La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

It's the world's shortest race, but it's been going on for a long time. Saturday is 95.7 the Rock's 21st annual St. Paddy's Day .01K down Pearl Street in La Crosse. Bags from the Rock stopped by to help preview the event and tell some stories of past races. This is the type of race anyone can do, and brag about getting a coveted shirt that proves you're a runner. Registration happens online here o...

He has more receptions in college football history than anyone, he tried out for the Green Bay Packers, he won a European football championship playing both ways, and he might drive his Hall of Fame coach dad crazy with what he wants to do with the UW-La Crosse football team. Michael Zweifel just took over the UW-L program and he joined Thursday as we relived some of his glory days and discussed h...

We talked some glory days and previewed the National Championships with Hall of Fame UW-La Crosse wrestling coach Dave Malecek. That included the coach, in his 20th season, being brutally honest about what “college days Malecek” would do to the eight guys he has headed to Nationals this Friday and Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Malecek was a two-time state champ at Osage High School (...

We covered a lot with La Crosse city council president Tamra Dickinson in studio, including infrastructure projects like the old Kmart, a new restaurant in River Point, and the North Side Library’s future use. We also talked about why Dickinson voted against city administrator, where La Crosse is at with its zoning overhaul and the upcoming strategic planning session.  With the Northsid...

After nine months of construction, the "pardon our mess" signs at the La Crosse Public Library are finally coming down. Library director Dawn Wacek stopped in studio Monday to preview the grand reopening of the facility on Main Street happening from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday — with tours every hour. The $3.1 million interior renovation covered about 40% of the building's footprint —...

Guests on La Crosse Talk PM previewed Irish events in La Crosse, including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Shamrock Club traditions and the Coulee Hoolie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Garrett Paulson , pictured above, stopped by the WIZM studio Thursday on La Crosse Talk PM to talk about financial responsibility, healthy money habits, and why giving back to the community matters. Jason Spangler hosted the conversation, focusing on practical, behavior-first ideas listeners can use in everyday life — from building a plan and avoiding common money traps to staying consistent...

Dave Larsen and Tess Larsen, pictured above, stopped by the WIZM studio Wednesday on La Crosse Talk PM to talk about Freedom Honor Flight — and how the Coulee Region can help local veterans take a powerful, one-day trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor. Jason Spangler hosted the conversation, focusing on what Freedom Honor Flight is, who qualifies, what the day...

Joanna Drazkowski, pictured above, stopped by the WIZM studio Tuesday on La Crosse Talk PM to talk fitness, yoga, running, and how small, consistent habits can make a big difference—especially for busy parents. Drazkowski teaches at Root Down Yoga Studio and also instructs group fitness classes at the La Crosse Area Family YMCA’s Houser Branch. Jason Spangler hosted the conversation, w...

Assem Izmukhanova Kopitzke, Erica Koonmen, and Lisbeth Reynertson stopped by the WIZM studio Monday night on La Crosse Talk PM to preview the 2026 International Women’s Day Celebration at UW–La Crosse. Jason Spangler hosted the program, filling in for Rick Solem while he’s on vacation. The conversation covered this year’s theme, “Give to Gain,” and what the comm...

Third Congressional District Democratic Party chair William Garcia stopped by the WIZM studio Friday to discuss Wisconsin politics. We covered everything from a state Legislature that is already done working for the rest of 2026 to the new Marquette University Law School poll on gubernatorial candidates — which suggests nobody knows who they’re voting for just yet. We also broke down t...

La Crosse lost another legend on Friday. Duane Moore — a Korean War veteran, one of the founders of Rotary Lights, the 1997 Festmaster for La Crosse’s Oktoberfest and a pillar of the community — passed away peacefully with family by his side at the age of 93. Moore’s impact was a family affair — he, his wife Jan, and their son Chuck were known as a “quintessenti...

