Mackenzie Martin

Mackenzie worked at WXPR from 2016-2019 in various roles. She started as the Operations Director and Morning Edition host, then moved into the position of Features Editor and Morning Edition host. Mackenzie is passionate about reporting and editing stories that cover interesting people and places in the Northwoods as part of WXPR's series: We Live Up Here and Curious North.

Mackenzie's work has also been heard on NPR's Morning Edition, NPR's All Things Considered, Minnesota Public Radio, and Wisconsin Public Radio. In 2019, Mackenzie won four awards from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, including two 1st place awards for Best Interview and Best Web Story.

Mackenzie holds an undergraduate degree in media & cultural studies from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She's originally from Wausau, Wisconsin.

Birchbark Canoes Take Time, As Does Learning We’re Stronger Together

By • Sep 13, 2019
Photo courtesy of Wayne Valliere/Native Arts & Cultures Foundation

Birchbark canoes take a long time to make, but master artist Wayne Valliere from the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa tells us that the process is an important one, and can serve as a metaphor for the value of teamwork.

Mackenzie Martin continues our We Live Up Here series with the story.

WXPR News: Monday, September 9, 2019

By • Sep 9, 2019

  • Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa have joined the opposition to plans for a natural gas-fired power plant in Superior,
  • September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and rural areas have higher rates,
  • the public is invited to see the reopening of Carnegie door at the Rhinelander District Library,
  • and the complex school financing system will be explained Tuesday in Minocqua.

Naturalist John Bates Can Guide You to the Best Old-growth Forest in WI

By • Sep 6, 2019
Mackenzie Martin / WXPR

When someone lives to be a hundred years old, everyone asks them for the secrets to their longevity.

Trees, on the other hand, live to be hundreds and hundreds of years old. How do they survive?

Mackenzie Martin recently headed to an old-growth forest with naturalist John Bates to learn more.

U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy Will Step Down in September

By • Aug 26, 2019
Kristie Boyd, U.S. House Office of Photography/House Creative Services

Monday morning U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wausau) announced his decision to resign in the next month for family reasons.

What Happened to All the Walleye up Here?

By • Aug 23, 2019
Courtesy of UW-Madison Center for Limnology

If you’re a fisherman in the Northwoods, you’re well aware of the decline in walleye populations over the last few years.

Why is this happening, though? And is there a way to reverse the trend? 

WXPR News: Thursday, August 22, 2019

By • Aug 22, 2019

  • Governor Tony Evers has signed an executive order to create a task force on prescription drug prices, 
  • the next session of Nicolet College's Learning in Retirement beings in a few weeks,
  • and the life expectancy for people in Wisconsin has declined for a second straight year.

WXPR News: Wednesday, August 21, 2019

By • Aug 21, 2019

  • Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to combat elder abuse,
  • a new offering from Oneida County UW-Extension is geared towards Leadership Oneida County graduates,
  • and Milwaukee's Police Chief is hoping public identification will shame drivers into driving better.

WXPR News: Tuesday, August 20, 2019

By • Aug 20, 2019

  • Governor Tony Evers requested a federal disaster declaration for 18 counties and two tribes Monday in response to July storms,
  • two public forums next week have been called to get public testimony about the need for more rail service in northern Wisconsin and the U.P.,
  • and the Crescent Town Spring has tested positive for PFAS and is no longer a recommended source of drinking water.

PFAS Found in Crescent Town Spring: Water Not Safe to Drink

By • Aug 19, 2019
Mackenzie Martin / WXPR

The Crescent Town Spring located at 3171 S River Road is no longer a recommended source of drinking water, according to a press release from the Oneida County Health Department Monday. Many locals have gotten their drinking water from the spring for decades.

Not so Mysterious: Past and Present Masonic Temples Build Community

By • Aug 16, 2019
Mackenzie Martin / WXPR

There are several Masonic Lodges of Freemasons here in the Northwoods, but the network has always had an air of mystery.

Recently we received a Curious North question asking us to investigate the history of local Masonic Temples, which led us to wonder… what is the role of a Masonic Temple in a community?

Mackenzie Martin headed to the Rhinelander Masonic Temple and the former Wausau Masonic Temple to find out.

The Significance of Ironwood’s Carnegie Library 100 Years After Carnegie’s Death

By & • Aug 9, 2019
Sa magnuson33/Wikimedia Commons

We’re continuing our series on the historical influence of mining in the Upper Peninsula today, specifically in the Ironwood area, with the story of the Ironwood Carnegie Library. (Listen to Part One about how neighborhoods in the Upper Peninsula got their names here.)

There are Carnegie libraries all over the country, including in Merrill and Rhinelander. While Andrew Carnegie did a lot of good for libraries though, he was a controversial figure.

Mysterious Light Still Attracts Tourists to the Upper Peninsula, Despite Explanation

By • Aug 6, 2019
Michigan Technological University

This story was originally broadcasted on NPR's Morning Edition.

Since the 1960’s, a bright white light has appeared outside a tiny town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Some people think it’s a paranormal occurrence, but researchers have another theory.

Mackenzie Martin has the story.

WXPR News: Thursday, July 25, 2019

By • Jul 25, 2019

  • Two-day conference on Chronic Wasting Disease continues today in Madison,
  • Wisconsin's Agriculture Secretary says state budget will help consumers and tech,
  • the National Weather Service is reporting 16 tornadoes touched down over the weekend,
  • and Lakeland Union High School's board is considering a possible referendum,

WXPR News: Wednesday, July 24, 2019

By • Jul 24, 2019

  • The state will spend more than four million to buy 14,000 acres of forest,
  • agencies continue the cleanup in the aftermath of severe weather,
  • Robin Mendez has been found guilty of his wife's murder and sentenced to life in prison,
  • and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is demanding a pipline be removed.

Artist Phillip Faulkner Is Open to Your Interpretation of His Art

By • Jul 19, 2019
Mackenzie Martin / WXPR

A unique art exhibit has been the focus at ArtStart Rhinelander since May. Layers by artist Phillip Faulkner is on display through Saturday, August 10th.

The exhibit combines appropriated imagery with original work and the artist behind it says he's open to any and all interpretations you might have of it.

Mackenzie Martin has this report from the opening reception in June.

 

 

 

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