6 Cities With Summers So Amazing You (Almost) Forget How Cold the Winters Are →

September 10, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Travel

Whether it’s because we love heading there to ski or just because they have a reputation for brutal winters, there are some cities across the US that are difficult to even picture without snow on the ground. But it turns out that some of these winter cities have truly amazing summers that don't get as much attention. When a place has to be buttoned up (literally) for so much of the year, the residents tend to really revel in the warmer months, leading to some of the most spectacular summers you can find anywhere. Between the great weather and nonstop festivals and things to do, summers up north are a great time of year for residents and visitors alike.

Here are six cities that may be famous for their grueling winters, but deserve a lot more credit for their summer months.

Foodies, Don’t Sleep on the Des Moines Food Scene →

September 03, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Food

Folks love to dismiss the middle of the country as flyover states they pass on the way to other, more interesting spots. But the people of Iowa have a secret that’s just starting to get out: we eat better than most anywhere in the country.

Who wouldn’t want to live close to all the freshest ingredients? On the coasts they love to talk about farm-to-table cooking as a culinary movement, but here in Iowa, that’s just the way of life. We know where our food came from, have often talked to the farmer and know that when a restaurant talks about local ingredients, they actually mean the farm down the road and not somewhere within 200 miles.

Let’s Eat: The heart of Finca Coffee glows warm with Salvadoran specialties →

September 01, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Food, Features/Profiles

Finca Coffee’s building in the new developments of the Novation Campus on Rimrock Road is modern and shiny. It’s sleek, with walls of windows and clean lines, a stark contrast to the warm and welcoming interior of this brand new Salvadoran restaurant and coffee shop.

Finca means “farm” in Spanish and this new addition to the South Madison neighborhood is part coffee connoisseur paradise, part cafe. The decor is meant to evoke the feeling general manager Todd Allbaugh felt the first time he visited the coffee farm Santa Leticia in El Salvador. It isn’t actually all that far from the feeling of a Northwoods cabin, he said.

Disconnect: Madison residents worry about the health effects of 5G cell towers →

August 22, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in News

The next wave of cell phone technology — 5G or fifth generation — will provide speeds geometrically faster than the existing 4G and LTE networks most of us now use. The race to install the infrastructure for it is on, and Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Energy Council, says Wisconsin cannot afford to fall behind.

Still says 5G would pave the way for “all kinds of sensor-equipped consumer products and infrastructure. The whole notion of smart cities really rests on those cities having 5G.”

In a region where 12 percent of employees are in the healthcare sector, it’s impossible to ignore how integral it appears 5G will be to the future of that industry. Having 5G will draw new businesses to the state, and benefit the ones that are already here, Still says.

Hidden in plain sight: UW Cinematheque is a small organization with a big mission →

August 15, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Features/Profiles

Creating thought-provoking movies that are well before their time, Ohio-based documentarian Julie Reichert has been called the Godmother of American independent film. Her progressive documentaries have earned her three Academy Award nominations and in 2018 she was given the International Documentary Association’s Career Achievement Award. Known for challenging the status quo, it’s fitting that Cinematheque on UW-Madison’s campus will feature four weeks of her films in November.

Cinematheque is an art house cinema, open and free to the public, that is a vestige of a once-thriving film society scene on the UW campus that, at its height, had more than 20 different groups.

Let's Eat: Middleton connects with Common Ground cafe →

July 28, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Features/Profiles, Food

It’s not easy to be everything to everyone, but Adrienne Hulburt-Stroud, owner of Common Ground in Middleton isn’t afraid of a challenge. In a rambling old house on the corner of Branch Street and Century Avenue, she’s certainly got the room to try.

Common Ground is first of all a restaurant, a diner/cafe and coffee shop with local beers on tap and an inventive menu. There are pastries and sweets and a full-on Friday fish fry that packs the place. Those who only ever venture here for the food will not be disappointed.

9 Cheese Experiences You Need to Have in Wisconsin →

July 26, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Food

People call Wisconsinites cheese-obsessed, but we don’t really think about it like that. For us, easy access to literally the best cheeses in the country — and the world — is a given, and often something we take for granted. But once you've lived here and then go somewhere else, it's like cheese detox. You not only miss it, but you realize how lucky you were to live in this dairy product wonderland. In fact, the siren song of squeaky cheese curds might even be the thing that draws you back home.

