News broke right before the show, Kobe King quit the Badgers. Luckily, Badger Project managing editor Peter Cameron was on, to help break down his departure. Also talked with Cameron about his story on the BadgerProject.org about how Wisconsin is gerrymandered and now we need to depend on Republicans to do the right thing. Ha.

News broke right before the show, Kobe King quit the Badgers. Luckily, Badger Project managing editor Peter Cameron was on, to help break down his departure. Also talked with Cameron about his story on the BadgerProject.org about how Wisconsin is gerrymandered and now we need to depend on Republicans to do the right thing. Ha.

Listener conversations about the days events in and around the La Crosse area.  Weekdays from 5-6pm on WIZM 1410AM and 92.3FM

La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

WIZM - La Crosse

Goodbye Kobe King, goodbye gerrymandering?

La Crosse School Board president Trevor Sprague in the WIZM studio for the Rick Solem Show on Thursday, discussing what comes next with the old Trane headquarters that was recently donated to the district.

The 41.5-acre, 210,000-square-foot building on the south side was once the centerpiece of the school district’s failed $194-million plan to combine Logan and Central high schools.

Sprague puts the high school consolidation notion to bed fairly quickly, before getting into immediate and future uses of the property.

Sprague also addresses the argument regarding the property coming off the tax rolls instead of being developed into something like affordable housing. Additionally, he shares the story of how the Blank family initiated the massive donation, and explains how the district plans to protect and honor a Ho-Chunk heritage site located on the northeast corner of the property.

While a permanent, long-term plan for the massive facility could take up to five years of community feedback to finalize, Sprague outlines some of the immediate, low-cost uses the district is eyeing — including soccer fields, warehousing, and professional development spaces.

Also on the show, Sprague talked about a couple of groups that are meeting to discuss school matters (unofficial names):
Countywide School Board Collaboration (unofficial title): Board presidents and vice presidents from districts like Holmen, Onalaska, and West Salem are teaming up to lobby the county to put voucher school dollars directly on local tax bills for transparency, following the lead of Eau Claire and Green Bay.
The Tech Advisory Committee (TAC): A diverse group of teachers, parents, and experts discussing how to balance screen time in classrooms, including the potential for “no-tech” days, and how the district currently handles cell phone policies.
Indoor Aquatics Center committee (unofficial title): Sprague explains why the school board is hitting pause on a proposed indoor aquatics facility after lukewarm community survey support, and why they are looking for partners.

Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)

La Crosse School Board president Trevor Sprague in the WIZM studio for the Rick Solem Show on Thursday, discussing what comes next with the old Trane headquarters that was recently donated to the district.
The 41.5-acre, 210,000-square-foot building on the south side was once the centerpiece of the school district&rsquo;s failed $194-million plan to combine Logan and Central high schools.
Sprague puts&nbsp;the high school consolidation&nbsp;notion to bed fairly quickly, before getting into immediate and future uses of the property.
Sprague also addresses the argument regarding the property coming off the tax rolls instead of being developed into something like affordable housing. Additionally, he shares the story of how the Blank family initiated the massive donation, and explains how the district plans to protect and honor a Ho-Chunk heritage site located on the northeast corner of the property.
While a permanent, long-term plan for the massive facility could take up to five years of community feedback to finalize, Sprague outlines some of the immediate, low-cost uses the district is eyeing &mdash; including soccer fields, warehousing, and professional development spaces.
Also on the show, Sprague talked about a couple of groups that are meeting to discuss school matters (unofficial names):
<ul>
<li>Countywide School Board Collaboration (unofficial title):&nbsp;Board presidents and vice presidents from districts like Holmen, Onalaska, and West Salem are teaming up to lobby the county to put voucher school dollars directly on local tax bills for transparency, following the lead of Eau Claire and Green Bay.</li>
<li>The Tech Advisory Committee (TAC):&nbsp;A diverse group of teachers, parents, and experts discussing how to balance screen time in classrooms, including the potential for &ldquo;no-tech&rdquo; days, and how the district currently handles cell phone policies.</li>
<li>Indoor Aquatics Center committee (unofficial title):&nbsp;Sprague explains why the school board is hitting pause on a proposed indoor aquatics facility after lukewarm community survey support, and why they are looking for partners.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1k1QCGhGrFA5KH9Rxh6fIO">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/la-crosse-talk-pm-wizm/id1445077021">Apple Podcast</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/la-crosse-talk-pm-with-rick-solem/">here</a>. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)

