Joe Schulz

Joe Schulz

@joeschulz97.bsky.social

Northeast Wisconsin reporter for Wisconsin Public Radio. Covering statewide business and energy, as well as general news in the Fox Valley and Green Bay. Story ideas? Email: joe.schulz@wpr.org

285 Followers 275 Following 200 Posts Joined Nov 2024
2 days ago
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Oshkosh prison inmate sues health staff, alleging inadequate medical care An inmate at Oshkosh Correctional Institution claims in a new lawsuit he received inadequate medical care for a brain tumor.

An inmate at Oshkosh Correctional Institution claims in a new lawsuit he received inadequate medical care for a brain tumor.

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3 days ago
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State bill would require solar, wind projects get local approval before state approval A bill in the state Legislature would require local governments to OK solar and wind projects before those projects can be approved by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

A bill in the state Legislature would require local governments to OK solar and wind projects before those projects can be approved by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

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4 days ago
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Green Bay approves new regulations for short-term rentals, Airbnbs An October report recommended the city strengthen its short-term rental ordinance to mitigate nuisances and protect housing for residents.

The Green Bay City Council recently approved updating the city’s regulations for short-term rentals, but the final rules are less restrictive than what officials had been considering last year.

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6 days ago
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UW-Oshkosh debuts women’s flag football as sport grows across Wisconsin UW-Oshkosh is one of at least 10 Wisconsin colleges that have added or announced plans to add women’s flag football, according to Collegiate Flag Football, an online publication tracking the sport's g...

“When you think of football, you think of big, tough guys tackling each other, but now we’re changing that narrative,” said UW-Oshkosh junior Ashlyn Clemens.

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1 week ago
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Wisconsin joins multi-state lawsuit challenging Trump's most recent round of tariffs Wisconsin is one of more than 20 states suing the Trump administration to try to block the administration’s most recent effort to impose new tariffs.

Wisconsin is one of more than 20 states suing the Trump administration to try to block the administration’s most recent effort to impose new tariffs.

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1 week ago
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Town of Beloit has pre-development agreement with company looking to develop data center The town’s agreement is with Cambrin LLC, a Delaware limited liability company that registered with the state last year. When developing a data center in Beaver Dam, social media giant Meta initially ...

The town of Beloit has entered into a pre-development agreement with a company interested in developing a data center.

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1 week ago
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Former Green Bay council member sues city, mayor over years-old audio recording dispute A former member of the Green Bay City Council is suing both the city and its mayor, claiming his constitutional rights were violated by the city’s use of audio recording devices in City Hall several y...

A former member of the Green Bay City Council is suing both the city and its mayor, claiming his constitutional rights were violated by the city’s use of audio recording devices in City Hall several years ago.

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1 week ago
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Tribes, gambling companies at odds over bill legalizing online sports betting in Wisconsin If the bill becomes law, Wisconsin tribes interested in offering online sports betting "would need to renegotiate" their gaming compacts with the state. And those compacts would need to be approved by...

A bipartisan bill to legalize online sports betting in Wisconsin is facing opposition from high-profile companies offering online sports gambling.

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2 weeks ago
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PSC requires Alliant Energy file new application with fewer redactions for data center rates The PSC required Alliant file a revised version of its application by 4 p.m. Friday. The agency is now reviewing the new version to analyze the redactions and justifications from the utility before mo...

State regulators required Alliant Energy to resubmit documents with fewer redactions as it seeks approval for custom electric rates for Meta’s large data center campus in Beaver Dam.

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2 weeks ago
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Generac settles $200M lawsuit over 2023 generator explosion Waukesha-based Generac Power Systems is settling a lawsuit related to a 2023 explosion of one of its portable generators at a Pennsylvania construction site.

Waukesha-based Generac Power Systems is settling a $200 million lawsuit related to a 2023 explosion of one of its portable generators at a Pennsylvania construction site.

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2 weeks ago
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Winnebago County Board declines to take up resolution denouncing ICE action in Minnesota The Winnebago County Board declined to take action on a resolution condemning federal immigration actions in Minneapolis, removing the item from its agenda Tuesday night without debate.

The Winnebago County Board declined to take action on a resolution condemning federal immigration actions in Minneapolis, removing the item from its agenda Tuesday night without debate.

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2 weeks ago
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Anti-poverty nonprofit in Green Bay places CEO on leave amid financial monitoring by the state A Green Bay-based nonprofit has placed its top executive on administrative leave following reports of possible misuse of taxpayer funds and the state’s decision to impose enhanced financial monitoring...

A Green Bay-based nonprofit has placed its top executive on administrative leave following reports of possible misuse of taxpayer funds and the state’s decision to impose enhanced financial monitoring.

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3 weeks ago
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Wisconsin PSC, UW-Madison partnering to identify possible nuclear plant sites The state Public Service Commission is partnering with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to identify potential sites for nuclear power plants in Wisconsin.

The state Public Service Commission is partnering with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to identify potential sites for nuclear power plants in Wisconsin.

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3 weeks ago
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3 northeast Wisconsin towns call for 1-year moratorium on data centers The towns of Two Creeks, Two Rivers and Mishicot all approved resolutions calling on Manitowoc County to place a one-year moratorium on new data center projects.

The towns of Two Creeks, Two Rivers and Mishicot all approved resolutions calling on Manitowoc County to place a one-year moratorium on new data center projects.

