Wisconsin Watch

Jonah Chester of WPR and Wisconsin Watch rides along with Curative Connections, which serves folks with disabilities and the elderly, including transporting them to medical appointments and other important stops in and around Green Bay. The nonprofit is part of a fractured transportation system for Brown County’s non-drivers, Chester reports. That includes Green Bay Metro’s traditional busing and...

"This is a followup story to the report from Feb. 6 that revealed for the first time that a dozen officers had been disciplined or verbally admonished over allegations of misconduct, including sharing semi-nude photos of their colleagues without their knowledge or permission. The city also had paid $110,000 to a female officer who alleged harassment. Details of the findings of the three internal i...

In 2022, a small but well-organized Kiel citizens group pushed restrictions on library books, sought to block anti-racism training and helped flip the school board to a majority that criticized efforts for racial equity and LGBTQ rights. Political tensions boiled over when Kiel schools were forced shutter early due to bomb threats aimed at halting a probe into alleged transgender bullying. But mod...

Wisconsin Watch’s Erin Gretzinger explores the saga of Zach Skrede, who bought a house on 20 acres that he later discovered was laden with discarded roofing material containing asbestos. Under the state’s “spills law,” anyone who “causes, possesses or controls” a hazardous substance discharge is liable for cleaning it up — meaning Skrede faced the prospect of a million-dollar cleanup for contamina...

Wisconsin Watch's Jacob Resneck and Zhen Wang report on a a story about a troubled cryptocurrency mining operation in Park Falls, Wisconsin. Two Chinese tech workers share a cramped motel room in a small northern Wisconsin town pondering their next move as they shell out $100 daily to keep out of the freezing temperatures. Lured by a Chinese company that recently built a cryptocurrency mine inside...

Wisconsin Watch's Erin McGroarty reports on mental health crisis services in Wisconsin operating on a county-by-county basis, yielding wide disparities in care. Originally published on January 5th, 2023.

"Wisconsin Watch’s Erin Gretzinger and other members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison investigative spring reporting class explore the history and state of hunger in Wisconsin, including the cumbersome government FoodShare program and efforts to increase the quality and accessibility of food through Wisconsin Watch's new series called 'Beyond Hunger'. " Originally published on July 21st, 202...

Wisconsin Watch reports on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers beating Republican challenger Tim Michels, while GOP U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson wins re-election bid against Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. Originally published on November 8th, 2022.

Wisconsin Watch's Bennet Goldstein reports solutions regarding dealing with harmful PFAS increasingly being detected nationwide, including Wisconsin in a compregensive guide. Originally published on November 21st, 2022.

Wisconsin Watch's Hope Karnopp continues our coverage of Dr. Barbara Knox who has now been sued for wrongful child abuse diagnoses by two sets of parents in Alaska, where she headed the state’s child abuse forensic clinic. Knox, who now works as a child abuse pediatrician at the University of Florida, was placed on administrative leave at the UW and Alaska CARES amid complaints from co-workers in...

Wisconsin Watch reporter Matthew DeFour found that at least 22 Republicans with a good chance of winning their Assembly races have cast doubt on the 2020 election — with some even pushing to overturn the results. But as the 2022 midterm election draws near, most Republicans, especially in close races, aren’t even talking about “election integrity,” focusing instead on hot-button issues such as inf...

In our recent installment Democracy on the Ballot series, Wisconsin Watch's Matt Mencarini reports about the step-by-step process a ballot goes through from creation to the four to five minutes it spends with a voter to eventual destruction. The process with its checks and balances seems mundane but has become all the more important for the public to understand as disinformation about elections sp...

Samantha McCabe, Wisconsin Watch’s News414 accountability reporting intern, reports that about 36,500 homes in the Milwaukee metro area lacked any air conditioning as of 2019. But Wisconsin’s main program for utility assistance focuses largely on heating aid during cold weather, and typically runs out of resources to offer assistance during heat waves. Reporting by Samantha McCabe. Originally publ...