Want to experience cheese like a Wisconsinite? From award-winning cheese in our gas stations to hours-old curds at our grocery store, here are just a few of the ways that you can indulge in cheese like a true Wisconsin native:

Women's World Cup Notebook: Day 16 →

June 24, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Sports

England 3-0 Cameroon

So much happened in this game, much of which wasn't during the run of play and we're not sure that most of it even merits discussing here.

That so many people are refusing to see the role of racism and colonialism in both on-field performance and off-field narratives is baffling, enraging and disheartening. The always-brilliant Brenda Elsey nailed the point on how this game played out.

Women's World Cup Notebook: Day 11 →

June 18, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Sports

Germany 4-0 South Africa

This was as complete a game as I think we've seen from any squad in the tournament as the Germans picked apart the South African defense. They played their style of game and and did it to perfection. The passes were crisp, the ball-handling superb and everything just seemed to be clicking.

Running Up the Score →

June 13, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Sports, Essays

Ever since the United States Women's National Team defeated Thailand in their opening match of the 2019 World Cup, talk of the game has dominated the news cycle.

Caught up in the excitement of the win and seeing my team finally play up to their promise, I wasn't particularly tuned in to the building anger and frustration others had about what was happening. I didn't think too much about the score or the celebrations, but I also know I didn't have much perspective from which to see the bigger picture. But as I checked in on post-game commentary, I began to see why non-Americans viewed the events of the game differently than I did.

Despite the fact that Thailand is one of the handful of southeast Asian nations the United States doesn't have prominent questionable political or military history with, the optics of a stacked, strong American team demolishing them certainly weren't great. It's not difficult to see why someone watching would find it distasteful and upsetting.

Women's World Cup Notebook: Day 3 →

June 10, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Sports

Starting with my controversial hot take – if this is what having VAR is, I'm not sure I want it. Or maybe better stated, if this is what the rules call for, I'd like a new discussion on the rules. I admittedly haven't gotten to watch a ton of games yet as I was out of town at a conference, but what I have seen has been a lot of awkward stoppages and the spirit of the game ruined. My opinion may change as the tournament progresses, but right now it feels like a lot of pedantic stuff that happens in normal run of play is deciding games and so far it's made things less enjoyable to me.

Italy 2 - 1 Australia

We started off with a bit of a shocker yesterday morning as Italy's Barbara Bonansea scored her second of the game just moments before the final whistle to give the Italians the upset win.

Let's Eat: Panini-pressed pudgey pies pull 'em in at Pudgey's →

June 09, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Food, Features/Profiles

Tapping into the nostalgia of camping with family and a childhood spent outdoors, Jamie Scholl thought the pudgey pie (sometimes spelled pudgy or pudgie), a campfire meal staple, might just be the perfect food truck food for Madison.

Based on how quickly his event schedule has filled up, Madisonians agree. Despite being new to the mobile food cart circuit, Pudgey’s has already found success drawing on those flavor memories by providing savory and sweet goodies in a quick and easy fashion.

Business Initiative Helps Drive Economic Growth in Muskegon →

May 13, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Travel

The Community Foundation for Muskegon County, or CFFMC, has been an active, unique and important part of the Muskegon County landscape for nearly 60 years. Focused on being for the community and not just in it, this group makes connections and helps pool resources and talent to connect the help available to those that need it.

Let's Eat: Broasted is best at North South in DeForest →

April 28, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Food, Features/Profiles

roasted chicken is a north woods supper club staple, but Madisonians don’t have to travel that far to find this delicious, juicy and uniquely Wisconsin meal. They just have to find the unassuming DeForest location of North and South Seafood and Smokehouse. Located at the end of a strip mall, North and South is easy to overlook, but this second outlet of a west side favorite is well worth the short trip.

Broasted chicken is pressure fried chicken made using a specialty piece of equipment. A restaurant can’t legally call their dish “Broasted” unless it’s made using the equipment, spices and marinades of The Broaster Company, founded in Beloit in 1954.

NCAA Women's Hockey: The National Championship →

March 24, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Sports, Women's Hockey

After one of the most fun, tumultuous seasons, the season comes down to No. 1 vs No. 2. One of the best rivalries in all of sports. A border battle that's already had five iterations this season and is chock full of history.

