1410 WIZM

Many kids never get a swim lesson. Any number of reasons. Lack of resources. No time at the pool. Possibility to correct that in August. With a week of free swim lessons at the YMCA with the help of Gundersen Lutheran. Kim Lombard from Gundersen says learning some of the basics of water safety is essential for kids.   Proven, she says, by the number of accidental drownings of children that occur in the state every year. The Y says they can take over a hundred kids for the week of free lessons. Classes start the second week of August.

Earlier this month, the picture of job creation in Wisconsin was a pretty rosy one. Governor Walker made a show of announcing the nine thousand plus jobs created in the state over one month. New report from the state's labor department shows that not every place in Wisconsin is sharing in the bounty. La Crosse is one of the areas where numbers of jobs have actually disappeared month to month and since last year. The metro area has lost 1200 jobs since last year and about four hundred from May to June. Unemployment rate in La Crosse is still one of the best in the state, at 6.7%, right behind the Madison area.

The La Crosse Police Department is currently seeking information on the whereabouts of Avery B. Gipson, a 15 year old male. He was last heard from around 10:30 p.m. Wednsday night in the area of 200 South 5th Ave in La Crosse. Police say at this time there is no reason to believe he is in danger. He has not been in touch with family or friends since that time Wednesday night.

Gipson is a white male, and is 5’ 10” tall, weighing about 140 lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was possibly wearing Khaki shorts, white “Element” T-Shirt with a tan colored tree on the front, and gray“Vans” skateboarding shoes.

Anyone with any information regarding Avery Gipson should immediately contact the La Crosse Police Department at 785-5962.

After an intensive 14 month planning process the City of Onalaska is poised to begin construction on a project that will change the face of downtown Onalaska. The Great River Road/State Hwy 35 Streetscape Project will enhance a 7 block area of the Hwy 35 corridor just south of Elm to King Street, making the downtown area more attractive and friendlier to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Once complete this will revitalize the downtown shopping area creating a dynamic that is designed to attract more businesses. We are anticipating that ripples from this project will positively impact the entire City.

The City received a substantial Transportation Enhancement grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation grant, which will pay for 80% of the project’s cost with the City picking up the remaining 20%. With construction starting in the spring of 2012 the City is partnering with the Onalaska Enhancement Foundation to raise the City’s share of the project’s cost.

Donations can be made to the Onalaska Enhancement Foundation and are tax deductible. Fundraising booklets are available at City Hall, the Onalaska Library and the Center for Commerce and Tourism.