Sun Prairie Rising Podcast

The Lord works in mysterious ways, and sometimes God tellsyou to buy a wood chipper.  Drunk customers, training and education, and the beauty of a good night’s sleep - it’s all part of the “cycle of love” for Action Jackson of Jackson’s Yard Care.  We had a great conversation about his health struggles as kid, building a business, and giving back to the community through a workforce development program.Plus, some updates and reflections since launching SunPrairieRising.com.

Weekly recap & updates from Sun Prairie Rising for the week of April 6, 2026

Updates on latest stories, news and opinion pieces about crime, questions for City Council candidates, bakery grand opening and the No Kings rally! Plus, previews of stories coming out this week.

The first official episode of the Sun Prairie Rising podcast! A weekly summary of the past week's news, upcoming articles and general updates about Sun Prairie Rising.

It's the end of an era...and the start of a new one! For the last episode of "What Are We Building?" I welcomed Police Chief Kevin Warych to the show. Chief Warych was an open book, willing to discuss staffing challenges, and the impact of the referendum, as well as issues around immigration enforcement and Flock cameras.I also gave an update on my newest venture, Sun Prairie Rising (and the Sun Prairie Rising podcast), along with updates on new condos, Sonic, and the Derby District. Follow @sunprairierising on Facebook and sunprairierising.com for new episodes, news and info!

You get 2 Alders for the price of 1 on this one.  I spoke to both Casey Drengler from District 1 and Santiago Rosas from District 2 about a number of issues affecting the budget and the upcoming referendum, including TIDs, the use of Flock cameras, and how the city can communicate better with residents.I opened the show talking about 2 new locally-owned businesses that recently opened, as well as his thoughts on funding for the Neighborhood Navigators.

TWall, TIF, Traffic & Transparency...this is The Derby District in Terrence Wall's own words.  A massive development planned for 130+ acres on Sun Prairie's west side, the Derby District has the potential to dramatically reshape the area around Hwy C (Grand Ave) and Hwy 19.  Terrence Wall and Fernando Escobar describe the plans for the site and address some of the concerns that have been raised by local residents.     I also opened the show with some notes on construction projects around town.

TWall, TIF, Traffic & Transparency...this is the Derby District In Terrence Wall's own words.  A massive development planned for 130+ acres on Sun Prairie's west side, the Derby District has the potential to dramatically reshape the area around Hwy C (Grand Ave) and and Hwy 19.  Terrence Wall and Fernando Escobar describe the plans for the site and address some of the concerns that have been raised by local residents.     

This one was a roller coaster, so strap in for the ride (and try not to throw up)!  Several big items have come up before the City Council and Plan Commission lately, and District 2 Alder Bill Baker is right in the middle of them.  I talked to Bill about sidewalks, the upcoming referendum & community survey, Sunshine Place, Derby District and the Communications committee.  Whew!In the show open, I shared what happened when I tried to attend the "town hall" for the Derby District, as well as my thoughts on the totally unnecessary can of worms we're opening up by revisiting the city sidewalk policy.  

It's a jam-packed show this month on What Are We Building?  Starting off with some new businesses in town and a massive plan for the "Derby District" at the QBE site near Grand & Windsor St.  Then, I had a very candid conversation with Lisa Goldsberry about the school board, empathy, engagement, and Grey's Anatomy. We discussed how the board responds (or not) to citizen issues, the situation with Principal Coleman at SP East, and the ongoing handling of the allegations against former Dean Robert Gilkey-Meisegeier.