La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Two guests on a Tuesday, included Jeff Tripp, the La Crosse airport’s new director, as he prepares for Donald Trump’s visit Thursday, plus Robbie Young, on the bike-ped committee on making the city better for bicyclists. Tripp joined first (2:00) and we got to know a bit about his responsibilities as the La Crosse Regional Airport director, and what he’s going through, as the Secret Service gets t...

Covered a lot with La Crosse County Board chair Tina Tryggestad, including passing both a DEI and strategic plan, accepting bids on the Hillview Healthcare Center plus an update on the Pathways Home initiative. Got into the board recently passing a consultant's year-long Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan (6:10) that was pushed back a month, and morphed that conversation (14:15) into the five-ye...

Mark Abraham, better known as “Abe,” in the WIZM studio Wednesday for La Crosse Talk PM. The La Crescent High School cross country coach talked about multiple aspects of doing the job for the past 49 years — 41 as La Crescent High School's coach.  Last spring, Abraham, now 71, retired as the Lancers track and field coach but says he’ll stay on as cross country coach as long as he feels good doing...

Viterbo director of the Ethics Institute, Dr. Rick Kyte, joined to discuss his book called, "Finding Your Third Place." While the Olympics just wrapped up, this conversation we quickly learned wasn't about any bronze metal, it was more about where both children and adults find space when they're not home and not at work. In some communities, that space is dwindling. It's also a space that's gone v...

Wisconsin Democratic state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings in studio discussing the "knocking doors" world of campaigning, Legislature still holding up funding for PFAS, childcare and more, plus will UW-La Crosse’s science center ever get built. Began the show talking about campaigning, is it realistic to know on all the doors and if things will get nasty between Billings and her GOP opponent, Cedric...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio breaking down the August primary, the relatively huge turnout, Republicans losing on the constitutional amendments and Rebecca Cooke winning in the UW House race.  Began the show on voter turnout, which wasn’t huge, but also was at a 60-year high.  We then took a sidebar (9:30) from election recap, first talking about how C...

La Crosse School Board president, and Western Tech associate dean, Dr. Juan Jimenez, in studio discussing new class terms at the college and the school district's $53.5 million referendum question on the November ballot.  Began the show, though, talking a bit about school getting ready to start and rule from the state that it can’t begin before Sept. 1, because the tourism industry needs child lab...

A lot going on in La Crosse this weekend on both ends of the spectrum, as Jean Taylor and Josh Hertel both join to talk about two big events. First (7:15), Taylor breaks down this new two-day party called Big River Rally on Friday and Saturday at the downtown Oktoberfest grounds and beyond. Then Hertel joins (18:50) to talk about Coulee Con, this gaming extravaganza, happening Friday-Sunday at the...

It doesn't start off the show, but Adam Murphy and I discuss a new Microsoft data center going up in Wisconsin in the Foxconn plant area, which is going to be a major energy suck. Something that Donald Trump recently spoke about, and we all might agree with him that the government needs to do something. Before that, though, we started off with Hunger Task Force (HTF) of La Crosse executive directo...

Cashton native Gabe Anderson in studio to tell the story of how he created his e-sports streaming company, LobbyUp! , while he was stationed overseas in the Marines. Anderson’s streams, which feature mainly Madden and now College Football, have featured Green Bay Packers defensive end Preston Smith, former NFL quarterback Michael Vick and former Badgers running back and Super Bowl champ Corey Clem...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in the WIZM studio Friday for La Crosse Talk PM discussing the impact of two Wisconsin constitutional amendments on Tuesday's a low voter turnout ballot, recapping the city council’s homeless ban and Snoop Dogg at the Olympics. Diving into politics (9:00), we discussed the two constitutional amendments Republicans put on the August p...

She authored the bill that helped get Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz the vice presidential nomination. Now, Minnesota state Rep. Sydney Jordan (D-Hennepin) didn’t take credit for the bill Thursday on La Crosse Talk PM, but she did tell the story of that day — Walz surrounded by students, signing the bill in Jordan's district (you can see her crying in the background ), giving free school meals to student...

