La Crosse Wisconsin WI Warrant Search

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The population of La Crosse was 51,320 at the 2010 census. The city forms the core of, and is the principal city in the La Crosse Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of La Crosse County and Houston County, Minnesota, with a combined population of 126,838. History La Crosse was incorporated as a city in 1856, but its history dates further. The first Europeans to see the site of La Crosse were French fur traders who traveled the Mississippi River in the late 17th century. There is no written record, however, of any visit to the site until 1805, when Lt. Zebulon Pike mounted an expedition up the Mississippi River for the United States. Pike recorded the location's name as 'Prairie La Crosse'. The name originated when he saw the Native Americans playing a game with sticks that resembled a bishop's crozier or la crosse in French.The first white settlement at La Crosse occurred in 1841 when Nathan Myrick, a New York native, moved to the village at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin to work in the fur trade. Myrick was disappointed to find that because many fur traders were already well-entrenched there, there were no openings for him in the trade. As a result, he decided to establish a trading post upriver at the then still unsettled site of Prairie La Crosse. In 1841, he built a temporary trading post on Barron Island (now called Pettibone Park), which lies just west of La Crosse's present downtown. The following year, Myrick relocated the post to the mainland prairie, partnering with H.J.B. Miller to run the outfit.The spot Myrick chose to build his trading post proved ideal for settlement. It was near the junction of the Black, La Crosse, and Mississippi Rivers. In addition, the post was built at one of the few points along the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River where a broad plain ideal for development existed between the river's bank and the tall bluffs that line the river valley. Because of these advantages, a small village grew around Myrick's trading post in the 1840s.A small Mormon community settled at La Crosse in 1844, building several dozen cabins a few miles south of Myrick's post. Although these settlers relocated away from the Midwest after just a year, the land they occupied near La Crosse continues to bear the name Mormon Coulee.On June 23, 1850, Father James Lloyd Breck of the Episcopal Church said the first Christian liturgy (Episcopalian liturgy) on top of Grandad Bluff. Today a monument to that event stands atop the bluff, near the parking lot at a scenic overlook.More permanent development took place closer to Myrick's trading post, where stores, a hotel, and a post office were constructed during the 1840s. Under the direction of Timothy Burns, lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, surveyor William Hood platted the village in 1851. This opened it up for further settlement, which was achieved rapidly as a result of promotion of the city in eastern newspapers. By 1855, La Crosse had grown in population to nearly two thousand residents, leading to its incorporation in 1856. The city grew even more rapidly after 1858 with the completion of the La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad, the second railroad connecting Milwaukee to the Mississippi River.During the second half of the 19th century, La Crosse grew to become one of the largest cities in Wisconsin. At that time, it was a major economic center in the state, especially of the lumber industry, for logs cut in the interior of the state could be rafted down the Black River toward sawmills built in the city. La Crosse also became a center for the brewing industry and other manufacturers that saw advantages in the city's location adjacent to major transportation arteries, such as the Mississippi River and the railroad between Milwaukee and St. Paul, Minnesota. Around the turn of the 20th century, the city also became a center for education, with three colleges and universities established in the city between 1890 and 1912.La Crosse remains the largest city on Wisconsin's western border, and the educational institutions in the city have recently led it toward becoming a regional technology and medical hub. Geography La Crosse is located on the western border of the midsection of Wisconsin, on a broad alluvial plain along the east side of the Mississippi River. The Black River empties into the Mississippi north of the city, and the La Crosse River flows into the Mississippi just north of the downtown area. Just upriver from its mouth, this river broadens into a marshland that splits the city into two distinct sections, north and south.