La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Rick Solem
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Listener conversations about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5-6pm on WIZM 1410AM and 92.3FM

  1. 20h ago

    Inside the $64 million plan for La Crosse’s old Kmart site — and who swings the wrecking ball

    No wrecking ball on the old Kmart in La Crosse yet, but Jeremy Novak from Three-Sixty Real Estate Solutions stopped in studio to talk about when that could finally happen, what's next for the $64 million Copper Rocks development and why the project has taken more than five years to get to this point. Novak, Three-Sixty's vice president of development, also talks about the housing shortage in La Crosse, why the old Kmart site isn't being turned into single-family homes, and how a major state loan helped move the project forward. And we have some fun brainstorming ways to take down the old Kmart, which closed in 2018. Episode Highlights: Demolition timeline: Heavy equipment won't be on-site this week, but when could the building finally come down? $64M scope shift: What happened to the original plans for Copper Rocks — and what does the project look like now? La Crosse housing demand: How did the 2008 housing crash help create today's shortage — and why haven't we caught up? The single-family debate: Why isn't the old Kmart site being used for traditional houses — and what would those homes cost? State funding boost: How a major state loan helped move the project forward. Site layout & future tenants: What will the five-building development look like — and what kinds of businesses could end up there? The mystery tenant: Three-Sixty already has a signed commercial tenant. So who is it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Inside the $64 million plan for La Crosse’s old Kmart site — and who swings the wrecking ball

  2. 1d ago

    Why rural hospital closures could raise your health care costs

    A discussion about rural health care on The Rick Solem Show ahead of two days of health and public health programs hosted by UW-La Crosse this week. Two educators joined, looking at different pieces of the rural health puzzle — Dr. Caitlin Carroll of the University of Minnesota and UW-La Crosse’s Dr. Gary Gilmore. Carroll is a health economist, whose work focuses on rural hospitals, mergers and closures, while Gilmore is a UW-L public health professor and director of community health programs. Carroll is also previewing her free virtual UW-L talk Tuesday on rural hospital consolidation — what’s driving the closures and mergers, and what happens to access, prices and quality of care when they do.The conversation also gets into rural OB care, prevention and whether there’s a better way to keep essential rural health services available. Carroll’s UWL talk: Causes & Consequences of Consolidation in Rural Hospital Markets — 12:50–1:50 p.m. Tuesday. Free and virtual; registration is required. Register for the free UWL presentation. Gilmore’s Wisconsin Education Network program: The 40th annual program runs 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Wednesday focusing on public health outreach and quality assurance. Both programs are virtual and open to participants beyond the La Crosse area. Episode Highlights: Your bill could rise: A rural hospital closes — and the consequences can show up in your health care costs, even if you never went there. The OB crisis: Rural hospitals are staying open while shutting down obstetric units. Why is delivering babies becoming so difficult to sustain? Why rural clinics are merging: Fewer patients, lower reimbursement and financial pressure are pushing rural health care providers toward consolidation. The monopoly question: What happens to prices when one hospital disappears and there are fewer places left to go? More than a closure: When a rural hospital shuts down, you can lose doctors and primary care access along with it. A different model: What if keeping a rural hospital open didn’t depend entirely on how many patients walked through the door? Health beyond hospitals: Could sidewalks, bike paths and the way a community is built actually be part of the health care equation? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Why rural hospital closures could raise your health care costs

  3. 2d ago

    UW-L's Chergosky on Tiffany’s $16M edge over Crowley — and where the money comes from

    Three Wisconsin billionaires have essentially bankrolled Tom Tiffany’s side of the governor’s race — nearly $24 million of the $26 million he raised in the latest reporting period. And yet the latest Marquette poll has Tiffany and David Crowley separated by just three points, and 25% of voters still can't say whether they like or dislike Crowley. UW-La Crosse political science professor Dr. Anthony Chergosky in studio breaks down how a candidate can be leading a statewide poll while a quarter of voters still aren't sure what to make of him. Plus Chergosky gets into whether Tiffany's massive money advantage can actually decide a race this close — or does it do him more harm than good — and what happens when one campaign can afford to flood the state with ads. We also throw Chergosky a wild theory: Maybe Crowley should drop out again. Conversation Highlights: Drop out again? Crowley’s lack of name recognition worked once, so we throw Chergosky the slightly insane theory: Do it again. Follow the money: The three Wisconsin billionaires bankrolling Tiffany’s campaign lead to a bigger conversation about how much power big donors and political parties should have in a governor’s race.  Who likes Crowley? A 49%-46% lead is pretty good — unless a quarter of voters still can't say whether they even like the guy. Money overload: Tiffany has enough cash to flood Wisconsin with ads — but could seeing him everywhere actually work against him?  The weird numbers: Tiffany and Crowley are nearly identical on unfavorables, but Tiffany has an eight-point edge in favorability. So why is the race still this close?  Just vote R: Chergosky gets into why more voters are simply picking their party and calling it a day. Data center whiplash: Seventy-four percent say the costs outweigh the benefits, but only 36% say they've heard a lot about them — so what exactly are voters reacting to? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    UW-L's Chergosky on Tiffany’s $16M edge over Crowley — and where the money comes from

