WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews

Big news for those with a sweet tooth, and the Onalaska Mayor, Kim Smith, along with UW-L political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, join La Crosse Talk to talk about the Crumbl Cookie finally about to open. We also hit on some Wisconsin GOP legislation to force businesses to accept cash and hit on the state budget. In terms of Crumbl’s opening, we had Smith call in for just a coupl...

It’s one of the most important food drives for the La Crosse area, as Erin Waldhart and Adrianne Olson stop in studio to tell us about it. The Stamp Out Hunger food drive happens right out your front door from 8-10 a.m. Saturday. Waldhart is the Wafer Food Pantry executive director and Olson is the Great River United Way marketing director. Olson explains how simple it is to donate — j...

Sam Przywojski, with River Clean Up La Crosse, in the WIZM studio discussing just that, a three-decades long event that happens on Saturday. River Cleanup has been going on for 32 years and, over that time, pulled out over 800,000 pounds of trash, as well as recycled 3,300 of those blue barrels and nearly 2,000 tires. Przywojski said they could still use volunteers, people with boats, canoes...

We learn about GROW La Crosse with Bonnie Martin and Amy Sherrill in the WIZM studio, along with hyping up their upcoming “Plant Sale & More” event happening Thursday-Saturday. GROW La Crosse is a nonprofit that works with area schools, runs seven school gardens and teaches kids about all things plants. Well, maybe not all things, but gets them started on a life of growing. Their P...

We get to know new La Crosse City Council President — or as her neighbors call her, "Madam President" — Tamara Dickinson, in the WIZM studio. Dickinson helps preview the upcoming city council meeting, which includes the potential vote on hiring a city administrator or to delay it some more so a working group can do more study. We also discuss just what exactly it means to "vacation" a...

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Tara Johnson in studio recapping the budget listening sessions, money in politics, is the state tackling homelessness and the slow start to the Legislature’s session.  Johnson (D-Shelby), who represents District 96, that includes the south portion of the city of La Crosse, began talking about the Legislature’s slow start but also what she’s been...

La Crosse teachers' union president Jesse Martinez joins to talk about announcing Golden Apple awards, attending May Day rallies in DC, the new school board president, building coalitions and his stepping down soon. Martinez is officially co-president of the La Crosse Education Association, which is currently going through elections for its leadership positions, but he is not seeking a fourth term...

American Promise co-founder Jeff Clements joined WIZM’s La Crosse Talk to help preview a community conversation happening Wednesday in La Crosse on changing the US Constitution to get big money out of politics. Clements is a former Asst. State's Attorney General, a Constitutional scholar and published author. At noon Wednesday at the Black River Beach Community Center, he’ll sit on a p...

A few weeks ago, UW-La Crosse men’s track & field coach Josh Bucholtz stopped in the WIZM studio for La Crosse Talk to chat about the dynasty that he’s led the past 17 seasons. The Eagles’ T&F team is coming off an indoor national championship over winter and, last weekend,  its 32 WIAC title out of the past 33 seasons . Bucholtz is trying to lead the Eagles to the t...

UW-L political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in the WIZM studio for La Crosse Talk for a wide-ranging conversation on everything from West Avenue traffic, dumbing down ballot referendums, suing your neighbor for driveway basketball and the early start of the 2026 Wisconsin governor's race. We kicked things off with a local “issue” — the traffic congestion along West A...

Olivia Moths and Sarah Staff in studio to preview this year’s 20th annual Steppin’ Out in Pink event. Steppin’ Out In Pink supports breast cancer research and patient support programs at Gundersen's Norma J. Vinger Center for Breast Care. Motes is the Philanthropy Program Coordinator at Gundersen Medical Foundation in La Crosse. She talks about how all the money raised stays loca...

It’s No. 32 for the Freedom Honor Flight out of La Crosse, the nonprofit that takes area veterans to Washington, D.C. for the day to see the war memorials, and Dave Larsen was in studio to talk about it. Larsen, a veteran himself, said 101 veterans are on Saturday’s flight, where people can go send them off around 6 a.m. from the Colgan Air Service hangar, or — and perhaps more i...

