Local Coverage

Our Wisconsin Bayfield Apple Festival returned to full strength this year after a pared-down 2020 due to COVID-19. (Photo by JT Cestkowski)
Our Wisconsin Bayfield Apple Fest’s ‘Sensational’ Return Draws Thousands

The fall mainstay returns for its 59th year along the shores of Lake Superior after a pared-down 2020 run due to COVID-19.

JT Cestkowski JT Cestkowski October 4, 2021 5:06 pm CDT
Education (Photo via School District of the Menomonie Area)
Education Menomonie Parents Request Due Process Hearing Over School District’s COVID Safety Protocols

The action is the first such known as parents throughout Wisconsin seek remedies for school districts that don't require COVID safety.

Julian Emerson Julian Emerson October 2, 2021 9:40 am CDT
Local Coverage Yee Leng Xiong, a Wausau County supervisor, speaks during a May 17, 2021, press conference in Wausau declaring the city a welcoming place for all people as Wausau Mayor, Katie Rosenberg, far left, and Marathon County Supervisor William Harris listen. (Photo courtesy of the Wausau mayor’s office)
Local Coverage With Afghan Refugees, Wausau Gets Chance to Show Welcoming Side After ‘Community for All’ Controversy

Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg hopes the Wausau community will be welcoming to the up to 85 Afghan refugees who will be resettled in the city.

Julian Emerson Julian Emerson September 30, 2021 4:21 pm CDT
Social Justice Alysse Arce, a member of the Menominee tribe and a Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women advocate, speaks during a press conference Monday in Wausau after a high school teacher there dressed in Native American attire to teach a history class. (Screenshot via Tricia Zunker/Facebook)
Social Justice Native American Leaders Seeking Improvements to Curriculum After Teacher Wears Racist Outfit

Insensitive depictions of Native Americans are demeaning and further negative views that help lead to violence against indigenous people, advocates said.

Julian Emerson Julian Emerson September 28, 2021 5:50 pm CDT
Economy Fireworks explode over Fiserv Forum after the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to win the NBA Championship early Tuesday, July 20, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Economy Bucks’ NBA Playoffs Run Brought Milwaukee $58 Million, Showing Value of Investing in Wisconsin Largest City

Hundreds of thousands of people from Milwaukee and beyond spent millions as the Bucks made their way through the NBA Playoffs.

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski September 28, 2021 1:51 pm CDT

continuing coverage

Emanuel Montalvo cuts Aaron Feria's hair on Oct. 12 at The Lounge Barbershop in Arcadia. The barbershop is one of a growing number of Latino-owned businesses in the Trempealeau County city that is home to a fast-growing Latino population. (Photo by Julian Emerson) Latinos As Latino Populations Increase, Communities Are Also Seeing a Growth in Latino-owned Businesses
The post-war economic boom of the 1950s and 60s sharply increased Wisconsin crop production. In this photo from the Wisconsin Historical Society, Latino farm workers hoe a cucumber field near Wautoma in 1967. Economy From Farms to Factories to New Businesses, Latinos Have Made a Mark on Wisconsin’s Economy for More Than a Century
Harmful blue-green algae blooms, like this one seen on Lake Monona in Madison, are becoming more frequent along Lake Superior as climate change continues to make conditions right for the species to bloom. (Photo by JT Cestkowski) Climate How Climate Change Is Causing Harmful Algae Blooms on Lake Superior
Nada Elmikashfi, chief of staff to state Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), is outspoken about racism and bias, even at the statehouse. (Photo by Christina Lieffring.) Politics Hostile Workplaces, Closed Minds, Hurtful Rhetoric—Welcome to the Wisconsin State Capitol
Coronavirus Students and staff at Mondovi Middle & High School will have to wear masks starting Monday, Oct. 4. The Mondovi school board voted unanimously to require masks last week following the death of a student who had tested positive for COVID-19. (Photo via Mondovi School District)
Coronavirus A Mondovi High Schooler Died While COVID-Positive. The School Board Still Didn’t Require Masks.

Dylan Passa is the second school-age Wisconsinite to die after testing positive for COVID-19 since the school year began.

Julian Emerson Julian Emerson September 24, 2021 2:32 pm CDT
Schools Residents of the Kenosha Unified School District, led by a local chapter of a right-wing activist group, recently voted to slash pay for school board members and require them to attend meetings in person to get paid. It is just one example of a district where school board members are being punished, threatened, or even recalled for enacting COVID-19 safeguards. (Screenshot via Kenosha Unified School District/Youtube)
Schools ‘My Family No Longer Feels Safe’: School Board Members Face Threats, Harassment Over COVID Safety Rules

One outgoing school board member says she hopes the current toxic political climate encourages more young people to speak up and get involved.

Julian Emerson Julian Emerson September 23, 2021 4:42 pm CDT