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This is your WFHR Daily News Roundup for locally grown radio 97.5 FM and 13.20 AM and WISC country 105.5 FM WIRI in Wisconsin Rapids.
For Civic Media News, I'm Melissa K.
Those gathered at the State Capitol were greeted by the strings of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra on Thursday for the State Superintendent's State of Education Address.
Dr. Jill Underly took to the podium to share the story of education in the Badger State.
Across Wisconsin, our public schools are strong. They are resilient places where every child belongs, where diversity is celebrated, not demonized.
Where differences aren't feared but embraced and seen as opportunities to grow together as human beings.
Dr. Underly explained the opposition public schools are facing from the federal government.
Because instead of being a true partner, the federal Department of Education is using critical funding as a bargaining chip, threatening or withholding it with little or no notice while demanding compliance with unclear and unlawful demands.
They're working to undermine the very things that make our schools strong, welcoming and inclusive places.
She said when we overlook students, it shows up in their learning.
And those who reduce the student's success to a single test score miss the full story, the full human behind that number.
Dr. Underly also addressed the school voucher system.
And here's the truth. We are starving one system while funding another.
We cannot afford to keep pulling resources away from public schools to fund private ones and expect both to thrive.
She said the next chapter's pages are still blank.
Will we be the generation that looked away as our schools crumbled, or will we be the ones who stood up, kept our promise and chose to write a different story?
What happens next is up to Wisconsinites.
Let us choose to write a better story for our kids, for our schools, for the Wisconsin we believe in.
Thank you.
For civic media news, I'm Melissa K.
Another name joins the race for Wisconsin governor.
Francesca Hong announced her candidacy yesterday.
Savannah Tome Olsen reports.
Hong has wrapped Madison in the state assembly since 2021.
She's the first Asian-American member of the Wisconsin Legislature.
She's a chef and first ran for state office to advocate for restaurant workers during the pandemic.
Since then, she's campaigned on a progressive working-class platform.
And she referenced that in her first campaign video shot at a restaurant near the Capitol.
It's so stressful to get by these days.
And I know a lot about stress. I work in restaurants.
I started in this kitchen 15 years ago.
And you might recognize what's across the street.
A lot of people in that building don't get why it's so hard to get by right now.
Working hard doesn't mean you can always keep up.
One wrong step can lay you off flat.
This is by design.
Shortly thereafter, she was live on the air with civic media's Pat Crite Low.
A universal child care and fully funded public schools guaranteed paid leave and cheaper health care.
These are transformative policies that I think are the responsible and practical ones where people will feel.
And they will know that this is what can improve their lives.
So far, the Democratic field of candidates is more crowded than the Republican one.
Hong is up against state senator Keldt of Roy's who announced she's running Monday.
And a governor Sarah Rodriguez, Milwaukee County executive David Crowley and Milwaukee businessman Ryan Sternan.
Two Republicans have declared their candidacy, Washington County executive Josh Schoeman and businessman Bill Barian.
The primaries are next August and the general election will follow a few months later in November.
For civic media news, I'm Savannah Tomay Olsen.
A Northeast Wisconsin state senator introduced a bill to explore a new state group health insurance plan for public school teachers and employees.
Lisa Hill reports.
Senator Jamie Wall of Green Bay and represented a vandrew high school of Sun Prairie want the Department of Employee trust funds to study the possibility.
Saying pooling risk across the state could result in savings for taxpayers and improving health benefits for teachers.
High school said it's not fair that full-time teachers in the state pay more out of pocket for their health care than part-time legislators do.
Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development have announced a new round of commercial driver training grant funding.
According to a press release, the program aims to support the state's driving force with sustainable wages, recruitment and helping drivers obtain a commercial driver's license.
Trainers who are listed on the federal training provider registry operate in Wisconsin and provide training that meets entry level requirements could receive a portion of the funding.
Applications will be accepted until October 28th.
Mid-state technical college is launching a night option for the early childhood professional program.
The new format is designed to support working adults, parents and others who need flexibility while pursuing their education.
Students will gain hands-on training and acquire knowledge in child care centers, preschools, head start programs and other early childhood settings.
They begin in the spring 2026 semester with night options beginning in late January.
The course can be completed in just over a year through the three-term format.
