La Crosse County Board chair Monica Kruse in studio. Hit on a vast amount of items, including how the county is handling childcare, homelessness and the roads. We discussed the finalization of the yearly budget, where the board is at distributing ARPA funding and the timeline for hiring a new County Administrator.

La Crosse County Board chair Monica Kruse in studio. Hit on a vast amount of items, including how the county is handling childcare, homelessness and the roads. We discussed the finalization of the yearly budget, where the board is at distributing ARPA funding and the timeline for hiring a new County Administrator.

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

La Crosse County Board chair Monica Kruse on yearly budget, homeless plan, childcare, roads

Laura Godden joins to talk about the upcoming release of La Crosse’s Top 10 most endangered buildings, plus she discusses the city’s most untouchable structures, as well.

Godden is an archivist at UW-La Crosse and on the city’s Heritage Preservation Commission. Among the buildings we discuss are two that are very much threatened to get demolished soon — Glory Days Sports Pub, downtown, and the La Crosse School District’s Hogan Administrative Center.

The latter could be part of a $54 million referendum question going on the November ballot, where the district will ask voters to approve the capitol project of demolishing the 104-year-old Hogan building, putting up a new elementary there and updating State Road Elementary with eight new classrooms and a new gym. The other half of that plan would be closing Spence, Hintgen and Emerson elementary schools.  

Godden also discussed some of the incredible history of Longfellow Middle School.

Lastly, we had Godden give her most coveted buildings list — buildings that are basically untouchable in the city, like the Hixon House. 

Laura Godden joins to talk about the upcoming release of La Crosse’s <a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2023/05/24/lincoln-hogan-schools-glory-days-bar-on-la-crosses-top-10-most-endangered-buildings/">Top 10 most endangered buildings</a>, plus she discusses the city’s most untouchable structures, as well.
Godden is an archivist at UW-La Crosse and on the city’s Heritage Preservation Commission. Among the buildings we discuss are two that are very much threatened to get demolished soon — Glory Days Sports Pub, downtown, and the La Crosse School District’s Hogan Administrative Center.
The latter could be part of a $54 million referendum question going on the November ballot, where the district will ask voters to approve the capitol project of demolishing the 104-year-old Hogan building, putting up a new elementary there and updating State Road Elementary with eight new classrooms and a new gym. The other half of that plan would be closing Spence, Hintgen and Emerson elementary schools.  
Godden also discussed some of the incredible history of Longfellow Middle School.
Lastly, we had Godden give her most coveted buildings list — buildings that are basically untouchable in the city, like the Hixon House.

La Crosse’s most endangered, most coveted buildings with UW-L archivist Laura Godden

La Crosse Education Association president, Jesse Martinez joined to talk about the school board elections, with their write-in candidate winning, plus how the teachers’ union feels about the $54 million new elementary school plan potentially going on the ballot.

Martinez, a seventh-grade math and science teacher at Logan, started the show talking about how he handles giving students standardized tests in the midst of one of the nicest days of the year.

After that, we spent quite a bit of time on the election, where there was only two candidates for three spots on the school board. Martinez discussed the possible need for the union to get more involved in finding candidates and how much influence they should have in the board elections.

The school board talk seamlessly led to a conversation about the potential for the upcoming $54 million referendum question going on the November ballot, to tear down the Hogan Administrative site for a new elementary, updating State Road school and closing three others. 

La Crosse Education Association president, Jesse Martinez joined to talk about the school board elections, with their write-in candidate winning, plus how the teachers’ union feels about the $54 million new elementary school plan potentially going on the ballot.
Martinez, a seventh-grade math and science teacher at Logan, started the show talking about how he handles giving students standardized tests in the midst of one of the nicest days of the year.
After that, we spent quite a bit of time on the election, where there was only two candidates for three spots on the school board. Martinez discussed the possible need for the union to get more involved in finding candidates and how much influence they should have in the board elections.
The school board talk seamlessly led to a conversation about the potential for the upcoming $54 million referendum question going on the November ballot, to tear down the Hogan Administrative site for a new elementary, updating State Road school and closing three others.

La Crosse teachers’ union president Martinez on school board, $54 million new elementary

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds in studio discussing the Wagon Wheel Trail expansion to the city, rethinking sidewalks and bike paths and the riverbank cleanup from homeless encampments.


Began the show with Reynolds talking about the FIRST Robotic Competition that was held at the La Crosse Center last weekend. 


After that, we talked a bit about the NCAA women’s basketball tournament and the phenomenon of Caitlin Clark, and made the smoothest transitions into sidewalks and news that the Wagon Wheel Trail will be extended from La Crescent to downtown La Crosse.

Then we talked about one piece of legislation on Thursday’s city council agenda about enacting a new state law about supermajority votes at the local level, which would have affected legislation at last month’s council meeting dealing with the YWCA.

In the second half of the show, we went back to sidewalk talk, as a southside neighborhood doesn’t want to see them installed in front of their homes, while the city’s comprehensive plan is transitioning to alternate forms of transportation. That led to a bit of a discussion on if there was a better way to create sidewalks and bike paths. 

The last big topic discussed was about the 180 tons of cleanup along the riverbank from homeless encampments, and the Wisconsin DNR’s enforcement threat if it didn’t happen.

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds in studio discussing the Wagon Wheel Trail expansion to the city, rethinking sidewalks and bike paths and the riverbank cleanup from homeless encampments.
 Began the show with Reynolds talking about the FIRST Robotic Competition that was held at the La Crosse Center last weekend. 
 After that, we talked a bit about the NCAA women’s basketball tournament and the phenomenon of Caitlin Clark, and made the smoothest transitions into sidewalks and news that the Wagon Wheel Trail will be extended from La Crescent to downtown La Crosse.
Then we talked about one piece of legislation on Thursday’s city council agenda about enacting a new state law about supermajority votes at the local level, which would have affected legislation at last month’s council meeting dealing with the YWCA.
In the second half of the show, we went back to sidewalk talk, as a southside neighborhood doesn’t want to see them installed in front of their homes, while the city’s comprehensive plan is transitioning to alternate forms of transportation. That led to a bit of a discussion on if there was a better way to create sidewalks and bike paths. 
The last big topic discussed was about the 180 tons of cleanup along the riverbank from homeless encampments, and the Wisconsin DNR’s enforcement threat if it didn’t happen.

La Crosse County Board chair Monica Kruse on yearly budget, homeless plan, childcare, roads

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