What’s next for La Crosse Schools’ new Trane property with board president Sprague

Rodriguez campaign

More Rodriguez, Foxconn

Data centers

Wisconsin governor candidate Joel Brennan joins to discuss the fallout from opponent Sara Rodriguez firing her campaign manager over massive campaign finance discrepancies, his take on AI data centers, and his firsthand role in renegotiating the Foxconn deal.

Over the weekend, Lt. Gov. Rodriguez — one of five Democrats in the governor primary — announced she let her manager go over hundreds of thousands of dollars in mismanaged funds.

Brennan reacts to the news, explaining why he views it as a failure of "competence 101." He details how his own campaign handles its books to ensure accountability before Wednesday's filing deadline, and discusses the political impact on the primary now that a "coronation" has been disrupted.

Later, we dive into Brennan's role as Department of Administration Secretary in helping renegotiate the failed $2.85 billion Foxconn contract under Tony Evers. A deal originally put in place by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker and touted as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" by President Donald Trump during his first term.

Lastly, we tackle the wild west of AI data centers in Wisconsin.

With La Crosse County and its 18 municipalities fending for themselves to pass local moratoriums, Brennan reacts to the state legislature "hanging local government out to dry" on regulation.

He breaks down his four-part plan to establish guardrails — including utilizing union labor, implementing strict green standards, banning non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that keep locals in the dark, and ensuring residential ratepayers aren't stuck subsidizing massive corporate energy bills.

Plus, he explains why he supports a targeted, 90-day statewide pause on approvals to write these rules into law, rather than an arbitrary, year-long ban. Though all that would have to wait until after the November election, since the GOP-controlled state Legislature hasn't been in session since April and won't resume work until January of 2027.

Wisconsin governor candidate Joel Brennan joins&nbsp;to discuss the fallout from opponent Sara Rodriguez firing her campaign manager over massive campaign finance discrepancies, his take on AI data centers, and his firsthand role in renegotiating the Foxconn deal.
Over the weekend, Lt. Gov. Rodriguez &mdash; one of five Democrats in the governor primary &mdash; announced she let her manager go over hundreds of thousands of dollars in mismanaged funds.
Brennan reacts to the news, explaining why he views it as a failure of "competence 101." He details how his own campaign handles its books to ensure accountability before Wednesday's filing deadline, and discusses the political impact on the primary now that a "coronation" has been disrupted.
Later, we dive into Brennan's role as Department of Administration Secretary in helping renegotiate the failed $2.85 billion Foxconn contract under Tony Evers. A deal originally put in place by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker and touted as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" by President Donald Trump during his first term.
Lastly, we tackle the wild west of AI data centers in Wisconsin.
With La Crosse County and its 18 municipalities fending for themselves to pass local moratoriums, Brennan reacts to the state legislature "hanging local government out to dry" on regulation.
He breaks down his four-part plan to establish guardrails &mdash; including utilizing union labor, implementing strict green standards, banning non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that keep locals in the dark, and ensuring residential ratepayers aren't stuck subsidizing massive corporate energy bills.
Plus, he explains why he supports a targeted, 90-day statewide pause on approvals to write these rules into law, rather than an arbitrary, year-long ban. Though all that would have to wait until after the November election, since the GOP-controlled state Legislature hasn't been in session since April and won't resume work until January of 2027.

Wisconsin governor candidate Joel Brennan on opponent's finance mismanagement, data centers, Foxconn

Show overview

What Rick missed last week

City admin  is back

Recapping council

Ranking committees

We rank the Top 10 most important La Crosse city committees, discuss what happens next with another city administrator vote and recap last week’s monthly city council meeting with Mac Kiel.

 

First up, we tackled city administrator, which is back on the agenda for August.

We announce that we’ll be working with the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce on the show, over the next four weeks, to discuss all things city administrator ahead of the vote. The chamber has endorsed the idea of La Crosse having a city administrator.

