Wisconsin Life: News To Share! ⭐

Sauk City's Plastics Recycling Maven

Elise Moser first heard the name Milly Zantow at a conference, and was surprised to learn that the driving force behind plastics recycling was from her new town – Sauk City. Moser thought she didn’t know about the story because she was new to Wisconsin but asking around, she learned that lots of people didn’t know Milly’s story. Listen here.

Retired Teacher Still Raising Kids – The Nigerian Dwarf Goat Variety

Drive by this quintessential Door County farm and you’ll discover goats under the giant willow tree. If you look a little closer, you're likely to spot Lynne Grasse in the middle of her treasured Nigerian Dwarf Goat herd. Watch here to find out how she got into the goat game.

Award-Winning Stories

The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association recently held its annual awards ceremony. We're pleased to say we pick up a few awards.

Best Significant Community Impact - First Place

Literacy in Wisconsin
“Literacy in Wisconsin” introduces listeners to adults learning to read and write. They are immigrants, refugees, and Wisconsin natives. They are individuals working to improve their literacy to get a GED, to find a better job, to overcome learning disabilities, or to get back on their feet after struggling with literacy challenges of all types.

News Writing - Second Place
Ben's Grandpa
Joel Schultz records all of his grandson’s high school basketball games, even after a series of major health setbacks. His determination has helped hundreds of families relive their favorite basketball memories.

Feature - Second Place
Rube Goldberg
Four engineering students at the University of Wisconsin-Barron County decided to enter the 2016 college competition. The assignment was to open an umbrella. Galetka and friends Mathew Dentinger, Zachary Metza and Jacob Saxinger built a 45 step machine that paid tribute to inventor Nikola Tesla.

Meet The Wisconsin Life Team

Five Questions With Web Designer Erika Kachama-Nkoy

Erika Kachama-Nkoy is a web developer and designer at Wisconsin Public Television. She was born in Kinshasa, Zaïre and immigrated to Maine just in time for American kindergarten. After a 14 years of school and work in Chicago, she finally found a permanent home in Madison, Wisconsin where she lives with her husband and son.

1. Name your favorite Wisconsin Life story and why?

Benjamin Percy’s story about how he came to love Wisconsin is particularly close to my heart. Like Benjamin, I married a native Wisconsinite who confidently waged a quiet, brilliant campaign to relocate us to Wisconsin once I completed college in Chicago. Visits to in-laws in Minocqua, Madison, and Oconomowoc made moving here inevitable. I love everything about the story’s production, from Benjamin’s deadpan, sonorous voice to the sound design (Benjamin’s wife!) and the charming animation. High five!

2. What is the most fun you have had yet working on Wisconsin Life?

I helped design the current website. This year, I’ll be working with the Wisconsin Life team to make it even easier to discover and explore all the great stories on wisconsinlife.org.

3. What do you love about Wisconsin?

Geologically speaking, Wisconsin is astonishingly diverse. Whether we’re kayaking around the Apostle Islands, hunting in Green County, visiting family in the Driftless Area, or exploring museums in Milwaukee—my family deeply appreciates living close to nature with the benefits of city life.

4. You’re having a dream dinner party. What three people, dead or alive – real or fictional, would you invite?

My guests are funny, brilliant, and exceptionally good at communicating their passions: astrophysicist Neil deGrassse Tyson, author Mary Roach, and artist Chuck Close.

5. When not working on Wisconsin Life what are your hobbies?

Gardening and movies are two long-loved passions.

"Something About A Flower"

Thanks for reading and get in touch. We love to hear about your
Wisconsin life.

This newsletter was sent to <<Email Address>>. Wisconsin Life is a coproduction of Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television. Funding for Wisconsin Life comes from Alliant Energy, Lowell and Mary Peterson, the Wisconsin Humanities Council, and the Friends of Wisconsin Public Television. For questions or comments about Wisconsin Life, please use our contact form.

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