Chi Chi's in La Crosse

Too late to run for La Crosse mayor?

Importance local news

Will WI GOP run on need for more men?

Importance of local journalism

When downtown La Crosse had a Sears

Chi Chi’s making a comeback, local news is not and the time is now to announce a run for La Crosse mayor — all things we broke down on Friday’s La Crosse Talk PM with UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky.

We began the show picking WIZM News reporter Brad Williams’ brain about that mayoral election — up to three candidates now — and when the Chi Chi’s closed in La Crosse. The Mexican restaurant is making a comeback.

After that, we got into a deep dive on local journalism as WXOW axed a lot of its staff earlier in the week, and how important hometown media is when it comes to local elections — like mayor, city council and school referendums.

That conversation also included how there are three candidates for La Crosse mayor (Shaundel Spivey, Ellie McLoone and Vicki Markussen), four years after there were 10. And there really isn’t much time to announce, as the deadline to file is Jan. 7 but the primary to cut the field to two is Feb. 20.

Ended the show first chatting about Williams’ awesome Yesterday in La Crosse article on the history of downtown La Crosse shopping, where Sears, JCPenny, Herberger’s and Montgomery Ward were all located.

Then we quickly hit on the TikTok ban moving forward in the U.S.

La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk PM wherever you get your podcasts.

Chi Chi’s making a comeback, local news is not and the time is now to announce a run for La Crosse mayor — all things we broke down on Friday’s La Crosse Talk PM with UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky.
We began the show picking WIZM News reporter Brad Williams’ brain about that mayoral election — up to three candidates now — and when the Chi Chi’s closed in La Crosse. The Mexican restaurant is <a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2024/12/06/chi-chis-plans-new-restaurants-more-than-20-years-after-its-bankruptcy/">making a comeback</a>.
After that, we got into a deep dive on local journalism as WXOW axed a lot of its staff earlier in the week, and how important hometown media is when it comes to local elections — like mayor, city council and school referendums.
That conversation also included how there are three candidates for La Crosse mayor (Shaundel Spivey, Ellie McLoone and Vicki Markussen), four years after there were 10. And there really isn’t much time to announce, as the deadline to file is Jan. 7 but the primary to cut the field to two is Feb. 20.
Ended the show first chatting about Williams’ awesome <a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2024/12/06/before-the-mall-sears-j-c-penney-and-herbergers-ruled-in-downtown-la-crosse/">Yesterday in La Crosse article</a> on the history of downtown La Crosse shopping, where Sears, JCPenny, Herberger’s and Montgomery Ward were all located.
Then we quickly hit on the TikTok ban moving forward in the U.S.
<hr>
La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Listen on the WIZM app, <a href="https://www.lightningstream.com/Player.aspx?call=WIZM-AM">online here</a>, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the <a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/la-crosse-talk-pm-with-rick-solem/">podcasts here</a> or subscribe to La Crosse Talk PM wherever you get your podcasts.

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

UW-L political scientist Chergosky on whether it's too late to announce for La Crosse mayor and the importance of local journalism, after WXOW cuts

What if Badgers fired Fickel?

Part 3 Sports betting in Wisconsin

La Crosse School District referendum

Making Hoffer run for school board

A lot covered with Adam Hoffer, including how much taxpayers would be on the hook if the Badgers fired their football coach, how much Wisconsin loses by not legalizing vices like sports betting and weed, plus Chi Chi’s is coming back and Kmart is almost gone.

Hoffer is the director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation in La Crosse.

The first thing we tackled is how much of the $40 million owed to Badgers football coach Luke Fickell would be put on the taxpayer if he were fired?

Along with the legalizing vices conversation, we also inadvertently made Hoffer a La Crosse School Board candidate, while discussing the recently passed $53.5 million elementary school referendum plan.

Began the show, though, ranting about a bunch of different things from fun to dystopian, including
the last Kmart closing
Chi Chi’s coming back
a special animal up for adoption from the Coulee Region Humane 
United Health’s CEO murdered on same day another insurer wants to limit anesthesia

A lot covered with Adam Hoffer, including how much taxpayers would be on the hook if the Badgers fired their football coach, how much Wisconsin loses by not legalizing vices like sports betting and weed, plus Chi Chi’s is coming back and Kmart is almost gone.
Hoffer is the director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation in La Crosse.
The first thing we tackled is how much of the $40 million owed to Badgers football coach Luke Fickell would be put on the taxpayer if he were fired?
Along with the legalizing vices conversation, we also inadvertently made Hoffer a La Crosse School Board candidate, while discussing the recently passed $53.5 million elementary school referendum plan.
Began the show, though, ranting about a bunch of different things from fun to dystopian, including
<ul>
<li>the last Kmart closing</li>
<li>Chi Chi’s coming back</li>
<li>a special animal up for adoption from the Coulee Region Humane </li>
<li>United Health’s CEO murdered on same day another insurer wants to limit anesthesia</li>
</ul>

Hoffer on the $40 million bill for firing Badgers coach Fickel, plus legalizing vices, Chi Chi's coming back, Kmart nearly gone

The gun and La Crosse's only mass shooting

La Crosse downtown parking situation

Wrap up

La Crosse Assistant Police Chief Jason Melby joined to talk about guns, mostly in reference to the city’s first-ever mass shooting, plus a bit about the parking situation downtown. We also, of course, had to work in some Thanksgiving themes, too. 

