La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Got some numbers on drug overdose deaths in La Crosse County. Tied that into a conversation with Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings passing some fentanyl legislation over the past week. One of those was increasing penalties for dealers, while a caller suggested we just end the war on drugs and legalize it all. Something that's being done with marijuana everywhere around here, but Wisconsin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse economics professor Adam Hoffer joined. Talked about the idea of Congress trading stocks and governing its own ability to trade stocks. Also hit on Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers plan to spend a budget surplus vs. the Republican plan, and hit on "inflation."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor Dr. Anthony Chergosky joined. We discussed the strange analogies from Kevin Nicholson, the newest candidate in the GOP governor's race — calling someone Scooby-Doo and another a "bag of hammers." Also hit on the Jan. 6 committee subpoenas for a couple of Republican cosplay officials who pretended to cast electoral votes for Donald Trump. Lastly, we hit on a semi dumping potatoes onto I-94.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle joined. We hit on a mess of topics the state Legislature is dealing with — from the very unimportant (dogs vs. cats allowed in stores) to actual issues (catalytic converter thefts). We also hit on Gov. Evers making it rain $150 checks to Wisconsinites and the fight over absentee ballot drop boxes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Rom, the National Chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters joined to talk about some breaking news from the US Dept. of the Interior. We also dug into the foreign billionaire's company that's trying to mine Minnesota's Boundary Waters. Took some calls and digested that news on the back half of the show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

City of La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron joined. Discussed the responsibility police might have if marijuana is legalized. Also hit on the recent drug bust with 11 pounds of meth, how traffic cams might help police and what happens to the gun after an arrest. Get all these shows by searching La Crosse Talk PM wherever you download podcasts or go to WIZMNews.com/podcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talked with the development group that's working on the old Kmart site in La Crosse at State Road and Losey Blvd. Brainstormed some ideas for the site, a new name for that area and what's going to happen to the Kmart building.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes joined the show, along with UW-La Crosse political science prof. Dr. Anthony Chergosky. Discussed an array of things, including the state Legislature being quite indecisive about whether Colby cheese should be the state cheese, while also passing other somewhat controversial legislation. Also asked Barnes about a CEO salary cap and his thoughts on Mitch McConnell's "he said the quiet thing out loud," on African-Americans voting just like Americans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talked with RepresentUs Connor Glassen about the redistricting process in Wisconsin and the gerrymandered maps. After that, Mark Neumann came on to announce he's running for Congress in the 3rd Congressional District. And, capped things off with La Crosse Democratic Party chair William Garcia on gerrymandering.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Megan Danaher is the new coach of Viterbo's newest sport, E-Sports. We dive into just about every aspect of e-sports and gaming. What her parents think of her new profession and what e-sports will look like at Viterbo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Crosse County Board chair Monica Kruse joined to discuss the meeting happening Thursday, where they will look at the definition of Lake Onalaska, a potential dog kennel expansion and how the county plans to allocate $22 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding -- or Biden Bucks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Keith Knutson joined to discuss Martin Luther King, Jr., as Viterbo hosted a community celebration. We also discussed, toward the end of the podcast, some of the political battles happening in Wisconsin — including gerrymandering, as well as senate, congressional and governor races.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky in studio. The professor sort of dropped a bomb on if Tommy Thompson were the Republican nominee for governor. Also talked about potential penalties for Republican electors in Wisconsin, including La Crosse's GOP Party Chair, Bill Feehan, casting votes for Donald Trump for president. Was there a bigger conspiracy? And, perhaps most importantly, the story about grandma stealing grandson's brownies, taking them to the senior center and ... they weren't just brownies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peggy Wirtz-Olsen, President of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, joined the show to talk about the ongoing dilemma teachers are facing in Wisconsin, exasperated by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic that's shut down schools. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Viterbo history professor and computer guru there, Dr. Eric Weinberg, joined and we had a fun conversation about online gaming and that as a collegiate sport. After that, we discussed Viterbo hosting the MLK Day community celebration in La Crosse and what keynote speaker Dr. Sylvia Hood Washington could focus on. Also hit on the road situation in downtown La Crosse with 4-way stops and speed bumps.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pete Marra is a Georgetown biologist and author of Cat Wars: The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer. He discussed the proposal up for the La Crosse city council on saving feral cats. The city is looking to catch, vaccinate, fix and release feral cats back into the city, which Marra believes is wrong for a plethora of reasons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Started, again, with La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds on hometown stud Johnny Davis and the Badgers. Got into the city/county effort losing out on the perfect property for a Homeless HQ (though Reynolds didn't call it that). And, of course, another session of Cat Talk PM, as city wants to save feral cats.