WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews

Citizen Action of Wisconsin is hosting a health care town hall, "A Community Call to Action."  The town hall takes place Wednesday, February 4 at the Black River Beach Neighborhood Center, 1433 Rose St. in La Crosse. The session begins at 6:00 PM. As Wisconsin faces health care cuts under the recently passed federal budget, Citizen Action is leading the fight to protect Medicaid, Medicare and...

Do you like wine? Do you like traveling in Wisconsin? Those two activities were discussed on La Crosse Talk with Sean Dwyer on Friday morning.   Niki Pohnl visited the WIZM studio to share her recent adventure.  She's spent the last year, traveling the Badger State and visiting more than 120 wineries in Wisconsin.   Her visit even included an old-school fold-out paper map that she m...

The 2026 Olympic Games are about to begin. They generate excitement around the world because they highlight, in part, what humans can accomplish. Athletes often go to their physical limit, but what separates the truly elite athletes from the rest? According to Shilagh Mirgain, PhD, a distinguished psychologist at UW-Health, there's a big part of performance which is mental. The psychologist says b...

Do you remember "The Golden Girls?" The groundbreaking sitcom is a program which transcends generational differences.  It really doesn't matter what your age is, you probably have a story or memory of the TV show. It is 40 years since the comedy first premiered on television.  There's a new book by a UW-La Crosse television historian about the "Golden Girls."  The new release offers...

It's tax time once again, and AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is offering free tax preparation for low- and middle-income residents with a focus on low-income seniors.  There are two locations this year-one in La Crosse and one in Onalaska. They're currently accepting appointments at both locations that begin on February 9. For people in La Crosse and areas to the south, the site is at the Reach Ser...

He's traveled the world. He's seen many European countries. He is a Winter Olympian. His name is Ben Loomis and he's from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Ben is 27 years old. He was named the Nordic Combined Athlete of the Year by the United States Ski and Snowboard Association in 2016. He competed in the 2018 and the 2022 Winter Olympics. But when we talked to Ben Loomis about his most memorable experienc...

An intergenerational healing event is taking place at the Franciscan Spirituality Center next month. The program is called Fighting Racism Through Sisterhood. This is an in-person event. The event takes place on Friday, February 13th and Saturday, February 14. It is designed to bring women of all backgrounds together to confront racism and build solidarity in the community. The retreat includes me...

The new Explore La Crosse travel guide was recently released. The guide offers up many opportunities to visit, enjoy and discover in Western Wisconsin. It features articles about festivals, adventures and destinations navigation guides.  Explore La Crosse Executive Director A.J. Frels spoke appeared on La Crosse Talk with Sean Dwyer on Tuesday. He began by explaining how they market the commu...

The La Crosse County Veterans Services Department is offering a unique program for women who are veterans and live in western Wisconsin. The program is called I Am Not Invisible. It is a women's veteran's history project. The project is in collaboration with Western Technical College Photography department. The event takes place Wednesday, February 11 from 1:30 until 5:00 or Thursday, February 12...

Cold winter months and short winter days can contribute to depression, anxiety and increase the challenges of coping with grief.  On La Crosse Talk Friday Sean Dwyer spoke with Ashlee Vlasak a mental health therapist at Peace of Mind Counseling in La Crosse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are a number of efforts to deal with the issue of homelessness in the La Crosse area.  Some programs are run by local governments.  Some of the programs are volunteering.  One of the programs is organized out of Saint Joseph the Workman Cathedral. Kevin Decker helps organize the efforts.  Kevin came to La Crosse through Fellowship of Catholic University students. He now w...

Circuit court Judge Scott Horne was a guest on La Crosse Talk with Sean Dwyer Thursday.  Horne has been a La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge since 2007. Prior to that, he served as the La Crosse County District Attorney from 1985 to 2007.  Before that, he began with his hiring in 1981 as a La Crosse County Assistant District Attorney. His current term on the bench expires in 2031. Judg...

