August 2, 2024
Sprinter Kenny Bednarek can outrun the fastest athletes in the world. But before the track and field star won a silver medal in the men’s 200 meter event in the 2020 Summer Olympic Games ...
July 25, 2024
Two-time Olympian Stephanie Roble talks about the joys of sailing as well as her roots on Wisconsin's Lake Beulah. The East Troy native is competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics ...
June 12, 2024
When you walk into the sun-drenched studio of Harry Whitehorse, it’s immediately apparent how prolific he was as an artist. It's also clear why a new festival, the Harry Whitehorse ...
April 18, 2024
In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR’s “Wisconsin Life” shares the stories of six women of color working to build community and better themselves in southern Wisconsin. == Having a kid can completely ...
April 11, 2024
In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR’s “Wisconsin Life” shares the stories of six women of color working to build community and better themselves in southern Wisconsin. In another story in this series, ...
April 4, 2024
In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR’s “Wisconsin Life” shares the stories of six women of color working to build community and better themselves in southern Wisconsin. == When Tamara N. Thompson became ...
March 28, 2024
In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR's "Wisconsin Life" shares the stories of six women of color working to build community and better themselves in southern Wisconsin. == Shadayra Kilfoy-Flores is involved ...
March 21, 2024
In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR's "Wisconsin Life" shares the stories of six women of color working to build community and better themselves in southern Wisconsin. == Samantha Green of Madison ...
March 14, 2024
In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR's "Wisconsin Life" shares the stories of six women of color working to build community and better themselves in southern Wisconsin. == Katalina Sanchez of Madison ...
March 7, 2024
In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR's "Wisconsin Life" shares the stories of six women of color working to build community and better themselves in southern Wisconsin. == Angela Morgan of Madison ...
January 29, 2024
The Cozy Inn restaurant is an institution in Janesville, Wisconsin. Not only is it popular among locals, but it’s historic. The business opened in November 1922 and is the oldest ...
November 2, 2023
Ernesto Rodriguez of La Crosse, Wisconsin came to the state in the summer of 1980. That’s after making a treacherous journey on a fishing boat from Cuba to the United ...
September 19, 2023
How do you define home if you’ve grown up in multiple places? It’s a question Pao Lor of Kimberly has grappled with for years. So, he went to visit his ...
September 12, 2023
How do you travel halfway around the world and still feel connected to home? For WPR’s Carina Abrego-Koch of Green Bay, she listened to the sound of her own voice ...
August 29, 2023
What's one of the best ways to combat hate? For Jesús Gregorio Smith of Appleton, it's to push back with love. He shares his story as part of the “Home ...
August 15, 2023
Feeling like you're different from your peers can have a big impact on your self-acceptance. But as Miriam Brabham of Green Bay tells us, a nurturing community helped her learn ...
August 1, 2023
Home means different things to different people. Home can be the house you grew up in, a quiet spot in the woods, or right beside your favorite person. For Mai ...
March 23, 2023
It's one hour before Madison's Ahan restaurant opens and the small kitchen is buzzing. Water is boiling, chicken is roasting and dumplings are frying. Before they even begin taking orders ...
January 24, 2023
(This story is an excerpt from the podcast, “WPR Reports: Uprooted.”) Osvaldo Durruthy was sitting in a Wisconsin prison in the mid-1990s. He was in his 30s and he was ...
November 8, 2022
(This story is an excerpt from the podcast, “WPR Reports: Uprooted.”) Ricardo Gonzalez was 12 years old the day the Cuban Revolution prevailed and Fidel Castro took power. Gonzalez grew ...
November 1, 2022
(This story is an excerpt from the podcast, “WPR Reports: Uprooted.”) A group of musicians are jamming in their living room in La Crosse, playing the popular song “Guantanamera.” One ...
October 18, 2022
(This story is an excerpt from the podcast, “WPR Reports: Uprooted.”) When Ernesto Rodriguez of La Crosse was 24 years old he was sitting in a prison cell and was ...
October 11, 2022
In 1980, there was a mass exodus of Cubans who left their homes for the United States as part of the Mariel Boatlift. It was a rare opportunity for people ...
June 7, 2022
The movies of Michael Schultz, like "Cooley High," "Car Wash," and "Krush Groove" have given joy, drama and great jams to millions around the world. The Milwaukee native was one of ...
February 7, 2022
If you’re competing in the biathlon at the Olympics, you have to be really good at not just one, but two different sports: Nordic skiing and rifle shooting. Competitors skate ...