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3 weeks ago
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'Only in Wisconsin': Lake Winnebago's first legal bar opens for sturgeon spearing season A Wisconsin bar is giving new meaning to serving drinks on ice.

On Saturday afternoon, a line of people stood in line on frozen Lake Winnebago — home to one of North America’s largest sturgeon populations — waiting to purchase a drink from the first legal, full-service cocktail bar built on the lake’s frozen surface.

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1 month ago
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Community group challenges Port Washington's data center TID in court A community group opposed to the planned data center campus in Port Washington is suing the city to try to block a tax increment financing district created to support the project.

A community group opposed to the planned data center campus in Port Washington is suing the city to try to block a tax increment financing district created to support the project.

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1 month ago
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'End of an era': Milwaukee processing plant to close later this year, affecting 221 workers Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. filed a layoff notice with the state Department of Workforce Development on Tuesday. The company says it plans to permanently close its "protein processing plant" on South...

A Milwaukee processing plant will close later this year, which could leave 221 workers out of a job.

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1 month ago
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Alliant Energy proposes custom electric rates for Meta's data center campus Alliant Energy is asking state regulators to approve custom electric rates for Meta’s large data center campus in Beaver Dam, but the heavily redacted document hides details from the public, including...

Alliant Energy is asking state regulators to approve custom electric rates for Meta’s large data center campus in Beaver Dam, but the heavily redacted document hides details from the public, including the amount of energy the project is expected to use.

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1 month ago
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Wisconsin lawmakers propose bill to slow the 'revolving door' between regulators and utilities In the last three years, two former commissioners have taken executive roles at utilities not long after stepping down from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

A group of Republican state lawmakers want to address the “revolving door” between Wisconsin utility regulators and the companies they are tasked with regulating.

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1 month ago
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Rockwell Automation selects New Berlin for 'factory of the future' Rockwell Automation has selected New Berlin as the home of a new manufacturing plant, the company announced in an earnings call Thursday.

Rockwell Automation has selected New Berlin as the home of a new manufacturing plant, the company announced in an earnings call Thursday.

“I’m pleased to share that this factory of the future will be located in New Berlin,” Rockwell Automation CEO Blake Moret said.

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1 month ago
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Business groups sue to block Port Washington residents from interfering with TIDs Business groups are suing the city of Port Washington, challenging the legality of a proposed ordinance that would give residents more power over local development incentives.

Business groups are suing the city of Port Washington, challenging the legality of a proposed ordinance that would give residents more power over local development incentives.

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1 month ago
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Second data center project proposed in Beaver Dam A second data center development is being proposed in Beaver Dam. Local officials say would be much smaller than Meta’s data center campus currently under construction.

A second data center development is being proposed in Beaver Dam that officials say would be much smaller than Meta’s data center campus currently under construction.

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1 month ago
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Wisconsin's version of C-SPAN resumes coverage at the state Capitol Wisconsin’s version of C-SPAN is back online after going dark for about seven weeks due to a lack of funding.

Wisconsin’s version of C-SPAN is back online after going dark for about seven weeks due to a lack of funding.

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1 month ago
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Plans move forward to bring new nuclear energy to Kewaunee County EnergySolutions first announced plans to explore bringing new nuclear power to the Kewaunee County site last year.

Plans to bring new nuclear energy to the site of a shuttered nuclear plant in Kewaunee County are moving forward.

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1 month ago
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Green Bay community mourns the death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis The Green Bay community is mourning the death of Alex Pretti, who was killed by federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend.

Alex Pretti was born in Illinois but grew up in Green Bay, according to the Associated Press. He graduated from Preble High School in 2006. As news spread of Pretti’s death, people stopped at his old high school to pay tribute. They left flowers, handwritten notes, a stethoscope and a guitar.

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1 month ago
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Trump campaigned on lowering prices, but many Wisconsinites still feel pinched In his 2024 campaign to return to the White House, Donald Trump stood in front of a crowd in Green Bay in October wearing a bright orange work vest, pledging that if he won the presidency again, he wo...

Food prices have continued to climb since Trump returned to office. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, they were 3.1 percent higher in December 2025 than they were in the final month of 2024.

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1 month ago
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GOP lawmakers enforcing ban on public recording state Capitol proceedings A memo from state Senate Chief Clerk Cyrus Anderson says state statute gives supremacy to Senate or Assembly rules when it comes to open meetings law.

Republican state lawmakers are enforcing rules that ban members of the public from recording legislative hearings inside the state Capitol in the wake of Wisconsin’s version of C-SPAN going offline.

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1 month ago
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Alliant Energy plans to build $730M wind farm in Columbia County The Columbia Wind project would be a 277-megawatt wind farm with more than 40 wind turbines.

Alliant Energy hopes to build a new roughly $730 million wind farm in Columbia County that will provide enough electricity to power about 100,000 homes annually.

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1 month ago
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Federal lawsuit says Milwaukee restaurant illegally let managers collect worker tips The federal government is suing a Milwaukee seafood restaurant and its owners, alleging they illegally allowed managers to collect tips from other workers.

The federal government is suing a Milwaukee seafood restaurant and its owners, alleging they illegally allowed managers to collect tips from other workers.

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1 month ago
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Midwest grid operator selects out of state firms to build Wisconsin transmission projects The Midwest electric grid operator selected a pair of out of state companies to build two major transmission line projects in Wisconsin.

The Midwest electric grid operator selected a pair of out of state companies to build two major transmission line projects in Wisconsin.

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