Newsmakers

Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative- We preview the annual meeting of the group that has 85 mayors from 10 states and focuses on working with each other, federal and state governments on common issues like flooding and water quality.

Farming Challenges- From Mother Nature to low commodity prices and the international imposition of tariffs, Wisconsin farmers are having a challenging 2018. We talk with an agricultural panel about the issues farmers are facing.

HmongBAEs Podcast- We talk about a new podcast produced by Hmong high school students from La Crosse and Holmen examining issues in their life called HmongBAEs. Wisconsin Public Radio-La Crosse helped produce the podcast that will be published this fall.

Bluffland Protection- We update efforts to create a regional bluffland protection program in this interview with members of the Blufflands Coalition.

La Crosse Parks- Plans are in the works to redevelop Trane Park into an all-abilities park, and we explore plans to restore the band shell at Riverside Park to its original state.

96th Assembly Democratic Primary Debate- We feature a debate among the Democratic candidates in the Aug. 14 primary election for the 96th state Assembly District, Paul Buhr and Alicia Leinberger. The district includes Vernon and Crawford Counties and part of Monroe County. The seat is open for the first time since 2005 after state Rep. Lee Nerison retired.

92nd Wisconsin Assembly Democratic Primary Debate- We feature two of the three Democrats in the Aug. 14 primary to represent all or parts of Buffalo, Trempealeau and Jackson Counties. The winner of the primary faces incumbent GOP Rep. Treig Pronschinske of Mondovi in the Nov. 6 general election.

People Fest- We talk with the organizers of the first-ever festival designed to celebrate different cultures in the Coulee Region.

31st Senate Democratic primary debate- Candidates running in the Democratic Primary for the 31st District Senate Seat -- Jon Schultz of Arcadia, Steve Boe of Taylor and Jeff Smith of Eau Claire -- appeared on The West Side Monday, July 16. The candidates will be on the ballot in the August 14 primary, with the winner facing Republican Mel Pittman of Plum City and Green Party candidate Aaron Camacho of Fountain City in the November general election.

Health Care Facilities Embrace Pain Alternatives- The opioid overdose crisis has led places like the Tomah VA medical center and Tri State ambulance to embrace alternatives like acupuncture and aromatherapy.