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Since Wisconsin Watch’s 2026 voter guide went live about a month ago, we’ve heard from readers how valuable it is. 

A librarian in northeast Wisconsin emailed me to offer thanks: “As a public librarian it is sometimes hard to find unbiased, nonpartisan information on elections and candidates that we can share with our patrons. I am glad that we will have your guide this year!”

While I wasn’t directly involved with creating the voter guide, I couldn’t be more proud of how it turned out — it’s a user-friendly, helpful tool. And one I’ll use to conduct research before I cast my ballot. 

So I’m asking you to do us a favor: Spread the word about the voter guide. Send the link to friends and family. Post it to social media. 

And if you’re really on a roll, download free flyers or bookmarks we designed to promote the voter guide. Print them out and share them in your community. Each resource includes a QR code that will take you directly to the voter guide webpage.

Spread the word about Wisconsin Watch’s voter guide is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Local news matters, but we journalists have work to do when it comes to delivering the information people value most, according to the northeast Wisconsin residents who took part in the Local News Landscape Study. 

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Center for Civic Engagement spoke to 251 people who call Brown, Kewaunee, Oconto and Outagamie counties home. Community members shared what they think about local news, what topics they feel informed or uninformed about, where they get news, and more. 

The Greater Green Bay Community Foundation commissioned the study through the Press Forward Northeast Wisconsin chapter, of which Wisconsin Watch is a member. 

What people said

Study participants value local information. However, areas they consider top priorities, like health care (76%), public safety (70%), the local economy (54%) and education (49%), they don’t feel well informed about. 

While many people get their news from social media and digital outlets, television remains an important news source for many residents. 

Trust in local journalism is stronger than social-media-based sources. However, people shared concerns about bias, sensationalism and repetitive coverage with researchers. 

Some people reported feeling underrepresented and want more news coverage that reflects their lived experiences. 

Participants pointed out several barriers to accessing local news, like paywalls, limited coverage of certain communities or issues and relevance gaps. 

Local news has spurred civic engagement for nearly half of survey respondents, motivating them to vote, volunteer, attend events or donate to a cause. 

What comes next

I found the whole study fascinating. 

One area I keep going back to is section 3.2 (page 27 of the PDF), which presents key themes about “what matters most to residents.”

I hear so many of these same thoughts when I interact with people, from friends and family to community members. They share their frustrations about out-of-state stories on the local TV newscast. They wonder how the reporting process works and where journalists get the information we report. They want to watch or read the facts and make up their own minds – not be told what to think. 

I agree. Here’s how Wisconsin Watch plans to use the results of this media landscape study to shape our coverage in northeast Wisconsin. 

Astrid Code is our Scripps Howard Fund intern, and she’s reporting on issues affecting rural communities into the fall. Read her work so far here. 

The Northeast Wisconsin News Lab (NEW News Lab) – a consortium of newsrooms that collaborate around a given theme – is working on election stories about the topics people said matter most but they don’t feel well informed on. Wisconsin Watch is focusing on health care. 

Our weekly newsletter, Northeast News, aims to be an antidote to some of the negativity survey respondents said overwhelms them. Our rotating feature sections aim to spotlight community members and nonprofit organizations making a difference; shout out fantastic small towns and funky places off the beaten path; and offer community members a space to share their diverse, fact-checked opinion essays.

We’re brainstorming more ideas to fill the gaps highlighted by the study. In the meantime, let me know what stories you think deserve more coverage. Email me at jzvandenhouten@wisconsinwatch.org. 

Are you on Medicaid and concerned about losing your coverage? Reach out to Astrid to share your thoughts: acode@wisconsinwatch.org.

How our journalists will fill information gaps in northeast Wisconsin is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Nancy and Brian Breedlove visited the Oshkosh Tool Library in mid-July hoping to borrow a hand truck, also called a dolly. 

The Oshkosh couple needed to move heavy items out of their garage before workers installed an epoxy coating on the floor. 

A story in the Oshkosh Herald pointed the Breedloves to the Oshkosh Tool Library, 300 S. Koeller St., Suite R, in Oshkosh. Nancy Breedlove figured they would stop by before they rented or purchased the equipment they needed. 

“We’re grateful that the facility exists and to learn that there’s all kinds of stuff here,” she said. 

The Breedloves are among 140 people in the Oshkosh area who are members of the tool library, which opened in September 2025. And the effort is picking up steam: In the month of June, the tool library recorded 51 loans – its largest amount thus far, said volunteer Jacob Klaameyer. 

