La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Tara Johnson in studio breaking down the controversy over the 200-foot MariBell power lines and what a Democratic legislative majority would look like in Madison.

Johnson (D-Shelby) helps explain the environmental risks in the Driftless region over those power lines, how the state’s Public Service Commission works in deciding what happens, and where this all wraps into the AI data center conversa...

A lot happening in the La Crosse art world this week and three people crashed the WIZM studio to break everything down. From the October First Friday Art Walk downtown, to multiple events at the Pump House and on to Viterbo University, we covered it all.

Joining The Rick Solem Show included Pump House Regional Arts Center director Allison Krzych along with Marlene De La Cruz-Guzman, vice president of the Thea Bowman Division of Cul...

With election season underway, AARP Wisconsin State director Raj Shukla stopped in studio to break down some key issues impacting local families this fall.

Shukla walked through the everyday challenges voters should research before heading to the polls — from helping small-business workers without access to a 401(k) to supporting family caregivers. 

The conversation covers retirement, Social Security, and healthcare from...

A new committee on healthcare in the city of La Crosse is a vote away from being created.

In November city of La Crosse residents will decide if the Community Healthcare Action Plan gets passed through referendum.

Nick Padesky, a campaign manager with Community Action Wisconsin, stopped in studio to explain how the seven-person panel would work.

It's a bit of a light committee week preview, but there was plenty of city business in La Crosse to discuss with Mac Kiel in studio. 

Kiel helped break down what was finally a public meeting on — basically — creating a city administrator position, plus major staff cuts hitting the public library and why council members might have to trim their own expense accounts. 

We also dove into the city's latest progress...

Sarah Godlewski stopped in studio to talk about her vision for lowering everyday costs for Wisconsin residents.

The Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor outlined plans to ease pressure on local budgets — from fully funding public schools to help lower property taxes, to finding ways at the state level to combat gas prices.

Godlewski also went after D.C. gridlock, pointing directly at her Republican governor opponent, ...

He manages a $1.6 billion state fund with no staff and is the only Republican aside from Ron Johnson to win statewide office in the past decade. 

John Leiber, Wisconsin's state treasurer, stopped in studio to help explain why an office called state treasurer is mostly tasked with buying tech for school libraries and overseeing tens of thousands of acres of timberland.

We also got into the politics of the position, like how his...

Jill Schams is getting her accordion ready as Oktoberfest nears. The Southern Bluffs music teacher and La Crosse Education Association president stopped by to debate whether the area is running low on squeeze boxes, what it takes to land a spot on the Oktoberfest Accordion Club float, and what happened when she blasted live polka in her classroom right as Superintendent Dr. Aaron Engel walked in.

Once the accordion talk settled dow...

Republican candidate for Wisconsin’s 95th Assembly, Cedric Schnitzler, in studio, discussing the critical agricultural and economic issues facing western Wisconsin, and issuing a direct call for the federal government to tackle soaring diesel prices.

Schnitzler, a lifelong farmer and Monroe County Board Chair, also discussed local policy and ag issues, including the push to protect groundwater, county efforts to refine data c...

An Anthropic insider recently gave humanity a decade before A.I. triggers total extinction, but we only had four minutes to chat about the end of the world on Friday’s Rick Solem Show—needing to talk about more urgent local matters, like an 11-year-old giving everyone a three-day head start before she found the Oktoberfest medallion.

UW-La Crosse political science profes...

A lot covered with the city planning department in studio, from the old Kmart demo timeline and creating a public market to revamping the La Crosse's decades old zoning code.

Planning director Andrea Trane and deputy director Tim Acklin stopped in studio to help navigate some of the city's biggest projects.

Trane sets us straight on the $600,000 "public market study," while Acklin breaks down how rewriting decades-old zoning makes ...

Current Festmaster Brent Smith and last year's leader Mike Bakalars stopped in the WIZM studio for The Rick Solem Show to preview the final countdown to La Crosse’s Oktoberfest — and show how the sausage is made, literally.

The two shared what it's really like to keep one of the city's biggest secrets for six months — being selected Festmaster — from an anonymous front-door beer drop to joking about being th...

What does the La Crosse School District do with the gigantic Trane property?

Economist Dr. Adam Hoffer in studio with a hot take: Turn the 40-acre site into a high school.

Voters shot down a Trane site high school back in 2022, but with the company donating the land and the district facing facility challenges, we debate why Hoffer thinks having this property changes the math — and why past district planning hasn't worked out.

As La Crosse's Oktoberfest gets underway, we look back on how it all started — and Brad Quarberg reveals the festival wasn't actually a secret ploy for G. Heileman Brewery to sell beer. 

In fact, the brewery once ran the numbers on how much beer fest-goers actually drank, and how long it took to brew — and Quarberg’s reveal of those the results will shock you.

It’s our annual Oktoberfest preview with 20...

The demolition of the old Kmart might have a due date, and La Crosse leadership is about to restart the city administrator conversation again.

Council president Tamra Dickinson stopped in studio, ahead of Thursday’s monthly meeting, where the council will vote on giving final approval to a development agreement over the old Kmart lot, while also looking at a charter ordinance that isn’t city administrator — but co...

A packed Friday, where we get the La Crosse airport director’s reaction after someone tried sneaking a foot-long medieval weapon through security, and dive into Kwik Trip ditching roller grills — can you really call it a Tornado if it didn't spin? 

Plus, UW-La Crosse political scientist Dr. Anthony Chergosky breaks down new Facebook rules for kids and who’s the most known politicians in the state.

Also, WIZM&...

The biggest race in Wisconsin isn't for governor — not according to Devin Remiker. He wants Democrats to win the whole thing.

Remiker, who’s been the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin for just over a year now, sat down with us at the 26-year running corn roast on Wednesday and made it clear that while winning the governor’s seat is critical, the party's primary goal is securing a state trifecta.

Remiker a...

David Crowley sat down with us from the corn roast in West Salem on Wednesday.

Along with why he’s the favorite parent at home, the Democratic candidate for governor was asked about how he plans to tackle housing, healthcare, and childcare affordability across Wisconsin.

As La Crosse gets set for another update on homelessness next week, the Milwaukee ...

A Hallmark Christmas movie right out of La Crosse — why not?

A fun conversation with Teddy Eck, executive director of Coulee Arts in downtown La Crosse, where we get a little nuts on a La Crosse Hallmark Christmas, talk about the movie industries new tax incentives to come to Wisconsin and how decaying attention spans are ruining movies forever.

Eck also broke down everything under the Coulee Art...