Classes will meet Wednesday evenings from 5.30 to 7.30 at the Wisconsin Rapids campus with some courses offered online.
You can find out more and register when spring classes open at mstc.edu. Limited spots are available.
I'm Melissa K for WFHR and WIRI News.
A setback for the pack, I am Mike Clemens with sports NFL.
The Packers travel to Cleveland to play the Browns on Sunday yesterday.
Packers tied in, Tucker Kraft went down during practice with a knee injury, offensive coordinator Adam Stenevich asked if he saw what happened.
Yeah, hopefully we'll be all right, but we'll just kind of see how it goes.
Obviously if anyone goes down that you have as a part of your game plan, you'll have to adjust some things.
So we'll kind of see what happens with the injury report and everything like that and what the trainers say and we'll make adjustments.
It appears to not be season ending. College football, the Badgers at home tomorrow at Camp Randall against Maryland, game time 11 a.m.
It's Wisconsin's first conference game of the season. The Brewers with another win.
They beat the Angels five to two, completing a three-game sweep.
Tonight the Brewers in St. Louis against the cards. The magic number now at four.
Tough road trip coming up with travel and all that kind of stuff. Night game travel the next day in play.
Can't take anything with granted. Just got to keep keep banging away.
Murphy was sports on Mike Clemens.
On your entertainment beat, I'm Pete Schwabba. Paul Newman's daughter now has some nice things to say about her father's bond with Robert Redford, who passed away earlier this week,
saying what her dad loved about Redford was that he was a philanthropist, but he didn't seek a lot of attention for being a philanthropist.
She also shared that Redford is the one who inspired Newman to become more charitable and more of an environmentalist.
Paul Newman said years ago, Bob was ahead of the game.
But Pete's picks, if you haven't seen the documentary Longshot on Netflix, check it out.
It's only 45 minutes long and tells the story of a Los Angeles man wrongfully accused of murder who has trouble proving his alibi, which was being in a Dodger game.
The story is heartfelt, but also makes one realize how easy it is for someone to be accused and how difficult it can be to prove your innocence.
The best thing about the film is a certain TV star who comes to the man's aid. The film is riveting and a total feel good.
Check out Longshot on Netflix.
The season of Saturday Night Live is just around the corner and the show has announced guest hosts for the first three episodes of season 51.
The new season premieres October 4 and will feature Bad Bunny as the show's host.
This will be Bad Bunny's first time hosting, although he's appeared previously as a musical guest.
The musical guest on October 4 will be Doja Cat.
We too will feature SNL alum Amy Poler on October 11th. She will be joined by musical guest role model.
Amy Poler was a regular cast member from 2001 to 2008 and a former weekend update anchor.
This will be her second solo stint as a host on the show. She previously hosted with Tina Fey in 2015 and hosted solo in 2010.
Sabrina Carpenter will pull double duty as both host and musical guest on October 18th.
Her album Man's Best Friend just debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in August.
She's been a musical guest, but this will be Carpenter's hosting debut.
Variety has announced its honorees for its annual power of women issue.
This year's honorees include actress and Oscar and Emmy winner Jamie Lee Curtis,
who can currently be seen in Freaky or Friday, which is currently in theaters.
Oscar nominated and Golden Globe winner Kate Hudson, who can be seen in the TV show Running Point
and in the upcoming Song-Song Blue about the Milwaukee couple who formed a Neil Diamond cover band.
Tony Award-winning and Grammy-nominated singer and frontwoman for the Pussycat Dolls,
Nicole Scherzinger is also being honored.
An Emmy-winning comedian and writer actress Wanda Sykes will be honored,
along with actress producer Sidney Swini, who is in just about every movie you've seen this year.
The issue hits new stands or your phone October 29th.
The awards are also sponsored by Mattel and Lifetime.
For more showbiz fun, tune in to Nightlight with me, Peach Wabba,
weeknights from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Civic Media Radio Network.
I'm meteorologist Brandon Bourbons, mostly cloudy skies for today.
Most of the day will be dry, but a shower perhaps if thunderstorm possible late in the afternoon
with highs in the mid-70s.
Showers and thunderstorms becoming more likely tonight,
it'll be a mild night with lows in the upper 50s to near 60.
Right now, it's 64 degrees.
That's your WFHR and WIRI Daily News Roundup from Civic Media.
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