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WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews

WIZM News Staff

WIZM"s LaCrosse Talk. News and talk about the issues of the day for Western Wisconsin.

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24:48

La Crosse Mayor Washington-Spivey on first 99 days,...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/18

La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey stops in the WIZM studio on day 99 of his term, as we discuss some city council votes on housing homeless and park security, plus where we're at with the old Kmart development and hiring a city administrator. We started the show just talking about his first few months in office and some of the more memorable moments, so far — pothole patrol with the governor and having the prince of India in his office. After that, we discussed two city council votes

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25:23

Mac Kiel on the old Kmart, $100k security and...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/18

We might see it soon back on the La Crosse city council agenda, the old Kmart, but it’s not there yet, as Mac Kiel joined La Crosse Talk this week. Other things we discussed included the council approving $115,000 in contingency funding for security at parks and ramps — but how this funding option needs to change — plus a project to house homeless people through $100,000 in funding from Mayo in La Crosse. Outside of La Crosse, we also discussed the Onalaska city council approving a

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18:12

New Wisconsin Democratic chair, Devin Remiker, on La...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/17

New Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair, Devin Remiker, joins to talk about getting his start in La Crosse, the state budget and Derrick Van Orden, plus the upcoming governor race. Remiker began his term as chair this month, succeeding Ben Wikler. A UW-La Crosse graduate, Remiker got his start in politics with state Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska), before joining former La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat’s campaign and later working for longtime U.S. House Rep. Ron Kind (D-La Crosse). He joined the show

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16:09

King Palm, Queen Waller and Minstrel Koepke preview...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/16

Some of the Once Upon A Mattress crew stopped in studio to help preview their La Crosse Community Theatre musical happening this weekend. The King, Marcus Palm, Minstrel Cooper Koepke and Queen Juni Waller tell us what Once Upon A Mattress is all about, how we can make theatre cool again and how to get over stage fright. Friday and Saturday’s shows happen at 7:30 p.m., while Sunday’s show gets started at 2 p.m. Tickets can be had at the box office or on the La Crosse Community Theatre

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9:46

Previewing Thursday's Moon Tunes with Terry Bauer

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/16

Terry Bauer dropped in the WIZM studio to preview this week's Moon Tunes concert at Riverside Park. The concerts run 5:30-8 p.m. Thursdays all summer, and this week is a pair of Noon/Moon Tunes original bands, with The Executives kicking things off, followed by Blind Baby Olin & the Workbenches. As always, there will be plenty of food and drink trucks at the park, but feel free to bring chairs, blankets and coolers. There is also free train rides for the kids and Smith's Bike Shop hosts a bike

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13:58

La Crosse schools superintendent Engel on bids for...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/15

School District of La Crosse superintendent Dr. Aaron Engel joins to talk about the next step in the $53.5 million referendum plan, plus the Wisconsin state budget passing and potential fallout from more federal funding freezes. We began the show, though, talking quick about the upcoming musical, Once Upon A Mattress — the La Crosse Community Theatre's musical performed entirely by high school students. After that, we discuss State Road Elementary School additions. This is the much quieter

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22:27

Tourism's impact on La Crosse County's economy

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/11

A.J. Frels, the Executive Director of Explore La Crosse, was sharing information about how much money tourism generates for the La Crosse area Friday morning during La Crosse Talk. During the interview with guest host Vicki Markussen, Frels broke down what visitors bring when they come to the area. Overall, Frels said for 2024, the economic impact of tourism for La Crosse County was $519 million. Direct visitor spending for the county was $319 million, or as Frels put it, money coming right out of

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17:17

Storytelling festival shares tales for all ages

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/11

While a story may be based on a book, there’s much more to storytelling than simply reading that story to an audience according to Terry Visger, one of the organizers of the La Crosse Storytelling Festival. “Storytellers look the audience in the eye. So even at the Pump House, we’re not like the theater. It’s not in a dark room. The lights are up about the same as when they came in because the storytellers will look them in the eye and make that connection,” she

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13:23

Thunder Ride takes off July 26 to fight juvenile...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/10

Helping families and children with Type 1 Diabetes is the goal the annualChad Erickson Memorial Thunder Ride for Juvenile Diabetes on July 26. The ride takes off at 10:30 a.m. from Rod's Ride On Powersports on the southside of La Crosse. From there, they head across the river to the Minnesota side before taking a break for lunch. After eating, it's back on the road where the ride ends atSchwertel Family Farms in Trempealeau. There's a silent auction and giveaways at the farm. Neil Williams, Director

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15:39

Terry Bauer talks about the return of Moon Tunes,...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/09

Moon Tunes is back! After a break for the Riverfest and the July 4th holiday, the event returns for another evening of music and more at La Crosse's Riverside Park. Terry Bauer joined Kevin Millard, who is filling in for Rick Solem while he's on vacation this week, to talk about the bands and performers, and some of the things that makes Moon Tunes special. For this Thursday's concert, The Smokin' Bandits and Matt Mahlum Band are under the bandshell. Everything gets started at 5:30 p.m. Besides the

