is 7 23 Friday morning August the 22nd of 2025 live from our studios in downtown Wausau at the corner of Washington Street and North Third Street I am Chad Holmes along with Ian Welsh currently overcast skies and the temperature stands at 63 degrees so almost to the weekend and
Good morning to you, Ian Welsh.
Good morning, John.
I have an announcement to make.
And in fact, you don't even know about this yet.
And I'm sorry to have not informed you up to this point, but there's going
to be surprises.
Well, we'll see if you like this one or not.
We're going to have a little bit of a change in terms of the times that we're doing our thing starting Monday morning.
We've been doing our four WXCO.
morning report segments in the 7 and 8 o'clock hours at 22 and 52 after the hour But starting on Monday, we're still gonna have our four segments, but we're moving up half an hour So what's gonna happen on Monday morning?
Our first local segment will be at 6 52 a.m Then we'll have a segment at 7 22 a.m
7.52 a.m.
And 8.22 a.m.
The the change is to make it for a cleaner transition for the end-of-pack right-lose program Because it makes for an awkward goodbye when he says goodbye to some folks including us at just before 8 30 I should say at just before 8
50 yeah, and
then we would
have that final segment being a local segment But he would come back in some of the stations in
the civic media radio network in Wisconsin and then have another segment.
So this way the thought is that Pat will be able to have that final segment to say goodbye to everybody and to be able to have a final segment to the entire state.
So we will still get our four segments each and every morning, but it will
just
start a little bit earlier.
I hope that doesn't throw a big monkey wrench into your plans.
I can be adjustable.
Well.
I said to sit my arm a little bit.
I'm not a, I'm not a big fan of the early morning, early, early morning.
So we're getting earlier and earlier because it used to be when we had the show, it would be from eight until 10 AM, which was not so bad.
Then they moved us to the seven to nine AM.
time slots and that's going to be 652 to the about the end of our fourth segment will be at 830.
So
we're going to continue to adjust.
A lot of changes are being
made.
Yeah, but we're all part of mornings with Pat Crite Low, which of course is from 6 until 9am.
But now our local segments again will be starting a little bit earlier on Monday.
So again, make sure you're with us for the 652 segment and then of course, 722, 752 and 822.
I guess the big news for you is that
It's gonna mean that you'll have your number for the day quiz just before 8 30 instead of just before 9 o'clock So for all the fans who always tune in and have their bets made on whether Ian's going to get it correct or not You're going to have to do it a no get with us a little bit earlier because we will have starting on Monday our
Number for the day segment at 828 or so.
So but you've had a good week so far.
You're three out of four.
So yes, I am an opportunity to Tie your second best week ever because you had the best week ever which was a perfect five out of five But you're
Second best week ever has been four out of five.
We haven't done that very often.
I mean, that's hard to do.
It's just oh, it's been a while since my last time.
Yeah.
So the math doesn't work very well.
So we will have that coming up at about eight 58.
I believe I have no reason to think otherwise, but I believe that will be joined by Paul Mickley at eight 22 to talk Wisconsin sports.
He had a long road trip last night because last night we had our first high school football broadcast of the season and
Newman Catholic played over in Florence, which is I think about a two and a half hour drive.
So they didn't get
home.
Yeah,
did not get home probably till sometime after midnight.
And then of course you go back to the school, you have to unpack all the equipment, make sure everything is all set up and then go home.
So I'm sure it was a pretty late night from Coach Mickley.
The good news is that the Newman Cardinals were victorious in their opener, winning 33 to nothing over Florence.
So that game was
heard live on the Sports2 stream of wxco.fm.
then heard on tape delay as well here on 98.9 WXO.
And also last night, I had our first Wausau West High School football broadcast as the Warriors opened up their season with a 42 to 21 win over Superior at Tom Field.
It was a beautiful night at Tom Field and the Warriors had a very impressive season opener.
So they're now one and oh on the campaign.
But our week one high school football broadcast schedule is not yet complete because tonight we have
a third game as the Wasta East Lumberjacks will be kicking off their season at Westby and that is a bit of a
trek to Southwest Wisconsin.
It's about a two and a half hour drive.
So it's gonna be a long night for myself.
But actually, Paul Mickley is gonna come with me and do the color commentary on the game.
