La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Laura Godden joins to talk about the upcoming release of La Crosse’s Top 10 most endangered buildings , plus she discusses the city’s most untouchable structures, as well. Godden is an archivist at UW-La Crosse and on the city’s Heritage Preservation Commission. Among the buildings we discuss are two that are very much threatened to get demolished soon — Glory Days Sports Pub, downtown, and the La...

La Crosse Education Association president, Jesse Martinez joined to talk about the school board elections, with their write-in candidate winning, plus how the teachers’ union feels about the $54 million new elementary school plan potentially going on the ballot. Martinez, a seventh-grade math and science teacher at Logan, started the show talking about how he handles giving students standardized t...

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds in studio discussing the Wagon Wheel Trail expansion to the city, rethinking sidewalks and bike paths and the riverbank cleanup from homeless encampments. Began the show with Reynolds talking about the FIRST Robotic Competition that was held at the La Crosse Center last weekend.  After that, we talked a bit about the NCAA women’s basketball tournament and the phenome...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, recapping the local elections and how negative campaigns played a part in the judicial race, how school referendums did across Wisconsin and the tight rope Eric Hovde is walking in his US Senate race in the state. We also hit on Wisconsin US House Rep. Mike Gallagher's "timely" retiring to perhaps sabotage his own GOP party. Ended th...

La Crosse County Administrator, Jane Klekamp, in studio discussing what happens now with a new county board, plus updates on homeless plan, healthcare center renovations and strategic plan. Spent the first half of the show talking about the La Crosse County Board elections, that included six brand new members and how they will get initiated. After that, we got updates on the Pathways Home plan to...

Rep. Steve Doyle joins to announce he’s running for reelection in the state Assembly and how attack ads backfired in the La Crosse County elections.  Doyle, just reelected to the La Crosse County Board, talks about the fliers that went out attacking him and others and how the results show those tactics just don’t work in local elections. Doyle also discusses what both the Republican and Democratic...

The man known as Brucie Bumchuckles on the radio, joins to talk about the April Fools' hoax in La Crosse that went viral before viral was a thing. Marty Severson relives the 1986 bit, where he fooled everyone with a radio ad from the "phone company" to bag your phone, because they were going to blow the dust out of the phone lines. A hoarding of bags from Quillins ensued. Phone companies wanted to...

Jane Powell kicks off the show, talking about how the League Of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area is involved in the spring elections, including its views on the two Constitutional Amendments that are on the ballot. After that, Tim Alberts joins to discuss his run for La Crosse School Board. That conversation included his not wanting to be named on the 1776 Pac flier that went out to voters. He a...

A few days from committee week, Mac Kiel joins first, to discuss some upcoming items on the Judiciary and Administration Committee, as well as a bit of a homeless update. After that, Amber Peterson joins as a write-in candidate running for La Crosse School Board.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William Garcia, the Democratic Party chair for both La Crosse County and the 3rd US House District, in studio to discuss accusations that the Democratic Party is recruiting candidates to run for La Crosse County Board. Before that, however, I rant a bit about partisanship in nonpartisan races and WIZM's Brad Williams joins to talk about the Biden campaign's reelection co-chair, Mitch Landrieu, sto...

La Crosse County Board candidate Kristie Tweed kicks off the show Tuesday and Jake Williams, a write-in candidate for La Crosse School Board wraps up, as we’re a week from the spring election voting cycle ending. Tweed, running in District 24 against Kevin Hoyer, dropped in studio to talk about why she’s running for county board , how she wants to get the word out on all the things the county can...

Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff in studio discussing work that Legislature — that's out of session the rest of 2024 — could be doing, work he is doing, like Lansing bridge repair updates, and what needs to happen with EV charging stations. Got into it first with Pfaff (7:40) on the Senate being out of sessions for a few weeks now and just what kind of work there is to do. The Legislature is adjour...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio discussing the US House passing $1.2 trillion to keep government open, right before vacation, and how politicians and candidates use social media fairly unproductively — like making NCAA picks. Began the show right there, to a degree, and how Instagram is not showing political posts anymore, unless you go through five sub-m...

