Good morning, Eau Claire.

Nine exotic pets were surrendered Saturday at Beaver Creek Reserve in Fall Creek when J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue hosted an event to offer owners a safe option for unwanted animals (five gerbils, three turtles, and one large sulcata tortoise) that will undergo a mandatory health check before adoption.

A new sober living house for men has opened near Eau Claire Memorial High School, offering recovery support while some neighbors express concerns about a 30% failure rate—local officials note that the first facility has had no police contact.

CVTC held a ceremony Friday morning to honor first responders from 9/11.

ECPD Officer Dan Layhew spoke about sacrifice and duty — local police, fire, and emergency teams joined the tribute featuring a World Trade Center bolt donated to the campus.

Crews responded at 6:57 a.m. Sunday morning to a two alarm townhouse fire on Stonewood Drive that caused an estimated $1.2 million in damage, and firefighters from surrounding departments contained the flames before they spread to adjacent units (no injuries were reported).

Residents gathered downtown for the annual Fall Festival where thousands enjoyed music, activities and local shopping — a vibrant display of Eau Claire's community spirit.

Phoenix Park hosted the 8th annual Chippewa Valley Multicultural Festival on Sunday.

Downtown Eau Claire celebrated global heritage with diverse performances, cultural exhibits, food trucks and kid-friendly activities (over 2,000 visitors typically attend), and organizers plan to return next September.

More than 200 participants ran Saturday morning around River Prairie Park in the inaugural 5k organized by the CVTC Respiratory Therapy Club to raise funds and awareness for COPD — volunteers from Dental Hygiene, EMT, Paramedic and Criminal Justice programs provided support.