Ashley Adams, the lead instructor at HorseSense in Coon Valley, in studio hyping up the Kentucky Derby watch party fundraiser they’re having Saturday, plus everything the nonprofit does for the community. Adams talks about how HorseSense helps people with disabilities — youth and adults — as well as veterans, learn to ride horses. She tells some stories about how that goes and le...

After the NFL Draft in Green Bay, the Packers called UW-L's Jack Studer to invite him to rookie minicamp. Studer joined to talk about the anticipation of that phone call, his expectations for camp and his career at UW-La Crosse. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound wide receiver finished his UW-L career the football team's all-time leader in touchdown receptions (35), receiving yards (3,127) and is second in c...

UW-La Crosse football coach Matt Janus joins to mainly talk about his wide receiver, Jack Studer, getting the invite for rookie minicamp with the Green Bay Packers. We begin the conversation, though, talking about spring practice and just practice in general. Then we get into Studer, the record-setting receiver that helped UW-L make the playoffs each of the past four years. Studer leaves UW-L the...

A Kentucky Derby watch party and fundraiser for Houston County’s Abilities Building Community (ABC) on Saturday. Sammie Sherry with the nonprofit was in studio for WIZM’s La Crosse Talk discussing what ABC is all about and everything that’s happening for the Saturday fundraiser at Timeout Tavern in La Crescent. ABC helps people with disabilities just live normal lives and this fu...

River City Running Club president and ultramarathoner Michael Borst in the WIZM studio to, not just preview the La Crosse Marathon — which happens May 3 — but also just dive into everything running.  Along with the La Crosse Marathon , the event also features a half marathon, a 5k and a kids race through Riverside Park. So, we get into that for abit, but also — since Borst i...

Dr. Aaron Engel joined La Crosse Talk on Monday to discuss the suspension of a Fort McCoy commander due to Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth photos being turned around, plus the state of La Crosse School funding, ahead of the Wisconsin budget being crafted. Engel is the superintendent of the La Crosse School District and a Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard, who added that he is now also the Dep...

Mac Kiel in studio breaking down where La Crosse is at with hiring a city administrator, as it is on committee agendas this week. Kiel is a former city council member, who just spent the last seven months on the city administrator working group studying whether to hire the position.  The Judiciary and Administrative Committee meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday to vote on two agenda items in regards to c...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio talking whether we have favorite Kwik Trips, our politeness costing A.I. companies millions but will it ward off The Terminator in the future, plus Wisconsin politicians are finally getting to work — five months after election. We began the show there, with why the Wisconsin Legislature sat around for the first five m...

A fun conversation with Eva Marie Restel, executive director of the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, about their Conductor Wannabe competition, how those winners will be crashing a PBS Wisconsin special for their concert finale and we pitch her an idea for next year. The La Crosse Symphony Orchestra has been around since 1898 and the wannabe competition has been happening the past 26 years. The fundr...

Economist Adam Hoffer stopped in the WIZM studio for La Crosse Talk to help break down the economics of the NFL draft coming to Green Bay. We also dived into the hundreds of millions of dollars Wisconsin is losing out on by not legalizing weed, and we hit on the La Crosse School District's budget situation.  Hoffer works in excise tax — otherwise known as sin tax, like weed, alcohol, ci...

Pearl Street Books owner Beth Hartung and author Clemonce Heard join ahead of Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday. Before that, however, Heard will be having a social and reading at Pearl Street on his book Tragic City, a poetry collection on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. We kickoff the show with Hartung talking about a couple things happening at Pearl Street with Independent Bookstore Day, incl...

A few weeks ago, La Crosse Area YMCAs executive director Bill Soper and development director Nikki West crashed the WIZM studio to talk about both the Wicked Fun Gala coming up, as well as a new addition to the Onalaska Hauser building. West took center stage to start, talking about their yearly fundraising event that’s got a Wizard of Oz theme this year.  The Wicked Fun Gala — wh...

Grant Bilse, host of WKTY's Wisco Sports Show, joined to talk about everything but the NFL draft, including Packers CEO Mark Murphy stealing his job a few weeks ago in La Crosse to the rumor of Brett Favre running for Wisconsin governor and the situation the Milwaukee Bucks are in.  You can listen to Bilse 4-6 p.m. weekdays on WKTY 96.7 FM / 580 AM or check out the podcast here or by searchin...