La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

US House candidate Tara Johnson joins on a Halloween evening. She put up with the half-baked idea of having adult trick-or-treating and what that would look like, while also talking about some of the scary things about the US House of Representatives. Spent the first half of the show trying to have some fun with the holiday. The second half was more devoted to some of the revelations over the past...

La Crosse Loggers co-owner Dan Kapanke in studio, as the deadline approaches for the public to submit potential team names for the softball equivalent to the Loggers. We also talked about the state's $545 million plan to upgrade the Milwaukee Brewers stadium. Began the show hitting on those topics quick, as well as the situation in the Town of Campbell, where they've been on bottled water for near...

UW-La Crosse political scientist, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio breaking down how we can get free beer, a US map of the most bought candy in October and what that tells us about Americans, plus some politics — what it means that Mike Johnson is House Speaker, and why he was unanimous — except Derrick Van Orden wasn’t present to vote. Began the show, though, talking about a Minnesota state House...

La Crosse Schools superintendent, Dr. Aaron Engel, in studio, as we discussed potentially closing two elementary schools, how the transition to standards based grading is going and what to do as truancy is at an all-time high. Began the show, though, just talking about how kids are hopped up on Halloween candy this time of year, and also asked Engel — a Battalion Commander in the National Guard —...

Rebecca Cooke, Democratic candidate for US House in Wisconsin’s 3rd District, stopped in studio to discuss getting to voters on both sides of the aisle, issues on farming, unions and her opponent’s absence in DC as a new Speaker is elected. Cooke is one of five Democratic candidates running in the 3rd District to take on Derrick Van Orden, who we didn’t talk about until toward the end of the show....

Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region executive director, Kahya Fox, joined to discuss the state of La Crosse housing, from renting to ownership, and what needs to be done. Among the things discussed was whether the city has too many rentals, what kind of housing should be prioritized and what city and county officials can do to spur development. Habitat, this year, set a record wit...

Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff in studio talking brandy old fashioned as the state drink, the fight over helping with childcare and the Senate not confirming Gov. Tony Evers’ appointees.  Began the show there, with the appointees, as Pfaff has personal experience in that he was fired as the state’s ag. secretary after 11 months on the job because Republicans didn’t like that he said the state sho...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio Friday for La Crosse Talk PM to discuss how Wisconsin was left out of the Top 50 burgers conversation, who considers themselves midwest, US House Rep. Derrick Van Orden heads to Israel, an Oprah-Mitt ticket and Brewers funding vs. child care. Started the show with Van Orden putting out a statement that he’s gone to Israel o...

First it was a state cheese, now it's a state cocktail. Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Jill Billings was in studio to talk about these ever important issues and the process to which we see them go through the Legislature. We also discussed the irony that a legislator would propose debating what the state cocktail should be, when issues that deal with child care, transgender rights, defunding the UW Syste...

We deep dive into the La Crosse budget with city council member Mackenzie Mindel. We also had to get her take on changing speed limits on County B and if she supports new legislation to save the Kmart and Hatched (Blue) Baby. Before she joined, Hunter Elsen from La Crosse Parks and Rec. joined quick to talk about the Pettibone Haunted Mile, which happens Friday evening. See omnystudio.com/listener...

Our political blowhard Adam Murphy joined to talk about a concept we've brought up on multiple shows recently, the shrugging our shoulders at political extremism, which is happening in real time at DC and Madison. We got into Republicans unable, again, to vote on a House Speaker, after taking a long weekend off. We also dove into the Wisconsin GOP admitting in court filings their firing of the ele...

Believe it or not, those Nigerian Prince email scams are still out there. They're just better and use A.I. now. That was one of the things we discussed with Jay Haapala, who runs the AARP fraud awareness program in Minnesota. He joined to talk scams and fraud, as a bit of a preview to an event they'll host next week in La Crosse. We also talked about Facebook Marketplace frauds, the lack of law en...

Bring back Kmart. That was the theme Friday with UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky in studio, in discussing the delay the city council gave developers of the Kmart lot and how we need to save the building. Three-Sixty Real Estate Solutions is getting another 18 months to bring their development plan online. But, if that doesn't happen, we began talks of a grassroots m...

