Wisconsin

The 2025 Wisconsin State Fair Sporkies & Drinkies finalists are here!

Published

6 months ago

June 12, 2025

The 2025 Wisconsin State Fair Sporkies & Drinkies finalists are here!

There are only 49 more days until the kick-off of the Wisconsin State Fair, which takes place July 31- August 10. And the list of State Fair Foods is already heating up thanks to the release of the 2025 Sporkies and Drinkies Finalists.

This year, eight Sporkies finalists have been selected from a pool of 35 entries, with four Drinkies making the cut from 17 entries. That list will be pared down even further on Tuesday, July 29 when a panel of local celebrity judges will choose the winners (based on appearance, presentation, creativity, originality and taste) for the Golden Spork and Golden Cup awards.

All Sporkies and Drinkies items will be available for purchase during the 11 glorious days of the Wisconsin State Fair. A massive 13-foot Spork or Drinkie statue will be displayed at all finalists’ locations. All vendors who entered either competition will display a sticker at their State Fair location(s).

Here are this year’s contenders:

Carnival Cooler

Submitted by: Tropics at the Fair
The Carnival Cooler is a bright pink drink that tickles the tastebuds with a mix of watermelon, pickle juice, and lemonade. Add zesty lime, Tajín, and the sweet heat of hot honey to create a bold mix of sweet, salty, tangy, and heat. Finish the drink off with a lime wedge on a carousel pick and fun straw for summer in a cup. Plus, this drink can be made alcoholic for Fairgoers 21+.

Dirty Pancakes

Submitted by: Buzzy Badger
The Dirty Pancakes is a playful take on a dirty soda that tastes like breakfast in a cup! Root beer is mixed with vanilla creamer and maple pancake syrup, brown sugar popping boba, and then topped with whipped cream. Plus, breakfast lovers will rejoice as the straw is lined with mini pancakes for an on-the-go snack.

Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie

Submitted by: Caribbean Smoothees
The Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie is a decadent blend of fruity, nutty, and rich dessert flavors in one strikingly beautiful drink. A refreshing strawberry smoothie is layered inside a cup swirled with pistachio butter and chocolate topping, then garnished with shredded Kataifi and extra chocolate drizzle. This Insta-worthy twist on the viral Dubai chocolate trend is a can’t miss treat!

Purple Rain Refresher

Submitted by: Rock and Roll Beer Garden
Inspired by the glam and grit of rock legends, the Purple Rain Refresher is a show-stopping drink that captures the magic of a live show. This mix of Concord grape juice, tart lemonade, and grapefruit soda is topped with edible glitter and pop rocks that shimmer and crackle like the crowd at a headliner set. Plus, this drink changes color with each sip of shimmering blue and silver edible glitter!

A Hunk A Hunk Elvis Donut Ice Cream Sandwich

Submitted by: Badger Bites
A sweet and savory donut ice cream sandwich that would make The King proud. Enjoy a Grebe’s Bismark donut stuffed with a heaping scoop of Fat Elvis Ice Cream (banana ice cream swirled with salty peanut butter ripple and rich chocolate chips) and pressed for warm, gooey perfection. It’s topped with chocolate and peanut butter sauce, crispy bacon, and powdered sugar for the ultimate indulgence.

Blueberry Breakfast Bratwurst

Submitted by: Milwaukee Brat House
Blueberry Breakfast Bratwurst is a morning-meets-Wisconsin creation wrapped in fluffy pancake perfection. Usinger’s Blueberry-infused brat is nestled inside a flapjack and pairs perfectly with sweet and smoky house-made bourbon bacon jam. No matter what time of day, this is a breakfast lover’s dream!

Brat Rangoon

Submitted by: WürstBar
Brat Rangoon are a crave-worthy fusion of Wisconsin comfort and Asian street food. This unique German-Asian dish features crisp wonton wrappers filled with bratwurst, cream cheese, green onion, and melted cheese, deep-fried, and drizzle with house-made sweet and sour sauce. Topped with Nori Komi Furikake seasoning, these savory bites pack flavors together in every crispy crunch.

Gochujang Smashburger with Kimchi Bacon Jam

Submitted by: Blue Moon Tavern at the Park
Gochujang Smashburger with Kimchi Bacon Jam is a mouthwatering Korean-inspired burger bursting with heat, umami, and crunch. It features double smash patties layered with melty gouda, tangy gochujang sauce, crunchy cucumbers, and sweet-spicy kimchi bacon jam – all on a toasted brioche bun. Finished with fresh cilantro, it’s an unforgettable fusion of comfort food and global flavor!

