Trevor Keller
Trevor Keller is Executive Producer of “Wisconsin Life” for PBS Wisconsin. He loves photography and is always looking for a new Wisconsin park, trail or scenic overlook to explore.
Latest Contributed Stories
January 8, 2025
Preserving Hmong stories through qeej music
Identity is important for Mason Lospeej Her. “I would say being connected to your identity gives you purpose, value and a reason why,” Her says. The son of Hmong immigrants, ...
November 21, 2024
Mount Horeb golfer tees off toward world record
Tee off at Norsk Golf Club in Mount Horeb, and there’s a good chance of crossing cart paths with Nolan Krentz. “When I was six or seven, Mom got us ...
October 24, 2023
Holga Photographer creates artistic photos with a cheap, plastic camera
Cameron Gillie is a photographer and camera collector. He often uses modern digital cameras in his work, but he also has a large collection of working film cameras that go ...
October 9, 2023
Rock Steady Boxing punches back against Parkinson’s
Stan Livingston likes to stay in motion. He’s a retired physician who spent two decades running a variety of triathlons, including Madison’s annual Ironman competition. “I like getting up in ...
December 21, 2022
The Da’wah Center lifts north Milwaukee neighborhood
Milwaukee’s Islamic Da’wah Center is a place for faith and fellowship. For Brother Will Perry, it helps him stay focused on what’s important. “Here you find Muslims from all over ...
December 16, 2021
Mechanic Shop Femme Drives Message Of Education And Empowerment
Growing up, Chaya Milchtein was never driven to learn about cars. “I did not know anything about cars. In fact, I was in foster care at around 17 years old ...
November 18, 2021
Kenosha Man Sharpens Focus Through Iaido
When Carlos Frick was young, one of his uncles introduced him to karate. It’s a passion he’s followed into adulthood. He regularly practices Aikido at a Kenosha dojo. Eventually his ...
November 11, 2021
Sun Prairie Wrestler Pins Down Every Challenge That Comes Her Way
Gold medal wrestler Dan Gable famously said, “Once you’ve wrestled everything in life is easy.” It’s a sport measured by passion, intensity and strength. Agie Mai Sowe has all those ...
November 11, 2021
A Retired Snowmobile Racer Shows Off His Collection Of Classic Sleds
Craig Marchbank is used to collecting victories on the track. He spent 30 years racing snowmobiles professionally. “We were very prepared when we hit a racetrack. Second wasn't an option,” ...
October 28, 2021
Keshena Musician Keeps In Tune With His Menominee Nation Roots
Wade Fernandez says his music is hard to pin down into a single genre. He says people will ask if he considers himself a rock musician, a blues player, or ...
October 21, 2021
Waukesha County Man Takes Hands On Approach To Building Theremins
Charles Collins has always enjoyed tinkering with electronics. He spent time three decades ago fixing instruments in a music store. “I like to know why things break or why things ...
January 14, 2020
Gleason Woman Glides Through Winter By Skijoring
Melissa Omernick loves winter sports. She’s an experienced dog musher, but in recent years her interests have turned toward a different sport, skijoring. It’s a combination of dog sledding and ...
January 10, 2020
Hip-Hop Chess Club Gives Classic Board Game A Remix
It’s Tuesday night in the back room of a small salon south of downtown Milwaukee, and it’s time for chess club. Here it’s a game of strategy, intellect, rigor, and ...
January 10, 2020
An “Awesome Mailman” Making A Difference For Janesville’s Homeless Population
A frosty February morning doesn’t faze the mailman. Every morning Tom Hathaway loves delivering the mail to his Janesville neighbors come rain, sleet or snow. “A lot of my customers ...
December 23, 2019
Algoma Artist Tells Stories Through Sculpture
Bren Sibilsky isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. “I make my living playing with mud," Sibilsky says. Sibilsky is a full-time sculptor. Born in Green Bay, Sibilsky went to ...
December 12, 2019
Germantown Illustrator Helps Kids Discover Their Super Powers
Germantown illustrator Bryan Dyer doesn’t have a superpower, but he’s always loved stories about people who do. “Superheroes in particular were my thing growing up,” Dyer says. “For the longest ...
