Jim’s got charts, Jenny’s got spreadsheets, and Superior still doesn’t have the highest water rates in Wisconsin.

In this episode of Soup Nutz, Mick and Angela wade through the murky waters of Mayor Jim Paine’s August 30, 2024, testimony—a spectacle of charts, spreadsheets, and claims that don’t hold water. With his wife, Councilor Jenny Van Sickle, providing a questionable spreadsheet as his ace in the hole, Jim boldly declared Superior has the highest water rates in Wisconsin—a claim as flimsy as his grasp of the data. Spoiler alert: it’s not true. The duo breaks down Jim’s backpedaling, his “dollar-for-dollar” logic (whatever that means), and the legendary $1-a-month sewage savings Jenny brought to the table. It’s a deep dive into political theater, sprinkled with Excel wizardry and some hard-hitting laughs.

Woman with long hair holding a sign that reads 'Alaska Carpetbagger - Stop the Flip - Jobs! Stop the Flops!'
Movie poster for Porky's featuring multiple characters in a snowy setting with a cabin and police cars.

Sheriff Matthew Izzard & Chairman Mark Liebart: Is Accountability on Backorder in Douglas County?

Money Flows Like Lake Superior… Just Not Toward Accountability Douglas County has discovered a magical power. They can find money. Money for studies.Money for facilities.Money for upgrades.Money for “strategic initiatives.” But somehow — when the topic turns to dash cams and body cams for the Sheriff’s Department — the vault slams shut like Fort Knox on a diet. And here’s the question voters are starting to whisper

Read More »
Illustration of a FOIA Request Survival Kit including various tools like a document detector and tape recorder.

FOIA DOCS – Ian Cuypers v. Superior Police Department Officers and City of Superior – Federal Civil Rights Complaint (October 24, 2024)

This federal civil rights complaint was filed on October 24, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin by Plaintiff Ian Cuypers against officers of the Superior Police Department and the City of Superior. The lawsuit arises from a February 24, 2024 traffic stop in Superior, Wisconsin, during which Cuypers alleges officers used excessive force against him. According to the

Read More »
A detective examining a bulletin board filled with documents and notes related to The Receipt Hunter.

FOIA DOCS – Superior Police Chief Meets Reporter on Feb. 28 Traffic Stop (March 2024)

This document is a two-page email exchange dated March 29, 2024, filed as Exhibit 27-9 in Cuypers v. Taylor et al., Case No. 3:24-cv-00743. The correspondence documents communication between Paul Winterscheidt, Chief of Police for the City of Superior, and Maria Lockwood, a reporter with the Superior Telegram, regarding a police traffic stop that occurred on February 28, 2024. The exchange begins with Reporter Maria

Read More »
Poster for the movie 50 Shades of Redacted featuring classified documents and a magnifying glass.

FOIA DOC – Superior Police Chief Explains Taser Use to City Council (April 2024)

This document is a three-page email chain dated April 3–5, 2024, later filed as Exhibit 27-10 in Cuypers v. Taylor et al., Case No. 3:24-cv-00743. The correspondence centers on public concerns raised about a Superior Police Department traffic stop that resulted in the use of a conducted energy weapon (Taser) and a resisting charge against Ian Richard Cuypers. The email exchange involves Tylor Elm, a

Read More »