La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

La Crosse County Administrator Jane Klekamp in studio helping decide how much money it would take to get a radio show host to move here and become part of the tax base. Klekamp said it's something the county has looked into in the past — and is currently underway in Fond du Lac — as we discussed Wisconsin’s declining population and ways to get people to move here. We also dove into the possibility of universal childcare as the county waits on the state to approve its intergenerational daycare plan, and the recent passing of an 18-month data center moratorium — along with the new data center study committee. One other topic, we broke down is the critical work the county and city are doing on the homeless situation, highlighting the Homes for 100 plan that launched last month as part of La Crosse's Pathways Home plan.

La Crosse’s household survival budget. The bare minimum it takes for a person, a family, to get by. It’s called the ALICE report. It was just released by the Great Rivers United Way and executive director Mary Kay Wolf stopped in the WIZM studio for the Rick Solem Show to discuss it. ALICE stands for (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). It comes out every two years and looks at households that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living for the county.  Wolf talks about the report, where La Crosse stands and how we can improve our situation — whether that’s through talking with elected representatives, helping groups in the area that work in these fields or donating.  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)

How much would it take for you to move to Fond du Lac? That's one of the many topics discussed with Adam Murphy on Friday's The Rick Solem Show. Murphy is a small business owner, economist and — as we learn — handyman. Before we get into moving to Fond du Lac and the political landscape of Wisconsin's governor's race — and whether they should just run on an anti-AI data center platform — we talk about Murphy remodeling his cottage and how that lost handyman art needs to be passed down to the next generation. That segwayed nicely to Fond du Lac County trying to pay people to move there. Murphy basically said there's not enough money in the world, but he did point out the dilemma for the area and the state in general with an aging and declining population, cities need more residents to stay alive. But is Fond du Lac County's incentive package worth it? We also looked at the governor's race, why Mandela Barnes gets unfair flak for his past Senate run, and what a lieutenant governor actually does all day. Finally, we dig into the infrastructure drain of AI data centers and how it should be used in campaigns. Murphy uses his IT background to explain why these massive hubs redline the power grid while providing almost zero long-term local jobs, leading into a debate on why universal childcare is a much smarter economic investment for the state's aging population. Murphy is the owner of a small business in Milwaukee called Big Bang LLC, he also ran for US Senate for the Democrats in Wisconsin, and holds degrees in economics and political science from UW-Milwaukee.

Brad Pitel in studio helping us preview the four-day July 4 celebration at Riverside Park. Riverfest kicks off Thursday afternoon and ends with a firework show on the 4th of July. Pitel, who is on the Riverfest board, talks about the wide array of acts from national country star Mitchell Tenpenny to the RCCW pro wrestling events, where they bring a ring to Riverside. Pitel also talks about how Misty Lown's reign the Riverfest Commodore. Lown, owner of Misty's Dance Unlimited in Onalaska, is the first woman Commodore ever since Riverfest began in 1983. Check out the full schedule for each day of Riverfest here.

Why are we so obsessed with algae in a D.C. wading pool, or a U.S. Senate candidate’s scandals in Maine of all places over what’s happening in our own backyard? As we fixate on national sideshows like those, UW-Madison professor Dr. Mike Wagner joins to decipher why our focus shifts away from critical local decisions — like an upcoming La Crosse city budget public hearing. Wagner talks about how our media consumption is so backwards and why local news is the a place people can trust to keep us grounded.   We look at the strategic “flood the zone” tactics used by Donald Trump, and similarities between the president’s defenders and those backing Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner — how there’s an excuse to every scandal. We also dive into how social media algorithms manipulate our feeds, and why bad news is always what gets the clicks. Lastly, Wagner breaks down why shows like this one — that intentionally focus on local stories, leaders and decisions shaping the La Crosse area — are exactly what’s needed to fight back against that national cycle. About the guest: Dr. Michael W. Wagner is the William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea and Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at UW-Madison. He serves as the Director of the Center for Communication and Civic Renewal (CCCR). He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University and is a past winner of the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Before entering academia, he spent years behind the mic working as an AM radio news reporter and anchor 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)

If you've spent any time in local coffee shops or boutiques, you know that naming your business after "The Driftless" carries a certain amount of outdoorsy eco-prestige.  But, according to UW-Madison geologist Dr. Eric Carson, if that business is across the river in Minnesota or Iowa — they are living a lie. For the past 18 years, Dr. Carson has been mapping The Driftless. He joins ahead of his Badger Talk at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Sparta Free Library to tell us just exactly what that means and why it's taken two decades.  Carson talks about going county-by-county — a job we assume involves a leather notebook, a magnifying glass, and a horse with no name. Carson humors us on the tech front (turns out they use airplanes with lasers called LiDAR and drill 100-foot soil cores instead), but he breaks down the mind-blowing reality of our backyard — why the ice sheets missed us, why Lake Superior is actually a giant billion-year-old tear in the earth, and how a local river used to flow east, toward Canada, instead of west into the Mississippi River. Plus, we look at why the U.S. is facing a massive shortage of rock-nerds and why geology is actually a high-security, high-demand career. Check out the preview, and bring your questions for Carson Thursday at the Sparta Library. Any school, group or organization that would like to host a Badger Talk, either in person or online, email here or request a speaker online at badgertalks.wisc.edu.

The city of La Crosse has a lot going on right now — from transforming the now-closed library and tearing down the Kmart, to rezoning for housing by the old Shopko at Bridgeview Plaza and establishing new TIDs on the causeway and by Black River Beach. To help explain all that, Mac Kiel joins, as we break down the process for what comes next with the old north library and recap her mayor district forum from Monday night — a district that contains both the old Kmart and new elementary school. To help explain all of it, Mac Kiel stops in studio, as we break down the process for what comes next with the old north side library and recap the mayor district forum from Monday night — a district that contains both the old Kmart and the new elementary school. Kiel, who is on the Library Board, also walks us through the choices they had that led to the north side library closing. The building has now gone through the RFEI (Request for Expression of Interest) process, and we talk about the formal and informal proposals that were reported by WIZM on Monday. Plus, Kiel explains the next steps — the RFP (Request for Proposal) process — which happen Wednesday at the Economic and Community Development Commission (ECDC).  We walk through some of the six-page document on the ECDC agenda that lays out what the city might want from those submitting RFPs. Before we got to that, though, Kiel went to the mayor’s District 7 forum, which was also led by city council member Gary Padesky. She talked about what the 30 or so attendees brought up, including the old Kmart coming down— possibly this summer — and the new elementary school going up. Lastly, we ended with next week’s Finance and Personnel Committee meeting discussing TIDs (Tax Incremental Districts) — one in the Gundersen area, plus others in the Black River Beach area and on the pike headed to La Crescent. Kiel does her best — again — to help explain a TID.  We began the show, though, sulking over Giannis Antetokounmpo getting traded. 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.

