WPR’s 10 Most-Read Stories Of 2019

With another year almost in the books, it’s a natural time to reflect on the last 12 months — the ups and downs and ins and outs of our lives, our communities, the country and the world.

At Wisconsin Public Radio, we use the opportunity to take stock of the work we’ve done and look at what stories have resonated most with our readers and listeners. After all, our top job is keeping the public informed.

2019 serves as a reminder of just how much news a year can hold.

From unprecedented weather events to stark political divides to tragic violence, Wisconsin saw its share of tough stories.

Two of WPR’s most-read articles this year covered the harrowing story of Jayme Closs, the 13-year-old girl who escaped to safety after her abduction and the murder of her parents. WPR reporters followed the months-long search by law enforcement and community members, Jayme’s safe return and the legal process faced by the man believed to be responsible.

Another top story illuminated the difficult situation faced by property owners being told to make way for the massive Foxconn Technology Group development in southeast Wisconsin.

But for all the serious stories, our most-read list is also full of the curious, the inspiring and the off-beat. Our No. 1 story by a wide margin was a look at the polarizing culinary tradition of the cannibal sandwich. Another story readers appreciated mapped out the curious naming of Wisconsin’s highways.

So, as 2019 draws to a close, here are WPR’s 10 most-read stories of the year, calculated using Google Analytics data from Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 15, 2019.

1. Cannibal Sandwiches: A Polarizing And Misunderstood Wisconsin Tradition

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While they have roots across the Upper Midwest, cannibal sandwiches have an especially strong tradition in southeast Wisconsin and are often associated with the holiday season.

Jeff Zupan, operations manager of Bunzel’s Meat Market in Milwaukee, said at Christmastime they go through more than 1,000 pounds of raw beef and about 250 pounds of raw onions, exclusively for cannibal sandwiches.

Once a staple of family gatherings in the region, Chef Justin Carlisle of Ardent in Milwaukee said the popularity of cannibal sandwiches has certainly dropped off over the years as tastes have changed and agriculture has become less a part of everyday life. But he said he still sees a strong appreciation for the unusual sandwich.

For those who are skeptical about raw beef on rye, both Carlisle and Zupan say don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

2. Wisconsin Spice Company Spends More Than $100K On Pro-Impeachment Ads

[[{“fid”:”1059671″,”view_mode”:”full_width”,”fields”:{“format”:”full_width”,”alignment”:””,”field_image_caption[und][0][value]”:”%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fm-i-k-e%2F3207157237%2F%22%3EMichael%20Kappel%20%3C%2Fa%3E(CC-BY-NC)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A”,”field_image_caption[und][0][format]”:”full_html”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:”Penzeys storefront”,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:”Penzeys storefront”},”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“2”:{“format”:”full_width”,”alignment”:””,”field_image_caption[und][0][value]”:”%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fm-i-k-e%2F3207157237%2F%22%3EMichael%20Kappel%20%3C%2Fa%3E(CC-BY-NC)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A”,”field_image_caption[und][0][format]”:”full_html”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:”Penzeys storefront”,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:”Penzeys storefront”}},”link_text”:false,”attributes”:{“alt”:”Penzeys storefront”,”title”:”Penzeys storefront”,”class”:”media-element file-full-width”,”data-delta”:”2″}}]]This fall, a Wisconsin-based spice company made national headlines by spending more than $100,000 on a Facebook advertisement calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Penzeys Spices, based in Wauwatosa, trailed only the Trump campaign in ad spending between Sept. 25 and Oct. 5, 2019, according to an analysis by the news site Axios.

The Penzeys post called the phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son a “mandatory open and shut case for the impeachment.”

Penzeys has pushed other ads with a political message in the past, and while company CEO Bill Penzey said they received some pushback from conservative customers who support the president, he had no plans to change advertising strategies.

“I think in this coming election there’s going to be a lot of opportunities for businesses that have values to share those values with their customers,” he said. “And I think that’s going to work out well for the businesses that do.”

