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10/14/13 10:00am |
Native American Mascots and Nicknames Bill - Guests joined The West Side to discuss legislation aimed at changing the requirements needed to challenge the use of Native American mascots and nicknames at public schools in Wisconsin. Kremer welcomed Sam Hall, an attorney representing the Mukwonago school disctrict as it defies a state order to get rid of its Indian mascot and nickname. Also joining the show to speak out against the proposed changes to the law were Harvey and Carol Gunderson from Osseo, WI, both a part of Religious Americans Against "Indian" Nicknames & Logos. Carol is a Native American member of the Onieda Nation of Wisconsin.
Guest(s): Harvey and Carol Gunderson , Sam Hall |
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10/7/13 10:00am |
Wisconsin Bridges and Transportation - Host Rich Kremer welcomed guests to discuss Wisconsin's bridges and highway infrastructure. About 60 Wisconsin bridges are in danger categories and have designs that make them more vulnerable to failure. Kremer talked to Greg Haig, regional structures maintenance engineer for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Jesse Rintala, Dunn County Highway Commissioner. Rintala is also a member of the bridge committee for the Wisconsin Highway Commissioners Association. Also joining The West Side was Democratic State Representative Chris Danou, member of the committee on transportation, to discuss funding for transportation in Wisconsin and answer questions on funding issues and projects for the state.
Guest(s): Greg Haig , Jesse Rintala , Chris Danou |
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9/30/13 10:00am |
Affordable Care Act Options - The West Side brought on two Affordable Care Act experts to discuss what people need to know before Wisconsin's health insurance exchange opens for enrollment. Host Rich Kremer was joined by Eau Claire County Economic Support Manager Linda Struck and Attorney Catherine Conway of Von Briesen & Roper.
Guest(s): Linda Struck , Catherine Conway |
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9/23/13 10:00am |
Western Wisconsin State Lawmakers on New Bills - State lawmakers from western Wisconsin joined The West Side to talk about the latest bills introduced in the Wisconsin State Legislature. Host Rich Kremer welcomed Democratic State Representative Stephen Smith of Rice Lake and Republican State Senator Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls. Bills discussed included the landlord-tenant bill giving more rights to landlords as well as a bill to allow Wisconsin residents to buy rifles and shotguns from dealers around the nation. Kremer and guests considered the bill that could make 3,500 acres within the Gogebic Taconite mine area off-limits to the public.
Guest(s): Terry Moulton , Stephen Smith |
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9/23/13 10:00am |
Lawmakers React to Fall Legislation - The West Side welcomed local lawmakers from western Wisconsin to discuss their takes on a rush of legislation being offered in the state legislature. Host Rich Kremer was joined by Republican State Senator Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls and Democratic State Representative Stephen Smith of Shell Lake. Guests discussed bills pertaining to closing of property to the public at the site of a proposed iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin, landlord / tenant laws and allowing the public to use crossbows during archery season.
Guest(s): Terry Moulton , Stephen Smith |
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9/16/13 10:00am |
Higher Education in Western Wisconsin: A Changing of the Guard - The West Side featured UW-Eau Claire’s newest chancellor Dr. Jim Schmidt who took control of the university in July and UW-Barron County Dean Paul Chase, who is retiring after 16 years at the helm. Schmidt discussed his strategy of building relationships between the campus and the community and the challenges facing the institution. Dr. Chase discussed some of the projects at Barron County he is proudest of, his concern about the decreasing state investment in higher education and his plans for post-retirement life.
Guest(s): James Schmidt , Paul Chase |
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9/9/13 10:00am |
The West Side Outside - Rich Kremer welcomed “The Outdoor Guys” Joe Knight and Dave Carlson for the fall edition of The West Side Outside. Joining them for the first half of the program was special guest Gary Zimmer, senior biologist for the Ruffed Grouse Society to discuss the fall hunting season for grouse. During the second half of the program, special guest George Meyer of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation joined the conversation to discuss a bill that would close 3,500 acres in Wisconsin for iron ore mining and the DNR's decision to take over the McKenzie Environmental Education Center.
Guest(s): Joe Knight , Dave Carlson , Gary Zimmer , George Meyer |
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8/26/13 10:00am |
West Side Legislative Roundup: Fall Session - State lawmakers from western Wisconsin discussed recently introduced bills during The West Side Legislative Roundup. Host Rich Kremer was joined by Republican State Senator Sheila Harsdorf of River Falls and Democratic State Represenatative Chris Danou of Trempealeau. Guests discussed a controversial $500,000 grant awarded to a sporting lobbying group, a bill that would increase the speed limit on Wisconsin interstates and legislation to increase the Department of Natural Resources staff to monitor frac sand mining operations.
Guest(s): Sheila Harsdorf , Chris Danou |
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8/19/13 10:00am |
Prairie Restoration in Western Wisconsin - Prairie and savanna restoration was discussed on The West Side. Host Rich Kremer was joined by Dunn County landowner and President of the Chippewa Savanna Chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts, Biologist, Author, Former UW-Madison Arboretum Ecologist and member of The Prairie Enthusiasts Board of Directors, and President of the West Central Wisconsin Invasive Plant Management Chris Gaetske.
