WGBW Tuesday News Roundup

Transcript

WGBW Tuesday News Roundup

WGBW News · Tue Jul 15, 2025

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This is your WGBW Daily News Roundup for the talk of Green Bay, 97.9 FM and 50.90 AM.

For 97.9 WGBW News, I'm Lee Sahale. Two places that house veterans in need, one of them in Green Bay, now have to close because money to keep them open wasn't included in the state budget. Savannah Tomay Olsen reports.

The Veterans Housing and Recovery Program provides temporary housing, job training and resources to veterans facing homelessness. It operates three short-term housing facilities across the state in Chippewa Falls, Green Bay and Union Grove.

Governor Tony Evers added almost $2 million in his budget proposal to keep funding the three sites, but Republicans removed it and gave the program $0 in new money.

That's forcing the housing centers in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay to close. Evers says the Joint Finance Committee was warned by the legislative fiscal bureau, the nonpartisan basically accountants of the legislature, that this would happen if they didn't invest more money.

Evers called the move irresponsible and says he'll keep fighting for veterans and when the legislature is back in session this fall, veteran services will be a top priority.

The Chippewa Falls and Green Bay locations will close September 30th, veterans there will be offered alternative housing.

For civic media news, I'm Savannah Tomay Olsen.

Another referendum is heading to the voters of the Green Bay Area Public School District.

During Monday night's meeting of the Board of Education, trustees discuss the impact that the lack of state funding will have on the district's budget over the next two years.

Typically, the state allocates $325 per pupil to school districts. However, the current budget allocation would shift this responsibility to local property owners resulting in a potential levy increase.

That's still not enough and the Green Bay Area Public School District will bring another referendum before voters in November of 2026.

A new budget for the district will be presented on October 13th.

A 40-year-old Green Bay woman will spend a year in prison for failing to take care of her 72-year-old mother.

Elizabeth Drake pleaded no contest to intentionally subjecting an individual at risk to abuse.

In addition to a year in prison, Brown County Circuit Court Judge Tammy Jo Hock gave Drake three years of extended supervision.

A criminal complaint said officers were called to a Green Bay home after a delivery driver said she heard a woman calling for help.

Officers found Drake's mother unable to move from her bed covered in bed sores, urine, and excrement, and a home that they described as smelling of animals and filled with garbage, urine, and bugs.

A 30-year-old schoolteacher from Cheyokton faces 30 felony charges.

13 counts of child sexual exploitation and 17 counts of possession of child pornography.

Colin Kalorin, who taught 7th through 12th grade at a private school in Kokona, was arrested in April.

Kalorin pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him last week in Calumac County Circuit Court.

If convicted, he faces a maximum of 25 years in prison on each exploitation charge and 15 years in prison on each child pornography charge.

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin says food pantries in Wisconsin, already feeling the squeeze as food insecurity rises, will be even more strapped after the budget bill passed by the Trump administration.

I've been traveling the state and visiting food pantries who are already strapped at their capacity, barely able to meet the hunger needs in their communities.

And if people lose their nutrition assistance, their food stamps are no longer able to purchase nutritious food for their families.

At grocery stores, they are then going to have to rely on food pantries, food banks, and again, they're at capacities.

Baldwin says over 3 million Americans will lose SNAP benefits under the new budget bill. About 705,000 Wisconsin residents rely on SNAP benefits for food assistance.

Of those receiving assistance, 270,000 are children, and 108,000 are senior citizens. Baldwin made her comments in a press conference Saturday in Green Bay on the effects the budget bill will have on Wisconsinites.

Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin has officially endorsed Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor for the 2026 State Supreme Court election.

Senator Baldwin, in a statement last week called Judge Taylor fair, impartial, and committed to making sure the law protects the rights and freedoms of everyone.

Judge Taylor first announced her candidacy in late May and will challenge the incumbent conservative backed Justice Rebecca Bradley for the seat.

A victory in the 2026 election would give liberal backed justices a five to two majority on the state's highest court.

Months after the completion of the most expensive State Supreme Court race in American history, Judge Chris Taylor has announced record fundraising for next year's election.

Judge Taylor's campaign announced recently that it has raised nearly $584,000 with nearly 4,800 contributions from all 72 Wisconsin counties during the first fundraising period of the campaign.

That mark is significantly higher than the roughly $460,000 raised by Justice Susan Crawford's campaign through this point last year.

Green Bay's Bay Beach amusement park will get the Tinseltown treatment when a scene in a movie set in the summer of 1998 is filmed there on August 9.

The movie, the first feature film for writer director Josh Mallett, is set in the Midwest and has a working title of Ultimate 90s movie.

Non-paid extras will be needed to be part of the scene.

So if you're still rocking the Rachel, have a fondness for flannel shirts, cargo shorts, baggy jeans, and re-box, you may find yourself on film.