3. Educator: There’s A Mass Teacher Exodus, Not Shortage

[[{“fid”:”465566″,”view_mode”:”full_width”,”fields”:{“format”:”full_width”,”alignment”:””,”field_image_caption[und][0][value]”:”%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EPhoto%3A%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Ftrustypics%2F6844460861%2Fin%2Fphotolist-bqPDKT-7ZWy72-8JpV4R-aDoLpP-4uUZez-6hq7Bk-k7hnUX-nBv5Ps-7RMxRS-4eNXkZ-7RJmWx-7RMB3Q-8rtEAA-9jcRyL-2cRoiu-6hq9UB-rStSS-7RMAuN-29Am7f-q6vKwG-c5brpm-jBZFZ7-p1Ugb2-cviSiE-2ao67P-6NzxWW-7MKovy-xVuqh3-6Nzx1A-pNXoxp-7MForM-5yEB2i-nocbWr-8ruiG5-6tP8xf-9U3hb8-7MKqgo-epbVdG-jBXAwK-9j9JGv-852Hvz-iutuf2-6r26iv-8Jkhjr-sRW2QS-Cask93-8Js5E9-doEq7k-5vmkcz-9MkU25%22%3EAlvin%20Trusty%20(CC-BY-NC)%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A”,”field_image_caption[und][0][format]”:”filtered_html”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:”Students and teacher in classroom”,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“3”:{“format”:”full_width”,”alignment”:””,”field_image_caption[und][0][value]”:”%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EPhoto%3A%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Ftrustypics%2F6844460861%2Fin%2Fphotolist-bqPDKT-7ZWy72-8JpV4R-aDoLpP-4uUZez-6hq7Bk-k7hnUX-nBv5Ps-7RMxRS-4eNXkZ-7RJmWx-7RMB3Q-8rtEAA-9jcRyL-2cRoiu-6hq9UB-rStSS-7RMAuN-29Am7f-q6vKwG-c5brpm-jBZFZ7-p1Ugb2-cviSiE-2ao67P-6NzxWW-7MKovy-xVuqh3-6Nzx1A-pNXoxp-7MForM-5yEB2i-nocbWr-8ruiG5-6tP8xf-9U3hb8-7MKqgo-epbVdG-jBXAwK-9j9JGv-852Hvz-iutuf2-6r26iv-8Jkhjr-sRW2QS-Cask93-8Js5E9-doEq7k-5vmkcz-9MkU25%22%3EAlvin%20Trusty%20(CC-BY-NC)%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A”,”field_image_caption[und][0][format]”:”filtered_html”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:”Students and teacher in classroom”,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”link_text”:false,”attributes”:{“alt”:”Students and teacher in classroom”,”class”:”media-element file-full-width”,”data-delta”:”3″}}]]As schools across Wisconsin reopened in September, a critical issue plaguing the education system became top of mind again: the ongoing shortage of teachers across the state and the nation.

For Tim Slekar, dean of the School of Education at Edgewood College in Madison, the word “shortage” doesn’t correctly identify the problem. He said it’s actually a teacher exodus.

Slekar said he feels using the word “exodus” correctly describes the problem because of how it has persisted.

“When we have a shortage, say of nurses, pay goes up, conditions get better and enrollment in nursing programs skyrockets,” he said. “So if we have a teacher shortage, pay would go up. It’s not. Conditions would get better. They’re not. And enrollment in teacher education would go up. It’s declining. That can’t be a shortage then.”

“When you talk about the fact that nobody wants to do this job, that parents are telling their kids right in front of me in my office that they don’t support their child becoming a teacher, this is a real issue that needs to be talked about quite differently,” he said. “And that’s why exodus is much better because you have to ask why are they leaving and why aren’t they coming.”

Slekar suggested the role of accountability and standardized testing are just some of the problem’s causes.

4. Wisconsin Parents Team Up To Build Housing For Their Adult Children With Disabilities

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Group members, calling themselves Home of Our Own, the same name as the complex, said they need to raise $500,000 to help build an apartment complex they hope will open in the fall of 2020.

Some parents said they’re concerned about what will happen when they’re no longer able to care for their children and want to plan ahead. They said they don’t want to put them in group homes or isolated apartments because they worry that might expose them to abuse.

“Let’s face it, we are going to die one day, and we would much rather plan thoughtfully and to not have the planning be driven by a crisis,” said Amy Oemichen, one of the group’s leaders.

For the past six years, the families behind Home of Our Own have met weekly in the cafe, trying to figure out how to build a place where their children can live on their own, safely and affordably, among friends and neighbors, in rural Wisconsin.

5. Farm Aid Concert Coming To Wisconsin To Raise Awareness, Money For Struggling Dairy Farmers

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Farm Aid began in 1985 as a nonprofit and benefit concert put on by musicians Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp. At the time their goal was to raise money for farmers struggling with low commodity prices.

With similar issues plaguing the industry, the group got together again — this time adding Dave Matthews — to perform and raise funds in September at the 2019 Farm Aid festival at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy.

Carolyn Mugar, executive director of Farm Aid, said the current economic climate for farmers feels similar to when the first benefit concert happened. She points to the number of farmers seeking help through the organization’s resource hotline.

