WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews

La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey joined us in studio discussing efforts to close a $3 million gap in the city’s 2026 budget, the recent closure of two parks due to drug activity and violence, and his upcoming “15 Minutes with the Mayor” sessions. We began with the public engagement sessions, as Washington-Spivey noted that 16 resident interviews are scheduled for Oct. 8...

The Oktoberfest La Crosse royalty stopped in the WIZM studio to kick off the weekend. We asked Festmaster Brent Smith and Mrs. O, Michelle Skemp, about how they were told of their positions and the ability to keep that a secret for half a year. We also talked about their history in Oktoberfest and what they're looking forward to for the weekend and over the next year. See omnystudio.com/listener f...

We got to know Republican Josh Schoemann, as he continues his bid to be Wisconsin’s next governor. Schoemann has been Washington County executive since 2020, after serving six years as the county administrator and manager. We started the conversation talking about his work as county exec, plus his time serving in the Army National Guard and being deployed to Iraq. On the political side, we a...

She’s a biology professor who, in her spare time, just does breast cancer research on the UW-La Crosse campus. Dr. Sierra Colavito joined to discuss her work at the UW-L breast cancer research lab, focusing on a somewhat rare and aggressive form of the disease called triple-negative. From the discussion, it was apparent that Colavito is not only dedicated to this type of research but also fo...

An update on the shelter and an ongoing campaign called Coats for Kids with the Salvation Army’s Jeff Russell A Coats for Kids campaign taught us there are 27 Kwik Trips in La Crosse County, as Major Jeff Russell from the Salvation Army of La Crosse joins. We talked about that, plus an update on the shelter on Wednesday’s La Crosse Talk. Russell explains some of the things they do at t...

Mac Kiel in studio for La Crosse Talk discussing some of the different things going on with city government, including the ongoing zoning changes occurring, looking at next week’s committee meetings, and what the school district is doing with 4-K. The city is also having a meeting today over the budget, where it looks like there needs to be about $1.5 million in cuts. La Crosse Mayor Shaunde...

Oktoberfest La Crosse executive director, Hannah Amundson, joins to preview this year’s event, which includes voting for the best “act” in the two parades — called the People’s Choice awards. We also discuss her job and promoting Oktoberfest year long, plus one good and one bad idea to bring to fest.  Amundson, who has been the executive director for four years,...

Viterbo University President, Dr. Rick Trietley, joined us in studio to discuss the challenges and opportunities of running a private university, his 22 years of military service — including jumping out of airplanes — and the importance he places on building community. Trietley has served as Viterbo’s president since 2022 and has been with the university since 2017. He is a retir...

Just a few days before Oktoberfest and Brad Quarberg, an expert historian on the event, in studio telling some interesting stories from years passed, including the year they raced the big paddle wheelers down the Mississippi River or when the medallion was held hostage. Quarberg, who was the 2016 Maple Leaf Parade Marshall and the 2001 Oktoberfest president, was also a co-author of the book, The F...

Covered a lot of the event scene with AJ Frels, executive director of Explore La Crosse, from the impact of having 150,000 people attend an Oktoberfest parade to keeping the WIAA state track meet at UW-L. Frels explains a little bit of Explore La Crosse's role in tourism and events in the area, and discusses how things like Oktoberfest and the NFL draft in Green Bay impacted the area. UW-L has hos...

Jeremiah Burish, director of sports sales at Explore La Crosse, joined WIZM's La Crosse Talk to discuss some of the area big events and the impact they have to the region. La Crescent is hosting USA Cycling’s gravel nationals on Saturday — the first of back-to-back years it will be held in the area. A big deal in the cycling world and for the Coulee Region, as it could bring more cycli...

Mac Kiel in studio recapping last week’s quick city council meeting, including putting off the operations director vote, plus how the Pathways Home update went. Last week’s council voted 9-4 to put off a vote on hiring an operations director, which comes alongside an upcoming decision in February on a city administrator position. So, we get into some of the differences between the posi...

