Good morning and welcome to the WXCO morning report part of mornings with Pat Crite Low on 98.9 WXCO online at wxco.fm mobile devices and Alexa by searching WXCO and on the Civic Media app.
I am Chad Holmes across the way behind the glass is our in studio engineer and producer Ian Welsh.
Ian, good morning.
Good morning, Chad.
We will have more with you coming up in just a little bit, but normally here in our building for a long time, it was just me and you.
Over the last number of months, we've been able to add to our team as joining us in terms of our sales has been Aliyah.
helping us with our sales over the last number of months.
And now in the last week, we have also been adding a news reporter, a brand new news reporter.
And I thought maybe it'd be nice to introduce her to our listeners here in the morning, Isabella Nieto and Isabella.
Good to have you across the table.
Thanks so much for having
me.
Absolutely.
And you just started here last week.
Yes, I did.
You are a new news reporter.
And I was just a thought for folks.
So what's your background?
Where do you come from before heading here to Wausau?
So I'm originally from Zion, Illinois, which is in the northeasternmost county in Illinois.
I grew up right along the Wisconsin border.
For college, I went to Bradley University in Central Illinois, Peoria, Illinois.
And then for grad school, I got my master's in public affairs reporting at the University of Illinois Springfield.
There's an old saying, if it plays in Pioria.
Yes, it plays in
Pioria.
What was it like being in Pioria?
the case that it is somewhat, I guess when you say if it plays in Peoria, that has that middle of the country feel for the folks, did you find it that way as sort of a down home place to kind of cut your teeth?
Yeah, it is a place where a lot of people, business owners or performers and people who are looking to try out new ideas to come and test things out, see how it plays, see how people receive it.
I definitely remember covering a lot of new
businesses who are coming to see if their ideas will work in other areas or in other states as well.
Also you mentioned Springfield and that is the state capital in Illinois.
How much work did you do at the state capital?
I did a lot of work at the state capital.
Half of my master's program was working for the Illinois State House Press Corps as one of the reporters.
I worked for WBEZ Chicago.
It was a remote internship so I covered state and
Local politics for WB easy, you know things going on in Chicago as well as what was going on under the dome
Well, we're some of the most interesting stories you've covered in your run-up before you start really delving into some of the Interesting stories here in central, Wisconsin.
Yeah, one of my long-term stories that I worked on throughout my internship with WB easy was about these a legislator wanted to bring some
Overdose prevention sites to Illinois, he wanted to propose legislation to open up these areas where people could safely consume illegal drugs.
They would be awarded a type of immunity.
There were a lot of conversations happening throughout the entire legislative session about what the immunity and things like that would look like, what the legislation would actually look like.
It didn't end up making it to the floor by the end of it.
The budget needed to be passed and it got kind of pushed to the back.
But according to the legislature,
later at the time anyway, he said he would try to bring it back up again before a year's end.
So we'll see if that comes up one more time before the next legislative session.
Did you find yourself, and I think I kind of have an idea about this, that government, whether it's state government or local government, you found yourself.
very interested in that.
What was it about these kind of stories and maybe that kind of angles on the news or that part of the news that kind of drew you in?
I think local government is a really interesting thing to cover, not only because there's always something going on and there's always something interesting to dig into, but I also see it from a very human standpoint.
My mom is in local county government.
So, and one of my first jobs was working as an election materials runner.
So bringing things in on election night, several election nights during high school, um, learning about the people, learning about the election process.
I've always just thought it was really interesting.
And it's something that, you know, I like to think that.
good at covering and I'm really looking forward to getting into city council and local government here in Wausau.
Something else that we've learned in the process to bring you in in discussions is that radio was not the ultimate
goal for you that in terms of of your work in journalism that this came as a little bit of a surprise that you found yourself enjoying this part of journalism.
Could you talk about what kind of doing into this kind of journalism and maybe the other kinds of journalism that you've experienced and that kind of got you involved in that realm from the beginning?
Sure.
So like you said, I wasn't expecting to get into radio.
I wasn't expecting to get into broadcast at all.
During my undergrad years at Bradley University, I was
really planning on going into print media.