La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Sam Scinta on his “Lord of the Rings”-length meeting with the mayor, the business climate in the community right now, and that port initiative announced last week. We began though with just a quick “What does the Chamber do?” as Scinta has been leading it now for the past nine months. Next, we talked about — what is more of a long game — the new Northern Grain Belts Ports Initiative and what it means for leveraging local waterways. After that, we spent the final half of the show deep diving into La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey’s three-hour meeting with Chamber members last week. We break down what the meeting entailed and the "homework" to come out of it — like the push for a city administrator, a business concierge, zoning changes, and historic preservation reform. We wrap up looking at how La Crosse is faring right now when it comes to the overall business climate, why our unique transit hub gives us a leg up on Madison, and the Chamber's possible future plans for a quarterly "La Crosse is Open for Business" series.

La Crosse County Democratic Party chair Wyatt Molling was in studio last week for the Rick Solem Show discussing the friction between the state and local party over reaching rural voters. We recapped the state convention and why everyday voters don't look like convention diehards, plus the split over Gov. Tony Evers' budget surplus deal. And, we closed with some rapid-fire over everything from data centers to Trump and the World Cup. We start though talking about Molling getting into politics and taking over role as chair in January. After, we dive into the three Assembly seats defining La Crosse County, looking closely at the different rural landscapes facing Steve Doyle, Jill Billings and Tara Johnson. Molling airs some frustration with the state party on reaching voters in these districts that have all been redrawn. From there, we discuss the state Democratic convention. Molling is asked about the WisPolitics governor's race straw poll that had heads turning. He explains the mindset of convention-goers versus regular voters in regards to the poll and we get into the resolutions the party comes up with at the convention. We also hit the optics surrounding Evers’ multi-billion-dollar budget surplus package and why local Democrats split on the final vote. To wrap up, we put Molling through a lightning-round of national and local headlines, including data center moratoriums — which the La Crosse County Board has passed — as well as the controversial $300 billion Iran memorandum, gas prices and why Donald Trump hoisting the FIFA World Cup trophy could get incredibly awkward.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio to help weave a discussion about the La Crosse pool poll, the Democratic convention governor straw poll and the Packers fighting with one Wisconsin US House member. We did start the show, though, talking quick about not being a sports fan but being excited about something like the World Cup — plus the Loggers having Catbirds throwback night. The poll conversation stems partly from the results from a survey of La Crosse residents about building a new indoor aquatics center, where about 52 percent were in favor — with 14% of those asked responding. Another aspect came from a straw poll last weekend at the Wisconsin Democratic Party convention that had Mandela Barnes sixth out of seven governor candidates. We break down how these polls could be written and conducted — perhaps to gain favorability for a specific outcome — and how much stock we should take in the results. We also discuss how some polls — like the pool survey — might be sent out partly to inform people a thing is happening that they didn’t know about — and therefore the wording of those questions comes back into play. We also look at how Wisconsin Republicans put Constitutional Amendments on the ballot that are often seen as confusing and steering the voting population into getting the results the GOP wants. Lastly, we talked about the Packers pushing back against how US House Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Clyman) is looking into the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, and this idea that TV deals have isolated Packers fans who need to subscribe to networks to watch certain games. Or — throwing this conspiracy at Chergosky — is this a deep political ploy to prop up fellow GOP US House Reps. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien) and Bryan Steil (R-Janesville), who have sided with the Packers saying what Fitzgerald is doing would hurt the team.

Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff in studio discussing A.I. data centers, the budget surplus deal and — with Alabama and Megadeath coming to La Crosse — ticket prices and third-party sellers. Pfaff also came in hyped that June is dairy month and will be hosting a dairy breakfast from 6-11 a.m. at Creamery Creek Farms in Bangor. When it comes to legislation, though, the state did nothing the last two years with data centers, as multiple counties in Pfaff’s district debate moratoriums and study committees to address the issue. Democrats and Republicans had data center proposals, but neither passed the Legislature, which has now been out of session since March. Pfaff also talked about voting against the budget surplus deal that was negotiated in private between Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislators, Robin Vos and Devin LeMahieu. The deal included no tax on tips/overtime, $300 checks and one year of special education funding and property tax relief. It was introduced to the public Monday and the Legislature voted on it two days later. After that, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau came out with a report that the deal would have put Wisconsin in a structural budget deficit.  Before the data center conversation, we did talk about the Tank Creek Bridge that an arsonist burned down last year — part of the Great River Trail in La Crosse County. We had some fun to begin the show, first asking what Pfaff was doing the last time Alabama came to the La Crosse Center in 1984. He revealed his first-ever concert was at the La Crosse Center but a year later — Huey Lewis and the News.  With Alabama in town Sept. 10 — tickets just went on sale — and Megadeth at the Oktobefest Grounds on July 31, Pfaff also discussed whether the state needs to look into third-party ticket sellers and if there needs to be some laws created to protect concert goers. Viterbo University brought this issue up in the past, where these third-parties rip people off on ticket prices.

The logrolling champion of the world, seven years running, La Crosse’s own Livi Pappadopoulos, in studio to hype up Saturday’s La Crosse Open and give us the inside scoop on how she dominates the sport. Pappadopoulos owns Coulee Region Logrolling, and it’s hosting the 25th annual La Crosse Open, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Pettibone Lagoon. She tells us what to expect during the event, who might give her fits on the water, and some insider tips on what she sees on the log to get her opponent to fall. Pappadopoulos also talks about Coulee Region Logrolling and invites anybody to get involved here.