He’s one of multiple candidates for Wisconsin governor, and he made his second trip to the WIZM studios this past week. Joel Brennan joined to discuss why he wants the top job in the state and how he plans to set himself apart from the other six Democratic candidates vying to take on Republican Tom Tiffany. Brennan had stopped at La Crosse’s Parenting Place earlier in the day, so we sp...

Laura Godden, an archivist at the UW-La Crosse Murphy Library and a member of the Historic Preservation Commission for the city, stopped in studio to talk about Emerson Elementary School possibly getting a historic designation. The conversation comes just days after La Crosse School Superintendent  expressed frustration  with a second building that recently closed within the district pos...

When you think of what Wisconsin's best known for, the list usually starts with beer, cheese and the Packers. According to Dr. Jim Lattis, however, there is a "Top 5" contender we often overlook: astronomy. Lattis, the recently retired director of UW Space Place, joined to discuss why the Badger State has been a global leader in space research for over 150 years. The conversation is a bit of a pre...

Kmart is back — on the La Crosse city council agenda. Mac Kiel stops in the WIZM studio to help break down committee week in the city of La Crosse and that includes the Copper Rocks development — which may or may not be, at this point, better known as the old Kmart lot. Along with rezoning, we also talk about the city selling beer and some consolidation of positions. The Judiciary and...

It passed 193 bills over the past week, and now Wisconsin’s state Legislature is essentially done for the rest of 2026. State Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska) stopped in studio Monday to help wrap our heads around what it was like in Madison during that final push, why severe migraines caused him to miss some votes, and what the retirement of Speaker Robin Vos means for the future of t...

La Crosse School Superintendent, Dr. Aaron Engel, in studio to discuss the possibility of another closing school building receiving a historic designation, the prospect of building an indoor competitive pool, and he explains what the governor’s “400-year veto” means for La Crosse property taxes. We also discussed Engel taking a new role in the National Guard as Senior Army Medica...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio discussing the future of the north side pool and the ramifications of the most powerful Republican in Wisconsin calling it quits. We also hit on the push to legalize sports betting and the politics of passing legislation in an election year with an open seat for governor. We began the show with WIZM’s Brad Williams, w...

He’s free of “The Mitch Reynolds’ Ordinance.” After a year and a half of debate and study on creating a city administrator position, it failed in council last week, and La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey feels like he can finally move forward. On the show, Washington-Spivey dubbed the plan “The Mitch Reynolds’ Ordinance" — it was first put out to c...

Before we get into it with David Crowley, since the interview was recorded a day prior to going live on air, I start things off with a a bit of a recap / preview of our conversation, and throw a little theory of mine out there on how AI data centers going up all over the place is likened to the 2013 Tom Cruise movie, Oblivion. As for Crowley, he stops in the studio and we discuss everything from&n...

Defend, not repeat. That’s the motto this season for the No. 1-ranked UW-La Crosse gymnastics team, as they look for back-to-back National Championships. Coach Kasey Crawford, along with All-American juniors Paige Breckwoldt and Raina Christenson stopped in studio to talk about winning it all last year, who the best athletes are on campus, what makes their sport so tough and — again &m...

Mac Kiel in studio recapping last week’s city council meeting, where both city administrator and what we call the “bike lanes” plan were both on the agenda.  Now, what that plan really entailed was the council making a recommendation to the Wisconsin DOT for basically a revamp of downtown La Crosse from storefront to storefront between King and La Crosse streets. We talk abo...

Economist Dr. Adam Hoffer in studio to discuss some wild ideas we have, a day after the La Crosse council took votes on city administrator and the “bike lanes” plan for downtown. Hoffer, the director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation, helps brainstorms some new ideas for La Crosse, like turning Pearl Street and King Street into greenways — basically turning them into par...

Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Jill Billings hopped on La Crosse Talk PM on Wednesday from Madison to describe what she called the most chaotic end to a legislative session of her 15-year career. Most of the conversation centered on the volume of bills moving through committee and the frenetic pace for lawmakers, staff, and lobbyists, as Republicans have scheduled legislative work to conclude for the res...