Monday, February 16, 2026

Connect on important issues

THE TRANSIT CRISIS IN WISCONSIN - webinar & discussion

Tuesday, February 17 at 6 p.m. online 

The transportation sector is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gasses in Wisconsin. Supporting public transit is critical for our health and the health of the planet. Join this webinar & discussion to learn more about the crisis that many public transit systems in Wisconsin are facing, and ways we can work together to save public transportation!


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Coulee Region Sierra Club Action Gathering
Taking it personal - Environmental Action
Are you looking to get more involved in 2026? Join us to learn about an important environmental issue and then take meaningful action together. This month we'll be exploring changes you can make at home or in your everyday life to reduce your environmental footprint. All are welcome, whether you're new to environmental activism or a seasoned campaigner! Enter at the back door. RSVP (optional) by calling 608-315-2693 or at https://forms.gle/34yPvEL5putiuUtR7 to help us know how much pizza to have on hand. BYO non-alcoholic beverage and your energy to make change!
 
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On February 28 from 9:30 to noon, join Citizen Action at its gubernatorial candidate forum at the First Congregational Church, Losey & Main (#4 bus). "This August and November, Wisconsinites will vote for their next governor. But before they get there, they need to meet the candidates! Citizen Action is excited to host six governor forums around the state, giving folks a chance to hear directly from the candidates about values such as healthcare, climate change, democracy, and more. We will be running a thorough endorsement process with the goal of endorsing in the primary. Over the last decade, Citizen Action has established itself as one of the premier social justice groups in Wisconsin, and has had a strong record of endorsing in primaries, including major state primaries!

RSVP here

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Black History Month events

 


Reflections of Ebony - TONIGHT  Food, Dance, Music. 5:30 p.m. UWL Student Union

Learn more here: https://www.uwlax.edu/events/?e=-2979956049040000057

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February 28 at 5:30 p.m.
Black Excellence Celebration
Capella Center, 721 King St.

Learn more here: 

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Black Hisstory Month Tribute Performance
6:30 p.m.
La Crosse Center

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Elections

Wisconsin's spring primary election is Tuesday, February 17. There is no need for a primary in the City of La Crosse, but other areas may have primaries. The spring election is April 7 with absentee in-person voting available beginning March 24. In La Crosse, County Board and La Crosse School District seats will be on the ballot.
 
You can learn more about candidates at the League of Women Voters Vote 411 site or through local media, though a big thumbs down to the La Crosse Tribune for hiding its candidate information behind a paywall! 
 
Citizen Action will host a gubernatorial candidates forum on February 28 at the First Congregastional Church (elections for governor happen in August (primary) and November).
 
Hintgen Neighborhood has invited school board candidates to its February 16 District 11, 12, and 13 Meet and Greet from 6 to 7:30 at the Moose Lodge, 1932 Ward Avenue.
 
Individuals can check their registration, find out where their polling place is, learn what's on their ballot, and more at https://myvote.wi.gov.  Wisconsin has same-day voter registration (register to vote on election day), but you must have the right paperwork to register. It's better to register early to avoid lines or potential glitches at the polls.

VOTER REGISTRATION
The League of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area Voter Services Team will host an in-person training session on Monday, February 16 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Cia Siab, 1838 Sunset Lane. 

The training will include
  • Online registration at MyVote.WI.gov
  •  Paper registration
  • Discussion of our unique populations including the three colleges and those experiencing homelessness. 
  • Q&A session as time permits
This is open to any interested league member whether or not you are on the Voter Services Team.Information presented will assist with League voter registration tabling events, DMV work, and deciding whether to become an election worker or election observer. Now is the time to build our capacity to be the trusted source of voter information for our community.
Space is limited so please register by Thursday, February 12th by emailing Jane Powell, Voter Services Team Co-chair at jloupowe@gmail.com
 
POLL WORKERS (from the City Clerk's office):
The City of La Crosse encourages all citizens to vote and to become involved in the election process.  Citizen involvement is essential to conduct open, accurate and fair elections in Wisconsin.  One of the most rewarding ways to become involved in the election process is to become an Election Official.  Election officials must reside in the county they serve, must take an Oath of Office, and are required to be trained by the municipal clerk prior to working any election. Visit the Clerk's page for more information about duties and compensation. If you live outside the city, visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission page. 
 