So
something a little
extra for the Lumberjacks and Westby tonight.
We'll be on the air for that one starting with the pregame show at 635 and the
opening kickoff will be at seven o'clock.
So that's the Wausau East.
We have picked up a five of the Wausau East High School football games during the regular season.
In addition to our complete coverage of Wausau West and New Macathic, we have Wausau East here in week number one.
Then we'll take a little break and then we'll have the Lumberjacks in weeks five, six, seven and eight as well.
So as we continue to be, what do we do?
What are we known for here when it comes to high school sports?
They are very, very proud to be the only.
Local was a radio station that covers play-by-play action of high school sports
exactly Coming up at 7.52.
We'll be back and there's been a new development in the dug at dinny defense in the drop box situation I hope it's something
good
the never-ending saga that is the
Folder drop box which we're coming up on the one-year anniversary of for 11 months into it, but a new defense tactic made by the mayor and his lawyers So we'll talk about that coming up at 752 with Ian Welsh.
I am Chad Holmes More of mornings with Pat Crichtlow coming up next here on 98.9 WXCO
And welcome back WXO morning report on 98.9 WXO online at WXO dot FM mobile devices and Alexa by searching WXO and on the civic media app with Ian Welsh.
I'm Chad Holmes.
And story that continues is the Dropbox issue involving the mayor of Wasa, Doug Denning.
Yeah, according to a story that came out just after we came off went off the air yesterday.
Wasa pilot and review.com.
And they
Say that the mayor and his attorneys are saying that the ethics board should dismiss the complaint because of a due process They say that the charges the allegations Against the mayor are just too vague to meet the basic standard to due process
Uh, according to one of the attorneys that the mayor has employed named, uh, Andrew Erlinson, he wrote that the four residents who filed the complaint last January cited three federal statutes, but did not explain how the mayor's conduct violated any of them.
I, I, I
just, what kind of world of make believe are we living in?
I think it's been fairly clear what the folks who think that the mayor Violated the law did absolutely he got out there after being told that He should not remove the dropbox.
He was told no you don't have The power to do that.
Yeah, he was told well But he said no I do so he put on the hard hat he put on the vest
went out there.
He got a dolly and he moved it and he had the pictures taken to show that he
moved it.
We've seen the pictures people they are out there.
These aren't like Photoshop.
This is an actual thing that he did.
The lawyer said in his written statement, Mayor Denny cannot adequately defend himself at the hearing because he has not been informed of the claims set to be heard.
He argued the board's probable cause finding of the mayor in the dark.
He has no idea what's going on here So again September of last year the mayor Again, he went out there after being told he couldn't He moved a locked absentee ballot drop box from the steps of City Hall into
his
office
And again, it's not a secret what the folks who think that the mayor did something wrong Are saying that he did they
say he
exceeded his authority and may have violated election laws Yeah, so again, this is not where the mayor has no idea what folks are saying he did wrong come on
It's not vague it is a violation like
There are a statutes that he have violated and you know, there has to be consequences the above just Just miss these enclaves Just because you say well, there's not enough evidence or you know, it's too a generic or too vague There's not enough information
and something else that we need to have happen here is if this motion which will be considered by the ethics board at a
Meeting coming up early next week.
In fact, it'll be on Monday Let's for a moment consider that one of the mayor's procedural Claims is actually granted say oh well, we're just gonna drop it here.
We're gonna drop it because The mayor has a point that there's some sort of due process issue What does it mean that ultimately in terms of the ultimate issue the the basic issue
Of the removal of the drop box.
We need to know one way or the other did the mayor Overstep his authority or did the mayor do something that he's all to do?
I mean we need to find that out Before the next time that we have a situation like this
occur.
I agree
because that's one of the key aspects to this whole Saga is to realize that either the mayor has the authority
to do that or the mayor does not have the authority.
I mean that we need to figure that out.
We need to have an ultimate decision made here and to have a due process motion get granted Monday.
What does it mean ultimately?
Does it mean that the next time this occurs when the dropbox is put out there that the mayor can go out there and put on his hard hat again and remove it or not?
So again this the procedural questions here just continue to be
Infuriating in some ways because we have folks again who who are considered witnesses say well I can't answer that because it's too vague or not specific enough What do you know?
