It's Fourth of July weekend in Wisconsin. It's normally a time for outdoors, fireworks, fun, and crowds. But not so much this year. Lots of activities are being scaled back, but many of you are going to want to go out and have a normal 4th. I get it. 

Frac sand supplier Covia has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In Wisconsin, Covia has facilities in Columbia, Dunn, Monroe, Pierce and Waupaca counties, including the only frac sand mine in Dunn. Covia has entered into a cost-reduction agreement with its secured creditors, and intends to reduce costs by $1 billion. Covia owns 32 mines, and is a result of the merger of Unimin and Fairmont Santrol.

After a week of quickly-increasing COVID-19 cases in young people, and 21% of the cases stemming from bars, the Madison and Dane County Health Department this morning ordered a reduction in capacity for restaurants and the shuttering of all bars for any non-takeout service.

[MADISON, Wis.] – Despite the heroic efforts of municipal clerks preparing and mailing out an unprecedented number of absentee ballots in Wisconsin’s April 7 election (more than 1.2 million ballot requests were made), the system experienced a catastrophic failure as numerous ballots were never delivered to voters who requested them or arrived too late for voters to cast them.

For the third day in a row the Eau Claire City-County Health Department is reporting possible contact risks in Eau Claire, again involving bars on Water St. Today's report is another contact possibility at The Pickle (at a different time) and a potential risk of exposure at Brother's. Anyone who was attending these businesses during the listed hours and are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should contact their health provider.

The Eau Claire City-County Health Department has reported two new cases of potential COVID-19 exposure. Anyone who was at these establishments on the given days and times AND are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should contact their provider to get tested. Both establishments are cooperating with the public health investigations. 

Times and places of potential exposure include:

• The Pickle on June 19 from 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM and June 20 from 11:30 PM -1:30 AM

After the damage done to statues and the capitol building, as well as an attack on a state legislator, Governor Evers announced today that the is deploying the National Guard to Dane County to protect state buildings and infrastructure. The protests last night in Madison were in response to the arrest of activist Yeshua Musa.

The Eau Claire City-County Health Department is reporting the potential for exposure to the COVID-19 virus at two Eau Claire County businesses and asks that people who may have been exposed receive tests if they are experiencing symptoms. It is possible that some people were exposed at these businesses and were not able to be contact-traced.