ELECTION OBSERVERS/POLL WATCHERS (from the Brennan Center for Justice)
"Observers may monitor the election process without causing disruption to the voting location from within an observation area, designated by the chief inspector, that is no less than three and no more than eight feet from the sign-in table."
 
Several organizations recruit election observers. 
ELECTION PROTECTION
The Election Protection Coalition is made up of more than 300 local, state and national organizations, working to ensure every eligible American has the opportunity to cast a meaningful ballot. Volunteers are welcomed.
 
We will post more information about candidate forums and opportunities to be involved in elections as we hear of them.



Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Walk for Peace

The "Peace Monks" have reached Washington , DC after a 108-day, 2300 mile walk from their home in Fort Worth, Texas.

On Wednesday, February 11, day 109, they will lead a global loving-kindness meditation, streamed on their Facebook page, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Central time.

"With the collective loving-kindness meditation from everyone in the whole world, it will make a significant effect on our world. When thousands of hearts meditate together in the same moment, our loving-kindness ripples outward, touching hearts, healing wounds, and planting seeds of peace everywhere."

People of any or no faith or guiding path can join in a commitment to work fiercely for peace, in ourselves, in our communities, in our world.

Learn more about it here: https://dhammacetiya.com/walk-for-peace/global-meditation/

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Coming soon online and in person

 

Join the League of Women Voters of Dane County and the La Crosse Area to look at htf environmental impacts of data centers on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. REGISTER FOR LINK.

"With the dramatic increase of AI applications, cloud services, and crypto-mining, data centers are proliferating across the country (and world), and Wisconsin is not immune. Data centers promise to be a boon to local economies, including employment opportunities and large increases in local tax revenues. And yet there are questions. What we do know from locations that now have data centers is that there are a number of concerns that should be addressed sooner rather than later. The questions include whether there will be long-term employment opportunities vs near-term construction jobs, demand on local water resources and the impact on local electrical capacity. Local revenues are also questionable at this point since current locations with data centers have not recouped the promised resources. In addition to these questions, there are additional concerns that have been pushed into the background like noise and light pollution, increased electrical bills, ecological degradation."


On Thursday, February 12 at 7 p.m. hear from those who are resisting the regime and reimaginonh a caring community. REGISTER HERE.

"Organizers and community members in Minnesota are transforming crisis into action and tragedy into solidarity. Join us for a conversation with labor and community leaders from Minnesota including Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-5), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and special guests. They’ll share practical lessons for fellow organizers on organizing in the midst of crisis, rapid response, economic solidarity actions, and how Minnesota’s experience can help other communities prepare to protect each other."

Breathe and touch the sky. Great Backyard Bird Count February 13-16.

"People from around the world spend these four days in their favorite places, connecting to the birds around their homes and in their community. Whether you see one bird or hundreds over the weekend, we want to share in your joy of watching birds and connecting to nature. Count the birds you see for as little as 15 minutes on one of the four days. Then, submit your bird list to be part of a global movement to better understand how bird populations are doing. Your participation matters."

Learn how to participate at https://birdcount.org.

All are invited to a Hintgen Neighborhood Meet & Greet with city (Districts 11, 12, 13) and county electeds and school board candidates. 

Monday, February 16 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Moose Lodge, 1932 Ward Avenue. Come when you can, leave when you must. More at https://HintgenNA.blogspot.com

Sunday, February 08, 2026

Protect elections NOW

From the Brennan Center


The SAVE Act could block millions of American citizens from voting by requiring people to produce documents like a passport or birth certificate to register to vote. The Brennan Center’s research shows that 21 million Americans don’t have these documents readily available.

We should be protecting the freedom to vote, not restricting it. Congress should reject this anti-voter bill. Learn more.