I really wanted to be writing these long form feature stories.
And then one day I was just sort of walking to the rec center and the local NPR affiliate had a reporter outside of the rec center and they were doing a mock interview for photos for their website.
And so they were asking people, hey, will you do this fake interview with us really quick?
And, you know, we'll just take pictures of the back of your head, you know, not a big deal.
And so I did it.
They said, oh, thank you so much for helping us.
And I said, oh, no worries.
You know, I'm a journalism major, so I'm happy to help out wherever.
And they said, oh, would you like an internship?
And she handed me her card.
And the next spring, I started as a reporting intern for WCBU Peoria Public Radio.
Is that interesting that, in this case, maybe a career on sort of an accident?
And often stories come that way, too.
You may not be looking specifically at...
certain area they come to you through a discussion or somebody that you run into maybe on the street or
in
this case in the courtyard of a college.
Stories come from everywhere don't they?
They really do yes especially in when I was covering things in Peoria it was one of the bigger stories at the time was allowing backyard chickens and that was something I definitely did not ever expect to cover but it
came from a really heated council meeting that I went to and it, you know, sort of spiraled from there.
I wrote a few stories on the surrounding towns proposing similar ideas.
We will have more with our brand new WXCO news reporter, Isabella Nieto, coming up in our next WXCO morning report coming up at 7.22.
Coming up next, it's a top of the hour news update and then more of mornings with Pat Crichtlow here on 98.9 WXCO.
Again, we're talking to Isabella Nieto, who is our new news reporter here at 98.9 WXEL.
As I mentioned, you just started last week.
You've been in the process of moving up here to Central Wisconsin over the past month or so.
Maybe for folks who, like myself, I've been living here for a very long time and others who may be tuned in as well.
Is there anything in particular that has jumped out very early?
Because you're just in the process of learning a lot about the different people and the different acts.
Activities and the different types of news stories out there here in central, Wisconsin Jump out in the early going about what you've seen here in central, Wisconsin
I don't know it's hard to say so early into the process But I think city council as I'm looking through things You know things that are going on with him and the mayor's office and city council are all things that I'm looking forward to getting into more
Yeah, I mean it's really been an interesting The mayor has been in office now for
a bit more than a year.
I think it was like last April or that he came into office.
In your experiences, you said it, you have family, your mother involved in local government.
How is local government?
How do you look at covering local government?
What are some of the folks here in Central Wisconsin going to get in terms of your viewpoints on local government and covering government?
And maybe your overall news philosophy because there is a difference.
And I think one of the things that's very interesting about civic media is we do have a very significant difference between, say, the talk programming and our news department.
And just watching you and Shaly working together last week,
Could you talk a little bit about your philosophy when it comes to local news coverage?
Sure.
I like to cover things that I would want to listen to, you know, as a news consumer, things that I think are important for people to know about, you know, council meetings, what's going on during them, what's going on during county board meetings and things like that.
Those are things that I think people should know about their local government and should know about, you know, what's important to the people around them as
well.
And maybe as well, I think it's always important to talk a little bit about news and...
the rules of news, because the rules of news are different than the rules of talk programming, of opinion programming.
Could you talk a little bit about, again, how you look at what your fundamentals are for journalism?
Sure.
I come from an NPR background, so I'm very used to covering things on all levels of the political spectrum.
You know, I was covering both Republican and Democratic press conferences and legislation when I was working in the state capitol.
And I think it's really important to
come at things from a you know well what is the passion behind it what is the interest behind whatever happened at a council meeting or whatever happened with the mayor or anything like that you know what was there what was their goal with it and what should people know about that
when you look at the future here one of the things I think that I try to do and I'm sure that you would want to do as well is the connection with the people here I imagine that you you are looking for
interesting stories or maybe stories that people think, Hey, this hasn't been talked about a lot.
I
Are you open to hearing from our listeners with story ideas and the such?
Yeah, that would be great I know that I've covered a few things that came right from our listeners in Peoria and in Springfield Covering you know people and issues in Chicago as well You know hearing from the people and hearing from our listeners about what matters to them is a great way for me to shape what I want to cover
How can people reach you?
