Joel Waldinger
Joel Waldinger is a reporter for the “Wisconsin Life” project and considers a sunset over the “big island” on Manson Lake to be a perfect ending to a day of fishing and fun in the Northwoods.
Latest Contributed Stories
April 7, 2025
Craft distillery elevates cocktail culture in Stevens Point
Stevens Point is a river town with the nickname “City of Wonderful Water.” There’s a new distiller in town turning that water into rum, whiskey, gin and vodka. Brian Cummins ...
March 24, 2025
Ashland motorcyclist earns Guinness World Record after global journey
Growing up on a Northern Wisconsin farm, Bridget McCutchen felt freedom. “I like to joke I was raised in a field by cows and a dog and part of it's ...
February 17, 2025
From backyard garden to high-tech strawberry farm
A journey from Hawaii to Wisconsin landed horticulturalist Erin Warner a lead role at Warm Belly Farm in Fort Atkinson. Warner oversees the daily operations of a hydroponic strawberry farm. ...
February 3, 2025
Windsor rehabilitator nurtures injured squirrels and rabbits back to health
Baby squirrels need a lot of attention. In Windsor, Wisconsin, Holly Hill-Putnam answers the call. It’s not every day someone gets to feed a baby squirrel. In Hill-Putnam's world, it ...
January 15, 2025
The Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe, an iconic Northwoods institution
Its Dutch-style windmill has become a pop culture icon in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Owner Pat Berg says it's a landmark for sure, a fantastic building with lots of stories. Russell Berg, ...
January 7, 2025
Art meets astronomy at revitalized Yerkes Observatory
Since 1897, the small community of Williams Bay on the shores of Lake Geneva have provided an astronomical amount of information about outer space. Dr. Amanda Bauer is the first ...
January 6, 2025
Bianca Lynn Breeze calls the numbers
Brandon Rounds is a small town boy from Boscobel. He's also known as the drag artist Bianca Lynn Breeze. When people come to Drag Bingo, they expect the high glamor; ...
January 1, 2025
Quirky Lake Hallie and the author who said so
Wisconsin is home to more than 15,000 lakes. But one lake in particular captivates writer Patti See. She thinks the first time she came to Lake Hallie was the summer ...
November 20, 2024
Water skiing tradition is all in the family
Wisconsin has more water ski show teams than anywhere else on the planet. Every summer Dan and Amber Dix help welcome 26 teams from across the state to Red Sands ...
November 14, 2024
At Waxxy Poodle, vinyl records spin back to life
Dave Eck will tell you music's been following him around most of his life. As he rifles through his record collection, he pulls a label with Mick Jagger on it. ...
November 12, 2024
Teen turns fear of planes into photography passion
Nothing excites teenager Max Gabb more than airplanes. The Oak Creek teen is all about tracking, identifying and photographing planes. His new hobby, called “plane spotting,” started during the COVID-19 ...
November 6, 2024
Milwaukee’s new fashion flair
On the waterfront in Milwaukee's trendy Historic Third Ward, a new face of fashion is emerging. Lynne R. Dixon-Speller is the Dean of Academics at the Edessa School of Fashion. ...
October 30, 2024
Motorcycle Cannonball: the race of a lifetime for Beaver Dam’s Jonas Zahn
Jonas Zahn is setting out on an epic adventure. Zahn will join riders from all over the world for Motorcycle Cannonball, one of the most difficult antique motorcycle endurance races ...
October 24, 2024
The art of the circus lives on in Baraboo
Circus art is Joan Stevens’ specialty. Her precision brush work helps to restore and preserve the past. Stevens is passionate about restoring old circus wagons. She uses old trade skills ...
October 22, 2024
Pigeon racing takes flight on New Richmond farm
Waking up to greet the day, Liz Beukema reaches for the alarm every morning at 4:20 a.m. She crates her pigeons and loads them in the truck. Beukema has had ...
October 16, 2024
Rebirth of the Julia Belle Swain
The history of La Crosse is forged by the waterways that traverse western Wisconsin. Out on the upper Mississippi River, Ellis Inman knows this river well. His dad Bo was ...
October 15, 2024
Inside the den: DNR researchers track Wisconsin’s black bears
It is estimated there are 24-thousand black bears roaming Wisconsin. The population is expanding, and bears have even been spotted as far south as Grant County on the Illinois border. ...
