La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Did you know the Amazon rainforest is burning? Not many did until about a few days ago, but it's been going on for over two weeks.  Also, La Crescent Police Chief Doug Stavenau talks about how they've enforced Minnesota's new cellphone-driving law. Plus, the Animal Fact of the Day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interim chief Rob Abraham took his name out of the running, so who will be La Crosse's next chief of police? We talked to one of the five members of the La Crosse Police and Fire Commission, which is in charge of the hiring process, and asked him where we're at, what's next, how many have applied and how long it'll take. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been open since Aug. 2 but Veterans Memorial Pool will have a grand opening Aug. 27. Jacob Siammus, the chair of the volunteer community group helping to fund the pool, joined Rick Solem to talk about the road to the re-opening.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gonna try and make Fridays hover around sports a bit. This episode, though, was mostly about the La Crosse Center ... where I wish the Bucks had a G-League team playing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talked to the Wisconsin DNR's Shawn  Giblin about an algae that seems to be killing dogs and harming people who swim in lakes and ponds. -Also, Doug Weidenbach on the La Crosse County board discussed funding the $42-million Center expansion project.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leave it to 70-year-old Iowa Congressman Steve King to try and defend rape and incest when it comes to abortion. ... Dogs are dying because of poisonous algae. ... Did you see a 16-year-old won $3 million playing Fortnite? ... And, your daily "animal fact of the day."    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

-Rick discusses his too long a vacation. -Someone in La Crosse won a $1 million and Dave called in and managed to make that a bad thing. -Guns. Then we talked "gun control." Or "mental health" control. Because it's not the guns, apparently. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rick Solem introduces himself as the full-time host of La Cross Talk PM and tries to crowd source ideas for doing the show. Who would you like to see as guests? What kind of topics? Is there a thing as too much Trump talk? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the Green Island Ice Arena getting torn down for tennis courts? Rick Ruins everything. And why is Donald Trump blocking people on Twitter. The courts have ruled on whether he can or not. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We may have found the Blue Baby's father ... or mother -- Blue Rooster. Also, should the US women's soccer team be paid the same as the men? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The day after the Fourth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We saved a duck and her six ducklings. Rick gives the play by play, as the humane society comes downtown to save a duck who put her nest in a planter outside our studio. Also, fireworks stories - some funny, some not so much. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave rips on Rick and then plays word association with WIZM's newest Ag reporter, Kaitlyn Riley. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pope weighs in on whether priests should divulge information from confessions if it has to do with harming others.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Maier taking calls on the local issues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How impactful is a picture? Do you care if one side or the other in political power gets to draw the legislative maps or are you into having it be nonpartisan? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rick is joined with Mid-West Family Broadcasting's newest edition, Kaitlyn Riley. She talks about her life growing up on a farm, her time as "Alice in Dairyland" for the state of Wisconsin, and what she'll be doing over with Phil Costigan on KQ98, as well as here on WIZM. Oh, and we also introduced her to some clips from somewhat regular callers: Eric from Sparta and Mary. See omnystudio.com/liste...

Along with talking about how happy you are with "home" whether that's literally your home, your state or your country, he and Rick talk about getting old -- how you can't eat anything, and the deterioration of our ability to play sports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike hates on Alexandria Occasio-Cortez. He claims he saw someone kicked out of a restaurant who was wearing an AOC t-shirt.  Meddling in elections. Should we be OK with other countries meddling in our elections, simply because the US meddles in other countries' elections? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike's views of social media's good and bad. Also, near the end of the hour, a discussion on the lame duck lawsuits upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media, Mike's good and bad. Also, Mary hates on Rick and debating Tremp. Tom on the lame-duck sessions Republicans used to change the rules in Wisconsin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Willie Nelson talk. Did you know, along with his starring role on the "new" Dukes of Hazard movie, he was also a singer? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a great story about how Sea Otters eat lumped into how plastics are destroying the earth, which should be a problem. It's not. Why aren't these things problems we worry about? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did we genetically create "puppy dog eyes?" A study says we did.  Then we got sidetracked by animals and turtles crossing the streets now and how to help a snapping turtle cross the road without losing a limb. Also, we tried tried to talk about how kids in the U.S. aren't the best educated and that's not good for the future of the U.S. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hayes and Rick talk a little about their dads. Then funding for things like the La Crosse Center and how it gets paid for. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.