What happens next now that the north side library is officially closed? La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey in studio Monday to break down the city's next steps, explaining the upcoming request for proposals (RFP) process and addressing the transparency questions surrounding the three groups that have already expressed interest in the building. Before that, though, we discussed the narrative that the city is “on (the) attack” against the North Side regarding the pool and library closures — with the Northside Neighborhood Center expressing its frustration on the library sale. We then shifted to why the city council stripped Emerson Elementary School of its historic designation. We ended the show, circling back to what the mayor would like to see get done, which included bringing a public market to La Crosse — and what that would look like for him. The hour also highlighted Washington-Spivey's excitement for celebrating Juneteenth on Saturday in Riverside Park.

For the first time as the La Crosse School Board president, Trevor Sprague joins, and we take a look at the developments for a $33 million indoor aquatics center, technology in schools and the continuing plans of the district consolidation process. With the pool, we talk about the city and the district creating a committee to come up with a plan, the survey that received about 3,500 responses and the five public meetings that drew a total of about 86 attendees. Sprague also discusses how the board navigates declining enrollment, the lessons learned from past facility referendums and what state funding challenges mean for local taxpayers. Also, with a new state law requiring a cellphone policy to be implemented by every school district this summer, we see where La Crosse is at, plus how screen time affects students' cognitive development and whether it’s time to ban smartphones entirely during the school day.

We discuss the culture and politics of gambling and drinking in La Crosse with UW-L political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, and WIZM’s Brad Williams, and then feature another woman-owned business "for no reason whatsoever" Friday on the Rick Solem Show. The "sin taxes and vices" conversation went in a bunch of different directions, including a look back at when La Crosse residents voted twice by referendum, in 1995 and 2000, on whether to allow a casino in the city—and discussing if that would pass today. Another reason for the conversation stems from the La Crosse City Council recently denying liquor license renewals for two local establishments, plus whether Wisconsin’s sports gambling legalization gets fully implemented before Gov. Tony Evers leaves office. After that, Chergosky breaks down the politics of the Wisconsin governor’s race. Now that there are seven Democrats and two Republicans on the ballot, less popular candidates face a dilemma: do they try to go viral to make a name for themselves — does that have to be negative — or is the responsible thing to do "for the party" to drop out? Lastly, we talked to another women-owned business in the area “for no reason whatsoever," and we've compiled a list of over 500 in the area here. Our seventh business featured is Scrappin’ on the Ranch, in Pickwick, Minn. — tucked in the bluffs between La Crosse and Winona. Jolene Danca joins to tell us about her bed and breakfast and beyond, that was created for scrapbookers to get away for a weekend — and she has everything there a scrapbooker would need — but has evolved to host everything from bachelorette and graduation parties to weddings and business retreats. Check out Scrappin’ on the Ranch here.

We look at farming issues in Wisconsin, a week after President Donald Trump visited a Chippewa Falls farm last week and, after that, we continue what could be a series, “Hyping women-owned businesses for no reason whatsoever.” But first, Brian Reisinger, joined to talk about fuel and fertilizer prices because of the Iran war and ways to better help the small farms — whether that’s the government or consumers. Reisinger, who grew up on a farm his family still owns and now writes and talks about these issues, is the author of Land Rich, Cash Poor: My Family’s Hope and the Untold History of the Disappearing American Farm. After that, Carly Green-Easterday took some time out of her day to hype up her Groovy coffee businesses “for no reason whatsoever.” Perhaps this will be a continuing series, after opening with five businesses Wednesday for no reason whatsoever. Abe's Raves is compiling a list of women-owned businesses and it is HUGE. Here are Carly's three Groovy businesses:  Groovy Grind Coffee Co. (Galesville) Groovy Sips (Onalaska) Groovy Grounds (La Crescent)

Every election, politicians around Wisconsin gather signatures to get on the ballot. This can be an incredibly stressful time for politicians and the results give us interesting clues about the elections to come. From independent candidates to signature challenges in court to hints about what seats will be competitive in November, there is a lot to learn from the end results, if we just bother to look. And that's what we do here.

Hyping up women-owned businesses for no reason whatsoever Wednesday on the Rick Solem Show.  We were joined in studio by Abram Dyke of Abe’s Raves. Our local foodie helped track down a bunch of awesome local businesses that we got on the show, including: Sam Sveum, who owns Nom Sips & Eats Mia Davis of the Mia’s Kitchen food truck Maria Norberg, owner of Grounded Coffee Ka Lia Vang of Ka Lia’s Kitchen Megan Larson owner of Vintage Kitchen We opened the show talking a bit about Abe’s Raves — some of the fun stuff he’s doing on that page and how we need to do the area’s best coffee next.  Also, before he had to leave, we ended the show mentioning that Dyke won a huge award for his work as a nurse recently.  Now, we weren’t able to, of course, get all the women-owned food and coffee joints in the area on. So, feel free to go to this post on Facebook and add your favorites to the comments. 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)

An 18-month data center ban in La Crosse is on the docket for the county board.  The moratorium legislation comes as a county study committee has its first meeting Wednesday. Dillon Mader and Lia Manock stopped in studio to break down their reasonings for a moratorium, discuss the work the study committee will be doing, and why they feel a ban on data centers is necessary. While there are multiple angles to consider when pausing data center development, Mader and Manock explain why they based their resolution's thresholds on energy usage (two megawatts) and storage (one petabyte). They also discussed why an 18-month moratorium is necessary to give the study committee a full year to conduct its work, report back and possibly craft other legislation. Manock is one of five county board members on the study committee, which also includes a representative from each of the 18 municipalities in La Crosse County. The county board's executive committee will take up the moratorium resolution at 8 a.m. Thursday, before a full vote next week (agenda here). We began the show on how this Thursday meeting is the only change the public has to address the issue during a board meeting. Otherwise, it will depend on contacting your county board rep or emailing the entire board here.

Bringing down La Crosse’s Kmart, what ever happened to the green bubbler talk from last year and the potential selling of the north side library. Those were some of the big topics we discussed with city council president Tamra Dickinson ahead of their monthly Thursday meeting. We started with the north library, which is scheduled to close for good June 15. Dickinson walks us through the process of declaring it a surplus property and how they get proposals from different groups about what they’d want to do with the building. After that, we hit on the Kmart proposal from Three-Sixty Real Estate Solutions. The council could approve Phase 1 of Three-Sixty’s plans Thursday, which might mean the Kmart comes down yet this year. Dickinson is the chair of the Aviation Board, and we spent some time discussing the turnaround the airport has seen over the past year, adding flights, and what could happen next over there. Lastly, those green bubblers. It was all the talk last summer, but that attention has significantly died down. Dickinson, though, says there are plans in motion.

