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Uncategorized Blog

Racine Case Kicks Off Football Filled Weekend on WRJN

The #3 Seed Racine Case Eagles start the football weekend on WRJN with a WIAA Playoff battle against #2 seed Mukwonago.  We’ll have live coverage starting at 6:30 Friday night, with Dick Graceffa on the call.  Last week, WRJN listeners heard a classic when Case came back to beat Oconomowoc in the first round of the playoffs.  Listen live on the airwaves or find WRJN on the Civic Media app.

Keep the app handy for Saturday night football with the Wisconsin Badgers.  College football can be heard through the Civic Media app, with pre-game on WRJN starting at 4:30pm.  The Badgers look to bounce back with a Big Ten matchup in Iowa.

You can hear the Green Bay Packers only on the airwaves, 1400AM, 99.9FM in Racine, and 98.1FM in Kenosha. Pre-game for the contest with Detroit starts at 1pm, with Wayne, Larry, Kuhn, and the kick-off at 3:25.  After it’s over, stick around for the post-game show, which includes interviews from the podium and the players. Post game runs for roughly two hours after the game ends. 

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Blog

It’s not “divisive” when calling out racism in political campaigns. It’s needed. Especially when it comes to Van Orden.

By Chad Holmes

This past weekend, like many of you, I tried to relax and get away from the work grind by getting in front of a television and watching some football. The Green Bay Packers on Sunday to be specific. However, with less than a month away from the election, it’s impossible to get away completely. Certainly when it comes to Congressman Derrick Van Orden.

Derrick Van Orden is not my congressman. I live in the 7th Congressional District, as does everyone who lives in Marathon County. My congressman (and I use the my very loosely) is Tom Tiffany. Derrick Van Orden represents the 3rd Congressional District. The reason why I have to sit through many Derrick Van Orden political commercials, and his oppenent Rebecca Cooke, is because the 3rd District has Portage and Wood County as part of it. The Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids media markets are served by TV stations out of Wausau. To get to voters in Point and Rapids the campaigns need to buy spots from Channels 7, 9, 12 and the FOX channel….what number that is I have no idea. So those of us in Marathon County and other counties not in the 3rd get to learn a lot about Van Orden and Cooke.

It wasn’t a surprise I saw many, many political spots when sitting down to watch the Packers face the Rams Sunday. It was expected. I have seen Derrick Van Orden’s “racial dog whistle” spots many times. Maybe I just saw it one time too many yesterday. Recently Van Order had a spot titled “One of Them.” It featured pics of the “liberal elite” such as President Biden, former Speaker Pelosi, Senate majority leader Schumer and California Governor Newsom. None mentioned by name. Then the spot claimed Cooke was “handpicked” to win back the House and “trusted to elect liberal heroes like Mandela Barnes.” Large photo Barnes. Looks darkened. Then they add another black face in House Minority leader Jeffries on the other side of Cooke to finish the spot with the words “she’s one of them.” Disgusting.

The latest Van Orden ad drops the white faces and focuses on linking Cooke strictly to Mandela Barnes. That’s the spot I kept seeing yesterday. It’s more “Us vs. Them”. The kind of stuff we saw over and over again in the 2022 Senate race between Barnes and Senator Ron Johnson. The biggest difference is in 2022 Johnson had the “sense” to let his 3rd party allies put out the most racist and disgusting of the ads, including darkening of the then-Lt. Governor’s picture. The Van Orden spots end with the words “I’m Derrick Van Orden and I approve this message.” Standing next to a bunch of old white guys who look like law enforcement. Nice little kicker there Derrick. He is trying to remind everyone he is “us” standing next to the white guys while Cooke is “them” pictured next to Barnes and Jeffries.

Van Orden isn’t the only GOP candidate ramping up the use of racial language. It goes right to the top. It was reported today that Donald Trump told right wing radio host Hugh Hewitt that you can tell whether migrants are predisposed to committing murder by “their genes.” “We got a lot of bad genes in our country right now,” Trump added. This is 2024. That’s the kind of thing said in the years post-Civic War. Pure racism.

We need stop seeing the media using terms like “sharpening attacks” and other passive language to avoid saying the truth: these are racist attacks on millions of our people. This is not a time to “both sides” what we are seeing and hearing everyday. Over and over again. Even when trying to get away from it all with a football game. It’s dangerous. It needs to stop but if it doesn’t stop it needs to be called what it is.