A year of planning

Organizers, including Klaameyer, met at a Repair Cafe in Oshkosh and voiced support for a tool library and makerspace in a community survey. They spent a year making their vision come to life. 

The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Klaameyer said its governance structure was intentionally established as an organizer cooperative. That means the volunteers who power the Oshkosh Tool Library have an equal say in the organization’s future, as do its members. 

If, for example, organizers found a new space and wanted to relocate the tool library, the decision would come up for a vote during a monthly meeting, Klaameyer said. Monthly meetings are open to the public, and organizers make the Oshkosh Tool Library’s financial records available on its website. 

“(For) options that are going to affect everybody, we would engage the membership,” Klaameyer said. 

Up and running

The tool library has more than 558 items available for community members to borrow. The most popular items include pressure washers, a wet vacuum and fans. Large pieces of equipment like a 3D printer, a CNC machine and a band saw are available for use, as well. 

One of Klaameyer’s favorite spots is the space’s “free materials” section. It’s a wall near the door with drawers of nails, screws, nuts, bolts, washers and all kinds of miscellaneous small parts people can take – free of charge – to complete a project. 

And people don’t have to have a project in mind to visit the tool library. The organization hosts free workshops led by volunteers, including sewing machine basics, intro to Linux, bat and butterfly house construction and bike maintenance. Community members can also reserve space at the tool library for meetings or gatherings free of charge. 

Volunteer Allegra Van Rossum, of Oshkosh, appreciates learning new skills directly from people at the tool library, rather than turning to the internet. 

“I think the best part about it is the social connections between people and the learning … Just having the knowledge of people like Jake or someone who will know ‘Oh you should use this tool’ – I think that’s underrated,” she said. 

Collaborative projects

Besides checking items off their own to-do lists, tool library volunteers collaborate on group projects. Their latest effort is called Make a Village. Klaameyer said they’re constructing a microshelter modeled after Conestoga huts used to house people in Eugene, Oregon. 

“We started this project because we want to not only have the tools accessible to our community, but also help these tools solve community issues,” he said. “And I just thought it was a great opportunity to both practice woodworking with others, but also have a tool for advocacy for that sort of change in our community.”

Once complete, the microshelter will hit the road on a trailer. Klaameyer wants to show the finished space to local elected officials to see if microshelters could be part of the community’s response to homelessness.  

That kind of collaboration makes the effort worthwhile for Klaameyer. 

“My favorite part is when people show up and we build things together,” he said. 

How to join

People have to be at least 18 years old to become a member of the tool library, and they must live in Winnebago, Outagamie or Fond du Lac counties. 

Loans typically run for seven days, though Klaameyer said they can be extended to 14 days. 

Members must sign a liability waiver and a tool use agreement. 

Tool library organizers maintain a calendar on the Oshkosh Tool Library website with workshop information and open hours for every month. Community members can drop in during open hours to set up an account, complete their registration paperwork and check out equipment. 

There’s no cost to join the tool library. However, they appreciate donations, Klaameyer said. 

Learn more

Visit the Oshkosh Tool Library during open hours at 300 S. Koeller St., Suite R, Oshkosh. It’s located behind Takiza Mexican Cuisine. 

Check https://oshkoshtoollibrary.neocities.org/calendar for a list of upcoming events and monthly hours. 

Community organizations in need of tools can contact the Oshkosh Tool Library by email at oshkoshtoollibrary@gmail.com. Klaameyer said the tool library has a surplus of basic tools community groups can take for free. 

Donate to the Oshkosh Tool Library online here. 

This story is part of Community at Work, an ongoing feature series focused on community organizations that make a difference in northeast Wisconsin. Who should we feature next? Email jzvandenhouten@wisconsinwatch.org. 

Oshkosh Tool Library helps neighbors build together is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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My wheels got turning about how common sextortion has become after reading about a local case in the federal court newsletter Court Watch. 

Journalists Seamus Hughes and Peter Beck flagged a federal sextortion case from Outagamie County in March that caught my eye. The Post-Crescent covered the case with a brief story in April.

Teenagers and young people spend so much time online, it stands to reason there would be more opportunities for this kind of crime. That led me to another question: Is anyone tracking the number of sextortion cases reported in Wisconsin?

Intern Astrid Code took the assignment and ran with it. She tracked down law enforcement officials with the state Department of Justice, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and more. The DOJ tracks the number of sextortion cases, and it nearly tripled from 2024 to 2025. 

Those cases represent real people, and Wisconsin Watch is always looking for ways to explore solutions to the challenges our neighbors are going through. Several families whose children died by suicide after being sextorted have turned their grief into action: They publicly advocate for victim protections and educate students in northeast Wisconsin. Thank you to Jamie and Jared Weigelt and Jill Yindra for speaking to Astrid for the story. 