November 16, 2019
Chippewa Falls Teen Performs In New York City Musical About Hemophilia
Colin Orth dreams of being a traveling musician. The teenager plays trumpet in the Chippewa Falls High School jazz band. “I love how it stands out. I like how you ...
November 13, 2019
Cumberland Painter Learns To Control Alcohol Ink
Jan Killian has always loved nature. “I was the kid that somebody would find a bug in our house, ‘Oh, there's a beetle here,’ and I'd yell, ‘Don't kill it!’ ...
October 8, 2019
Arbor Vitae Bookbinder Keeping Centuries Old Tradition Alive
Ask Florian Bieschke if he reads books and he laughs, "You betcha! That's my form of entertainment. I'm not fond of screens. I just like the page, so I read." ...
October 7, 2019
New Berlin Artist Turns Text Into Art
Nina Ghanbarzadeh understands the power of words. "You can elevate someone with your words. You can crush someone with your words. Words have this great power. They are great tools," ...
October 7, 2019
Lake Tomahawk’s Snowshoe Baseball Puts A Twist on America’s Pastime
In Lake Tomahawk, the phrase “Take me out to the ballgame” has a different meaning. Instead of peanuts, there’s popcorn. Instead of Cracker Jack, there’s homemade pie. And instead of ...
October 3, 2019
Vernon County Goes To the Goats
Visit a Vernon County park in the summer, and it’s likely Ben Robel’s team will be hard at work. His team? A herd of goats and sheep. “I didn't want ...
September 9, 2019
Middleton Teen Using Indian Classical Dance To Help Others
Shruti Parthasarathy is a dancer from Middleton, Wisconsin. She practices Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form that originated in southern India thousands of years ago. It tells mythological tales of ...
September 5, 2019
Sawmill Workers Use Unique Sign Language To “Talk” On Noisy Mill Floor
Sawmills are loud places. Menominee Tribal Enterprises in Neopit is no exception. Talking across the mill floor is nearly impossible because of the noise. That’s why for more than a ...
September 3, 2019
Fashion Designer Brings Historic Hotel’s Paintings To Life
Stephanie Schultz is a fashion designer and the tenth artist-in-residence at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. "I'm working on high fashion garments inspired by the Victorian paintings that are here ...
June 25, 2019
Oostburg Man Keeps the Dutch Art of Wooden Shoe Carving Alive
As a kid, Luke Traver whittled wood. Little did he know that wood carving was his future. Traver explains, in college, "I'd met a guy named Bob Siegel who was ...
December 22, 2018
Stevens Point Artist Creates Buzz With Encaustic Art
Find Jessie Fritsch’s booth at a local art fair, and a crowd of curious onlookers usually isn’t far behind. Fritsch specializes in encaustic art, or paintings using melted beeswax. “It's ...
November 19, 2018
A Farmer’s Touching Tribute To His Late Wife Goes Viral
Take a late summer drive on State Road 85 in Eau Claire County and odds are one of nature’s most colorful creations will be on display. A field of yellow ...
November 14, 2018
Brule Musher Competes In The Junior Iditarod
For Talia Martens, dog sledding is a family affair. “I was born into it. My mom has been doing it for 40 years, so I’ve really been doing it all ...
November 1, 2018
Milwaukee Love Letter Project Delivers A Positive Message
“Try to be rainbows in someone’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou Milwaukee’s Katrina Lord considers herself a cheerful person. “I think my hobby alone kind of shows that,” Lord said. Her ...
October 31, 2018
Artists With Disabilities Thrive With Help From Northwoods Nonprofit
Hayward artist Shannon Kocka draws inspiration from her daydreams. They take flight in the form of fantasy and science fiction. She loves to spend her free time drawing dragons and ...
October 24, 2018
Horse Therapy Program Helps Veteran Fight His Battle With PTSD
Tyler Slabey joined the Marines at 18 years old. It was September 2001. “I went through boot camp, went through my tank school. I was an M1-A1 tank crewman,” Slabey ...