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Blog

Trying to figure out Tommy Thompson

By Chad Holmes

There are many things in politics that make sense and those that don’t. Earlier this week Donald Trump became the first Republican nominee for President to campaign in Dane County since Bob Dole in 1996. Among the state GOP dignitaries who were there to show their support of the former President were former Governor Scott Walker and 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Tim Michels. Senator Ron Johnson is one of Trump’s biggest state supporters. None of those names are surprising. The one state GOP leader that still makes me shake my head for his support of Trump is former four-term Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson. Not only does Thompson support Trump but he was the lead speaker introducing Trump this week in Dane County. Tommy even laughed at the call (and insult) Trump gave when he called to tell Tommy to “get the hell off the stage.”

Why? I keep asking why and finding little in my search for answers. Just a couple of weeks ago Civic Media had plenty of coverage from the Cap Times Idea Fest in Madison. Leading political figures were among the many types of folks who spoke at the event. One of which was Tommy Thompson. After reading what he told the audience at Idea Fest I am more confused on why Thompson, at the age of 82, would make one of his last political battles a fight to get Donald Trump back into the White House. In fact, the reasons he put out at Idea Fest make absolutely no sense.

From a story at civicmedia.us that discussed Thompson’s appearance at Idea Fest: “he noted his support for Trump was in part a push to urge his own party to work across the aisle to tackle the serious problems facing Wisconsin and the United States as a whole.” What? If Thompson wants a leader who will urge the current MAGA Republican Party to work across the aisle that person wouldn’t be Donald Trump in any way, shape or form. It’s crazy to think that Trump will change who he is at this late point in his life.

Thompson also, as Civic Media noted in it’s story of the event appearance, “At various points in the evening, Thompson endorsed a range of ideas that might strike the uninitiated as out of character for a Republican.” Some of the ideas Thompson pushed would be laughed out of a MAGA Republican Party meeting. Thompson proposed converting a state prison into a university to give inmates a path to success after incarceration and hiring retired judges to re-try cases within the correctional system with the hope of reducing sentences and freeing people earlier. The GOP and it’s 3rd party allies are putting out disgusting commercials right here in central Wisconsin against 85th Assembly District Democratic nominee Yee Leng Xiong saying he wants to open up all the jailhouse doors to release dangerous criminals. If Yee Leng Xiong made the same proposal as Thompson (which is very much worth consideration) the Republican Party would be spending many thousands of dollars calling him “soft on crime.”

Thompson also finished with a very reasonable statement that would have no favor in Trump’s Republican Party: “There are good ideas from Democrats and good ideas from Republicans,” he said. “In this state and this country … I want you to work as hard as you possibly can for your candidate, Kamala. I’m going to work for my candidate, Donald Trump. But at the end I want to come together because this country has serious, serious problems and we cannot afford to continue to be so partisan and so political that we don’t talk to each other.”

I am still as confused as ever on why Donald Trump is Tommy Thompson’s candidate. Thompson has to know of Trump’s dictatorial tendencies, his racist history, his felony convictions and more. Is it a desperate attempt at relevance? I don’t know. However, I do know that Tommy Thompson has to be held to account for his work, his hard work, to put a dangerous demagogue back in office. Saying he worked with Democrats in the past doesn’t cut it. Thompson is putting party, and maybe himself, above country and it’s a disgrace that should stick to him now and forever.

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Blog

Too much hubris, not enough humility in Wausau ballot drop box controversy.

By Chad Holmes

Throughout Tuesday, like any storm, the winds started to blow harder and harder. At first the thought was “did Mayor Diny really dress up as a DPW employee to move a ballot drop box on a Sunday?” Yep, it really happened and there were pictures and video to prove it. On the surface it appears the mayor has overstepped his bounds in moving the drop box to his office. There are a lot of upset constituents, city hall workers and public officials. There will be plenty of investigation and decisions to be made on what happened on Sunday and much more to be said. However, at this point, I want to talk about a trend I have seen for a while in candidates and officials: hubris.

Self-confidence can be a good thing. It can also lead to problems. Reading some of the mayor’s comments concerning his decision to unilaterally remove the ballot drop box it comes across as a person who has no doubt he thinks he’s right. The mayor also said the people who he talked to don’t like drop boxes. It reminded me of an interview I had a couple of months ago on my program with a Republican candidate for the state assembly where he said everyone he had talked to agreed with his positions. My first thought was “everyone”? There are more than a few things I believe I am correct about. However, I am not delusional enough to think “everyone” agrees with me. It seems as though, in recent years, many on the right are certain of their beliefs and that “everyone” or at least every “real American” agrees with them. Whether Trump, Cory Tomczyk, and even radio personalities it can lead to some dangerous situations thinking you are right about everything.

