Good morning, Eau Claire.

Loren Kannenberg, who served as a longtime district staff member for former U.S. Rep Ron Kind and taught at St. Patrick School in Onalaska, died on Sept.

30 at home with his wife by his side. A celebration of life is planned for Sunday, Oct. 4 from noon to 5 p.m. at Bodega Brew Pub.

The Dunn County Humane Society will host its annual Walk for Paws event on Sunday to raise funds with Bridge to Hope—one of five local shelters that allow survivors to keep their pets.

Funds will help cover pet care costs and support safe housing.

The Eau Claire Fire Department responded Thursday afternoon to a structure fire on 3rd Ave, helping evacuate residents and extinguish a basement fire near an appliance (no injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation).

Locust Lane Elementary School students celebrated their new accessible playground featuring poured-in-place rubber surfacing on Thursday afternoon.

The three-year renovation was funded by local organizations and included ice cream and music.

At emBARK, UW-Eau Claire students conducted research on Wednesday to test dogs' cognitive abilities and social cues as part of a long-term study.

Dozens of community dogs participated and earned certificates after the session.

The Eau Claire Chamber will coordinate the 2027 Wisconsin State Civics Bee for *6th to 8th* graders statewide with essay submissions open until Feb.

17, and the state champion will advance to the National Civics Bee finals in Washington, D.C.

Middle and high school students attended a clean energy career fair at Chippewa Valley Technical College on Thursday as Xcel Energy partnered with CVTC and Slipstream to offer hands-on demonstrations of electric vehicles, solar power (and HVAC, drone operations, and electrical line work) that highlighted technical job paths in the industry.

Local farmers in Eau Claire face moderate to severe drought that has reduced yields by about one-third to one-half (many growers are increasing irrigation and using hail nets) as harvest season continues.

The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program is taking applications to help 170,000 households pay energy bills this heating season — average benefits are $441 for heating and $257 for electric, and eligibility is based on income and energy costs.

Residents can apply by phone or mail through their local agency.

Helios Heuristic launched its Wisconsin Recovery Alignment Tour on a 620-mile journey, with five stops including Eau Claire, to reduce substance abuse stigma by installing overdose aid kits & offering Narcan training.

The tour gathers legislators, recovery advocates & community leaders to expand access to recovery care.

McDonell football kicked off week seven with a touchdown against Cameron yesterday, while New Auburn met Lake Holcombe in an 8—player football game and local teams competed in volleyball and girls’ golf regional matchups.