It’s been quite the Spring in Central Wisconsin. Two feet of snow fell in a day during UWSP’s Spring Break. Two weeks later in early April, an ice storm ravaged the area with downed trees and power lines. Mid-April witnessed heavy downpours and flooding rivers while tornadoes touched down in Marathon County. Wisconsinites have demonstrated a remarkable ability to weather these storms with considerable grace and aplomb. What a resilient bunch!
In The Economic Ride of 2026 (So Far), Chief Analyst Kevin Bahr provides a magisterial account of the economic storms that our country has been enduring of late. His analysis draws on a wide variety of data sources covering the labor market, inflation, economic growth, financial markets, U.S. debts and deficits, and trade and tariffs, setting the stage for the rest of the year.
Our Economic Indicators section of the report has a variety of timely national, state, and local statistics covering labor markets, housing, price levels, construction, and more. We recently added Months of Inventory and Average Days on Market statistics in Table 12 that provide an overview of housing supply in local markets.
In this issue’s special report, Navigating Aging: Resources, Risk and Realities for Families, Susan Wurzer and Janet Zander describe the demographic challenges of an aging population in Wisconsin and the need for new public strategies and resources to address these impending challenges. Susan Wurzer, MBA, BWS has over 35 years of experience in helping Wisconsin older adults and their families access rural community health care and services. Susan is the Founder of the Wisconsin Coalition for Serious Illness & Caregiving. Janet Zander, MPA, CSW, has been the Advocacy and Public Policy Coordinator for the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources (GWAAR) for the last 13 years. Janet also has had nearly two decades of experience at Portage County Aging and Disability Resource Center.
In this issue’s Insight Spotlight column, Staying Home: How Accessory Dwelling Units Can Support Central Wisconsin’s Aging Population, Ryan Kernosky, MPA discusses the role that accessory dwelling units (ADUs) can play in providing cost-effective housing and support for older residents and the needed reforms in zoning laws that can facilitate their expansion. Ryan has a Master of Public Administration and has considerable experience in urban planning and economic development for communities.
– Scott Wallace, CBEI Director