According to public reports, Mayor Diny did have conversations with the clerk about the drop boxes. Apparently, in the end, the mayor’s suggestions were not heeded and the drop box was not removed. Sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some right? Not in this case. The mayor decided not to take no for an answer. He “knows” he is right. Hubris. That’s not the way our government works. One point that council president Lisa Rasmussen made really caught my eye. Rasmussen said to the Wausau Pilot and Review: “One concern I have heard from people so far is worry that there could be no accountability for this action, that if any other citizen had done the same thing, they would have been immediately answering to the police, and or facing some consequences.” There has been many examples in recent years where it appears that the rules are different for different people. Whether because of social status, economic status, race or other factors people aren’t treated equally under the law or under the rules of our society. That is a problem.

We will learn more about what happened and whether or not the mayor broke any rules or laws by his actions on Sunday. However, a little less “hubris” and a little more “humbleness” by everyone might go a long way.

Categories
Blog

Wausau Pilot and Review wins again in court vs. Cory Tomczyk. That is a win for the press and community.

By Chad Holmes

Last week, for the second time, a court dismissed a defamation case filed by State Senator Cory Tomczyk against the Wausau Pilot and Review. Last year a Marathon County Circuit Court judge dismissed Tomczyk’s suit and now it’s an appeals panel that told the Mosinee businessman turned state Senator his claims have no merit. Whether this is the end of this sad tale is to be determined as Tomczyk says he will be determining his options after the latest ruling.

If the goal is justice, then this case should be over. If the goal is to bankrupt one of the few journalistic options the people of central Wisconsin has to get information about their governmental representatives and policies then Tomcyzk may keep tilting at this windmill. In the ruling written by appeals judge Lisa Stark it was stated that Tomczyk failed to provide evidence to buttress his claims of “actual malice” and “reckless disregard” in the Pilot’s reporting of Tomczyk using an anti-gay slur during a 2021 meeting where the “Community for All” issue was being discussed.

After becoming a major voice in the “CFA” debate, Tomczyk ran for the state Senate and won the Republican primary over Mosinee mayor Brent Jacobson by positioning himself as a Donald Trump-like MAGA candidate who truly represents the people of the 29th District and then defeated Democrat Bob Look in the very-GOP leaning district. During a joint appearance at UWSP at Wausau in October of 2022 Tomczyk ran as an election denier, comparing our elections to “Putin’s Russia”. He talked about the lack of integrity of the justice system, wanting 2020 protesters jailed while January 6th defendants were just “supporting their candidates”. Talked about the radical policies of Governor Evers and Mayor Rosenberg and the horrible “Democrat” policies and how “average citizens” and “average Americans” hate those policies. “Average Americans” = conservatives. Then called Democrat policies “treasonous” and that Democrats “don’t want law and order and safety. Democrats want chaos. Democrats want confusion. Democrats want instability. They want this so they can they try to convince the ‘sheeple’ that they have the only solution. They can fix the problem. It’s b—s–t.” Can see why he has been continuing this suit for the last couple of years. Don’t cross him.

So on one side there’s a journalist who has covered the news for years in our area. The other is MAGA state Senator who throws verbal bombs at people who are left of him on the political spectrum. The courts have now, multiple times, said his suit has no merit. One would think that a media source, one that claims they believe in “law and order” would see the merit of standing with the Pilot and the courts. Nope, the operations manager/morning show co-host of the right-wing radio station down the street puts out a commentary titled “A Eulogy for American Journalism.” He stands with Tomczyk and against the Pilot. Wow. The people that want to kill American journalism aren’t the ones who won in the courts last year and last week. The costs of this crusade of Tomczyk’s have nearly bankrupted the Pilot, and would have, except for the support of their readers.

I look forward to discussing this case and whole story with Wausau Pilot and Review editor/founder Shereen Siewert later in the week.

