We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do

Eau Claire is the “Neighborhood with the Most Holiday Spirit” according to MaxPoint Interactive Interest Index. MaxPoint claims that we process more love for Christmas than any other “neighborhood” in the whole ding-dang U. S. of A. We are at the top, beating out the likes of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas, and Ft. Smith, Arkansas. MaxPoint looked at “billions of data points that measure holiday cheer with the goal of finding which locales are most engaged and interested in anything related to the upcoming holiday season.” They analyzed data consumed by neighborhoods such as offline point of sale data, social media, videos, music, local web pages, and online mags. Eau Claire and Springfield scored high in all dimensions.

Stout Gets Safe Ride Program

UW-Stout is now offering students a free ride home at night during the weekends, a program similar to the one offered to UW-Eau Claire students. To take advantage of the program, students only need to call for a ride from Rightway Shuttle between the times of 11:30pm and 2:30am on Fridays and Saturdays. A bus will pick them up in City Lot 10 on Main Street, north of the administration building. If you can’t call, simply wait at that location for the next shuttle and a valid student ID is all you need for a safe and free ride home. “SSA decided to back this because we wanted to endorse a safe ride home for students during the weekend,” said Neal Peterson, Stout Student Association President. 

Local Women's Mag Launched

A glossy, colorful new publication hit the streets recently. 5ive for Women focuses on personal growth and creating balance for “today’s contemporary woman” by focusing on their five alliterative values: faith, family, friends, fitness, and finance. As I browsed through the premier issue, the design felt crisp and clean, allowing my eye enough space to settle easily on musings over holiday budgets or bucket lists. I loved the fab finds page, featuring local shopping spots sure to get your holidays taken care of quickly. The event calendar will appeal to savvy moms, focusing on family friendly happenings, and support for nonprofit efforts in our community. Check out their website at 5iveforwomen.com for more info.

EC Bus Routes Get QR Codes

Are you tired of sitting at the bus stop wondering why the bus isn’t there yet? The Eau Claire Transit System is in the process of installing a feature that aims to solve this problem. QR codes (those black and white pixilated squares you see everywhere) have been printed on each bus sign. When you arrive at a stop, you can scan the code with any smartphone, and you will be linked to the transit website so you can view schedules and maps. In the future, it is hoped that these codes will be used to view exactly where your bus is at the time you scan, and give an estimated time of arrival. Welcome to the future.