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, at the Shell Lake beach. Timing services will be provided by Duluth Timing and Events. The triathlon is a traditional swim/bike/run. Participants may also choose the duathlon, a run/bike/run event. Both events will run concurrently. Individuals or teams may enter either event. Again this year, there...
County Board amends policy on public comment at meetings
SHELL LAKE — The Washburn County Board amended its new policy on public decorum and comments at open meetings on Tuesday, July 16. At their June meeting, the board approved a new policy on public comment that included a chair statement to be read before meetings, a signup sheet persons would have to sign beforehand to be able to speak, stating their full name and place of residence, a time limit of three minutes to talk unless sponsored by a board supervisor and that everyone...
Patriot Acres project awaiting city action
While a proposal to build affordable housing on Rice Lake’s south side has ground to a halt with no signs of resuming, a west side project is waiting for city action after it received a WHEDA loan and city staff is working with an unidentified developer to possibly build homes or an apartment complex to the northwest of Kern Avenue. Patriot AcresMJ Crosby of Land Quest owns property to the north of Allen Street and west of Royal Crest Drive that he plans to develop...
UW-Eau Claire works on anti-corrosive pigment as part of defense subcontract
While college students are often known to spend their summers partying, Jackie Bradley, a chemistry major at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, has spent hers in the lab. As part of a partnership between the university and a small Wisconsin manufacturer, she’s been working on a U.S. Department of Defense contract to develop an environmentally-friendly, anti-corrosive pigment that can be mixed into paint used on military equipment.
Forum will look at election inegrity, show off voting equipment
MENOMONIE — A forum will be held in Menomonie tonight to discuss election integrity in the Chippewa Valley and across Wisconsin. Dunn County Clerk Andrew Mercil said the plan is to discuss the safety of absentee ballots, drop boxes, early voting, and have demonstrations of voting tabulators and Badger Book devices. He wants to address the “perpetual lies” he hears about rigged voting systems, he said. “You have questions? Come...
Fierce Freedom takes a step toward ending human trafficking
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Many in Eau Claire took a step towards ending the cycle of human trafficking Wednesday night. The Eau Freedom Annual Run and Walk featured a 2-mile loop at Carson Park. Organizers said there was also music and vendors offering fair trade, or local goods. Organizers...
WAGNER TAILS: Sunrise and Midnight
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - It doesn’t matter to Sunrise and Midnight if you’re a morning person or a night owl, they just want to go home with you. They arrived at the Eau Claire Community Humane Association as surrenders. Since they lived together previously, it would be...
Interview: “The Swampers” to perform in Chippewa Falls
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (WEAU) - A new show is in store for audience members with “The Swampers-Branching Out”. The long-running production featuring original stories and songs by Jerry Way, will be performed August 7 and 8 at the Hyde Center in Chippewa Falls. Following two decades of original...
Superior Reds See Season End in Regional Title Game
SUPERIOR, Wis.- The Superior Reds entered play Wednesday needing two wins against Eau Claire to keep their season alive. After taking a 2-1 lead late in game one, Eau Claire rallied back to take the regional title with the 4 to 2 victory. Superior finishes the year with a overall...
Misinformation presents challenges on social media
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Political messaging on social media is hard to avoid, and many times, that information isn’t accurate. The draw for social media is different for everyone. “I do Facebook mainly only to connect with our kids and what they’re doing,” Lauri Sieben of Eau Claire...
Focus on teamwork is fitting for local 17U baseball team
Eau Claire is fortunate to have a multitude of summer baseball teams and all have a significance to contributing to the future players of the game. However, one local squad especially seems to be benefiting from all that the Chippewa Valley baseball community has built. The Eau Claire A’s Blue 17U team has a plethora of talent, as well as experienced coaches who not only love the game, but who also stress how important teamwork is to succeeding in the sport. ...
Express back in action in two pivotal series in next four days
It’s back to business for the Eau Claire Express following a three-day NBL All-Star break that saw its star outfielder excel in the League’s Home Run Challenge. The Great Lakes All-Stars beat the Great Plains All-Stars 9-2 in the annual Northwoods League All-Star game on Tuesday night before more than 2,300 fans at ISG Field, in Mankato, Minnesota. Express outfielder Brigs Richartz was one of the many Northwoods Baseball League...
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