Ryan Huebsch, who's running for Wisconsin state Assembly in the 94th District, in the WIZM studio discussing the fight over PFAS legislation, his view on the two constitutional amendments on the primary ballot, why he's in the race, and how he was an infant when he attended his first political fundraiser — which was for his dad, Mike Huebsch, who was once the state rep. in District 94. See omnystu...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has the "hot hand" says La Crosse Talk PM guest and "political blowhard," Adam Murphy, who joins on a veepstakes Tuesday, along with longtime MN state Rep. Gene Pelowski who, in Olympic fashion, ends the interview about Walz and Democrats with a Perfect 10 backflip. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds in studio discussing homelessness, housing, taxes, city services and parking. After talking old cars and Olympics to begin the show, we got into how the city council has multiple special meetings on homelessness, right before Thursday's monthly meeting. To start the second half of the show (17:00) Reynolds brought up the city's pool situation and how one could potent...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio discussing "weird" Republicans, Democrats meme culture, the strategy behind a VP pick and La Crosse building Starbucks on top of Starbucks and carwashes across from carwashes. Spent most of the show talking the presidential race, memes taking over the Democratic party — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers "brat summer" tweet — Minnes...

Eric Wilson in studio discussing why he's the Democrat in the 3rd District capable of beating Republican Derrick Van Orden. On the show, we talk about how his experience outside government makes him the best rep, including in housing and tech. We talk about the housing crisis and why it's become unaffordable to many, plus how he separates himself from Democratic opponents, Rebecca Cooke and Katrin...

A look at past and upcoming elections with Dr. Ed Miller, professor emeritus at UW-Steven Point, who began teaching in the 1960s. He brings that historical perspective to President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 race and Kamala Harris stepping in, similar to what happened during the Vietnam War in the 1968 election. We also look at the 3rd US House District race between Republican Derrick Van...

La Crosse County and 3rd US House District Democratic Party chair William Garcia — who is also a delegate — in the WIZM studio Friday for La Crosse Talk PM discussing the process of now making Kamala Harris the nominee, could Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz be the VP, as he defends cat ladies from Republican VP candidate JD Vance. We also discuss what Democrats should be running on, which included how Sup...

Cedric Schnitzler, the Republican candidate for state Assembly in Wisconsin's 95th District, in studio discussing the budget surplus, public education, childcare, broadband and why his experience makes him right for the job. Schnitzler has been the Monroe County Board chair the past eight years and part of the board, on and off, since 1996. Schnitzler discusses how there's a need for the state to...

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle in studio discussing the Joe Biden departure, how governments are dealing with homelessness, the constitutional amendments on the August ballot and the Legislature's inability to talk across the isle. We began with Republicans trying to change the state constitution, to pull decision-making power from the governor in times of emergencies. A thing the GOP d...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, with a bit of an emergency, immediate reaction interview, just hours after President Joe Biden announced he is going to drop out of the 2024 presidential election.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio on the whirlwind of news, including Joe Biden potentially dropping out of the presidential race, who the nominee would be and the VP, a bit on the RNC in Milwaukee and, most importantly, the weirdest, buggiest Wisconsin State Fair foods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He's the La Crosse Talk PM political blowhard, Adam Murphy, talking about why debates aren't that great — as Democrats in Wisconsin's 3rd CD may not have one — how Ron Johnson forgot to tone it down, Democrat Bob Menendez guilty of gold bars under his mattress, and the Teamsters president speaks at the RNC in Milwaukee. Began the show talking about the ridiculous story of US Sen. Bob Menedez being...

Dr. Joe Heim, professor emeritus at UW-La Crosse, in studio to discuss the politics around the Donald Trump assassination attempt, JD Vance being named the ex-president’s running mate and Joe Gow’s recommended firing at the university. And that’s where we began, with the decision last week by a UW-L faculty committee recommending Gow be fired from his tenured faculty position. Gow was already fire...