La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

La Crosse County Sheriff's Office investigator Fritz Leinfelder joined in studio. Leinfelder is one of two candidates running for sheriff. He's going against John Siegel. On the show, we discussed the mental health aspect of the job, as it’s now Suicide Awareness month. We also talked about the county’s dilemma of keeping jailers and what can be done there. Leinfelder also revealed some of the end...

Mark Neumann in studio to talk about city council and local government a bit, as well as his experience in running for the US House of Representatives here for the 3rd Congressional District. Part of the conversation was about the Finance and Personnel Committee meeting coming up Thursday, which includes the Capital Improvement Budget ($40 million in spending for 2023) and the next five years. See...

State Assembly Rep. Jill Billings of La Crosse joined for the hour. The topics we covered included the DOT's roundabout plan in La Crosse and what she, as a state rep., can do in regards to plans like that. Also hit on funding education and alternatives to a partisan race for county sheriffs. Closed out the show talking about the Gov. Tony Eves tax cut proposals, that the Republicans have called a...

On her birthday, Rick's mom joined to start the show and tell some horror stories about raising three boys. After that, UW-La Crosse political science professor, Anthony Chergosky, Ph. D., in studio. We discussed how politics ruins state fairs and city parades, plus money in politics — the hypocrisy of governor candidate Tim Michels asking for money. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

A potential lawsuit if the city enacts a conversion therapy ban. Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty president and general counsel, Rick Esenberg, joined for a bit to discuss reasoning why they might sue La Crosse. WIZM's Brad Williams joined in that conversation. Before and after that, discussed with callers and texters the student loan forgiveness plan President Joe Biden announced, as well...

Spencer Hulsey, UW-La Crosse outreach coordinator, in studio to talk science. Biggest topics we hit on were a potential end to PFAS, UFOs may not be "man made," what a black hole sounds like, terrible climate news is great news for paleontology and  we're following moths with airplanes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow joined. Hit on a lot of topics, led off by some of the details in the Wisconsin Promise plan that was just introduced last week. The program essentially gives students with families making under $62,000 a year tuition free college. We also hit on the UW Board of Regents release of its two-year, $2.5 billion projects list, which includes $237.4 million for UW-La Cros...

La Crosse Education Association president (teachers' union president) Jesse Martinez joined. Hit on a host of topics, including the number of teacher-contract positions that have left the school district, a new way of grading, how grand it is for teachers to have summers off and teacher pay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Anthony Chergosky, Ph. D., joined. One of the things we talked about was "quiet quitting" and how that's not at all what it sounds like when it comes to work. We got into that category because of another phrase, "nobody wants to work anymore," which doesn't seem quite right, either.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rick's dad joins in the second half of the show to talk about his time in the Navy on the CV-19 USS Hancock Aircraft Carrier, during the Vietnam War, as well as taking the Honor Flight to DC out of Oshkosh last month. Before that, Brad Duellman discussed his dad's Auto & Toy Museum in Fountain City, which has one-of-a-kind items. It will be auctioned off by Mecum Auctions next month.  See omny...

John Siegel joined to talk about why he's running for sheriff in La Crosse County. Among the topics discussed were, of course, Siegel’s reasoning for running, his qualifications. We also talked about Siegel’s family makeup, with three adopted African-American children and a wife who is also African-American, and how that has shaped his perspective. In terms of matters directly dealing with the she...

Jason Gilman, the planning group leader at ISG Inc., joined to talk about the future of Pearl Street in downtown La Crosse from the riverfront up to 4th street. No curbs, no cars, a ferris wheel? The city is in the planning phase for re-conceptualizing that section of road, ahead of future Wisconsin DOT plans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We bring in the expert, UW-La Crosse political science professor, Anthony Chergosky, Ph. D., to break down how divided America is on whether they'd go out to eat if they couldn't use their phone. We also discussed some politics, including how Donald Trump's endorsement changes before and after the primary, and how a Joe Biden endorsement would work. We also hit on the $1.1 million, taxpayer-funded...