“Our calls are up like 109 percent from last year. And we are finding that farmers are really facing, especially dairy farmers are facing very, very grave situations,” Mugar said.

6. Douglas County DA Says No Charges Against Patterson

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Patterson was accused of kidnapping Jayme from her home in Barron on Oct. 15, 2018. He then took her to a Town of Gordon home, located in Douglas County, where he held her against her will.

Jayme escaped 88 days later.

On Jan. 25, 2019, the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office announced prosecutors didn’t plan to file any criminal charges against Patterson, instead leaving the charges in Barron County’s hands.

Still, Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf said prosecutors would retain their ability to charge Patterson “at any time within the statute of limitations for any crime it determines Patterson has committed.”

7. Owners Near Foxconn Say They Were Misled. Now Their Homes Are Gone

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Dozens of homeowners received a relocation order from Mount Pleasant, claiming to need the land for the project. But homeowners near the Foxconn facility said they sold their homes for road widenings that were either abandoned, embellished — or never planned.

Village records obtained by WPR and analyzed by Wisconsin Watch show the village threatened eminent domain against some homeowners, saying their property was needed for road improvements. But in some cases those plans changed or were dropped even before the homes — some of them newly built — were bulldozed, state records show.

Offers to home and landowners also varied greatly, and lead to a lawsuit filed by Mount Pleasant property owners.

The story explains Foxconn’s history of proposing manufacturing facilities across the globe, and how likely it is for the business to keep its end of the bargain to earn tax credits.

Since 2017, Foxconn’s plans have repeatedly changed. The company originally planned to build large flat screens with a so-called Generation 10.5 plant. But the company said market changes prompted the company to shift to a smaller Gen 6 facility. In early 2019, Foxconn executives hedged briefly on whether they would be doing any manufacturing in the state at all. They have since said the Gen 6 facility will begin operating in late 2020.

Foxconn fell short of its employment goal in 2018, hiring 178 full-time workers instead of the targeted 260. As a result, it failed to earn a tax credit of up to $9.5 million.

8. The Train Is Coming: Big Boy Locomotive To Make Stop In Wisconsin’s Railroad City

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In July, the Big Boy steam locomotive No. 4014 — the only working engine of its class in the world — spent several hours in Altoona between stops in Duluth, Minnesota, and West Chicago.

People were able to tour an exhibition inside a converted baggage car. The exhibit had sound, images and interactives where participants could learn about the nation’s rail history.

“One of the things the transcontinental railroad did was create communities along its route — many of which still exist today,” said Kristen South, Union Pacific’s director of media relations. “The tour is our way of celebrating the anniversary and the communities that are forever linked.”

The Big Boys were built for steep travel between Cheyenne, Wyoming and Ogden, Utah.

9. Alphabet Soup: Why Wisconsin’s County Highways Are Lettered, Not Numbered

[[{“fid”:”1089571″,”view_mode”:”full_width”,”fields”:{“format”:”full_width”,”alignment”:””,”field_image_caption[und][0][value]”:”%3Ch2%20id%3D%22yui_3_16_0_1_1574724645090_1963%22%3E%3C%2Fh2%3E%0A%0A%3Cp%20id%3D%22yui_3_16_0_1_1574724645090_1962%22%3EA%20fresh%20layer%20of%20snow%20covers%20County%20Road%20U%2FN%20in%20a%20rural%20farm%20area%20near%20Potosi%26nbsp%3Bin%20winter.%26nbsp%3B%3Cem%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fdiversey%2F%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3ETony%20Webster%3C%2Fa%3E%20(%3Cspan%20property%3D%22dc%3Aidentifier%20dct%3Aidentifier%22%3ECC%20BY-SA)%3C%2Fspan%3E%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A”,”field_image_caption[und][0][format]”:”full_html”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:”A fresh layer of snow covers County Road U/N”,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:”A fresh layer of snow covers County Road U/N”},”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“9”:{“format”:”full_width”,”alignment”:””,”field_image_caption[und][0][value]”:”%3Ch2%20id%3D%22yui_3_16_0_1_1574724645090_1963%22%3E%3C%2Fh2%3E%0A%0A%3Cp%20id%3D%22yui_3_16_0_1_1574724645090_1962%22%3EA%20fresh%20layer%20of%20snow%20covers%20County%20Road%20U%2FN%20in%20a%20rural%20farm%20area%20near%20Potosi%26nbsp%3Bin%20winter.%26nbsp%3B%3Cem%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fdiversey%2F%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3ETony%20Webster%3C%2Fa%3E%20(%3Cspan%20property%3D%22dc%3Aidentifier%20dct%3Aidentifier%22%3ECC%20BY-SA)%3C%2Fspan%3E%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A”,”field_image_caption[und][0][format]”:”full_html”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:”A fresh layer of snow covers County Road U/N”,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:”A fresh layer of snow covers County Road U/N”}},”link_text”:false,”attributes”:{“alt”:”A fresh layer of snow covers County Road U/N”,”title”:”A fresh layer of snow covers County Road U/N”,”class”:”media-element file-full-width”,”data-delta”:”9″}}]]If you’ve taken a drive on one of Wisconsin’s iconic scenic roads, chances are you’ve noticed a bit of alphabet soup. Signs with names like BB, CV, N and SS flank Wisconsin’s county roads.

