La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Jane Powell, president of the League of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area, plus voter services chair, Chris Haskell, in studio talking about all the things the League is doing to inform the public this election cycle.

We began the show, though, with La Crosse city clerk Nikki Elsen, talking about early in-person voting and how Day 1 went Tuesday. 

After that (10:45), with Haskell and Powell, we started the conversation in 1920 — this radical idea of letting women vote — then moved to 2024 and how the League has evolved.

We then hit on some of the efforts specifically the La Crosse chapter has done, including the school district’s $53.5 million referendum, taking a stance on the Constitutional Amendment question and, also, how they remain nonpartisan in an ever polarized environment.

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Fun, informative and kind of hilarious conversation, talking science with Spencer Wilken, who thinks Earth’s new moon is clickbait but Jupiter’s favorite moon is actually news, plus why we keep seeing the Northern Lights. We also gave Wilken some homework: watch Armageddon. 

Wilken is a Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois. She believes it’s big news that NASA is sending the Europa Clipper to the Jupiter moon in hopes of finding water and life. Meanwhile, in Earth’s orbit, an asteroid that really isn’t a moon — though we have spoken in the past about Earth’s actual dwarf moon.

Then we got into a conversation about the Northern Lights and stumped Wilken on the matter. 

Lastly, two funny things: 1. Scientists discovering a 46,000-year-old female microscopic worm in the Siberian permafrost and bringing it back to life.

Plus, in there somewhere — perhaps about the worm — Wilken brought “Will this kill us,” but said it so fast it sounded like “Willis kill us” and brought us full circle to the movie Armageddon again, starring Bruce Willis. 

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La Crosse School Board president, Dr. Juan Jimenez, in studio discussing some jaw dropping numbers to a population study, the district trying to start school earlier, based on its burden to private schools and the $53.5 million referendum.

Began the show with a bit of an overview, but quickly got into the numbers presented to the school board Monday from a population study that shows enrollment shrinking.

After that, we discussed why the school district wants to start school earlier. It’s state law to start on or after Sept. 1, but only for public schools. Those districts, however, are required to bus private school students, which often start school earlier — as they don’t have to adhere to the same laws.

Lastly, we discussed the referendum, and some of the fallout that might happen if it doesn’t pass, plus what comes next regardless of what happens — which could be dealing with the middle schools.

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The one and only debate for US Senate in Wisconsin, between Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Republican challenger, Eric Hovde, took place on Oct. 18, 2024.

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This is the Wisconsin state Senate District 32 debate between Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) and Republican challenger Stacey Klein of Trempealeau. It took place Oct. 16, 2024 at UW-La Crosse. 

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Not long after the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce named Beth Davis its first female CEO since 1868, Tiffany Rice brought in studio two of their panelists for Thursday’s Women’s Leadership Summit.

Those panelists are Gundersen Medical Foundation vice president Lindsay Preston and La Crosse Community Foundation CEO Jamie Schloegel.

The summit happens from noon-4 p.m. at the UW-La Crosse Bluffs Ballroom, though there may be an even bigger woman in leadership crashing campus that same day.

On the show, we breakdown what the summit is all about and actually get into some of the topics that will be brought up to the panel, including misperceptions of women in leadership, expectations of women and finding support.

Chamber of Commerce panel at the Women's Leadership Summit

• Buffet Lunch as guests arrive.
• Intros: New CEO, Beth Franklin
• Welcome by Rep Jill Billings
• Panel of three local women (2 of them will be present at the studio)
• Dessert/Coffee Bar with Networking Time and Time to visit Exhibitors
• Keynote
• Door Prizes (provided by exhibitors)

Summit highlights:

• 20 local small women-owned businesses that will be present as exhibitors promoting their small businesses.  Attendees will have time to visit with them and learn about their businesses and also enter to win door prizes.  
• Keynote speaker is Gina Glover. Website: GinaConnects - Career Coach and Speaker  
• Her topic is:  Dial Up Your Influence: Specific Strategies that Stick: 
• We all have an influence on those around us, whether we consider ourselves an influencer or not. 
• John Maxwell quipped "Leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less." This talk delves into the specific strategies you can use to dial up your influence – with your colleagues, your customers, and your community.
• Partnered with Downtown Mainstreet and its Taste of Downtown that evening. Tickets can be purchased for that event in combination with Women's Leadership Summit at a discounted rate.  
• One table will be for seven Guests of Honor, which includes local women doing extraordinary things in the community.  

