AGP Executive Report

Ripon Live Music: Doozey is set for a free Horicon Bank Ripon Summer Concert Series stop Friday, Aug. 14 (7-10 p.m.) at the Village Green in downtown Ripon, with the Appleton trio mixing pop, rock, alternative and indie for an interactive show. Next Night’s Big Draw: The Village Green follows Saturday, Aug. 15 with a special concert event featuring national recording artist The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Wisconsin Politics Meets Sports/Arts: Wisconsin lawmakers continue moving bills that touch culture and community life, including AB1034 on UW student-athlete name, image and likeness compensation and AB963/AB962 on minors’ social media and app-store protections. Local Governance Watch: Sun Prairie is preparing for a possible data-center moratorium after a year of work on ordinances and impacts, with public presentations slated for Aug. 17-18. Business/Entertainment Crossover: Pharos Brands names Matt Smith CEO as its hemp-THC beverage push expands into hundreds of retail doors.

Local Politics & Arts/Community: Wisconsin’s Democratic governor primary stayed razor-thin as Francesca Hong and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley battled to a near tie, with Milwaukee absentee ballot counting hiccups delaying results. Statehouse & Representation: In the 76th Assembly District, Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford won a Democratic primary to succeed Francesca Hong, setting up a fall matchup in a heavily liberal Madison seat. Entertainment & Live Events: WPR’s “Pint-Sized Concert” returns to the Middleton Night Market with local makers and live classical music plus funk-fusion headliner WURK. Sports (Milwaukee): The Brewers fell to the Padres 11-2 in a rough opener, with Luis Rengifo launching a first career grand slam. Sports (Wisconsin & Beyond): Tom Tiffany won the GOP governor primary; in the NBA, LeBron’s 76ers debut vs. the Knicks and his Christmas matchup with the Lakers were highlighted in the league’s schedule sneak peek. Health & Public Life: Wisconsin confirmed additional measles cases, urging residents to check MMR vaccination status.

Wisconsin Arts & Community: Oshkosh’s Boys & Girls Club hosted National Night Out with nearly 40 partners connecting families to safety, health, housing, and education resources. Milwaukee Entertainment & Culture: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch marks its first year with a community-centered impact report and an open invitation for residents to help shape local coverage. Tech & Health in Milwaukee: St. Luke’s Medical Center is buying the da Vinci 5 robotic platform to advance robotic gynecologic oncology, aiming for better team coordination and minimally invasive outcomes. Aviation Spotlight: AirVenture wrapped in Oshkosh, drawing about 734,000 visitors and 10,000+ aircraft for a week of airshows, education, and family events. Sports Buzz: Dave Matthews Band announced a fall arena run with Madison dates, plus additional Midwest stops. Local Events: BEAMING Inc. announced a fundraiser in Neenah (Oct. 10) to offset rising horse-care costs.

Local Arts & Community: Wade House in Greenbush brings back its Arts & Crafts Fair Aug. 30, with Wisconsin artisan shopping, food vendors, live entertainment, and historic site tours for discounted $6 admission. New Dining in Milwaukee: Bartolotta Restaurants’ High Stakes opens this summer and adds the Peacock Lounge—an Art Deco, Las Vegas-inspired upscale cocktail spot for pre-/post-dinner drinks and small plates. Wisconsin Sports Spotlight: The Brewers kick off a West Coast trip with a 3-2 loss to the Padres after Jackson Merrill’s two-run homer; Milwaukee also gets a fun crossover moment as WWE’s The Miz calls in to Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. Marquette Volleyball on TV: Four Marquette matches land on national broadcasts, including FOX Sports and the Big Ten Network. Arts Calendar: Madison First Tee’s summer tournament wraps up with character-building golf for kids. Food Safety: Taylor Fresh Foods recalls jalapeño dips and prepared items sold at major retailers, including Trader Joe’s, over Salmonella concerns. Public Health/Politics: Francesca Hong addresses backlash over past posts, saying she “let my feelings out into the world” as Wisconsin’s primary nears.