It's time to be a public servant here.
I Mean for the public good we have to have one way the other if the mayor has the authority let us know and then we can
Let the mayor do whatever he wants in this case.
Or if he doesn't, then he needs to be told you cannot do this without any consequences.
So, again, the procedural aspects is a rather frustrating aspect
of this case.
As you say, the longer we wait, the less significant that this becomes.
It just
drags out and out
and out.
It's like a three movie trilogy.
We'll find out more again as this motion is considered by the ethics board coming up on.
Monday at their meeting.
7.59 is the time coming up.
Top of the hour information update.
Pat Crite low returns then after that.
Brittany Merlowe will look at the weekend forecast at 8.06.
We'll be back at 8.22.
And have our next WXEO morning report.
We'll see if Paul McLink drags himself over here.
But we hope that that does occur.
And then of course we'll have the number for the day quiz at the end of the program
as
well.
98.9 WXCO.
And welcome back.
It is the
WXCO morning report on 98.9 WXCO online at wxco.fm
Mobile devices and Alexa by searching wxco and on the civic media app the time is 8 23 64 degrees under cloudy skies here in downtown wassup It is Friday heading towards the weekend and a chance to talk some sports with paul mickleck and I was saying to Ian earlier that uh This would be a late night.
So you are coming beyond the call of duty because what time what time did you guys roll in last night?
I'm about 12
It's 30, 12, 45.
Yeah,
that's a late night.
Yeah, it's a late night.
But I'll tell you this right now, when you go looking for a win on one night and you can wake up the next morning finding one, nothing else really.
Everything's in life is just a little bit sweeter.
What's the old saying that we've thought about a lot?
It doesn't matter how far you drive.
As long as you get that W, it doesn't really matter.
You'll go anywhere for the right result.
Correct.
That's what makes it unique.
Obviously, I wish we would have played a little sharper, but it just goes to show that how sometimes we take, and you can probably use this for any analogy in life, we take things for granted.
We had a kid that literally the first day of practice who was running back.
He's never played a line before in his life.
Think about this.
This should not be happening.
He comes in, I literally grab him before practice, I go, Damian, you're a center.
All right.
This is five minutes before practice on Tuesday of the first practice.
He doesn't have one bad snap last night and Florence is having balls go all over the place.
I'm getting at like, and how unique situation and for us to come out there and to still be able to be successful at the scrimmage and successful, not that that matters, but it does.
And then successful last night, that just says something about life and how and adversity and doing the right thing and buckling down and doing it for your teammates.
You know, those those are the things that athletics get out of you is when you have moments like that.
I think we we look at the final score sometimes and don't look at the whole picture of what actually high school athletics is about and what he's going to get out of that and rest of the rest of the teams.
going to get out of that, those little things.
But it makes a two hour and 45 minute bus ride home a lot sweeter with a W.
And it makes for a longer weekend.
You know, the idea, I don't think about that.
It's sort of a tangent.
It's like, if you played on Friday night.
It kind of cuts into the weekend.
You sound like one of those per timers.
It's all about you.
No, actually,
I guess it doesn't matter because you're going to have a two and a half hour trip either way.
Correct.
I shouldn't think about that because that's actually real fast.
I mean, are you looking forward to calling the game with me
tonight?
Yeah.
We sent the tape over because the team we play next week
has already, they played last night too.
So, you know, we're on to the next week and before we, before you and me hit the road, we'll put the, like you like to say, we'll put the film in the can with the kids this afternoon before we leave and-
You're a master of planning out your time, aren't you?
To be able to- I'll
be honest, I
already had this planned
because I wanted to give them a long weekend.
They've been going hard for three weeks and- Yeah.
And I really wanted to take, and what people don't understand is those guys with the numbers we have all the time is they're taking every snap.
all the time, not just in, you know, the games a lot, but the practices and try to get that, they're taking all the reps.
So we did have it ready planned.
It worked out pretty nice and looking forward to, I'm not really looking forward to a seven o'clock.
It looks like it might start storming out there.
No, it's not.
I haven't
looked today.
I'm a realist.
You were 20% at seven
o'clock.
Yeah, 20%, come on.
I mean, it's
like, 80% that we won't, well.
