2022 Year in Review Pard IV

Dec. 28—The final months of 2022 kept up a fast pace in the Chippewa Valley, with a long-awaited deal on expansion of the Seven Mile Landfill and changes in local entertainment making the headlines.

October

A potential boost in transit services for UW-Eau Claire students was under discussion with the city.

AMC, one of the largest movie theater chains in the country, suddenly announced the closure of the theater it operated in Oakwood Mall.

Budget talks began at a number of local governments, including Eau Claire.

Possible changes were discussed for Highway 178 in Chippewa Falls, though a final decision was not made.

A Tennessee man was held after authorities said he kidnapped a Chippewa Falls girl. The events prompted an Amber Alert for the region.

Eau Claire County supervisors began discussing the creation of an ethics commission.

Drought concerns began to take hold in western Wisconsin. While the state was not hit as badly as others, dry conditions were noticeable.

Eau Claire city officials began discussing revitalization efforts in the area around Oakwood Mall. While the area is hardly blighted, the effort aims to get ahead of any potential issues in a critical economic district.

Elk Mound's Cindy Bourget was named Wisconsin's School Counselor of the Year.

The Eau Claire Police Department discussed an innovative outreach effort designed to build relationships with homeless people in the city and connect them with support services if they wanted them.

Chippewa Falls began offering signing bonuses for new firefighters, part of an effort to ease a hiring squeeze.

Eau Claire schools highlighted a diversion program designed to help students avoid the courts after incidents at schools.

Two Rice Lake teens were killed in a crash, stunning the community.

Festivals began announcing their 2023 lineups after an extraordinary 2022 season.

The Eau Claire RDA decided against taking on renovations of the Mt. Washington site.

After negotiations that sometimes seemed permanently stuck, owners of the Seven Mile Landfill and neighboring property owners reached a deal on compensation that allowed for expansion.

Katherine Frank was formally installed as the chancellor at UW-Stout. She was not a new face on campus, having begun the role in 2020.

An E-cacia solar tree was installed at Boyd Park.

Stanley got a big boost with announcement of a new $20 million fertilizer plant in the community.

Costco announced it would build a store in Eau Claire, delighting fans of the bulk purchasing chain.

Eau Claire continued talks with potential developers of apartments at the nearly-completed transit hub.

Alex Rongstad completed his bid to run every single street in Eau Claire.

State investigators released their report on the summer crash involving Sen. Janet Bewley which killed two people. The report said the vehicle that struck Bewley's car had been going nearly 100 mph moments before the crash.

An Eau Claire family had to deal with unexpected disruptions to an effort to adopt a boy from Ukraine, due in the most part to the ongoing war.

A student at UW-Eau Claire was charged by authorities with making a bomb threat against the school.

November

UWEC hosted a symposium on the effects of the COVID pandemic on women's health. Deaths in the region jumped in October, but returned to low levels afterwards.

A new memorial was placed at the site of a terrible crash that killed both adults and Girl Scouts who were picking up litter along the highway.

The Eau Claire board of supervisors approved adding deputies to the sheriff's department.

A Kansas company began looking at a possible solar project in Dunn County. The project could be big, with an estimated price tag of $292 million.

McDonell High School won its second consecutive state volleyball title.

Chippewa Falls High School's equestrian team remained as indomitable as ever, winning its ninth consecutive state title.

Hydroponic gardens at UW-Eau Claire held the promise of additional greens for student diners.

Eau Claire animal shelters said they were seeing more pet surrenders.

Dave Riewestahl won election as Eau Claire County's new sheriff. Travis Hakes took the office in Chippewa County.

Voters looked favorably on referendums around Wisconsin, approving the majority. That included the local bids for additional funding.

The tour at the Leinie Lodge was named one of the top U.S. brewery tours.

Micon announced it would take over the space vacated by AMC's abrupt departure from Oakwood Mall, making it the third theater in Eau Claire for the company.

Habitat for Humanity announced an ambitious goal of building 20 new homes annually in Eau Claire.

A travelling exhibit arrived in the Chippewa Valley with photos of every Wisconsin service member killed in the Vietnam War.