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23:12

Hunger Task Force, Moon Tunes, and Food Drive Fridays

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/09

As increased demand affects food pantries in the area, the Hunger Task Force partners up with Moon Tunes organizers for a special drive at Thursday's concert in Riverside Park in La Crosse. Executive Director Shelly Fortner said they're seeing about30-percent more people needing food assistance at the 128 pantries and food programs they serve. It's left their warehouse stocks low. After reaching out to Moon Tunes organizers, Fortner said they set up a special donationdrive where people can

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25:55

Rep. Jill Billings discusses new budget, Prairie Springs

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/08

The push to get the funding to construct the Prairie Springs II science building came from more than just politicians. Seven years after the first Prairie Springs building was built at UW-La Crosse, the budget signed last week by Governor Evers included money for the second building. Representative Jill Billings said today on La Crosse Talk that efforts to finally get it funded included not only UWL officials but large employers in the community such as Emplify by Gundersen, Mayo Clinic Health

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12:43

Budget helps La Crosse with special education funding

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/08

The La Crosse School District is getting some additional help with special education funding for the next two years now that the state budget was signed by Governor Evers late last week. Speaking on La Crosse Talk on Monday morning, Superintendent Dr. Aaron Engel said that the district receives 42 percent the first year and 45 percent funding the second under the new budget, up from 30 percent in the current one. "The state increases their reimbursement for that...that is the real benefit to our

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25:47

How states tax vape, plus the Lakers sold for how...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/06

Continuing our sports and tax conversations — this time about selling franchises and the weird world of vape tax — with Dr. Adam Hoffer, director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation. We started the conversation about the Lakers selling for $10 billion but moved on from there to Hoffer trying to make sense of the various ways states tax vape products — where Minnesota is one of the leading taxers, while Wisconsin is barely doing anything.See omnystudio.com/listener for

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20:21

Zelhofer on the Waupaca Boatride origin story — and...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/06

Although it's no longer held in Waupaca and boat rides with recovery beers are a thing of the past, the Waupaca Boatride Volleyball Tournament is celebrating its 41st year. Director Eddie Zelhofer joins to discuss how the competition that began in 1984 evolved into the largest volleyball tourney in the U.S. Zelhofer delves into Boatride’s origins, journey — from Waupaca to Wisconsin Dells, and now Oshkosh — and how these moves transformed it from a modest doubles tournament into a

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27:43

UW-L political scientist Chergosky pulls all-nighter,...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/03

Two storylines for Thursday's La Crosse Talk with UW-L political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky — the all-nighter in Madison and the marathon vote in D.C., as a Wisconsin state budget gets signed and the US House continues to debate Donald Trump's big bill. The NFL Network has the RedZone channel. Meanwhile, Chergosky was watching the politics version of that Wednesday night into Thursday morning. We're going to call it the "Red-Blue Zone," as Democrats and Republicans in

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5:11

La Crosse Police's Danny Mandujano on fireworks...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/02

Fireworks are a weird thing in Wisconsin. They’re legal to buy, but likely illegal to light. La Crosse Police Sgt. Danny Mandujano was in the WIZM studio Wednesday explaining how if it goes up or it blows up, it’s going to cost you $502 in the city. Mandujano talks about what’s illegal and legal and some of the precautions people should take even with those driveway fireworks. He said, every year, the emergency responders, the police and the fire department are at a home dealing

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22:42

Phil Jenni on running the nation’s busiest wildlife...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/02

They’re the busiest wildlife rehab center in the U.S. — located smack in the middle of the Twin Cities — and on pace to treat over 22,000 animals this year. Phil Jenni with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota joins to explain how they do it, some of the big plans they have for the future and share a couple of the weirder rescues he’s experienced — including an amazing story about beavers in Minnehaha Falls. On the first Monday of June this year, 200 people

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19:02

After La Crosse visit, Minneapolis Fed president...

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/02

Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, joined in the WIZM studio for La Crosse Talk, discussing inflation, tariffs, interest rates, immigration, the housing crisis — and whether he ever gets to go into the vault. Much of the conversation centered on housing and what role the Federal Reserve plays in addressing the crisis. Kashkari’s answer was simple: add supply. We also talked about tariffs, the workforce, and artificial intelligence — and how those

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26:56

Is La Crosse’s old Kmart finally coming down?

WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews ·

2025/07/01

The old Kmart in La Crosse has, perhaps, never been more popular today than when it first opened back in 1965. The buzz now, though, is when will it get demolished? Jeremy Novak, vice president of development at Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions, joined WIZM's La Crosse Talk on Tuesday to give an update on the long-delayed redevelopment project, renamed Copper Rocks. Novak explains why construction hasn’t begun, since the 18-month extension granted by the city council, which expired June 30

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