John Havlicek stopped in studio just days after saying adiós to the teaching profession after 31 years — 28 of those at Central High School. So, of course, we had to tell a couple of retirement stories, but also got into some of the politics surrounding education and beyond with Havlicek, who is a political activist.  Beyond education, we also discussed what he’d like to see as priorities in those running for statewide office — like governor and the Legislature. That included a public option for healthcare, the ability for anyone to participate in the state run pension retirement plan and his idea of government working for the bottom 80%.

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle in studio discussing whether the state might get that $2 billion in budget surplus back to taxpayers before the election. We also discussed a data center moratorium, his opponent in November, one governor candidate being $30,000 in credit card debt and an update on rebuilding the Tank Creek Bridge. Earlier in the day, a news release went out from Keith Purnell, who will be Doyle’s Republican opponent in the 94th Assembly District. We got Doyle’s early take on Purnell and whether there might be a debate. In regards to the Tank Creek Bridget that sits along the Great River State Trail, and was burned by an arsonist last year, Doyle discussed when construction might happen and a potential grant coming from the federal government to cover what might be a couple million in cost. Two stories about the governor’s race involved Francesca Hong over the past few days. One, that Capital One is suing her for $30,000 in credit card debt, presumably from her restaurant going out of business during COVID. The other was from a Democratic governor candidate forum where Hong was the only member to support a one-year moratorium on data centers. Doyle also updated us on the La Crosse County Board creating a data center committee, which he will be a part of, and whether he’s heard from anyone that’s pro data center. Lastly, sticking with that topic, we talked quickly about recent comments from the Dairyland Power CEO  saying data centers are a “path to prosperity” in small communities.

We honed in on a couple of President Donald Trump's pet projects and rehashed the state's failed budget surplus deal with Citizen Action of Wisconsin's Robert Kraig.  It's hard to pick any one thing when it comes to the Trump administration, but we narrowed it down to these things: Trump's $1.778 billion (what we call) "slush fund" The $1 billion in taxpayer dollars for a ballroom  The MMA fight on the White House lawn The Iran war and prices The second half of the show consisted of the failed deal between Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and the top two Republicans in the Legislature to spend the state's $2 billion budget surplus, and all the factors that have come since. That includes the flaws in a Marquette Law School poll showing 80% agreeing with the deal, the analysis since showing it would have put the state in a budget deficit and how Republican Robin Vos wants Evers to call another special session to get it done. Roughly, the deal consisted of one year of special education funding and property tax relief, plus $300 checks and no taxes on tips/overtime.

Will Kmart come down, an indoor pool go up and what’s the north side library worth? Those are a few things we talked about with Mac Kiel in studio, helping preview committee week in La Crosse.  The Copper Rocks project is again going before committees. That’s the plan to tear down the old Kmart and create both a business and residential area on that lot. Will Kmart come down this summer? We also discuss selling the north side library process, where committees are looking at making the building a “surplus property” and accepting “RFPs” (requests for proposal).  In between all that, we looked at the city survey for building a $33 million indoor aquatics center through referendum. WIZM’s Brad Williams also joined to give us an update on the City Plan Commission, which had met just before the show.

No Fazoli’s, no drink refill station at McDonald’s, is ranch dressing and cheese curds a Wisconsin thing — just some of the things we utilized UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky for on the Rick Solem Show on Friday. We did also talk some politics with some new revelations about the $1.8 billion budget surplus deal falling through. Chergosky called it “Democrat Drama,” with the governor being reassured by Republicans that they had the votes for it to pass. That deal, — passed overwhelmingly by the Assembly — was voted down by the all the Democrats in the state Senate, plus three Republicans, would was for no tax on tips/overtime, $300 rebate checks, lower property taxes for a year, and school funding. That deal — passed overwhelmingly in the Assembly — was voted down in the state Senate by all 15 Democrats plus three Republicans. The package would have eliminated tax on tips/overtime, provided $300 rebate checks, lowered property taxes for a year, and increased school funding for a year.   The conversation focused on the odd timing of the bill, Republicans (who control the Legislature) not having the votes, and whether it could be brought back — since legislators decided they were done legislating for the year back in April. In terms of the non-political conversation, we brought up the Fazoli's in Onalaska announcing it was closing for good last Wednesday, and we proposed what should replace it. We also went down a rabbit hole with McDonald's ending its drink refill stations for customers. That led to how people don't really go into McDonald's much anymore — except for Chergosky, who revealed his young daughter very much likes ranch dressing. Is that a Wisconsin thing?  We also discussed Google changing its search engine to basically provide AI answers, killing the SEO industry designed to get your website at the top of the page.

A discussion about Flock cameras, the role he played in shutting down the Ridgland Farms beagle breeding facility and La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke's thoughts after his office put away Josie Dikeman for the death of a 6-year-old. Those were the topics we covered Wednesday on the Rick Solem Show with Gruenke, who we learned has a beagle himself. But we started with the scope of the Dikeman trial in La Crosse County, after she was convicted in the death of a 6-year-old in her care. After that, we discussed Gruenke's role as a special prosecutor against that beagle breeding and testing facility. Why he was given the job, after the Dane County DA refused to charge Ridgland Farms. And how it all led to 1,500 of the 2,000 beagles there being freed. Lastly, we talked Flock cameras, what they are, how they help and the issues people have with them. One of those was abuse of that info, where Gruenke talks about how governments and private businesses have a lot of our information, and how that needs to be protected.

Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Jill Billings could have made some big money betting on the prediction markets over the $1.8 billion budget surplus deal that fell through last week. Now, though, that's illegal, after a Gov. Tony Evers executive order banning state employees and their families from making those types of bets. We get into all of it with Billings (D-La Crosse) — specifically how the deal to lower property taxes, send money to schools, give out $300 rebate checks and end taxes on tips and overtime fell through. Billings talks about her process for supporting the deal, but also the specific trade-offs she wasn't happy with. Plus, Billings tells the story about a legislator's joke that hinted to her the deal was not going to pass the state Senate — getting back to how she could have made a big bet on the deal. We also discussed how the Legislature had just three days to vote on this $1.8 billion package, and compared that to the $500 million Milwaukee Brewers stadium funding deal that was hashed out in public for over a month. 

