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Wisconsin Watch
@wisconsinwatch.org
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A nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom working to provide journalism that keeps Wisconsin's communities strong, informed and connected.

👉 Visit us at wisconsinwatch.org
💸 Support us at wisconsinwatch.org/support-wisconsin-watch/
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wisconsinwatch.org
Do the majority of Americans use social media to get health information? More Americans are turning to social media for health information, but many remain unsure about what they can trust.

Read the fact brief here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2026/01/heal...

By Tom Kertscher
Wisconsin Watch
January 16, 2026 at 6:02 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
As Wisconsin’s population ages and fewer traditional college students enroll, UW–Green Bay is finding new ways to meet the moment by welcoming older adults into classrooms and learning programs.

Read the story here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2026/01/wisc...

By Miranda Dunlap
Wisconsin Watch
January 14, 2026 at 10:00 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
Wisconsin’s state government is in the midst of an ongoing effort to shrink its physical footprint and modernize how public services are delivered.

Read the story here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2026/01/wisc...

By Brittany Carloni Wisconsin Watch

#WisconsinWatch #PublicPolicy #Election2026
January 12, 2026 at 10:00 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
Who has the right to walk along Lake Michigan’s shoreline? A Wisconsin man is challenging a trespassing citation in hopes of pushing courts to reconsider how shoreline access works in this state.

Read the story here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2026/01/wisc...

By Dan Egan for Wisconsin Watch
January 9, 2026 at 6:02 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
Falls through the ice on Wisconsin lakes are being reported more often, and warming winters are only part of the story.

Read the story here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2026/01/wisc...

By Jess Miller
Wisconsin Watch

#Wisconsin #PublicSafety #ClimateChange #WinterSafety #OutdoorRecreation
January 9, 2026 at 3:01 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
As energy costs rise, nonprofit groups across Wisconsin are stepping in with a simple but powerful form of support: firewood.

Read the story here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2026/01/wisc...

By Bennet Goldstein
Wisconsin Watch

#Wisconsin #RuralCommunities #EnergyAssistance #NonprofitWork #CommunityCare
January 8, 2026 at 9:00 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
At Wisconsin Watch, we practice solutions journalism by taking a clear-eyed look at how responses to real problems are actually working.

Read the story here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2026/01/wisc...

by Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten at Wisconsin Watch

#WisconsinWatch #SolutionsJournalism #Education
January 8, 2026 at 3:03 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
A charter high school in Appleton is working to prepare students for skilled trades through hands-on learning, but sustaining the effort has proven challenging.

Read story here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2025/12/wisc...

By Miranda Dunlap
Photo by Mike Roemer
January 5, 2026 at 9:00 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
In 2025, Wisconsin Watch published dozens of fact briefs designed to answer simple yes or no questions with clarity, evidence and context.

Read the full roundup here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2025/12/wisc...

By Tom Kertscher
Photo by Joe Timmerman

#Wisconsin #FactChecking #CivicInformation
December 26, 2025 at 7:00 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
View the visual year in review here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2025/12/wisc...

By Joe Timmerman

#Wisconsin #Photojournalism #VisualStorytelling #Newsrooms #InvestigativeJournalism
December 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
In 2025, Wisconsin Watch experienced a year of visual firsts that reshaped how stories were told across the state.
December 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
A new village being built in Sheboygan County is reimagining what life with dementia can look like in the United States.

Read the story here:
wisconsinwatch.org/2025/12/livi...

By Addie Costello
Photo by Angela Major WPR

#Wisconsin #HealthCare #Aging #Dementia #CommunityCare
December 22, 2025 at 9:30 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
As energy hungry data centers loom, Wisconsin ratepayers are still paying nearly $1 billion for power plants that no longer produce electricity.
December 22, 2025 at 7:15 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
Is sedition punishable by death? No. @tomkertschernews.bsky.social has the facts ✅ wisconsinwatch.org/2025/11/sedi...
November 21, 2025 at 11:17 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
ICYMI: Opioid settlement payouts could help save lives but many counties in Wisconsin have yet to spend theirs. How much has your county been allocated? We've created a simple tool to help you find out: wisconsinwatch.org/2025/07/how-...
August 6, 2025 at 4:57 AM
wisconsinwatch.org
Good morning Brown County! There is still some space left in tonight's listening session, which will run from 3 - 4pm at the Central Library. Attendance is free & light refreshments will be served -- but you do have to register. Sign up here (and please share!): wisconsinwatch.org/new/#listeni...
May 20, 2025 at 2:40 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
👋 Wisconsin Watch and the Northeast Wisconsin News Initiative are partnering on a project to understand key gaps in local news and knowledge -- we've developed a short survey and invite all residents of northeast Wisconsin to take part: wisconsinwatch.org/new/
May 9, 2025 at 4:57 AM
wisconsinwatch.org
Fun fact brief: The only other time the NFL draft took place in Wisconsin was on Dec. 9, 1939, when it was held in Milwaukee. The draft was done downtown at the Schroeder Hotel, now the Hilton Milwaukee City Center.
April 25, 2025 at 4:57 AM
wisconsinwatch.org
Our weekly newsletters are written by and for people who love Wisconsin and want to see its communities flourish. Like all of our journalism, they're free -- because everyone needs access to news, not just those who can afford to pay for it. Sign up today: wisconsinwatch.org/subscribe/
April 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
Our reporters went above and beyond out in the field to report this story, so don't miss their behind-the-scenes companion piece: https://buff.ly/4141lvD (2/2)
February 9, 2025 at 5:00 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
With a car weighed down by plenty of granola, trail mix and Goldfish crackers, three Wisconsin Watch journalists spent a stretch of October driving through Wisconsin’s Driftless Area and Central Sands to report a series of solutions-focused stories: https://buff.ly/4141lvD
February 5, 2025 at 1:26 PM
wisconsinwatch.org
After falling for years, Wisconsin’s estimated homeless population has been rising since 2021. This past year it rose again from 4,861 in 2023 to 5,037. In the 69 counties outside Milwaukee, Racine and Dane Counties, the homeless population increased from 2,938 individuals in 2023 to 3,201 in 2024.
December 23, 2024 at 5:38 PM