La Crosse Schools Superintendent, Dr. Aaron Engel joined, to talk about the district's consolidation plan down to one high school, with a $194.7 million referendum heading to the November ballot. Before that, we talked quick about the F-35 flyover and then no flyover. After, WIZM's Brad Williams gave a quick update on the city's plan to end -- sort of -- alternate side parking. See omnystudio.com/...

Despite it being his 31st wedding anniversary, Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff stopped in studio, fresh off winning the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District in the US House of Representatives. Played a little joke on Pfaff to start the show, in regards to that anniversary. After that, talked about some state Senate stuff, before diving into some of the issues he'd want to focus on...

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds joined Monday, as he does each month the week of the city council meeting. On the show, we discussed the council's plan to sort of end alternate-side parking for snow emergencies. We also dived into the La Crosse School District $194.7 million referendum due to a lack of state funding and where the city is at with state funding. Lastly, we touched on roundabouts and...

UW-L political science professor Anthony Chergosky in studio, as Donald Trump holds a rally on the other side of the state for his GOP governor candidate. As we discussed that race, the number of diapers a baby uses an hour and how even the Cracker Barrel is now politicized, Chergosky rattles off tweets referring to the Trump rally. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kou Lee joined the show to talk about running for Senate, why Hmong always end up playing volleyball — and how that relates to his candidacy — and the backstory of his family's struggle coming from Laos to freedom in the United States. Lee is one of five Democratic candidates running for US Senate in Wisconsin. The voting primary ends Tuesday, Aug. 9. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Fritz Leinfelder is running for sheriff in La Crosse County. He's one of two Republican candidates on the ballot looking to replace the retiring Jeff Wolf. The primary voting period ends August 9. We discussed everything from the biggest responsibilities within a sheriff's office to mental health to Leinfelder’s experiences that he believes will make him a good sheriff.  See omnystudio.com/listene...

Another interesting La Crosse School Board meeting this week saw the resignation in protest by member Rob Abraham. School Board president Juan Jimenez joined to talk about the dilemma in how the school district consolidates, with a $194.7 million November referendum on the ballot as the focal point now. Before that, one of the five Democratic candidates left running to replace Ron Johnson, Steven...

Marte Peterson is running for sheriff in La Crosse County. He's one of two Republican candidates on the ballot looking to replace the retiring Jeff Wolf. The primary voting period ends August 9. We discussed everything from the responsibilities within a sheriff's office to mental health to Peterson's experiences that he believes will make him a good sheriff.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

UW-La Crosse political science professor joins to break down all the biggest questions, including the number of chicken sandwiches or Chipotle burritos an hour it would take for you to work in fast food. Also, would the Klondike Choco Taco exist in your school's vending machine today? We kicked off the show talking a bit about the GOP governor candidates in Wisconsin and about three-quarters throu...

Political blowhard is what we like to call Adam Murphy, who joined to talk a little of everything. We hit on fixing the roads and electric vehicles — his Mach-E is in the shop — to breaking down some of the primary candidates and debates. That included the GOP governor's race and Democratic US Senate race in Wisconsin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Started the show talking about a story we missed the day before, talking science, and that "necrobotic spiders" could be used to make deliveries — basically zombie spiders. After that, WIZM's Brad Williams joins to talk about the Jackson Greengrass court hearing. He's one of three teens involved in a shootout and homicide on the southside of La Crosse. That led to a guns conversation. Finished the...

UW-La Crosse outreach coordinator Spencer Hulsey in studio. Talked about her experience behind possibly being the artist of the University of Illinois newest mascot. Before that, we discussed PFAS pollution with US Senate candidate in Wisconsin, Sarah Godlewski, who was in La Crosse. After, we discussed the Arizona plan to tap the Mississippi River for water. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...