Categories
Those Were The Days

1984 Air Guitars

A recent poll confirmed that parents and grandparents greatly embarrass their children when they play air guitar. There was a time when playing air instruments was cool. Back in 1984 we had contests to see who the best imaginary players were. I remember being the m.c. for a big contest at Reedsburg High School. They also had a competition for the best ‘flying v kick’ like David Lee Roth from Van Halen. This week in ’84 that group’s song Jump was the number one tune on radio. It was an exciting time to grow up. The social network was the family home phone. Sometimes we were still on a party line. Up to eight families would sometimes be on the same circuit. Long distance rates were cheaper after 6:00 pm. If I wanted to call a young woman from Bear Valley, I had to call late. I needed to coil the long phone cord to the other side of the file cabinet so that I could have a little privacy when I was talking to my lady friend. It was the early years for MTV and pop culture was totally influenced by the styles that we saw on video. There were many British artists that became instant stars because of the 24-hour exposure that the network provided. Some of my faves from March of 1984 include Talking in Your Sleep-Romantics, Back Where You Belong-.38 Special, Middle of the Road-Pretenders, Radio Ga Ga-Queen, Nobody Told Me-John Lennon, They Don’t Know-Tracy Ullman, The Language of Love-Dan Fogelberg, New Moon on Monday-Duran Duran, and That’s All-Genesis.

Saturday night during Those Were the Days, I will be spinning the hits from early 1984 and music from all of the eras that we play. Trivia games return and we will be cranking out the hits until the midnight hour. I hope you enjoyed our archived flashbacks last weekend following local sports. It was great to spend some time with my darling granddaughter, Oaklee, as she turned four. She seems to like vinyl records! Perhaps someday she can cohost Those Were the Days on WRCO FM 100.9 and WRCO.com!

Phil

Categories
Obituaries

Ronald G. Fleming, 95

Ronald G. Fleming, 95
May 16, 1929 – February 1, 2025

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years.”
Ron is someone who had both many years in his life and joyful life in those years. On
February 1, 2025, he passed away peacefully at his most recent home, Lakeside Villa in
Phillips WI. Because of all the “life in his years” Ron had many great stories to tell. Here is

his story:

Ronald Fleming was born on to Helen (nee Fleischman) and George Fleming. He
was born at home in Kaiser, a sawmill area and former town west of Park Falls WI.
When Ron was 6, his family moved to Fifield where he grew up and attended the Fifield
School. All except for his last few years of High School took place in Fifield, and he
graduated from Park Falls Lincoln High School in 1948.
Upon Ron’s Graduation he worked for the Wisconsin Conservation Department
(now called the DNR) on Fire control and telephone maintenance as the Conservation
Department had their own phone system at the time.
From 1951-1953, Ron served in the Army. He served in Germany during the
Korean War. He was away from direct combat but the situation between Communist
East Germany and West Germany was potentially explosive then. Ron would share
stories about tense patrols in the snow, and also of peeling way too many potatoes for
the Mess Hall.
Upon leaving the Army, Ron returned to work for the Wisconsin Conservation
Department where he worked until his retirement in 1984. He was “out the door in ‘84”
and free to pursue his dream of keeping draft horses.
But there is more to tell about his life before then. In 1954, Ronald married Irene
Janos. The pair had 2 sons: Terry and Ted Fleming. The family had a small dairy on
Chada Road and sold milk to the cheese factory in Fifield. They also raised guinea
hens, pigs, rabbits, ducks, geese, and chickens. It was the chickens that were
mentioned the most: when Ron was done with visiting a friend, he would always say he
needed to feed the chickens. That was his reason to leave without a long good bye. The
chicks and goslings where eventually all named after his two grand-daughters: Rachel
and Mari.
Though Ron retired he always worked, gardening (especially growing potatoes
and pumpkins), making hay, tending the animals, fixing harnesses and helping his
family and many friends. After his retirement draft horses were rarely absent from his
farm. His favorite of the many he kept through the years were Toby and Tonto, two
spotted Belgians. Ronald drove all over to attend horse pull competitions.
Ron was active in the community as a Mason, Fifield Volunteer Fire Fighter, and
Legion Member, in addition to being a good friend and neighbor. Ron especially enjoyed

working at the annual Fifield’s Firemen’s Ball. Ron also enjoyed driving around,
spending time with his grand-daughters, catching up with friends, and watching sports.