"To be able to play them one last time, this one for all the marbles, is pretty special," said Minnesota sophomore Emily Brown.

These are two of the most decorated teams in collegiate women's hockey. Minnesota has won a record six national titles. If Wisconsin wins on Sunday, they'll tie Minnesota Duluth for second with their fifth title. Minnesota's 14 Frozen Four appearances and 15 Frozen Four wins are the most of any Division I program, while Wisconsin's 12 appearances and 12 wins are both second.

Wisconsin beats Gophers 2-0 in NCAA women’s hockey championship game →

March 24, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in News, Sports, Women's Hockey

HAMDEN, Conn. – Wisconsin defeated Minnesota 2-0 in the Women’s Frozen Four title game Sunday, capturing its fifth NCAA women’s hockey championship.

The Badgers ended the Gophers’ season for the second consecutive year after winning 4-0 in the NCAA quarterfinals last season. Minnesota has played in nine NCAA championship games; this was its third loss.

The Gophers struggled to get anything generated in front of the Badgers net. Wisconsin recorded 20 blocks, and goalie Kristen Campbell had 27 saves for her third straight shutout of the postseason.

The NCAA women's hockey trophy is coming home to Wisconsin →

March 24, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Sports, Women's Hockey

HAMDEN, Conn. – The No. 1 Wisconsin women’s hockey team won its fifth national championship Sunday with a 2-0 win over No. 2 Minnesota.

Wisconsin finished 33-4-2 after having spent nearly the whole season as the top-ranked team in the country. This was the Badgers' sixth straight trip to the Frozen Four, but their first NCAA title since 2011.

‘Hockey isn’t that important,’ Gophers’ Brad Frost says on eve of NCAA title game →

March 23, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Sports, Features/Profiles, Women's Hockey

Minnesota’s Brad Frost is one of the most successful coaches in college women’s hockey. This is his 12th season, and his team has made the NCAA tournament every year he has been at the helm. This is the program’s ninth Frozen Four under his direction, and on Sunday the Gophers will be in their sixth title game in eight years.

Minnesota has won four of the past seven national championships and will face rival Wisconsin for an opportunity to win Frost’s fifth and the program’s eighth title.

There’s no arguing that Minnesota is one of the premier programs in the nation.

That’s why it’s so jarring, on the day before the title game, to hear Frost tell a room of reporters one of his coaching principles.

Gophers women advance to Frozen Four final with 2-0 win over Cornell →

March 22, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Sports, News, Women's Hockey

HAMDEN, Conn. — The University of Minnesota women’s hockey team advanced to the program’s ninth NCAA championship game with a 2-0 Frozen Four semifinal victory over on Cornell on Friday at Quinnipiac University.

The winning goal came from senior Nicole Schammel on a power play midway through the second period; it was her 16th goal of the season. Sophomore Olivia Knowles took a shot from the point that went through traffic and was redirected by freshman Emily Oden. The deflection went to the right of the goal, where Schammel was waiting to put it home.

“We just did a great job of getting bodies to the net and the rebound came right to me,” Schammel said. “I was lucky to be there.”

Junior Sarah Potomak iced the win for the Gophers (32-5-1) with an empty-net goal with 32.4 seconds left in the final period.

Hockey Humanitarian: Training Future Guide Dogs Continues Long History of Wisconsin's Annie Pankowksi Giving Back →

March 21, 2019 by Nicole Hensch in Features/Profiles, Favorite Pieces, Sports, Women's Hockey

Wisconsin redshirt senior captain Annie Pankowski is standing outside the Badgers locker room, giving an interview to a handful of reporters, when a she gets distracted for a moment and then pauses her answer to lean down and scratch the head of a dog that’s now happily wagging its tail and sitting at her feet. Pankowski gives the dog a quiet command and then stands up to pick up exactly where she left off in giving an answer.

It’s a scene that has become familiar around the Wisconsin women’s hockey locker room the past few years as Pankowski has become involved with OccuPaws, an International Guide Dog Federation accredited in-home program that trains and places fully trained guide dogs with visually impaired Midwesterners at no charge. She has logged more than 2,000 hours training guide dogs and readying them for a life as a service animal. These days, it’s rare to see Pankowski without a dog by her side, so much so that she said her teammates often express disappointment when she shows up at the rink without a four-legged friend.

The daughter of two veterinarians, Pankowski has been around animals her entire life.