Wisconsin Life

What’s the first drink you think of when you hear the crack and fizz of a can opening? A Pepsi? A Miller Lite? Or, do you think of a Jolly Good soda, a drink that has its roots right here in Wisconsin. WPR’s Rachael Vasquez brings you the story.

Moving away from Wisconsin can be an exciting adventure for some people. For others, it can be a tough and lonely journey. Writer and Wisconsin native June Melby reflects on the time she moved out west and how a vintage jacket helped her feel a little less homesick.

A thrift shop in Wisconsin’s Northwoods is a stark contrast to the typical Black Friday scene. Bargain hunters in the Minocqua shop from far and wide find deals on clothing, cabin décor and everything in between. Journalist Jane Hampden brings us the story.

Anyone who’s done serious renovation on an older home, ripping down lath and plaster, wrestling with stubborn two by fours and prying up floorboards, has probably harbored the fantasy of finding some kind of long-hidden treasure. Civil war medals, a moth-eaten bag of precious coins, possibly a secret diary full of scandalous confessions. Unfortunately, what is often discovered are crumbling foundations, rotted timbers and plumbing issues, if not a desiccated mouse or two. But sometimes a do-it-yourself-er finds a shoe. Author Ron Davis and WPR producer Brad Kolberg bring us the story.

Every year, Chris Hardie and his father sat together in the cold November woods on opening day of the gun deer hunting season. When his father’s health began to decline, it was still important for him to carry on the tradition. Hardie tells the story of the last hunting season he shared with his father, Robert Hardie, an expert hunter, who passed away in 2020. WPR’s Brad Kolberg contributed production.

The Mequon Nature Preserve north of Milwaukee is home to Wisconsin’s first conservation dog, Tilia. WPR’s Mary Kate McCoy recently traveled there to learn how they’re harnessing Tilia’s powerful sense of smell to reach their conservation goals.

Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland. It’s a title we take seriously. From milk to cheese to butter, the dairy industry is a cash cow for the state, generating $45.6 billion a year for the state’s economy. For Wisconsin’s state legislators, it’s an industry worth protecting.

WPR’s Jenny Peek brought us this story. This story was inspired by an audience question as part of the WHYsconsin project. Submit your question at wpr.org/WHYsconsin and we might answer it.

This story brings together a mid-winter ice storm, the southeast shore of Lake Mendota in Madison, ice skating, and a series of photographs that became a record album cover. Dean Robbins takes us back in time to a cold February photo session on the bleak frozen lake. Writer Dean Robbins and producer Steve Gotcher bring us the story.

(This story originally aired on January 18, 2019.)

During times of stress and uncertainty, we look for sources of comfort and connection. During the pandemic, that has come in the form of two inflatable kayaks for Mixee Vang of Sun Prairie and her family. She shares their story.

Everyone likes a good ghost story, especially around this time of year. Dorothy Malone of Milwaukee shared a childhood encounter with the supernatural at Ex Fabula’s StorySlam ‘Identity’ event held in March 2020. Karl Christenson brings us the story.