Source: Pickpik.com
Dec 31, 2024, 6:00 AM CST
By nearly any measure, the year 2024 was one for the history books.
It was a rollercoaster year of war (Ukraine, Gaza, Syria); natural disasters (hurricanes, wildfires); public violence (CEO shootings, multiple school shootings); infrastructure calamities (Baltimore bridge collapse); and celebrity scandals (Sean Combs, “Bennifer” divorce).
And that didn’t even factor in an election cycle unlike any other – a major-party candidate winning his party’s nomination despite multiple indictments; two assassination attempts; an incumbent president dropping out only weeks before the election; a new candidate entering the fray at the 11th hour and narrowing the race; and then an Election Day victory that capped the most shocking political comeback in U.S. history.
Closer to home, there were too many stories to remember. Changes afoot with the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers and the Milwaukee Bucks. Shrinking enrollment at many campuses in the Universities of Wisconsin system. Wisconsin becoming basically ground zero for national politics with the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and the Badger State being one of a handful of swing states that ultimately decided the presidential contest. A tragic school shooting at a private Christian school in Madison. And there were so many more.
If one judges by our most popular stories, there were too many stories of interest. Below is the list of the 10 most popular stories, based on web metrics, from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 15, 2024.
The stories are listed in reverse chronological order:
No. 10: Northwest Wisconsin Businesses File Layoff Notices with Department of Workforce Development
Two large businesses in Northwestern Wisconsin filed layoff notices back in April 2024, with the state Department of Workforce Development.
Jeld-Wen, a window & door manufacturing company, filed a notice with the department that nearly 340 employees at the company’s Rusk County plant would be laid off in early June.
Jennie-O, best known for their turkey products, also filed a layoff notice with the department that they would be laying off nearly 40 employees after shutting down their turkey harvesting operation in Barron County.
The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin issued a warning to Wisconsin residents back in February 2024, regarding phone calls that requested donations but came from unknown charities.
The Better Business Bureau was responding to a jump in complaints about these phone calls. They urged people to ask questions and look at an organization’s website before donating.
The warning came during an election year where many political groups had “charity-sounding names” but raised money for political purposes.
Former Kenosha School Board member and local community organizer Kyle Flood, former Kenosha Police Officer Brian Gonzales and longtime local businessman and educator Ben DeSmidt have announced their candidacies for the Wisconsin State Assembly District 65 seat.
Flood and DeSmidt are Democrats while Gonzales is a Republican.
No. 7: A Wintery Mixed Storm of Snow and Ice Takes Aim at Wisconsin
Back in early December, Wisconsin experienced a warm winter weekend with the added bonus of freezing rain, sleet, snow and poor driving conditions.
Meteorologist Brittney Merlot gave an icy forecast for the weekend of Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 after observing the “Colorado Low” pressure system that would sweep over Wisconsin.
No. 6: Republican State Sen. Rob Cowles: ‘I plan on voting for Harris’
Back in October, Republican state Sen. Rob Cowles said he planned on voting for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Cowles was concerned about the blowback he would receive from fellow Republicans for coming forward with his views on the presidential election, but he said he believed that this would be one of the most important things he’s ever done.
Cowles made his announcement on the Civic Media show, “Rational Revolution,” hosted by Mark Becker. (You can watch the full episode here.)
No. 5: Federal Court Allows Transgender Student Access to Girls’ Restrooms in Elkhorn School
A federal court’s decision on Aug. 1 allowed a 13-year-old transgender student to use the girls’ restroom at Elkkhorn Area Middle School.
The student, identified as Jane Doe, originally filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Elkhorn Area School District in March 2024, claiming that the district’s refusal to let her use the girls’ restroom violated her civil rights under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
No. 4: Wisconsin Farmer Calls Election Results a Disaster for Agriculture
Hans Breitenmoser, a Wisconsin farmer and rural community advocate, called 2024’s election results a disaster for agriculture back on Nov. 14.
The Lincoln County farmer expressed his concern for President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration policies that target essential farm workers, emphasizing the reality that Wisconsin farms depend on both documented and undocumented labor to operate efficiently.
No. 3: With recent polls in his favor, former President Donald Trump is on his way to Waukesha
President Donald Trump set his sights on Waukesha back on April 30 after favorable polling in the same month.
Trump planned to speak at the Waukesha County Expo Center. This visit was part of many in Trump’s effort to appeal to swing states in the 2024 election. At this point, polling was favorable towards Trump but the margins were still tight.
No. 2: A Rare Tsunami-like Wave on Lake Michigan Strikes Again
A weather phenomenon known as a “meteotsunami” flooded Michigan beaches on June 27 fueled by Wisconsin storms earlier that week.
The meteotsunami raised lake levels by about two feet. Meteotsunamis occur around the world but many in the Great Lakes are too small to notice, with the last major meteotsunami occurring in April 2018.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde announced his refusal to concede to Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin on Nov. 12 in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter.
Hovde was defeated by a less than 1% margin and said he was waiting for the Wisconsin Election Commission to finish their canvassing efforts before making a final decision.
The Associated Press called the race on Nov. 6 in Baldwin’s favor. Hovde later conceded the race on Nov. 18.
Editor’s Note: Derek Tritz and David Hyland contributed to this report.