Ahead of Rivoli Theatre’s 105th birthday Friday, co-owner Jonathan Gelatt stopped in studio to talk about what it’s like owning a theatre and the way they’re building community. We also, of course, nerded out on classic movies.  On the show, Gelatt talks about why the Rivoli doesn’t always have the big blockbusters right away and, instead, does things like Cult Movie N...

La Crosse County administrator, Jane Klekamp, back in studio discussing finalizing the $200 million budget, the situation with a county board member over a social media post, distributing $7 million in opioid settlement money and a potential new $1 fine for marijuana possession. We also asked Klekamp about the Water Notification Act, a bill Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Jill Billings (D-La Crosse) is tr...

After a drive up from the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, Sister Eileen McKenzie stopped in studio to talk about immigration and her work with those that have really gone from fleeing violence south of the US border to now being detained or deported from the U.S. She was in La Crosse ahead of Wednesday’s Coulee Region Immigration Summit — the third year of the event, hosted by the Coule...

Monty Gilbertson in studio helping preview the 20th Annual Chaseburg Area Cancer Walk, which is basically an all-day party that happens Saturday. The event is titled “20 years of Hope.” Gilbertson says the money brought in will stay local and go toward things like gas and food cards, as well as cancer research in the area.  Over the past 19 years, the event has raised $19 million....

Mrs. Oktoberfest 2009, Barb Larsen, joined to hype up this year’s Ladies Day Luncheon — what she calls the Oktoberfest finale. It happens Sept. 28 at the Cargill Room. Larsen said this fundraiser has been happening about 25 years and this year’s guest speaker is Lisa David Olson, who will be presenting two, what she calls, interactive speeches titled "Untangle my Pretze...

We dive into how the Green Bay Packers are owned — the only team in the US owned by its shareholders — with Dr. Adam Hoffer, a sports economist and director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation. We also discuss on WIZM's La Crosse Talk what’s called recovery fees — those “additional overcharge” fees you might see on a cellphone bill. Hoffer shares a recove...

Covered a bunch with Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings last week on La Crosse Talk — from Democratic bills being ignored and a new water law she's introducing, to state regulations on public schools, La Crosse's newest arts district, and a set of worker-related legislative packages. We began the show discussing how Wisconsin law requires public schools to start on Sept. 1 because o...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, joins to discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a philosophical question about homelessness with La Crosse closing two parks, the Wisconsin governor’s race — as David Crowley visited the area — and the city’s dueling administrator-v-ops director proposals. Began the show on the governor’s race, with...

Covered a wide range of topics with Democrat David Crowley, who was in La Crosse this week launching his campaign for Wisconsin governor. The 39-year-old Milwaukee County executive and former state Assembly representative joined us in studio, where we talked about homelessness — as La Crosse shuts down two city parks — along with the Brewers stadium deal, criticism from GOP opponents,...

Bethany Poellinger tells her story of being diagnosed and surviving breast cancer. She's this year's Steppin' Out In Pink advocate. Poellinger's story sounds unique, because she was diagnosed with breast cancer just a few months after being checked for it.  Saturday is the 20th year of Steppin' Out In Pink , which begins at 9 a.m. at Riverside Park in downtown La Crosse.  The money raise...

La Crosse Schools superintendent, Dr. Aaron Engel, joins to discuss a big drop in truancy, getting the state's permission on when to start school, finalizing the budget and all-day 4K.  Began the show talking quickly about the district's budget situation and finalizing that for next year, before getting into all-day 4K. The state has created a two-model funding system with 4K that the school...

Public engagement sessions on La Crosse hiring a city administrator are coming. Lisa Weston, on the city council and on the city admin working group, stopped in studio to discuss what those sessions will look like and what the working group has been doing since it was formed back in December. We also discussed another similar proposal of operations director, that was put on this Thursday’s c...

The two Moon Tunes co-founders in studio together, Terry Bauer and TJ Peterslie, discussing the last concert series of the season, what the future holds for year No. 15 next summer and how last week went with the combination of a marching band and Elvis impersonators.  This week’s finale features Adam Gruel and the Space Burritos. Peterslie says Gruel is an amazing talent, who&rsqu...