La Crosse County Democratic Party chair William Garcia in studio discussing a Wisconsin GOP anti-trans bill, reports of another Derrick Van Orden outburst. We also talked evil Star Wars and hell houses. After that, Meagan Waddell talks about recreating Thriller video in La Crescent. Began the show simply talking about William's role — he's also the 3rd US House District Dem chair — but that led in...

La Crosse city council member Barb Janssen joined the show to talk about the ongoing budget talks, where the library has already stated its closing the south side branch, police and fire are seeing cuts, and a pool could be on the block in a few years. Janssen is in her seventh year on the council and represents District 3. She talks about some of the reasons for why this is happening and what the...

La Crosse Central High School Spanish teacher John Havlicek joins to discuss proposed teaching bills, how per pupil state funding is way behind — despite Gov. Tony Evers 400-year plan — standards based grading and sharks giving new meaning to water hazard on golf courses. Began the show running down the eight bills proposed in Madison by the state teacher's union and then discussed the school dist...

Mayor Mitch Reynolds joined La Crosse Talk PM on Monday to discuss city’s budget process and what looks to be cuts in regards to police, fire, libraries and pools. We also talked about how he’s involved in protecting the Mississippi River from piping water to the west. Before we got into any of that, however, we did open with sports, including UW-La Crosse beating UW-Whitewater for the  first time...

An emotional support alligator at a Phillies game has become more shocking than Donald Trump sharing nuclear submarine secrets with some foreign billionaire. That about sums up the show with UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky. Just how society can shrug off the unprecedented things happening politically — the US House Speaker ousted or a former president on trial. We a...

Talked about a lot of things with Wisconsin Farmers Union president and organic dairy farmer, Darin Von Ruden. The conversation ranged from the fight in Congress to get a farm bill passed, which should have been done last weekend, to how much money goes to the farmer when we buy products off the store shelves. The farm bill talk ranged from milk pricing going back to 1937 — can you say $10 gallons...

UW-La Crosse baseball coach Chris Schwarz joined to talk about the MLB debut of Caleb Boushley. The 29-year-old Boushley, a Hortonville, Wis., native, played for Schwarz back from 2015-2017. This is the second-consecutive year Schwarz has seen one of his former players get to the Majors. Last year, it was Holmen native Taylor Kohlwey. Boushley debuted for the Brewers last Friday, entering in the e...

It's committee week in the city of La Crosse, and council member Chris Woodard joined for a bit to talk about some agenda items he's going to be seeing, including a delay request on construction of the old Kmart on State Road. We also discussed a mental health clinic wanting to open on Jackson Street. After that, did a Rick's comment on Scott's Comment about Oktoberfest and then talked about some...

La Crosse County administrator Jane Klekamp in studio to talk about the inner workings of county government, the $19-million Hillview project and the upcoming 2024 budget. The conversation hovering around government came up a couple of different times, including how the county and the city work and some of the work the county board does in bringing things to the table. One of those things is the H...

A couple of Oktoberfest legends, Dave Ring, Brad Quarberg, joined to talk about the year La Crosse's Oktoberfest didn't sell beer. Yes, that was a thing, and it was part of a Top 5 list Quarberg deemed, "Five things you didn't know about La Crosse's Oktoberfest." Others included the time the Oktoberfest medallion was held hostage and that year there wasn't a Festmaster. Ring was the 2013 Festmaste...

Covered a lot of topics with Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff, from banning politicians from parades to a bill he introduced capping insulin costs at $35 in Wisconsin. We also hit some of the layers to Republicans looking to impeach both a state Supreme Court justice that was just elected to the Wisconsin Election Commission administrator. After that, we hit on solar farms vs farmland in Wisconsin,...

Peggy Manson joined La Crosse Talk PM on Thursday, just a few hours after she, her daughter and their dog Roscoe found the Oktoberfest medallion. It's something of a family tradition for them, and the second time doing so in the past 16 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.