Okay, I don't, don't get, don't you know that I've had, my back has been killing me because of stress for the last month.
And now you're going to add that?
Well, I want to know this is, I want to know, I thought you were like, you were like the announcer of the year in the state of Wisconsin.
How are we outside?
I want to know how we are outside.
Well, we're going to find out, aren't we?
I have no idea what Westby looks like.
How are we in the stands?
I want to know that.
Well, I should have just said, do you know?
Maybe they think
legendary coach Paul Mickley.
What was that Ian?
Maybe they think you're the best people for the job to be outside.
In the rain though?
I don't want to be in the rain.
I don't want to be in the rain.
I'm soft.
I'm soft.
We don't know for certain it's going to rain.
There you go.
That's what
I'd like to hear.
We don't know.
We're going to be optimistic.
It's not going to rain.
But yeah, Paul's joining me again for people saying, what the heck are you talking about tonight?
We have Wassa East at Westby in high school football.
Newman and West played last night.
And now Wassa East will play tonight.
And he'll be on with me.
He'll be adding the color, as we like to say, the
perspective.
It's been a while.
It's been
a while.
Somebody asked me
last night because it has you.
I had you broadcast with, yeah, yeah.
Back in the days, you weren't making these deep runs every year.
You would help me out.
It was before, actually, I think it was the first, the last one was the, the COVID year, when we were outside in Palm Field at Rice, West against Rice Lake.
I know.
By the time
the game ends, when you're sitting outside like that, ugh, getting
so old.
That was a long time.
We had fun out there.
And we'll have fun tonight.
It'll be warmer, at least.
Because I was later in the
year.
And the bus driver that we had last night getting off the bus after we cleaned it, he said he's heading down there.
So I go, well, we'll see you down there.
We'll see you down there.
And Lambers does a great job of.
Providing transportation to all everybody in the area.
Yeah, no kidding I mean that those are some pretty long trips and they know get you there safe and get you back safe And that's so that's the biggest thing right there safe.
Yep.
Absolutely.
So again Paul and myself 635 tonight Wassa East at Westby and I'm sure with you being there the numbers are right through the rough So I'm looking forward to that part of it as well Hey, it'll be exciting to see what season they should have good season.
We're gonna talk about the Brewers and the Packers and maybe some bad
in our final segment coming up, and Ian will have his number for the day quiz as well.
We'll be back at 8.52.
More Pat Crite low next here on 98.9 WXCO.
Welcome back.
WXCO morning report on 98.9 WXCO.
We will have our number for the day quiz with the end to wrap things up, but talking sports with Paul Mickley.
And I am perfectly fine with the breweries taking two or five.
Can we go back to last week and what did I say?
Exactly.
I mean, I said it too.
Yes, perfect.
But I mean, yeah, I mean, if they would have lost yesterday, then boy, it's from nine to five.
And then all of a sudden there's still a lot of time left seven.
Obviously, there's still a lot of time left.
I mean, still a lot of time.
Exactly.
But boy, five is much better than seven, isn't it?
Indeed.
That whole work was for those eight games.
They picked up, to be honest with you, because they lost to Pittsburgh.
So I think they were four and four in that stretch, too, on Friday or...
Saturday, so basically they were four and four during that stretch the Brewers were four and four during that stretch The ish even if they're five and three they picked up one game in the eight game stretch, right?
I mean, that's it.
That's it Now three games in that stretch would have been a whole different story and you kind of feel like they would have lost the module now a little bit because the athletics is about
momentum.
That's
just the
fact it doesn't matter what level you're at.
It's momentum, it's momentum in the game, it's momentum during the season, it's momentum, whatever.
And to get that momentum back was huge, just to get the bolt kind of
right again.
And now you got games against San Francisco, who's kind of falling apart
here.
And
you got Arizona, who kind of threw some of their guys away.
So now you got, you got seven games at home and big weekend with, with Bob Euker.
And
you got to now you got to make some, Hey, obviously we got to get Ortiz checked out and see what they're going to do with the injuries bug here a little bit.
But otherwise, they, they're in a good spot right now.
Yeah.