The 4000 Foundation Limited, proudly announces plans for the 34th Annual Great Tri-state Rail Sale. The sale will be held Saturday, January 24, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Lacrosse Center. Since 1992, the Great Tri-state Rail Sale has grown to become one of the largest one-day railroad hobby sales in the upper Midwest. This is the 34th annual extravaganza. The Rail Sail traditionally host...

With documentary films from around the world, the line up for the 21st annual Frozen River Film Festival is set.  Kara Eggers, the Operations Director for the festival, spoke on La Crosse Talk on Wednesday about how the films are selected and how people can enjoy the different viewpoints they present. Following some of the films, there are panel discussions featuring the directors and produce...

Shadows of the Holocaust is a lecture series at Viterbo University beginning January 26.  Jon Reiner is a professor at Viterbo University. Reiner spoke on La Crosse Talk about the lecture series. Some of the topics include genocide, the Nazis, extermination and resistance and aftermath following the Holocaust.  Shadows of the Holocaust will be facilitated by Reiner. He is an in-demand sp...

Today at Viterbo University is the 21st annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and Community Celebration. The opportunities are designed to uplift the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr.  King, but also provide spaces of learning, service and advocacy with underrepresented communities in the Coulee Region and beyond. This morning on La Crosse Talk with Sean Dwyer, Dr. Carolyn Bostr...

Onalaska police chief Charles Ashbeck is about to retire, after 30 years of service. We got the chief to tell some stories to the WIZM audience, including one that was promoted by a caller on La Crosse Talk PM. Ashbeck also talked about his career path and ending up in Onalaska, plus what he's going to do in retirement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. Those words are from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 2. Now the Pump House Regional Art Center and Viroqua Shakespeare are partnering once again to bring the works of Shakespeare to the community.  It is the 4th annual Bard-a-thon, a weeklong 24/7 community reading of William Shakespear...

Earlier this week, the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce came out with an endorsement of a City Administrator for La Crosse.   Chamber CEO Sam Scinta spoke on La Crosse Talk Thursday morning with Sean Dwyer about the position and what it means to the business community.   They held a forum on Monday for chamber members featuring two current City Administrators, one f...

New dietary guidelines are out for Americans. The guidelines were released in earlier this month. The guidelines emphasize shifting towards whole foods, increasing protein and limiting highly processed foods. Some of the information in the new guidelines contradicts past recommendations. One change involves milk. To help clarify and guide us through the changes, La Crosse Talk's Sean Dwyer talked...

Earlier this week, the School District of Onalaska Board of Education approved the addition of an all day, every day 4K preschool model for the 2026-27 school year. The board's decision follows several months of research, review and discussion. Last September, an internal task force began exploring the potential and implementation of the plan. Findings were then presented to the school board.&nbsp...

The La Crosse County Health Department is urging homeowners to test their homes for radon this month.  January is Radon Action Month.  Radon is a gas that occurs from the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil. It can't be seen, smelled, or tasted.  It kills approximately 21,000 people a year from lung cancer, making it the second leading cause of death from that disease in the US...

This current drive for the Great Rivers United Way is being extended until the end of the month in hopes of reaching its goal. It's about $100,000 short., according to campaign co-chair Randy Nelson.  "We're extending this until January 31 in hopes that we can really work to close the gap because if we can't we do know that some of the organizations that United Way has been supporting may be...

Sheriff John Siegel said Tuesday morning that La Crosse County is nearing a deal to provide law enforcement services to the Town of Shelby. Siegel talked about the agreement on La Crosse Talk.  "So, we've been talking over the last year or so about how could the county provide some services and we're working on doing that with them and contracting which is very popular throughout the state fo...

It's the type of service you really don't want to have to use.  But it is one that's important to yours and to public safety. It is the emergency dispatch center of 9-1-1. Monday on La Crosse Talk host Sean Dwyer talked with Director of Public Safety and Communications Kent Stein. Mr. Stein is new to the position, but he's familiar with emergency response in our area having worked for Tri-sta...