  4. 5d ago

    Ahead of Rivoli visit, actor Dan Davies previews 'The Giant Spider Invasion' — movie lore fueled by PBR and Old Style

    A Volkswagen Beetle wrapped in fur, cruising down a central Wisconsin highway with eight giant spider legs dangling. That was the scene in 1975 during the filming of what turned into a cult classic, The Giant Spider Invasion — a film based in central and northern Wisconsin that became one of Mystery Science Theater 3000’s most popular episodes. Ahead of his visit to La Crosse on Friday, actor and UW-L grad Dan Davies — who plays newscaster Ted Tittman — joined to spill set secrets that coincidentally featured two distinct Wisconsin beers. One, feeding Old Styles to “The Skipper” from Gilligan’s Island, and the other, basically holding a screenwriter hostage with promises of PBR for pages, as they rewrote the movie while shooting. Davies and 89-year-old director Bill Rebane will be at the Rivoli Theatre at 7 p.m. Friday night to party with moviegoers for the 50th-anniversary screening and do a Q&A. Episode Highlights: Volkswagen Terror: How Wisconsin filmmakers slapped fur and giant legs onto a VW Beetle chassis to build a 50-foot spider—and sent it blindly driving toward terrified extras. Beer On Set: Why Hollywood stars like "The Skipper" from Gilligan's Island (Alan Hale) fell in love with northern Wisconsin culture and cold cans of Old Style. Writing for PBR: Dan breaks down the chaotic mid-shoot panic after Hollywood demanded a giant spider to rival Jaws—leaving producers no choice but to lock a writer in a room with a daily sandwich and a beer quota. MST3K Roasting: Dan breaks down how director Bill Rebane actually reacted when Mystery Science Theater 3000 poked fun at his film—and the surprise honor MST3K gave him years later. Ted Tittman's Debut: How the team created a new campy Rhinelander news anchor character to seamlessly stitch the reboot's plot holes together. UWL Nostalgia: Davies shares memories of his 40-plus family members attending UW-La Crosse and classic 1980s 3rd Street happy hours. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Ahead of Rivoli visit, actor Dan Davies previews 'The Giant Spider Invasion' — movie lore fueled by PBR and Old Style

  5. 6d ago

    State Rep. Tara Johnson slams powerline proposal, outlines priorities if Dems control government

    Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Tara Johnson in studio breaking down the controversy over the 200-foot MariBell power lines and what a Democratic legislative majority would look like in Madison. Johnson (D-Shelby) helps explain the environmental risks in the Driftless region over those power lines, how the state’s Public Service Commission works in deciding what happens, and where this all wraps into the AI data center conversation — one in which she believes an 18-month moratorium is needed.  We also discuss the top priorities that Democrats are outlining if David Crowley wins the governorship and her party flips both the Assembly and Senate. Johnson pointed out that under current Republican control, only 19 of the 500 bills Democrats authored in the last session even got a committee hearing, and what her party’s priorities are if they win the trifecta. Episode Highlights: MariBell Lines Backlash: Proposed towers threaten legacy farms and fragile karst aquifers across the Driftless region. Data Center Pause: Johnson advocates for an 18-month moratorium and a long-term plan around energy usage while studying the local impacts of massive data centers. Underground Priority: Johnson details legislation to force power companies onto existing rights-of-way and mandate underground lines over giant towers. How the PSC Works: A quick civics lesson on how the Public Service Commission operates and how local residents can actually influence their final rulings. Intervener Funding Stripped: GOP budget cuts on the Joint Finance Committee eliminated extra legal and expert assistance meant to help everyday property owners fight utility applications. Predatory Park Hikes: Mobile home residents face sudden double-digit lot fee increases and steep pet surcharges with no practical way to move their homes. Democratic Trifecta Hit List: What a unified Democratic government in Madison would prioritize on day one — and the massive legislative roadblock currently standing in their way. Brewers Magic but Not "The Big Mozzarella": We open with Milwaukee's historic 103-win season and a failed attempt at coining a pitching nickname for Jacob Misiorowski. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    State Rep. Tara Johnson slams powerline proposal, outlines priorities if Dems control government