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, joined. Discussed the city's legislation on feral cats, Robin Vos turning over a new leaf for 2022 and Ron Johnson finally confirms he's running for his Senate seat, though he said he wouldn't. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Had some fun talking about a fifth grader in La Crosse taking over as principal for a day. Was hoping she could come up but I got stood up. Sarah Godllewski, however, did show and we talked about a bunch of things as it pertains to running for US Senate. That included the filibuster, healthcare, a $750 billion bloated military budget and, of course, the Jan. 6 insurrection and how some people pretend it was just your everyday tour of the Capitol.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Assembly Rep. Jill Billings joined for the hour, talking about everything from the north-south corridor and the year anniversary of drinking bottled water bc of PFAS on French Island to a partisan Wisconsin election investigation that's still going and Republicans dissolving another (semi-)nonpartisan group that oversees elections. Oh, and we did do Cat Talk PM for the third consecutive day!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the city debates a plan to catch-and-release cats, after spay/neuter and vaccinating them, we talk with Coulee Region Humane Society executive director Heather Dreivold about it. The city ordinance change does not mention the word "feral," though that's what the change would be. Before that, a bit on La Crosse's Johnny Davis dropping 37 for the Badgers on No. 3 Purdue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Started the show talking about the evacuation of Central High School due to a bomb threat. After that, city council member Chris Woodard joined to explain a committee agenda item about re-releasing neighborhood cats back onto the streets, instead of keeping them for adoption and possibly being euthanized. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, joined to break down the best and worst local stories of 2021 -- from Trane Park opening to Biden's visit on the good side and a triple-homicide and an abduction downtown on the bad. We also got a really late, New Year's Eve, Friday news dump.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ranted a bit about political candidate texts and emails nonstop asking for donations. After that, WIZM's Brad Williams joined to talk about the 2021 political stories, including, instead of stopping for ice cream,  how Joe Biden's La Crosse visit could have grabbed more headlines. After that, discussed some city projects that made news in 2021 -- La Crosse Center, Fish Labs and the north-south corridor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After I mourned the loss of John Madden, brought on Dawn Wacek, who's been a librarian for 20 years and is the La Crosse Library's deputy director. We got into a banning books discussion and how the library handles things like that, as the Holmen Middle School is going through a conversation about banning a certain book. Before that, though, we talked about some of the more interesting books of 2021 and what ELSE the library does.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Crosse Education Association President and Central High Spanish teacher John Havlicek joined to talk about school threats, how students and teachers are coping a year after what was supposed to be the toughest year on schools, as well as some other issues — healthcare, teachers quitting, masks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cried a bit about not getting any GI Joes or Legos, again, for Christmas. Must be 30 years in a row. After that, Dr. Michael Dolan, executive vice president and in internal medicine at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, discussed a host of health topics, mainly centered around the dilemmas that COVID-19 creates. After that, a peculiar tweet  from the CDC about health care in the US.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did some Christmas movie rankings, and dived right into the political talk and school threat talk with UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff joined. He's also running for Ron Kind's seat in the US House of Representatives for the 3rd District. We discussed issues like PFAS, healthcare, campaign finance among other things that he's dealing with as both a Senator and a Congressional candidate.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fire Chief Ken Gilliam joined. Talked a bit about what goes into a fire investigation, after someone was charged with arson this week after a house fire. Also got updates on where La Crosse is at with new fire stations, as well as some fire safety, after 7 were found dead in Moorhead, Minnesota, after being possibly exposed to carbon monoxide.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Viterbo biology professor and immunologist, Dr. Chris Mayne joined to talk all things COVID-19 -- from the new variant to vaccines to some of the myths people are hearing. Before that conversation began, however, we did discuss a funny story about how a professor offered students an easy $50 but nobody figured out how to get it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor Dr. Anthony Chergosky joined. We ranted about Congress easily passing a $768 billion military budget for 2022. After that, we got to the TikTok challenge of school threats and how the area has been inundated with them over the past two months.