Lake Effect Spotlight

Songwriter Hillary Reynolds splits her time between her hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin and Los Angeles. Her songs have been recorded by Little Big Town and Dani Rose and can be heard on Yellowstone and Loudermilk.  However, over the past five years Reynolds has been working on her debut album, “Changing Seasons,” which is full of songs that felt too personal to write for other musicians. They’re...

Chimney Swifts are back in town and you could catch their spectacular show at a chimney near you! The small, fast-flying birds are known for the tornado-like dance they perform in the sky.    Brenna Marsicek is the Director of Outreach with the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance. She says that at dusk, the birds will dive headfirst into a chimney to roost — sometimes by the thousands. Marsicek joins...

Every year, Milwaukee Magazine comes out with a feature highlighting the city’s most beloved people and places. The Best of Milwaukee issue features dozens of categories readers voted on — like the best pizza and best Indian restaurant.   Chris Drosner is the executive editor of Milwaukee Magazine. He says the magazine’s editors also got in on the fun and made their picks for the best custard in t...

Turns out, Wisconsin is a great state for biking! With an average City Ratings score of 48, we’re behind only New York and Alaska as the best statewide scores for biking.  The People For Bikes report also breaks it down city by city, and to share more about how Milwaukee and other cities are doing to make biking safe and accessible Grace Stonecipher of People for Bikes joins Lake Effect's Audrey N...

In a new Capitol Notes, we’ll examine the waiting game around the presidential disaster declaration after flooding in Milwaukee.

There may be no more iconic sound on the south side of Milwaukee than the bells from a paletero’s cart. Those are the street vendors who sell paletas, or popsicles. But have you ever wondered, what is the job like? And who does it? Paula Lovo is a Milwaukee artist and educator who grew up on the south side and documented a paletero's story. She also shares her love of paleteros and their connectio...

Baraboo, Wisconsin has claimed the title of Circus Capital of the World for over 60 years. Today at Circus World, national historic landmarks, museums and circus archives occupy the original winter quarters of the Ringling Brothers circus. The site’s new executive director, Julie Parkinson, has family ties to the museum. WUWM’s Eddie Morales met Parkinson at Circus World, where they watched a live...

Earlier this summer, an invasive species called Japanese Stiltgrass was spotted in Rock County. Scientists are now asking the public to help prevent the invasive grass from spreading across the state.     Mark Renz is a professor, and an extension weed specialist at UW-Madison. He spoke with Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez about how to identify Stiltgrass and what to do if you find it. 

It’s the first day of school for many Milwaukee-area students, and it was a long road to get here. Fifty elementary schools in the Milwaukee public school district were cleaned and painted this summer to cover and remove toxic lead paint. Then, just three weeks before the start of the school year, 24 campuses were damaged during historic rainfall and flooding.   Dr. Brenda Cassellius is the superi...

There are countless reasons to visit Wisconsin’s Driftless Region. The landscape of steep river valleys, exposed rock formations and forested ridges are ideal for any outdoor enthusiast. The area is full of meandering streams and rivers with cold, spring-fed water pushing through the rocks – making the Driftless Region one of the best trout-fishing habitats in the country.   Trout season runs thro...

Did you know Milwaukee is a city for the birds? It's actually one of 82 official Bird Cities in Wisconsin. Bird City is a conservation program that brings folks together to create healthier communities for birds and people.   Bryan Lenz is the Bird City Network Director for the American Bird Conservancy. He says Bird City first started in Wisconsin and has expanded across the country and internati...

The local DIY and school project supply hub American Science and Surplus has started a GoFundMe for financial support. Owner Pat Meyer says the business, which has locations in Milwaukee and Illinois, is facing rising costs and needs to reduce inventory ahead of a move to a smaller warehouse.  He tells WUWM’s Eddie Morales how customers are showing support in a challenging economy. 

The Wisconsin DNR is looking for Wisconsinites to become community scientists by reporting any sightings of deer and game birds to track reproductive capacities.

This year’s class of high school seniors was born in or around 2008. That’s one year after the release of the first iPhone and four years after the launch of Facebook. While this generation of students grew up online, they’re increasingly heading into schools looking to ban cell phones. At least 19 states have banned phones outright in schools, and sixteen more states are considering it – includin...

The ACLU of Wisconsin recently released a report detailing how local law enforcement cooperates with federal immigration authorities and is paid for that cooperation. Tim Muth is a senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Wisconsin and the primary author of the report. He joins Lake Effect’s Sam Woods to share what they found. 

This month’s Group Chat features two sisters born in Mexico who grew up in Milwaukee and were DACA recipients. They applied for Green Cards after marrying U-S citizens and they were just approved. They talk with each other, and their husbands, about the experience. They requested anonymity out of fear of retribution. 

It's been hot in Wisconsin this summer with nearly forty days of above average heat. That can be a serious health concern for people who work outdoors, but there aren't many protections for heat safety on the job. Kate McCoy directs the Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance program at the State Department of Health Services. She co-wrote a report last year that shows heat is a concern for wo...

Did you know there’s treasure hiding in plain sight at Milwaukee’s beaches? Blythe Haney (p. HAY-knee) hunts for beach glass along the freshwater shorelines of Southeast Wisconsin. She spoke with Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez about beach glass and how to find it. 

Flood damage estimate exceeds $23M, officials hope for FEMA funding. Here's what types of personal insurance do, and do not, cover floods.

Rainn Wilson is coming to the Riverside Theatre this week for a celebration of Dwight Schrute, along with a screening of an " Office" episode. 

Jessica Young and her family are one of hundreds of families still facing challenges after an unprecedented storm hit southeastern Wisconsin.

"Have I heard this before?" is a question hip-hop aficionados are constantly asking themselves. Milwaukee musician Kiran Vedula explains why.

Wisconsin State Journal's "Beer Baron" columnist Chris Drosner joins Lake Effect 's Joy Powers to discuss recent brewery closures and what they could mean for the industry.

Ryan Faurie is a business owner and mother living in Greendale, Wisconsin. Along with her husband Will, she’s raising a 12-year-old daughter and looking toward the future. Ryan joins Lake Effect’s Joy Powers to talk about how the economy is impacting her right now and how she’s preparing for the future.

Brenda Cárdenas is Wisconsin’s newest poet laureate. As the state’s ambassador for poetry, the Milwaukee native hopes to inspire creativity through workshops, projects and meeting with young people.