  6. Sep 29

    Breaking down all things art happening this week in La Crosse

    A lot happening in the La Crosse art world this week and three people crashed the WIZM studio to break everything down. From the October First Friday Art Walk downtown, to multiple events at the Pump House and on to Viterbo University, we covered it all. Joining The Rick Solem Show included Pump House Regional Arts Center director Allison Krzych along with Marlene De La Cruz-Guzman, vice president of the Thea Bowman Division of Cultural and Global Engagement at Viterbo, and Oscar Mireles, director of LOUD (Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development). This Week's Event Lineup: Wednesday, Sept. 30 (5–7 PM): Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at Viterbo (Featuring live music from Kumbia Kachaka) Friday, Oct. 2 (5–8 PM): First Friday Art Walk Downtown & Ekphrastic Poetry Reading with Marlene at the Pump House (5 PM) Now through Oct. 10: Oaxacan Street Art & Print Exhibit by Lapiztola at the Pump House Conversation Highlights: Oaxacan Street Art in La Crosse: Hear how Mexican arts collective Lapiztola brought layered stencil work and political street art from Oaxaca to the Pump House walls. Viterbo Heritage Party: Preview Wednesday's campus celebration featuring traditional Colombian instruments and live music from Kumbia Kachaka. Ekphrastic Poetry: Learn how Marlene De La Cruz-Guzman turns striking visual artwork into hard-hitting verse during Friday’s gallery walk. Historic Literary First: Oscar Mireles and Marlene detail how they teamed up to produce En el cinturón del viento, the first Spanish poetry anthology in Wisconsin history. Creative Routines Exposed: We debate whether it's best to have routine or work on the fly when it comes to best practices in creative writing.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Breaking down all things art happening this week in La Crosse

  7. Sep 28

    AARP Wisconsin: From retirement to caregiving, key issues voters should track this fall

    With election season underway, AARP Wisconsin State director Raj Shukla stopped in studio to break down some key issues impacting local families this fall. Shukla walked through the everyday challenges voters should research before heading to the polls — from helping small-business workers without access to a 401(k) to supporting family caregivers.  The conversation covers retirement, Social Security, and healthcare from multiple angles and shows how voters can dig into where candidates stand. As Shukla pointed out, these are far from being just "senior issues" — these policy debates directly affect family budgets and daily life for Wisconsinites of all ages. AARP is also hosting a Fraud Watch Trivia Night at the Pump House Regional Arts Center downtown from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 13. Episode Highlights: Workplace Retirement Access: Shukla details why one-third of Wisconsin workers lack access to 401(k)s and how a proposed "Work and Save" option could give small-business employees a simple, portable payroll-deduction savings account—clarifying it is a personal savings tool, not a state pension. Family Caregiving Challenges: Shukla and Solom discuss the policy changes and direct support needed for adult children helping aging parents navigate healthcare and daily life. Voter Candidate Resources: Where Wisconsinites can review candidate positions and election information through the AARP Voter Resource Center or check local voting details on the Wisconsin Elections Commission Portal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    AARP Wisconsin: From retirement to caregiving, key issues voters should track this fall

  8. Sep 28

    Padesky: November ballot question aims to give La Crosse a voice on healthcare

    A new committee on healthcare in the city of La Crosse is a vote away from being created. In November city of La Crosse residents will decide if the Community Healthcare Action Plan gets passed through referendum. Nick Padesky, a campaign manager with Community Action Wisconsin, stopped in studio to explain how the seven-person panel would work. He says it will give local residents, doctors, and underinsured families a platform to document medical struggles, counter policy decisions, and pressure lawmakers in Madison and Washington to expand coverage and lower prescription costs. City of La Crosse voters will see four ballot questions on the November ballot. Three were written by Republicans in the state Legislature with no Democratic support to change the state Constitution. The fourth is the local municipal referendum regarding the Community Healthcare Action Plan, which asks: "Shall the city establish a citizens advisory health care action committee to develop a biennial health care action plan and provide a public process for community input on health care?" Episode Highlights: Reason Committee is Needed: Proponents argue local residents need an official city-backed mechanism to document skyrocketing prescription drug costs and fight federal policy decisions. Signature Surge: Over 5,000 La Crosse residents signed petitions to put the measure on the ballot, outpacing signature thresholds for gubernatorial candidates. Makeup: The proposed panel will combine local doctors and public health workers with uninsured residents fighting massive out-of-pocket medical bills. Town Hall Alternative: Regular public hearings will give citizens an open microphone to share personal healthcare struggles directly on the record when federal representatives refuse to hold open town halls. City Budget Bite: Spikes in health insurance costs could add $2 million to city personnel expenses, directly threatening funding for local libraries and public pools. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Padesky: November ballot question aims to give La Crosse a voice on healthcare
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Ratings & Reviews

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About

Listener conversations about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5-6pm on WIZM 1410AM and 92.3FM

Information

  • Creator
    Rick Solem
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.7K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 WIZM
  • Show Website
    La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

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