You can reach me at my civic media email, which is is a
d-e-l-a dot n-i-e-t-o at civicmedia.us.
And during our show notes, because we do put this up as a podcast each and every day, our WXCO morning report, if you click on the date, then you'll be able to see our show notes and we'll make sure to have that link as part of our show notes as well.
For yourself and your...
I will say, you're coming out here.
You're starting your career.
As you look at where we are and technology is such an important aspect right now, as you look to the future, what do you think the role is of journalism in this era?
What do you think is ultimately the importance of the job that you're going to try to do for our listeners here in North Central Wisconsin?
I think right now we're seeing a lot of things at the leadership level that people may not be satisfied with and I think that it's important as a news reporter to keep
leadership in check and being able to hold them accountable for anything that they do positive or negative and I think it's important for listeners as well to be involved in what they want to see from their newsmakers and from even from the news reporters what they want to see on their programming so I think it's important for journalism to be involved at the leadership and at the local level.
And one of the things we talk about so often here at Civic Media is the importance of democracy.
And I've talked a lot about the idea that a democracy can't work.
It's not just about the leaders.
It's not just about what the elected officials do or the people that work for the elected officials.
The people themselves have to be informed.
And one of the most important aspects of being informed is to have reliable sources of information.
And in your past, as you got to this point, has there been any...
journalists or maybe sources that have influenced you in terms of you mentioned NPR.
Has there been a specific journalist that have inspired you that you feel like hey they do it the right way in terms of informing the electorate?
I've been trying to sort of form my own path in journalism.
I'm taking notes from people who have trained me.
I had some really great people who taught me the fundamentals and the basics of journalism during my early career at NPR affiliates.
I've had some really great people teach me how to be a good journalist.
I don't necessarily have one particular well-known journalist that I've sort of formed myself around, but I do
take notes from the people that have trained me from the people who have influenced what I know and how I report and things like that.
And those are the examples I try to follow.
Well, it's wonderful to have you here.
I know that folks will be very interested in meeting you and talking to you as you develop your journalistic eye here for Central Wisconsin.
Hopefully things will go very smoothly and hopefully you'll learn a lot about our area.
I know that being new, it's always interesting to learn a new area.
and you've not living here in Wisconsin previously.
I'm sure it's gonna be a wonderful transition and looking forward to talking to you a lot more as we move on.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to
it.
Absolutely.
Again, that's our new news reporter here at 98.9 WXCO, Isabella Nieto.
And coming up next is the Farm Report.
And then more with Pat Crichtlow coming up here on 98.9 WXCO.
you
Good morning.
The time is 7.53.
I am Chad Holmes.
It is the WXO morning report 98.9 WXO online at WXO.fm Mobile devices and Alexa by searching WXO and on the civic media app Ian Welsh across the way behind the glass.
Good morning Ian.
Good morning Chad.
Got a bit of advice for folks some of the
Stoplights here in Wausau.
There's a one right by where we work at it's right across from the library.
Oh, yeah If you don't get close enough to the intersection The sensors don't indicate that you're there.
I have heard that from myself.
So then the light doesn't change right and this morning There's a longer line there than normal when I'm coming into work.
I'm thinking what what's going on here?
And actually happened twice on my way in
Normally when I turn left at a stop light over on Grand Avenue and Bridge Street, if it goes green and then it has the arrow.
And normally with the arrow, you get through.
That's right.
But there were so many people there, I got caught up
there.
So that extended my trip.
So then I get past that, which is, I'm thinking I had plenty of time and then all of a sudden, well, my windows narrowed a little bit.
And then I get to the intersection across from the library.
And it's the longer line.
I'm thinking, oh, what's going on here?
And then I see the lights.
I know the pattern of the lights.
I've done it every day for a few years now.
And then it goes from green on one direction.
Instead of going then to our direction, it doesn't.
And then I notice the guy that's at the front of the line is not
Close to the line for the stop light.
He's back.
Oh dear.