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.2 square miles (57.4 km²), of which, 20.1 square miles (52.2 km²) of it is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) of it (9.12%) is water.Surrounding the relatively flat prairie valley where La Crosse lies are towering 500 ft bluffs, one of the most prominent of which is Grandad Bluff (mentioned in Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain), which has an overlook of the three states region. This feature typifies the topography of the Driftless Area in which La Crosse sits. This rugged region is composed of high ridges dissected by narrow valleys called coulees, a French term. As a result, the area around La Crosse is frequently referred to as the 'Coulee Region'.Several smaller cities and towns are located in the La Crosse area, including Onalaska, Holmen, and West Salem, Wisconsin. Climate La Crosse's location in the United States' upper midwest gives the area a temperate, continental climate. The warmest month of the year is July, when the average high temperature is 85 °F (29 °C), with overnight low temperatures averaging 63 °F (18 °C). January is the coldest month, with high temperatures averaging 26 °F (-4 °C), with the overnight low temperatures around 6 °F (-14 °C). Neighborhoods and districts La Crosse has 17 voting districts (wards). Neighborhoods in the city include:Washburn Historic Cass & King Historic downtown Northside (Upper and Lower) and Old Towne Hungary Point Mud City Goosetown (UW–La Crosse campus district) Suburbs include French Island in the Town of Campbell, the Town of Medary, and the Town of Shelby. Diversity The first Southeast Asian refugees to arrive in La Crosse came in 1974. It was a Vietnamese family of five. Then in 1975, the first Cambodian family (of three) settled in this area. The first Hmong refugees arrived in June 1976. During the next few years, the number of refugees from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam continued to increase. By 1982, there were approximately 800 Southeast Asian refugees in La Crosse.To meet the needs of the increasing refugee population, the La Crosse Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association (HMAA) was formed and incorporated as a non-profit, tax exempt agency in December 1982. Today, the Asian population of La Crosse is over 4,000. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 51,818 people, 21,110 households, and 10,217 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,573.4 people per square mile (993.4/km²). There were 22,233 housing units at an average density of 1,104.1 per square mile (426.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.58% White, 1.56% African American, 0.51% Native American, 4.65% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.There were 21,110 households out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.93.In the city the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 24.4% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.The median income for a household in the city was $31,103, and the median income for a family was $43,047. Males had a median income of $30,996 versus $22,076 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,650. About 7.8% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over. Government and politics The city government employs a weak mayor form of the mayor-council system. The mayor is elected at-large, while the 17 members of the Common Council are elected per ward.Both the City of La Crosse and La Crosse County have voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1988. In the 2008 presidential election, 69% of the City of La Crosse voted for Barack Obama, and 61% of La Crosse County voted for Barack Obama as well. Despite the strong Republican showing in the state in 2010, La Crosse County was one of 15 counties in the state to vote for incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Russ Feingold.La Crosse is part of state Senate District 32 and has been represented in that chamber by Republican Dan Kapanke since 2004. The city is nearly coterminous with the state Assembly District 95 and has been represented in that chamber by Democrat Jennifer Shilling since 2000. In the United States Congress, Democrat Ron Kind has represented La Crosse as part of Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district since 1997.In 2009, the La Crosse Common Council’s Committee along with La Crosse County supervisors overwhelmingly voted in support of the 'City of La Crosse and La Crosse County Strategic Plan for Sustainability.' The overview of the plan is to reduce consumption of fossil fuels, lessen impacts to the natural environment, and ensure that the citizen’s needs are met fairly, efficiently, and cost effectively. Economy La Crosse is the original home and international headquarters of several businesses, including:[citation needed]City Brewing Company, formerHeileman Old Style brewery Kwik Trip, gas and convenience stores Logistics Health Incorporated, healthcare Trane, air conditioning company, acquired byIngersoll-Randin 2008 La Crosse also has relocated businesses such as:Ace Hardware, which operates a regional distribution center S&S Cycle, motorcycle engines, parts and supplies Largest employers La Crosse County’s 10 largest employers, as ranked by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Office of Economic Advisors, based on March 2007 statistics:Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center: A health care system that includes Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse and other facilities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. It has about 3,900 full-time employees and nearly 2,100 part-time employees in La Crosse County, for a total of about 6,000 employees. System-wide, Gundersen Lutheran has