Wisconsin Life

A love of chili and a friendly mother-daughter debate over whether to add macaroni prompted this WHYsconsin question from the daughter Johanna Nelson, of Wausau: “Chili is a favorite in Wisconsin, and everyone has their treasured recipes. Some have noodles, others not. It’s highly contested. Is there a right way?” WPR’s John Davis and Andrea Anderson went to find the answer.

Baseball legend Hank Aaron died late last week at 86 years old. While he broke Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record in 1974 as an Atlanta Brave, he had close ties to Wisconsin. Hammerin’ Hank won the World Series with the Milwaukee Braves in 1957, he spent the last two seasons of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, and hit his last home run at Milwaukee County Stadium.

And before all of that, Aaron’s early years were spent in “little town called Eau Claire.” Author Dean Robbins tells us more about his time playing for the Eau Claire Bears.

Little Chute is known for its Dutch heritage. A lesser known fact about the northeastern village is that it was once home to a semi-pro football team, the Little Chute Flying Dutchmen. Little Chute resident Gene Janssen wrote to WHYsconsin about the Flying Dutchmen. He remembered the team from his youth and hoped to learn more about its history, so WPR’s Jenny Peek went digging in the archives.

Believe it or not, not everyone agrees when it comes to politics. And in the current political climate, those differences are especially amplified when trying to have these discussions with family. Waukesha writer Judy Bridges walks us though the complex arc of navigating politics and finding common ground with her distant brother.

In 1952, Leonard Schmitt ran against controversial Senator Joseph McCarthy on the Republican ticket in Wisconsin…and lost. We recently received a WHYsconsin question from a listener who wanted to know more about Schmitt, the attorney who campaigned on a platform of decency. Liz Dohms-Harter brings us the story of a man who rebuked the division and chaos that defined McCarthyism.

Klassik is an artist with many talents: he’s a producer, mentor and activist. The Milwaukee musician is a singer, rapper and multi-instrumentalist who creates unique modern, soulful jazz compositions.

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? A can of Jolly Good Soda is one of the many items included in the Wisconsin 101 project, which tells the state’s history through objects. WPR’s Rachael Vasquez visited the Jolly Good plant to reintroduce us to a Midwestern favorite.

When we’re at work, we all have a number of roles – we can take on other jobs – wear many hats. Albert Watson hosts a cooking club at the Dane County Juvenile Detention Center. Here, he tells the story of the day he saved a life by taking a bit of his own advice. This story was featured on the “Inside Stories” podcast, which features Madison storytellers and digs deeper into their lives.

Some animals hibernate to survive the winter. Humans aren’t one of them but that hasn’t stopped writer Krista Eastman from imagining her perfect winter abode.

For the members of Tomahawk Circle, playing in a rural family band is a labor of love. Founded in 2006, the Lac Du Flambeau Ojibwe drum group got its name from the street on which the founding members grew up. Their story comes to us from the “Sounds Like Home” podcast produced by the Chippewa Valley Museum and Joseph O’Connell.