Maureen McCollum

1 week ago | wisconsinlife.org | Maureen McCollum

Leslie Schroeder has a dream. That dream is to have a flax-to-linen textile industry in Wisconsin. Inspired by the local food movement, Schroeder wants to create a market for sustainable and quality local clothing. To jumpstart that effort, the Madison resident helped create the Midwest Linen Revival. The organization hopes to educate farmers, artisans and textile enthusiasts on how to help the industry grow through events like Field to Frock on June 20-22, 2025.

2 weeks ago | wisconsinlife.org | Nick Rommel |Maureen McCollum

It was 1984 — Prince’s “Purple Rain“ was the No. 1 album in America. Bruce Springsteen crisscrossed the country on his “Born in the U.S.A.” tour. Madonna scored her first Top 10 single with “Borderline.”And on the south side of Milwaukee, Frankie Yankovic, “America’s Polka King,” performed at the Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish Festival. In attendance that day was 6-year-old Mike Schneider. His parents planned to drop him off at the festival rides while they enjoyed the polka show.

3 weeks ago | wisconsinlife.org | Jess Miller |Maureen McCollum

Adrian Molitor knows a thing or two about hardwood floors. With his Madison-based business, Molitor Traditional Flooring, he’s restored historic floors in some of southern Wisconsin’s most iconic homes and businesses. Jess Miller caught up with Molitor to talk about why the old, weathered wood speaks to him. ==The Molitor Traditional Flooring crew is hard at work in Madison’s Lothlórien Cooperative House, a massive yellow castle on Lake Mendota.

4 weeks ago | wisconsinlife.org | Jen Rubin |Maureen McCollum

When people feel stuck in life, they may seek out new friends or hobbies. When Jen Rubin of Madison was at that crossroad, she decided to become more spontaneous — in a bold way. The following story was told on April 3, 2017 at The Moth during an open-mic StorySLAM in Madison where the theme of the night was “Fresh.” Here’s Jen Rubin live at The Moth. ==It took me climbing a glacier to get a new perspective on life.

1 month ago | wisconsinlife.org | Richelle Wilson |Maureen McCollum

One day each spring, volunteers around Wisconsin get up at dawn to participate in the International Crane Foundation’s Annual Midwest Crane Count. It’s a long-running citizen science project that helps collect data about sandhill and whooping cranes. As WPR’s Richelle Wilson tells us, it’s a chance for some people to connect with friends. ==It was 4 a.m. on Saturday, April 12, 2025 — an hour for early birds.