From Marc Elias, Democracy Docket: "The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) launched an investigation and issued new guidance that could severely undercut efforts to expand voting among college students ahead of the 2026 elections.


US Senator Chris Murphy explains. 
  • Seeking regime control of voter lists
  • Raiding and confiscating ballots and voter data in Georgia
  • Plan to "nationalize " elections in key states based upon manipulation of the stolen ballots
"Donald Trump is taking the steps to create a pretext to take over state elections - that's what Georgia is about. ... If we don't see clearly what is happening ... then we have no way to stop it."

From 5Calls.org: "On January 29th, 2026, House Republicans introduced yet another bill aimed at disenfranchising voters under the guise of preventing nonexistent election fraud. The Make Elections Great Again (MEGA) Act, like the previously House-passed SAVE Act, would impose a proof of citizenship requirement for voter registration and a photo ID requirement to vote. ... The bill would also supersede states’ constitutional authority to administer elections by imposing sweeping changes like forcing states to discard mail-in ballots received after polls close on election day, banning universal vote by mail systems, and prohibiting ranked choice voting in federal elections."

Challenges continue to exist in Wisconsin. 

"In response to a suit brought by voters who were disenfranchised in the November 2024 election, the City of Madison is arguing that because the voters cast absentee ballots, they don’t have a constitutional right to have their votes counted."

From Wisconsin Watch: "Those who faced threats and pressure say the president’s legal authority may be limited, but the guardrails that once kept him in check aren’t as strong as they used to be."

Saturday, February 07, 2026

Training Tonight!

 

Tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. Bystander Intervention &
De-Escalation Training at
The Nature Place

Support our Mississippi River!

From Friends of the Refuge-Mississippi River Pools 7&8

The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery screening on February 15 at The Rivoli (more details coming soon!)

A small local group is coordinating with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the primary backer of The Fish Thief, to enable this screening. The Commission has coordinated screenings in several other locations around the Great Lakes, including in conjunction with outdoor and sports shows. 

The Commission is now planning to have a booth at the La Crosse Sport Show (February 12-15, 2026) to promote the documentary and expand their education and outreach – especially in light of their collaborations with our very own USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center on French Island which will also be represented at the Commission booth during the La Crosse Sport Show.

The 1.5-hour documentary tells the incredible story of the most successful integrated pest management program of any aquatic vertebrate. The documentary highlights USGS science, including that conducted at the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center.  Commission staff and USGS scientists will attend the screening to answer questions about the Sea Lamprey Control Program and USGS science.
Last year we witnessed projected severe cuts to federal budgets and reductions in federal personnel including: National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, USGS Ecosystem Mission Area (which funds the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center), and more. 
This is another local advocacy event to sustain funding for the management and research to sustain our natural resources, the first of 2026, to continue to tell the good stories of the people helping to protect the resources we value.

Thursday, February 05, 2026

Help our neighbors!

 

February 6 from 10 a.m. to Noon help Driftless Mutual Aid collect community needs at Pearl Street Books, 323 Pearl Street with gubernatorial candidate, Francesca Hong.

Needs include non-perishable foods (no glass containers), hygiene/personal care items, period products, cold weather gear (hats , gloves, scarves), hand and foot warmers, first aid kits, baby products (diapers , wipes, cream), baby formula, gas cards, and donations.


Help support Hmong elders who may be reluctant to leave their homes to get basic supplies in these fraught times. You can help by donating or dropping of personal care items or non-perishable food items at the Hmoob Cultural and Community Agency, 1815 Ward Ave., M-F between 8 and 4:30 p.m. For more information contact Mia at 608-797-2578.

Tuesday, February 03, 2026

Transit Equity Day

Did you know that transportation is the second highest expense in most U.S. households? Did you know that the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the American Automobile Association report that it costs almost $12,000 per year to own and operate a car? Did you know that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation estimates that forty percent or more of City of La Crosse residents are non-drivers? Did you know that transit riders in Wisconsin spend 63 percent more time commuting than car drivers?