The two Democratic candidates competing to face Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden this fall brought their campaigns to La Crosse on Tuesday night. Emily Berge and Rebecca Cooke answered 22 questions during a fast-paced forum that lasted about an hour and a half.  The event, driven by questions submitted by Democrats across Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, covered a wide array of topics, ranging from protecting clean water and immigration to funding for Medicaid and SNAP. Among the issues raised was the current state of the U.S. Supreme Court, specifically addressing its partisan divide and how justices are appointed. Emily Berge suggested implementing 18-year term limits for the high court, followed by a system where new justices are selected every two years. "President Trump, he's appointed three justices to the court and I think Biden did, he appointed one,” Berge told the audience at the Concordia Ballroom. “And so every two years would allow a more — though there's probably still be some holes — but it would allow more regular appointments and more fairness and equality that way."  Cooke agreed with the call for term limits but focused her response on tightening the ethical guidelines for the bench. "Creating a code of ethics for justices,” Cooke said. “II think you've seen an incredible culture of corruption on the Supreme Court. The way that folks have been lining their pockets with special interest dollars from all sorts of people to be influenced to the way that they're voting — or that they're ruling on cases." The candidates were also asked about what Congress can do to help with affordable housing and support homeowners in Wisconsin. Cooke emphasized leveraging federal grants to spark new construction. "Things that I can be supportive of in Congress,” Cooke said, “is that I can advocate for more federal community black grants, which incentivize developers to build affordable housing, making it, again, more affordable for them to build,so that we can get working families there." Berge talked about the benefits of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), but also stressed maximizing existing federal channels. "But we do need funds, so we can do that though through HUD, through CDBG funding, which is Community Development Block Grant,” Berge said. “And right now, what the city of Eau Claire does, is that hands out to a lot of nonprofits, but we can do it for — if we had more. We have almost $1 million through CDBG funding — but if we had more funds, we could spread out that, uh, to for more solutions." While the primary for this race is scheduled for August, voters will have a few more opportunities to hear the candidates debate. Before the August vote, the pair will square off in two more forums — one in Platteville on June 18, followed by an Eau Claire forum July 16.

US House candidate Emily Berge in studio, discussing the issues she’s hearing from the people around Wisconsin’s 3rd District — healthcare, money in politics, the price of gas, and healthcare (again). We started the show, though, discussing party “infighting” — this trigger word political parties use to call out the other side, and how maybe this “infighting” isn’t such a terrible thing vs. an entire party being unified on everything. After that, we talked about how, traveling the district, Berge hears complaints about healthcare and money in politics a lot. Berge talks about her ideas on how to resolve those issues, like Medicare-for-All and ending Citizens United, plus having representatives that are ready to fight for those ideals. Berge also talks about the money in her race and how she was asked not to run. Lastly, we discussed gas prices and the war, where Berge talks about the need to focus and prioritize on issues back home vs. things like a war with Iran.

A day after a conversation about creating a county committee on data centers, UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky joined and toyed with the idea of also having a committee for bringing Costco to the area. It's a matter that was discussed years ago, when River Point District, downtown, had interest from Costco, and was rehashed this week with the La Crosse County Board chair, as well as Jason Spangler's As I See It.  Aside from that, however, Chergosky helped break down the gerrymandering wars that could come to Wisconsin. But, also, does the general public know what gerrymandering means? We asked Chergosky if this term is familiar with his new students at UW-L. That actually led to a whole other discussion about student knowledge, cheating with A.I., how students take notes (notebook, or computer?) and the benefits of teaching cursive in grade school — plus can people even read my cursive. After that, more state politics, including back to being pro rigging the voting maps as a way to win the Wisconsin governor election, plus how a $2.5 billion deal between three retiring politicians failed, and what it says about looking ahead to the makeup of state government next year.

He might feel the rumble of nearly 200 motorcycles ride by his house Saturday, as Big Bikes for Little Tikes celebrates 30 years with 9-year-old Tucker Lovelace. The ride through the Coulee Region helps raise money for the Viroqua kid who has medical needs nobody—especially a 9-year-old—should ever have to endure. The ride should be buzzing by his house as they take off from Great River Harley in Onalaska, go through Viroqua, and end up at Features in Holmen to help make Tucker and his family's wish come true—helping get him the $15,000 medical bed he needs to sleep safely. With 30 years of Big Bikes, there are surely stories to tell and riders who have been to more than a few of these events to help kids with medical needs. Hoping to capture those stories Saturday—so look for her on the reverse three-wheeler — is Nicole Aarstad, host of the YouTube channel, Know How TV. We might have joked about the trike she's going to ride, but Aarstad hopes to document the ride live and tell some of the stories that come with the hundreds of people donating time and money out of their day to help these kids. Registration: Saturday, 9-11 a.m. at Great River Harley-Davidson (Onalaska) Kickstands Up: 11 a.m. After-party: Features in Holmen. Donate or Register Online:957therock.com Coverage on YouTube at KnowHowTV

We couldn't get La Crosse County Board chair Tina Tryggestad to ban data centers, but we did have a good talk about a new committee being formed to study the structures. We also navigated the budget landscape at the state, city, and county levels — including the benefits of the county having an administrator while the city still toils with the idea. We looked at how the county stays stable while the city faces shortfalls, and why those talks of a city administrator have gone silent the last few months. At the state level, we discussed the budget surplus and the deal three retiring state politicians came up with behind closed doors to spend that $2.5 billion before it was voted down — a deal that basically ignored municipalities. Tryggestad is just starting her second term as board chair and we talked about the 10 "green" members of the board and how they'll have to learn on the fly to manage a government with 25 departments and 1,200 employees. We also joked that perhaps during those lessons, the two members of the board with four and five decades of experience — Ralph Geary and Steve Doyle — should give speeches about the "good ole days." Lastly, Tryggestad gave her take on the word transparency and we discussed how the public shouldn't need to be spoon-fed what local government is up to, but also how we could spoon-feed the info anyway.