And lastly, thanks to Hughes and Beck at Court Watch. They spend a lot of time and money (records are not cheap) sifting through federal court dockets in a world where too few journalists have the expertise or time to do so. Our story started because of their important work.

Federal court newsletter sparks Wisconsin Watch sextortion story is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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An idea about profiling voters across Wisconsin turned into a multiyear project for Wisconsin Watch photojournalist Joe Timmerman – one focused on connection. 

The Public Square series launched in November 2024 and so far includes 10 stories about regular Wisconsin residents working to build community in the towns and cities they call home. 

“Instead of just focusing on politics, we really wanted to focus on community and where people were coming together,” Timmerman said.

To showcase the images and celebrate the project, Wisconsin Watch partnered with the city of Green Bay, the Astor Neighborhood Association, Catchlight Local and Report for America to host an outdoor photo exhibition on Saturday, June 6, at St. James Park in Green Bay. The display will be available for a short time at the park for community members to visit. 

Roughly 45 people attended the event on Saturday, walking among the posters of images, reading summaries of the stories and listening to a panel discussion about the series. Timmerman moderated the event, asking questions of four northeastern Wisconsin residents who participated in Public Square. 

Below, we recap the panel discussion, highlighting a few of the panelists’ answers for each question. Be sure to check out all 10 stories in the Public Square series, which included people who live across the state. 

How do you think your story fits into Public Square?

The students and staff who keep the Pulaski News in print embody the mission of the series, said Madelyn Rybak, a recent Pulaski High School graduate who wrote for the Pulaski News.

“We really are the only major source of news in the village of Pulaski, so I think that through writing for the Pulaski News, we really do our part in ensuring that the community really knows their neighbor,” she said. 

So too, does Third Space Green Bay, said co-founder Ivy McGee. The nonprofit organization aims to create an environment where people can make connections, particularly people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community who move to Green Bay. 

“I was kind of naive to the fact that people that are coming into this community really don’t feel that connection, and it’s a hard community to kind of come into,” she said. 

What was it like being interviewed and photographed for the series?

Paula Jolly, executive director and co-founder of Amanda’s House, said she usually isn’t comfortable doing interviews and being photographed by journalists. But with Timmerman, the experience was different. 

“He took his time, and he cared, and it just really made it a lot easier,” Jolly said. 

Part of it, she said, had to do with the equipment Timmerman chose to make the photographs. He used a twin-lens reflex camera circa 1950 and medium format film; it meant he had to take his time. 

Timmerman visited each subject for Public Square multiple times and spent hours with them – talking to them, observing how they went about their days and seeing them inhabit their spaces. 

The process allowed McGee and her co-creators to “slow down and take a breath.”

What was it like seeing your stories published?

A friend reached out to Laurie Doxtator after her photo appeared on the front page of a local newspaper (Wisconsin Watch allows media outlets to republish its stories free of charge). Timmerman met Doxtator when she was living at Amanda’s House. She allowed him to document her journey moving out of the sober living home.  

“This was my story that I told,” Doxtator said.

Similarly, Jolly said she sits for interviews to help community members better understand addiction, including how it affects people and their families. 

However, she was surprised to hear from people outside northeast Wisconsin who saw the story. 

“I didn’t realize it was going to the rest of the state,” she said. “Somebody from, I think, Milwaukee said, ‘Oh, I saw your article.’ I was like, ‘What? Really?’ It was kind of fun, but it also gets the word out in a wider area, so that’s important.”

Rybak spoke about the important role journalism plays in making people be seen and heard. 

“It felt so nice to just have a spotlight shown and to know what I did mattered to people,” she said. 

Once the feature on Third Space Green Bay was published, McGee said she continued to follow the series. 

“I was more connected to the community through the storytelling,” she said. 

How have each of you, your organizations or your communities grown, changed or developed since the time these images were taken?

Since Doxtator moved out of Amanda’s House, she continued her sobriety and cut her hair. 

“I’m still here and still growing,” she said. “Every day is a different day.”

The Public Square feature on Amanda’s House “opened up a lot more opportunities for us, just getting the word out there and helping people,” Jolly said. 

Third Space Green Bay now has a physical space, which the organization leases through The Art Garage. The co-creators are still looking for a permanent space to call their own. 

“There’s so many reasons why Third Space Green Bay is important, and why it exists, and why we want to continue to be a space to offer folks to come and connect, or just be,” McGee said.