November 15, 2023
From mines to mosaics: Artist draws inspiration from nature underground
There is a balance in nature that intrigues Heidi Dyas-McBeth, who specializes in mosaic art. Working at The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums has provided her the opportunity to become ...
November 7, 2023
Milwaukee woman on a mission to foster hope with Peace Garden Project MKE
The sound of gunfire in Milwaukee can shatter the peace and Camille Mays is no stranger to gun violence. She finds her own peace as she chimes in on her ...
November 3, 2023
Garden art blooms in downtown Columbus
For many years Gene Frey has been a jack of all trades. His works included renovating antique carriages and sleighs to rebuilding popcorn trucks. It was in that refurbishing work ...
October 25, 2023
Wood type hype in Two Rivers
Two Rivers is home to one of the world’s largest wood type museums and it’s the place to be if you are a graphic designer. Hamilton Manufacturing Company started making ...
October 23, 2023
Northside Milwaukee barbershop a cut above the rest
Gaulien Smith, known as Gee by his friends, believes there are two types of businesses that could change the trajectory of an urban community: a church and a barbershop. Getting ...
October 21, 2023
Flying dogs, cats and pigs
Morey Field in Middleton sees its fair share of takeoffs and landings. However, the arrival of one pilot often causes a buzz. David Tan enjoys sports cars and plants, specifically, ...
October 20, 2023
Manitowoc County woman leads by example at one of the state’s largest dairy farms
Sunrise over Lake Michigan signals the start of the new day at one of Manitowoc County’s largest dairy farms. Like a ray of sunshine, Rosario Ibarra greets every day with ...
October 16, 2023
Cat figurine collection by Menomonee Falls couple
There’s a house in Menomonee Falls that you can’t miss. It’s got large MEOW lettering across the front and it’s the home of Shawn Redner and Hilary Siegel-Redner, a couple ...
October 11, 2023
Jungle Jay is living the dream at Safari Lake Geneva
On 75 acres of former farmland, Jungle Jay Christie is living out his childhood dream. If you didn’t know it, you might think you were looking out over the savannahs ...
October 10, 2023
Polish pride on display at southside Milwaukee market
For more than 150 years Milwaukee has been a beacon of hope for Polish immigrants. Adam and Wioletta Bartoszek want to continue that today by preserving language, culture, and traditional ...
October 6, 2023
‘Bird Nerd’ on a mission to bring people of color into the outdoors
For Dexter Patterson birding is more than a hobby, it’s been an unexpected way to heal. “Before I found birding, I actually was struggling with mental health issues, depression, anxiety. ...
October 4, 2023
Oshkosh oddity park: A quirky, head turning experience
There is something a bit odd going on in Oshkosh. Mel Schettl’s business is a menagerie of strange and peculiar things. It is an eccentric collection that grew from his ...
October 3, 2023
Foraging for food among Wisconsin’s weeds
As a naturalist and a forager M. Afi Lake sees a food source everywhere she looks. Her philosophy is simple: wild food is abundant and it is largely overlooked. Afi ...
September 29, 2023
High-flying bat dogs steal the show
Dog trainer Kate Bucci has had a way with animals since she was 16 years old but Border Collie brothers Colt and Kovu are unlike any other animal she’s worked ...
January 10, 2023
Botanical themed light show illuminates the skies of Green Bay
For more than 25-years the Green Bay Botanical Garden has been lighting up the holidays with its botanical themed light show. There are more than 350,000 lights on 37 different ...
January 5, 2023
Wisconsin’s first African-American mayor
In politics she paved a path, a very lonely path. Frances Huntley-Cooper did something no other African-American in Wisconsin had ever done. “With my personality, I was just so surprised ...
December 26, 2022
World record ride for 21-year-old Bridget McCutchen of Ashland, Wisconsin
Growing up on a Northern Wisconsin farm Bridget McCutchen felt freedom. “I like to joke I was raised in a field by cows and a dog and part of it's ...
December 20, 2022
UWO Dance Team recoups from the pandemic for a run at a national title
When Leeah Justman and Jenna Riche met at the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh they had an instant connection… dance! Both had taken lessons most of their lives and now ...
December 20, 2022
Milwaukee designer selected to decorate the White House for the holidays
Collin O’Brien admits he “loves” Christmas. "If I could, my tree would be up starting October 1st. If you are a Christmas fanatic, what better house to decorate besides yours ...
November 8, 2022
Organic farmer grows crops and care
When it comes to organic farming Robert Pierce has the answers. “I believe that if you eat healthy foods, you get a healthy mind.” Pierce learned about food at an ...
