At his Columbus fundraiser this past Sunday, August 23, Democratic CD 6 Candidate Brad Smith and WI Assembly District Representative Maureen McCarville talked extensively about the MGS/BECI 765 transmission line (Becky) slated for our area.

Brad caught up with Dekorra resident and CoCo Dems member RDell Johnson to talk about the impact of the project on our area. As a teacher in the Sauk Prairie School District, RDell is especially concerned about the impact of the transmission line on the rural school where teaches.

Have you discovered Columbia County Progress? It’s the podcast series produced by the Democratic Party of Columbia county where we listen, learn, and look ahead together. Each episode features thoughtful conversations with community members, local leaders, elected officials, and candidates about the real issues facing our county—from health care access to job creation, from school funding to the environment, and more.

In this Columbia County Progress podcast episode, viewers hear a detailed conversation about CAFOs—concentrated animal feeding operations—and the questions they raise for local communities.

The discussion does not present this as a simple fight between “farm” and “anti-farm.” Instead, it focused on how to support agriculture while also protecting water, public health, nearby residents, and the long-term quality of life in Columbia County and across Wisconsin.

Hyperscale Data Centers have been in the news lately, so we wanted to learn more about them. Why are communities fighting against them? What are the environmental impacts? Who pays for these data centers? What we learned will likely surprise and concern you.

We present the introductory podcast and first two of the three installments in this post.

Above photo and associated video © 2026 Heather Cox Richardson. All Rights Reserved.

A Senate battle over the SAVE America Act raises urgent questions about voting rights and democratic norms. Historian Heather Cox Richardson and Senator Alex Padilla explain what’s at stake—and how it’s being fought.