Saturday marks the 30th year of Big Bikes for Little Tikes. For those who don’t know, this is the Coulee Region’s version of Make-A-Wish — with motorcycles. This year, they ride for a 9-year-old Viroqua boy named Tucker Lovelace, who is going through medical hardships no person — let alone child — should have to endure. Bags from 95.7 The Rock — which hosts the event each year — joined to talk about Tucker, his family, and their “wish.” The two also reminisced about past Big Bikes kids — some who have grown up and some who have passed on. Ride Logistics & Registration Online Registration: Visit 957therock.com. Day-of Registration: 9-11 a.m. Saturday at Great River Harley-Davidson in Onalaska. The Ride: Kickstands go up at 11 a.m. After-party: The ride ends at Features Sports Bar & Grill in Holmen.

La Crosse teachers’ union president Jill Schams in studio discussing how political groups like theirs needs to be, how things might be different without Act 10 and her thoughts on historic status of district buildings. Schams, who’s president of the La Crosse Education Association, also talks about the school cellphone ban, new names and mascots for the new and renovated elementary schools, and staffing as the district consolidates buildings.  We spent most of our time, though, on politics on various topics. Generally, though, just how schools, teachers and students are all affected by what happens in Madison and Washington, DC., and how teacher groups, union groups and school districts need to navigate those waters. That discussion includes a look at Act 10, which could be struck down by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and how things might be different without it. There is also the matter of the $600 million deal struck by three retiring politicians in the state for education funding and how details are needed to take a stance. In terms of direct La Crosse School District issues, Schams is asked about potential complications that come with buildings getting historic status. When Logan Middle School closed, it was deemed historic after the fact, and the same thing is happening with Emerson Elementary, which will close after next school year. The Lincoln building is still going through a selling process years later, and the district is currently fighting historic status for Emerson.

City council president Tamra Dickinson in studio helping discuss regulating e-bikes, defining downtown, and the missing public meeting on city admin while the public hears about pools and Pearl Street. We open the show though with a quick nugget about why United Airlines is delaying flights between La Crosse and Chicago until October. We also talked quick about filling city committee roles and whether to consolidate some of those meetings. The two big topics though were about the council meeting Thursday over e-bike regulations, which deal somewhat with whether Riverside Park is part of downtown (because you can't bike on sidewalks downtown).  After that, Dickinson was asked where the city administrator conversation is happening. While the city conducts public meetings on a potential indoor aquatics center and a new look for Pearl Street downtown, nothing has come on city administrator — which has been a focal point of city government talks for two years.  Also, with the city council having intensive conversations in committee and at monthly meetings over the budget, we talked about how a city administrator might facilitate those talks. We also hit on the council having final say on historic status of buildings, including Emerson Elementary School, the city cutting down trees on Rose Street, Drift Cycle spots on the north side.

Mac Kiel in studio helping break down what’s happening in La Crosse city government, including a look at e-bike regulation and why the seems to be no city administrator conversation, while we’re conducing pool and Pearl Street meetings. First, though, Kiel talks a bit about the Finance and Personnel Committee meeting’s discussing Thursday about the budget. Kiel talks about how the council had some good questions for the finance director on why the city puts its budget together the way it does. This was a topic last year, as the city scrambled to balance the budget and talked about the same dilemma with the order it’s constructed. After that, we weaved a city administrator conversation into the public meetings the city is having surrounding the potential building of a $30 million indoor aquatics facility and the other public meeting about a new vision for Pearl Street downtown. Lastly, we talked about the Judiciary and Administrative Committee’s look at what could be considered regulation or deregulation when it comes to e-bikes and e-scooters. It’s illegal to bike in Riverside Park? That was one part of the conversation.

Sam Scinta wears a few different hats in the Coulee Region. He’s the CEO of the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce. He's a political science professor at both UW-La Crosse and Viterbo, where he's also involved with servant leadership. So, naturally, we brought Scinta on the Rick Solem Show to spend most of our time talking about ... movies? It'll make sense when you listen, but we did eventually wrap up with the state of the Chamber. Scinta co-hosts the Civics and Cinema program that's been going on the past two years at the Rivoli Theatre. Along with Dr. Rick Kyte — director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership — the two invite the public to come watch a historical movie, followed by a group discussion about its impact. Scinta sees the series as a way to step back from the current political noise and use classic films to talk about the fundamental building blocks of a healthy community. It’s less about a current events Q&A and more about a shared experience in a dark theater that gets people thinking about our civic responsibilities in a different way. This month, they'll be watching the 1976 Watergate classic, All the President’s Men. We talked why Hollywood doesn't really make "adult" movies — Scinta's word — like this anymore — films that drive real conversation. The screening will happen at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Rivoli. The cost is $5 and 100% of the proceeds go back to local nonprofits. We did wrap up the conversation by getting into what exactly the Chamber of Commerce is and who is actually involved. Scinta admits it’s a bit of a "mystical entity" to some, but it's really a network that includes thousands of local employees — from the big corporations down to the one-man shops and even college students. We also hit on the "big three" issues the Chamber is looking at right now, like the push for a city administrator in La Crosse and how the region is going to handle the "demographic cliff" and keep young talent in the area.

We learn a little bit about Parkinson's Disease and how to stave it off with Bri Holden. She's the program coordinator at the Star Center in La Crosse. The Center has its 4th Annual Parkinson's Walk and Awareness event from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday at Myrick Park in La Crosse. Holden talks to us a little bit about the disease, which isn't curable, and how to fight it off through exercise — which is exactly what they do at the Star Center. Click here for info and to take part in Saturday's event, which will feature a 1-mile walk, along with food trucks, live music, exercise demonstrations, resource booths and children's activities.

Ingrid Lyons, executive director of Save the Boundary Waters, joined to talk about a renewed mining threat to the pristine wilderness area that encompasses 1.1 million acres in northern Minnesota. We start off with the unique landscape of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the new dilemma with a foreign mining company (Antofagasta/Twin Metals) wanting to mine upstream. Lyons explains the havoc that sulfide-ore mining wreaks on the region and the irony of branding it a "national security" project when the extracted minerals are destined for China. Next, how we got here: Republicans leveraged a legislative tool that previously had never been used to overturn a mineral withdrawal — the Congressional Review Act (CRA) — to undo a 20-year protection order put in place in 2023. Then Republicans in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House (with only one exception) passed the legislation and President Donald Trump signed it into law last week — essentially throwing out 675,000 public comments overwhelmingly against mining the area and years of scientific study pointing to its ill effects. Lastly, we try to understand the end game, because very little of this will benefit the U.S. or Minnesota — and maybe not even the mining company. Lyons addresses whether the project is even economically viable, noting it doesn't appear to benefit the Chilean billionaire's company directly since they have zero-dollar smelting contracts to send those minerals to China.