The organization also started “Third Thursdays with Third Space” – monthly, themed events designed to “build connection, promote collective well-being and celebrate the creativity and resilience of BIPOC and queer communities in Green Bay.”

As for the Pulaski News, the publication was featured in myriad news stories and received a $5,000 grant from the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation. Rybak said more students are interested in writing for the newspaper, as well.

“For a very small student-run publication like us, it (the donation) is huge,” Rybak said. “That was such a great feeling to know that my work was a tiny part of that, and I feel so grateful for the opportunity we had with Wisconsin Watch, just to get our word out there.”

The photo captions in this story were updated with the correct spelling of Madelyn Rybak’s name. Wisconsin Watch regrets the error.

‘It felt so nice … to know what I did mattered’: Public Square subjects reflect on the power of community storytelling is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Women and girls find refuge from trafficking inside a nondescript building on Morrow Street in Green Bay.

They can attend support groups, eat a warm meal, take a shower, get new clothes or access community resources. 

But whatever they do, it’s their choice. 

“(Case management) is designed to make sure that every single woman and girl reaches independence. It’s their way. It’s on their terms,” said Carly McClure, operations director for HER Alliance. “We are just here to offer the support needed along that way to help them become the best version of themselves.”

The nonprofit organization formerly known as Awaken has served 251 women and girls since June 2022, according to the organization’s most recent Impact Report. In addition to directly supporting survivors, HER Alliance offers education sessions for the community about the dangers of human trafficking. 

‘Uphill battle’

Trafficking is abuse, McClure said, and the survivors who seek help at HER Alliance make several attempts to leave their situations for good, similar to people in domestic violence situations. 

“The uphill battle that everybody is facing in this position is, first of all, societal stigma,” McClure said. 

In 2025, the organization provided 4,908 units of service. A unit of service, for example, could be a meal, a call to the warmline or a referral to a community resource, among others, McClure said. 

Community members in general tend to think trafficking starts with a stranger kidnapping someone, and while that does happen, it’s not common, McClure said. 

“Trafficking begins with the grooming process. It’s happening to our children online more often than not now, and a trafficker is typically targeting someone that already trusts them,” she said. “So familial trafficking in Wisconsin is one of the highest forms of trafficking that we see.”

The intake process at HER Alliance happens in a quiet, private room with cozy furniture. The conversation is different for every person because needs vary, McClure said. 

Generally, staff ask questions to learn if a person’s basic needs are being met: 

• Do they have safe housing?
• Do they have access to food? Clothing?
• Are they employed?
• Are they in school?

Each person decides what support – if any – the person wants from HER Alliance, McClure said. Staff can connect people to community organizations to meet their specific needs, though local nonprofits also refer people to HER Alliance. 

The Brown County Jail refers many clients. HER Alliance has a full-time outreach case manager who spends most of her time working with women and girls at the jail, McClure said. 

Varying degrees of help

The organization operates what it calls a warmline – a 24/7 phone line staffed by a HER Alliance case manager. An important distinction, McClure said: The warmline is not a crisis line. 

“The warmline is available for people to call if they need (nonemergency) help, or if they’re already in contact with us and have already had an intake (session) – that number is for their use,” she said. 

Some people call the warmline just once, seeking advice or resources. 

Others seek additional help. HER Alliance offers weekly peer-to-peer support groups in a space that looks like a living room. There are couches, comfortable chairs, a TV, plants, a bookshelf and more. 

Clients can schedule one-on-one appointments with a case manager, or drop in during designated hours depending on their needs. 

A small kitchenette with a coffee station, a toaster oven and a refrigerator sits in the back of the building. Volunteers supply meals weekly, and frozen meals are always available. 

Clients can take a shower in one of the facility’s two restrooms, or “shop” a small boutique filled with gently used clothing, outerwear and shoes. Women and girls who complete an intake session and receive services get a punch card to shop the boutique, McClure said. 

“So if they have an interview coming up, or they’re going to school, or they just need new clothes, or they need new shoes, this is available to them throughout the year,” she said. 

Getting involved

Carmen Van Schyndel first learned about HER Alliance in 2024, during a TAT Freedom Drivers Project event co-hosted by her employer, Breakthrough. She remembers walking through an exhibit in a semi-trailer focused on the stories of trafficking survivors and their experiences. 

Prior to that, Van Schyndel thought human trafficking was something that happened in big cities like Chicago, not around Green Bay. 

But the experience “hit home,” she said. 

Van Schyndel spoke with HER Alliance staff at the event and started learning more. She joined the organization’s Advisory Board and later its Board of Directors. She now serves as the board secretary. 

