WIZM - La Crosse Talk Interviews

Meme Mihalovic with the Disability Action Network (DAN)  joined WIZM’s La Crosse Talk to help preview the fourth annual La Crosse Area’s Disability Pride Fest.

The event happens from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sunday at Logan High School to celebrate disability culture, community and pride.

From the conversation, it sounds like the highlight of the event might be the power wheelchair soccer scrimm...

We propose a Charlie Berens run for Wisconsin governor to UW-L political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky.

It was part of a circular discussion about priorities, as people’s needs are not being met by politicians. Does Berens unite a voting bass that isn’t necessarily political, but concerned about things directly related to their wallets — rising costs, health insurance, taxes — that seem to be igno...

La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey in studio to discuss the city’s budget shortfall, recapping the Beyond the Bridge event on homeless, when the two parks will reopen and the debate over a city administrator.

We also talked about the mayor’s “Our City, Your 15” initiative earlier this month. That’s where Washington-Spivey met individually with residents for 15 minutes to hear their thoughts and...

Over 200 groups involved in “One Day for UW-L,” and Lauren Wanders stopped in studio to help preview the 24-hour event.

Wanders is the Annual Giving Coordinator at UW-L. The event begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday and runs until 9 a.m. Wednesday. 

Wanders highlights some of the big matching campaigns, including $25,000 for the Adapted Physical Education program — a 40-year program that could lose its federal funding. ...

Meme Mihalovic with the Disability Action Network (DAN)  joined WIZM’s La Crosse Talk to help preview the fourth annual La Crosse Area’s Disability Pride Fest.

The event happens from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sunday at Logan High School to celebrate disability culture, community and pride.From the conversation, it sounds like the highlight of the event might be the power wheelchair soccer scrimmage. There ar...

The best horror movies with Rivoli co-owner Jonathan Gelatt, who stopped in studio ahead of the theatre’s annual Schlocktoberfest this weekend — featuring a lineup of classic scary films.

October is Gelatt’s “Christmas,” and we talk about how he loves using the Rivoli as a throwback venue for classic horror.

He shares his picks for the scariest horror movies of all time — and his favorites, inclu...

Milwaukee County Housing Administrator Jim Mathy joined in studio to talk about homelessness, La Crosse’s progress, and the next steps in the city’s Pathways Home plan.

Mathy, a La Crosse native, spent two days meeting with community leaders about Pathways Home and took part in an event Tuesday where the documentary Beyond the Bridge was shown, followed by a panel of homeless and housing experts in a Q&A with the au...

All we covered with Mac Kiel in studio was the city administrator plan, homelessness, 2nd Street cycle track funding, the 2026 budget shortfall and the potential of closing another library or pool.

The last two are somewhat related, as the city deals with what La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey said last month on WIZM is a $3 million budget shortfall. 

Kiel, though, explains that — for example — closing the...

Wisconsin Farmers Union president Darin Von Ruden joins in studio to discuss how farmers are being affected by federal cuts and tariffs, the push for potential bailout funding, and how the state had to step in after farmers had already invested in crops and livestock for local farm-to-table programs.

Some of these dilemmas are interconnected. China has retaliated against U.S. tariffs by not buying our soybeans, while the Trump admi...

A bit of a free flowing conversation on local government control, taxes and we worked in data centers with Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) in studio last week. 

We also did a bit of a civics lesson on some of the inner workings of the state Legislature — a conversation that revolved around a bipartisan bill being circulated to make skateboarding legal again.

In Wisconsin, it’s illegal to skateboard, ro...

There’s nothing quite like learning about a conservation success story — and getting it straight from someone who lived it.

Dr. Stan Temple, a giant in the world of wildlife ecology and conservation, joins us to preview his visit to La Crosse on Sunday, where he’ll share the comeback story of the Greater Sandhill Crane — from near extinction to thriving populations in Wisconsin.

Temple also talks about being...

La Crosse Homeless Services Coordinator Brian Sampson in studio to discuss how the Pathways Home plan to end homelessness is progressing and to preview a big event happening next week.

The documentary, “Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness,” will be shown at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Weber Center, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and other homeless experts. The event is free and open to the public.

The fil...

Tried to get through as many things as possible dealing with the federal government with US House Rep. Mark Pocan.

After hosting a town hall Wednesday in downtown La Crosse, the Wisconsin Democrat stopped by the WIZM studio to reflect on the event and talk about what Congress is — and isn’t — getting done..

Part of that conversation was, of course, Pocan — again — holding a town hall in Republican Rep....

City council member Lisa Weston stopped in studio to discuss how the public engagement sessions on city administrator have been going, plus her experience so far trying to finalize La Crosse’s 2026 budget.

Weston is about six months into her career on city council. She is also on the council working group studying the city administrator plan that could come up for a vote in February.

So far, the working group has hosted four ...

Ahead of the monthly meeting, La Crosse city council president Tamra Dickinson in studio discussing the budget process — and shortfall — operations director vs. city administrator, liquor license approval and police reports on bars serving underage people, plus all the groundbreakings.

One other thing Dickinson brought up was something discussed by the Board of Public Works this week about shared utilities in places lik...

Clara Gelatt and Katie Bittner stopped in studio to help preview the five-day La Crosse Adventure Film Festival, that begins Wednesday. 

Events are taking place at the Pump House, Mt. La Crosse and the Rivoli, featuring “powerful films, storytelling under the stars, inspiring women adventurers, trail cleanups, and opportunities to support our community.”

Ticket pricing is below (buy here). Here’s a schedule b...

School District of La Crosse superintendent, Dr. Aaron Engel, joins to discuss financial aid, State Road Elementary additions and the dilemma of retaining and growing the student body amid declining enrollment, a trend driven by falling birthrates.

Before getting to any of that, however, we spoke about the fight over National Guard troops being sent to Portland and Chicago. Engel is a Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard, ...

There's nothing quite like interviewing a dementia expert — and then forgetting your next question.

Dr. Alexis Eastman, a geriatrician at the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute, joins to discuss dementia and ways to reduce its risk, ahead of her Badger Talk series at UW-La Crosse from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday.

All are welcome to attend and bring your own questions — but maybe write them down.