Wisconsin Watch's Phoebe Petrovic interviews doctors, health care facility operators and the Wisconsin Medical Society to determine what types of life-saving abortions would be allowed under Wisconsin's current abortion ban. The 1849 law was reinstated in June after the U.S. Supreme Court revoked the federally guaranteed constitutional right to an abortion. Reporting by Phoebe Petrovic. Originally...

Wisconsin Watch’s Erin Gretzinger and Maddie Bergstrom examine the pandemic-era program providing free school meals to all students regardless of income — and why continuing the program may not be so easy in Wisconsin. This story is part of the Wisconsin Watch series "Beyond Hunger." Reporting by Erin Gretzinger and Maddie Bergstrom. Originally published on August 4, 2022.

Wisconsin Watch's tanka dhakal profiles John Schwarzmann, a retired state forester, and Ardis Berghoff, a writer in Vilas County. The two tree-loving friends are closely scrutinizing lakeshore logging operations and accuse the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources of violating its own water quality standards by logging too close to the shorelines of at least nine lakes. The DNR denies the accu...

This story explores the history of federal food assistance and its potential future in Wisconsin. This story is part of the Wisconsin Watch series "Beyond Hunger." Reporting by Sam Watson and Joey Prestley. Originally published on July 28th, 2022.

Wisconsin Watch reporter Jacob Resneck found that local governments and the state of Wisconsin have poured more than $70 million in taxpayer subsidies into Oshkosh Corp. and its defense subsidiary in recent years. Despite that, the company has sent more than 1,000 jobs south, where workers earn a fraction of what union laborers in Oshkosh’s Wisconsin plants earn. Reporting by Jacob Resneck. Origin...

Wisconsin Watch’s Mario Koran examines the coastline near Mequon, where Concordia University Wisconsin built a massive $12 million seawall 15 years ago. Although the seawall protected the private institution, it has exacerbated erosion along neighboring property, leaving bitterness among neighbors. And new evidence shows that the wall has inflicted more damage than originally thought. Reporting by...

Wisconsin Watch reporter Phoebe Petrovic talks with two Wisconsin doctors who explain that in some cases abortions can be medically necessary because of how life-threatening conditions can develop or be exacerbated during pregnancy. Reporting by Phoebe Petrovic with Wisconsin Watch. Originally published on June 4, 2022.

In our recent installment of "Living with Lyme," Wisconsin Watch reporter Zhen Wang explores the ongoing debate over whether patients can suffer long-term effects of Lyme disease — or whether the shifting symptoms are caused by something else. Wang profiles five Wisconsin women who all say they are suffering from chronic Lyme disease. Reporting by Zhen Wang / Wisconsin Watch. Originally published...

Wisconsin Watch reporter Hope Karnopp explores how market consolidation and state contracting practices left Wisconsin and other states vulnerable to a baby formula shortage. The shortage affects parents of all backgrounds, but those who navigate formula purchases through state-administered Woman, Infants, and Children programs face particular challenges. Reporting by Hope Karnopp / Wisconsin Watc...

Top GOP lawmakers remain mum on plans if the constitutional right to an abortion is overturned — and state law banning nearly all abortions takes effect. Reporting by Phoebe Petrovic with Wisconsin Watch. Originally published on June 4, 2022.

This investigation by Wisconsin Watch reporter Brenda Wintrode details alleged screaming, bullying and unrealistic demands by supervisors in the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office that employees say damaged their mental health and caused some to find work elsewhere. The two supervisors accused of bullying — Barry Irmen, operations director, and Dr. Agnieszka Rogalska, the chief medical examiner...

More than 800 Afghan nationals have been resettled in Wisconsin — many of whom are highly skilled and educated but need to overcome barriers related to transportation, child care and language. Wisconsin Watch reporter Zhen Wang profiles one Green Bay-area man who has stepped up to help eight Afghan evacuees obtain their driver’s licenses, enroll in English classes and connect with job specialists....