News and Media

Governor Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin are announcing $60 million to expand access to high-speed internet in unserved communities through the State Broadband Expansion Grant Program.According to a press release from the Office of Governor Tony Evers, the grant funding is available to organizations, telecommunications utilities,...Continue Reading

ABF Ingredients (ABFI) has  announced the intention to purchase land in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The investment will reinforce the company’s long-term commitment to the region by supporting the continued growth of Ohly – one of ABFI’s global specialty ingredients businesses. The location also offers the opportunity for further expansion to...Continue Reading

Tackling the ups and downs of rural prosperityWisconsin’s rural communities face challenges such as housing shortages, aging populations, and, for some, the loss of schools and healthcare facilities.But through collaboration, cooperation, and community involvement, rural regions are attracting new residents and achieving economic development gains.Those successes were among the highlights...Continue Reading

Job development journeys for five Project SEARCH interns are coming to an end at Rice Lake Weighing System. With nine months of work experience and education under their belts, the disabled adults are now ready to search for meaningful employment.Rice Lake Weighing Systems, headquartered in Rice Lake, operates on a...Continue Reading

Amery-area residents will have access to high-speed fiber-optic internet in their homes within the next year or two as Northwest Communications extends its decade-long fiber buildout to Amery's residential neighborhoods.Scott Jensen said construction crews have already begun work on the southeast side of Amery and will continue moving north through...Continue Reading

Donning hard hats and safety vests, construction management and risk control students from UW-Stout recently stood at the base of the Cedar Falls Hydroelectric plant and peered up at the 60-foot-tall dam that creates the 1,800-acre Tainter Lake, north of Menomonie.Cedar Falls Hydro is one of 19 hydroelectric facilities in...Continue Reading

A familiar face in the community is stepping into a new role aimed at bringing local businesses and residents together.Nicole Bartley, an Osceola native and former Main Street business owner, has been named Executive Director of Explore Osceola, a position she says feels like a natural fit after years of...Continue Reading

At the SelectUSA 2026 Investment Summit, held May 3-6 in Washington, D.C., representatives from Wisconsin highlighted the state’s strengths as a destination for investment by overseas companies.Ray French and Fanfu Li having a conversation with a woman at SelectUSA.Featured industries included:Advanced manufacturing, an industry where Wisconsin has highest number of...Continue Reading

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls has received the 2026 Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Wisconsin District.The recognition comes during National Small Business Week, May 3-9, which celebrates the critical role small businesses play...Continue Reading

No robotics team from Wisconsin — at any age level — has ever achieved what a group of Rice Lake sixth-graders accomplished this spring.Members of the Natural Disaster robotics team from the Spartan Robotics Club at St. Joseph School in Rice Lake — Noah Hafstad, Zach Haughian, Eli Helgeson and...Continue Reading

From a healthcare software firm in Verona to a dairy and beverage producer in Green Bay—companies across Wisconsin are changing the trajectory of their products and workplaces with artificial intelligence (AI).Top tech leaders shared how the evolving, powerful tool is changing how work gets done during the Wisconsin Technology Council’s...Continue Reading

The River Falls City Council approved the general development plan for The Creamery at Cedar, a potential brewery, taproom and event center at West Cedar Street and River Street that the owners of The Garage Bikes + Brews nearby want to bring to the city.Both River Falls natives, Stephanie and...Continue Reading

For many communities, the biggest barrier to airport development isn’t vision — it’s funding. City leaders worry about local match requirements. Airport managers feel overwhelmed by federal processes. Economic developers see opportunity but struggle to connect aviation investments to broader growth goals.The reality is, the funding is out there for...Continue Reading

Veterans have countless qualities that employers value and are great hires and valued team members. They're hardworking, dependable, and resilient. But it can be a challenge for some veterans to transition from a military career to the civilian workforce.That’s why the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Office of Veteran Employment...Continue Reading

This National Military Appreciation month, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is inviting Wisconsin employers who prioritize hiring and retaining veterans to apply for its Vets Ready Employer Initiative.The Vets Ready designation recognizes employers that go above and beyond for Wisconsin's veteran workforce. It honors those employers that hire...Continue Reading

The University of Wisconsin-Madison says it contributed billions in statewide economic impact last fiscal year.That’s according to a new analysis that was released by the university and completed by the consulting firm Tripp Umbach.The report’s total includes $13.2 billion in estimated impact from UW-Madison, the flagship campus of the Universities...Continue Reading

If you would have told Matthew Jacobson several years ago that he would go on to become Wisconsin's first-ever teacher apprentice, there's no way he would have believed you. Though he had dreams of becoming a high school history teacher, just a few years ago, Jacobson struggled to find both...Continue Reading

“At St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity (SCVHFH), we help people with affordable housing. In this current market, that's getting harder to do as the cost of materials, land and lending increase,” said SCVHFH executive director Kristie Smith. “So as a partner in The Starter Home Project, lenders, realtors, landowners,...Continue Reading

President and CEO of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, David Minor, is announcing his retirement.It comes after 35 years in the Chamber industry, including the past 9 years as President and CEO.“It has been one of the great honors of my life to serve the Eau Claire Area...Continue Reading

Red Letter Grant, Inc. is announcing it was recently awarded an $80,000 Small Business Development Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation along with $50,000 from the WBD, Inc. Opportunity Fund.“These grants will allow communities to make the investments small businesses need to be able to grow and thrive,” John...Continue Reading

Fiddlehead Kitchen, owned by co-chefs Sarah Mittelstadt and Marlee Crave, will move from its current location inside Balsam Lake’s The Barred Owl to its own space in St. Croix Falls, with plans to open in July or August. The restaurant plans to bring its focus on farm-to-table food to the...Continue Reading

John Deere machinery has been recognizable for its distinctive green color for more than a century. Student and faculty researchers at UW-Stout are working to ensure that John Deere is also known for a different kind of green: sustainability.Led by Professor Wei Zheng, student research assistants in the B.S. plastics...Continue Reading

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development today released U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates of employment and unemployment statistics for metropolitan areas, major cities, and counties in Wisconsin for January 2026.In brief, the non-seasonally adjusted data for Wisconsin shows:Metropolitan Statistical Areas: Preliminary January 2026 unemployment rates increased in all 13...Continue Reading

Growing up in Shawano, Dr. Susan Lederer would stay up late and stare at the sky.“Our parents would let us stay up and get the lawn chairs out,” she remembers. “We would lay them flat and watch the northern lights. My grandfather loved constellations and loved space, so I would...Continue Reading