slightly more than 4,200 full-time employees and about 2,300 part-time employees, for a total of about 6,500 employees. Franciscan Skemp Medical Center: A health care system that includes Franciscan Skemp Medical Center in La Crosse and other facilities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. It has about 2,065 full-time employees and 797 part-time employees in La Crosse County, for a total of 2,862 employees. Systemwide, Franciscan Skemp has about 2,493 full-time and 985 part-time employees, for a total of 3,478 employees. Trane: The company was founded in La Crosse. In La Crosse, it makes water chillers for commercial air conditioning products. As of June 23, its La Crosse facilities had about 2,130 full-time employees and 30 part-time employees, for a total of about 2,160 employees. School District of La Crosse: The school district, which educates students through grade 12, has about 1,052 employees, including about 977 full-time and 75 part-time employees. An additional 150 to 200 non-staff members help in such areas as coaching and advising. La Crosse Countygovernment: The county has about 935 full-time employees and about 511 part-time employees, for a total of 1,446 employees. University of Wisconsin–La Crosse: The university has about 785 full-time employees and 568 part-time employees, for a total of 1,353 employees. Kwik Trip: A La Crosse-based convenience store/gasoline retailer. In La Crosse County, the company has about 1,183 full-time employees and 322 part-time employees, for a total of 1,505 employees. CenturyTel(nowCenturyLink): The telephone company’s Midwest Region headquarters is in La Crosse. In the county, the company has about 762 full-time and 69 part-time employees, for a total of 831 employees. Wal-Mart: The discount retailer in La Crosse County operates two Wal-Mart Supercenter stores and a Sam’s Club store. A corporate spokesman said Wal-Mart has about 780 employees in the county. City of La Crosse: The city has about 540 full-time employees. The number of part-time employees ranges from about 220 in January to about 330 in June, so employee totals range from about 760 in January to about 870 in June. Media Newspapers La Crosse's largest newspaper is the daily La Crosse Tribune. The Second Supper, a free weekly tabloid with material of interest to the under-30 demographic group, is also published in the area, as are two shoppers, the Foxxy Shopper and the Buyer's Express. The Racquet is the University of Wisconsin La Crosse's free weekly paper.Television La Crosse is well served by television. Its major network television affiliates are: ABC affiliate WXOW; CBS affiliate WKBT; Fox affiliate WLAX and PBS affiliate WHLA. Also two NBC affiliates; WEAU, from Eau Claire and KTTC from Rochester, Minnesota. An independent station, KQEG-CA, is also in La Crosse.AM RadioWKTYAM 580 WIZM (AM)1410 WLFNAM 1490 FM RadioWLSUFM 88.9 WHLAFM 90.3 KXLCFM 91.1 WIZM-FM93.3 KCLHFM 94.7 WRQTFM 95.7 WCOWFM 97.1 KQYBFM 98.3 WKBH-FM100.1 KQEG-FM102.7 WLXRFM 104.9 WQCCFM 106.3 Shopping La Crosse and the surrounding communities form a regional commercial center and shopping hub. In the northeastern part of the city lies the region's largest shopping center, Valley View Mall. The surrounding area includes numerous big-box stores, and many restaurants. Other shopping centers in the La Crosse region include Three Rivers Plaza, Marsh View Center, Shelby Mall, Jackson Plaza, Bridgeview Plaza, and the Village Shopping Center. Downtown La Crosse has continued to grow in recent years, providing shopping, farmers' markets, hotels, restaurants, specialty shops, and events at La Crosse Center alongside the Mississippi River. Convention Center The La Crosse Center is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose indoor arena built in 1980 in downtown La Crosse on the Mississippi River. It is also a convention center offering 21,600 square feet (2,010 m2) of exhibit space, a 45-foot (14 m) ceiling height, a 60-by-40-foot stage, two locker rooms and three dressing rooms. There is also a 14,935-square-foot (1,388 m2) North Hall which can open up to be used in combination with the arena, and a 38,740-square-foot (3,599 m2) South Exhibit Hall. The three venues total 75,275 square feet (6,993 m2) of exhibit space. The complex also contains 9,432 square feet (876 m2) of meeting room space in five meeting rooms, which can be divided into nine meeting rooms.While both exhibit halls and the arena are used for trade shows, conventions, meetings and banquets, the arena is also used for sporting events, concerts, circuses, ice shows, and other events. Education La Crosse is home to three regional colleges and universities. These include the public University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and Western Technical College, as well as the Roman Catholic Viterbo University. The Health Science Center is a combined effort of all the La Crosse medical centers, universities and government agencies to advance students in the medical fields.For primary and secondary education, the La Crosse area is served by the School District of La Crosse, with 21 elementary, middle, high, and charter schools. La Crosse Central High School and Logan High School are the two public high schools serving the La Crosse area. With a