Steve Gotcher
Steve Gotcher is a technical director and producer with Wisconsin Public Radio.
Latest Contributed Stories
July 16, 2024
Chef Dan Jacobs does Wisconsin proud on ‘Top Chef’
Dan Jacobs has received numerous accolades as a chef in Milwaukee, including as a James Beard Award semifinalist. He's cofounder of the American-Chinese restaurant DanDan and fine dining spot EsterEv. ...
June 16, 2022
Dear Papa, I’m writing to you on birch bark
When WPR producer Steve Gotcher's daughter, Erika, was a little girl, she started a tradition of sending him letters on pieces of birch bark. Recently, they sat down and talked ...
December 16, 2021
Who Are Tom And Jerry And Why Are They A Cocktail?
It seems that every season has its cocktails. When the temperature drops and the snow piles up, people want a little more warmth and folks in Wisconsin turn to a ...
November 4, 2021
Joni Mitchell Skates On Lake Mendota—And Into Music History
This story brings together a mid-winter ice storm, the southeast shore of Lake Mendota in Madison, ice skating, and a series of photographs that became a record album cover. Dean ...
August 12, 2021
Baileys Harbor Range Lights Guide Boats To Safety
In 1869, when the range lights were built, Baileys Harbor was considered the only safe harbor north of Milwaukee. The town was a busy logging center, shipping cordwood, cedar post ...
May 20, 2021
Starship Robots Keep Hungry UW-Madison Students Fed
If you've been to Madison sometime in the past year, chances are you've seen them — stout strangers from a strange land about the size of a cooler. They scuttle ...
April 8, 2021
When Wisconsin United Against The Polio Virus
Decades before COVID-19, there was an epidemic story with a happy ending. During the 20th century, Americans pulled together to defeat the polio virus, putting their faith in scientists and ...
October 15, 2020
Abundance and Transformation: A Trip Through Fermentation Fest’s Farm/Art DTour
Fermentation Fest has been celebrating all things live culture for more than a decade. The festival's Farm/Art DTour sends people on a 50-mile journey, teaching them about microbes and showcasing ...
May 21, 2020
Dog Training In A Time Of Isolation
It's been a few months since people have had to make changes in their lives because of COVID-19. Some get to work from home. Some folks still have to go ...
March 20, 2020
It’s Maple Syrup Time In The Midwest
Dan and Liz Stattelman-Scanlan of Madison, Wisconsin and their family have 175 sugar maples just across the state line in the Upper Penisula of Michigan. About fifteen years ago, Dan’s ...
June 28, 2019
Dancing On A Hillside: The Grateful Dead At Alpine Valley
The Grateful Dead played at Alpine Valley Music Theatre 20 times from 1980 to 1989. Fans trucked to the southeastern Wisconsin venue from all over the country. Producer Steve Gotcher ...
June 19, 2019
Conquering Hip Breaker Hill
The morning was already hot and humid as we pedaled out of Perrot State Park. The mercury had passed 80 on its way into the mid 90s, but my thoughts ...
March 1, 2019
A Winter Night Poker Game Played In The Backyard
Winter can take its toll on your mind. The walls close in. The sky is grey and the snow piles up. Every morning you bundle up, scrape the windshield, crank ...
January 25, 2019
UW-Madison Researchers Study Coyotes In The City
Coyotes have moved into areas within the Madison city limits. What does that mean for human and canid coexistence? Researchers are trying to find out through the UW-Madison Urban Canid ...
November 8, 2018
Barb Carey Introduces Women To Ice Fishing
If you go out to a frozen lake at this time of year, chances are good you’ll see a guy out there ice fishing. But ice fishing isn’t just for ...
August 29, 2018
The Shawano Folk Festival Celebrates 40 Years
2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the Shawano Folk Festival. Wisconsin Life spent a day at the festival to find out what keeps this northern Wisconsin tradition going. Founder Joel ...
June 29, 2018
Wisconsin River Camping
I start to feel the calm as soon as I hop out of the car and see the moving water of the Wisconsin River glittering in the sunshine. I take ...
June 2, 2011