This is your WCFW Daily News Roundup for 105-7 CFW in Chippewa Falls and 93-5 The Tap in Eau Claire.
For 105-7 CFW News, I'm James Kelly.
The Eau Claire Area School District has released new details on its budget proposal for the 2027-2028 school year.
The district is already contending with a nearly $2 million deficit for the 2026-2027 budget, and that deficit is estimated to increase to around $5.3 million for the budget next year.
District officials have considered a number of plans to address that projected budget deficit, including ones that would have seen the consolidation of elementary schools last year.
They ultimately decided against that plan after community members spoke out against it.
After sharing the details of the 2027-2028 budget last week, district officials said they're not planning any budget cuts for this school year, but are closely monitoring their expenses and revenue for ways they can save money without cuts.
Budget issues have become a common problem for school districts across Wisconsin over recent years, with declining enrollment and overall inflation forcing districts to turn to property taxpayers for referendum funding.
The Eau Claire area school district got an $18 million per year operational referendum approved in 2024.
Menards is encouraging Chippewa Valley residents to participate in their ongoing toy drive over the next few weeks.
According to a press release, Menards home improvement stores will serve as a drop site for their toy drive ahead of the holiday season from now through December 14th.
Large collection boxes can be found near the exit doors and officials are asking for donations of new, unwrapped toys.
Local residents interested in making a donation can bring those items with them to the store or purchase them to donate on their way out.
City of Menominee officials are reminding residents that alternate side parking rules officially went into effect over the weekend.
According to a press release, the alternate side parking rules are meant to help city crews clear roads of snowfall faster during the winter and will be in effect from Sunday until April 1st.
While in effect, residents will only be permitted to park their cars on the even-numbered address side of the street on even-numbered days and the odd-numbered address side of the street on odd-numbered days from 2am to 7am.
For 1057 CFW News, I'm James Kelly.
For Civic Media News, I'm Connie Feldman.
Today's the day Wisconsin voters head to the polls to decide who they want to be our next state leader.
Wisconsin election officials say nearly 30% of our state has already done that.
As of last Friday, the Wisconsin Election Commission says nearly 800,000 votes are already in for midterm elections.
That includes more than 450,000 early in-person votes,
and more than 310,000 mail-in ballots.
The number of Wisconsinites casting in-person absentee ballots on the first day of early voting surged by 65% over the 2022 midterm election.
All but five of Wisconsin's 72 counties saw higher numbers of people handing in their ballots in person on the first day of early voting than they did four years ago.
The number of early voting ballots arriving in the mail, though, is down from 2022.
Election officials say that hints at a shift in
voting behavior tied to concerns about postal delays and President Donald Trump's unsuccessful attempts to restrict who can vote by mail.
As Wisconsin voters head to the polls today, Civic Media's Maddie Schaefer has some helpful reminders to make sure you have everything you need to have your voice counted.
Polling
places across the state are open from 7 a.m.
until 8 p.m.
today, and anyone in line by 8 p.m.
will still be allowed to vote.
Voters are reminded to bring an acceptable form of photo ID, such as a Wisconsin driver's license, state ID, or U.S.
passport.
Those who haven't registered to vote can still register at their polling place today, but they'll need to provide proof of residence.
Anyone returning an absentee ballot must also make sure it reaches their municipal clerk by 8 p.m.
in order to be counted.
If
you're unsure of where to go to cast your ballot, visit the My Vote Wisconsin website for your polling location.
Wisconsin's gubernatorial candidates have been talking to voters all around our state in the days leading up to this midterm election.
Civic media's James Kelly shares what each candidate had to say to voters at their recent stops in the western part of our state.
During a campaign stop in Chippewa Falls on Friday, Republican nominee and Congressman Tom Tiffany highlighted his plan to return the state's budget surplus to taxpayers.
He also reiterated his intent to lower property taxes and fully fund Wisconsin's public school system as districts across the state propose operational referendums yet again.
Reduce taxes as well as fully fund our schools because I did it a decade ago.
When I was on the finance committee in the legislature, we passed the largest increase in public school funding in a decade.
That was the 2019 budget.
And yet we also gave a tax cut.
We can do both.
We can give people some of their money back, but we can also fully fund education.
Democratic nominee and Milwaukee County executive David Crowley also visited Eau Claire on Saturday morning to energize voters around affordability issues.
Asked how he would seek to fully fund public education and lower property taxes, Crowley pointed to reevaluating the state's school funding formula and increasing revenue in other areas.
You do tax these billionaires, one, making sure that they're paying their fair share to come towards our communities.
Then you put together the Blue Ribbon Commission.
It's not just about short-term fixes.
We need long-term sustainability in our shared revenue formula, as well as our school funding formula.
It's not working right now, and many of our schools are hurting because of it.
And then the last thing is, you know, bring marijuana to fruition, right?
Legalizing that will help bring in, you know, millions of dollars that we've been losing to Minnesota, Michigan,
and Illinois.
I'm James Kelly for Civic Media News.
We'll see what the voters have to say later tonight.
And that's your state news update.
I'm Connie Feldman for Civic Media News.
The Badgers win their opener.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports College basketball.
The Wisconsin Badgers beat the Denver Pioneers 75 to 68 in their season opener.
Elon Elmer led the Badgers with 18 points.
But head coach Greg Gard says the team knows they can play better.
In Milwaukee, Marquette won their season opener 78 to 43 over the Mercy.
Lakeers baseball.
The brewers making moves, picking up the option on catcher William Contreras while pitcher Dustin May becomes a free agent.
College football.
Luke Fickle watched the tape of the Badgers 30 to nothing loss at Iowa over the weekend.
I'm not sitting here saying I've got any answers for you other than they're not pointing any fingers at anybody or anything because all three phases of the game we were completely manhandled for 60 plus minutes.
That's the Badgers head coach Luke Fickle with sports on Mike Clemens.
It is going to be cloudy with rain likely today, maybe even a thundershower or two, especially this afternoon, our high low to mid sixties.
Tonight, more rain likely with another round, especially after midnight, low dropping into the upper forties to low fifties.
Tomorrow, more rain with highs in the mid fifties.
I'm meteorologist Sean Cable.
Right now it's 64.
That's your WCFW and the Tap Daily News Roundup from Civic Media.
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