total enrollment of 7,213 students in 2006, making it the 16th largest school district in the state. The La Crosse School District has 635 teachers of which 73% hold a master's degree or higher. The 2006 operating budget for the school district was $87,126,387, composed of 40.6% local funding, 53.4% state funding, and 5.9% federal funding.La Crosse is also served by a Waldorf School, Three Rivers School.In addition, La Crosse Aquinas Catholic Schools, a Roman Catholic school district affiliated with the Diocese of La Crosse, is centered in the city and includes Aquinas High School, and Aquinas Middle School.Another Roman Catholic school, the Providence Academy, is independent from Coulee Catholic Schools and has no affiliation with the Diocese of La Crosse. Health care Two major regional health care facilities are located in La Crosse: Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center and Franciscan Skemp Medical Center.Franciscan Skemp Medical Center, is an affiliate of the Mayo Clinic. Franciscan Skemp, which was the first western Wisconsin hospital to open its doors in 1883 as St. Francis Hospital, was started by the Catholic Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, who still are associated with medical center. Skemp Clinic was located next door to the hospital and they later merged into the multilevel campus now called Franciscan Skemp Medical Center. There are over 200 physicians and 10 regional clinics in the La Crosse three state surrounding area. A new trauma and emergency department, helicopter pad, and surgery wing recently opened in 2007. In 1995, Franciscan Skemp merged with the world famous Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Rochester, Minnesota, which is only 60 miles away.Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center is a 325 bed tertiary care facility located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that is also an ACS nationally certified Level II Trauma Center. It is the primary hospital associated with the Gundersen Clinic medical group and the location of the Western campus for the University of Wisconsin Medical School. During the 2005 fiscal year, Gundersen had 14,625 admissions, 1,524 Births, and 30,307 Emergency and Trauma Center visits.Gundersen Lutheran was ranked 33rd nationally, among more than 580 non-specialty networks in a rating system by Verispan, which issues an annual report evaluating performance and degree of integration. The rankings recently were published in Modern Healthcare Magazine. It was the recipient of the Top 100 U.S. hospitals in Cardiovascular Medicine in 1999, 2003, and 2005 and was named one of the top 100 Performance Improvement Leaders in 2005. There are approximately 5946 employees as well as 421 physicans and 227 physician assistants and nurse practitioners from the Gundersen Clinic on staff. It also operates the only city and area fully equipped medical helicopter MedLink service and paramedic advanced life support ambulance service.The Health Science Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse (UW–L) campus, is a combined effort of both medical centers and hospitals, UW–L, Viterbo University, Western College, and various government/educational groups. The purpose was to prepare and train students for advancement in the medical field. Tap Water La Crosse's tap drinking water, which is raised from a deep underground Artesian aquifer, won the best natural tasting water award in September 2007 in a statewide tasting competition hosted by the Wisconsin Water Association. The city faced off against groundwater and surface water utilities from Algoma, Appleton, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, Pell Lake, Shawano, Shawano Lake, and Watertown at the annual meeting of the association. La Crosse’s drinking water is pumped from deep ground wells to a distribution center and is treated with chlorine and fluoride; some wells are treated with polyphosphate. Transportation The La Crosse Municipal Airport provides direct scheduled passenger service to Minneapolis, Detroit and Chicago through Delta Air Lines and its Northwest links, Mesaba, Compass, and Pinnacle, and to Chicago via American Airlines link American Eagle Airlines. Sun Country and Xtra Airways provide charter service to Laughlin and Elko, Nevada, and other destinations. The airport also serves general aviation for the La Crosse metropolitan area.The city is served by several major highways and Interstate, including Interstate 90, U.S. Highway 14, U.S. Highway 53, U.S. Highway 61, Wisconsin State Highway 35, Wisconsin State Highway 16, Wisconsin State Highway 33.The City of La Crosse's MTU bus service with routes reaching out to the suburbs served over one million users in 2007.On the Mississippi River, cargo is transported to and from this area to St Paul and St Louis, using towboats, primarily moving dry bulk cargo barges for coal, grain, and other low-value bulk goods. Transportation on the river is also provided by steamboat paddlewheelers, both large and small. In the early years of the city, these were common on the river for both cargo and passenger use. In recent years, the large several-story-high passenger paddlewheelers, such as Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen and American Queen, made