Ron always had a story to tell. Sadly, Ron’s story has come to its end. Here are
those he lost and those relatives he left behind:
Ron is survived by his two sons: Terry Fleming and Ted (Therese) Fleming, his
two grand-daughters: Rachel (Connor) Livingston and Mari (Jeff) Rominske, his brother
Roger Fleming, nephew Randy Fleming; niece Linda (Bill) Hoffman; numerous great-
nieces and nephews; dear cousins; and his especially caring caregivers. Ron was
preceded in death by his wife, Irene; his parents George and Helen; his sister Cupie
(Bertha); his mother-in-law and father-in-law Justina and Joseph Janos; brother-in-law
Joe Janos; sister-in-law Grace Fleming; brother-in-law Jerry Hammond; and nephew
Kurt Hammon and niece Debbie Fleming.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00am on Friday February 7, 2025 at Birch
Street Funeral Service Chapel in Park Falls. Rev. Gary Ludholz will officiate.
Burial at Forest Home Cemetery in Fifield with Military Honors under the
auspices of the Fifield American Legion Post will follow.
A visitation will be held on Friday from 10:00am until the hour of the service at
the funeral home.
Please remember Ron’s stories if you’ve heard them and find comfort in
sharing them if the opportunity comes up. Everyone needs to have a good-
natured storyteller like Ron Fleming in their lives. Be that person for your family
and friends. In lieu of cards and donations, please spend time sharing stories

with your loved ones.

Categories
Blog

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Ugly Corn Dip

WARNING: This dip looks disgusting, hence the name. However, it’s so good that you will likely need to double or triple the recipe. Trust me.

I have my cousin to thank for this great tailgate must-have.  I first tasted this dip at a party we had at my parent’s house to cheer on the Cleveland Browns.  They lost (surprise, surprise- I grew up in Ohio so we’re used to that) but this dip is a winner.  It looks pretty ugly when you make it but it tastes so good! 

Mix all 4 ingredients in a small crock pot and melt down to a creamy consistency.   Serve with tortilla chips.  

-1 block of cream cheese (regular, not low fat)
-1/2 stick butter
-1 can of corn, drained
-2 tsp. diced jalapenos 

You can add more peppers for intense heat or skip it altogether for zero heat.   Two tsp. will give it just enough of a flavor boost without being hot. Even the kids loved it with the 2 tsp. of jalapenos so I would suggest keeping them in for flavor’s sake.

I’ve never met anyone who makes this dip and regrets that decision. The problem always becomes: I didn’t make enough.

Want to contact Laura McKenna about some of your favorite game-day recipes or tailgating tricks you do? Anything else on your mind? Email anytime, she’d love to hear from you: Laura.McKenna@civicmedia.us
And tune in weekdays starting at 10am to St. Croix Country & WCFW!

Categories
Obituaries

Robert “Bogie” Bogdanovich, 85, Phillips

Robert “Bogie” Bogdanovic, 85, of Phillips passed away on Saturday, February 1, 2025.
Bogie was born on July 23, 1939, in Chicago, IL, to Nickolas and Bessie Bogdanovic.  He later
moved to Phillips and graduated from Phillips High School in 1957.  After high school, he joined
the Army and was in the 82nd Airborne.
On October 8, 1966, he married Rose Veverka at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Phillips.  He
worked at the Marine shop in Phillips, Phillips Plating, and 44 years for the Price County
Telephone Company retiring in 2015.
Bogie had a passion for hunting which he did for many years with the family.  He enjoyed
snowmobiling in his early years and working in his garage in which he could fix almost
anything.  He spent many hours maintaining the hunting land and keeping the trails mowed on
the family property.  He also had a passion for dirt track racing and enjoyed watching his sons
follow in his footsteps.
He is survived by his children, Kevin (Lisa) of Wausau, Kathy (Bill) Zimmermann of Phillips,
Kenny of Phillips, Keith (Marcie) of Phillips, Kirk of Phillips, and Krissy (Paul) Rodewald of
Wausau; grandchildren, Heidi (Tanner) Genett, Makayla (Bo) Howard, Dakota Bogdanovic,
Brady Bogdanovic, Brook (Tucker) Quinn, Taylar Bogdanovic, and Logan, Spencer and Zoey
Rodewald; great-grandchildren, Poppy and Reese Genett, Palmer and Piper Howard, and
Hudson Quinn.  He is also survived by his brother, George (Kathy), sister-in-law, Rosa, and
many nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Rose, of 51 years, his parents, and brother, Richard.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 7, at St. Therese of
Lisieux Catholic Church, 655 S. Lake Ave, Phillips, WI 54555. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m.
and continue until the start of Mass. Military Honors at the church following Mass.
Online condolences may be shared at nimsgernfuneral.com. Heindl-Nimsgern Funeral &
Cremation Services is serving the family.

