Jonah Beleckis

1 month ago | wisconsinlife.org | Jonah Beleckis |Maureen McCollum

Pairs of dancers glide across the floor at the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Madison. Couples sway their hips as they practice their dances, including rumba and other styles of ballroom dance. Nearly all the instructors at this studio were born in Ukraine, where ballroom dance is like little league baseball in the United States. Tetiana Lutsenko, the studio’s owner who first started dancing at age 3, explained how dance is deeply embedded in the country’s way of life from an early age.

2 months ago | apg-wi.com | Jonah Beleckis

At the start of “Dry January,” an effort to stop drinking alcohol for the first month of the year, the U.S. surgeon general released an advisory highlighting the links between alcohol consumption and cancer risks. Following the advisory and its recommendations, the head of a Wisconsin policy initiative aimed at reducing the harmful effects of excessive drinking explained how a state known for its binge drinking habits could make its residents healthier. kAm|2FC66?

Jan 21, 2025 | wpr.org | Jonah Beleckis

At the start of "Dry January," an effort to stop drinking alcohol for the first month of the year, the U.S. surgeon general released an advisory highlighting the links between alcohol consumption and cancer risks. Following the advisory and its recommendations, the head of a Wisconsin policy initiative aimed at reducing the harmful effects of excessive drinking explained how a state known for its binge drinking habits could make its residents healthier.

Dec 27, 2024 | wpr.org | Jonah Beleckis

WPR's "Wisconsin Today" has covered a lot of ground in the state since launching in May 2024. From the life-saving benefits of equine therapy, to a village that went viral long before the internet, the show's producers helped showcase a wide range of the people, places and ideas that make up life in Wisconsin. To end the year, staff from " Wisconsin Today " picked the stories that stuck with them the most. Follow the links below to read or listen to the stories in full.

Dec 25, 2024 | wpr.org | Jonah Beleckis

Long before Les Paul won Grammy awards and entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he was growing up in Waukesha and taking piano lessons. One day, his teacher sent him home with a note pinned to his shirt. Paul believed he was a great piano student. He could play anything. He was sure the note was so his teacher could let his mom know how well he was doing. But the note conveyed a different message, said Sue Baker, program director of the Les Paul Foundation.