stops during the summer at Riverside Park. These large boats took passengers from the South, such as New Orleans and St Louis, on leisure cruises, with their steam calliope playing musical tunes outside, northward to St Paul, Minnesota, with other stops along the way. However, since the retirement of the American Queen in 2008 , all three of these boats are no longer in operation. La Crosse does have one smaller paddlewheeler in operation today, the La Crosse Queen, that take passengers on shorter trips on the Mississippi River.The Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Cass St. bridge and the newer Cameron Street bridge (photo with blue arch) both connect downtown La Crosse with La Crescent, Minnesota. These two bridges cross the Mississippi River, as does the Interstate 90 bridge located just northwest of La Crosse, connecting Wisconsin and Minnesota.Railroad tracks owned by Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) pass through La Crosse providing freight service. The former Milwaukee and La Crosse Railroad/Milwaukee Road/Soo Line and now Canadian Pacific Railway runs through the city as well. It provides the track on which the La Crosse Amtrak station is located, and is a stop for the Empire Builder providing cross-country passenger rail service. Culture La Crosse is the cultural center for the Three Rivers Coulee Region. For a community of its size, La Crosse boasts a remarkable arts scene for both participants and audience members, with over 30 active arts organizations. The Pump House Regional Arts Center hosts visual arts exhibits throughout the year plus its own series of jazz, folk, and blues performers. The La Crosse Symphony is the city's regional orchestra and the La Crosse Community Theater has won both regional and national acclaim. Viterbo University Fine Arts building, UW–La Crosse Art Gallery and Theater, and the La Crosse Center schedule of top national performers in the arts rivals that of a much larger city.Viterbo Brightstar Nexstar La Crosse County Historical Society La Crosse Symphony Orchestra Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps La Crosse Public Library Winding Rivers Library System La Crosse and District Pipes & Drums A number of other cultural groups and events are located in La Crosse, including the Pump House Regional Arts Center, the Youth Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band, Coulee Chordsmen barbershop, Chamber Chorale, Chorale Union, Central High School show choir, Children's Museum, paddlewheel riverboat music cruises, and many concerts in the parks and outdoor festivals, including the Great River Festival of Arts and Jazz Fest.Since 1990, Riverside Amusement Park has been a popular destination for family-oriented entertainment, offering go cart rides, miniature golf, an arcade, games geared toward pre-teenagers, and a corporate picnic area. Bars and taverns La Crosse has many bars and nightclubs downtown (the central business district), as well as many neighborhood bars and grills. Third Street downtown is well known for at one time having the most bars on a one mile stretch of road in the United States[citation needed]. Though many bars have closed over the years to make way for the redevelopment of the downtown area, there is still a considerable number of establishments downtown serving the community and the students attending the local universities and technical college. Annual events La Crosse Oktoberfest La Crosse RiverFest Deke Slayton Airfest/Airshow Great River Jazzfest Irish Fest Wienerfest Downtown Mardi Gras Downtown Cameron Park Farmers Market Historic Downtown La Crosse Days Sand On The Riverfront Winter Rec Fest New Years Eve Celebration with The Skyrockers Hmong New Year Parade Holiday Lights Display Catholic La Crosse is the episcopal see for the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse. The Cathedral of Saint Joseph the Workman is the mother church of the Diocese. St. Rose of Viterbo Convent, the mother house of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration is in La Crosse. The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is in La Crosse. Protestant Multiple churches of various denominations including Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Vineyard, Presbyterian, independent and non-denominational.The La Crosse Area ELCA Synod includes 43,600 members from 81 congregations in 10 counties in western Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota. Orthodox St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church is the city's Eastern Orthodox Church. Episcopal Christ Church of La Crosse is the city's Episcopal church. Other Congregation Sons of AbrahamThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) has an active congregation, La Crosse Ward, in neighboring community Onalaska. Sports La Crosse has multiple semi-professional sports teams: the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League, whose home field is at Copeland Park on the north side of La Crosse, the La Crosse Spartans of the Indoor Football League (IFL), who play at the La Crosse Center. La Crosse is also home to an amateur team, the River City Rough Riders, of the North American Football League (NAFL) who play at Veteran's Freedom Park. In the past La Crosse has