Categories
Obituaries

Gary Oliver Ocker

Gary Oliver Ocker passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on February 2, 2025 at the age
of 86. Gary was a hard-working and generous man who loved his family, friends, and
farm-life. He was born in Glidden, WI on October 21, 1938 to parents Ernest and Olga
(Moe) Ocker. At the age of 5 months, he and his family moved to Fifield to establish the
family farm, known later as Ocker’s Acres. Gary attended Fifield High School and
shortly after graduating in 1958, he met the love of his life, Jan. They married on
February 25, 1961 in Fifield. They were married for 61 years. Gary loved all aspects of
the farm, including the land and the cows. He had a bright sense of humor, enjoyed
watching the Green Bay Packers, and spent his free time riding around on the Gator
(which he nicknamed “The Putt-Putt”) with his four-legged companion Jade assessing
the crops and livestock. Gary was always up for a last minute parts run in order to keep
the farm up and running until the very end. He played a vital role in developing and
operating the farm including many upgrades and changes over the years. He was an
active member of the community by serving as Fifield Town Chairman, on the Park Falls
School Board for 30 years, and was a member of the Fifield Fire Department.
Gary is preceded in death by his wife Jan, his parents Ernest and Olga, his brothers
Ernie and Don, his sisters Gladys and Nancy, his nieces Kathy and Patty, his nephew
Rick, and great-grandson Ezra Samson Kalade Marvel. Gary is survived by his sister
Harriet and his brother Ron, 5 children, Toni (Brad) Champeau of Green Bay, Sandy
Marvel (Chris) of Eau Claire, Jon (Suzy) Ocker of Fifield, Lisa Ocker of Tucson, AZ, and
Judy (Lewis) Wibel of Eau Claire. His 15 grandchildren, Ben, Vinny and Amanda
Champeau, Christopher (Iyabo) and Joseph (Malorey) Marvel, Emily (Chuck) Koshak,
Jonathon (Austyn), Olivia and Ebbe Ocker, Isaac (Lynz), Ellen and Zachary Jordan, and
Lucy and Madelyn Wibel, 8 great grandchildren, Leona and Lilly Champeau, Titus and
Cyrus Marvel, Marave Marvel, Layton Ocker, Sayler Koshak, Lyna Jordan, and
numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00am on Monday February 10, 2025 at the Fifield
Congregational Church in Fifield. Pastor Jill Lempke will officiate.
Burial at Forest Home Cemetery in Fifield will follow.
A visitation will be held on Monday from 10:00am until the hour of the service at the
church.
Birch Street Funeral Service is assisting the family.

Categories
Blog

Movie Monday: Green and Gold

“The movie was super good. It’s a tear-jerker. Bring Kleenex.”

That’s the first movie review I received for Green and Gold through our text-line on the Civic Media App and the rest that followed were very, very similar.

I cannot wait to see this movie and the more I learn about it, the more I love it.

The Green and Gold movie is described this way by IMDB: “A struggling family farmer wagers everything on a high-stakes Championship bet, while his granddaughter’s musical ambitions could be their ticket to a new beginning.”

So right there you know this drama is going to be tugging at our heartstrings. But it was the behind the scenes stuff I learned that has made me a total mush-ball (and you know I am way more of a crime thriller, scary movie fan).

The film was made by two brothers: Anders & Davin Lindwall. They grew up in Iron River (in the upper peninsula of Michigan). They had this great idea for a movie but they didn’t have a very big budget at all.

So they scoped out some great filming locations in Wisconsin (even some spots around Eau Claire) but finally decided that the majority of the movie would be shot in Door County.

Their reasoning? It was close enough to Green Bay where some of the scenes would also be filmed and gave them easier airport access to the Austin Straubel Interational Airport right there in Green Bay for ease of the cast and crew flying in and out. They just didn’t have it in their budget to travel all over the state. They would lose too much time in travel and too much money. They had to game-plan and make that money stretch as best they could.

So they got Craig T. Nelson (Coach, as most of us know him from the TV series by the same name that ran from 1989-1997) to sign on as the character Buck. You’ll also see a familiar face playing the role of Billy. That’s Brandon Sklenar (and he just played Atlas in the movie It Ends With Us). You might even recognize some of the extras. They’re regular Wisconsin folks.