He wasn't in the sensor area So the lights and some of these lights have sensors and the lights Did not indicate that that there were people there and there was a long line and I'm in a hurry to get here So I'm waving my arm at this guy saying move up move up.
Yeah, and then apparently he thinks that the Stoplight is broken in some way
So he turns right.
Well, at least he got out of the way because the next person up Got into the sensor area and then when the rotation went again, okay finally Greenlight occurred.
So folks you get to a stop light.
Don't be paying back 15 feet Some of these lights have sensors and then it causes issues for the people behind you because the lights not changing
Exactly.
Annoying.
I can't be tricky sometimes.
Yes, annoying.
So that was my start of the day this morning.
It's a beautiful morning, actually.
Partly cloudy skies here in downtown Wausau.
Temperature's pretty good, too.
Yeah, it's much warmer than it's been.
It looks like as we continue into the rest of the week, we are going to have temperatures that continue to warm up.
So
time
to bring out the sunshine and stop complaining on my part.
Have you heard yet whether or not you got a part in?
In what was the play you tried?
Oh
a sweetie Todd.
Yeah, sweetie Todd.
Did you find out yet the announced the cast?
Yes,
the Castlist was actually announced Just as I went to bed last night
and was Ian Welsh on that cast list.
Yes, I am Yeah, when the last time you didn't get a role that you wanted or would not put in a role in a position in any of the place because every time that you've tried out I've at least since you've been working
with me
like turned her down a part was, well, I think it was maybe 2013 or 14.
That was for West Side Story with WCT.
But that was the only time.
I think every other show I've tried to be a part
of, I
haven't been a part of every show,
but
that was the only time I ever actually said, no, thank you.
So, um, I've heard of Sweeney Todd.
I've never seen Sweeney Todd.
Uh, is there truly blood involved in this?
Well, thankfully, because it's the stage version, you probably won't see as much as that is, you would
expect.
As
much, huh?
Just the sum.
Yeah, just something to keep in mind, though.
This is,
this is probably another show you want to take your kids to.
Oh, geez.
Well, since I have no kids, I don't have to worry about that.
Yeah.
Well, congratulations.
Thank you very much, but the music in the show is absolutely phenomenal.
It's a it's one of a Steven Sondheim's Best musicals.
He's ever written fantastic.
When does the rehearsal start?
Well the first rehearsal actually starts tomorrow.
Oh, so you're right at
it.
Yep the a director Andrew Spencer whom I have worked with in the past
He's known for really getting into it.
But
you can't be there tomorrow.
Exactly.
But you being a star, you can show up whenever you want.
That was not my conflicts in it.
I couldn't do
Wednesdays.
I couldn't
do this Wednesday.
I could all be out of town.
Right.
But I can't do Wednesdays.
Because you work for me.
Yep.
I like that attitude.
That's what you need to do.
I
make sure I put all my work or conflicts on there
so there wouldn't
be any.
You know, confusion.
All right, our last two segments we heard from our new news reporter, Isabella Nieto, yesterday.
Isabella and myself went over to Wasa East High School because the governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, paid a visit.
And coming up in our next segment of the WXCO morning report, I'll tell you about what we heard from the governor and what happened over at Wasa East yesterday as we, first of all, followed the governor as he visited a number of classrooms and then also took some questions and answers from the media, including myself.
I
asked the probing questions of the governor.
So we'll talk about that visit to Wasa East from Governor Evers.
And then we'll wrap things up with our number for the day quiz.
Yes, and uh, you're what old for one this week
Yeah, I got some work to do
and the thing is it's another short week because you are not going to be here Thursday.
So let's give me another you're gonna have to pick it up here exactly so still plenty to come then that'll be our WXCO morning report coming up at 822 Coming up.
It's a top of the hour news update and then more of mornings with Pat Krightlow here on 98.9 WXCO
Welcome back.
It is the WXCO morning reports here on 98.9 WXCO online at WXCO dot FM mobile devices and Alexa by searching WXCO and on the civic media app with Ian Welsh I'm Chad Holmes temperature is 57 degrees under cloudy skies here in downtown Wausau I Mentioned earlier yesterday went over to Wausau East High School was hanging out with the governor
Governor Tony Evers paid a visit to Wasa East yesterday afternoon for his back to school event.
