WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews

Did you get a good night's sleep last night?  If you answered no, you are not alone. Insomnia is a real problem, especially for older adults.  But you don't need to turn to drugs alone to help you sleep. One of the most powerful ways to overcome sleep anxiety is behavioral therapy and effective lifestyle changes.  Kelly Thayer is a nurse practitioner who can help you get a good nigh...

A special visit today by the La Crosse Police Department's very own Therapy Dog. Cheddar and his handler, SRO Ryan Ledvina, along with Lt. Steven Pataska, spent some time this morning on La Crosse Talk. They discussed the importance of what Cheddar provides the students and people he interacts with on a daily basis.  While Cheddar spends much of his time at Logan with Officer Ledvina, they do...

Tuesday is Fat Tuesday. Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. It is an important season for Christians. Many Christians in the La Crosse area belong to the Lutheran Synod. The Bishop of that Synod is Bishop Felix Malpica. Bishop Malpica agrees that the Lenten season is important.  Bishop Malpica sat down with La Crosse Talk's Sean Dwyer to discuss faith, Lent, Redemption and I...

Christina Shutt is the executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois.  The museum is the premier institution for understanding the history and legacy of Abraham Lincoln.  She has led the Presidential Library since 2021.  Shutt joined Sean Dwyer on WIZM La Crosse talk to talk about the rail splitter. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Dr. Roxy Etta is a Child Development Parenting Specialist at the UW-Madison Division of Extension. Dr. Etta was a guest on La Crosse Talk with Sean Dwyer.  She discussed the impact of social media on families, teens and parents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two very special guests stopped into the La Crosse Talk studios on Friday morning. Mad Dog and Merrill, known far and wide for their grilling expertise, shared a few tales and tips during their visit.  They're in town for the La Crosse Sports Show at the La Crosse Center this weekend. Each day, they've got multiple presentations for grillers here in the Coulee Region.  MadDogAndMerrill.c...

Terry Visger from the Bluff Country Tale Spinners visited La Crosse Talk on Friday to promote Storytelling for Kids, an event coming up on February 21 at the Pump House Regional Arts Center. It's an opportunity for children to engage and expand their imaginations through the art of storytelling.  There's also music by Hans Mayer and the Magic of Isaiah. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. Find out...

District 2 City Council Member Erin Goggin joined Kevin Millard Friday morning on La Crosse Talk to share her thoughts after Thursday night's vote on two big topics before the council: a City Administrator and bike lanes through downtown La Crosse.  While the administrator proposal failed by two votes to pass, the issue hasn't gone away, as Goggin discusses. She said that they're about "90 pe...

Members of the La Crosse Area Builders Association talked to Sean Dwyer on La Crosse Talk about the upcoming Home Show coming in March. Executive Officer Tena Bailey and Board Member Doug Billings discussed what visitors to the show can expect to see at this year's event.  Learn more here: Home Show See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since 1958, the La Crescent Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism has been helping member businesses; professionals and individuals stay informed and connected. Their mission is to strengthen and promote members by building community alliances and working as business advocates. Their goal is making La Crescent an even greater place to visit, work and live. John Wilson is the president of the La Cre...

Allison Robbins of "The Grind" in Minneapolis talks about their and local efforts to help families impacted by the recent ICE deportations and policies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valentine's Day is this weekend. It's on a Saturday. When the day falls on the weekend, we tend to spend more and take more time to celebrate the day, so says Lightspeed commerce, a digital consulting and research firm. In 2024, Americans spent $25.8 billion on Valentine's presents. The number one person receiving those gifts were significant others and spouses. Second on the list, other family me...

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers' Johnson's State of the State address is coming up next week on February 17.  When La Crosse Talk's Sean Dwyer asked him for a preview of what he's planning to say, the governor provided a succinct reply, "No." The rest of the interview went a little better.  Evers spoke about PFAS legislation and trying to get a bill to sign this year along with working on...

