Lake Effect Spotlight

Wisconsin has about 400 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. But a dispute in Shorewood has ignited a debate about who has access to that shoreline. The public can get to the water at Atwater Beach in Shorewood. But residents with homes to the north and south of that beach own everything down to the water’s edge. A Shorewood resident challenged that policy in municipal court earlier this month, and a judge will announce a ruling early next year. 

This debate has been going on for decades and has been settled in other states, according to David Strifling. He’s an associate professor at Marquette University’s Law School. He joins WUWM environmental reporter Susan Bence to explain the Public Trust Doctrine. 

This holiday season, you might be looking for an idea of what to give the readers in your life. Well, here at Lake Effect we have our own annual “books to gift” conversation to help you answer that.  

We have two of Boswell Book Company’s book buyers in studio: Jason Kennedy who has book recommendations for adults, and Jen Steele who specializes in children’s books – to share some of the titles that stood out to them this past year.  

Wisconsin’s school safety tip line received nearly seven-thousand tips last school year – mostly from students. Bullying was the most commonly reported issue to the Speak Up, Speak Out tip line, also referred to by its acronym SUSO. But threats of school violence or concerns about self harm are also reported to this line, such as the deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison one year ago. 

To learn about how this works and when schools or parents become involved, WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal is joined by the state’s head of the office of school safety, Trish Kilpin.

 A note to our listeners this conversation touches on school violence and mentions suicide. 

Playing games is a year-round hobby for some, but buying and exploring new games is also a great holiday tradition. And games are an everyday endeavor for freelance game designer and editor James Lowder. Every year he joins us to share his Games to Gift list - which includes everything from two-player games, RPGs, and tabletop games. 

So whether you’re just curious about getting into gaming or looking for a gift for the serious gamer in your life, chances are Lowder has a suggestion for you.  

He joins Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski to share more.

Today, the federal criminal trial starts for Judge Hannah Dugan. Dugan is a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge who’s accused of helping an undocumented immigrant slip out of her courtroom to try and evade ICE agents. To find out more about Dugan’s jury trial – and what it says about politics today - WUWM reporter Maayan Silver joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers in studio.

During the holiday season, picking out a live Christmas tree is a tradition for many families. But according to a survey from the American Christmas Tree Association, more than 80% of households will opt for a fake tree. 

So, which is better for the environment – cutting a new tree every year or reusing a fake one? Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski is joined by Stefan Schnitzer, a professor of ecology at Marquette University to find out. 

IMPACT 211 is a free, confidential hotline that people can call for help with basic needs in southeastern Wisconsin. In addition to helping with food and housing support, the calls to 211 provide a snapshot of the region’s social safety net. 

John Hyatt leads the organization, and Bob Waite handles data collection. The two say that the word of the year for 2025 is “uncertainty” - as calls for basic needs have jumped over 100-percent in some areas, and organizations that provide resources for these needs face uncertain financial futures. 

Lake Effect’s Sam Woods is joined by Hyatt and Waite to discuss what they’ve seen in 2025, and what they expect in 2026. 

The Packers took first place in the NFC North this past weekend with a game-ending interception that shut out the Chicago Bears.  

The two teams will face off again on December 20th. The Bears – Packers rivalry has been going on for more than 100 years. And it’s a strong presence here in southeast Wisconsin where it’s not uncommon to see a Bears jersey in the sea of green at the local bar on Sunday. 

WUWM’s Jimmy Gutierrez has more on the rivalry. 

Over the last month, local food pantries say they’ve seen an increase in need not seen since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. One group of women have stepped in to try to meet the needs of the community. They created a mutual aid organization, MKE Grocery Buddy, to connect people experiencing food insecurity with people who can help. 

WUWM’s Jimmy Gutierrez brings us the story and the current food needs around Milwaukee. 

Last summer, a woman working as a teacher's aide at a public school in Milwaukee was forced to self deport to her native country of El Salvador. Yessenia Ruano and her husband Miguel Guerra chose uncertain safety over the constant fear of detainment, after a decade-old deportation order for Yessenia rose to the surface. Immigration officials did not honor her pending application for a visa reserved for trafficking victims.  

Now, the couple and their young twin daughters are trying to create a new life in a country that feels foreign to all four of them. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Sophie Carson visited the family in their new home in San Alfonso, El Salvador. Carson joins WUWM Education Reporter Katherine Kokal to share her  reporting.