So they’re all set to start filming and about two weeks before things got rolling, the brothers were approached by a major Hollywood studio that offered to buy the movie.

Imagine, you have this movie that is near and dear to your heart but you don’t have a huge amount of money to finance it and all of a sudden a gift is dropped into your lap! Here’s a big studio with a big studio budget! It’s almost too good to be true.

But there was a catch.

Instead of filming in Wisconsin like the brothers had their hearts set on, the film would need to be made in Alabama to ensure they would get the greater tax credits that state offered.

Ugh. So what did the brothers do? Sell out to the big studio? Trade the authentic farmland of The Dairy State for Alabama?

Nope. They stuck to their roots and their visions and followed their hearts. Their movie was made in Wisconsin. And if that doesn’t bring some tears to your eyes, watching their movie surely will.

Want to contact Laura McKenna about a good movie you’ve seen or anything else that’s on your mind? Email anytime, she’d love to hear from you: Laura.McKenna@civicmedia.us
And tune in weekdays starting at 10am to St. Croix Country & WCFW!

Categories
Blog

The worst month of the year (to pronounce)!

I know there’s a lot of disagreement when it comes to politics but I think this is something we can all get behind. Since February has fewer days isn’t it time it has one less letter? Let’s face it, no one says Feb ROO ary. The R is not needed and it’s time to go! Let’s make February, FebUary and move forward. Who’s with me?

Categories
Blog

A Salute to Sam Floyd

Sam Floyd, a great friend of Maino & the Mayor, served in the Marine Corps from 2002-2006 and was deployed to Afghanistan from 2003-2004. He started Operation Coffee in 2017 after 11 years of battling mental health and struggling to adjust to civilian life. His mission is to start conversations over coffee and to help our heroes find their new mission.

He recently moved into a new brick-and-mortar location in Kaukauna and is now working toward having a coffee shop where customers can enjoy a cup of joe and some baked items. When we asked what folks can do to help Sam’s fellow veterans, he responded with,

LISTEN to the full interview here: 

 [podcast src="https://civicmedia.us/shows/maino-and-the-mayor/2025/01/20/veterans-salute-coffee-spirits"]

“Be available. Listen without planning to give advice. Be there, and be ready to listen.”

Categories
Blog

That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

It was another fun week on the show, thanks for listening! Here’s just some of the shenanigans.

  1. Lots of great music!
  2. A trooper stopped a guy for going 130mph, he said he wanted to get home to see his cat. He was ticketed anyway.
  3. A woman in Alabama was given free doughnuts for a year from Krispy Kreme after having her baby in their parking lot.
  4. Carnival Cruise Lines reminds ‘cruisers’ that you can not hang laundry out to dry on the balcony of your cabin. (people do that?)
  5. 31 percent of people in a USA Today poll said they never floss.
  6. A group of teens in Germany were hospitalized after they drank chili sauce more than 200 times hotter than normal. They saw the “challenge” on TikTok.

Oh, goodbye January, hello February. Have a great weekend, let’s do it again next week!

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Blog

Maino & The Mayor’s “Laughter at :21 After”

Win tickets to Sebastian Maniscalco!

Get ready, Northeast Wisconsin! The one and only Sebastian Maniscalco is bringing his laugh-out-loud comedy to the Resch Center!

Known for his wild storytelling, hilarious family tales, and over-the-top energy, Sebastian will have you in stitches Friday, February 15th at 7 PM! Don’t miss your chance to see one of comedy’s best—live!

To win a pair of tickets just tune in to Maino & the Mayor weekday mornings from 6-9am February 3rd through the 7th. Each morning at 7:21am and 8:21am, the guys will play a clip of Sebastian’s. It’ll sound a little something like this:

This is your cue! Call in to the show by dialing 920-264-0606 and you might just be our next winner.

Don’t want to risk it? You don’t have to! Buy your tickets right now here: Sebastian Maniscalco Tickets

Additional Details

Event information subject to change and without notice. Visit LiveNation.com for additional event details.

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Friday’s Big Deals of the Day: The Personal Touch by Julie

Time is running out. Show that special someone how much they mean to you with a Valentine’s Day bouquet, straight from the heart.

With over 40 years of handcrafted floral artistry, let The Personal Touch by Julie bring your love to life, one petal at a time.

Go to WRJN.com, click the Big Deals banner, and purchase $40 gift certificates for just $20 – today only at WRJN BIG DEALS!