Transit Equity Day, February 4, Rosa Parks' birthday, calls attention to the need for better, stronger transit to ensure that everyone, no matter their age, physical condition, or wealth, can get to a full life. In fact, as Martin Luther King, Jr., noted, "Public transportation--buses, subways, trains, and more--is a genuine civil rights issue." Read more about that in this CityFix article.

Join the movement for better transit to improve equity, reduce air pollution and carbon emissions, and make our streets safer.

FREE FARES ALL DAY ON THE MTU February 4

OPEN HOUSE AT THE TRANSIT CENTER from 4 to 7

February 6 - SMRT Education & Outreach trip to Viroqua

Learn more: tinyurl.com/TEDLaCrosse-2026

Sunday, February 01, 2026

Freedom March #4 - Feb. 7 in Winona

From Buffalo County Dems

On Saturday, Feb. 7th, concerned Wisconsinites in coordination with the Buffalo County Dems & Friends and the Winona Rapid Response Team will gather at the Latsch Island Beach (101 Latsch Sq, Winona, MN 55987). The exit is at the base of the Winona Bridge immediately after the green “Winona” road sign and crosses under the bridge toward Old Duke Road.

Freedom March #4 over the Winona Bridge will start at 1 PM. We will meet Minnesotans at the top of the bridge, and then proceed over to Windom Park (one block from the bridge) for brief comments from Puentes/Bridges Co-Founder (and Buffalo County's own) John Rosenow. For over 20 years, they have been building cultural bridges between the immigrants' home communities and our rural farming communities in west central Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota.

This will be a family friendly, peaceful, and non-violent event in the spirit of MLK Jr. (i.e. no "F" ICE signs, etc.). Bring your signs, flags, and voices.

Terry Schoonover, Chair, Buffalo County Dems & Friends

info@buffalodems.org, (608) 248-1100

Saturday, January 31, 2026

Abolish Ice

 


ABOLISH ICE Protest

Solidarity Event

Hosted by La Crosse Indivisible

Saturday, January 31

Noon to 2 p.m.

State Road & Losey Blvd.



Flip the 3rd CD

 


Fundraiser for 3rd CD candidate Emily Berge

Sunday, February 1, 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Pearl Street Books, 323 Pearl Street

RSVP


Thursday, January 29, 2026

General Strikes Change Everything

 


If you can, withhold your economic activity from this odious regime on Friday, January 30.

If you can, no work, no school, no shopping.

If you need something, find alternatives - locally owned, independent businesses; co-ops; second-hand, Etsy, allies ...

If you can, use the day to contact our elected  officials. Use 5Calls.org or Indivisible if needed. (Find your elected officials here.)

If you can, withdraw from Amazon, Target, Delta, Hilton, Enterprise, Home Depot--enablers of the occupation. Or spend time researching other collaborators. Boycotts work.

If you can, start disentangling from the oligarchs' networks - FB, IG, TikTok, etc. Here's a guide.

If you can, donate to StandWithMinnesota.com or local agencies like What I Need Now, Coulee Region Immigration Task Force, or Hunger Task Force.

If you can, find and read about or watch an online training about how to document, oppose, and protest ICE.

If you can, help Ellie Leonard comb through the released Epstein file documents.

If you can, connect with neighbors to strengthen our local support systems.

If you can, organize a Visibility Brigade.

If you can, write a blog post or letter to the editor.

Whatever you can do will make a difference. The general strikes here seem small and scattered but they matter.



Tuesday, January 27, 2026

More training

What kind of democracy sets up conditions that force its citizen to attend countless training sessions about how to stay safe from rampaging, unaccountable taxpayer-funded employees? But, here we are.

Immigrant Defense Network Brave of US Tour
 STAND WITH OUR FAMILIES

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 5 to 7 p.m. 
Location TBA

February 5 EYES ON ICE - Document & Record Training . 7 p.m. Online 

Indivisible will cover the latest updates on ICE and CBP’s out-of-control and dangerous operations. We will talk through rights when documenting and recording law enforcement encounters, and how you can continue to take action.

RSVP NOW.


