• News tips, submissions
• Questions, comments
• Contact webmaster

• Area groups receive funds to help homeless
• Unemployment in region goes up slightly

Several area groups will benefit from a $6.6 million award to 85 organizations across the state to help provide shelter to the homeless.

The money will provide for emergency shelter, homeless prevention, and assistance and transitional programs that are administered by the state's Division of Housing and Community Development.

The Salvation Army's Grace Place in Somerset will receive $99,000. Grace Place serves St. Croix, Pierce and Polk counties.

West Cap in Menomonie will receive $54,869. West Cap serves not only Dunn County, but Barron and Pepin counties too.

In Chippewa County, Starting Points Inc, will receive $58,800, while the Chippewa County Housing Authority will get $110,000.

Unemployment in the area took a slight jump in June which follows the upward tick in statewide unemployment, according to figures released today (Wednesday) by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

Statewide the unemployment rate for June was 4.9 percent, up just 0.7 percent from May.

The head of DWD put the blame on what she termed as a "seasonal phenomenon" because of students hitting the job market.

Despite the upward move in the rate, Secretary Roberta Gassman was positive about Wisconsin's employment picture.

"Wisconsin's labor market showed improvement in June, with private sector job growth across all major industry groups, particularly summer leisure and hospitality jobs," said Gassman.

"Also positive is the trend in construction and manufacturing employment, both of which showed job increases in June for the fourth consecutive month," she added.

Within the region the only county not to show an increase in unemployment was Pierce County where the rate remained static at 4 percent.

In St. Croix County the rate jumped just 0.1 percent from May's 4 percent.

Meanwhile in Pepin County the rate skipped from 3.3 percent in May to 4 percent in June.

The rate in Polk County jumped from 4.7 percent in May to 5.3 percent in June.

In Dunn County the rate went from 3.6 percent in May to 4.2 percent in June.

Chippewa County saw its unemployment rate climb to 4.8 percent after a 4 percent showing in May.

In Eau Claire County the rate jumped a full point to 4.6 percent.

The national unemployment rate in June was 5.7 percent, a 0.5 jump from May, according to DWD figures.