State Assembly Rep. Tara Johnson in studio discussing whether Wisconsin should get into the gerrymandering wars, ways to better communicate with constituents and some of the dilemmas she’s hearing from those in her district. We started the show discussing outreach — holding office hours, hosting town halls and other ways to reach constituents. That conversation started because Johnson has put 70,000 miles on her car, including hosting town halls throughout the state on her proposal for a BadgerCare public option. After that, we got into some of the issues she’s hearing, including one that’s a big off the radar but relatable to the housing crisis happening everywhere — outside entities are coming into Wisconsin, buying up mobile home parks and jacking up the rent and utilities.  The second half of the show dealt a bit with the gerrymandering wars, as Republican states are changing their voting maps and stopping elections in the middle of voting, while Democratic states are going to the polls and asking voters if they want to change their maps. An issue started by Donald Trump telling Texas Republicans to change their voting maps.  Johnson was asked multiple times if she would be in favor of changing voting maps if things kept getting worse for Democrats. In Wisconsin, politicians who control the Legislature decide how the maps are drawn but Gov. Tony Evers called a special election a month ago to change this process to a nonpartisan voting commission. Though Republicans have gaveled in and immediately out of all 13 prior Evers’ special elections, this one remains open. And Johnson talks about where she stands on the issue. 

One of the biggest events that happens in La Crosse every year is going to remain a staple of the city through the year 2034. The WIAA and UW-L worked out its longest deal ever, eight years, to keep the state track and field meet here. La Crosse is always looking to expand the types of events it can host but state track has been a staple since the early 1990s. But, recently we've seen the addition of the WIAA state team wrestling meet in town, as well as other regional and national events. Helping bring those events to the region is Explore La Crosse. Jeremiah Burish is the sports sales director there. He joined to help discuss getting the state track deal done, what other events could be in the works — like potential bids for state gymnastics or cross country — and some of the high-profile competitions coming to the area. That includes a massive showcase later this month, as UW-La Crosse prepares to host the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships at Roger Harring Stadium from May 21–23, and the La Crosse Center will host the DIII wrestling championships next year.

From A New Hope to The Mandalorian, it's a Star Wars day on this May the 4th with Rivoli Theatre co-owners Jon and Clara Gelatt in studio. What's your first Star Wars memory? Did mom also throw all your toys away? Are the old movies still the best? Is the Star Wars universe oversaturated thanks to Disney?  The Rivoli is playing A New Hope at 5 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. with discounts for those who dress up or bring their lightsabers. The night will feature specialty drinks — perhaps some blue milk — and preshow trivia. A New Hope will also play through Thursday. Aside from Star Wars, we wrapped up the show looking ahead to a massive month at the Rivoli including: May 9 — The Greatest Showman: Sing and Dance Along! May 12 — Civics and Cinema Presents: All the President's Men, that will include a discussion following the movie led by political scientist Dr. Sam Scinta and Viterbo's Dr. Rick Kyte. March 18 — Kings of Kubb: about the Nordic lawn game. The night will feature documentary Upper Midwest Emmy Award filmmakers B.J. Hollars and Steve Dayton for a brief Q&A following the showing.

Todd Fergot joined to talk about the big role he was just awarded, becoming the executive director of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and some their priorities, like implementing a shot clock and expanding the state tournament. Fergot has been the boys basketball coach at Central High in La Crosse for 22 years and that’s not changing. But he now takes over this statewide organization that oversees both boys and girls basketball. We talk the WBCA’s big priorities, including the positives and negatives around implementing a 35-second shot clock, what it means to expand the state tournament and getting participation back up in girls basketball. Along with state tournament expansion, we also talked about the idea of playing at other venues, like Lambeau Field or the Brewers stadium.  Fergot noted part of the deal to take on the WBCA role was to remain coach at Central and we discuss some of his legacy there, like getting to state six times, winning and losing titles and coaching players like Johnny Davis, who was taken No. 10 in the NBA draft. 

It's not often you randomly go to interview someone and learn she's the wife of your old high school coach, but that's just what happened in talking with Stephanie Hauser. Not only is she the WIAA's executive director, but her husband is my old basketball coach from Hortonville High School. But we skipped right over how much Dave Hauser may have yelled at me in gym class and immediately had to talk about their son, Sam Hauser, who's a starter for the Boston Celtics, an NBA champion and one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. Then we talked about their daughter Nicki Hauser being an assistant volleyball coach at Missouri, which is playing Nebraska at Wrigley Field this fall. After that, we got into some WIAA business, including keeping state track and field at UW-La Crosse through 2034 — an eight-year deal and one of the longest deals they've ever done. Before we discussed that deal — which she told me after the podcast (because she was off on her figures at the end) is for $145,000 a year — we talked about my idea to have state football at Lambeau Field or state baseball at the Brewers stadium.  

The director of "sin" tax — or excise taxes — joins to talk about the effects of a gas tax holiday, what Wisconsin gains and is missing out on with legalizing sports betting and marijuana, plus Adam Hoffer is on a mission to walk every street in the city of La Crosse. We start with the definition of sin or excise tax, and why Hoffer views the gas tax differently as a "user fee" for road maintenance. We then examine calls Hoffer has been taking at the Tax Foundation lately about a gas tax holiday, and what that could mean to our road infrastructure when nearly every dollar of that tax is funneled directly into transportation budgets. After that, we discuss Hoffer’s walking tour and his goal to cover all 250 miles of city streets, plus how he leads the Emerson Elementary students to school on Wednesdays. The conversation then turns to the proposed indoor aquatic center at the Northside Community Pool site, as the first of five public meetings was happening just after we recorded. Hoffer, who sat on the UW-La Crosse Faculty Senate during the construction of the $49 million field house, offers perspective on potential funding hurdles, recalling how a single bid jump added $6 million to that project's bottom line. Lastly, we break down Wisconsin’s legalization of sports gambling and the tens of millions in windfall the state could see, as well as how much it loses by not legalizing marijuana — as all of Wisconsin's neighbors move toward established legal markets.

