Broadway icon, singer, and actor Bernadette Peters joined ahead of her visit to La Crosse and performance Saturday at Viterbo.

We covered a variety of topics from her longtime animal rescue advocacy through Broadway Barks, to Wisconsin cheese, to navigating a shifting media landscape where even Netflix anime like Kpop Demon Hunters are charting on the Billboard Top 100 with multiple songs.

With a career spanning decades, Peters reflected on some of her most beloved roles and appearances and, of course, we talked about what to expect from her show Saturday, which begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Viterbo Fine Arts Center Main Theatre (tickets here).

Peters is a three-time Tony Award recipient and Golden Globe winner. She has been nominated for four Emmy Awards, four Grammy Awards, and has appeared in more than 30 films, alongside her extensive Broadway career.

She’s also hosted Saturday Night Live and The Muppet Show, and voiced a character in the animated series Animaniacs — something we touched on in relation to the K-pop conversation.

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The RAD is going live.

Teddy Eck, co-founder and executive director of the Rivoli Arts District (RAD), stopped in studio to discuss, not just this weekend’s open house, but also art in La Crosse, in general — from murals to inspiring young artists to what kind of art the city is missing.

The RAD, located on Fourth Street, downtown, spans three, newly-renovated floors featuring 30 artist studios, workshops, and gallery spaces, along with the Rivoli Theatre’s party room. It is also home to the La Crosse Film Academy, which includes a podcast studio, a 2,000-square-foot production studio and a post-production lab.

The RAD open house runs 5-9 p.m. Friday and workshops from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

Friday will feature: 

— feature resident artists’ open studios, 
— RAD Bod Gallery
— Rivoli party space 
— La Crosse Film Academy studios
— active tech demonstrations

There will also be live entertainment from DJ Natalia Rocafuerte, while both La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey and state Rep. Jill Billings will offer remarks.

Saturday visitors can take part in free public workshops, led by RAD resident artists. Activities will include yoga-art fusion, zine and button making, drawing, knitting, and painting workshops, as well as a film equipment petting zoo and more.

Saturday, visitors can take part in free public workshops led by RAD resident artists. Activities include yoga-art fusion, zine and button making, drawing, knitting, painting, and a film equipment petting zoo.

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Economist, Dr. Adam Hoffer, joins to discuss how states handle EV fees in a few different areas, plus how much it will cost to watch the NFL this season.

Hoffer is the director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation, and recently published an article breaking down EV fees by state across the country. Hoffer was also a professor who taught sports economics at UW-La Crosse. 

States are moving to EV fees across the country, to make up for a loss of road funding through gas taxes, but the difference is not keeping pace. Wisconsin ranks among the highest in EV registration fees, while Minnesota is somewhere in the middle. Wisconsin also charges a Hybrid fee, while Minnesota does not. In terms of gas taxes, both states are also sitting in the middle. 

When it comes to watching the NFL this year, the viewers could pay around $900 a year to get every game, though a pair of $10 bunny ears would save about $300 in YouTube TV fees.

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A mostly back-to-school La Crosse Talk with UW-L political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, discussing cellphone and social media bans for children, A.I. use and abuse, plus a recap of Vice President JD Vance’s visit to town. 

With UW-L beginning classes this week, Chergosky did talk some about A.I. use in college — and how students need to be literate in its uses but also its shortcomings.

With cellphone bans, we discussed how the state might do that, how it helps both students and teachers, while the social media ban was focused on children under 16. 

In recapping JD Vance’s visit, we discussed the setup, how the motorcade avoided protesters by going the wrong way down Rose Street and how Doug Bergum was the only other person to speak at the event.

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Mac Kiel in studio discussing the La Crosse mayor's city administrator proposal and changing the Arts Board name, plus the state of La Crosse pools and previewing committee week.

The mayor last week proposed changing the name of the Arts Board to include culture. He has also talked about putting forth a new proposal for city administrator that would not require a charter ordinance. 

With regard to committees this week, the council could address the Rivercrest mobile home evictions, push button pedestrian signs and rezoning across from Moka. 

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Western Wisconsin AFL-CIO president Mike Davis, Jr., joins to talk about unions and preview Monday’s Labor Day celebration in La Crosse, which have been going on since 1891. 

On the show we discuss Act 10 and minimum wage, before previewing Monday’s event, which begins at 10 a.m. near the corner of Gillette and Kane Streets.

After the parade, there are festivities on the north side of Copeland Park, including — for the kids — a “fishpond,” coins hidden in sawdust and temporary tattoos. Adults can partake in BINGO and several raffles. 

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Sarah Godlewski in studio to talk about her run for lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, her work as the current Secretary of State and former State Treasurer, plus some reaction to JD Vance’s visit to La Crosse promoting the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

Godlewski, a Democrat who launched her campaign last week, outlined what she sees as the role of lieutenant governor, including ideas for things like tackling housing and health care costs, and why she opposes the Republican-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

We also dug into her current duties as Secretary of State and how she previously used the Treasurer’s office to address some of these same challenges, like housing.

Plus, we had some fun discussing campaigning strategies, and she hopes to kickoff a Brewskis with Godlewski campaign soon. 

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La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke joined to discuss the Civilian Review Board getting going, charging 17-year-olds as adults in Wisconsin and an update on the death of 22-year-old Eliotte Heinz.

La Crosse County’s Civilian Review Board has been something in the works for a few years now, and Gruenke describes the type of work it will cover.

Charging 17 year olds as adults stems from a conversation last week with Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle supporting a bill to change that law. Gruenke talks about the history there and what changes could be made for what crimes.

In between those conversations, Gruenke talked about Heinz, the Viterbo student and Hortonville, Wis., native who went missing for days, before being discovered in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minn. 

One other thing we talked about — to start the show, actually — was Gruenke being a special prosecutor in a Blue Mounds beagle breeder mistreatment case. 

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Rock the Vets happens Sunday, and Dustin Lamb stopped in studio to talk about Year No. 8 of the concert series that helps La Crosse’s Freedom Honor Flight.

Admission is $20 for basically eight concerts on two stages. The event kick off at 11:40 a.m. at the Legion Post 417 on French Island.

La Crosse’s Freedom Honor Flight recently said increased costs for flights has made fundraising efforts — like Rock the Vets — all that much more important. 

The Freedom Honor Flight takes veterans for free to Washington, D.C., for a day to check out the war memorials there. 

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Moon Tunes co-founder Terry Bauer in studio previewing this week’s show, featuring The Canyon Band. Before that, Hans Mayer and Hot Sauce, with Jessie MacDonald open the show.

Before we talked about them, however, we did joke around about the good ole days, and recapped last week’s show with the Remainders and Phoenix — 71 years of music in La Crosse.

There is handicap parking with rides to the venue. Bauer says park at the old fish hatchery on the north end of the park. There is no more bicycle corral. 

The audience is welcome to bring chairs, food and drinks but plenty of vendors are available. 

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