November 8, 2022
Preserving the unique German heritage built into the Lutze housebarn
It’s designated as one of Wisconsin’s ten most endangered buildings, and the fact that is still standing is amazing in and of itself. At 110 feet long and 30 feet ...
November 1, 2022
Turning back time on a century farm to heal the land
On a bend in the Buffalo River, Heather Mishefske and Chad Rykal envisioned a new kind of farm. This land had been in agricultural rotation for decades, soybeans and corn. ...
October 19, 2022
Former Madison politician makes bread to feed the racial justice movement
For former Madison politician Mo Cheeks, the art of sourdough bread making started as a hobby. The pandemic provided a chance to perfect his baking skills and make a difference ...
October 19, 2022
Pittsville High School pioneers high school cranberry science program
Fall in Wisconsin ushers in cool air, golden leaves and a flood of red delicious cranberries. Wisconsin is by far the largest growing region in the world and Pittsville located ...
September 22, 2022
It’s a Cricket thing!
Cricket is described as India's obsession. For Nitesh Singh and Rakesh Cherukuri, it is far more than a sport. Nitesh describes it like this, “It doesn't see a country or ...
September 22, 2022
Baraboo family finds healing in lavender
Lush fields of purple blooms might resemble the French countryside, but this is Sauk County. For Laura and Aron McReynolds the rolling hills covered in lavender mark a new beginning. ...
September 20, 2022
Packers historian writes one last hurrah!
Being a newspaper reporter has been Cliff Christl’s lifelong passion. He spent nearly 40 years in the newspaper business and nearly all of those years writing about the Green Bay ...
September 20, 2022
A passion for peonies transforms Wisconsin dairy farm
In rural Shawano County family farms still dot the landscape, but on one farm a unique crop has taken root. Lee Mielke is retired so to speak, “You hear a ...
September 13, 2022
Yogi instructor shares his personal journey to bring light to the world
Yoga is the ancient practice of moving your body to improve breathing and to relax your mind, while becoming fit and flexible. Keith Borden has more than 20-years of experience. ...
September 8, 2022
Wauwatosa handcyclist raises awareness and funds for MS
Handcycling is a passion for John Haupt. As a teenager, more than 50 years ago John was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. “In those days, we're talking in the 1970s, they ...
September 6, 2022
Tomahawk man is king of his castle
Secluded in the Northwoods of Oneida County there is a dirt road that takes you back to the Dark Ages. At the end of the drive is a Do-It-Yourself project ...
September 1, 2022
Wisconsin native flying high in an F16 fighter jet
She calls herself a Sconnie girl and is happy to be back home. Growing up in Wisconsin, Zoe Davies has always been on a mission. She spent 15 years away ...
January 13, 2022
Snow Makers Keeping Wintertime Fun
When the temperatures drop and the snow flies in Kewaskum, most people hunker down. For Jason Wood and Danny Dorn, it’s a signal to get busy orchestrating a symphony of ...
December 16, 2021
Mama Ferne: The Mother of Wisconsin African Dance
She is known as “Mama Ferne” and for more than 50 years, she has been the driving force of African dance in Wisconsin. Ko-Thi Musical Director Kumasi Allen explains best ...
November 18, 2021
Wisconsin Loves Archaeology
Here in Wisconsin, there is one place like no other. It’s a special place in the ancient world and it’s a special place today. A place where nearly a thousand ...
November 11, 2021
Greendale Man Repairs and Makes Art on Local Chimneys
Just outside Milwaukee sits a community like no other in Wisconsin. Greendale is the only Depression Era village built during the Roosevelt Administration in the state. In 1936, Eleanor Roosevelt ...
November 11, 2021
West Allis Woman Empowers Veterans and the Dogs Beside Them
Linda Bobot is a certified personal dog trainer. For more than 20 years, Linda’s calm approach has worked wonders. Cheldon Payton and his dog Solo are her students, “She knows ...
November 4, 2021
Recipe for Success
As daybreak emerges along West Oklahoma Avenue in Milwaukee it’s time to get busy. Pedro Garcia and his partner Jesus Ramirez are well-known on the southside as the bakers who ...
November 4, 2021
Pedal Power in Baraboo
High school teacher Shelley Mordini will school you on Baraboo’s history. She loves delving into the past and riding a bike. So, she combined her two passions as a tour ...