January 26, 2022
Pam Gustafson of Milwaukee loves to write poetry. It helps her process everything she reads and sees in her life, since she can't cry due to an autoimmune disorder. So ...
September 15, 2021
Earlier this year, “Wisconsin Life” started working with students at Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School, or MG21. The goal was to get more high school student stories on the ...
September 8, 2021
Gene Purcell dedicated almost his entire professional life to public media. His passion began in La Crosse, where he started as a student reporter at WLSU-FM. Through the decades, he ...
December 16, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 4000 in Wisconsin. This week, WPR is profiling some of the people we lost. Today, "Wisconsin Life's" Maureen McCollum tells ...
November 20, 2020
Two proud Wisconsinites have joined forces to create an album celebrating all things Wisco. Comedian Charlie Berens, of Manitowoc Minute fame, and musician Adam Greuel, with the bluegrass darlings Horseshoes ...
September 11, 2020
Cinthia Téllez Silva moved to the United States from Mexico on her 12th birthday. It was also St. Patrick’s Day, a new holiday for Téllez Silva. “My cousin went to ...
August 26, 2020
Even though 2020 has been *A YEAR*, Melissa Faliveno has had some bright spots this summer. The New York City writer released her debut essay collection, "Tomboyland." It’s a deep-dive into identity, ...
August 13, 2020
One of the quintessential summer activities for kids is setting up a lemonade stand. You can find them all over Wisconsin. And one budding entrepreneur in Milwaukee has taken her ...
August 12, 2020
Wisconsin has crossed a sobering threshold. As of this week, more than 1,000 people in the state have been killed by the coronavirus. This includes Dosha "DJay" Joi, a 28 ...
June 17, 2020
Food can conjure up vivid memories of childhood. The tastes and smells can send us to another place, while creating new memories in the moment. Writer Nancy Jorgensen has been ...
June 9, 2020
Many of Wisconsin’s high school seniors have now graduated, capping off one of the strangest ends to a school year ever. The coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of in-person ...
June 4, 2020
Demonstrations supporting Black lives and calling for police accountability have taken place in dozens of Wisconsin communities over the last week. While there has been some looting and incidents with ...
June 2, 2020
School is ending for many Wisconsin students this week. In an extraordinary year, many had to adjust to online learning. That includes the third graders at Madison Country Day School ...
May 21, 2020
Zhalarina Sanders is an artist who does it all. Her craft is steeped in theater and music — so lyricist, music composer, instrumentalist, playwright, actor and graphic and visual artist. ...
April 30, 2020
“Star Wars” is one of the most beloved movie franchises in the world. And a big part of those movies are the droids who fight alongside the Rebel Alliance and ...
April 23, 2020
We’ve heard stories lately about people creating sidewalk and window art for neighbors passing by. A friend delivering flowers to a buddy who’s homebound. Teenagers running errands for the elderly. ...
March 24, 2020
Life in the era of COVID-19 is really weird right now. It’s tough. Sometimes it’s hilarious, sometimes it’s really scary. People have lost their jobs. Others are working from home. ...
March 3, 2020
If you’re a big music history nerd, you know there’s a ton of information out there about hip-hop’s roots in New York City. But what about hip-hop in Wisconsin? Our ...
February 14, 2020
Don Voegeli wrote one of the most famous songs in public radio history — the theme for NPR's "All Things Considered — from his office in Madison, Wisconsin. But, the synthesizers behind ...
October 18, 2019
Many Wisconsinites have personal reasons for plopping giant triangles of yellow foam on their heads or wearing wedge earrings to every Wisconsin sporting event — from football to baseball. But ...
June 26, 2019
When Dave Rogers opened his first guitar store in the early 1980s in downtown La Crosse, it was in a tiny former dental office. He filled it with Fenders and ...
June 8, 2019
When I took on the role as host and producer of "Wisconsin Life" on Wisconsin Public Radio, I wanted to incorporate more young voices on the program. So at the ...
June 7, 2019
When you walk into a classroom at Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School, there’s one desk that stands out. It’s lined with vintage military helmets, all purchased by MG21 student ...
June 7, 2019
Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School sophomore Coyote Johnson does everything. She sings, plays guitar, draws intricate sketches, and she writes poetry in a notebook she carries everywhere. For this ...
June 7, 2019
Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School junior Dante Murray really wants to talk about school. Before he came to MG21 his sophomore year, he struggled at the traditional public school. ...