La Crosse’s housing crisis is a multi-front battle involving soaring rents, stagnant inventory, and a lack of available homes. To highlight these challenges and explore potential solutions, Natalie Heneghan, community outreach director at Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region, joined us in studio to preview Housing Week. From the drivers behind high rent to the struggles of local builders and the city’s pending zoning code updates, Heneghan broke down the upcoming seminar schedule. Before diving into the policy, we recapped the impact of last weekend’s Neighbor’s Day and then turned our attention to the unique culture at Habitat La Crosse. The organization is powered by a team of 12 — 11 of whom are women. Then there’s Ralph, the dog. We talked about the dynamic of being a women-led organization and Ralph’s official role on the website: “Director of First Impressions.” we spoke with Heneghan regarding the Heritage Preservation Commission’s recent vote to grant historic designation to Emerson Elementary School. The seven-member commission voted in favor of the designation, with Heneghan and Mackenzie Mindel casting the only two “no” votes. The school is slated to close after the next academic year. The school district is currently fighting the historic status, arguing that the designation will restrict future redevelopment options for the site.

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska) in studio to discuss the "good old days" in Madison, how partisan politics affects getting bills passed, where he stands on online sports gambling, and what the state should do about AI data centers. We also talked about the upcoming open house at La Crosse County’s newly renovated Hillview Healthcare Center. As a member of the county board, Doyle discussed the $19 million project’s unique features, including a first-of-its-kind intergenerational daycare. In terms of state politics, the conversation centered around this statistic: of the 500 bills introduced by Democrats this past session, only 19 got a committee hearing. Doyle pointed out that when Democrats last controlled the Legislature, roughly 40% of Republican bills received a hearing — a stark contrast to the 3.8% rate currently seen in Madison. We also discussed whether getting a bill signed into law actually boosts a candidate's stock during a campaign. Doyle shared a story about a "stolen" bill he had written and saw passed by a Republican. He also highlighted his recently passed legislation capping crypto kiosk deposits at $1,000 per day to protect residents from rampant fraud. We ended the show discussing online sports betting — which was just signed into law by the governor — and the urgent need for the Legislature to address data centers, which Doyle warns can create astronomical energy demands and offer very few long-term jobs despite receiving massive tax breaks.

William Garcia, the 3rd Congressional District Democratic Party chair in Wisconsin, joined to discuss Wisconsin's candy-soda ban, Democrats winning on the economy for the first time since 2010 — according to FOX, yes FOX — and just how he's feeling about the midterms. We began the show with then-and-now, asking Garcia about the "mixed bag" of the 2024  election —balancing heartbreak of federal losses with the success of picking up 10 state Legislature seats. Garcia explains why flipping the state Assembly is now the primary target and how those new boundaries have shifted the political landscape for incumbents like Republican Derek Van Orden in the US House. We then get into the FOX poll on the economy, where 52% now trust Democrats. We hit on the 32% spike in gas prices tied to the conflict in Iran to the $162 billion corporate "tariff refund" that's like a gift to retailers like Walmart. In the second half of the show, we dive into a new Wisconsin law that the use of food stamps on soda and candy — except for things like ice cream, because "Wisconsin," of course. We look how the government needs to spend $73 million to ban poor people from using food stamps to buy a Mt. Dew, and also Trump's Big Beautiful Bill only complicates this more by opening the door for the feds to take up to $200 million in federal funding away for food stamps. We wrap up with the Trump administration targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center. We did hit on two funny nonpolitical stories. One, a quote on dating from actor Henry Cavil saying, "If you like her, just ask her out. It always works for me." And another story on a California man  arrested after returning $34,000 worth of Lego sets with macaroni in the boxes. 

A 10 out of 10. That’s how interesting, or maybe it was how "important," Mac Kiel thought the April monthly city council meeting was. She stopped in studio to help recap the meeting, which included things like the city police being a couple hundred thousand dollars over budget, while other city departments were under budget and how the city council learned of this over the past few weeks.  Another thing the council apparently learned over the past few weeks is that the city had around $300,000 in ARPA interest funding with no official plan to use it. That led to one council member proposing using $90,000 to open the North Side Community Pool this summer last minute. So, we discussed that revelation and the dilemmas to having the pool open for the season — while there are also plans to build a new indoor pool facility at that site potentially. We also discussed — to a degree — using $400,000 in TID money on the Civic Center Park District. It’s a thing we discussed before it made its round on council and how the TID money does or does not have to be used before it expires.  Lastly, we talked about the La Crosse School Board’s decision earlier this week to keep the old name for a new elementary school, while renaming an old school. We also discussed briefly the names that were not picked. 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.

It happened this show, trying to recall a famous name from the 1990s and going through the steps with your mind to get there. Is it Alzheimer’s? No, and Dr. Kimberly Mueller, an associate professor at UW-Madison and researcher at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, was there firsthand to explain it. Mueller joined the show ahead of her visit to town to give us a look at the current state of dementia and Alzheimer’s research. We dive into the “blood test revolution” making early detection easier, the local impact of the WRAP study at Mayo in La Crosse, and the lifestyle changes that actually work for prevention — all while getting a glimpse into how an expert in the field spends a typical day. We began the conversation by discussing why these “tip of the tongue” moments — like trying to recall the Mark McGwire using creatine to hit homers scandal — are actually a standard part of typical aging that many of us notice as early as our 40s. Mueller explains that even experts in the field experience these lapses, but she clarifies the specific “red flag” for when word-finding transitions from a normal annoyance to a medical concern. That McGwire connection led to a deeper look at the diagnostic side of the field, where simple blood tests are now replacing invasive brain scans to detect changes earlier than ever before. Much of this data comes from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) — one of the largest studies of its kind — which operates a research site right here at Mayo Clinic in La Crosse. From there, the discussion shifted to the prevention side of the research, exploring why heart health and exercise are proving more effective than “brain games.” Mueller explains that while staying active might not stop the biological proteins of Alzheimer’s from forming, keeping your cardiovascular system in check is a major reason dementia prevalence is actually starting to trend downward. Lastly, we asked Mueller what a professor who researches, studies, and teaches about dementia does in a typical day. Mueller explains her expertise in studying the brain by listening to the way we speak. She breaks down how her team uses digital recordings to analyze “acoustic measures” — the subtle timing, pauses, and sounds within our speech — to identify microscopic red flags that the human ear simply cannot hear. Any school, group or organization that would like to host a Badger Talk, either in person or online, email here or request a speaker online at badgertalks.wisc.edu.