Gov. Tony Evers signs a budget that excludes his plan to help staff-strapped local governments track and apply for federal infrastructure dollars.
Author Archives: Bennet Goldstein / Wisconsin Watch
Bennet Goldstein reports on water and agriculture as Wisconsin Watch’s Report for America representative on the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk — a collaborative reporting network across the Basin. Before this, Goldstein was on the breaking news team at the Omaha World-Herald in Nebraska. He has spent most of his career at daily papers in Iowa, including the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. Goldstein’s work has garnered awards, including the Associated Press Media Editors award for an explanatory feature about a police shooting in rural Wisconsin, and an Iowa Newspaper Association award for a series that detailed the impacts of the loss of social safety net programs on Dubuque’s Marshallese community. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Posted inEnvironment
Wisconsin towns brace for next fight on local control over large farms
A proposed pig CAFO spurred five northwest Wisconsin towns to regulate big farms. After one rescinded its ordinance, others wonder if they’ll face lawsuits.
Posted inEnvironment
Midwest drought: Corn and soybeans suffer as forecasters expect no quick relief for farmers
Arid conditions are expected to persist in eastern Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin. River barges are affected, too.
Posted inEnvironment
Investigating 3M and PFAS pollution: How the Mississippi River Ag & Water desk collaborated
When radio reporter Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco traveled to the Iowa-Illinois border in early November, he found many residents unaware.
Posted inEnvironment
What EPA’s nationwide PFAS rule means for Wisconsin drinking water
New federal limits on hazardous “forever chemicals” could mean cleaner, safer drinking water. But some residents may see higher utility bills.
Posted inEnvironment
Why fish consumption advisories in Great Lakes states like Wisconsin carry their own risks
Amid PFAS fears, oversimplified warnings could discourage residents from consuming a food central to Ojibwe lifeways.
Posted inEnvironment
Great Lakes pollution threatens Ojibwe treaty rights to fish
PFAS are the latest concern in Lake Superior, where fishing is central to the lifeways of the Red Cliff Band and other Indigenous nations.
Posted inEnvironment
How Ojibwe tribes in Wisconsin resisted efforts to deny treaty rights
History of deception and coercion threatened tribal rights to hunt and fish in the Great Lakes and inland territory.
Posted inEnvironment
Queering the family farm: Despite obstacles, LGBTQ farmers find fertile ground in Midwest
Although they go largely unrecognized and face barriers, Midwestern LGBTQ farmers persist as they reframe the image of the family farm.
Posted inEnvironment
Listening to LGBTQ farmers helped me reconsider my place in the heartland
A reporter’s interviews challenged his stereotypes of the rural Midwest.
Posted inHealth & Welfare
What should I do about PFAS in my water?
A consumer guide for dealing with harmful PFAS being detected nationwide, including Wisconsin.
Posted inEnvironment, Health & Welfare
Midwest river towns seek answers after 3M factory taints water with PFAS
Local officials want to reassure residents about their drinking water, even amid questions about health risks and who will pay to clean up the contamination.