Community Defender Training Friday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. Online

This training will go over the Parental Interest Directive and parental rights and children’s rights in the ICE arrest, detention, and deportation contexts. We will also cover emerging risks in this enforcement environment and some ways that parents might navigate and lessen those risks.

This training is for non-attorney advocates, including organizers and others supporting community members facing immigration enforcement, as well as parents who might face arrest and detention. 

This training will be presented in English with Spanish simultaneous interpretation and is not eligible for CLE credit. 

REGISTER FREE


Saturday, Feb. 7 at Myrick Park: Bystander Intervention & De-Escalation Training. From 5 to 7 p.m. 

Goodwill offerings accepted to help pay for trainer expenses. Childcare available.




Media Disinformation

 

MEDIA DISINFORMATION - Why it matters and what to do about it

Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Online

Hosted by Dane County League of Women Voters

In this webinar forum you’ll participate in a lively discussion with our speakers about

  • What disinformation is and how it affects our civic lives
  • What media changes have led to the growth of disinformation
  • How to spot disinformation

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DISINFORMATION DETOX - Teaching Disinformation from Inside the Information Ecosystem  Thursday , Jan. 29 at 11 a.m. Online

From the Media Education Lab

Disinformation DetoxMedia literacy activities often position students as detached outsiders applying fact-checking skills to help them spot dis- and misinformation from a distance. In a landscape of ubiquitous screens, infinite scroll, algorithmic curation, and generative artificial intelligence, fundamental fact-checking skills do not match with the on-the-ground realities of how people encounter, interpret, and share information.

Learn more and register: https://mediaeducationlab.com/index.php/events/disinformation-detox

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STOP THE SCAM - Social Media & Ai-Driven Fraud

January 29 at 3 p.m. from the Alliance for Retired Americans

 Scams targeting older adults are escalating through social media and AI. This webinar will launch the Alliance’s Stop the Scam Campaign, a year-long education and action initiative. Learn how these scams work, how communities can mobilize, and how collective action can strengthen protections. Open to all.

Disinformation Nation is an education project of the Freedom Forum Institute, a nonpartisan organization headquartered in Washington D.C., that fosters First Amendment freedoms for all.

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Other resources


Monday, January 26, 2026

ICE Watch & Community Defense Training


The MAGA regime is escalating violence and lawlessness through ICE abductions and killings, international aggression, and open defiance of Congress, including the refusal to release the Epstein files.

Our movement must get stronger together to meet this moment. Join us for a national Action Training — a coordinated and interactive training to establish what Nonviolent Direct Action means and looks like in practice, then build the skills we need right now, including:
  • Making Political Violence Backfire
  • Women’s Protection + Safety Teams
  • Mutual Aid 
  • Corporate Accountability

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Wednesday,  January 28 from 6 to 7:30 pm online. ICE Watch & Community Defense training. 

Register here (use a nickname if you want): https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1ljKUChmQ9m_Ivl7jE8n2Q#/registration

Join this 90-minute training from States at the Core and Protect RP on effectively protecting your neighborhoods from federal enforcement incursions. ICE Watch and other rapid response tactics are key strategies being used by people across the country to protect their communities against aggressive activity from federal law enforcement agencies like ICE and Border Patrol. Whether or not you are part of an established community response network, this training will share important skills for building neighborhood resilience, documenting ICE activity, and supporting neighbors. In addition to covering the basics of ICE Watch, we will discuss new analysis on ICE operations, rapid response tactics, and safety guidance. Please Note: Due to security and safety concerns, we do not record these trainings. To keep up to date on upcoming sessions, sign up for our Substack: https://statesatthecore.substack.com/

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Federal immigration agents have shot and killed another person in Minneapolis, the third such incident in just weeks amid aggressive federal enforcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents -- at the behest of Trump's Christofascist regime -- have beaten and threatened us, killed us in broad daylight, held our children as bait, separated our families, arrested our faith leaders, and terrorized our communities. All this while our supposed leaders in Congress lack the basic decency to take action.

It’s time for all of us to strengthen our demands for accountability. It’s time for people of faith to join together and be the moral voice in this moment. It’s time to abolish ICE.

Sign on here.