She hopes to one day measure success by seeing the number of people HER Alliance serves decline. That will be a signal that the organization’s education, advocacy and community outreach efforts are making a difference.

“There’s still a need. There are still people that are not getting help who need it,” Van Schyndel said. “We still need to grow, but I think over time, as we really watch those numbers, I hope that those numbers go down, and those will be really good signs we’re making an impact in the community.”

What’s next?

HER Alliance acquired space next to its office in 2025, and it has big plans for it, McClure said. 

The programming area that looks like a living room will move as a result of the expansion, and McClure said they plan to add a full kitchen with an oven – an upgrade from the kitchenette and the toaster oven they currently use. 

“Now we’re kind of waiting on some grants to finish developing this space,” she said. 

Find resources

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, contact HER Alliance: 

• HER Alliance warmline: (920) 333-1701
• Email HER Alliance through the “Get Help” page on its website.

How to help

Want to raise awareness about human trafficking, volunteer your time or donate to HER Alliance? Here’s how: 

• HER Alliance holds education sessions on human trafficking throughout the year, though they take a break in the summer. Email info@heralliance.org to learn when the sessions will start in the fall, or keep an eye on the HER Alliance events calendar. 
• Volunteer with the organization: Fill out an interest form online. 
• Donate to HER Alliance through its website here. 

This story is part of Community at Work, an ongoing feature series focused on community organizations that make a difference in northeast Wisconsin. Who should we feature next? Email jzvandenhouten@wisconsinwatch.org.

HER Alliance combats human trafficking one person at a time is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Spoiler alert: There’s no magic formula. 

Wisconsin Watch reporters have to fill out a pitch form for every story. Yes, you read that right – they have to do paperwork. 

The process means they have to do some reporting in advance to make sure the idea is solid, to see if other outlets have reported on the topic and, if so, to determine what will make their story different. 

The goal is for them to have a strong idea about what the story is and who the story is for before they dive in too far. 

Generally, our reporters aren’t covering school board or city council meetings like daily beat reporters. Wisconsin Watch focuses on investigative, enterprise and solutions journalism. Our reporters are looking for trends, sifting through reader tips and finding inspiration in their daily lives.

Miranda Dunlap pitched a story about a Green Bay group that produces a historical podcast about its neighborhood. Do you know where she got the idea? She spotted a QR code advertising the podcast while taking a walk. 

Our journalism strives to live out our mission: using journalism to make Wisconsin communities strong, informed and connected. Every time I read a pitch, I ask myself, “How does this story fit our mission?” 

There are myriad stories we could be chasing, but they’re not all worth our time. The pitch form helps reporters and editors keep our mission in mind and answer key questions before we spend too much energy reporting and editing a story that doesn’t serve our readers.

Sign up for Northeast News, our free email newsletter focused on northeast Wisconsin.

Inside Wisconsin Watch’s story pitch process is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Journalists most often cover a specific area – or beat.

When I started in the industry, newsrooms typically had the following: 

• One or two local government reporters – one for county board, one for city hall. 
• An education reporter (like me!). 
• A few prep sports reporters.
• A features reporter. 
• A few photojournalists. 
• A courts reporter. 
• A general assignment reporter. 

Today’s newsrooms employ fewer journalists, which means reporters at daily publications often cover multiple beats. 

Analytics have changed how we measure success for our work, and with it, some beats have shifted altogether. 

I see more environmental coverage now than I did 15 years ago, which reflects growing interest from readers in that area. 

Traditional outdoors coverage – what some call “bullets and hooks” reporting because of its focus on hunting and fishing – seems to be declining. Meanwhile, coverage of outdoor silent sports like biking, hiking and kayaking has grown. 

Here at Wisconsin Watch, our beats are guided by our mission and values. Our journalists cover: 

• State government. 
• Education and employment on what we call the pathways to success beat. 
• Agriculture and the environment. 
• Health and welfare.
• And justice and safety. 

Investigative journalism is in our DNA, and our reporters are some of the best at it. They also report enterprise stories and solutions journalism. 

• Enterprise stories go deeper than something I would have covered as a daily education reporter. Think less about turn-of-the-screw school board coverage and more on trends emerging across the area or state. 
• Solutions journalism is rigorous, evidence-based reporting on responses to social problems. Every solutions story covers four pillars: a response to the problem, evidence that it works (or not), insights and limitations. 

These kinds of journalism, especially investigations, tend to take more time to produce and are therefore more expensive. 

But you can support journalism that makes a difference in the community. Subscribe to your local news outlet or contribute to Wisconsin Watch.

Breaking down Wisconsin Watch’s beats is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.