Wisconsin Sports & Community: The Little League Baseball World Series regional road to Williamsport is heating up, with ESPN carrying U.S. regional championship games and a full watch guide for fans. Baseball (Milwaukee): The Brewers keep rolling into a Padres series at Petco, with Logan Henderson set to start Aug. 10 and the matchup previewed game-by-game. Music (Regional): Apollo Music Festival returns Aug. 15-29 with 10 free chamber concerts across southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Local Education: Milwaukee Public Schools expands literacy training for teachers and support staff ahead of the new school year, including an instructional summit Aug. 10-11. Arts & Dining: Bartolotta’s new Art Deco Peacock Lounge is slated to debut in summer 2026 as part of its High Stakes fine dining push. Aviation Hobby: A grandfather-granddaughter team from Temperance won top honors at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh for an RV-12iS they built together. Weather/Events: The Wisconsin State Fair reopened after a storm shutdown and extended a promotion through 6 p.m. Food Safety: Taylor Fresh Foods recalls jalapeño products tied to a multi-state salmonella risk, including items distributed to Wisconsin.

Basketball Loss: Don Nelson, the Hall of Fame coach and five-time NBA champion as a player, died at 86. He finished with 1,335 regular-season coaching wins and shaped the Bucks, Warriors, Knicks and Mavericks with his fast, innovative style. Wisconsin Politics: The Democratic governor primary is in its final stretch, with Francesca Hong drawing fresh scrutiny after national figures weighed in on her past “cancel Thanksgiving” and “abolish prisons” comments. Campaign Trail: On the last day of early voting, Hong canvassed Waukesha and Kenosha while Gov. Tony Evers backed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as the candidate he says can beat Tom Tiffany. Health & Safety: Target, Walmart and Whole Foods joined recalls tied to a Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeños. Local Sports/Community: A Milwaukee padel club is set to open on the far northwest side, bringing a pickleball-squash mashup to the city. Crime Watch: A Wisconsin mother and father face charges after a 3-week-old baby died following alleged meth use during pregnancy.

NBA & Local Sports: Don Nelson, the second-winningest NBA coach and a Milwaukee Bucks legend, has died at 86, leaving behind a coaching legacy that reshaped how the game is played. Milwaukee Bucks: Tyler Herro says he’s not stressing his contract as he settles into his hometown Bucks role. Brewers Baseball: Milwaukee looks to keep rolling in the Sunday finale vs. the Twins, with ace Jacob Misiorowski on the mound and the bullpen carrying momentum. Entertainment & Pop Culture: WWE has filed a trademark for “The Mike,” a nod to a Brewers-related nickname debate. Music & Community: Milwaukee rock ’n’ roll pioneer Larry Lynne, 85, is still taking the stage. Arts & Performance: Drum Corps International crowned the Bluecoats as 2026 World Champions, with Wisconsin’s Blue Stars finishing sixth. Wisconsin Culture: A Green Bay Packers receiver, Matthew Golden, is spotlighted through a Goodwill partnership. Weather: Severe storms are possible in southeastern Wisconsin Sunday, with heavy rain and strong winds in the mix. Gaming Collectibles: Rare Nintendo cartridges found in Waukesha could be worth millions. Lottery: Powerball climbed past $900M after the Aug. 8 drawing went unclaimed.

Wisconsin Politics & Community: Democrats held a “Heart of the North” candidate potluck at Ojibwa Town Park, with live music, local vendors, and direct meet-and-greets for voters in a key swing region. Madison Arts & Culture: The Teejop Community Art Project opens in Madison with Indigenous artists creating outdoor installations honoring Ho-Chunk history across multiple locations. Milwaukee Arts & Festivals: The Third Ward Moon Festival runs downtown for the Historic Third Ward Association’s 50th anniversary, featuring live art, music, and a giant Luke Jerram moon installation. Green Bay Sports for All: Miracle League of Green Bay wraps its 2026 season, celebrating 219 players and the community impact of inclusive baseball for ages 4–19. Brewers Baseball: Andrew Vaughn’s go-ahead RBI single in the eighth lifts Milwaukee to a 4-3 win over the Twins, with Brice Turang driving the offense and the bullpen holding on. Bucks Basketball: Tyler Herro says he’s not stressing contract talk as he settles into Milwaukee after the Giannis trade, focusing on building a new Bucks culture. Food Tradition: Rising costs are forcing some Wisconsin fish fry prices up, with one Biron spot citing multiple fish price hikes while keeping quality.