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erin Waldhart with the WAFER Food Pantry in La Crosse joined to discuss just how the community has been impacted over the past year and a half and what kinds of things they offer to help. Before that, WIZM's Brad Williams discusses Rotary Lights damage — a conversation that continued later in the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kicked off the show with longtime meteorologist Todd Shea from the National Weather Service - La Crosse giving us an update on Wed. night's weather and how out of the ordinary it is. After that, talked a bit more about the weather, that Rotary Lights closed and also hit on the La Crosse Center open house and the guy that was arrested for setting a La Crosse home on fire -- which killed a dog -- and pointing a gun at someone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grace Schrope with Lake Superior Helicopters joined the show to talk about the helicopter rides coming Thursday-Sunday to Rotary Lights in downtown La Crosse. Also talked about Elon Musk as the Times Person of the Year in parallel to teachers in S.D. on display grabbing $1 in a dash for cash game for school supplies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Longtime La Crosse Center director Art Fahey joined to break down the completion of the $42 million expansion/renovation in a bit of a preview to Wednesday's open house, where at least one big statewide guest will be present. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor Dr. Anthony Chergosky joined. We hit on some Christmas music, the movie Elf, and trying to cover politics down the middle, despite sometimes there being no middle. Ended talking about the idea of a WIZM studio built into the Fish Labs event center project at La Crosse's Riverside ParkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse Planetarium director Bob Allen joined in studio to talk about all things out of this world. A cube-like structure found on the moon, an asteroid buzzing the tower that is Earth, billionaires headed to space and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's Matt Rothschild joined for a bit to talk about what's going on around the state, including election investigations. That conversation continued a bit afterward, along with some talk about another school threat in the area.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds joined for the hour. Talked a bit about Badgers star Johnny Davis. We hit on the object a rover has seen on the horizon of the dark side of the moon. And we did discuss some city biz, like the roundabout project on the southside and the purchase of the $2 million Chamber building downtown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, joined. Yes, we had a conversation about how even there, the Valley View Mall -- and malls in general -- might not succeed. Other things discussed included the school threats in La Crosse and beyond, the election investigation in Wisconsin and how Roe vs. Wade is used in politics, but Citizens United never seems to be.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barn owl nests haven't been seen in Wisconsin in 22 years ... until a few months ago, when one was discovered in a La Crosse family's backyard up in a dead maple tree. International Owl Center executive director Karla Bloem joined to talk about getting that call and what happened after that. We also talked about big plans the Center in Houston, Minn., has coming up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Congressman Ron Kind talked about the infrastructure deals vs. the Pentagon budget, how PFAS are affecting La Crosse County residents and how politics have turned into one side hating the other. Kind is in his final term, after serving 13 years in the US House. After that, WIZM's Brad Williams joined to talk about the city-county plan to buy the Chamber building and turn it into a headquarters to help the un-sheltered.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Common Cause Wisconsin executive director Jay Heck joined to talk about all things redistricting and voting, as the Wisconsin Supreme Court has made a decision in the process of map-making for the next decade. Heck has been working with the nonpartisan group for the past 27 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talked with Pat Stephens of Rotary Lights on how the Riverside Park holiday display kicked off its opening weekend and what it takes to put on such a thing for the past 27 years. Before that, Bill Soper, CEO of the La Crosse Area YMCA, joined to discuss the new 24-7 plan at the Y, as well as some major building updates in La Crosse and Onalaska. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky joined. We ate some Festival fluff in honor of Thanksgiving, talked about how unproductive a day Black Friday is. We also discussed the new COVID-19 variant and wrapped up talking about how whatever the problem is in the US — the $1 store being the $1.25 store now, bc "inflation" and not corporate greed — just point to whoever's president. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Started the show talking about a big study showing that Thanos couldn't have snapped his fingers with the glove he was wearing, in a movie that must be two years old. Peter Cameron with the Badger Project joined to discuss that, as well as rural broadband across Wisconsin, gerrymandering in the state and Thanksgiving foods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Gooden, archivist at the UW-L library and on La Crosse's Heritage Preservation Commission, joined to talk about the city's most endangered buildings, the ones it lost in 2021 and what the commission could do to save others on the upcoming 2022 list.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retired criminal law attorney Pat Heim joined to discuss the finale of the Kyle Rittenhouse case and whether or not the state needs to make some changes to laws that surrounded it. Also discussed a similar case in Kenosha about a black girl, Chrystul Kizer, who did not get the same treatment as Rittenhouse. Finished up hitting on the three Georgia men on trial for what's often called a modern day lynching and the upcoming Ghislaine Maxwell case that involved Jeffery Epstein.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hit a bit of everything with UW-L political science professor Dr. Anthony Chergosky, from editing anime videos where we kill co-workers and then get censured to moving homeless indoors in La Crosse. We also discussed politicians ignoring important, popular legislation which then dies without debate and, most importantly, what's Bri craving, 4 months into her pregnancy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.