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Democratic Vice Presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joins to discuss showing up for rural voters, getting legislation passed for working class and if he's mad Saturday Night Live got it wrong.

Began the show, though, selfishly talking quick about Winona — where I was a sports writer — and Mankato West football, where Walz coached.

Then we got into connecting with rural voters, as Walz did, when he was the US House Rep. in Minnesota's Republican-leaning 1st District, just over the Mississippi River from La Crosse.

Sandwiched in there is a quick question about SNL having comedian Jim Gaffigan playing Walz and how the skit about the Menards rebate was wrong.   

We also got into some of the priorities Democrats passed the last two years in the Minnesota Legislature — free school meals, paid family leave, free college for working-class families — and if any of those could be done federally. 

Lastly, Walz was asked, 'Who does fall better, Wisconsin or Minnesota?' but he side-stepped the question and offered up another nugget about his recent visit to Wisconsin.

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Nothing like breaking down the 2025 and 2028 elections with UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, 24 days before the November election cycle ends.

We also recapped with WIZM's Brad Williams the vote by the city council not to vote on hiring a city administrator. 

Lastly, highlighted some of the "Wisconsin Confessions," on Reddit, like "I don't like brats," and "Culver's cheese curds aren't good."

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La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds in studio discussing reelection, potential vote on city administrator, veto on Pump House request for more funding and La Crosse Center accounting change.

Spent a lot of time going over, in different ways, the upcoming, potential vote Thursday by La Crosse’s city council on hiring a city administrator position. Reynolds talked about the cost of the position versus savings it would do with city, how the 2012 referendum that voted down the proposal was an outlier and what he expects the city council to do at the meeting.

Also talked about Shaundel Washington-Spivey’s announcement to run for mayor and brought up multiple times — and almost got Reynolds to reveal — if he was seeking reelection. 

Next month the 2025 budget will be finalized and one thing that may have help with that is some changes in accounting at the La Crosse Center, which Reynolds breaks down. 

Lastly, we hit on his veto last month of a request from the Pump House Regional Arts Center, downtown, for more funding, which the council could override Thursday. The Pump House is a city-owned building that just did over $300,000 in renovations, but ended up asking the city for an additional $13,290.03 — which Reynolds vetoed and he explains why.

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We're back! UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, back in studio to talk the $110 million of outside money in WIsconsin's US Senate race, the second TP shortage of the 2020s, Kamala Harris campaigns at the GOP's birthplace in Ripon, plus going 90 mph down Lang Drive.

Chergosky also paid a bit of a tribune to La Crosse Talk host Mike Hayes, who is battling pancreatic cancer. 

We also hit on the Brewers blowing Game 3 of the wildcard to the Mets and how it's that stupid mascot Grimace's fault, as well as just being back on La Crosse Talk PM, with WIZM shuffling some in the absence of Hayes.

The two big political stories we got into included outside money in the US Senate race in Wisconsin, where $57 million is being spent on Democrat Tammy Baldwin and $53 million on Eric Hovde — on top of Baldwin spending $42 million on her own campaign, and Hovde spending $20 million. 

Then we hit on Harris campaigning with Republican Liz Cheaney in Ripon, Wisconsin, where the GOP Party was birthed.

The toilet paper shortage stems from people freaking out about the longshoremen's strike, which will not be the "October surprise," as they've delayed it until January.

And, lastly, La Crosse police arrested this week a 19-year-old driving 90 mph down Lang Drive near Menards during "rush hour." 

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