La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Rick Solem
  • 3.0 (2)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED DAILY

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

  1. Explore La Crosse's Burish on bringing big events to the region

    14H AGO

    Explore La Crosse's Burish on bringing big events to the region

    One of the biggest events that happens in La Crosse every year is going to remain a staple of the city through the year 2034. The WIAA and UW-L worked out its longest deal ever, eight years, to keep the state track and field meet here. La Crosse is always looking to expand the types of events it can host but state track has been a staple since the early 1990s. But, recently we've seen the addition of the WIAA state team wrestling meet in town, as well as other regional and national events. Helping bring those events to the region is Explore La Crosse. Jeremiah Burish is the sports sales director there. He joined to help discuss getting the state track deal done, what other events could be in the works — like potential bids for state gymnastics or cross country — and some of the high-profile competitions coming to the area. That includes a massive showcase later this month, as UW-La Crosse prepares to host the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships at Roger Harring Stadium from May 21–23, and the La Crosse Center will host the DIII wrestling championships next year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    20 min
  2. May the 4th — Star Wars day with the Rivoli's Clara and Jon Gelatt

    1D AGO

    May the 4th — Star Wars day with the Rivoli's Clara and Jon Gelatt

    From A New Hope to The Mandalorian, it's a Star Wars day on this May the 4th with Rivoli Theatre co-owners Jon and Clara Gelatt in studio. What's your first Star Wars memory? Did mom also throw all your toys away? Are the old movies still the best? Is the Star Wars universe oversaturated thanks to Disney?  The Rivoli is playing A New Hope at 5 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. with discounts for those who dress up or bring their lightsabers. The night will feature specialty drinks — perhaps some blue milk — and preshow trivia. A New Hope will also play through Thursday. Aside from Star Wars, we wrapped up the show looking ahead to a massive month at the Rivoli including: May 9 — The Greatest Showman: Sing and Dance Along! May 12 — Civics and Cinema Presents: All the President's Men, that will include a discussion following the movie led by political scientist Dr. Sam Scinta and Viterbo's Dr. Rick Kyte. March 18 — Kings of Kubb: about the Nordic lawn game. The night will feature documentary Upper Midwest Emmy Award filmmakers B.J. Hollars and Steve Dayton for a brief Q&A following the showing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min
  3. Todd Fergot on staying at Central, taking big statewide job and bringing shot clock to WI high school basketball

    3D AGO

    Todd Fergot on staying at Central, taking big statewide job and bringing shot clock to WI high school basketball

    Todd Fergot joined to talk about the big role he was just awarded, becoming the executive director of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and some their priorities, like implementing a shot clock and expanding the state tournament. Fergot has been the boys basketball coach at Central High in La Crosse for 22 years and that’s not changing. But he now takes over this statewide organization that oversees both boys and girls basketball. We talk the WBCA’s big priorities, including the positives and negatives around implementing a 35-second shot clock, what it means to expand the state tournament and getting participation back up in girls basketball. Along with state tournament expansion, we also talked about the idea of playing at other venues, like Lambeau Field or the Brewers stadium.  Fergot noted part of the deal to take on the WBCA role was to remain coach at Central and we discuss some of his legacy there, like getting to state six times, winning and losing titles and coaching players like Johnny Davis, who was taken No. 10 in the NBA draft.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
  4. WIAA's Stephanie Hauser on her son starting for the Celtics, bringing state to Lambeau and UW-La Crosse hosting track

    4D AGO

    WIAA's Stephanie Hauser on her son starting for the Celtics, bringing state to Lambeau and UW-La Crosse hosting track

    It's not often you randomly go to interview someone and learn she's the wife of your old high school coach, but that's just what happened in talking with Stephanie Hauser. Not only is she the WIAA's executive director, but her husband is my old basketball coach from Hortonville High School. But we skipped right over how much Dave Hauser may have yelled at me in gym class and immediately had to talk about their son, Sam Hauser, who's a starter for the Boston Celtics, an NBA champion and one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. Then we talked about their daughter Nicki Hauser being an assistant volleyball coach at Missouri, which is playing Nebraska at Wrigley Field this fall. After that, we got into some WIAA business, including keeping state track and field at UW-La Crosse through 2034 — an eight-year deal and one of the longest deals they've ever done. Before we discussed that deal — which she told me after the podcast (because she was off on her figures at the end) is for $145,000 a year — we talked about my idea to have state football at Lambeau Field or state baseball at the Brewers stadium.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    18 min
  5. Adam Hoffer on gas tax holidays, the Emerson Elementary walks and wins and losses with legalization

    5D AGO

    Adam Hoffer on gas tax holidays, the Emerson Elementary walks and wins and losses with legalization