It's his back to school tour and he visited with teachers and students and staff members as they begin the 2025-2026 school year.
Obviously Tony Evers is somebody that has been in education for a long time.
He started as a science teacher in Baraboo and then went on to become a principal superintendent and state superintendent of public instruction before becoming the governor and Did anybody of that ilk ever come to your any of your schools when you were going to school any famous folks visit or?
Cause I don't recall it really anybody like that coming to my schools back in the day.
I can't say it for certain that we did have a lot to talk about when Scott Walker was cutting a little bit of.
funding for DC Air Force at school districts.
Yeah, and yesterday it was very interesting.
It was not one of those cases where it was a hidden run, basically.
He popped in and then popped right out.
The governor came in.
He started by meeting with a receptionist who has been at Wausau East for 49 years.
He said that he has been involved in education 49 years as well.
So they're both will be celebrating 50 years next year He then went to four different classrooms different types of classes sat down and listened to the students as they were working and then also Talked to them and asked them questions.
It was very interesting.
It was a case we could tell that he was actually engaged in these conversations and there were different kinds of classes it was
literature.
He pounded some clay in a ceramics class.
There was one that was an animal science course.
It started in the classroom.
Then we all went outside and some of the students were taking
information using stethoscopes, listen to goats, heartbeats, and the like.
But it was very interesting.
It was very interesting seeing the kids in their environment, you know, in the classroom.
And then how the governor really was just moving around and not making a big deal, but just sitting down, seeing what the kids were working on and then talking to them, asking them questions and listening, not just talking.
He was actually listening quite a bit.
And you could see that, I think, the teachers.
and the students and the staff members.
Kale Bushman, who is the superintendent at Wasa School District, was there and others as well.
It was very, I thought,
enlightening and engaging and I just like the way that the governor went about his business.
And again, it was, I think, very cool.
I put some pictures on my social media and on Instagram.
A number of the kids were forwarding them when they were involved in the pictures and they seemed excited about it.
So again, I thought it was a really nice event at Wausau East.
A good thing for the governor to go around the state of Wisconsin visiting different schools and celebrating the start of a new school
year.
that's what we need to see more of is government officials who are willing to listen and get involved with the people because that's what truly matters is getting to know the people you're going to interact with them and listen to what they have to say and what their problems are and what you know they can what the officials can do for the students and and
in a bigger picture of like the community itself.
It's just, it was very good to see a governor Evers doing that and really showing that he cares.
And make sure to tune in during the day for our news updates.
Myself and Isabella Nieto was.
At wasse east and had a chance to ask him some questions talking about He got questions about Braden's law of course from Braden bone the young high school student who?
who took his own life earlier this year and that piece of legislation is moving through also was asked about the positives and the not so positives about the education budget in the last budget cycle.
And also I asked him about his priorities when it came to the final year plus of his administration.
So we will have information on the airwaves during the course of the day during our top and bottom of the hour news updates with Isabella.
And also I'm sure there'll be a story on wxco.fm as well.
All right, time.
for our number for the day quiz to wrap things up.
And it is involving the education budget here in the state of Wisconsin.
Okay.
In the 2025 to 2027 state budget, how much money did Governor Evers propose?
This was his proposal.
This is what the governor proposed to spend in K through 12 public schools, state, general and categorical aides.
So the amount of money that the governor proposed spending in his bait budget for this cycle that was passed in the summer.
Your choices are $2.1 billion, $3.1 billion, $4.1 billion.
I'm going
to say a $3.1 billion.
$3.1 billion for education is my final answer.
The governor's proposal include over $3.1 billion in state, general, and categorical aids.
One for one.
One for two.
Oh, sorry.
Sorry.
One for two.
So you're back to where you need to be, though.
And we'll try again tomorrow morning.
Yes, absolutely.
We'll be back tomorrow morning at 6.52, 7.22, 7.52 and 8.22 for our WXCO morning report.
And coming up next, more of mornings with Pat Critello on 98.9 WXCO.
