La Crosse Schools superintendent Dr. Aaron Engel joined to talk about reopening schools, along with the relationship with La Crosse Police over School Resource Officers. 

La Crosse Schools superintendent Dr. Aaron Engel joined to talk about reopening schools, along with the relationship with La Crosse Police over School Resource Officers.&nbsp;

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

Re-opening schools / Police in schools w/La Crosse superintendent Dr. Aaron Engel

Nom owner Sam Sveum 

Mia Davis of Mia's Kitchen

Maria Norberg of Grounded Coffee

Ka Lia Vang of Ka Lia's Kitchen

Megan Larson of Vintage Kitchen

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)

Hyping up women-owned businesses for no reason whatsoever Wednesday on the Rick Solem Show.&nbsp;
We were joined in studio by Abram Dyke of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AbesRaves">Abe&rsquo;s Raves</a>. Our local foodie helped track down a bunch of awesome local businesses that we got on the show, including:
<ul>
<li>Sam Sveum, who owns&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eat-nom.com/">Nom Sips &amp; Eats</a></li>
<li>Mia Davis of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mias-kitchen.com/">Mia&rsquo;s Kitchen</a>&nbsp;food truck</li>
<li>Maria Norberg, owner of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.letsgetgrounded.com/">Grounded Coffee</a></li>
<li>Ka Lia Vang of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/kaliaskitchen">Ka Lia&rsquo;s Kitchen</a></li>
<li>Megan Larson owner of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thevintagekitchenlax.com/">Vintage Kitchen</a></li>
</ul>
We opened the show talking a bit about Abe&rsquo;s Raves &mdash; some of the fun stuff he&rsquo;s doing on that page and how we need to do the area&rsquo;s best coffee next.&nbsp;
Also, before he had to leave, we ended the show mentioning that Dyke won a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2026/03/14/he-managed-fear-la-crosse-nurse-abram-dyke-receives-prestigious-award-for-going-above-and-beyond-in-the-icu/">huge award</a>&nbsp;for his work as a nurse recently.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2026/03/14/he-managed-fear-la-crosse-nurse-abram-dyke-receives-prestigious-award-for-going-above-and-beyond-in-the-icu/"></a>
Now, we weren&rsquo;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.
<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)

Hyping women-owned businesses "for no reason whatsoever"

An 18-month moritorium

Study committee

Why data centers suck

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.

An 18-month data center ban in La Crosse is on the docket for the county board.&nbsp;
The moratorium legislation comes as a county study committee has its <a href="https://www.lacrossecounty.org/Minutes%20and%20Agendas/Attachments/2026/Standing/Jun/DCSC061026A.pdf">first meeting Wednesday</a>.
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 (<a href="https://www.lacrossecounty.org/Minutes%20and%20Agendas/Attachments/2026/Standing/Jun/Exec061126A.pdf">agenda here</a>).
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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lacrossecounty.org/countyboard/members">contacting your county board rep</a> or emailing the <a href="mailto:countyboardsupervisors@lacrossecounty.org">entire board here</a>.

Pushing for a data center ban in La Crosse County with Manock and Mader

North side library

Airport turnaround

Kmart

Green bubblers

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.

Bringing down La Crosse&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;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.

Re-opening schools / Police in schools w/La Crosse superintendent Dr. Aaron Engel

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