November 4, 2021
Corn Maze Craze
For more than 100-years Treinen family has been farming just west of Lodi, Wisconsin. Ever since he was a little boy Alan knew he wanted to be a farmer. Alan ...
November 4, 2021
Madison Flag Maker Uses Reclaimed Barn Wood to Recreate Wisconsin History
It’s easy to see something online that you want. It’s not so easy to make it yourself. For Jeremiah Logemann of Madison, he saw a piece of art he wanted ...
October 21, 2021
Para Nordic Skier On Top of the World
As a teenager, Ty Wiberg is faced with fantastic opportunities as he competes for the Chippewa Valley Nordic Ski Team. Sometimes, he is practicing more than five nights a week. ...
October 14, 2021
Bridging the “Cold War” Divide
Wisconsin has always been a beacon of German culture. Now, it is undergoing a renaissance at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Walk across campus with Professors Heike Alberts and Monika Hohbein-Deegen ...
October 14, 2021
Miss Black USA Uses Her Experience, Voice to Help Children of Color
"Your queen," says the pageant announcer, "is Miss Black Wisconsin." In that moment, life for TeKema Balentine changed. Historically, Wisconsin tends not to produce beauty queens so when Balentine heard ...
January 14, 2020
Connecting Art, Culture and Two-Spirit Identity
Ryan Young grew up in the Ojibwe community on the Lac Du Flambeau Reservation in northern Wisconsin. Despite this tranquil Northwoods setting, Young had a complicated childhood. “I felt isolated ...
December 24, 2019
Practice Makes Perfect for the Fond du Lac Blades on the World Stage
Sixteen ice skaters, one goal, and three minutes to prove it. Synchronized ice skating is moving in unison while gliding across the ice. That kind of precision and perfection takes ...
December 12, 2019
Randolph Woman’s Passion Propelled Her To Restore Hot Rods
Drive down Cemetery Road in Columbia County near Randolph and you’ll see some old hot rod muscle cars. Judging by the name of the road, you might think this is ...
November 18, 2019
Dina Nina Martinez: Ready or Not, Here She Comes
Comedy can be a risky business and Dina Nina Martinez knows that all too well. Originally from Texas, Martinez along with her dog Gurdy arrived in Madison via Los Angeles. ...
November 13, 2019
Edgar Dairy Farmers Reinvent Their Third-Generation Family Farm Into A Garden Oasis
For three generations, the Bauman family roots have run deep on this land. Dave and Debbie Bauman are not about to let that change. Their name in German means “small ...
November 13, 2019
At Home in the Ten Chimneys Estate
Whimsical, colorful and dramatic are just a few ways to describe the Ten Chimneys Estate nestled in the woods outside Genesee Depot in Waukesha County. The estate was once owned ...
October 31, 2019
Black Bears In Wausau’s Backyard
Tens of thousands of black bears roam Wisconsin and yet to see one up close is rare. Jeff Traska has the good fortune of having bear encounters on a daily ...
October 31, 2019
Stitching A Niche With Stoles
White, green, purple, red. Melinda Halom knows her church colors and the corresponding seasons. Halom is a part-time pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in New Auburn. However, it’s her other ...
October 10, 2019
Newton Man’s Journey to Honor a Forgotten Daughter of Wisconsin Executed by Hitler: Mildred Fish-Harnack
Mildred Fish-Harnack was a Milwaukee-born, University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate and the only American woman executed on the direct orders of Adolf Hitler. Architect John Dubrow first learned about her from ...
October 1, 2019
Cadott’s World-Class Archer Right on Target
It’s 7:00 a.m. and Physical Education Teacher Scott Christenson has a gym full of teenage archers up early for practice. He brought archery as a sport to Cadott High School ...
January 28, 2019
Irish Road Bowlers Compete on Backroads of La Crosse County
The sound of a two-pound cannonball skipping across the pavement is unique and unmistakable. The cadence grows louder as the ball draws near and drifts into the surroundings shortly after ...
December 24, 2018
Effigy Mound Tour Provides Unique Perspective On First Nation’s History
Aaron Bird Bear is the Assistant Dean for Student Diversity programs in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin Madison. He gives tours of the campus, described as ...
December 18, 2018
Woodworking Elves in La Crosse Brighten Holidays For Children In Need
Wooden toys are a timeless classic that have appeared under Christmas trees for generations. However, in today’s high-tech world of plastic gadgets, wooden toys are almost a thing of the ...
December 12, 2018