The first measurable snow arrived in the region. It presaged a very wintry end to the year.

A discrimination complaint against UWEC was filed with the state.

The push for a new veterans home in Chippewa Falls continued. Supporters cited a waiting list of around 400 people as proof of the need.

Regis football took the state championship. Mondovi also played in their division's title game, finishing as runner up.

A Regis teacher was charged after authorities said he sexually abused as then-12-year-old.

Wisconsin's supreme court rejected Colten Treu's appeal of his sentence for involvement in a crash that killed several Girl Scouts and leaders.

Hope Village passed its fundraising goal for continuing services.

The Boys and Girls Clubs in Menomonie announced expansion of their services.

A bid to raise fees for drop-in recreation at the Eau Claire public pool and activities was rejected by the city council.

Deer season saw hunters bring down a significantly increased number of deer compared to 2021. Officials said the snow on the ground at the beginning of the season likely made the deer more visible.

UWEC students were recognized for their development of an app to link short-term jobs with students who didn't have time for a full- or part-time job.

The annual Turkey Trot drew crowds. The temperatures were chilly, but not unseasonable. That changed by the time a group of friends ran a marathon in remembrance of one who had died and to raise awareness of mental health issues.

Local police found something very unusual: a to-do list on a suspect which listed additional crimes he planned to carry out.

Eau Claire schools faced a significant backlash against a proposal to end the Hmong and Japanese language programs in the high schools.

December

Authorities confirmed former Eau Claire County Sheriff Ron Cramer died by suicide. The announcement put a spotlight on mental health in law enforcement.

Lee Douglas retired as Chippewa Falls' fire chief.

Sun Country arrived in Eau Claire. The airline doesn't fly routine trips within the Midwest as frequently as its predecessor, but added seasonal flights to warm weather locations.

A Milwaukee firm announced it would build apartments at the site of the former Shopko in Eau Claire.

After a significant outcry from the community, Eau Claire's school board reversed an administrative decision to end the Hmong and Japanese language programs.

A student at UW-Eau Claire was ordered to pay thousands of dollars to compensate the university after he did significant damage to a dorm building.

Augusta discovered a big surprise in its memorial to those from the community who were at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked in 1941. There were two men named James Green there. They were not related and were in different service branches.

The Blue Ox announced the 2023 lineup.

Eau Claire's fire department said it was in the very early stages of discussions with Altoona about a possible merger. Altoona said it was one of several options the rapidly-growing city was looking at.

The Altoona school district began studying a potential 2023 referendum for residents.

Eau Claire's city council expressed interest in no-mow May, but made no immediate decisions about the approach favored by environmental advocates.

Chippewa Falls Mayor Greg Hoffman announced he would seek another term.

Eau Claire County considered a proposal to open trails in the county during niche hunting seasons.

Dick Leinenkugel led his final tour at his family's brewery.

A massive, long-lived storm brought snow to the region for the better part of a week. Official totals topped 15 inches of snow. The unusually wet, heavy snow clung to trees, creating numerous broken limbs and power outages.

Xcel announced it would raise rates for electrical customers in 2023.

Farm Technology Days announced it would hold the 2024 event near Cadott, at the home of Rock Fest and Country Fest.

Wisconsin approved construction of a new, $16.5 million health building at the prison in Stanley.

Chippewa Falls schools announced students would have at least one extra day of classes in the academic year in response to the prior week's winter storm.

A new Culvers and Kwik Trip site was announced for Chippewa Falls.

About a week after one storm ended, another arrived. This one didn't pack the same snow totals, but it sent temperatures plunging and brought very blustery winds that made clearing roads difficult.

Lake Hallie announced a spring referendum seeking voter approval for $700,000 in road projects.

November home sales plunged, officials announced. The 39% year-to-year drop definitively ended the hot housing market that had been a regional hallmark for the past several years.

Chippewa Falls announced creation of a new YouTube channel.

A new dean arrived at UW-Eau Claire's nursing program. Kristen Abbot-Anderson took on the role.

A warmup finally arrived in the region, with temperatures topping freezing for the first time in more than a week.

The Landmark Conservancy announced the purchase of land in Dunn County.