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8/12/13 10:00am |
Sex Trafficking in Western Wisconsin - Sex trafficking in and through western Wisconsin was discussed on The West Side. Host Rich Kremer was joined by Jenny Almquist, Director of Fierce Freedom, which aims to educate and equip the community to abolish human trafficking. Cheryl Voyles also joined the program to share her story of being sold into sex trafficking as a child. Voyles is now an author who works as an advocate for victims impacted by sexual violence. Eau Claire Police Detective Ryan Dahlgren shared the perspective of law enforcement's challenges in trying to stop sex trafficking and getting victims to cooperate in investigations of sex trafficking rings. Also, West Side news intern Chi Ab Vang sat down for a discussion with Special Agent Jennifer Price with the Division of Criminal Investigation to talk about the roles internet escort sites and the I-94 corridor play in sex trafficking in Wisconsin.
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8/5/13 10:00am |
The Hmong American Experience in Eau Claire - Western Wisconsin's Hmong Refugee Population was discussed during The West Side. Host Rich Kremer was joined by Jon Lor, President of the Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, Chue Xiong the first Hmong Person elected to the Eau Claire Area School Board of Education and Choua Xiong, a student at UW-Eau Claire and student representative of the Hmong Studies Initiative there and Ari Anand, Associate Anthropology Professor and Advisor for the Initiative.
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7/29/13 10:00am |
West Side AG Update - The West Side Agriculture Update discussed how this year's extra long winter and especially wet spring has delayed planting, what it means for this year's harvest and how farmers are coping. Host Rich Kremer was joined by UW-Extension Crops and Soils Educator for Chippewa and Eau Claire Counties, President of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Jim Holte and District 4 Director for the Wisconsin Farmers Union Craig Myhre. Guests also talked about how farming continues to evolve and what the Farm Bill's holdup in Washington means for them.
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7/22/13 10:00am |
Update: The Confluence Project - The public private partnership to build a new arts and events facility in Eau Claire known as the Confluence Project was discussed on The West Side. Host Rich Kremer was joined by President of the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council Ben Richgruber and Principal of Commonweal Development Dan Clumpner.
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7/15/13 10:00am |
Meth and Heroin on the Rise in Western Wisconsin - The West Side discussed a disturbing trend in dangerous drug abuse in western Wisconsin. Counties in northwestern Wisconsin are experiencing an explosion in methamphetamine abuse while the Hudson/St. Croix River Valley area is seeing an increase in heroin abuse. Host Rich Kremer was joined by Polk County Sheriff Pete Johnson and Barron County Sheriff's Department Investigator Jason Hagan who spoke about the meth problem in their region. Then, Kremer was joined by Karen Hale of the Town of Hudson, who lost her 21-year-old daughter Alysa Ivy to a heroin overdose in May, and St. Croix County Sheriff's Department Investigators Jim Mikla and James Haefner.
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7/8/13 10:00am |
State Biennial Budget impacts on Local UW Campuses - The West Side discussed the recently passed state biennial budget and how budget cuts to the UW System will impact local UW campuses. Host Rich Kremer was joined by UW-River Falls Special Assistant to the Chancellor Blake Fry and UW-Stout Chancellor Chuck Sorenson. Topics included the revelation of a more than $1 billion fund balance, called a slush fund or cash reserve by some, the subsequent budget cut to the UW System and a two-year cap on tuition.
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6/27/13 5:00pm |
The West Side Outside: Summer Edition - Fishing and fish management was discussed on the summer edition of The West Side Outside. Host Rich Kremer was joined by the "Outdoor Guys" Joe Knight, Outdoor Editor for the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram and Dave Carlson, Host of Northland Adventures. Kremer was also joined by special guests Max Wolter, a DNR Fisheries Biologist in Hayward and Dan "Bimbo" Gifford, an expert fly tyer from Cameron who invented the Bimbo Skunk fly for bluegill and crappie.
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6/20/13 5:00pm |
Legislative Roundup: Governor Walker's Biennial Budget and impacts on Western Wisconsin - Governor Walker's biennial budget was discussed on The West Side. Host Rich Kremer was joined by Republican State Representative Kathy Bernier of Chippewa Falls and Democratic State Representative Dana Wachs of Eau Claire. Issues included the controversial voucher school program statewide expansion, the $651 million tax cut and the addition of policy items into the budget.
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6/13/13 5:00pm |
The Economic Impact of Frac Sand Mining - The West Side looked into the true economic impact of frac sand mining. Host Rich Kremer was joined by Dr. Tom Power, who in partnership with the Wisconsin Farmer's Union and the Wisconsin Towns Association released a study highlighting the benefits and costs of frac sand mining on western Wisconsin. Then Kremer introduced Pepin County Board Supervisor Bill Mavity, who worries that frac sand mining will destroy the tourism industry along Lake Pepin and has introduced an ordinance banning the practice there. Finally, Kremer was joined by Rich Budinger, General Manager with Fairmont Minerals and President of the Wisconsin Industrial Sand Association who argues that sand mining has been in Wisconsin for more than 100 years and this new sand rush is spurring economic development and jobs in a down economy.
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6/6/13 5:00pm |
The Cost of Food: What Goes Into What You Pay - The West Side discussed the cost of food and what plays into the price we pay at the grocery store checkout. Host Rich Kremer was joined by UW-River Falls Agriculture Marketing Specialist Dr. Brenda Boetel and Dr. Sarah Lloyd, Special Projects Coordinator for the Wisconsin Farmers Union.
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5/30/13 5:00pm |
Talking Tourism in Western Wisconsin - The West Side discussed the importance of tourism for western Wisconsin and the state as a whole. Host Rich Kremer was joined by Communications Director for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, Executive Director of the Cable Area Chamber of Commerce James Bolen, and Executive Director of Visit Eau Claire Linda John. Guests discussed the different varieties of tourism and their economic impacts on communities large and small.
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