October 24, 2018
Milwaukee Couple Makes Cross Country Trip To Rescue A Blind Bulldog
Cassidy Kraus and her boyfriend Brett Weyers love dogs. Together they live with a blind pit bull named Sotiras, or “Soto” for short. It’s the Greek word for “savior.” “Soto, ...
October 24, 2018
Rhinelander Musician Learns It’s Never Too Late To Chase His Dreams
Rhinelander musician Paco Fralick knows it’s never too late to follow your dreams. “I think I'm a late comer, you know I just turned 50, to try to do something ...
August 8, 2018
Middleton Man’s Hobby Has A Nice Ring To It
Middleton’s Dan Roekle always had an interest in metal detecting as a child. The thrill of finding lost treasure appealed to him, but it wasn’t until he was an adult ...
February 28, 2018
Plymouth Woman Moonlights As A Cheese Competition Judge
Sandy Toney is the Vice President of Corporate Quality and Development at Masters Gallery Foods in Plymouth. She began her career with Masters in 1989. "After a while in quality, ...
February 7, 2018
De Pere Church And Bar Make For Unlikely Neighbors
The neighborhood pub is one of Wisconsin’s favorite places to get together for friends and fellowship. On Dickinson Road in De Pere, the Chicago Street Pub and Grill is a ...
January 12, 2018
The Ukuladies Hit All The Right Notes
Mary Backus spent more than 30 years as a choral director in Milwaukee. She’s always had a passion for music, but after three decades, Backus told her choir she was ...
January 5, 2018
Milwaukee Basketball Player Refuses To Be Sidelined From His Hoop Dreams
Marcell Dinsmore learned at a young age that people can be too eager to judge a book by its cover. The Milwaukee high school senior was born with a birth ...
December 15, 2017
Jump River’s Yodeling Bar Owner
Piotrowski’s Bar is likely the most jumping spot in the town of Jump River. Some bars have a jukebox full of 45s. This one plays the greatest hits of 1945. ...
November 24, 2017
Visually Impaired Enjoy Downhill Skiing With Help
Weekends at Sunburst Ski Area in Kewaskum are the best time to witness Dan Lococo’s definition of a trust exercise. Lococo is legally blind, but that doesn’t stop him from ...
November 24, 2017
Building A Family Business Around The Nyckelharpa
Earl Holzman’s life has always revolved around music. He met his wife DoAnn Holzman while folk dancing in the early 1980s. Together, they raised their son Ian Holzman to be ...
November 10, 2017
Stevens Point Woman Creates Contemporary Art Using Iroquois Raised Beadwork
Karen Ann Hoffman believes it’s important for her to feel connected with her Oneida heritage. “I think it’s critical for all people to know who they are, and I think ...
November 3, 2017
Green Bay Teen Takes On The Braille Challenge
Like most 16 year olds, Green Bay native Baylee Alger loves playing video games. Watching him play the fighting game Mortal Kombat in his living room, he appears to be ...
November 3, 2017
A Poet’s Passion Helps Students Searching For A Second Chance
If a poet is only as good as his poems, Oscar Mireles could be considered writing royalty. Mireles was raised in Racine and attended UW-Oshkosh, where he developed a passion ...
October 27, 2017
An Ithaca Boy’s Wish To Strike Out Cancer
Brad and Rhonda Louis were high school sweethearts. Their oldest son Jaxon Louis had two loves: playing baseball and watching baseball. When other kids were watching cartoons, Jaxon would watch ...
October 27, 2017
Milwaukee Country Artist Brings Music Into The Classroom
Milwaukee musician KC Williams was born and raised in the city, but his musical roots were planted in the country. As a child he’d spend summers at his uncle’s farm ...
October 27, 2017
Appleton Man Runs An Oddities Store
In the lobby of an Appleton tattoo parlor, there’s an inkling of something strange. Step inside “The Body Shop” on Wisconsin Avenue and you’ll be immersed in Scott Watzlawick’s world ...
October 13, 2017
Aspiring Actor Is Apprentice At American Players Theatre
“Being able to find yourself in someone so different than you is just a feeling that is unmatched, and I think that's what acting is about,” Payton said. Not every ...
