The Badger Project

Burnett County property one of 49 across the country scheduled for cleanup. After many years, the cleanup of toxic chemicals in a little town in northern Wisconsin can finally continue. As part of President Joe Biden’s 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $3.5 billion was allotted for the cleanup of backlogged contamination...

After an open records request, the police department released heavily-redacted documents from an internal investigation of a former lieutenant accused of misconduct. The Badger Project filed a lawsuit asking a judge to force the Wausau Police Department to release more complete records of an internal investigation of alleged sexual harassment by a former police lieutenant.

More than a quarter of incumbents not running for their seats in 2022, a rate not seen since World War II. Count on it: When Wisconsin’s political districts get redrawn, an unusual number of state lawmakers head for the door. This election cycle is no exception. Following the Wisconsin...

As Wisconsin faces affordable housing shortage, campaigning Evers puts $200 million in federal funds toward the problem. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated homelessness in Wisconsin, with the state now facing a deficit of more than 120,000 affordable homes and over 4,500 people experiencing homelessness on any given night, according to the most recent data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

The Fitzgerald brothers are back in the same congressional district. It’s a subtle but potentially significant result of the fierce redistricting battle that wrapped in April with a Wisconsin Supreme Court decision giving the GOP significant political victories. The decision affects the political fortunes of two prominent Wisconsin Republicans...

Investigative story on fired police rehired in law enforcement earns first place for best public service story in the online category. The Milwaukee Press Club honored The Badger Project with a gold at its 2021 Excellence in Journalism Awards gala Friday night. The first prize award – in the Best...

But it’s still trending red as Republicans look to flip district retiring Ron Kind held for 25 years. Redistricting in Wisconsin is complete. And though additional court cases could change some of the political lines, experts say the 3rd Congressional District, which hugs the Mississippi River and includes La Crosse, Stevens Point and Eau Claire, is likely set for the decade. Republicans are licking their lips.

While Wisconsin Supreme Court gave Republicans major wins, the 2023 election could reverse them. After a whirlwind of court decisions, Wisconsin’s political district maps are set. For 2022 at least. The maps for the two houses of the state legislature — the Senate and Assembly — are projected by...

Local companies and co-ops have done more for rural Wisconsin, experts say. Big telecommunications companies including Frontier and AT&T are asking the state for millions in the most recent round of broadband expansion grants, according to the list of applications submitted to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. Many of these...

Elections are supposed to be the mechanism voters use to choose their political representatives. But increasingly, it’s the elected leaders who choose the voters. Changes could be made to prevent this. Gerrymandering — the manipulation of political district boundaries by the political party that controls state government at the...

Investigative story on fired law enforcement officers rehired at new agencies nominated in the category of Best Public Service Story or Series. The Milwaukee Press Club announced its finalists for its 92nd Annual Milwaukee Press Club Excellent in Wisconsin Journalism awards, and The Badger Project was named among them. The...

The Evjue Foundation and La Crosse Community Foundation each award $5,000 for investigative journalism. The Badger Project received a total of $10,000 in grants from the Evjue Foundation and the La Crosse Community Foundation. The Badger Project was awarded a $5,000 mini-grant from the La Crosse Community Foundation’s community giving...

The certification – which includes personalized feedback for officers – improves policing, experts say. Eight percent of law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin have received full accreditation by a statewide law enforcement organization aimed at improving policing. Some of the largest departments accredited include Milwaukee, Janesville and Wausau. Accreditation...

At least 12 law enforcement officers currently working in La Crosse County and the surrounding areas have been fired or forced out from previous jobs in law enforcement, according to an investigation by The Badger Project. One major study found that these “wandering officers” who were fired or forced out...

With little fanfare and no opposition, a bill proponents hope will cut down on bad apples in law enforcement passed the legislature and was signed by the governor way back in November. The law requires law enforcement agencies maintain a work history file for each employee and creates a procedure...

While Wisconsin legislature considers medical marijuana, neighboring states reap the rewards. Illinois has collected more than $400 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales in 2021, and Michigan has collected about $200 million. Wisconsin still bans the drug in most forms, but the legislature continues to flirt with legalizing...

All UW head coaches, including Chryst and Gard, get bonuses for winning conference, national championship. Winning a national championship is a dream come true — but for UW coaches, it’s also a big payday. On top of his $362,000 salary, University of Wisconsin-Madison volleyball head coach Kelly Sheffield...

Crossing structures can reduce crashes by as much as 80 percent in some areas of the country. Deer cause more than 16,000 car crashes in Wisconsin every year, leading to millions of dollars in damage, and even a few lives lost. Yet the state has no wildlife crossing structures big enough for deer, which are effective in other states. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says they’re not feasible.

Wisconsin DNR paid more than $1 million for wildlife damage to crops, livestock and dogs in 2020. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources received claims for more than three times the amount of damage caused by deer compared to wolves last year, a review of DNR records by The Badger Project found.