Mexican Street Corn Pizza

Submitted by: Charlie’s Pizza
Mexican Street Corn Pizza is a flavor fiesta inspired by the beloved flavors of elote. This bold and cheesy pizza features sweet corn, mozzarella, cotija cheese, spicey mayo, and fresh lime on a crispy, golden pizza crust. Topped with a lime, each slice is served hot and ready for tangy, creamy, and savory bites.

Pretzaroni Pizza Brat

Submitted by: Gertrude’s Pretzels
Pretzaroni Pizza Brat is the delicious fusion of a pretzel, a pizza, and a bratwurst. A St. Joe’s Garlic Parmesan brat is wrapped in pretzel dough lined with pepperoni, baked to golden perfection, and finished off with homemade garlic parm topping. Served with a side of marinara, it’s cheesy, meaty, and totally Wisconsin.

S’mores Churro Fries

Submitted by: Saz’s BBQ
S’mores Churro Fries turns your favorite campfire treat into a crispy, shareable dessert. Cinnamon-sugar churro fries are topped with gooey marshmallow creme, rich chocolate sauce, and crushed graham crackers. It’s a sweet, crunchy, and nostalgic treat that everyone will love.

Ube Butter Banana French Toast Lumpia

Submitted by: Lumpia City
Ube Butter Banana French Toast Lumpia puts a twist on a traditional favorite sweet lumpia flavor called Turon. This Filipino-American dessert mashes up deep cultural roots and modern flavor made with caramelized bananas, syrup-soaked French toast, and rich purple ube butter, then deep-fried until golden and dusted with powdered sugar.

See a full list of The Sporkies and Drinkies items here.

Source link

Wisconsin

Wisconsin loses starting offensive lineman to the transfer portal

Published

8 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin loses starting offensive lineman to the transfer portal

In a bit of a surprise, Wisconsin Badgers starting center Jake Renfro is using a medical hardship year and entering the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility.

Renfro, a sixth-year senior in 2024, battled numerous injuries this season, limiting him to only four games after having season-ending surgery. He was a full-time starter for Wisconsin in 2024 after missing the entire 2023 season except for the team’s bowl game due to injury.

Prior to his time at Wisconsin, Renfro had played for head coach Luke Fickell at Cincinnati for three seasons. He played in seven games as a freshman in 2020, making six starts at center. He then was the full-time starter as a sophomore in 2021, earning All-AAC honors before missing the entire 2022 season due to injury.

Now, he’s set to come back to college football for a seventh year, rather than turn pro, and will look to do so at another school.

“I want to thank Coach Fickell, the entire coaching and training staff, my teammates, and the University of Wisconsin for everything over the past three seasons,” Renfro wrote. “I am grateful for the support, development, friendships, and memories I have made during my time in Madison. After much prayer and consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal and use a medical hardship year to continue my college football journey. I will always appreciate my time as a Badger.”

Renfro was one of the biggest supporters of Fickell publicly, being a vocal leader on the team as the starting center.

With his departure, Wisconsin could need a new starting left tackle, left guard, and center next season, depending on whether Joe Brunner heads to the NFL or returns for another season.

Source link

Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s match vs Stanford puts Alicia Andrew across net from sister

Published

20 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin’s match vs Stanford puts Alicia Andrew across net from sister

Sisters Alicia and Lizzy Andrew will face each other in the NCAA volleyball tournament regional semifinals.
Alicia is a redshirt senior middle blocker for Wisconsin, while Lizzy is a sophomore middle blocker for Stanford.
Alicia and Lizzy Andrew have similarities on and off the court as they each contribute to college volleyball powerhouses.

MADISON — It did not take long for Alicia Andrew to text her younger sister after watching the NCAA volleyball selection show with her Wisconsin teammates in a lounge area in the south end zone of Camp Randall Stadium.

“I was like, ‘Girl!’” Andrew said. “She’s like, ‘I know! I’ll see you in Texas! And I was like, ‘I’m so excited!’”

Andrew will not see her younger sister in the Gregory Gym stands like any other family members, but rather on the court as an opposing player in the Badgers’ NCAA tournament regional semifinal match against Stanford.

Alicia Andrew is a 6-foot-3 redshirt senior middle blocker for Wisconsin. Lizzy Andrew is a 6-foot-5 sophomore middle blocker for Stanford. The sisters will play against each other for the first time with a spot in the NCAA regional finals on the line.

“Certainly when you’re having two high-level Division I starters on teams that are top five, top 10 in the country playing the same position, that’s pretty unique,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said. “They’re both talented and competitive. But I also know that the players aren’t going to make it about themselves or the person that’s on the other side of the net. They’re parts of teams that are trying to move on and move forward and play great volley.”

