City working on solutions after some voters faced long lines (STEVENS POINT)
Some voters in Stevens Point waited up to 3 hours to cast ballots on Election Day. Tuesday’s wait times were too long for many. Mayor Mike Wiza and City Clerk Susan Pagel will ask the city council to spend 35 thousand dollars on six additional Badger Books to help speed up voter check-in and ballot distribution. The additional machines would be used where needed to help streamline the process. He’s also calling for changes at the state level, such as allowing for two in person, absentee voting locations, which he says would relieve pressure on election day. The city’s finance committee will consider the move on Monday, if passed the full council will have the final say later this month.
NE Wisconsin Planned Parenthood joins growing list of closures (MANITOWOC)
A northeastern Wisconsin location joins the list of Planned Parenthood closures. A listener shared an email with WOMT Radio which came from Planned Parenthood stating that the Manitowoc location will be permanently closing. The final day of patient care will be on November 24th. While the reason for the closure was not stated in that email, this comes as 60 or more clinics have closed or consolidated since January of 2025, according to a report by HealthCareDive.com. That report claims that the closures are due to restrictions on funding for Medicaid and the Title X (10) family planning program. So far, Planned Parenthood branches in Delavan, Portage, Wisconsin Rapids, and West Bend have closed, making Manitowoc the fifth such closure in Wisconsin.
WPR: Thompson says Wisconsin is a ‘blue state’ once again (UNDATED)
Former Governor Tommy Thompson says Wisconsin is back to being a blue state. Thompson made that declaration Wednesday on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Wisconsin Today program following Republican election losses. “Wisconsin is a blue state, and it was before I got elected governor, and it’s gone back to that.” Thompson says victories scored by U.S. Senator Ron Johnson and President Donald Trump were narrow. Democrats have won nearly every state wide race since 2016, including wins for governor, attorney general, and four state supreme court seats. Democrats will have total control of governor’s office and legislature when the next session starts in January.
Massive smallmouth bass breaks 76 year old WI record (GREEN BAY)
A catch of a lifetime breaks a long standing state record. W J F W reports Austin Schiefer of Menasha was fishing on the bay of Green Bay last month when he reeled in a massive smallmouth bass. He quickly contacted the Department of Natural Resources to get it officially recorded. The smallie weighed 9 pounds 11 ounces, 10 ounces more than the previous record set in 1950. The grandson of the previous record holder even reached out to Schiefer to congratulate him on the catch. He’s planning to get replica mounts of the fish made for Fox Valley tackle shops to display.
Bridge between WI and Iowa reopens after 3 years of construction (LANSING, IA)
A bridge over the Mississippi River is back open. The bridge between Lansing Iowa and De Soto Wisconsin opened Friday after three years of construction. Work was scheduled to complete sometime next spring, but good weather allowed for the earlier opening. Bridge traffic will reopen at 12:30 Friday. The crossing linking Wisconsin and Iowa has been closed since 2025, when the old Black Hawk Bridge was demolished, forcing either a lengthy detour or the use of a car ferry for local commuters.