October 13, 2017
Springbrook Man Has Unique Idea For A Deer Stand
Every family has that one person. The one most likely to end a conversation with “Watch this!” Jesse Kauffman realizes he’s the person in his family. “I guess I’m unique ...
October 13, 2017
Milwaukee Teacher Still Lecturing at 90
If you choose a job you love, some people believe you’ll never work a day in your life. Ed Drexler teaches genetics at Pius XI High School in Milwaukee. More ...
October 6, 2017
Oshkosh Artist Paints His Journey Through Self-Portraits
A good portrait paints a picture of someone’s personality. Oshkosh artist Jon Wos thrives on capturing those details. He spends several hours a day in his studio bringing blank canvases ...
July 25, 2017
Niagara Man Gets Hooked On Fish Carving
If everyone has a hidden talent, Niagara’s Roger Newhouse discovered his at 55 years old while attending a wood carving exhibition. “The first show I went,” Newhouse recalled, “I was ...March 7, 2017
Building A Family Business Around The Nyckelharpa
Earl Holzman’s life has always revolved around music. He met his wife DoAnn Holzman while folk dancing in the early 1980s. Together, they raised their son Ian Holzman to be ...February 21, 2017
The Ukuladies Hit All The Right Notes
Mary Backus spent more than 30 years as a choral director in Milwaukee. She’s always had a passion for music, but after three decades, Backus told her choir she was ...February 10, 2017
Milwaukee Country Artist Brings Music Into The Classroom
Milwaukee musician K.C. Williams was born and raised in the city, but his musical roots were planted in the country. As a child he’d spend summers at his uncle’s farm ...January 20, 2017
Milwaukee Teacher Still Lecturing at 90
If you choose a job you love, some people believe you’ll never work a day in your life. Ed Drexler teaches genetics at Pius XI High School in Milwaukee. More ...January 18, 2017
Green Bay Teen Takes On The Braille Challenge
Like most 16 year olds, Green Bay native Baylee Alger loves playing video games. Watching him play the fighting game Mortal Kombat in his living room, he appears to be ...
November 10, 2016
Underdog UW-Barron County Competes For The Rube Goldberg National Title
Cartoonist Rube Goldberg rose to fame in the early 1900s for drawing whimsical cartoons that featured overly complicated machines designed to do a simple task, such as make breakfast, or ...
November 10, 2016
Shakespeare Workshop Helps Veterans Heal
Milwaukee actor and therapist Nancy Smith-Watson and her husband have always loved Shakespeare. “Shakespeare tells the best stories. He tells them in the most beautiful, poetic language, and that really ...
November 3, 2016
A Grandfather’s Love Helps Hundreds Relive Basketball Memories
Green Lake’s Joel Schultz wanted to be a loyal grandparent. He never missed a basketball game his grandson Ben Wettstein played in. One night, before one of Wettstein’s 6th grade ...
November 3, 2016
Milwaukee Artist Paints Her City In A Positive Light
Milwaukee is frequently referred to as America’s most segregated city. Tia Richardson knows decades of racial division have opened a lot of wounds. “Our city is literally segregated and divided, ...
October 13, 2016
Janesville Seniors Put Spin On Ping Pong Competitions
Monday mornings at the Janesville Senior Center are filled with the sounds of shuffling feet. That’s due to the morning line dancing class. Around 10:30 a.m., those sounds are replaced ...
October 13, 2016
For Polk County Musician, Home Is Where His Concerts Are
A 100 year old schoolhouse turns into one of northwest Wisconsin’s most unusual music venues on Saturday nights in rural Polk County. Over two dozen fans pack into the Pipe Dream Center to ...
October 6, 2016
Waunakee Teen Conquers The Rubik’s Cube
If you lived through the 1980’s, you might remember the Rubik’s Cube. Each side of this puzzle contains nine squares in six different colors. The goal is to twist the ...
September 29, 2016
The Mayberry Guru Brings Barney Fife To Life
Growing up in Dorchester, Wisconsin, Ken Anderson remembers watching “The Andy Griffith Show” during its first season in 1960. “I was a freshman in high school. I started watching it ...
September 22, 2016