Spent most of the show talking about guns, using the Deandrew Grant case as an example. Grant is responsible for La Crosse’s only mass shooting. Last year, he drove the wrong way down Third Street, downtown, and opened fire hitting seven people. He was sentenced to over 30 years in prison.

But the conversation with Melby hovered around the gun. And not just in this case, but guns in general. Grant was a felon who should not have had a gun. So, we talk about how these guns are obtained, how are they traced back to the person that had them before and what should the penalty be, not just for people like Grant, but also those who sell guns to people who shouldn’t have them.

After that, we made the smooth transition to parking. The police are in charge of La Crosse’s parking utility and the city is in a tough spot because it still owes a lot of money for parking ramps and Melby explains how the pandemic completely flipped the model the city had to repay that debt through things like parking permits. 

Melby has been with the La Crosse Police Department his entire 32 years in law enforcement. We began the show discussing why he got into this career, in which he tells a story that describes just that.

La Crosse Assistant Police Chief Jason Melby joined to talk about guns, mostly in reference to the city’s first-ever mass shooting, plus a bit about the parking situation downtown. We also, of course, had to work in some Thanksgiving themes, too. 
Spent most of the show talking about guns, using the Deandrew Grant case as an example. Grant is responsible for La Crosse’s only mass shooting. Last year, he drove the wrong way down Third Street, downtown, and opened fire hitting seven people. He was sentenced to over 30 years in prison.
But the conversation with Melby hovered around the gun. And not just in this case, but guns in general. Grant was a felon who should not have had a gun. So, we talk about how these guns are obtained, how are they traced back to the person that had them before and what should the penalty be, not just for people like Grant, but also those who sell guns to people who shouldn’t have them.
After that, we made the smooth transition to parking. The police are in charge of La Crosse’s parking utility and the city is in a tough spot because it still owes a lot of money for parking ramps and Melby explains how the pandemic completely flipped the model the city had to repay that debt through things like parking permits. 
Melby has been with the La Crosse Police Department his entire 32 years in law enforcement. We began the show discussing why he got into this career, in which he tells a story that describes just that.

Guns and parking with La Crosse Asst. Police Chief Melby

Politics of District Attorney

More on Prosecutor Academy

La Crosse County felonies

La Crosse's first mass shooting

La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke joins to breakdown the city’s first-ever mass shooting — a drive-by, downtown —  tracking the origin of the gun in those incidents, plus 1,000 felonies in 2024 and the politicization of positions like the one he holds.

We began the show discussing an initiative Gruenke is going to bring back called the Citizen Prosecutors Academy, where people can learn more about his position, why they make the decisions that they do and better understand everything that happens after a crime is committed. 

After that (7:50), we got into the politics of positions like district attorney and other local elections, and whether those positions should be nonpartisan or even consolidated to cover more regions. Some of that conversation revolved around how it’s not a very coveted job, where 90% of the elections go without an opponent. 

The second half of the show (19:25), we began with a bit more on the Prosecutor Academy, before getting into La Crosse County hitting 1,000 felonies for the year (23:20) and what most of those consist of. Plus, how first-time drug offenders are heavily penalized when, perhaps that is too severe.

Then we discussed La Crosse’s only mass shooting (27:20), where Deandrew Grant was sentenced recently to 32 years in prison. Grant drove the wrong way down 3rd Street, in downtown La Crosse, and opened fire, hitting seven people. Gruenke discusses his disbelief that the shooting wasn’t more publicized. 


Gruenke was also asked about the gun in that situation, and where Grant could have gotten it — as there are no laws that would trace it back to who sold it to him. Plus, how police might want better laws surrounding guns, so they aren’t on edge for every vehicle they pull over, worried that person might shoot them.


Another aspect of the drive-by mass shooting was the victims, and just how someone who has hospital bills from being shot is compensated. 

La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke joins to breakdown the city’s first-ever mass shooting — a drive-by, downtown —  tracking the origin of the gun in those incidents, plus 1,000 felonies in 2024 and the politicization of positions like the one he holds.
We began the show discussing an initiative Gruenke is going to bring back called the Citizen Prosecutors Academy, where people can learn more about his position, why they make the decisions that they do and better understand everything that happens after a crime is committed. 
After that (7:50), we got into the politics of positions like district attorney and other local elections, and whether those positions should be nonpartisan or even consolidated to cover more regions. Some of that conversation revolved around how it’s not a very coveted job, where 90% of the elections go without an opponent. 
The second half of the show (19:25), we began with a bit more on the Prosecutor Academy, before getting into La Crosse County hitting 1,000 felonies for the year (23:20) and what most of those consist of. Plus, how first-time drug offenders are heavily penalized when, perhaps that is too severe.
Then we discussed La Crosse’s only mass shooting (27:20), where Deandrew Grant was sentenced recently to 32 years in prison. Grant drove the wrong way down 3rd Street, in downtown La Crosse, and opened fire, hitting seven people. Gruenke discusses his disbelief that the shooting wasn’t more publicized. 
 Gruenke was also asked about the gun in that situation, and where Grant could have gotten it — as there are no laws that would trace it back to who sold it to him. Plus, how police might want better laws surrounding guns, so they aren’t on edge for every vehicle they pull over, worried that person might shoot them.
 Another aspect of the drive-by mass shooting was the victims, and just how someone who has hospital bills from being shot is compensated.

UW-L political scientist Chergosky on whether it's too late to announce for La Crosse mayor and the importance of local journalism, after WXOW cuts

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