1410 WIZM

La Crosse isn't the only US city with a population over fifty thousand in which more than half the property is rentals. Not even the only the one in Wisconsin. But, according to new census numbers, La Crosse is only one of 25 in the US that went from under half rental to having a majority of rentals from 2000 to 2010. Higher percentages of rental properties is often seen as an indication of a lack of financial stability in a population. The US average for rental properties in cities is now just about 35%.

City crews continue to pick up fallen tree debris after Sunday's storm. But they've also moved on to collecting wreckage from buildings as well. The city of La Crosse says it will be picking up limited amounts of storm-damaged building materials like siding, insulation and shingles but only from the storm damage areas. Crews will be picking up those piles--no bigger than four feet in any direction--curbside. But they won't collect if there's regular household garbage or tree debris mixed in.

After a disaster, the Red Cross is always there to help. Probably sensing a level of gratitude in the community for the local chapter's help after Sunday's storm, somebody is apparently going door to door locally soliciting donations in the name of the Red Cross. The only problem is, the Scenic Bluffs chapter of the Red Cross hasn't sanctioned any fundraising effort on the heels of the storm and is warning against giving money to anyone who claims to be representing the Red Cross. However, the group asks anyone who wants to do a fundraiser to please call the local chapter first.

Five UW-La Crosse students were silent as they drove into the neighborhoods of Tuscaloosa, Ala. earlier this May. They saw leveled homes, roofs stripped from buildings and uprooted trees. UW-L student Emily Masters said it looked like a house was put in a blender and dumped back out and the destruction was unlike anything I’d ever seen".

The five took a road trip May 16th-21st to Tuscaloosa to help with relief efforts after the city was struck by a mile-wide tornado April 27th — one of many southern cities to suffer destruction and death from the storms. Student Hannah Mixdorf had the idea and connections to Tuscaloosa from previous service work in the city.

Throughout the week they helped with distribution of goods at a church and warehouse; and helped clean up damaged neighborhoods.

The students had just wrapped up classes and hadn’t yet started summer jobs. Student Betsy Collins had planned to return home to Janesville, but changed her mind when she heard a fellow student talking about helping out tornado-ravaged Tuscaloosa.

The students say seeing that type of destruction puts things in perspective.