Principal photography on the movie began filming this week in Madison.

I'm Lisa Hale, 97.9 WGBW News.

For news anytime, log on to WGBW.FM.

A new champion in the home run derby.

Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with sports, baseball, slugger cow Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners won the home run derby in Atlanta.

Raleigh with a total of 54 home runs hit.

The all-star game going on tonight, Freddie Peralta, rookie Jacob Mizorowski, and closer Trevor McGill.

All there to represent the Brewers, McGill asked where did reaching the all-star game rank on his list of goals this season?

This is number one for me this year.

You guys asked me earlier this season and I kept it to myself that this is what I was striving for and a lot of hard work and a lot of pictures in front of me, a lot of my bullpen guys in front of me,

putting it down and giving me the opportunities to go out there and get sails this year.

So, you know, without the guys around me, this probably wouldn't be possible.

Basketball, it's the Bucks and the Chicago Bulls tomorrow.

In Las Vegas, in Summer League action, how hard is it to build a roster these days?

GM John Horst.

I think the NBA is as compelling and competitive today as it's ever been.

There are genuinely five, six, seven, eight teams going into a season that have a real chance to play.

There are elite players on these teams in both conferences.

Our young players are starting to contribute at a high level.

You're going to see some of these guys pop again for us this year just like you saw I.J.

Green pop for us last year, Ryan Rollins getting ready to come.

I'm just thankful that we get to kind of operate in that system and try to do things that we can.

That's Bucks GM John Horst.

With sports, I'm Mike Clemens.

On your entertainment beat, I'm Pete Schwabba.

The Summer Box Office remains financially healthy thanks to the man of steel.

Superman was the top dog to no one's surprise pulling in 122 million domestically over the weekend.

And almost another hundred million from overseas.

Here at home, that's the third biggest opening of the year.

The news was good for DC Comics as director James Gunn is also the co-head of the whole operation.

So they needed this to be a winner.

Rounding out the top five were all big time blockbuster-esque films.

Jurassic World Rebirth was the top dog last week and came in second place with 40 million big ones.

In its third week of release, F1 delivered 13 million at the box office.

And rounding out the fourth and fifth place were Kid Flicks How to Train Your Dragon,

which came in with close to 8 million and Pixar's Elio, which came in with just under $4 million.

Superman is expected to top the charts again next week as there will be no real competition until the Fantastic Four.

First steps hits the big screen July 25th.

Do I recommend Superman?

Sort of.

As a video, it rocks.

But as a movie, I guess it's still just okay.

First, the good.

James Gunn keeps the action and story moving along nicely.

The film relies on what we already know about Superman, his adoptive parents in Kansas, and likes Luther,

who in this installment resembles a certain billionaire.

The filmmakers choose to go right to the bells and whistles, i.e. action, music, and some stunning effects.

They even introduce a character that looks like it stumbled into the wrong movie from Jurassic World.

There were a few other tangential issues I had, including a couple daily planet reporters who didn't even need to be in the film.

And with a total of about five lines, actor Wendell Pierce, as Perry White, had absolutely nothing to do in the film.

But Pierce is a great actor and deserves the residual checks coming his way.

The main players, David Cornsweat and Rachel Brosnahan, are great as Superman and Lois.

Having said that, there is definitely enough cinematic energy in this movie to make the theater going experience more fun than watching it at home.

Everyone loves an underdog story.

Sean Ashton is hoping to unseat Fran Drescher and become the new SAG after President.

The real underdogs here are the screen actors guild and the American Federation of TV and Radio Artists unions,

who are coming off a 2023 four month long strike.

The unions face uncertainty in the age of AI and studios who are now owned by major conglomerates.

It's Rudy versus the nanny, so get some popcorn ready and hope that SAG ends up with the right leader.

Actors are often perceived as narcissistic egomaniacs, not saying those people don't exist, but actor Stellan Scarsgard is not one of them.

The 74 year old Swedish actor, who has sired eight children, most of whom are actors, took a pay cut on the film's sentimental value so the crew could have better lunches.

Scarsgard spent what equals 50 grand of his own money to make sure the crew was well fed,

which he says will benefit the project in the long run.

He is absolutely right and an incredible actor.

For more showbiz fun, tune into night light with me, Peach Wabba, weeknights from 6-8pm on the Civic Media Radio Network.

Indie is going to be hot and human today are high right around 91 that heating decks is going to be in the upper 90s by later this afternoon.

And a few thunderstorms tonight are low 69 tomorrow, partly cloudy scattered thunderstorms with a high of 81 with more rain and thunderstorms tomorrow night.

I'm meteorologist Sean Cable, outside now it's 75.

That's your WGBW Daily News Roundup from Civic Media.

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