[Audio clip: view full post to listen] By Bridget Cooke The time of economic downturn does not only make buying necessities difficult–sometimes the situation can become so bad that people lose their homes. Dave Fitzgerald, a realtor with Eau Claire’s Kleven Realty, said that he knows plenty of people that have had it tough due [...]

By Paydon Miller Three years ago, Erin Roesler and Jamie Kysler opened their handmade craft and gift store Tangled Up in Hue. The Eau Claire store flourished and now employs six part-time employees. Roesler says that the increase is business is due in large part to an increased number of tourists and visitors to the [...]

By Cal McNeil [portfolio_slideshow] White and red poinsettias line the windows and white holiday lights weave through the displays at Avalon Floral, a sign of the coming holiday season. Sandy O’Connell, the owner, works on wedding floral arrangements in the back room, carefully putting the flowers into each vase. “As of this week, I’ll have [...]

When Larry Patin came to Eau Claire he was homeless and without a job. He spent his nights sleeping in a building made available for the homeless to escape the cold. “When I came to Eau Claire, I was broke, homeless, unemployed,” says Patin. Nearly a year later, Patin has a job helping the same people used to see every night.

As the cost of living in the U.S. is going up, people are looking for alternative ways to save money. People shopping for secondhand clothes increases during hard economic times.

As the national economy continues to sputter, Catholic schools have seen drops in enrollment and income. Donations to Cathlic parishes have plummeted as well, forcing Catholic schools like Eau Claire Regis to cut their budgets and find new income sources to continue their quality education.

Thrift shopping has increased because of the economy, according to experts. Families can continue to afford goods they have been accustomed to buying and benefit the environment through second-hand shopping.

Sushi chef, Tou Yeng Xiong, joins forces with Gordy’s Country Market to bring fresh sushi to the Chippewa Valley.

By Lisa de Felice
The recent economic downturn has lead to an increase in the number of domestic violence cases in Eau Claire, local officials say. Poor economic times can lead to more dangerous outcomes and act as a drain on victim service resources, but this wouldn’t have to be the case if there were preventative measures taken against domestic violence.