Local Arts Calendar: Sheboygan County Museum’s Plank Road Rendezvous brings Wisconsin’s fur-trade era to life Sept. 4-6 with reenactments, blacksmithing, archery, a trade market, and hands-on demos. Museum Spotlight: Milwaukee’s Museum of Wisconsin Art hosts an opening party and artist talk today for “Leslie Smith III: Leave Your Baggage at the Door,” a 22-painting retrospective spanning 2010-2024. Sports & Wisconsin Connections: The Milwaukee Brewers host the Minnesota Twins Saturday night at American Family Field (7:10 p.m. ET), with Kaelen Culpepper fresh off a big debut. Music & Marching Bands: DCI World Championships narrowed to 12 finalists, including Blue Stars (La Crosse), heading into finals Aug. 8. Media Watch: CBS’s Tony Romo remains in limbo after his arrest, with J.J. Watt stepping in as the network weighs next moves.

Baseball Buzz: The Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal trade isn’t paying off yet—Los Angeles is reeling after a week of losses, including a walk-off defeat to Arizona, raising wild-card chatter even with a division lead. Twins at Home: Milwaukee’s Brewers host Minnesota tonight after dropping the opener 8-6; Kaelen Culpepper homered in his MLB debut as the Twins chased down a fast start by Milwaukee. Wisconsin Sports & Community: Rochester’s Honkers closed out their final game at Mayo Field with a 10-9 walk-off win, while local golf continues to heat up at the Resorters Tournament with semifinal matchups set for Saturday. Arts & Culture: Madison’s Great Taste of the Midwest returns this weekend after recent disruptions, and Door County’s F.J. King shipwreck—found after nearly 140 years—has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. Local Entertainment: Sheboygan’s Cruise and Brews brought custom-car culture back into the spotlight after boat-race cancellations.

Local Arts & Community: The Historic Third Ward kicks off its Third Ward Moon Festival tonight with Milwaukee’s only U.S. stop for Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon, plus live music and family activities through Sunday. Music & Events: NorthWoods Strings hosts a free “oString Jam” open session at the Hayward Farmers Market Aug. 17, and KVSC’s “The Menu” spotlights bluesman Buffalo Nichols in an Aug. 11 episode. Film & Culture: The MKE INT Short Film Fest (Sept. 11–12) is gearing up with a big slate of Milwaukee premieres and a special “Voices Heard” focus on local filmmakers of color. Sports Media: Tony Romo remains on indefinite leave from CBS after his Wisconsin OWI arrest, with reports suggesting he may not return. Sports (Wisconsin): The Brewers open a weekend series vs. the Twins at American Family Field, with all games on Brewers.TV/Twins.TV and AM-620 WTMJ. Health & Design: HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital released renderings for a $17.2M NICU renovation with a Wisconsin meadow theme, slated to start fall 2026.

Air Travel Disruption: A Minneapolis air traffic control outage briefly knocked out radar and radio across a huge Midwest swath, grounding flights and stacking planes on tarmacs even after services returned. Food Safety Alert: Health officials say a salmonella outbreak tied to fresh jalapeños has sickened 300+ people in 27 states, with Chipotle and Qdoba removing the implicated peppers. Milwaukee Art News: A Picasso etching stolen from a Milwaukee gallery in 2018 has been recovered after a community member turned it in. Wisconsin Sports & Entertainment: Wisconsin football opens fall camp with a transfer-heavy roster and new QB Colton Joseph; meanwhile, Milwaukee’s music scene keeps rolling with a weekly river roundup series. Community & Culture: Madison marks the Hiroshima anniversary with Lanterns for Peace at Tenney Park, while Wisconsin State Fair continues to draw crowds with animal shows and food.