I mean, the thing about it, though, is I
tonight's game I swear they always lose that first game at home after a road trip it just feels that way and it does it against bad teams I mean it's like they'll do well on the road and they'll come and have that first game and just
Play well, I would hold I hope that they get the first one against San Francisco and because if they get the first one I think they won't that I think they'll sweep because as you said big weekend I think they're gonna find a way to then to do it so if they can get this one and then put the pressure back on Chicago because Chicago really has no room for air now I mean they have it's gonna be they have the Chicago has the capability of doing something special But boy, they're gonna have to do something special now to catch Milwaukee is the Brewers
I've read a really good article about the Brewers and talked basically about in this era where so many folks are so deep into the analytics and stuff that the Brewers are a team that really does a lot of fundamentals, right?
That they do a lot of things that, you know, they may not have the line up full of superstars, but they basically do their organization.
They are very good with the fundamentals and it kind of shows up.
And that's why they're one of the reasons why they're so successful.
Correct, I mean they do the, they pitch well, they usually make pitchers.
throw a lot of pitches to get them out of the game.
They get guys over, they steal, they do little things that put guys in position to get that.
The slugging percentage does not have to be as high as other teams, because I think they're in the middle of the pack right now.
And that's kind of odd, because since I think they're like third or something and runs.
You know what
I mean?
They're
maximizing.
They're maximizing, because the math doesn't actually work out.
They're actually, if you're a mathematician, to follow the brewers, it actually would not
Fit with that because they're doing those little things, right?
So those are the things that they got to keep on doing This is a big stretch for the Cubs now because I think they go on the road for nine games They go to the Angels tonight then they then they had the Giants at on the road and then they go to Colorado They could make some hay there
real fast.
We made a promise.
What's the Badgers record gonna be?
They open up next Thursday So their first game is before we come back.
We we made a promise last Saturday.
It's
gonna
make a five and
seven
six and six because I was looking at it.
I was, I was all, I wanted to say seven and five, but it's going to be so hard.
Seven and five.
I know.
I don't think it's going to happen.
Six and six.
I think they're going to be, I think they're going to, I think we're going to feel better about Luke Fickle.
I think we're going to feel better about the offense.
I think we're going to feel better about Badger football when all is said and done.
And I think they're going to be competitive this year.
I, again, what did I say?
If it's, if you can't be optimistic in August, you can never be optimistic.
So you want me
to change my-
No, no, I don't, I know, I just, I'm always, whenever I get involved in, I'm involved with some high school friends in an NFL picking contest, I always finish last because I always pick with my heart.
And you know it, I get into these things with you, I always lose because I never go with my-
My mind, or my mind is not very good.
They have a tough schedule, I think, in the nation to be honest with you.
I mean, at least one on the top.
But they'll start off well.
And the thing is, Thursday, I would say last year, we kind of knew there's trouble because they did not start well against those teams they should beat significantly.
If they lose one of these two games, then he might not survive, right?
Because then the season really could go sideways.
I mean, they have to be
two and all.
Yeah, yeah.
We gotta get Ian here, because he's three for four this week.
Can you quickly tell us what was the answer last week?
Last week was, I was wrong on the number, but we don't have time to talk about it.
Okay, all right, all right.
Ian, our number for the day is, how many state WIAA football championships has Newman Catholic won?
How many state championships?
Your choices are one, two, or three.
Oh, okay, how many?
You better get it
right with this guy sitting right across here.
Yeah Now there is a lot of pressure You can see the beads of sweat forming on his
forehead
and
he can see him
Shaking in his chair three good thing.
There's a glass partition between us here
in the
studio and Ian,
but I'm gonna say
he is three for four this week a chance for four out of five Boy, look at him.
He's just you know,
okay
A final answer.
I'm going to say two.
Two is my final answer.
I'm going to say two.
Paul McLean.
How many state championships has Newman, Catholic one?
WII.
Exactly.
That's
why he said
that.
And that
is
that is two.
Oh,
right.
Yeah.
The unofficial state championship in this.
Yes, it is.
Which you were the best team that year.
So
but you're not going to hurt
me.
There you
go.
Right.
Hey, we'll look forward to.
Hearing you tonight.
Looking forward to
seeing you guys hearing you tonight and you guys have a
great day.
Thanks Ian.
Have a good weekend.
We'll see you Monday.
Happy Friday everybody.
Matt and Aaron coming up next on WXCO.