A two guest Thursday, as we discuss some big events surrounding the Hunger Task Force of La Crosse, before one of the many write-in candidates for La Crosse School Board joins to talk about his priorities. First off, Shelly Fortner, the executive director for the Hunger Task Force talks about two big March events — 95.7 the Rock’s .01K down Pearl Street that raised $4,381 and the upcoming Food Dri...

Political scientist, economist and small business owner Adam Murphy joins to talk about the news how Wisconsin is funding an EV charging network, the US House's ban of TikTok and running the government like a business. Murphy owns Big Bang, LLC, out of Milwaukee.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

School District of La Crosse superintendent, Dr. Aaron Engel, in the WIZM studio Tuesday for La Crosse Talk PM, discussing the newest referendum plan, lunch debt, are there too many administrators and if school starts too early in the day. Began the show talking a bit about a huge concert that happened right after the show, but then got into a text question (5:30) on if the school district has too...

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings in the WIZM studio Monday for La Crosse Talk PM discussing some of the bills passed in the final session, including one that has La Crosse roots. We also talked how she's getting to know her new district.  One of the bills we discussed that Billings got passed, after years of work, is named Steve's Law, after Steve Johnson. He was a Coulee Region native...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio talking about conspiracy theorists running for office — Aaron Rodgers for VP — the House banning TikTok, Eric Hovde’s new plan running for US Senate in Wisconsin and a pizza flavored beer. Began the show a bit on the conspiracy theorist running for office, in Robert F. Kennedy Jr. running for president and picking possibly...

It's PI Day, and Spencer Wilken is back on La Crosse Talk PM to discuss the upcoming solar eclipse, how her PhD is going in Astronomy at the University of Illinois and, we’re still doing our regular segment, where we break news that happened from 50-150 years ago. We saved that for last, but it has to deal with the invention of the jetpack and how the three men involved ended up being, kidnapped,...

Talked about the world’s shortest race back for its 19th year this Saturday in downtown La Crosse, plus what it was like when downtown La Crosse wasn’t one-way streets and the top priorities for Rick Cornforth, as he seeks reelection on the La Crosse County Board.  Began the show with Bags from 95.7 the Roc to talk about the 19th “running” of the St. Patty’s Day .01K that happens down Pearl Street...

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds in studio discussing the sale of the former south side library, an update on the homeless situation, parking minimums and rethinking traffic — including making downtown two-way streets again. Began the show, however, talking about Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers visiting La Crosse to tour the wastewater treatment plant, which is set to open in late summer. We also spent so...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Cherosky, in studio discussing Republican US Senate candidate for Wisconsin, Eric Hovde’s odd campaign challenge, Wendy’s and Kellogg’s CEOs trying to normalize a dystopian society, and the La Crosse Steam gearing up for softball, in need of a celebrity fan. Began the show, though, talking a bit averting a government shutdown by kicking multipl...

Mac Kiel and Mackenzie Mindel in studio discussing the culture of La Crosse’s city council, three years into the first-ever female majority. We also talked about the city’s EV busses in the cold, homelessness and recapping last month’s meeting and next week’s Judiciary and Administration (J&A) Committee.  Mindel is the chair of the J&A committee and Kiel is also on it. Toward the end of th...

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. and La Crosse County board member Steve Doyle joins to discuss the details of a civilian review board of law enforcement, the state Legislature’s leftover priorities as its off the rest of the year and new voting maps. Doyle represents the 94th Assembly District, which will change to some extent and we talked about those changes and how representatives can best get to...

Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff in studio talking about his new district, how the Legislature gives itself the next 10 months off and what still needs to be done. We start the show with the ridiculous 60-degree weather but also what this lack of winter means for farmers.  Then we get into the Wisconsin Legislature having the next 10 months off and what Pfaff sees as a priority list of things that...