School Choice Study: A peer-reviewed Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty report says low- and middle-income students in voucher-funded choice programs outperformed comparable public-school peers on the Wisconsin Forward Exam, adding fuel to the debate over whether limits on choice would hurt families. Public Safety Tech: A new look at Flock license-plate camera systems raises fresh privacy and misuse concerns as more cities and departments rely on AI-driven tracking. Health Watch: Wisconsin is among the top states in a multistate Salmonella outbreak tied to recalled jalapeños, with major chains pulling the product after CDC updates. State Fair Spotlight: Gov. Tony Evers got a surprise “Tony Evers Bakery” unveiling at the Wisconsin State Fair, honoring his long-running Cream Puff love. Local Arts & Culture: The Milwaukee Ballet community and beyond mourn Katherine Kersten, longtime artistic leader and educator whose work helped shape major dance institutions. Sports (Brewers): Milwaukee closes out its series with Pittsburgh today, with Dustin May set to start against Braxton Ashcraft.

Arts & Community (Wisconsin): UWRF’s Speech-Language and Hearing Clinics team up with Traveling with a Purpose to bring hearing and speech services to children in Jamaica, supporting Robin’s Nest Children’s Home, Montego Bay Community Home for Girls, and the Montego Bay Autism Center. Live Entertainment (Monona): Topgolf is set to open Aug. 14 in Monona, bringing 72 climate-controlled hitting bays, a full bar-and-restaurant, arcade games, and game-day suites to the Beltline. Music Spotlight (Regional): Chandler Travis releases “Branches Out,” a long-gestating album shaped by loss, creative shifts, and the pandemic. Film Culture (Out of state, but big-screen buzz): Film buffs are making “Odyssey” pilgrimages to Michigan’s only IMAX 70MM showing. Sports (Brewers): Kyle Harrison returns from the injured list with a one-hit, 10-strikeout five-inning outing as Milwaukee tops Pittsburgh 4-2. Local Fair Fun (West Allis): Wisconsin State Fair ride inspections are underway, including the new America 250 Wheel.

Wisconsin Sports & Community: The Packers are inviting fans into the creative mix with an Aug. 7 paint-and-brush fence mural near Lambeau Field, plus a public Badgers practice on Aug. 18 at Camp Randall. Local Arts & Culture: Marquette University High School in Milwaukee is set to expand scholarships and financial aid after two anonymous donors pledged $100 million—an enormous boost for the school’s Jesuit mission. Entertainment Spotlight: The Streamed & Screened podcast digs into “Westhampton,” an independent film flying under the radar, and also looks at the HBO docuseries “The Man Will Burn.” Film/Internet Buzz: A deep dive on “Backrooms” traces how the YouTube horror phenomenon became a mainstream hit. Music: King Crimson offshoot BEAT announces a major 2026 North American tour with Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, plus Steve Vai and a new drummer. Wisconsin Weather/On-the-Ground: Madison saw overnight unrest with fires and street disruption, while Milwaukee’s forecast stays stormy through Wednesday.

Brewers & Baseball Buzz: Milwaukee hit 70 wins in record time, beating the Pirates 4-2 behind Jackson Chourio’s big night and Logan Henderson’s six strong innings, then moved on as the trade deadline reshuffled the rotation with Dustin May set to debut and Brandon Sproat optioned. Local Arts & Community: A Fitchburg artist is teaming up with the Brewers on a new 50-foot mural, “7th Inning Stretch,” part of a statewide push to bring baseball art beyond Milwaukee. Wisconsin Style on the Cheap: A Wisconsin creator went viral by turning thrifted clothes into fresh outfits without buying anything new—proof that “new” can mean reworked. Milwaukee Media Crime Case: Radio Milwaukee’s former executive director Jordan Lee was charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child. Tech & Local Governance: Lee County supervisors are seeking expert legal advice for data center ordinance planning as the debate continues. Travel Disruption: United’s return to Central Wisconsin Airport is delayed after O’Hare restrictions were extended through 2027. Sports Pop Culture: Tony Romo’s CBS future is under fresh scrutiny after an OWI-related leave, with pundits debating how contract leverage and public fallout could shape what comes next.