1410 WIZM

They're dirty, smelly, noisy. That's the rap on chickens in the city. That's the perception that backyard chicken supporters in La Crosse have to overcome. None of it true, says Natalie Rose Kemp, who's behind the backyard chicken movement. Moreover, says Kemp, chickens come with benefits.  She says they eat ticks and mosquitoes, which means they can reduce the level of vector-borne illnesses.  The La Crosse city council is scheduled to vote on the chicken proposal at a meeting tonight.

Some people get drunk and get into fights. Some get all liquored up and fall down, or just fall asleep. But a woman in La Crosse went a different route for her Sunday evening drunken fun, they say. Fifty year-old woman on the northside called 911 to report a house on fire with a three year-old child trapped inside. Fire department and cops apparently wasted no time getting there. Just to find out the call was a hoax. Stinking drunk, cops describe the woman; blew a .31. They also gave her a disorderly conduct ticket for the false alarm.

It's 25 years in prison for a Watertown man who confessed to robbing two banks in La Crosse. Jeffrey Haydock was sentenced today for the robberies of Citizens State Bank in June and Firefighters Credit Union in May. Haydock was arrested at his home in Watertown shortly after the second robbery and apparenlty confessed a short time later to both heists. Along with the 25 years behind bars, the 53 year-old will have 10 years of extended supervision and will have to pay thousands of dollars in restitution.

How big of a deal is the La Crosse police department's efforts to combat excessive boozing in the city? Big enough to land a nice award for the efforts. The department is getting recognized chiefly for its fight against underage drinking. The Office of Junvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is giving the department the 2010 Enforcement Agency of the Year Award. Chief Ed Kondracki says this is not just a flash in the pan kind of award but one that's been years in the making through the efforts of officers like Al Iverson and Bob Wieczorek as well as former community services captain, Rob Abraham. Kondracki also recognizes the contributions of community groups that have gotten together to tackle alcohol issues in the community.