been home to the Catbirds of the CBA, the Bobcats of the CBA, the River Rats of the IFL, and the Night Train of the NIFL.La Crosse is also home to the two-time NCAA Division III national champion University of Wisconsin–La Crosse (UW–L) Eagles. In the past, the NFL New Orleans Saints football team has held their summer practices at UW–L's football fields, with practices against the NFL Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs.The new 10,000 seat Veterans Memorial Field for football (turf field) and outdoor timed track opened in the spring of 2009. The stadium will continue to host the WIAA Wisconsin high school outdoor track and field state championships in June.The Milwaukee Bucks have played NBA exhibition games at La Crosse Center in past. La Crosse is considering a future NBA developmental team.[citation needed]The Coulee Region Chill is an expansion team in the North American Hockey League that will begin play in September 2010 at the Omni Center in Onalaska.Mt. La Crosse, a downhill lighted ski hill, is located on 500 ft. bluffs on the south side of La Crosse with 19 runs, 3 chair lifts and a large A-frame lodge and pub.The La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, located in nearby West Salem, is the first and only paved NASCAR-sanctioned asphalt stock car racing track in Wisconsin.In September 2008 a women's flat track Roller Derby league was formed known as the Mississippi Valley Mayhem. As of January 2010 they were accepted to the WFTDA apprentice program. <http://mississippivalleymayhem.com> In 2009 a second flat track roller derby team was formed called the La Crosse Skating Sirens. As of July 2010 they were seeking acceptance into the WFTDA apprentice program. <http://www.skatingsirens.com>Hunting and fishing are very popular all seasons of the year, and the Mississippi and other rivers, sloughs, creeks, lakes, the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge, and hilltops and valleys with public woodlands are available to sportsmen and families. Awards and rankings 2002 - National Trust for Historic Preservation Great American Main Street Award 2003 - Milken Institute Best Performing Cities (20th Overall)[dead link] 2005 -Inc.magazine's 4th Best Small City for Doing Business 2005 -Inc.magazine's 15th Best City in America to Do Business 2005 -Forbes25th Best Place 2006 - 7th Safest Metropolitan Area in the Nation - Morgan Quitno Press 2006 -Kiplinger's Personal Financeranked La Crosse 16th 'Smartest Place to Live in U.S. 2007 -Country Homemagazine ranked La Crosse 12th Best Green City in America and second among small cities, behindCorvallis, Ore. 2009 -U.S. Newsranked La Crosse 6th best place to live in the country. 2009 -Farmers Insurance Groupranked La Crosse -Winona, MNarea the 20th most secure place to live in the United States among small towns. Notable residents and natives David Ackert, actor, writer, producer George Addes, founder ofUnited Auto Workers John Ake, professional baseball player Elmer E. Barlow, Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Charles S. Benton, U.S. Representative fromNew York Raymond Bice, Sr.,Wisconsin State Legislatureand businessman Fred Biermann, U.S. Representative fromIowa Thea Bowman,Roman Catholicnun Orville Buckner, professional boxer CardinalRaymond Burke, Former Archbishop of St. Louis and now the Cardinal Prefect of the Vatican'sSupreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura Timothy Burns, Lieutenant Governor ofWisconsin Chris Bury,Nightlinecorrespondent Ole Amundsen Buslett, author Angus Cameron, U.S. Senator James Cameron, noted civil rights activist Erasmus D. Campbell, Lieutenant Governor ofWisconsin Frank P. Coburn, U.S. Representative George Dahlgren,NFLplayer Charles G. Dawes, Vice President of the United States Alexa Demara, model, actress Charles Dierkop, actor Chip Dunham, cartoonist Minnie Dupree, actress John J. Esch, U.S. Representative Bob Fitzke,NFLplayer Paul Fitzke, baseball player George A. Garrett, U.S. diplomat Ed Gein, American killer and necrophiliac, born in La Crosse Tony Ghelfi,MLBplayer Gerald Greider, Wisconsin legislator Adolph Gundersen, physician Tim Gullikson, professional tennis player Tom Gullikson, professional tennis player Tom Hanneman, sports broadcaster Hal Hanson,NFLplayer and head coach Gottlieb Heileman, founder ofG. Heileman Brewing Company Gideon Hixon,Wisconsin State Legislatureand businessman Chuck Hockenbery,MLBplayer Wayne J. Hood, Executive Director of theRepublican National Committee Merlin Hull, U.S. Representative Hugo Jan Huss, orchestra conductor Don Iverson, professional golfer Matt Joyce,NFLplayer John Azor Kellogg, U.S. military leader and Wisconsin politician Mark Kellogg, reporter Ron Kind,United States House of Representatives Tom Klawitter,MLBplayer Milo Knutson, mayor of La Crosse andWisconsin State Senate Ed Konetchy,MLBplayer Arthur Kreutz, composer Robert E. Kreutz, composer Ty Loomis, volleyball player Joseph Losey, film & theater director (1909–1984) Patrick Joseph Lucey, U.S. diplomat James T. McCleary, U.S. Representative fromMinnesota John Medinger, former Mayor of La Crosse and former member of theWisconsin State Assembly John Mengelt,NBAplayer Curt Michel,NASAastronaut, professor Damian Miller,MLBplayer for theMinnesota Twins,Ar