Alicia has naturally fielded questions about the sibling rivalry, but she is “not reading too much into rivalry stuff and just playing this sport.”

“It’s another game,” she said after a recent UW practice. “Yes, it’s her across the net. But it’s a business. We both want to move on to the next round.”

Both players have played key parts in their respective teams’ path to this stage.

Alicia, after transferring from Baylor, is the only UW player to appear in all 98 sets this season and one of five to appear in all 30 matches. She is second on the team with 111 blocks, barely trailing fellow middle blocker Carter Booth’s 119.

“Really wants to be good for the people around her,” Sheffield said of Alicia. “Wants to do her job. Takes pride in her job. There’s a maturity, but yet there’s a playfulness that is a really good balance for her. Love coaching her. She’s wired the right way. She really is.”

Lizzy, meanwhile, ranks seventh in the country with a .441 hitting percentage in 2025 after earning a spot on the all-ACC freshman team in 2024. She also has experience playing with the U.S. U21 national team.

“I’m so proud of how hard she worked and her journey to Stanford,” Alicia said. “She puts in so much work, and she just loves the sport of volleyball. And I have loved watching her grow. It’s been fun to see her get better and better every year. And this past season, she’s been playing lights out.”

That pride has turned Alicia into a frequent viewer of ACC volleyball, of course whenever it has not conflicted with the Badgers’ own matches.

“We try to watch as many of each other’s games as we can, and I always just love watching her play,” she said. “I’m so proud of her. She’s just worked her tail off at Stanford, so to see her excel has been so fun.”

The Andrew sisters — Alicia, Lizzy and Natalie, who is on the rowing team at the U.S. Naval Academy — competed together in high school. (They also have a younger brother, William.) Competing against each other is a new concept for them, though.

“We’re not huge trash talkers, neither one of us,” Alicia said. “So I think that she’s going to play her game. I’m going to play my game. We’re going to have our heads down. There might be some looking across and smiling because we make the exact same expressions and quirky faces and reactions.”

The sisters don’t look the same – Lizzy has blonde hair and Alicia has brown hair. But Alicia quickly sees the resemblance with those on-court mannerisms.

“If there’s a silly play or if there is like a really unexpected dump or something, she’ll turn around and make the exact same face that I will,” Alicia said. “And it’s funny watching her on TV because I’m like, ‘Wow, that looks scary familiar.’”

They have some similarities off the court, too.

“We’re just goobers,” Alicia said. “We just like to have a good time together. Obviously she’s my little sister, but we have always been a close family — like all the siblings — so I feel like we’ve done all the things together growing up in all the sports.”

The Andrew parents are perhaps the biggest winners of the NCAA tournament bracket.

“My parents were super excited,” Alicia said. “They don’t have to split the travel plan, so they can save some frequent flyer miles there and both be in Texas. … They’re always trying to coordinate all the schedules.”

The Andrew family made T-shirts for the unique sisterly matchup. (Alicia thinks she is getting one considering they asked her and Lizzy for their shirt sizes in the family group chat.) The shirts are black, too, so there is no favoritism between Wisconsin and Stanford’s variations of cardinal red.

“They have a Stanford ‘S’ and a tree on it and then a Wisconsin ‘W’ and a little Badger on it, too,” Andrew said. “They’re really excited about these shirts. They’re being non-biased; they’re repping both daughters.”

Source link

Wisconsin

8-year-old dies in hospital after icy Wisconsin crash

Published

1 day ago

December 10, 2025

Press Room

8-year-old dies in hospital after icy Wisconsin crash

RICHMOND TOWNSHIP, Wis. (FOX 9) – A crash in western Wisconsin killed an 8-year-old boy and seriously injured a 27-year-old Wednesday morning.

Fatal crash in Richmond Township, Wisconsin

What we know:

According to St. Croix County, just before 10 a.m., deputies responded to a crash on the 1500 block of County Road A.

Authorities say that a 27-year-old woman was driving a van southbound, and lost control on an icy curve and collided with another vehicle.

The woman suffered serious injuries from the crash and was taken to the hospital to be treated, law enforcement said. The boy was critically injured, and was also taken to the hospital, where he later died.

Both were wearing seat belts during the crash.

The driver of the other vehicle was treated for minor injuries at the scene and was released.

This is the 10th traffic fatality in St. Croix County.

What we don’t know:

The current condition of the woman is unknown.

The Source: A press release from St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office.

Road incidentsWisconsin

Source link