Think Eau Claire.

The inspiration for this column, strangely enough, came while cleaning out a closet in my basement last weekend.

Before boarding a plane to Honduras several years ago, Teresa Ritzinger told her husband, Steve, “This is going to change you.”

Marvin Pospishil has been officially retired for more than 30 years.

“This is a drill.”

When Bilhenry Walker first saw the property surrounding First Presbyterian Church a little more than two years ago, he said, “There needs to be a garden here,” recalled his wife, Kathryn Reid Walker, pastor of the Eau Claire church.

As he stood in the spacious, high-ceilinged entryway to Plymouth United Church of Christ Thursday afternoon, David Huber couldn’t help but reflect on a very different view he had of that site two years ago. 

Though my family typically prefers to vacation in national parks and places known for their scenic beauty, this year we chose a completely different route. We decided to tackle the urban jungle. 

There are 79 original pieces and 43 photographs by 32 artists and 170 students on display at the Milwaukee Bucks’ grandiose new arena, the Fiserv Forum.

A frightened little girl who had been sexually abused was brought to a child advocacy center in Texas to tell a stranger what had happened to her. When the forensic interviewer left the room for a moment to speak with detectives, the child hugged a dog named Petra.

The 10,000-mile roundtrip journey wasn’t without its challenges and close calls.

MONDOVI — Nash Weiss had lots of options this summer, especially after recently completing an internship with NBC News in Washington, D.C. 

Kat Schilling experienced every parent’s worst nightmare on March 30, 2012. She lost her oldest son, Zach. He was 16.

Sara Hendricks explored a number of possibilities before deciding on her current career path.

CHIPPEWA FALLS — The spark for Dan Cooper’s recent wilderness adventure came from an unlikely source: his television.

When probably the most prominent labor leader in Chippewa Valley history died earlier this year, it marked the end of an era.

The voicemail message on Ritchie Narges’ phone was an indication of things to come. 

Local reminders of his ancestors’ craftsmanship abound for Rolland Freid.

Hearing a shot in the woods, a couple of boys went to investigate and found a coyote dead and a small bundle of fur sitting by her.

Many students enjoy wearing their school colors to show off their school pride.

As some people headed to the polls Tuesday, I left the office to see Jesus.

Even a trip to the local convenience store is an educational experience for Willie Henning’s four kids.

Organizers of a new student group on the UW-Eau Claire campus wish they hadn’t felt compelled to start the organization.

Back in December, I accompanied my good friend Gene Krhin, a World War II veteran, to a holiday party for veterans at the Eagles Club in Lake Hallie.

I sat in my theater seat in the large, dark room, watching the action of the science fiction thriller movie “Star Wars” play out on the big screen before me. 

Michael Gooderum had just returned from a relatively benign task Monday at one of his rental properties.

Dennis Miller knows firsthand about the traumatic impact on local families when Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co. closed its Eau Claire plant in June 1992.

Two pieces of Eau Claire’s history — a bell and an engraved slab — have a home at The Monastery Cemetery at St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minn.

It’s the week before Christmas, and my tree is still in the bag — all because of that darn cat.

CHIPPEWA FALLS — Walking toward the library in Klein Hall Wednesday, Rich Munkholm stopped to talk to one of the newest residents.

What started as a simple phone call in 2003 seeking help working on a statewide effort to implement treatment instead of incarceration policy has become a broad-based movement to address a wide array of poverty-related issues in the Eau Claire area. 

Giving back has long been a priority for Jane Mahoney, who is hoping a relatively new statewide program can provide additional tools that enhance both her work with older people and her community.

Thirty-three years ago, my parents bought property on Madeline Island.

During Matthew Desmond’s time living in a trailer park and a rooming house in Milwaukee, he learned firsthand about the difficult, often dire situations faced by people desperately clinging to the bottom rungs of the economic ladder. 

Gunnar, Jason Parker’s best friend, faithful companion and hunting buddy, is gone; he died unexpectedly on Oct. 6 at home.

Gordy Bischoff and Tim Brudnicki huddled around a work table, discussing how to turn nearby multigrained pieces of wood into high-end guitars. 

Eau Claire police Officer Kyle Roder recently traveled to Appleton to make a presentation about the tools of his trade.

Both Andrew Holland and Joe Craven seemed destined for entrepreneurism.

The small businesses that make up the Eau Claire area’s taxicab industry now have a little more competition.

Silver-white translucent puffs of air hovered above the Chippewa River in downtown Eau Claire Friday, forming a beautiful blanket of fog above the water’s surface before dissipating into the atmosphere above.

Standing amid tables packed with chatting customers and waitresses hurriedly rushing to serve them, Mark Smith talked amicably with one patron of his restaurant. Then, a moment later, he walked to a nearby table to talk with another familiar face.

Patrons of the arts numbering in the tens of thousands saw the work of Cade Sikora at American Players Theatre this summer.

Pulling up to Bob’s House for Dogs recently, I expected to be greeted by three familiar faces — Bear, Scooter and Midnight.

Planning his wedding to Stephanie Larson, Jason Parker knew who he wanted to be part of the nuptials — his beloved 9-year-old black Labrador, Gunnar.

I never went to summer camp, or any other kind of camp, when I was a kid.

As I entered my home one late January night, I wondered at the bright white light illuminating my living room. 

When Rachel Keniston quit her job as an elementary school teacher in the mid-1990s, she feared she had lost her opportunity to pass on knowledge to others. 

Steve Dye spun off a small industrial product line from Honeywell in 1999, and the venture had clients on its first day in business.