This was last on the agenda in February and we discuss how it didn’t pass a super majority and that nothing has really been done by the city or the council since — despite a lot of conversations to do so.

After that, we highlight key moments from last week’s city council meeting, including: 
Using $1.8 million in TID 14 money for affordable housing in a way that has no time restrictions
Creating two other TID districts
Zoning approval for the Bridgeview housing complex

Regarding the Bridgeview housing, we discuss how this zoning shift isn’t an approval of the final build plan, and why the discussion hovered around the vast amount of parking developers have allotted.

We also relate that to the Cowboy Jack’s restaurant proposal going through council in the Riverpoint District — and just how much riverfront parking is planned there.

Lastly, Kiel ranks the Top 10 city committees — in which there are over 50 in total.

Before legislation ever hits the full council, it gets hashed out in committees where the public can learn and provide input. Not only do we go through the rankings, but we also discuss how some of the most powerful committees — like the Board of Public Works or the Library Board — don’t require council approval to act.

We started the show, though hitting on some things that happened over the past week, including
The school district receiving the old Trane headquarters building as a donation
David Crowley leaving leaving the Wisconsin governor’s race and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s campaign manager being fired
Lindsey Graham — not Mitch McConnell — passing away

Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for providing the public with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population.

Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)

We rank the Top 10 most important La Crosse city committees, discuss what happens next with another city administrator vote and recap last week&rsquo;s monthly city council meeting with Mac Kiel.
&nbsp;
First up, we tackled city administrator, which is back on the agenda for August.
We announce that we&rsquo;ll be working with the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce on the show, over the next four weeks, to discuss all things city administrator ahead of the vote. The chamber has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2026/01/15/chamber-ceo-talks-about-la-crosse-city-administrator-position/">endorsed the idea</a>&nbsp;of La Crosse having a city administrator.
This was last on the agenda in February and we discuss how it&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2026/02/12/city-administrator-plan-falls-short-of-needed-majority-by-la-crosse-city-council/">didn&rsquo;t pass a super majority</a>&nbsp;and that nothing has really been done by the city or the council since &mdash; despite a lot of conversations to do so.
After that, we highlight key moments from last week&rsquo;s city council meeting, including:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Using $1.8 million in TID 14 money for affordable housing in a way that has no time restrictions</li>
<li>Creating two other TID districts</li>
<li>Zoning approval for the Bridgeview housing complex</li>
</ul>
Regarding the Bridgeview housing, we discuss how this zoning shift isn&rsquo;t an approval of the final build plan, and why the discussion hovered around the vast amount of parking developers have allotted.
We also relate that to the Cowboy Jack&rsquo;s restaurant proposal going through council in the Riverpoint District &mdash; and just how much riverfront parking is planned there.
Lastly, Kiel ranks the Top 10 city committees &mdash; in which there are&nbsp;<a href="https://cityoflacrosse.legistar.com/Departments.aspx">over 50 in total</a>.
Before legislation ever hits the full council, it gets hashed out in committees where the public can learn and provide input. Not only do we go through the rankings, but we also discuss how some of the most powerful committees &mdash; like the Board of Public Works or the Library Board &mdash; don&rsquo;t require council approval to act.
We started the show, though hitting on some things that happened over the past week, including
<ul>
<li>The school district&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2026/07/06/trane-technologies-donates-pammel-creek-site-to-school-district/">receiving the old Trane headquarters</a>&nbsp;building as a donation</li>
<li>David Crowley leaving leaving the Wisconsin governor&rsquo;s race and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez&rsquo;s campaign manager being fired</li>
<li>Lindsey Graham &mdash; not Mitch McConnell &mdash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2026/07/12/us-sen-lindsey-graham-has-died-after-a-brief-and-unexpected-illness-his-office-says/">passing away</a></li>
</ul>
Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MacKielforCityCouncil">providing the public&nbsp;</a>with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population.
<hr>
Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1k1QCGhGrFA5KH9Rxh6fIO">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/la-crosse-talk-pm-wizm/id1445077021">Apple Podcast</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/la-crosse-talk-pm-with-rick-solem/">here</a>. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)

Goodbye Kobe King, goodbye gerrymandering?

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