When WPR’s WHYsconsin project received the question, “Why are Wisconsin’s county roads labeled with letters instead of numbers?” we reached out to Daniel Fedderly, executive director of the Wisconsin County Highway Association, to find out.

Fedderly said it’s a system that’s been in place for more than 100 years and the naming of each highway is up to the individual county.

The duplicate and double — or triple — letters found across the state are mostly due to the limitations of the 26-letter alphabet.

“Over the last 100-plus years, as the county gained more roads and took over certain roads and things of that nature, they used up all the letters of the alphabet,” Fedderly said. “And so subsequently then once they’ve used them up, they would go to the double TT, double S, things of that nature. And then after that they would start doing variations there, you know, County CE or something of that nature.”

10. Sheriff: Jayme Closs ‘Is The Hero In This Case’

[[{“fid”:”906066″,”view_mode”:”full_width”,”fields”:{“format”:”full_width”,”alignment”:””,”field_image_caption[und][0][value]”:”%3Cp%3EBarron%20County%20Sheriff%20Chris%20Fitzgerald%2C%20center%2C%20stands%20as%20he%20speaks%20at%20a%20press%20conference%20on%20Jayme%20Closs%20on%20Friday%2C%20Jan.%2011%2C%202019.%20%3Cem%3ERich%20Kremer%2FWPR%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A”,”field_image_caption[und][0][format]”:”full_html”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:”Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald”,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:”Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald”},”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“10”:{“format”:”full_width”,”alignment”:””,”field_image_caption[und][0][value]”:”%3Cp%3EBarron%20County%20Sheriff%20Chris%20Fitzgerald%2C%20center%2C%20stands%20as%20he%20speaks%20at%20a%20press%20conference%20on%20Jayme%20Closs%20on%20Friday%2C%20Jan.%2011%2C%202019.%20%3Cem%3ERich%20Kremer%2FWPR%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A”,”field_image_caption[und][0][format]”:”full_html”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:”Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald”,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:”Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald”}},”link_text”:false,”attributes”:{“alt”:”Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald”,”title”:”Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald”,”class”:”media-element file-full-width”,”data-delta”:”10″}}]]It is a story that made headlines across the state and the country: Jayme Closs, who was kidnapped from her home in Barron after her parents were killed, escaped from her captor 88 days later in the Town of Gordon in Douglas County.

On Oct. 15, 2018, James Closs, 56, and Denise Closs, 46, were found shot to death in their home in Barron. That same day authorities issued an Amber Alert for 13-year-old Jayme.

As days turned into months, thousands of volunteers searched for Jayme, and law enforcement asked for and investigated tips. A $25,000 reward was offered by the FBI and later doubled by Jennie-O Turkey Store, where James and Denise worked. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald would later say his head was “spinning” at points from tips that were coming in from across the state and country.

So what brought Jayme home? Jayme.

“That is the will of a kid to survive. It’s the unthinkable,” Fitzgerald said the day after Jayme was found alive. “It’s amazing the will of that 13-year-old girl to survive and escape, and that comes from the hope and the prayers and this community.”

On Jan. 10, 2019, Jayme was found in the Town of Gordon. Jayme escaped on foot from the home she was held in for 88 days. She’d run into Jeanne Nutter, who was walking her dog when she saw a young girl walking toward her wearing oversized clothes. They called 911. Shortly after, a suspect — Jake Thomas Patterson of Gordon — was taken into custody. Patterson made a calculated plan and went to the Closs home to kidnap Jayme, officials said.

At an emotional press conference Jan. 11, Fitzgerald called Jayme a hero.

“I mean, Jayme is the hero in this case, there is no question about it, and she’s the one that helped us break the case, along with everybody else that worked on it from law enforcement to all the people.”