Brain Teaser! Can you spot Stout's new mascot?

STOUT’S GOT A MASCOT, AND THEY’RE GONNA NAME IT, BY GOD

Stout unveiled its first official, Blue Devil mascot on Sept. 22. But to name the grey-tailed mascot, they had to form a 10-member mascot naming committee. On Jan. 23, the committee narrowed the list down to four names: Harvey, Beau, Blaze, and Scorch. The names are posted on Facebook, where public voting will take place through Feb. 9 that will dictate the Blue Devil's official name. The committee is made up of five active campus leaders and students and five faculty/staff members. Assistant Vice Chancellor for Administrative and Student Life Services Phil Lyons says they looked for innovative, inspiring names that reflect upon the positive and uniting experience that the mascot formation has been. Visit facebook.com/uwstoutbluedevilmascot to vote.

LOCAL JEWELER NOW OWNS A PIECE OF ELIZABETH TAYLOR

Few jewelry collections have held public fascination like that of the late Elizabeth Taylor; nearly each piece has its own established myth. Following Taylor’s death in March 2011, Christie’s of New York auctioned the iconic lot for charity in December, the $137 million proceeds shattering world records. Among those now with a piece of this storied collection is local business owner Denise Wurtzel.
 â€¨The high-bidder on two pair of wide-cuffed bracelets, Wurtzel has intentions to permanently display her acquisitions at Williams Diamond Center for area jewel enthusiasts. “Elizabeth Taylor was a legend in the jewelry industry,” says Wurtzel. “After 32 years in the jewelry industry I am happy that we can display some of Taylor’s collection at Williams Diamond Center for years to come.”

UWEC, YMCA GET $8 MILLION DONATION FROM ALUMNUS

The Eau Claire YMCA and UW-Eau Claire Foundation are the recent recipients of a generous $8 million donation from the estate of Lt. Col. George L. Simpson, Jr. Born and raised in Eau Claire, Simpson left his hometown to serve in the Army’s 301st Infantry during World War II, in which he received two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. Though Simpson later settled in Florida, he remained devoted to his home community. The largest gifts to date received by either organization, the Foundation will allocate their portion of the gift between university athletics and the department of geography and anthropology; the YMCA’s board of directors plans to meet January 25 to determine where best to distribute their share of the Simpson trust account.