June 7, 2019
The following story is about a high school student experiencing a political awakening. Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School senior Jasnen Valencia, also known as Jaz, wrote the following letter ...
June 7, 2019
There are two students at Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School, or MG21, that are really talented. They’re both seniors and want to pursue a music career after high school. ...
June 7, 2019
There’s a very special pair of classmates at Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School, or MG21. It’s junior Tierra Byrd and Lou (a.k.a. Nibbler) the rabbit. “He’s really, really soft, ...
May 24, 2019
When you think about a cocktail that embodies Wisconsin, what comes to mind? We posed that question to a few bartenders across Wisconsin. These are their responses.
May 17, 2019
In a city with never-ending bar options, Del’s Bar in La Crosse sticks out. It’s been open since 1933 in a historic brick building downtown. Step inside on any given ...
April 17, 2019
Imagine leaving your family and job and moving overseas to Milwaukee to fulfill a dream. That’s exactly what Kane Pitman did. Since arriving in Wisconsin, the Australian freelance writer has ...
February 27, 2019
When Geraldine Hines arrived on the UW-Madison campus as a law student 50 years ago, she had to adapt to the Wisconsin climate, the food, and its people. She had ...
February 15, 2019
(Editor's note and update: American's Black Holocaust Museum is reopening at its new location on Feb. 25, 2022.) In Milwaukee’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood, a museum is resurrecting. America’s Black Holocaust ...
February 8, 2019
Jackie Kashian fell hard for comedy while attending University of Wisconsin-Madison, but the elements were there while growing up in South Milwaukee….NOT Milwaukee. “I have been explaining to people that ...
January 30, 2019
Is there a song that represents or unifies the state? Is it 'On, Wisconsin!'? Bon Iver? Liberace? We got music journalists and historians to weigh in.
December 28, 2018
Geez Louise, comedian Charlie Berens has had a big year. As host of the Manitowoc Minute, he’s performing sold out shows across Wisconsin and his online comedy news show is ...
December 14, 2018
Many Wisconsin students grew up watching "Storylords" in the 1980s and 1990s. They’re part of an enthusiastic fan base who remember the TV cart being wheeled into the classroom for ...
December 7, 2018
This story is part of Wisconsin Life's Food Traditions series. Lutefisk is a Scandinavian delicacy. It’s cod or whitefish that's been dehydrated and preserved in lye. To prepare it, cooks ...
November 30, 2018
About seven years ago, Adriel Denae's brother challenged her to write out a list of life goals. Since then, the Appleton-based musician has been creating partnerships and channeling her independence ...
November 22, 2018
Lutefisk is a generational dish you can smell from afar — as far as a fjord in Norway, quite possibly. As one lutefisk fan describes it, "The smell one can ...
October 19, 2018
The music world has blessed us with some gems about the Milwaukee Brewers. In light of the team’s success and playoff appearance this season, a few new songs have popped ...
August 15, 2018
On a recent hot and sunny afternoon on the north side of Milwaukee, about half a dozen Young Farmers are hard at work in their garden. There’s a lot to ...
August 3, 2018
The flute is one of the oldest instruments in the world, after the human voice. Almost every culture has their version of one and, chances are, flutist Peter Phippen wants ...
July 25, 2018
These days, there’s a camp for everything: theater, football, Harry Potter. At University of Wisconsin-Green Bay this summer, a group of teenagers and volunteers decided they wanted to dedicate a ...
June 8, 2018
White women make up 70% of the teachers in Wisconsin. In Fond du Lac, the percentage is even higher in a city where there are more and more students of ...
May 23, 2018
In the back of the Hmoob Cultural and Community Agency in La Crosse, there’s a blacksmith shop where people can learn an historic craft. It’s here that master blacksmith Tong ...
May 2, 2018
As Maureen McCollum begins her new journey as the producer of Wisconsin Life, we thought it'd be fun to revisit some of our favorite pieces that have aired over the ...
December 8, 2017
On a sunny day along the Mississippi River in Onalaska this past fall, a group of guys got together to make wooden toys. They call themselves woodworking elves and for ...
July 13, 2015
Twenty-five years ago, the first and only African-American Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration passed away. This year, Sr. Thea Bowman’s fellow nuns in La Crosse, former students, and friends are remembering ...
March 11, 2015
Tucked inside the basement of a neighborhood bar in southwest Milwaukee, you'll find the oldest bowling alley in the country. The Holler House has been welcoming customers for over 100 ...
