Late blight is a devastating potato and tomato disease that spreads quickly in late summer. It can wipe out a crop in just a few days. This disease caused the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s which led to the starvation or relocation of millions of Irish, including my ancestors.

According to the Eau Claire Streets Department on Twitter this morning (Monday, Sept. 24):

A water main break has S. Barstow St. closed between the EC River & Eau Claire St. The closure should be expected to last through the day. If you have questions about the repair or are in the area & are experiencing dirty water please call the utility division at 715-839-5045

Wisconsin Grassroots Network and multiple other groups are holding a Grassroots Festival on Saturday at UW-Eau Claire Davies Center. Wis.Community and Citizen Action Organizing Co-op of Western Wisconsin will have a table at the event, and if you're coming please stop in to visit. Registration and tabling start at 8 AM in the Ojibwe Ballroom. The actual festival will begin at 9.  The keynote speaker will be John Nichols. Tickets are still available at the link below.

MENOMONIE - League of Women Voters of Greater Chippewa Valley this week announced a forum for the three candidates for Assembly District 29 on Sept. 25, 6:30 p.m. in the community room of the Judicial Center, 615 Stokke Parkway, Menomonie. Candidates to represent Assembly District 29 are: Republican Rob Stafsholt, Libertarian Brian Corriea and Democrat John Calabrese.

“Can you fix Syria?” a woman asked me. “No,” I said as I shook my head. “Syria is a bit above my pay-grade. My international work [as State Senator] is limited to work with our Native Tribes.”

Native Tribes are sovereign nations.

Tribes have their own government including legislatures and courts. Many federal laws and treaties govern Wisconsin Tribes. But so do our state laws.

Regular school board meeting for 9/10/2018. 

Items of particular interest this month include:

Interview with Jeff Smith, Wisconsin Senate Candidate for the 31st Senate District. Thanks to Wisconsin Eye for the video.

It's not Wisconsin, but it's going to be of national importance. We're running a Hurricane Florence tracker here at least through the weekend. We may possibly supplement that with some other breaking news from other LION publishers. 

Menomonie Market Food Co-op held an event Thursday evening at their store to celebrate the award of grants from the co-op to local farmers.