    The director of "sin" tax — or excise taxes — joins to talk about the effects of a gas tax holiday, what Wisconsin gains and is missing out on with legalizing sports betting and marijuana, plus Adam Hoffer is on a mission to walk every street in the city of La Crosse. We start with the definition of sin or excise tax, and why Hoffer views the gas tax differently as a "user fee" for road maintenance. We then examine calls Hoffer has been taking at the Tax Foundation lately about a gas tax holiday, and what that could mean to our road infrastructure when nearly every dollar of that tax is funneled directly into transportation budgets. After that, we discuss Hoffer’s walking tour and his goal to cover all 250 miles of city streets, plus how he leads the Emerson Elementary students to school on Wednesdays. The conversation then turns to the proposed indoor aquatic center at the Northside Community Pool site, as the first of five public meetings was happening just after we recorded. Hoffer, who sat on the UW-La Crosse Faculty Senate during the construction of the $49 million field house, offers perspective on potential funding hurdles, recalling how a single bid jump added $6 million to that project's bottom line. Lastly, we break down Wisconsin’s legalization of sports gambling and the tens of millions in windfall the state could see, as well as how much it loses by not legalizing marijuana — as all of Wisconsin's neighbors move toward established legal markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min
  6. Natalie Heneghan previews La Crosse Housing Week and Emerson Elementary getting historic designation

    6D AGO

    Natalie Heneghan previews La Crosse Housing Week and Emerson Elementary getting historic designation

    La Crosse’s housing crisis is a multi-front battle involving soaring rents, stagnant inventory, and a lack of available homes. To highlight these challenges and explore potential solutions, Natalie Heneghan, community outreach director at Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region, joined us in studio to preview Housing Week. From the drivers behind high rent to the struggles of local builders and the city’s pending zoning code updates, Heneghan broke down the upcoming seminar schedule. Before diving into the policy, we recapped the impact of last weekend’s Neighbor’s Day and then turned our attention to the unique culture at Habitat La Crosse. The organization is powered by a team of 12 — 11 of whom are women. Then there’s Ralph, the dog. We talked about the dynamic of being a women-led organization and Ralph’s official role on the website: “Director of First Impressions.” we spoke with Heneghan regarding the Heritage Preservation Commission’s recent vote to grant historic designation to Emerson Elementary School. The seven-member commission voted in favor of the designation, with Heneghan and Mackenzie Mindel casting the only two “no” votes. The school is slated to close after the next academic year. The school district is currently fighting the historic status, arguing that the designation will restrict future redevelopment options for the site. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min
  7. Steve Doyle on data centers, sports betting and La Crosse County's big upcoming open house

    APR 27

    Steve Doyle on data centers, sports betting and La Crosse County's big upcoming open house

    Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska) in studio to discuss the "good old days" in Madison, how partisan politics affects getting bills passed, where he stands on online sports gambling, and what the state should do about AI data centers. We also talked about the upcoming open house at La Crosse County’s newly renovated Hillview Healthcare Center. As a member of the county board, Doyle discussed the $19 million project’s unique features, including a first-of-its-kind intergenerational daycare. In terms of state politics, the conversation centered around this statistic: of the 500 bills introduced by Democrats this past session, only 19 got a committee hearing. Doyle pointed out that when Democrats last controlled the Legislature, roughly 40% of Republican bills received a hearing — a stark contrast to the 3.8% rate currently seen in Madison. We also discussed whether getting a bill signed into law actually boosts a candidate's stock during a campaign. Doyle shared a story about a "stolen" bill he had written and saw passed by a Republican. He also highlighted his recently passed legislation capping crypto kiosk deposits at $1,000 per day to protect residents from rampant fraud. We ended the show discussing online sports betting — which was just signed into law by the governor — and the urgent need for the Legislature to address data centers, which Doyle warns can create astronomical energy demands and offer very few long-term jobs despite receiving massive tax breaks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    35 min
  8. William Garcia on Wisconsin's candy-soda ban and Democrats winning on economy for first since 2010

    APR 25

    William Garcia on Wisconsin's candy-soda ban and Democrats winning on economy for first since 2010

    William Garcia, the 3rd Congressional District Democratic Party chair in Wisconsin, joined to discuss Wisconsin's candy-soda ban, Democrats winning on the economy for the first time since 2010 — according to FOX, yes FOX — and just how he's feeling about the midterms. We began the show with then-and-now, asking Garcia about the "mixed bag" of the 2024  election —balancing heartbreak of federal losses with the success of picking up 10 state Legislature seats. Garcia explains why flipping the state Assembly is now the primary target and how those new boundaries have shifted the political landscape for incumbents like Republican Derek Van Orden in the US House. We then get into the FOX poll on the economy, where 52% now trust Democrats. We hit on the 32% spike in gas prices tied to the conflict in Iran to the $162 billion corporate "tariff refund" that's like a gift to retailers like Walmart. In the second half of the show, we dive into a new Wisconsin law that the use of food stamps on soda and candy — except for things like ice cream, because "Wisconsin," of course. We look how the government needs to spend $73 million to ban poor people from using food stamps to buy a Mt. Dew, and also Trump's Big Beautiful Bill only complicates this more by opening the door for the feds to take up to $200 million in federal funding away for food stamps. We wrap up with the Trump administration targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center. We did hit on two funny nonpolitical stories. One, a quote on dating from actor Henry Cavil saying, "If you like her, just ask her out. It always works for me." And another story on a California man  arrested after returning $34,000 worth of Lego sets with macaroni in the boxes.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
See All (1.6K)

Ratings & Reviews

3
out of 5
2 Ratings

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
    1.6K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 WIZM
  • Show Website
    La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

You Might Also Like