The YMCA and Emplify Health by Gundersen are promoting a heart healthy lifestyle with the 3rd annual Heart Walk and Wellness Expo on Saturday morning in Onalaska. It runs from 8 to 11 am at the Houser Family YMCA. No registration is required. It's free and open to the public-you don't have to be a member of the YMCA to participate.  The walk is on the Y's indoor track.  Afterward, the ex...

All this week on La Crosse Talk, we've been remembering community leader and volunteer Pat Stephens.  Pat passed away this week at the age of 77. Pat Stephens was a Riverfest Commodore and so is Bill Hoel. Pat and Bill were longtime friends and colleagues. They collaborated on a number of charitable events in the La Crosse including Riverfest and the Freedom Honor Flight. Sean Dwyer had a cha...

This time of year, as you drive around the Coulee Region, you're likely to see a bald eagle or two. It's not unusual for you to spy an eagle nest. This time of year, bald eagles are on the move as they migrate, and they begin looking for food. As the rivers and lakes open up in the area eagles began to forage perch and migrate. The Wisconsin eagle population is in good shape, so says Richard Staff...

Wisco Sports Zone host Grant Bilse joined Kevin Millard to talk about spending the week out in San Francisco leading up the Super Bowl 60 between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.  He and Bill Michaels have been doing their shows out there this week.  Grant gives his perspective both as a broadcaster and a fan, hanging out not far from the likes of Dan Patrick and Stephe...

What does humor, the workplace and leadership have in common?  Lisa David Olson believes good leadership and a sense of humor go hand in hand. Lisa David Olson spoke to the La Crosse Rotary on Thursday. Lisa is a locally well-known business humorist, interactive speaker, author and performer. She's the CEO of the award-winning Heart of La Crosse comedy troupe. She has multiple Ted X Podcasts....

What is the connection between medicine, longevity and quality of life? Part of that equation involves something called lifestyle medicine. Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based approach that focuses on using healthy habits such as nutrition, regular exercise, restful sleep, stress management and strong social connections. There is also an emphasis on avoiding harmful substances, especially in e...

More memories about the life of Pat Stephens, this time from Terry Bauer, who considered Stephens a friend and mentor.  He spoke on La Crosse Talk with Sean Dwyer that while Stephens' vision and leadership can't be replicated, "It is all something we should aspire to. We can all be kind, we can all be volunteers, we can all make our community a better place by following in Positive Pat's foot...

Sharing thoughts about the life of Pat Stephens, who has passed away at the age of 77, on Wednesday on La Crosse Talk. One of the people in the community who spent time in a variety of settings was Vicki Markussen of LADCO. She's worked with Pat in different ways over the years but also got to see a different side as they watched young family members play basketball together. She spoke about his l...

On La Crosse Talk on Wednesday, Jason Spangler, who has known Pat for a number of years, shared his memories of Pat and shared a statement he'd written.  We learned last night that La Crosse lost one of its true community leaders, Pat Stephens. Pat was the kind of guy who didn't just show up. He took the chair, made the calls, rallied the volunteers. And then stayed late to stack the tables....

YMCA CEO Bill Soper joined Sean Dwyer on La Crosse Talk on Wednesday as the program was dedicated to honoring the memory of Pat Stephens, the community leader who passed away at 77.  Bill shared his memories of Pat and his work with the Y. He also spoke about how his impact will continue to be felt long into the future.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They're flying through the skies this weekend in Westby at the 103rd annual Snowflake Ski Jump. The tournament this year is taking place Friday and Saturday at the jump in Timber Coulee.  Tradition is a big part of the tournament. Part of that involves having the jumpers, especially the ones from other countries, stay with host families in the area. That's happening again this year according...

You've probably read stories or talk about data centers. Data centers are facilities that house computing infrastructure, including servers, storage systems, networking equipment, and other components necessary to store, process, and distribute large amounts of data. These data centers are the backbone of the modern digital age. Much of the publicity has involved communities that object to the cre...